Country History
One of the oldest countries in the known world, the Rain Country never experienced a change of name or face. Ever since it's founding days, it has been ruled by the laws of a feudal caste system, each lord ruling over a city, each daimyou ruling over a region, and an emperor ruling over the country itself. However, a sovereign emperor was hardly possible for a country of Rain's size and power; quickly to be overrun by their much larger neighbours if there would ever be a war, they knew their system was flawed, and it desired change. Changing a country is never easy, though, and in the country of eternal rain, things tend not to move at great speed, especially not when it concerns politics...
Some seventy years ago, one of the daimyou stepped up and stated the emperor should be taken from his throne. It took only days to execute this man, ofcourse, but the seed had been planted; he'd awakened a voice within the people, and more of such 'blasphemy, as the emperor called it, spread out over the country.It didn't take long before riots ensued, and the emperor had to find himself a safe haven in the old capital of Yogiri, a city in the west, only accompanied by his three wives and two loyal servants. The daimyou of the country all came together, and after a meeting that was spread out over two whole weeks, they all came to an agreement; the emperor had to die.
At the same time, the Grass Country to the northeast had placed it's main forces on Rain's borders, and a war was ready to ensue. With the tensions that ran within the country itself, the country collapsed upon itself, and most people, including a lot of daimyou moved to the west, not knowing they were right on the emperor's heels. As Rain avoided open war, the country to the west was taken in, and it's daimyou easily sided with the invading daimyou of Rain, increasing the pressure on the hiding emperor.
The Village of the Hidden Rain was taken into agreement by the Daimyou, and fully dedicated itself to the country's new cause, knowing very well how a more balanced political system could also increase the power and necessity of a shinobi village, especially now that the Hidden Rain was slowly relocating itself as well. Three of the country's most powerful Jounin went into the history books three months later, when they penetrated the city of Yogiri, located the emperor, and washed his safe haven in the blood of him and his servants. And suddenly, the daimyou washed their hands clean in the same blood, and stepped away, claiming to have no part in this massacre. The Hidden Rain's search for recognition ended in an escape from destruction. As the new country took shape, led by a council of six daimyou, three lords and the military general, the Hidden Rain vanished from sight, and had supposedly been wiped out by the Rain military.
Country Geography
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The Rain Country is a very colorful country, only darkened by the near constant rain and accompanying fog that spreads out over the lands almost constantly. The northern and southern edge of the country are completely marked by steep mountains, flowing down to vast forest areas, small creeks scattered across the country, pine trees and willow trees marking the environment, creating a dense, sometimes swamp-like terrain.
Country Topography
The largest red dot is Firuyamu, the other red dot is Nagare. The black dot to the northeast is Yogiri. The small blue dots are above ground areas of Hidden Rain. The darker areas around it display the size of the underground sectors.
Furiyamu
The Rain Country's capital, and seemingly the only city in the Rain Country where one can find some wealth and money. The contrasts, however, are extreme. Huge business conglomerates on one side, rivalled by street gangs and homeless knife-pullers on the other side. The city itself is built around a large natural hotspring; a lake the size of a football field, surrounded by a few old temples and a tall cement wall. Around that, one finds the inner city, the old part of town, where houses are small and shops are many. The market opens here everyday from sunrise to sundown, giving room at night for countless dubious gambling halls and criminal safehouses. Beyond the inner city, Furiyamu is split in four quarters, each sector a different purpose. The northeastern chapter is the business area, known for it's factories and business centres. The northwestern part is the sub-urbian area, and also the more expensive shopping district. The southeast chapter is the capital court, mostly inhabited by only politicians and those close to them. The palace and capitol are here as well. The southwest chapter is another business area, but aimed more towards the actual import and export of goods. Here, there are a lot of open areas where people began to build their homes after fleeing from the war-leveled cities, creating a large ghetto neighborhood.
Yogiri
The last imperial capital, ripped from it's wealth and glory after the death of the last emperor. Yogiri was the only city that never turned against the emperor, and was still filled with loyalists even after his death. Therefore, they were branded as criminals and extremists, and the strangest civil war that the country ever saw commenced. By storm, the entire city was run over by the army, and left behind as a ghost town.
Yogiri received it's name centuries ago, being one of the country's oldest cities. It was given this name because the city has always been drenched in a thick fog, and even in it's current days, the abandoned city is concealed from sight by this mist. It's a shame, really, for Yogiri is a beautiful city, built in the old traditional style, it's sandy roads perfectly kept amidst the small traditional gardens that lay around the old estates and houses, a complexion of dark brown wood, grey to white walls and dark grey roofs put against a deep green of the surrounding willow and pine trees, the large pagoda in the center of town, right behind the large imperial temple, still standing proud. Some say, even, that Yogiri is still inhabited, but now by criminals, outlaws and rogues.
Climate
Some say it's a curse; others say it's a blessing. The Rain Country knows 350 rainy days a year, out of which at least half knows a downpour that could drown entire cities were it not for the fact the country is built in precaution for such an event. The average summer temperature lays between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, and the winters are mild, hardly ever colder than 0 degrees, and hardly ever warmer than 5. When it does freeze, it doesn't snow; the country hasn't seen snow in centuries. During the winter, it does know hailstorms, which can be a terrible natural disaster for the farmers and smaller villages.
