Welcome to Rock Country

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NSRP
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Welcome to Rock Country

Post by NSRP » Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:49 pm



Rock Country
Climate
The climate of Rock Country is harsh. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 64°F (18°C). The temperature ranges between -4°F at the start of winter, which lasts 6-8 months of the year, and can plummet even further, in some places reaching -58°F. Thick, dense boreal forests cover the majority of the country, thriving in the harsh temperatures. The country receives anywhere from 7.9–29.5 inches of precipitation yearly with a large portion of it being snow.
Landscape
The country covers the majority of the northern portion of the continent and is primarily covered in thick forests. Large, power rivers cut through the forests with tributaries snaking their way across as well. These rivers are used to only provide fresh water to villages throughout the country but for major shipping and trading routes. Large mountain ranges encircle the countries southeast and northwest borders, forming natural barriers that aid in repelling foreign invaders. The countries Hidden Village, Iwagakure no Sato, is situated in the large mountain range to the southeast. The landscape is not the best for growing harvests due to its poor soil composition but areas along the rivers and tributaries have been terraformed over the years by generations of the tribes which call the forests their home.
Size
Rock Country is the second largest of the Five Great Countries. It spans across the majority of the northern section of the continent with Pebble Country to the East and Iron Country, Spirit's Nest, and the Holy Land of Forest to the South.
Culture
Rock Country and its people have been molded into fierce survivors by the challenges and obstacles they face just to survive day in and day out. The Kamiya Family reigns over the Country as Daimyo with the surviving lords and ladies of the Great War serving as their trusted advisors. Various other families make up the lower castes with their social power based upon their diverse specialties and connections. Rock Country and her people respect one thing above all else; strength. The strongest is who leads, whether it be male or female, the family and serves as the head. This strength, however, is not just physical. The people of Rock Country recognize strength can be found in different arts by different people and as such do not place one hard definition on the word. Many of them take up rearing a herd of animals for clothes, food, etc.

Prior to the Great War, the Shiren was performed and celebrated by the Daimyo and their feudal lords to divvy up land and resources. In the aftermath, the practice has been abandoned along with the Daimyo's residence moving as they please. Realizing the need for safety, the Daimyo and their entourage take up residency in Seiwa where the 'Noble District' houses them. During the course of the war, outposts and settlements grew into new villages. Five of these new outposts grew into serious shinobi villages and were designated to be governed by Bannin chosen by the Tsuchikage. The remaining villages and provinces were assigned to the surviving lords and ladies of the Daimyo's court.

Military service is seen within Rock Country as one of the highest form of patriotism possible. Active and retired samurai are celebrated by the people, it is not an uncommon sight for an older samurai to be thanked for their service. Starting at 16 years old, the eldest son of the family is conscripted into the local samurai brigade where they serve for a minimum of 2 years although it is not unheard of for one's service to be extended through their own choice. Those who do exit the service are granted land and a modest pension by the government as assistance in raising a family.

Soups, meats, and pastries dominate the food of Rock Country. Soups are considered by many the premiere way to stretch out ones food supplies over particularly cruel winter months as they can feed a family with few ingredients and are a great way to recycle leftovers. Meats are plentiful due to the wild game which roams the forests covering the country and the small, personal herds kept by most families. Pastries and sweets are high in calories which help in the near freezing climate and also help to boost one's mood which can be hampered due to the cloud cover high in the mountains.

Slavery is one of the oldest custom to be found in Rock Country. Founded in the philosophy of 'The Strong Rule,' slavery has existed before even the village of Iwagakure no Sato in Rock Country. Tribes fought for land, supplies, and even people before a government formed and attempted to unite the peoples under one banner. Albeit somewhat successful, the first Daimyo of Rock Country was not perfect. Slavery remained a core concept of Rock Country culture with stronger tribes continuing to absorb weaker ones. After its creation, Iwagakure no Sato shinobi were used to monitor the slave trade and remove any particularly ruthless groups before purchasing the 'goods' for their own ends, whether it be service to the village or further sale. With the advent and completion of the Great War, however, slavery within Rock Country has started to transform.

