What Kumo is like...

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NSRP
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What Kumo is like...

Post by NSRP » Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:25 pm



A towering metropolis displaying the unmatched prowess of its engineers, Kumogakure is built into two mountains, with a ravine and river between them, which are a part of a small range in central Lightning Country. Bridges and circular tiers are used for external building and commuting between the two halves of the village. The village was not always a centre for the clandestine practices of shinobi, it was originally the capital of a small mountain kingdom ruled by the Kokuou. This city remained unmolested by the Akechi kingdom which surrounded it for quite some time, however when the Akechi line of lords died out, Kumogakure was given the land as the Kokuou's kingdom was never recognised. Upon the discovery of the village, the Lightning Country quickly demanded cooperation from the Kokuou, subjugating their city-state to become Kumogakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

Over hundreds of years, large chambers of the mountains were hollowed out for the mining of their bountiful ores, supplying the needed resources to build the city itself. As such, much of Kumogakure is built out of stone and steel, very little is left to wood, as there was not a bountiful amount available during its long construction. Much of Kumogakure's residential district is currently unused however, as the severe reduction of both the Kokuou and Akechi population during their kingdoms' final days has left the village bigger than it needs to be. While some of these unused homes have been filled by the influx of people in the Lightning Country who wish to learn the secrets of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and chakra in general, the marvellous city is yet to return to its former glory.

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What Kumo is like...

Post by Archives » Sat Jul 01, 2017 7:44 pm

SOCIAL STRUCTURE Social Groups

The Government tends to be very transparent and very democratically involving with it's citizens, only hiding information that is potentially a threat to the security of Kumogakure. Because of this, within the village exists few roles and no citizen's social standing truly differing from one another. Though each role has varying power they are all respected and treated with a high level importance and paid very similarly, as each position within the village is integral to it's smooth operation. Making up for it's low-population is not just a high amount of resources but also Kumogakure's skilled workforce.

Kumogakure's society is not as strictly divided as other villages, such as Kirigakure. People tend to get along due to the rather recent promotion of the ideal of everyone working towards the betterment of the village. There are only three social 'divisions' as such, and those are: General Civillians and Tradesmen, Administration and Shinobi. The Administration are those governing Kumogakure and their underlings, they handle things like taxes, and the organisation of public works and services. General Civillians are almost always learned in some kind of trade, which is why this class is also referred to as 'tradesmen'. An entire tier on both mountains is devoted to learning and practising the various trades which are prominent throughout Kumogakure. Shinobi are, of course, the ninja population. While Shinobi may be very common within the village, understand that Shinobi spend their time when not on missions working as either a tradesman or as part of the administration. It is important to understand that at least eighty five per cent of Kumogakure's population are shinobi to some degree of activity, as shinobi in Kumogakure are not strictly required all the time. They are able to spend most of their days working their day jobs, until such time as they are called upon for a mission.


Interaction between Social Groups

Interaction between members of different social groups is a constant occurrence in Kumogakure, with nobody ever being strictly 'above' the others in power and standing. The Shinobi recognise the need of the few people that devote their lives to their trades, and vice versa, since all Shinobi also play another part. The Administration group do not often look down upon others or become power hungry, due to power wielding spots having durations or life spans. Because of the cyclic pattern of the more senior positions among the Administration, corruption and undemocratic process are difficult to maintain, since no amount of power is ever permanent. The integration of all three groups blending and mixing allows all Kumogakure citizens to live in harmony in terms of social standing. All people are equal in Kumogakure, so long as they pull their weight.

GOVERNMENT Government

The government of Kumogakure no Sato is largely democratic with elected councillors governing the village on a day to day basis. While this allows citizens some degree of political freedom, to have a say in the government of their village, the council can be overruled by the Raikage at any time unless they are in unanimous agreement. As it stands there are three parties lobbying for the three civilian seats on the council, the Miners Union, the Agricultural Association and the Merchant Guild. Because of these three groups, it is uncommon for independents to be elected to the council unless they are citizens of considerable repute.

