Geography and Provinces of The Land of Lightning

[Cloud Seer]

The Land of Lightning:

The Land of Lightning (雷の国, Kaminari no Kuni) or Lightning Country is located on a peninsula north-east of Bear Country and is one of the Great Shinobi Countries. Its government leader is the His Eminence Shiranai vi Kaminari, Shōgun of Lightning who overseas eleven Lightning Daimyō known as the council of the moon. Stretching the eastern side of the country and to the west in are vast mountain ranges, whose many thunderstorms are said to give the country its name. From these mountain ranges, many rivers flow to the sea, creating a very crooked coastline that displays an impressive oceanic beauty. Protected on either side, the center of the country is a fertile basin of flatlands which feeds most of the country's population and vast, dangerous forests. There are many hot springs located within the country.

Geographical Regions of the land of Lightning:
*If you wish to add a region, please contact council with a write-up, picture and idea of where it would exist on the map.*

Spoiler

Crento Terra: A shared borderland between Bear and Lightning country which has been ravaged by past conflicts, leaving it dotted with massive craters turned lakes. Despite once being fertile farmland, it now struggles to grow more than the most tenacious weeds. This has not stopped humans from settling on the lifeless, saltwater lakes; many of which have been linked together by canals. In the Year 0036TE, one set length of the canals, now named Takaki Canal for the war hero, was widened into waterways large enough to pass ships through to create a link between the eastern and western oceans.</TD> Limbus Terra: A mild-weathered, plentiful southern land which holds a vast majority of Lightning Countries' population. The soil here is rich, deposited from the runoff of the mountains of its south and is considered second only to the Cevitate. It is the only region which exotic produce from the south has a chance of growing without extreme intervention. Much of the land is made up of gently rolling hills and forests which all show heavy signs of human interaction. It is said that many plains beasts used to roam the region, however, mostly domesticated deer, boars and cattle and a wide range of birds are all that seem to remain.

Aegis Coast: A rocky coastline with pebble and iron sand beaches, sharp inlets and treacherous rock walls, the Aegis coast once held a reputation for being impossible to navigate without a water chakra user or weather tamer on board. The Shogun, Fujitani Yoshisue vi Kaminari of the first shinobi age put a stop to that, however, by paying vast sums to Kumogakure to have three safe passages built, marked by giant pillars of stone, which now lead to major cities. The rest of the coast remains largely untouched, with rich protected coastal fauna like seals, sharks, whales and octopuses. The cliffs are home to a wide range of seabirds, including the regional specific Cirrus Gull, named for its fluffy plumage and hovering flight. Tenebrous Coast: A coastline of gentle, sand and pebble beaches and high rising cliff sides with calm eastern seas, the Tenebrous coast is a favourite spot for wealthy summer vacationers and those seeking warmer winters in Lightning Country. Tall, ancient forests, floral fields and picturesque farms fill the land between idyllic holiday villages and carefully cultivated fair weather farms. The seas are often calm and host to dozens of brightly coloured small vessels of vacationers and the few remaining fishermen. The coastal cities here are said to be amongst the most beautiful in the world and certainly in all of Lightning country; featuring at famous art galleries an collections across the country.

Cor Litore Coast: The Tenebrous coast gives way to the Cor Litore Coast, a distinctively different set of waters from the beauty of the west. Much of the coastland is a tidal marsh created by the many deltas cutting into the sea from the southern mountains of the Spine of the World which have flooded into the low lands. between the brackish, unique life filled maze of waterways are hundreds of small islands ripe with salt water tolerant vegetation. Between the deltas, small mountains slowing being swallowed by the sea still jut from the ocean waters and periodically from the flatlands like toothy growths. The few cities along these shores have found unique solutions to dealing with their landscape; either building their islands together, creating canals, living in boats or placing platforms over the water. Lotus Sinus Bay: Called the Lotus bay by scholars but erroneously renamed by those who live on it as the Tenouzan Sea, the Lotus Sinus bay is a single giant protected bay seated at the base of the God Spine mountains. Geologists assume the land in the bay was much like the western marshes, but the greater flows of water and more violent water in such an unprotected corner of Lightning country lead to it being covered by the sea. This has further been confirmed by divers and water chakra specialists who have explored the relatively shallow bay floor and found whole cities lost below. Despite this, the bay has lost its temper and is a calm, favoured port by sailors willing to pay a toll to the Tenouzans.