Economy and Welfare
The Rain Country was never extremely wealthy, and probably never will be due to their defensive and perhaps even slightly paranoid attitude. They do have enough to export, though, and could potentially grow out to a very rich country. Instead, by keeping nearly everything within their own borders, the rich people get richer, and the poor people get poorer. Rain is known for it's rice fields, large amounts of fresh water (Rain is a master at filtering water), all kinds of vegetables, and, perhaps best of all, it's large amounts of oil. Oil could be used in so many ways, but the Rain Country neglects this. Therefore, the only ones you'll see using oil are the shinobi of the Hidden Rain...
Rain Country National Army
With a military general in the country's council of command, one would assume the army takes up a large place. Saying this is only an understatement, though. The military functions as every type of law enforcer in the country; there are no policemen, no guards, no security; just the immense military. There's also no difference between naval troops and land forces; Rain may not be close to the sea, but there's a large number of rivers, ponds and lakes. All military enforcers are trained in all terrain warfare. There's a military base in every city, big and small. A soldier can be found on nearly every street corner, the paranoid mentality of the country still largely on display.
Amegakure: The Hidden Rain Village
Village History
After being betrayed by their own country, the Hidden Rain moved subterranean, nearly fifty years ago. Back then, their leader, Tanomoshi Gaijiri, was already an elderly man, his son Umaru only five years old at the time. In the following years, Gaijiri trained his son and two other Genin, instating the rule that village leadership would be followed by the next generation. There were great hopes for Umaru, and he succeeded in fulfilling all promises that were made about his person. Slowly but surely, the Hidden Rain regained it's old pride, yet still hidden from the rest of the world; even hidden from their own country. When Umaru was twenty-five years old, his father died, and he took over the Hidden Rain. Slowly, he established contact with the country leaders, getting himself on good terms with several of the daimyou. Rain was officially recognized as a Hidden Village once more, but still kept itself unknown to the rest of the world. Not even the daimyou spoke of the Hidden Village, knowing how powerful of a secret weapon they would have.
Over the years, the subterranean city grew to immense sizes, spreading out in various sectors across the entire country. One could say Hidden Rain split up into several underground villages, perhaps.
More than a year ago, Umaru, at the young age of 52, died. How he died is unknown. Some say he was ill; others say he was murdered. There are people, even, who say he simply left. It seems only his old teammate, Urakaze Kaishin, knows of what happened, and he won't speak of it. Now, Umaru's daughter Ayame has gained possession of the 'throne', and she doesn't seem happy with it. Nearly half of the village, as well, is unsure whether to trust her, but Umaru never ended speaking highly of her. For his memory, and for tradition, she is generally accepted as the village's new leader, but over the last year, her period of reign, the Hidden Rain has stagnated in it's growth, and people are growing restless...
Koukyo Meikyuu: The Sewer Labyrinth
Located underneath the country's surface, Hidden Rain is more than just a village; it's a country of it's own. In total, there are five main sectors underground, each with their own small area above ground. Each can be reached by an intertwining and difficult underground complex, mostly consisting of tunnels and huge drainage tubes. These corridors between the sectors, or 'Canals', as they are usually called, are not deserted, though. The water running through it is a breeding ground for various marine animals and rodents. Also, a wide variety of Missing Nin and beggars have made their home in the Canals, the area so huge that it's nigh impossible to track them down. The tunnels are not brought down into a map; there's simply too many of them. The Canals run from each sector to the other, in a variety of intersections, with a large number of passages to the upper world. The Koukyo Meikyuu gained it's name by other means, though. There's a large number of hidden walls that can be opened and closed. One may have travelled through a tunnel, back and forth, for weeks, and suddenly encounter a dead end that wasn't there the day before. Rain shinobi use this system a lot to trap invaders, confuse them, and so forth. It's done by a specific merge of chakra learnt only to a few Rain Chuunin and Jounin, and triggered by an unnoticed brick in the wall next to the 'moving door'. This makes the Koukyo Meikyuu a place close to hell for anybody who'd try to fight against an experienced Rain shinobi there.
Village Layout
Sector One
Located in the centre of the country, Sector One is the district of business and likely the most social part of the underground system. Here, houses are built into the walls, the ceiling is nearly twohundred feet high, large rows of lighting ensuring the area is lit as if it's touched by the sun itself 24 hours a day; a system kept in power by literally hundreds of waterwheels throughout the Canals. A true city below the ground, the houses are made of stone, sturdy and strong, some having up to six floors. If you'd forget about the 'roof', you'd think you're in a regular above-the-ground village. The ceiling is covered with metal girders; these are not required for support, but for monitoring. They form a great lookout point over the area, are only accessible by shinobi, and run across the entire sector.
This, by the way, is where one can find the market, a variety of bars, and various other social establishments. Since the Hidden Rain needs to keep a low profile, the import is relatively low and though one will not find any commercial stores, the market can usually supply in anything that comes to mind.
