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Steam Country
Geography Situated on land previously controlled by Fire Country, Steam Country consists largely of lush, green forests. Due to its placement surrounded on two sides by warm ocean water, there are countless rivers that flow through the region. Contrary to the expectations of its name, Steam lacks any sort of major hot springs or geysers, making it a bit of a misnomer. There are some open field areas that are covered in healthy green grass, and any regions with cities and people are surrounded by a wide variety of plants and greenery. The beaches the extend up and down its east and west borders are sandy, and almost exclusively at sea level, with very few cliffs or high-altitude areas. As one moves more central to the country, there is an occasional larger hill, but its uncommon for the region to be considered mountainous. While Steam Country has small refugee camps dotted all over the country consisting often of fewer than 20 people, the vast majority of its population lives within it's only village, Amegakure no Sato, which sits at the geographical center of the country.
Ecology, Climate, and Resources
The weather in Steam Country is considered to be comfortable, temperatures rarely drop below 65 degrees farenheit, or above 95 degrees. The oceanic winds that flow over the country keep it cool, but draft in warm winds that prevent it from being too cold. Due to its position, Steam Country experiences year-round rainy seasons, making it incredibly rare that a week passes without some sort of rainfall. However, only during a short period on the tail end of the year - typically 2 to 3 months at most - do they experience more powerful storms that involve lightning and thunder. Otherwise, the rain is light and comfortable, often not even needing an umbrella to be out in.
This constant rainfall keeps the ground soft and healthy, and is likely what encourages such healthy and continous plant growth in the region. The massive trees reach high into the sky and have wide expansive branch networks that are covered in enormous wide leaves that collect rain water and direct it to the trees center. Plants flower into bucket-like blooms that capture and store water for extended periods to slowly nourish them over time. Small ground animals have evolved to either be amphibious and able to sleep in burrows unconcerned with the potential of rain, or various ways of climbing and staying in the tall vegetation. Larger animals tends to be mammals that sleep in the tall tree branches as well, or are big enough to sleep on the ground un-concerned with flooding.
This creates the ability to easily both obtain wood, and deep-ground ores. The trees can be cut down with new trees regrowing to replace them faster than most any region, and the soft soil makes it easy to dig deep down into the earth. However, it is rare for the people of Steam Country to do this extensively due to their economic situation.
Politics and Economy
Steam Country and Amegakure were created as a part of a treaty at the end of the Great War. As a part of it, the countries leadership is an official selected in mutual agreement by the 4 Daimyo of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind. The selected official - called simply the 'Elect' - is expected to select a successor upon his selection. Should the Elect pass or step down, his selected successor raises to Elect, and chooses a successor of his own. Only by the 4 Daimyo agreeing can a successor be overriden an a new Elect selected. This is to ensure Steam Country always has a leader. Steam Country was created to be a safe haven for the refugees following the Great War, making it a cultural melting pot. The unifying trait among these people is that they were displaced by the actions of the Grand 5, making the general attitude towards their creators less than favorable. Earth, Water, Fire and Wind are expected to provided financial and other economic support to Steam Country, but politically the Elect tends to keep the countries distant due to this attitude among the people. The Elect is typically the only political body that interacts with the external forces, otherwise laws, policies, and rules are made internally. One of the major laws within Steam Country is that shinobi activities is strictly forbidden, the Grand 5 are not permitted to dispatch any forces within the country, and likewise the country is expected not to enable the creation of a shinobi force within it. Steam Country and Amegakure have one singular purpose, to be a safe haven.
Due to the external support it receives economically, Steam Country is quite well off. While people within the country work, they are not taxed in any way, and receive support in many forms from the government. This does not mean people do not go without struggles, due to the cultural variety within it, there is a lot of political nuance that has to be managed within it. Because of this, the country does not appear to be nearly as rich as it is. The leadership within the country is well intended, and doesn't intentionally hoard its riches, but distributing support in a fair manner is difficult, and policing forces within the country only have the ability to cover but so much area.
