The three main settlements of Wind Country - Sunagakure, Soons Haven and Soragakure - each exist for a very specific purpose. Sunagakure provides the nation with much of its militaristic strength, specializing in a mixture of the enigmatic arts of chakra and a study of martial prowess that produces many of the dominion's most highly-celebrated mercenaries and soldiers. Soons Haven functions as a mercantile and manufacturing center, containing some of Wind's most cutting-edge engineers both mechanical and structural, as well as being the home of the lauded Merchant Lords who protect what is theirs through a private militia force. Both of these fiercely proud villages are defended by steel, determination and the very elements in which they have been founded, bear allegiance in some way or another to the third - Sora.
Sora functions as the home to many of Wind's powerful lords and nobles, and as such provides both reason and means for its own existence. A powerful trade capital in its own right but not nearly as much so as Soons Haven, Sora is the single largest society upon Wind's easternmost shores, Sora is also the oldest village, predating Sunagakure and and Soons Haven by quite some time. Sora was originally a small fishing society for the first agrarian tribe and in fact one of the oldest families of this tribe holds the mantle of power over this community. As such, Sora's roots grow deep and strong in Wind's dusty soil. Benefiting not only from this advantageous positioning in regards to business exporting and importing goods from around the known world, Sora also has what could be described as the most stable, temperate climate; with Wind Country's ever-present sun, cool winds blowing in from the sea and naturally deep harbors, as well as an exotic culture rising from the mixture of many different systems of belief, cuisine and craft, Soragakure is a popular vacation resort and an even more popular home for those with wealth and influence, bringing the village much of its funds through these two concerns alone.
As mentioned, many of Wind's oldest and most influential noble houses and clans can draw their roots back to Soragakure, making the village the center for Wind's high society as well as the beating heart of the country's government and bureaucracy. Many of Wind's most vital decisions are made here by the ruling Council of Elders, but even these men and women hold fealty to one individual. This is the nation's Daimyo.
The Daimyo
The position of Daimyo has been a consistent one throughout Wind's history, from Sora's earliest roots as a simple fishing village to its modern-day vision and scope. The Daimyo holds authority over all nobility in all of Wind, and exists as a position which is either inherited or bestowed upon individuals considered to be worthy by the passing Daimyo. As such, many families have rested upon the throne of Wind, and vying for the attentions of the Daimyo in the hopes that you or one of your relatives be granted the prestigious position is an ever-constant source of political intrigue in Sora.
The Daimyo holds dominion over all of Wind; while the Kazakage in Sunagakure and the Grand Council of Merchants in Soon's Haven both serve to govern their own settlements and its people, they exist by the Daimyo's decree and approval. These villages may hold some ownership over their people, but it is the Daimyo that owns the land beneath their feet. This is a source of tension for some who desire freedom beyond the Daimyo's decree, but physical altercations have always left these isolationists scattered to the sands in the face of the might of the country's varied military. However, Sunagakure has for decades claimed itself to be a sovereign state, citing that they are the reason for this nation's freedom and some even going as so far as to suggest that the Sunahoshi with their blessing would be better suited for this position of authority. This consolidation of power to a militant community coupled with the loss of prestige and authority for these ancient families was considered unthinkable by such families.
Culture</B><i></i>
There are two major segments of Sora, with a third spanning the two with less defined borders. The poorest of those living within the village are housed by the docks, where the largest ships in the nation are also found. The Trade District spans both this and the Royal District, as the village slowly crawls up the great cliff overlooking the eastern sea. In many ways, the rich of Sora truly are hidden in the sky, for few not of the ruling families are allowed access into this section.
Sora's culture is a melting-pot thanks both to its age and its function as a trade center, and yet in strict defiance of the somewhat insular noble houses. This is no more prevalent than in the docks, where shoulders from all corners of the known world are rubbed together in business, home and family. The architecture of Sora is eclectic and favors organic shapes of earthen hue, but the march of progress stops for no city planner or designer, and electricity has brought both florescent lighting and a tram network to its streets. Greenery is also encouraged within all three boroughs, and it is said that this mixture of pale sand, blue sky and sea and the foliage of countless trees, bushes and gardens is something that one will always miss should they choose to leave the village.
