I worked on this map while brainstorming an TTRPG setting a few years back. I never ended up using it however. The Lake Laurel region is inspired by the large glacial lake systems you see in the northern US and throughout Canada.
The northern stretch of the region consists of rolling foothills and some mountains. Its densely forested. The southeastern shore of Lake Laurel is mostly flat with broad grassy marshes.
I always imagined that there would be a city state on the peninsula that divides the lakes. The heroes would come from there and most of the adventures would be based around it. People would get around in boats and hunker down during the long winters.
This reads like someone’s first undergrad comparative Econ paper.