Or perhaps you could do it as Spore did; their evolutionary/discovery progress simply halts or reaches a standstill. Leaving them less likely to be recognized as a 'nation of a sentient race'.
Perhaps something similar to that of an Ape in our world.
Then we have the problem of who would be playing them, a GM or whoever discovers the old territory first? How would they know how they would behave, etc.
Name of Race: Ghalgren
Pic/Description
Racial Characteristics: Light colored skin, adept for blending in the Tundra environment. Eyes are also lightly colored, perfect for adjusting to sunlight reflecting off the snow.
Race Bio: The Ghalgren are tight knit community, preferring to live in large communities where they can aid each other. They have mastered their cold environment, hunting with ease amongst the animals of the north. They are proficient bow hunters and masters of ambush tactics, hiding on cliffs, in bushes or arounds bends to engage prey in close combat. Food is shared with the community as a whole in large banquet style buffets. Society is based on family prestige, those families with the most influence gain leadership roles amongst the people while doing everything they can to aid those under them. The Ghalgren paint their faces for camouflage, rituals, and for pleasing aesthetic purposes.
Location on Map: Southern tundra region, bordering the ocean and the desert.
Techs: Ghalgren are master archers and fletchers. The create powerful compound bows that are considered works of art amongst the community. Based on the compound bow design, they have also created simple machines of pulleys and levers to do the daily tasks of building and farming. They have simple boats of sails and oars and build their homes in a square cabin fashion, using large heavy pine lumber.
Your tech is a bit advanced for someone first starting out.