The Lightning Country built Kumogakure no Sato as their base of operations for intelligence and espionage. Since the conception of ninjutsu, the population of the village has boomed, and the village is no longer self sustainable in terms of food due to a lack of farm space in the mountainous region the village is in. This means that convoys of food from nearby farming prefectures are used to make up the difference. This situation places a tie of mutual benefit between the lightning country and Kumogakure, who handles the sensitive secrets of the nation. There is a considerable amount of trust between the two, and the Raikage holds considerable political power as the minister for intelligence.

The economy of Kumogakure no Sato has two major industries. The first is the shinobi mercenary industry, where civilians, nobles and businesses are able to lodge requests of the shinobi of the cloud village in exchange for money. The second is the smithy industry. The lightning country is famous for its rich veins of ore, and Kumogakure manufactures most of the nations weaponry in their village, for both shinobi and soldier use. On the back of these two major industries Kumogakure is able to buy the food and wood that it lacks from other areas of the country.


Kage & Council

The Raikage is the leading shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato and the minister for intelligence for the lightning country. While he is considered the leader and lord of the village and the surrounding lands, he is not expected to perform the day to day running of his land himself. The Raikage is expected to use his time to fulfil only two duties. The first is the duty to train and continue to be a pillar of strength and admiration for the shinobi that follow him. The second is to perform in his role as minister for intelligence, by reading all important mission reports and creating and assigning missions that are vital to the lightning country itself. While this is all the Raikage is required to do, they do hold the power to make decisions for the village, it is simply uncommon for Raikage's to take any great interest.

To manage to administration of the village hidden in the clouds 8 councillors are elected every two years. Three members are shinobi elected by jounin and chuunin of the village, another three are citizens of the village whom are voted in by any non-shinobi resident over the age of 21 while the last two members are nobles chosen by the Daimyo. These councillors oversee the day to day affairs of the village. The citizens manage the economy, including finances, harvests and manufacturing. The shinobi oversee defence in the manner of accepting and assigning contracted and minor missions. The two nobles serve as the Daimyo's eyes and ears inside Kumogakure, maintaining a vital political link between the village and its host nation.

Though he may have a council to guide and assist him, the Raikage has the most weight when it comes to any decision that needs to be made. It is only when a decision is deemed to be too extreme by the council's unanimous decision that his/her decision can be overruled/vetoed. This however rarely occurs or needs to be done. In most cases, the council and Raikage are in agreement with all decisions made.

Everything is done to ensure the happiness of the citizens. Citizens of Kumogakure have a great deal of political freedom throughout the village and country, as seen by their ability to join the Raikage's council.


Immigration

Entering Kumogakure no Sato is quite the ordeal. In order to get through the building which serves as the entrance to the village through the inside of the mountain, all people entering the building must have a document signed by the Raikage. This is a practice which spans back hundreds of years, since the fourth Raikage implemented it. All those that try to enter who do not have a signed document which allows them entry will be imprisoned for at least a day, possibly weeks, while investigations are conducted. All shinobi that leave the village on missions have their re-entry detailed on their mission documents. In order to obtain the required documentation in order to enter the village, one must begin the application process by getting one of the feudal lords of the lightning country to request permission of the Raikage on your behalf.

ECONOMY
Employment

The few citizens who choose not to become shinobi in Kumogakure are considered civilians and upon the completion of their compulsory primary education are placed in to trade-schools based on aptitude and a labour lottery system. Depending on their results, citizens who do not express interest in being a shinobi, a merchant, or a government official will be placed into one of the following categories to fulfill a specific role in the function of Kumogakure: Infrastructure, Tradesman, or Gatherer. It is important to note that while civilians are capable of bypassing the placement system, it is a much more arduous process and is discouraged as much as Kumogakure can while remaining subtle. Because of this the the majority of civilians tend to stick to their placements, the most basic positions for each category found below.