Defense
The vast bulk of Sora is protected by a militia, with one member of every family being conscripted for a period of three years before being given the opportunity to remain as a career. While trained and disciplined, they are a step below the Shinobi of Suna or the commissioned private forces of Soons Haven respectively, and so in order to protect the most important members of the village, the Diamyo has a private force of his own known as the Sovereign. This personal army has been a secret known to only a few, such as the Oracles who have recorded this event as they have every event in their great tomes. While rumors have circulated about the dark and fierce power of the Sovereign, no validated accounts have been made publicly accessible.
By no means as numerous of those found within Sunagakure, Sora forces are on a very high skill level. It is not unusual for a Sunan shinobi to be headhunted by a Soran noble house for private employment, but situations in which these offers are accepted are few and far between due to the loyalty many feel towards their home village. Regardless, however, Soran nobles have managed to create their own methods of tutoring prospective guardians and have been doing so for generations. The true number of these shinobi is unknown, thanks largely to the secrecy veiling their existence and the controversy surrounding their operations, but the raw talent of these few elite are thought to exceed the downsides of their limited numbers.
Dominion
The exercise of the authority held by Sora and the Daimyo is one that varies depending upon who holds the position of the latter. In times past, Daimyos have become very overbearing and controlling over their vassal villages, demanding input and control over many aspects of the Sunan and Soons Haven governance, but the last few of those to take the seat have adopted a more relaxed approach, citing that each village must grow strong by their own means and according to their own limitations, else Wind be propped up on Sora's single bough. Since the time Sunagakure claimed sovereignty from the Wind Diamyo, Sunagakure has been the the most part isolated. Two years after such a claim was made, the storms came which separated Sunagakure from the rest of the country. The natural apartheid kept Sunans with theirs while Sora and Soons continued to flourish and grow.
The Truth
The truth is, the storm as a consequence for Sunagakure's offense against the Diamyo. The Sunahoshi were a dying breed and while Daisuke was a powerful man in his own right, he was unprepared for a personal-level betrayal. On a personal mission to improve relations after they were marred by Sunagakure's independent stance, he was poisoned. He was not killed within the walls of Sora or Soons Haven but rather in the desert itself by an early representative of the Sovereign Academy. When Sunahoshi Daisuke died, his body was the property of the Sovereign, in a dark technique known only to Dark Sages one would have thought but the Sovereign have a rather unusual skill set that had gave them skills similar and drastically limited but the duration and independence unparalleled. Daisuke's body once resurrected could only be given one set of instructions: to create a diamond maelstrom as powerful and great as he was capable of manufacturing and to defend himself if he was attacked. With no end scenario or additional clause, that is exactly what Daisuke did for decades in the desert. Continually command the storm, and the raging diamond sands until he met death a second time. The maelstrom stopped and that could mean only one thing: Daisuke was destroyed utterly and now the Sunans were free to roam. It was time now for the Diamyo to put into action a plan that was decades in the making.
Fuu
Fuu, member of the Cabal, a station second only to her membership as an Oracle. The Oracles started out as an informal group of theologians who thought that the ills of society could be eliminated through peaceful discussion and understanding others. Ancient philosopher Satoru is often quoted and is considered to be the greatest mind Sunagakure has ever known. Satoru is considered to be the first member of the Oracle Order, his students added to the Order's ranks and the number of members grew into the dozens. While membership was often limited and the Oracles never sought new members, those with promising intellect or an undefinable spark would be tested for eligibility. The components of the test are for the most part unknown but it is assumed to be a trial of the mind where the proctors look for mental faculty and capacity over actual success.
