The name "Yukonberia" is a portmanteau of the words, "Yukon" and "Siberia". The name Yukonberia pays homage to my characters' origins. For example, Lumi is a Siberian husky, and Abnus is an interior Alaskan wolf. They are the founders of Yukonberia.

The pack's territory was established on the Diomede islands (or Gvozdev in Russian). The Diomede islands form the border between the United States and Russia. The Diomede islands were chosen because they are separated from the mainland— far from any territorial disputes. The pack's main shelter is an abanonded Lisunov Li-2T plane that was discovered on Big Diomede. The inside of the abanonded plane is lined with animal skins, straw, and moss to keep out the harsh cold during the winter months.

Although the island may seem completely devoid of resources, the pack finds their food mainly from the sea. They prey upon fish, seals, whales, and shorebirds. In addition, the abundant moss on the island is used for den insulation, fire starting, and wound dressing. The bones of scavenged whale or polar bear skeletons are crafted as toys for the pups, or figurines and amulets for the rest of the pack. There are no permanent lakes on the Diomedes, all sources of fresh water are obtained from melt ponds.

There is also a small human settlement on the Little Diomede called Iŋaliq. During the wintertime, there is a thick sheet of sea ice that forms a bridge between Big Diomede and Little Diomede. This way, Lumi and Abnus can travel freely between the two islands. At night, the two of them scavenge the village for trinkets and human food.

Despite living on two tiny islands, Lumi and Abnus aren't stuck on the Diomedes. The Russian mainland is roughly 25 miles away, and the Alaskan mainland is 16 miles away. The pack might travel via ice bridges or floes across the Bering Strait to either mainland, where they can hunt bigger game.

Photo: palkiewicz.com