Post by Tensei Kaori on Mar 26, 2007 23:02:44 GMT -5
Village
Hidden Cloud Village
Location
The Lightning Country
Leader's Title
Raikage
Current Leader
Ijiwoharu Kodomo (13th)
Description
Located high in the mountains of the Lightning Country, Hidden Cloud certainly lives up to its name. Cold and grey, its skies are constantly overcast by a thick layer of gray clouds that seem to enjoy covering the village in a mist of cold rain whenever they please. Thunderstorms are common in the summertime, while every night the village is enshrouded in thick fog. In the winter, some of this fog never really goes away, leaving the whole village in a bleary haze. Combined with a nearly constant mountain wind, there's one word fit perfectly to describe the Cloud village in both appearance and attitude: cold.
Surrounding the village is a high wall of thick, gray stone with lookout points at regular intervals. A thick wooden gate allows approved visitors access to the village, while other secret entrances exist for Shinobi on top-secret missions. Apart from the steep road that runs up to the gate, much of the village walls are bordered by rocky cliffs and nearly impossible slopes, while the mountain itself protects it from the rear. The road into the village is lined with guard outposts the whole way to the nearest city, and is open to a point – it then becomes walled off on either side until it reaches the village.
The architecture in Hidden Cloud is heavy and well-built to protect from the cold. Structures are created primarily with wood, though some stone structures exist here and there. Much of the village is built in a traditional Japanese style, with a few modifications to allow for the year-round chill of their mountain climate. A few modern-style buildings do exist, however, like the Hospital and other important facilities. Except for a few back alleys, the streets are all well-lit and well-maintained, a broken or missing paving stone never going unrepaired for very long.
History
Hidden Cloud Village is one that has been torn by war, violence, and unrest for many years. Pretty much staying out of conflicts with other countries, most of the strife has been on the inside, with political factions and violent tempers ready to shatter the village into a thousand pieces. Because of this, none of the other countries really know what they'll do next, and tend to give them a wide berth while at the same time keeping a close eye on affairs – though through the actions of three unusual shinobi, Cloud reached a tentative truce – almost an alliance, but not quite – with the villages of Leaf and Sand.
The climax of the tension reached its peak with the assassination of the Eleventh Raikage, and the country seemed on the brink of civil war. Just when it was thought all was lost, however, the Country's leaders selected a Twelfth Raikage, who while calming the violence, failed in calming the village's temestuous unrest. The whole country seemed suspended in Limbo, holding its breath as though waiting for the first domino to fall. It was then that chaos struck once again. Within three months of his appointment as Raikage, the Twelfth also was assassinated, this time by one of his own shinobi - Ijiwoharu Kodomo.
Immediately upon killing the previous Raikage, Kodomo siezed the title for herself and in one bloody month calmed the violence with violence of her own. With the shinobi who turned to support her she ravaged the village, mercilessly ordering the execution of anyone who dared stand against her or start any violence in the village. At the end of the bloodshed, however, the village finally found peace – while feared among the village, Kodomo has – oddly enough – also been hailed as the fearless hero who finally ended her Village's conflicts and brought the country back from the brink of civil war.
Not long after rising to the title of Thirteenth Raikage, Kodomo immediately turned the village's focus inward – while Cloud shinobi still accepted missions, she spent much of the Cloud's resources on training and improving the quality of its Shinobi, which had severely declined in the conflict. This also served to keep Cloud out of the great war that was ravaging the continent – the war between the Hidden Villages of Stone, Grass, Sand, and Leaf.
Kodomo has since revealed to her Shinobi that keeping the alliance between Cloud, Sand, and Leaf is now simply a decoy in order to orchestrate a trap by which to devastate the two villages. Having come from such a war-torn country, Kodomo has turned her own personal grudge into a village-wide hatred for the two peace-loving nations.
Hidden Cloud Village
Location
The Lightning Country
Leader's Title
Raikage
Current Leader
Ijiwoharu Kodomo (13th)
Description
Located high in the mountains of the Lightning Country, Hidden Cloud certainly lives up to its name. Cold and grey, its skies are constantly overcast by a thick layer of gray clouds that seem to enjoy covering the village in a mist of cold rain whenever they please. Thunderstorms are common in the summertime, while every night the village is enshrouded in thick fog. In the winter, some of this fog never really goes away, leaving the whole village in a bleary haze. Combined with a nearly constant mountain wind, there's one word fit perfectly to describe the Cloud village in both appearance and attitude: cold.
Surrounding the village is a high wall of thick, gray stone with lookout points at regular intervals. A thick wooden gate allows approved visitors access to the village, while other secret entrances exist for Shinobi on top-secret missions. Apart from the steep road that runs up to the gate, much of the village walls are bordered by rocky cliffs and nearly impossible slopes, while the mountain itself protects it from the rear. The road into the village is lined with guard outposts the whole way to the nearest city, and is open to a point – it then becomes walled off on either side until it reaches the village.
The architecture in Hidden Cloud is heavy and well-built to protect from the cold. Structures are created primarily with wood, though some stone structures exist here and there. Much of the village is built in a traditional Japanese style, with a few modifications to allow for the year-round chill of their mountain climate. A few modern-style buildings do exist, however, like the Hospital and other important facilities. Except for a few back alleys, the streets are all well-lit and well-maintained, a broken or missing paving stone never going unrepaired for very long.
History
Hidden Cloud Village is one that has been torn by war, violence, and unrest for many years. Pretty much staying out of conflicts with other countries, most of the strife has been on the inside, with political factions and violent tempers ready to shatter the village into a thousand pieces. Because of this, none of the other countries really know what they'll do next, and tend to give them a wide berth while at the same time keeping a close eye on affairs – though through the actions of three unusual shinobi, Cloud reached a tentative truce – almost an alliance, but not quite – with the villages of Leaf and Sand.
The climax of the tension reached its peak with the assassination of the Eleventh Raikage, and the country seemed on the brink of civil war. Just when it was thought all was lost, however, the Country's leaders selected a Twelfth Raikage, who while calming the violence, failed in calming the village's temestuous unrest. The whole country seemed suspended in Limbo, holding its breath as though waiting for the first domino to fall. It was then that chaos struck once again. Within three months of his appointment as Raikage, the Twelfth also was assassinated, this time by one of his own shinobi - Ijiwoharu Kodomo.
Immediately upon killing the previous Raikage, Kodomo siezed the title for herself and in one bloody month calmed the violence with violence of her own. With the shinobi who turned to support her she ravaged the village, mercilessly ordering the execution of anyone who dared stand against her or start any violence in the village. At the end of the bloodshed, however, the village finally found peace – while feared among the village, Kodomo has – oddly enough – also been hailed as the fearless hero who finally ended her Village's conflicts and brought the country back from the brink of civil war.
Not long after rising to the title of Thirteenth Raikage, Kodomo immediately turned the village's focus inward – while Cloud shinobi still accepted missions, she spent much of the Cloud's resources on training and improving the quality of its Shinobi, which had severely declined in the conflict. This also served to keep Cloud out of the great war that was ravaging the continent – the war between the Hidden Villages of Stone, Grass, Sand, and Leaf.
Kodomo has since revealed to her Shinobi that keeping the alliance between Cloud, Sand, and Leaf is now simply a decoy in order to orchestrate a trap by which to devastate the two villages. Having come from such a war-torn country, Kodomo has turned her own personal grudge into a village-wide hatred for the two peace-loving nations.