Infrastructure
  • Secretaries and Records Keepers
  • Teachers
  • Medical Workers
  • Utilities Maintenance Crews (Water and Waste Management)
  • Lighthouses
  • Postal Workers
  • Grounds Maintenance
  • Customs Workers


Tradesmen
  • Architects
  • Engineers
  • Blacksmiths
  • Masons
  • Construction Workers
  • Tailors
  • Leatherworkers
  • Artisan Crafters


Gatherers
  • Miners
  • Fishers
  • Farmers
  • Hunters
From councilmen to the people responsible for the collection of the very food required for life, the civilians of Kumogakure are essentially it’s backbone, the shinobi only existing to assist civilians and protect them.

Merchants contains a broad spectrum of citizens who choose not to work government-funded positions. These people often sail ships, resell goods and resources considered surplus for the village, open their own restaurants, store-fronts, food-carts, and all kinds of things.


Resources

Kumogakure is blessed with bountiful resources within its territorial borders. The area holds many mineral resources in its mountaintops, while the gargantuan lake below provides an irreplaceable source of food for the city, which can produce multitudes within its domain. While its mineral resources are plentiful, and they are able to scrape by on food, lumber and livestock are very hard to come by in Kumogakure's borders. This creates a demand for trade within Kumogakure.

The minerals found in the mountains which Kumogakure is built upon are many and varied. The stone of the mountain itself is granite, making it a very sturdy, desirable building material. The most prominent mineral in the mountains is iron, which enables Kumogakure to make its various tools for the tradesmen and weapons for the shinobi. However, silver is a very common find higher up the mountains, allowing Kumogakure to create desirable luxury objects as well. While other minerals such as copper and tin are present, they are rare and there are no mines specifically constructed for their retrieval, they are usually found in other provinces in Lightning Country. A very lucky find in Kumogakure's mountaintops are sapphires, however one has not been found in decades.

The agricultural and food gathering industry in Kumogakure is also exceptionally large thanks to their effective irrigation of the massive fresh water source of Oogame Lake. This enables Kumogakure province to trade food with the other prefectures with harsher climates in the Lightning Country. Crops can only be farmed effectively in the southern part of the prefecture bordering the lake. This is because only cold-withstanding plants such as potatoes can survive in the northern parts. However, the lack of many townships apart from Kumogakure itself creates a very hard life for farmers. Farmsteads are mostly lonely structures surrounded by their acreage. The absence of sufficient livestock is also a problem, since they must be almost constantly imported from neighbouring prefectures, such as Gyorou. While commonly farmed animals like chickens and sheep are rare, wild animals such as foxes, mountain goats and mountain lions are not and their pelts often fetch high prices as the markets as luxury goods.

Kumogakure, and the Lightning Country in general, can only be described as affluent. Bountiful in almost all resources, the Country is able to sustain itself so well that interaction with other nations would be unnecessary for generations before they began to run short on supplies, which supports their conservative foreign policy. In fact, the only resource the village truly lacks is human resources, as their low population means most people in the village, especially shinobi, must work two jobs in order to keep the village from collapsing. Kumogakure province is a huge exporter of precious metals and furs, however its lack of a port city means it trades mostly to other places in Lightning Country, who then sell their goods internationally. Kumogakure is, however, a major importer in the Lightning Country economy, often buying in minerals it lacks from Yamashita and lumber from Shuunou. It gets substantial amounts money from its exclusive shinobi industry, which brings in substantial amounts of annual income with which to import these goods.

SHINOBI LIFE
Shinobi Academy

In Kumogakure all citizens are schooled together from a young age for a period known as 'primary schooling'. Eventually, some students pledge to become shinobi and protect the village, lightning country, and civilians, at which point they are put into an accelerated track before their eventual transfer to the ninja academy. The minimum age for entering the academy is 9 years of age. This allows strong bonds and friendships within the village to form without isolating one population from the other. For shinobi, the main concern is the once existent social tension that existed between non-clan and clan shinobi. While it is a shadow of the past for the most part there are occasionally signs of the scars left by events that almost caused a rip in society.