The Heartlands: The beautiful and undeveloped parts of the nation are called the heartland. Where humanity has not gathered in numbers, native animals and vegetation thrive. Giant amphibian creatures with teeth are the main predators in the area, while herbivorous beasts of varying sizes and shapes feed on the many trees and lush grasslands. Life is abundant and this allows the region's adventurous settlers to enjoy a living free of the threat of starvation, but the threat of beast attacks rarely see them staying longterm. Draco Mons: The Draco Mons or Draco Mountains, named for their resemblance to an ancient beast in legend, rise up with artificial beauty in the western central part of lightning country. It is said they were crafted by the god Raiden himself from the carcass of a monster he fought which threatened to swallow up the land. Others say they were designed as a home for the shinobi who still reside at the center of the swirling, unnatural landscape of jutting, snow-capped mountains and perilous mountain drops. Whatever the case, the mountains have a reputation for being dangerous and inhospitable. The flora and fauna have been left largely untouched except for one winding road to the village of Kumogakure and hidden outposts throughout.

Rolling Hills: The northern base of the Draco mountains stretch into a long tail of rolling hills which scholars believe to have once been mountains like those of the spine which weather and time ground away. Rivers trail lazily between the hills, created by the fresh water running down from the frequent storms and winter snows from the heights of the Thunder Mountains. The terrain is rocky and difficult to farm, but forests fed by the waterways are a good source of lumber, the rivers are abundant with fresh and migrating saltwater fish, and the grassy terrain home to many species of ungulates and their predators. Spine of the World: The east of Lightning country is home to the Spine of the World, of the God Spine mountains, a chain of dizzyingly colossal mountains which span from the southern tip of Lightning country up to the very northern borders were it smashes into the Thunder Mountains. The spine covers nearly thirty percent of the country, and its main streams, lakes and rivers are responsible for most of the land's fresh water supply and geographical layout. Winter storms plague the mountains for eight to ten months of the year, especially in the north, and very little vegetation exists on their snowy caps. Despite the difficult terrain, many of the most magnificent and dangerous creatures in Lightning call the mountains home.

Momentum Deo: While steep and jagged mountains with snow-capped peaks compose most of Lightning Country, this mountain dwarfs its siblings in extremity and immensity. Standing at more than five vertical miles tall, it challenges the adventurous with its treacherous heights, freezing temperatures, and severe snowstorms, all which highlight the splendour of Raiden's glory and the bravery of any successful mountaineers. Many legends surround this mountain, foremost being that it is the place where the god Raiden ascended from our planet, and where he will return. De Crevitate Attonbitus: The centralized lowlands of Lightning Country are abundant with life and fresh water, encouraging agriculture, the gathering of people, and creation of civilization. This fertile and plentiful land has been responsible for the country's large population and its ensuing prosperity. Lightning Country has many small villages and several large cities. Retired shinobi often make their residence in these places, close enough to be able to be called upon if need be, but far enough away to get rest from the busy shinobi life.

Azusa Rice Fields: The southernmost lands of the Crevitate dip into lowlands which are prone to flooding through its valleys through the spring and early summer. Hundreds of years ago, an enterprising village names Azusa, sick of losing half their lands to the spring floods, decided to turn much of their land into rice fields. Other villages around them quickly followed when the following years the village saw a great rise in prosperity. The many-tiered fields of Azusa are now a man cultivated beauty to behold. Despite its name, the Azusa fields have become home to many aquatic tolerant crops and small fish farms dedicated to feeding the Lightning country. Solum de Asphodelus: Many of the highlands located in the north of the country consist of dry, rocky plains, grasslands, and fields of cold resistant asphodels through the short summer months. Despite the naturalistic beauty, a touch of somberness blankets the entire region. Relics and ruins of a forgotten past dot a land, overgrown with vegetation due to time and hinting at a collective origin and tragedy since forgotten by the descendants of Lightning's first settlers.