The impact of the war forced the government to rethink the idea of slavery with its potential to be used against them. Early on in the war, the slavery system began to become phased out. Slave owners were forced by the government and military to provide their slaves with 'contracts' with more favorable conditions lest they face punishment by the government or worse: revolution and revolt by the large slave population. Many of these contracts entailed joining the military effort with freedom given after their service or becoming managers or workers of large swaths of newly acquired land to be developed which they would be given a portion of upon completion of their contract. These contracts guaranteed better living conditions and more freedoms but were still long, the average being seven years and the most extreme being fourteen. Still, the 'former' slaves saw 7-14 years better than their entire lives and adapted to the shifting times.
Economy
Rock Country has an extreme abundance of metals, ores, lumber, and timber due to the mountains and forests dominating the land. Several merchant families have established themselves over the decades as the heads of trade within the country, each focused on their own specialty with lower families helping them in their business ventures. These raw materials are shipped as is to countries in need and transformed into a myriad of objects by the many different artisan families which have developed in Rock Country over the centuries. Their main exports include metal, ore, lumber, timber, furniture, building materials, and weaponry while their imports are primarily exotic foods and spices.

Several different villages within Rock Country are seen as trade hubs due to their resources and connections to other towns. The everlooming threat of Iwagakure ensures safety along these routes, usually. Due to the sheer amount of goods which move through some of the rivers, it is not uncommon for Iwagakure shinobi to be dispatched to remove bandit camps or other ill meaning folk.
Government
Rock Country, like many others, is ruled by a dynasty of Daimyo. The Kamiya family has ruled Rock Country since the first Daimyo united the peoples through strength and formed the government. The Daimyo and their immediate family rule above all else with the Tsuchikage coming second in the hierarchy of power. Below the Tsuchikage come the feudal lords and bannin who serve the two, equal in measure and status.

The government is set up as a caste system with the Daimyo and Tsuchikage occupying the top caste, known as 'Nobility.' Following them, shinobi, craftsmen, and administrators occupy the next caste known as 'Middle Class.' Next is the caste of 'Lower Class,' made up of farmers, miners, and others who collect raw materials. At the very bottom is the 'Indentured' caste, where servants occupy. It is possible to raise one's caste through hard work and dedication but many find themselves using marriage as a way to climb as inter-caste marriage is not uncommon.
Religion
Assyrism is polytheistic, with the assumption that there are many gods and goddesses, as well as a range of lesser supernatural beings of various types. There is a hierarchy of deities, with Yamantaka, the king of the gods, having a level of control over all the others, although he was not almighty. Some deities had dominion over certain aspects of nature. For instance, Hahagriva is the sky-god, sending thunder and lightning, Yamantaka rules over the land and sea, Mahakala projects his remarkable power throughout the realms of death and the Underworld, and Ushas controls the sun. Other deities ruled over abstract concepts; for instance Tara controlled love. All significant deities were visualized as "human" in form, although often able to transform themselves into animals or natural phenomena. Identity of names is not a guarantee of a similar cultus. The worship of the major deities spreads from one locality to another, and though most larger cities boast temples to several major gods, the identification of different gods with different places remains strong.

The gods acted like humans and had human vices. They would interact with humans, sometimes even spawning children with them. At times certain gods would be opposed to others, and they would try to outdo each other. While being immortal, the gods were certainly not all-good or even all-powerful. They had to obey fate, known as Vajra, which overrode any of their divine powers or wills. In general, it is considered what one believes to be much less importance than what one does.

Assryism believes in an underworld where the spirits of the dead go after death. One of the most widespread areas of this underworld was ruled over by Mahakala, a brother of Yamantaka, and was itself also known as Mahakala. Other well-known realms are Patala, a place of torment for the damned, and Brahmaloka, a place of pleasures for the virtuous.

Assyrism has an extensive mythology. It consists largely of stories of the gods and how they interact with humans. Myths often revolved around heroes and their actions. There is no a set cosmogony, or creation myth. Different religious groups believed that the world had been created in different ways. One creation myth states that at first there was only a primordial deity called Chakrasamvara, after which came various other primordial gods, such as Yamantaka, Mahakala, and Hahagriva, who then gave birth to more gods who then gave birth to even more.

The lack of a unified priestly class means that a unified, canonic form of the religious texts or practices don't exist; just as there is no unified, common sacred text, there was no standardization of practices. Instead, religious practices are organized on local levels, with priests normally being officials for the city or village. Some priestly functions, like the care for a particular local festival, could be given by tradition to a certain family.

Ceremonies and rituals are mainly performed at altars. These are typically devoted to one or a few gods, and supported a statue of the particular deity. Votive deposits would be left at the altar, such as food, drinks, as well as precious objects. Sometimes animal sacrifices would be performed here, with most of the flesh taken for eating, and the offal burnt as an offering to the gods. Libations, often of wine, would be offered to the gods as well, not only at shrines, but also in everyday life, such as during a symposium. One ceremonial ritual involves expelling a symbolic scapegoat such as a slave or an animal, from a city or village in a time of hardship. It is hoped that by casting out the ritual scapegoat, the hardship goes with it.