Genin Teams

Genin Development Squads (GDS) are totally free-form entities which are separate from Kumogakure's Ten Companies. GDS members are totally at the discretion of the GDS itself. Meaning, Genin create their own Genin teams, and are able to ask any superior shinobi to teach them. By allowing Genin to form their own squads and groups, it teaches them initiative and cooperation, since they must work with each other and their teacher in order to achieve desired results. There is, however, a cap on the amount of Genin that can be in a team, which is a total of 3, since they must become accustomed to working in three man cells because of the break down of Kumogakure's Ten Companies.

Kumogakure's Ten Companies

Kumogakure's shinobi have a unique organisation into several groups. These groups are the permanent standing force of shinobi in Kumogakure, and do not account for the Kumogakure Police Force, the Black Operations Unit and those citizens who are both shinobi and tradesman (Reserves). Including those three groups and special positions, such as academy teachers and the Raikage, shinobi account for 75% of the total working population of Kumogakure. The divisions within the permanent standing force of Shinobi in Kumogakure are as follows:

Squad: Three members
Platoon:Ten Squads / 30
Battallion: Ten Platoons / 300
Company:
Ten Battallions / 3000
Standing Permanent Shinobi Force: Ten Companies / 30000

Leaving the Village

The shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato are able to retire at their leisure once they are past 60 years of age. Once they have retired, they are able to apply to leave the village to live if they have their knowledge regarding Kumogakure's defences, hidden techniques and plans sealed with a high ranking Fuuinjutsu within their minds.

Those who choose to defect from the village, Missing Ninja, are frowned upon; however there are only a few people that Kumogakure wants to eliminate. Most of the time they would send people out to talk and try to reason with the people that left, wanting them to come back to the village, if at all possible. Only those who have committed the most gruesome of crimes are hunted to death without mercy. This does not apply at all to Missing Ninja from clans, however, as the clans are empowered to make their own decisions regarding the subject. Missing Ninja from other villages are not permitted in Kumogakure no Sato and will be handed over to their original village should they approach Kumogakure, in order to maintain the village's neutrality.


CIVILIAN LIFE Quality of Life

Noted for having the happiest citizens of all the great five villages, Kumogakure citizens have a very comfortable and peaceful lifestyle. They are expected to work for the good of the Lightning Country and Kumogakure, but they are also blessed with multiple freedoms both politically and socially. Civilians are able to vote certain members to the council, and bring pleas before the council at any time, giving them extreme political freedom that is rarely seen in other countries. Socially, Civilians are able to do whatever they wish within the confines of the law during their spare time. Women are even afforded rights in Kumogakure no Sato’s lands, because of their small population.

A big part of leisure time for the citizens of Kumogakure no sato is devoted to the arts. Carving, painting, dancing and singing, all arts are enjoyed for both their cultural significance and their ability to bring people together. There are monthly competitions for any kind of art you could imagine, and the winners are awarded with an amount of money and prestige. This flourishing of the arts is only made possible by a strong and stable economy.

The government understands that, because of Kumogakure’s small population, every single person counts, even down to women and children. Government funded infrastructures such as utilities, academies, trade schools, and hospitals all exist to educate and care for the population, and for the things the government can't assist it's citizens with, there's often community members willing do their part to go above and beyond to help their neighbours in need. This creates a nice environment that leaves Kumogakure's citizens with very little to worry about.

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What Kumo is like...

