Painting of a cabin on a lake with a boat in the water

The Duchy of Delta Article DRAFT PUBLIC Along the rugged northern frontier, nestled amongst Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, lies the remote Duchy of Delta. Sparse peasant villages dot a landscape dominated by dense boreal forest, wild rivers, and chain of lakes carved by ancient glaciers. It is governed by Sir Pyle from the formidable timber citadel Fort St. Nicholas. Delta’s most abundant resources are its timber and wildlife. Logging crews harvest towering white pines and spruce while trappers collect pelts and ginseng thriving in the unspoiled forests. The cold, clear waters also teem with whitefish, lake trout, and wild rice. And the little arable land supports modest crops like oats, barley and hay. Though largely unexplored and unmapped, rumors persist of rich mineral deposits hidden within Delta’s bedrock. But a harsh climate and lack of viable transport discouraged earlier settlers. Only the hardiest pioneers manage to carve remote homesteads from the wilderness. When icy winds whip across Lake Superior, they thank Sir Pyle for the refuge of Fort St. Nicholas. Hope remains that future roads or canal infrastructure may one day connect Delta’s bounty of wood, furs, fish and rumored minerals with coastal trade routes. But for now it stays wild, loosely overseen by Sir Pyle and self-reliant peasants, living off the land just as their ancient indigenous predecessors.