Welcome to Water Country

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Flankingfox
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Welcome to Water Country

Post by Flankingfox » Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:24 pm

Geography
Compared to the rest of the world Water Country is on the smaller side, being the smallest of the Five Great nations as its landmass is made up of multiple islands. Due to their location, they are largely secluded from other countries but their dominion over sea trade ensures they never become completely isolated. The ocean that surrounds the islands are known to have numerous whirlpools and dangerous reefs that make seafaring hazardous to all but the most experienced of sailors. Water Country is often subject to heavy rain and high winds throughout the year with tropical storms being common place during the summer months.

The small amount of habitable land on the islands has prompted significant human modification of the terrain over many centuries. Land was reclaimed from the sea and from river deltas by building dikes and drainage, and rice paddies were built on terraces carved into mountainsides. Large portions of jungle have been cut down and hills and even mountains have been razed to provide flat areas for housing and business.

The temperatures in Water Country are common for that of tropical islands, though they tend to be less extreme due to near-constant winds from the east. Summer highs typically average at 90°F (32°C) during the days while at night it rarely drops below 75°F (24°C). Winter day temperatures are usually around 83°F (28°C); at low elevation, they seldom dip below 65°F (18°C) at night. Snow is exceedingly rare in Water Country, occurring only on the highest peaks of the southern islands.
Biome MapShow
Ecology A country of continental islands, Water Country is often correctly assumed to be a dangerous and inhospitable place to outsiders. Made up of sixteen islands, only seven of which house major population centres, almost all of these islands share similar ecoregions; tropical islands made up almost entirely of jungle and rainforests. Naturally they are quite beautiful and if not for the danger of the seas would make ideal holiday destinations.

Beginning in the south, Kazusa Province stretches the entire southern half of the country and is made up of seven islands. The largest of these islands is home to the only temperate broadleaf and mixed forest and serves as the primary provider of lumber for the country, requiring careful maintenance to prevent deforestation. Made up primarily by southern beeches, the ever-present threat of hurricanes is cause of concern to the maintenance of the forest. The other islands of Kazusa are predominantly jungle and rainforest with villages located primarily along the coastline; these islands are home to many indigenous flora and fauna that serve as powerful ingredients in medicine.

To the north west of Kazusa is Kirigakure Province. The smallest of the provinces, made up of only four small islands, this province relies almost entirely on importing goods into the major population centres. The island that houses the Village Hidden in the Mist has been entirely reconstructed by Ninjutsu; once a tropical paradise as many of the other islands of Water Country, it is now an island turned natural fortress through incredibly large, dangerous mountain ranges that encompass the island's shoreline and heavy, humid swamplands that are difficult to cross. The other islands in the province are dominated again by jungle with the exception of the only other population centre of the province; this island is surrounded almost entirely by mangrove swamps. The high saline levels of the water in these swamps result in large salt pans being built to extract the salt from the briny water.

Finally, in the north east of Water Country is Kozuke Provice; home to Water Country's largest landmass and its capital. Home to the final five islands, much of the largest is dominated by wetlands. This land is what allows Water Country to be responsible for being the world’s second largest agricultural powerhouse behind Fire Country, and the world’s largest producer of rice, wheat, cotton, flax and jute, which is an extremely low maintenance crop used to make matting, rope, and various coarse fabrics used for both agricultural and industrial transportation. Peatbogs are common towards the north of the primary island, which are harvested for the peat which is then used as a source of fuel. On the smaller islands, again jungles and rainforests reigns supreme, housing many of the rarer ingredients, both fauna and flora related, for use in some of the most powerful medicine and poisons in the world.
People and Culture The indigenous peoples of Water Country vary from island to island but there are several common denominators between each; olive skin tones, shorter statures, and dark hair. Due to the difficulty in reaching Water Country there has been little introduction of foreign bloodlines, the primary source of outside culture coming from Kirigakure; being founded by almost entirely foreign shinobi prisoners, ethnicity in the Hidden Mist is much more diverse and holds little native Water Country blood.

Ruled predominantly by wealthy traders who make deals with the Daimyo, the culture of Water Country varies greatly between the major capitals and the smaller villages. Life within the Country and Provincial capitals tends to be very opulent; the cities are built using generations of work, becoming very large and sprawling places that serve as the most popular and also only tourist and trading centres of the country. The traditions and traits of the original natives has been lost to time and replaced by business savvy and an overwhelming greed that runs rampant through the upper class.

The upper class, most notably the merchant and the military classes, have various rights and privileges provided to them by the Daimyo due to trade agreements that keep the Daimyo in power. They can buy people and put them into slavery and their actions are often overlooked by the government. The slave trade is incredibly lucrative and a major source of revenue for the country, and slaves are often considered to be little more than a tool akin to a good horse or working dog. Drugs made from local herbs and animals are often employed to keep the slaves in check.

The native peoples outside of the nobility and major population centres tend to be poorer, living in simple villages often along the coastlines, and are primarily hunter-gatherers. They hunt in the jungles or the ocean and trade among the other small villages for rare goods not available to them on their island. Each island's inhabitants tend to be very segregated, not having much to do with islands outside of their closest neighbours. Thus, there are no Country wide holidays celebrated by the native people and each island has its own celebrations and rituals.
Politics and Economies Water Country is ruled by the Daimyo in name only; the ruling family remains the ruling family due to trade agreements made with other islands which allows the Daimyo to maintain the local government and samurai garrisons. The true power is held by the mercantile class; owners of large fleets of ships and the most resource-rich islands, this class is determined by wealth and wealth alone. Money is equivalent to power in Water Country. The rich are required to pay a percentage of their quarterly earnings to the Daimyo in tax which goes towards managing the country's military; the rest of their fortune goes towards their own personal fleets and maintaining their chokehold on naval trade.

Each of the provinces is ruled by a conglomeration of wealthy traders, running more like a business than a feudal society. Their primary trading partner, Rock Country, provides Water Country with much of its mineral requirements, in return for Water Country's abundant fauna and flora resources, medicines, and large yields of rice. The iron and steel goes towards advancing Water Country's more prominent cities and their navy, resulting in maritime military power of Water Country being one of the most dominant forces in the world. Trade agreements with other countries, Tea and Fire primarily, is where a large amount of Water Country's salt trade happens.

Tourism is another major source of revenue for the country. Given the natural beauty of the tropical islands, especially along the coastline, it is a popular tourism destination for those wealthy enough to afford it. Because of the natural dangers of the oceans surrounding the islands, passage into and out of the country is controlled almost entirely by the Water Country navy and costs exuberant amounts of money for pleasure oriented trips. Those that come to Water Country find themselves pampered and encouraged to spend money on things often considered illegal in other countries; primarily slaves and drugs.
Last edited by Izanagi on Fri Jun 30, 2023 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Characters
Name: Karagata, Shiv
Rank: Bannin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:1 C:1 D:0
Name: Sarutobi, Shin
Rank: Genin
Village: Konohagakure
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Karagata, Okami
Rank: A-Ranked Criminal
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Tsukino, Jhin
Rank: Special Jounin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Shiv PersonalityShow
"Having been trained to follow orders and accomplish any task given to him, Shiv has become a desensitized killer with an elitist attitude, being utterly rude to those that he deems lesser than himself. This can be seen through his interaction with people as he is quite the remorseless and sarcastic individual. His disregard for those around him can be seen through his logic of comparing people to weapons. He is professional, calculating, and ambitious by nature, with his professional side only being shown when dealing with those that he deems worthy of his respect."

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