Historically, the Oracles were those that sought wisdom and felt that understanding the past was not only a way of better was of discerning the present and it was a way of predicting the future. While often stereotyped as physically weak and unimposing, Oracles often used the information they gain in their studies to fortify their own body. Fuu was no different, but her Order was slowly dying. In fact it has been for decades, even before Sunagakure became a subterranean community. When the storms came, the Oracles took their tomes and their secrets with them as they found safe harbor in Sora and Soons Haven. Those who remains in Sunagakure eventually faded into obscurity, without the intellectual exercise a peer could offer in a land where strength was valued over wit it was not surprising. While Fuu was ordered to simply observe and record, she was also seeking her brethren, but found none.
She was aging as well, nearly forty years in age with no apprentice to take over for her when she was no more. She was conscripted to the Order at the age of eighteen, a prodigy according to her peers she had a photographic memory and assessment skills rarely seen in an inexperienced youth. She did not come from wealth but rather a family of moderate means and when the opportunity to be added to the Oracle ranks was offered she accepted without hesitation. She served the next five years as a scribe, writing for her sensei an aged Oracle known to her only as Kenta. Family names are important to men and women of normal society most certainly, they serve as a caste system in a way but not among the Oracles where lineage meant less than capacity. She often wondered what family he came from, there was no written record recovered. In those five years as a scribe, she had learned a great deal about the history and times, about all matter of blessing and curse and about periods romanticized in historical accounts. That was of course the reason for her temporary vocation, something she only came to realize as she grew wiser with the years.
She was loyal to the Diamyo, if for no other reason than tradition. She had no stake in the war that was to come and the carnage and pain it would bring with it. It was not her place to intervene, the one truth that she would forever regard. She was to be the lone, silent scribe of Wind Country's last days.
Daimyō Ishii Shirō
Born into this position of power once held by his father, Daimyō Ishii Shirō is the third of his family's direct line to fill this seat. The position of Daimyō being a station of ultimate power and authority, it is often given to the eldest son of the former Daimyō except in a case where there is no heir apparent and the Daimyō is then determined by the previous Daimyō when his health begins to fail. Daimyō Ishii Shirō's grandfather Ishii Rao took over position of Daimyō fifty five years ago, the Soka family had held onto this position for nearly ten generations prior. He was willed the position much to the surprise and chagrin of his heir apparent, a woman named Soka Ai. Soka Ai was a well-loved darling of Sora, betrothed to Ishii Rao before she backed out the last minute. Some believe that the late Daimyō Soka Gon hoped that passing the mantle of power over to her former fiance would bring her back into his arms. Ai, however believed that her former husband to be falsified the will and was directly responsible for her father's death. There was never any proof of this matter, but considering all things it was a likely truth.
The present Daimyō Ishii Shirō is known to be a stern yet brilliant man. He has two sons, Ishii Shouki - a bastard he reared as a young man with a whore and a legitimate son Ishii Susumu, heir apparent. His wife died during childbirth of their daughter Sango. Shouki, their oldest has always demonstrated great fighting skill as well as a reverence for the God that they all share and has spent his youth training his body and honing his skills to be the perfect killer. He is quite mad, but most men with his skill-set share this trait. His younger brother and heir apparent is considered to be the gentlest among them, a scholar more than a warrior he has spent his days locked away in the various libraries of the world learning all he can. He is presently located in Tea Country. The daughter, rather unloved for her part in the death of her mother has had a rather unfortunate life. Locked from public sight for the most part, some believe her to be deformed while others whisper the possibility of abuse. All that is known for certain is that the Daimyō plans to marry her off in the near future to solidify an alliance with possibly Otogakure.