Post by NSRP » Sat Jul 01, 2017 7:46 pm

CLANS
Clan Village Interaction
The clans of Kumogakure no Sato are treated as autonomous units, wherein they maintain their own people. Clans have clan specific laws and customs that are restricted to the members of those clans. In times of need, clans are expected to assist, whether that be through financial, militaristic or political means. Clans are also expected to train the majority of their members in ninjutsu, providing more shinobi for Kumogakure's comparatively small force.
CLAN LOCATIONS Jinrai Clan
The Jinrai clan have their massive manor in the centre of the cultural district. Their towers resonate morning and night with the music their clan produces, filling the cultural district with almost around the clock background music.

Ishiguro Clan
The Ishiguro clan live in a tower embedded in the side of the western mountain of Kumogakure. The tower serves as accommodation for the entire clan, with the entire top floor reserved for the clan leader and his work space.

Shioke Clan
The Shioke clan built their clan compound on the outer side of the eastern mountain facing the lake. It features a marvellous bridge which spans the waterfall coming from the Heart of Kumogakure.

Hatsume Clan
The Hatsume clan live in a community built into the side of the base of the western mountain, on the side opposite the lake. The somewhat eerie design of the community makes it something of an attraction.

Ote ClanThe Ote clan, being the most recent addition to Kumogakure since they are mutation from another clan, have no designated clan area, and are scattered over the village. They do have one office building where the clan head holds his meetings, but they are yet to gain enough standing to hold a large amount of land like the other clans.

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What Kumo is like...

Post by NSRP » Sat Jul 01, 2017 7:47 pm

NOTABLE LOCATIONS Village Proper
The village of Kumogakure's structure is unusual to all other cities in the world. Built in tiers and towers spanning between and within two mountains, Kumogakure is an under-populated metropolis. Able to house up to double its current population, Kumogakure seems quite empty when walking in the quieter parts of town.

Village Gates The gates to Kumogakure are positioned at the base of the Western Mountain, which is the only mountain able to access the village proper due to the massive cliff-like structure of the Eastern mountain. The bases of both mountains are undeveloped until several hundred meters in the air and have been cleared to prevent undetected entry. This makes the only way to enter the village through the gate complex, which was once a temple. The gate allows commuters to enter the hollowed center of the mountain, so that they may climb up into the city properAkino Peak
Built in memory of the Eighth Raikage, Akino, during the reconstruction of the summit of the Eastern Mountain, Akino Peak is a popular tourist spot because of its spectacular views. The famed Kumogakure Library is now located on the peak where it's new campus was constructed and continues to house the world's largest collection. Couples are often on the peak at night, which houses the station for Kumogakure's Police force, affectionately called the 'Roost'. While the pagoda and towers are open to the public, the station itself is off-limits beyond the reception foyer.Heart of Kumo
The Heart of Kumogakure is a monument to the brilliant engineering and construction skills of Kumogakure's tradesmen. After the attack of the raging spirit, Raijin, the top three hundred meters of the Eastern Mountain had collapsed. Upon rebuilding it, the Heart of Kumogakure was constructed as the new Raikage's building and a hollowed, sheltered, sustainable ecosystem. A large tube runs around the roof of the artificial cavern and contains coursing lightning which creates permanent light in the cavern at all times, a testament to the skill of Kumogakure's shinobi. This is also the only park in the entire village, since there is barely enough space between buildings for grass on the other levels.

Watchtowers
Watchtowers dot the mountain range surrounding Kumogakure in a particularly dense fashion, whereas they occur generally infrequently in other towns in the Lightning Country. Due to Kumogakure's value and access to sensitive information and expansive military power, the amount of protection given to it must be increased. The Watchtowers are generally manned by a single squad at a time, and keep eagles and pigeons to send messages and reports back to the village proper.

Shinobi AcademyThe shinobi academy, much like the trade district, covers an entire tier of Kumogakure. The lowest tier after the gates, the academy is purposefully kept away from the general population of Kumogakure in order to prevent damage to homes and businesses. The academy's purpose does not stop at teaching young students to become Genin however, as it contains many of the training grounds for older shinobi as well and much of the basic, unrestricted information regarding chakra and jutsu is stored there.