Various religious festivals are held, many specific only to a particular deity or village. More typical festivals feature a procession, large sacrifices and a feast to eat the offerings, and many include entertainments and customs such as visiting friends and wearing fancy dress.
The Aftermath of the Great War
The realm of Rock Country had been irreconcilably changed by the momentous event dubbed the Great War afterwards by its participants. Fertile lands to the south of the nation had been taken from them by Pebble Country; their people fleeing north into the mountains in hopes of being saved by Iwagakure shinobi or resigned to live their new lives as 'citizens' of Pebble. Rock Country's control of the lands to the west expanded considerably to the point many in the country's capital felt it offset their losses to the south. The country's border now reached far enough to touch the sea, threaten the domain of spirits to the south west, and remind those who rebuffed them during the War that they were not gone.

The impact of the war on the population of Rock Country had forced its government to rethink the idea of slavery with its potential to be used against them. Early on in the war, the slavery system began to become phased out. Slave owners were forced by the government and military to provide their slaves with 'contracts' with more favorable conditions lest they face punishment by the government or worse: revolution and revolt by the large slave population. Many of these contracts entailed joining the military effort with freedom given after their service or becoming managers or workers of large swaths of newly acquired land to be developed which they would be given a portion of upon completion of their contract. These contracts guaranteed better living conditions and more freedoms but were still long, the average being seven years and the most extreme being fourteen. Still, the 'former' slaves saw 7-14 years better than their entire lives and adapted to the shifting times.

Although at home in mountainous battlefields, the shinobi and other forces of Rock Country still had to contend with the difficult terrain. The Act of Tree Climbing did not last forever plus it was a drain on chakra, no matter how miniscule, while the samurai forces had to contend without even that luxury. The many complaints of both the shinobi and samurai forces led the Enkouten of Iwagakure to develop a harness to enhance mobility in such environments where verticality reigned. This harness encompassed much of the body below the neck with straps on the upper chest, waist, and feet with a set of gas cannisters of the back to propel them along grapple lines modified to be shot and reloaded from their blades. The development of such a harness allowed shinobi and samurai both to more effectively fight in the mountainous regions of Rock Country.

The development and deployment of railroads and trains by the Alliance was a major game changer during the course of the war. The engineers and artisans of Rock Country were not oblivious to the pros of such a rail system and what it could do for their own people. Although much behind Lightning Country, Rock immediately began devising a prototype train of their own half way through the war by way of Kouton and coal power. The founding of Shirosato in northern Rock Country and its abundance of coal and other ores had fast tracked its completion, although this was not until months after the war. Once completed, Rock Country mobilized shinobi and samurai both to clear paths through the abundant forests of the land and lay tracks connecting the main settlements. Rudimentary in comparison to their neighbors, Rock Country is still catching up to them when it comes to developing means of transportation.

The development of new settlements and population centers led to not only rail lines being laid but roads cleared and paved between each to facilitate faster travel by all throughout the region.

The acquisition of large amounts of minerals and natural resources to the west along with shared technological knowledge with Kirigakure led to several shipyards being built on the shores of the nation. The combination of surplus resources and the ability to manipulate metal has led to the development of a sizeable navy located on the far west shore of Rock Country.

The displacement and movement of peoples through the duration of the war had lead to several new population centers being born through Rock Country during the war:

Seiwa | West Iwa
The second largest military installation in Rock Country, Seiwa functions as a secondary 'Iwagakure' in case of a successful invasion of the village. It is located at the former crossroads of multiple countries in the middle of the country and hidden deep within its boreal forest and northern mountain ranges. The large stockpiles of major resources discovered in the region have allowed it to boom into what it is today.

Kadena | Iwa on the Water - W
The first of several seafaring towns developed recently. Located on the geographical border of a boreal forest and frozen wastes, the town has been able to gather resources and develop from both. Access to timber/lumber has allowed the local population to build reliable homes while mineral and ore deposits located both in the forest and wastelands have allowed the village to form into the foremost naval force for Rock Country. The countries largest shipyard has been built and maintained here by the flow of natural resources around them. The village allows Iwa and Rock Country to keep an eye on the seemingly endless expanse of ocean on their western border.

Misawa | Iwa on the Water - E
Another of several seafaring towns developed. Located on the geographical border of a boreal forest and open waters, the town has been able to gather resources and develop from both. Access to timber/lumber has allowed the local population to build reliable homes while mineral and ore deposits located in the forest and plentiful coastal waters have allowed the village to form into a success story. The village also contains another shipyard and allows Iwa and Rock Country to keep an eye on their enemies to the East.

