Kadven

The kadven is a great northern beast combining a bear’s power with a boar-like muzzle and sturdy tusks. Broad paws carry its heavy body over crusted snow; pale bristly fur resists the cold. It digs frozen ground for roots and may hunt small prey.

The Survivors’ white pelts in the old chronicle are linked to a kadven trial. This military custom is not a duty for every northerner. Travelers leave an escape route: a frightened beast can break a weak fence and understands nothing of human oaths.