As ordered, Fuu had returned to Sora with information regarding the Cabal incursion. The tunnels that were collapsed with explosive charges and the threat of further destruction alone as enough to confine the shinobi of Sunagakure for days. The power of the Cabal members seemed on par with that of the shinobi housed within Sunagakure despite their limited numbers. She wondered if the Daimyō had overestimated the power of Sunagakure, perhaps he had but there was no way to account for determination and ingenuity. She knew that the Daimyō sought the destruction of the only 'sovereign state' and he could have done so when the Cabal came as they were inadequately prepared. Rather, the Daimyō enlisted a team of madmen who were self-proclaimed demon-hunters and treasure hunters. They were never meant to succeed. Their successes were greater than anticipated despite this fact. She was sent to log all that had happened. His bastard, a guardian at the gates. Nothing more than a second set of eyes perhaps, but it was more likely he insisted on being somehow involved so he could know what he would soon face as he led the Sovereign into Sunagakure's gates. He was smarter than most would admit, the madness he displayed was a false image much like a practitioner of drunken style would to feign a lacking capacity or an injury.
The doors to the Daimyō's home were twice the height of the woman who traversed the threshold. The floors were of alabaster and glistened. Blinding and beautiful, with pillars of carved soapstone etched with images of chariots and gods, storms and blistering suns. Servants stood on each side as Fuu walked briskly past them and ascended the stairs wordlessly. She stopped at the top, before a great wooden door. The room was unmarked but she knew this home well enough. Her small hand balled up into a fist and she rapped on the door.
There was no answer...
She rapped twice. Again there was no answer...
She rapped thrice, waiting patiently as something beyond stirred. The door creaked open, a servant was waiting on the other side. Only a single eye was exposed as the dull grey thing scanned the Oracle. "I am here to seek audience with Daimyō Ishii Shirō,"<i></i> Fuu announced as she shifted her book under her arm.
"Enter my lady," the elderly man announced as he granted Fuu passage.
She entered what was a study, a massive room the size of a library for most. Books lined the shelves and a great fire crackled in a fireplace. Plush verdant chairs and a heavy wooden desk awaited at the distant side of the study. Her footsteps echoed with each passing step. She halted ten paces from the desk at which the Daimyō sat. She bent down on a single knee and folded herself low. "Daimyō Ishii Shirō sama..."<i></i> Fuu exhaled.
"Rise Oracle," the Daimyō's voice thundered.
Fuu pulled herself back to her feet. "I have returned from Sunagakure, none of the others returned with me,"<i></i> Fuu declared matter of factly.
"What of my son?"<i></i> The Daimyō queried, his voice seemed unsurprised.
"Captured,"<i></i> Fuu affirmed without looking away.
The Daimyō nodded quietly, a repressed laugh heard in his throat. "He could not help but amuse himself,"<i></i> he commented. "Go on..."
Fuu cleared her throat and began her assessment. "The Cabal overtook Sunagakure with ease, the threat of further harm to civilians was an adequate method of subduing a response. Their present subterranean habitat is in and of itself a weakness, the risk of cave-ins and their state of isolationism has made them a susceptible. With the storm receded, I can only assume that Kaito shared what little information he knew about the origin of the storm. Information I supplied to him as requested. Yet, I must confess: there are also several variables that must be considered as well sir. A mister Aburabuta Hirotomi, a businessman in Sunagakure has went to great efforts to defame and frame the Merchant Lords of Soon's Haven for the Cabal incursion. In addition, I suspect that the Sunahoshi line has not been terminated fully. There have been reports of underground storms in Sunagakure as of late."<i></i>
"Excellent on all counts,"<i></i> Daimyō Ishii Shirō replied, his hands folded in front of him. "Give me your book,"<i></i> he ordered.
"Sir...?"<i></i> Fuu hesitated before she dutifully dropped the worn tome on the desk before him.
The Daimyō leafed through the pages, each page a photo-realistic scene, statistics or lists of information in type-face font. "Hmmm... That will be all, return to Sunagakure. You will receive additional orders in the coming days. Until then, I do not expect you to return unless it is with my son."<i></i> With that the Daimyō clapped the book closed and returned it to Fuu. His golden eyes bore into hers as he relinquished the text. <B>"That will be all."