Culture and People
As mentioned, Steam Country and Amegakure is a refugee safe haven following the Great War. As a cultural melting pot, it is very difficult to say there is any sort of singular overreaching cultural norms within the country. The only standard is a general distaste and dislike for the Grand 5 and shinobi in general. Unlike most of the countries where knowledge of shinobi and chakra is not widespread, the people of Amegakure are well aware of what some people are capable of. While there may be some desire within the people to grasp that power, the general consensus seems to be that with that power comes nothing good, and a general disdain for those who use it.
As the refugees are from so many different places, there tends to be a lot of social friction within Amegakure. While there aren't any official delineations of countries or people within the village, refugees from like-regions tend to stick together. This makes navigating Amegakure quite simple, if you are in need of specific crafts or foods from a specific region, you simply gravitate towards where those people live and invariably their shops, store and smitheries are there as well. However, this also means that former enemy countries are now neighbors. This doesn't make it uncommon for there to be clashes and issues. The police force with Amegakure consists of samurai from the various countries, perhaps the only unified organization within Amegakure. Even still, there is implicit favoring of allies and the inverse, but typically they act not only as a police force but also peacekeepers, mediators, and otherwise balancing and managing the tensions. Perhaps the greatest thing to come from this multi-national union is the coming together of so many craftsmen and skilled workers. Consequently, Amegakure is a marvel of engineering and manual labor. Towering buildings that don't even so much as creak when hurricane force winds come through, complex underground and above ground sewage and water systems that not only manage the enormous amounts of rain but filter and sterilize both rain and seawater as well. In a very short window of time, Amegakure transformed from what was effectively ground level refugee camps into one of the greatest marvels of the modern era.
Despite being a safe haven, the energy within Amegakure is hardly one of safety or prosperity. In spite of all thats afforded to them, the people are struggling for obvious reasons. Displaced, often injured and traumatized, the people seem to be just holding on and barely managing in many ways. The near constant rain within the village seems almost appropriate then, dampening any sort of joy, and hiding tears of those who are barely managing. Religion is incredibly present within the people, the numerous different religions and denominations mean there are churches and religious symbolism all throughout Amegakure, and various small temples and altars throughout the great forests of the country.
Geography Situated on land previously controlled by Fire Country, Steam Country consists largely of lush, green forests. Due to its placement surrounded on two sides by warm ocean water, there are countless rivers that flow through the region. Contrary to the expectations of its name, Steam lacks any sort of major hot springs or geysers, making it a bit of a misnomer. There are some open field areas that are covered in healthy green grass, and any regions with cities and people are surrounded by a wide variety of plants and greenery. The beaches the extend up and down its east and west borders are sandy, and almost exclusively at sea level, with very few cliffs or high-altitude areas. As one moves more central to the country, there is an occasional larger hill, but its uncommon for the region to be considered mountainous. While Steam Country has small refugee camps dotted all over the country consisting often of fewer than 20 people, the vast majority of its population lives within it's only village, Amegakure no Sato, which sits at the geographical center of the country.
Ecology, Climate, and Resources
The weather in Steam Country is considered to be comfortable, temperatures rarely drop below 65 degrees farenheit, or above 95 degrees. The oceanic winds that flow over the country keep it cool, but draft in warm winds that prevent it from being too cold. Due to its position, Steam Country experiences year-round rainy seasons, making it incredibly rare that a week passes without some sort of rainfall. However, only during a short period on the tail end of the year - typically 2 to 3 months at most - do they experience more powerful storms that involve lightning and thunder. Otherwise, the rain is light and comfortable, often not even needing an umbrella to be out in.
This constant rainfall keeps the ground soft and healthy, and is likely what encourages such healthy and continous plant growth in the region. The massive trees reach high into the sky and have wide expansive branch networks that are covered in enormous wide leaves that collect rain water and direct it to the trees center. Plants flower into bucket-like blooms that capture and store water for extended periods to slowly nourish them over time. Small ground animals have evolved to either be amphibious and able to sleep in burrows unconcerned with the potential of rain, or various ways of climbing and staying in the tall vegetation. Larger animals tends to be mammals that sleep in the tall tree branches as well, or are big enough to sleep on the ground un-concerned with flooding.
