Bears

The Bear people can be generally compared to a blend of Picts and Scoti societies and members of the Ursidae biological family.
Bears are one of the fifty-five races of anthropomorphic mammals that populate Yanìs, and are grouped in the subgenus of Ursidaes, along with Pandas and Red Pandas.

Physically, they're tall and very large, and can easily exceed 7 feet in height and weigh 150 kg. They are generally bulky and sturdy, with a very short tail, small rounded ears, relatively short limbs, an excellent sense of smell, and plantigrade legs. Their fur is dark brown in various shades, with a unique trait: the wisest ones tend to lighten, so many leaders have a polar bear-like appearance; more aggressive ones tend to resemble grizzly bears; while magic-users tend to have the appearance of moon bears.

Bears' society is based on a strong clan structure, in which the clann forms the basis of social organization. Each clann is headed by a Toiseach, or chief, who is responsible for its management and for members' protection, and a warrior elite called Fine. Their politics is based on alliances and conflicts between clann, with frequent clashes between them. The Toiseaches, under the suzerain of an Ard Rí (a high king), rule jointly, and all these offices are held following election by an assembly, called witenagemot. Thanks to their habits, after the birth of the Nemari Confederation, the Bear people will be the least politically affected by the change.

The Bear people are farmers and breeders, and have great skill in beekeeping, which has made them proud inventors (and consumers) of mead. They also own several mines, although their metallurgical techniques are not as advanced as they believe. Instead, they excel in fishing and navigation, and their huge ships, called knarr, are very renowned for their ability to cross the northernmost icy seas and are equipped with powerful ice-breaking blades.
The Bear people tend to fall into "torpor" during the winter season, which leads to a significant slowdown of all activities and long periods of sleep (even 15-16 hours per day). To cope with this torpor, they rely on food and supplies gathered during the summer months through work or piracy.
During winter, the Bear people tend to engage more in arts, such as opera songs, harp and bagpipe performances, stone, metal, and bone art, fiction and epic tales, and weave their famous kilts in tartan and wool. They also have a long tradition of using transmutation magic in practical ways.