Sector Two
Located in the south-east of the country, Sector Two is very different from Sector One. At first, all that could be found here were several factories and plants, the oil factory being the most noteworthy. Because of the smell and the polluted air and water, nobody would prefer to live here. This changed, however, when struggles amongst the villagers over economic differences arose. Those with a lack of money and other resources relocated themselves in Sector Two, using a variety of materials to build their homes... In the end, Sector Two is known as the industrial ghetto; factories with dozens of small houses, built from scraps and rubble. The people who live here are not on good terms with those in Sector One, and occassionaly are found stealing Sector One's goods and resources. The lighting in Sector Two is also nothing to be proud of; the entire area is lit only by the huge factory lights, making it look like the middle of the night all day long. Combined with the smell, the poverty, the rats and the feeling of abandonment, Sector Two is not a fun place to be.
Sector Three
The shinobi district, as some call it. Here, one can find the same kind of lighting and resources as in Sector One; perhaps even more. Located in the south-west corner of the country, Sector Three is where one will find the shinobi academy, various training grounds, shinobi dorms, Fuseikigun headquarters, and the village leader's housing. There is close to no commerce and/or business in this area; most people will take the walk to Sector One every day to get their daily supplies. There is, however, a small market that makes this daily journey for others, bringing up fresh Sector One stock every day.
Sector Four
Located in the north-west of the country. Sector Four has the biggest 'above-ground' area, known for the Rain Pagoda, a twelve-story tall pagoda used by the leaders of Rain for social encounters with outsiders. Sector Four itself is mostly a training facility, and also holds a battle arena. This arena is used for Genin graduation, could possibly host Chuunin Exams, and is used for a variety of other reasons, such as settlement of disputes between two or more shinobi. Some villagers have seen money in this, and built a wide variety of bars and restaurants in this sector. While there's a legal limit on how much of such facilities are allowed here, more seem to pop up every month, and people have even begun to make their homes here.
Sector Five
Located in the north-east of the country, Sector Five doesn't really fit in with the other sectors. Here, many people reside that have not accepted the loss of leaving their country and losing their old leader. They consider themselves true Rain ninja, and don't really mix well with other Rain shinobi. They have a few of their own training facilities, even though their children do attend the Sector Three academy. Sector Five's Jounin, though, do not easily follow the wishes of the current village leader. They seem hesitant and paranoid, distant at best, and though they do not seem interested in any open conflicts, they do make sure they're not counted as part of the rest of the village. The housing and lighting here is of a higher standard than one would expect; it comes closer to the wealth of Sector One than the poverty of Sector Two.
Village Leadership
After the death of Tanomoshi Umaru, the only person ever considered worthy of taking over was his daughter, Ayame. Sixteen years old at that moment, and only a rookie Jounin, Ayame did not share the trust others had in her, and instantly named her father's old teammate, Urakaze Kaishin as her advisor. Kaishin, a man more powerful than even her father, may have prefered the leadership position for himself. However, he had too much respect for Umaru, a too important friendship, to ever speak ill of his daughter. Now, he functions as much as an advisor as he functions as a mentor and a babysitter.
Ayame, however, is not completely without insight. She named her boyfriend as her trusted righthand man. Not only is he part of the valued and powerful Sanada clan, but he also is a promising Jounin, easily capable of his position. The reason he didn't get it sooner was because Umaru felt he was too young and unreliable.
Now, a bit more than a year later, Ayame has begun to shape up as a leader, but still isn't the one the people expected her to be. Many still trust her, but an equal amount has lost faith in her. Currently, she is doing what she can to keep her father's village together, coping with her own feelings at the time, and knowing she never wanted this title in the first place.
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Imagery of Tanomoshi Ayame
SAIGEN
A rebel faction spoken of in the Hidden Rain. Every word about them is hearsay only, and nobody knows who they are and where they came from. What people think is that SAIGEN as a group has not accepted Tanomoshi Ayame as their leader, and would rather see the village leadership in the hands of someone with more experience. SAIGEN has been linked to Sector Five, but the people there deny everything. There's also absolutely no proof of them having anything to do with the secretive organisation. If it even exists at all, ofcourse.
Allies/Enemies
Since the global recognition for the Hidden Rain has dropped to zero, and hardly anybody even realizes the Hidden Rain is still a shinobi village, the village also has no allies or enemies, neither formal or informal. They do take a sceptic disposition towards most other villages, if not all, not trusting any of them at this point.
Special Squads
Fuseikigun
The special task force of the Hidden Rain, commanded by Urakaze Kaishin himself. This unit specializes in three-man hitsquads, known for hit-and-run guerrilla-ish tactics. Sixty percent of them are Jounin, and forty percent are Chuunin. While they have no unique row of jutsu, they are easy to distinguish from other Rain shinobi... If you can see them, ofcourse. Usually, they are dressed in all black, wearing face masks with built-in marine features. The Fuseikigun know the Canals like no other, and make use of a wide variety of traps and tools.