Wairua | Spirit's Watch
The last major military installation formed during the Great War, Wairua, also known as Spirit's Watch, is located within the combination of mountain range and boreal forest to the southwest and serves to keep an eye on Spirit's Nest and Owl Country. Large amounts of natural resources such as timber/lumber and minerals/ores allowed the colony to grow quickly and establish a foothold in the region as people fled southern conflicts.

Sawara | Rivertown
A major trade hub developed in the center of Rock Country on the Banas River. The Banas River flows throughout Rock Country and into several major and minor nations which allowed the village to develop from a small trading outpost during the beginning of the Great War into a trading hotspot. Hydroelectric waterwheels are used by the citizenry to power the village and many come for the growing water tourism industry.

Ikata | Mountaintown
The last major town before venturing into the mountains, Ikata is found just at the entrance to the Minabe no Kabe. As the last town to gather supplies or rest before delving into the treacherous mountain range, Ikata grew from a small handful of shacks into a serious trade hub. Geothermal vents and natural hot baths also serve to draw in quite the amount of tourism from other regions.

Tsushima | Bordertown
A major trading hub located at the point where Rock, Iron, Pebble, and Holy Forests meet, Tsushima grew as refugees from the war traveled and settled. With an abundance of resources to start over, the small collection of refugees eventually grew into a major trade hub for Rock Country between the four nations. Designated by its people as a neutral zone, peoples from each of the four nations are able to mingle freely without threat of violence.

Kashima | Seatown
The largest trading hub in the country, Kashima is located on the eastern shore of Rock Country and sees goods from most major and minor countries flow through it. A gigantic port, Kashima sees people wishing to come to and leave Rock Country in staggering amounts yearly with many factions setting up short term areas and leaving them once they've moved on.

Ashoro | Timbertown
Situated in the heart of the boreal forest covering the majority of Rock Country and located on a river, Ashoro is the single greatest exporter of lumber and timber in the country. Hydroelectric waterwheels are used by the citizenry to turn the raw wood they collect into lumber and a large portion of trade is centered around the river which allows faster transportation of goods through its extensive tributary network.

Shirosato | Coaltown
Nestled at the border between the northeast mountain ranges and Rock Country's thick forest, Shirosato is home to the majority of coal miners and charcoal burners in the country. Large amounts of coal and other minerals are pulled from the mountain mines while charcoal is crafted in large kilns and then sold to other villages in the country. As the main provider of coal, the village was the first to invest in and develop a working coal powered train in Rock Country and train station. From there, rail lines have been placed leading to each large village/town.

Matagi | Hunttown
The citizens of Matagi came together due to Lake Notoro and the wildlife it gathered. Small hunting communities formed along the shoreline until finally it became a village. The denizens of Matagin make their living by hunting the large wild game found readily available in the Rock Countries forests and the fish provided by Lake Notoro.

Ginza | Textilestown
Located to the northeast, Ginza is a large village made up of mostly herders. The peoples cleared large swathes of land until the ocean to the north and turned it into pasture lands for animals such as sheep. Ginza has become the primary producer of fleece and wool for Rock Country following the Great War.
Transportation Revolution
Transportation Revolution
The deployment and usage of railways and trains by Lightning Country during the Great War served to highlight to the daimyo of Rock Country just how far his nation had fallen behind when it came to technology. No matter how great their numbers, dragging their heels in developing technology due to the excuse of chakra only served to hamper them as a people. Ordering his forces to begin their own research and development of such a means of transport, railways and train cars were attacked and captured where able by Iwagakure shinobi.

R&D divisions from both the country capital and Iwagakure came together in a bid to quickly dissect and reverse engineer what they could from the captured vessels. Realizing they could not power their interpretations as Lightning Country did, the development of a steam engine powered by combustible material led to the first successful trial of their own train car. Such developments and the frenzy of production which followed helped the fledging towns of Shirosato and Ashoro boom and become powerhouses of their regions within Rock Country as demand for materials such as coal and wood. As the small villages grew into towns and travel to and from increased, roads and railways were laid down to facilitate and ease travel between not only them but other growing villages in the regions.

Cobbled brick roads connect each village in the Country to help and speed up lesser forms of transportation such as carriages while Rock Countries' single railway hosts 5 different trains and connects the major villages with a large loop although plans for more routes are in consideration. The technology still relatively basic, the trains and railways are currently unfit for warfare with plans for military train cars under development for the next large scale war.

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