Trade District The trade district of Kumogakure no Sato is a tier of both mountains connected by a stone courtyard. While it sounds and appears to be a marketplace, it is also the hub of all of the tradesmen. Forges, tanneries, jewelers and other assorted craftsmen work on this tier, and teach their apprentices, while selling their wares.

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What Kumo is like...

Post by NSRP » Sun Aug 27, 2017 10:06 pm

CURRENT EVENTS
It should be noted that the following information and events mentioned are technically a part of Kumo history, but its very recent history. All listed information in this post is a result of in character interactions and influence and are key to knowing what the current state of the village truly is.
Lightning's Rage :: Diving Judgment

On a relatively calm, bright morning the people of Kumogakure were slowly awakening. As they rose from their beds, others fell into the ultimate slumber as an unexpected invader infiltrated the village. Using the knowledge of the former black ops commander whose body it inhabited, the vengeful spirit Raijin was able to slip past the village's defences with ease. After releasing horror onto the village, the hero of Kumogakure, the Bright Star Akino emerged to combat the intruder. After a vicious fight between the two Akino was slain, however the spirit lost its host body. In a fit of rage the spirit manifested itself in physical form, however it could only do so for a short period of time. Nakajima Hayate, a Jounin of the Cloud, confronted the rampaging beast and managed to hold it off until it could no longer maintain its existence.

As the dust settled after the epic battle, the scale of the damage could be seen clearly. Three hundred metres of mountainside had been reduced to rubble and had fallen on the village below. Many were dead, more were injured, but the village endured the terrifying invasion.
A New Kumo Rises
With Kumogakure in ruins, the shinobi were recalled from all affairs in order to rebuild the suffering city. Many of the empty homes which had sat uninhabited for centuries received new tenants as homes were condemned and torn down. The clean up effort was completed in due time, with Fuyuki, Eiko putting in outstanding effort with her removal of rubble from the mountaintop and general clean-up of the city. After a few months of awaiting for shinobi teams to acquire the resources necessary to rebuild, Kumogakure's reconstruction began upon the return of Nonki, Hotaru and Ote, Takihime with several thousand tons of quality steel.

In order to reconstruct an entire mountain and reinforce it, an acute understanding of fuuinjutsu and 'chakra engineering' is required. Thus, Ryakketsu Senji set out to recover the hermit Hajime Yani, the greatest fuuinjutsu master of Kumogakure in living memory, from his self-imposed exile. With Yani's return, the construction ran smoothly and the village hidden in the clouds was whole once more.

Unfortunately, the Lightning Country was not. Hayate was confronted by the Shogun Kusakabe in the nation's capital of Owari, which lead to the lord's death. With the nation's most esteemed and capable general dead, the Lightning Country's military was heavily crippled. Sensing this weakness, the traitorous lords Murakami and Fujiwara rose up in rebellion against the Daimyo.

Reports from Fuyumi Eiko and a team of black operations operatives revealed the preparations of Fujiwara and the location of Murakami's advance parties. This allowed for the strategic deployment of shinobi into the battlefield. One of these advance parties, led by one of the lord's own retainers, advanced quickly on a fortress near the border between Kumogakure and Etchu provinces. This force clashed with the soldiers and shinobi stationed there. Under the command of the Jounin Tetsuo, the attack was successfully repelled, and the Chuugen slain.

This victory compounded with the return of the banished hero, Nakajima Hayate, whom cut enemy supply lines by destroying a bridge. This heavy blow to Murakami's momentum stole from him the advantage he had over the other provinces whom were unprepared. Furthermore, headway was made in covertly supporting the next head of the Kusakabe clan to his position as Kyounin. By thwarting the deceased Shogun's brother's designs on the seat, the greatest military force in the country had a leader once again. By freeing the Kusakabe forces from the dead lock over the succession, the odds were stacked against Murakami.

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