This creates the ability to easily both obtain wood, and deep-ground ores. The trees can be cut down with new trees regrowing to replace them faster than most any region, and the soft soil makes it easy to dig deep down into the earth. However, it is rare for the people of Steam Country to do this extensively due to their economic situation.
Politics and Economy
Steam Country and Amegakure were created as a part of a treaty at the end of the Great War. As a part of it, the countries leadership is an official selected in mutual agreement by the 4 Daimyo of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind. The selected official - called simply the 'Elect' - is expected to select a successor upon his selection. Should the Elect pass or step down, his selected successor raises to Elect, and chooses a successor of his own. Only by the 4 Daimyo agreeing can a successor be overriden an a new Elect selected. This is to ensure Steam Country always has a leader. Steam Country was created to be a safe haven for the refugees following the Great War, making it a cultural melting pot. The unifying trait among these people is that they were displaced by the actions of the Grand 5, making the general attitude towards their creators less than favorable. Earth, Water, Fire and Wind are expected to provided financial and other economic support to Steam Country, but politically the Elect tends to keep the countries distant due to this attitude among the people. The Elect is typically the only political body that interacts with the external forces, otherwise laws, policies, and rules are made internally. One of the major laws within Steam Country is that shinobi activities is strictly forbidden, the Grand 5 are not permitted to dispatch any forces within the country, and likewise the country is expected not to enable the creation of a shinobi force within it. Steam Country and Amegakure have one singular purpose, to be a safe haven.
Due to the external support it receives economically, Steam Country is quite well off. While people within the country work, they are not taxed in any way, and receive support in many forms from the government. This does not mean people do not go without struggles, due to the cultural variety within it, there is a lot of political nuance that has to be managed within it. Because of this, the country does not appear to be nearly as rich as it is. The leadership within the country is well intended, and doesn't intentionally hoard its riches, but distributing support in a fair manner is difficult, and policing forces within the country only have the ability to cover but so much area.
Culture and People
As mentioned, Steam Country and Amegakure is a refugee safe haven following the Great War. As a cultural melting pot, it is very difficult to say there is any sort of singular overreaching cultural norms within the country. The only standard is a general distaste and dislike for the Grand 5 and shinobi in general. Unlike most of the countries where knowledge of shinobi and chakra is not widespread, the people of Amegakure are well aware of what some people are capable of. While there may be some desire within the people to grasp that power, the general consensus seems to be that with that power comes nothing good, and a general disdain for those who use it.
As the refugees are from so many different places, there tends to be a lot of social friction within Amegakure. While there aren't any official delineations of countries or people within the village, refugees from like-regions tend to stick together. This makes navigating Amegakure quite simple, if you are in need of specific crafts or foods from a specific region, you simply gravitate towards where those people live and invariably their shops, store and smitheries are there as well. However, this also means that former enemy countries are now neighbors. This doesn't make it uncommon for there to be clashes and issues. The police force with Amegakure consists of samurai from the various countries, perhaps the only unified organization within Amegakure. Even still, there is implicit favoring of allies and the inverse, but typically they act not only as a police force but also peacekeepers, mediators, and otherwise balancing and managing the tensions. Perhaps the greatest thing to come from this multi-national union is the coming together of so many craftsmen and skilled workers. Consequently, Amegakure is a marvel of engineering and manual labor. Towering buildings that don't even so much as creak when hurricane force winds come through, complex underground and above ground sewage and water systems that not only manage the enormous amounts of rain but filter and sterilize both rain and seawater as well. In a very short window of time, Amegakure transformed from what was effectively ground level refugee camps into one of the greatest marvels of the modern era.
Despite being a safe haven, the energy within Amegakure is hardly one of safety or prosperity. In spite of all thats afforded to them, the people are struggling for obvious reasons. Displaced, often injured and traumatized, the people seem to be just holding on and barely managing in many ways. The near constant rain within the village seems almost appropriate then, dampening any sort of joy, and hiding tears of those who are barely managing. Religion is incredibly present within the people, the numerous different religions and denominations mean there are churches and religious symbolism all throughout Amegakure, and various small temples and altars throughout the great forests of the country.
