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Message: [QUOTE="Gobi Gobletsson, post: 16831343, member: 52604"][spoiler]The Ancrath ArchipelagoThe Map of Ancrath[SPOILER]<img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/f1z5w0.jpg" data-url="http://i39.tinypic.com/f1z5w0.jpg" class="bbImage " style="" alt="" title="" />[/SPOILER][SPOILER]<img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/2n9gqzc.png" data-url="http://i39.tinypic.com/2n9gqzc.png" class="bbImage " style="" alt="" title="" />[/SPOILER]Codex: Ancrath Archipelago”He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.”-Alledon of the House Cordath the First of His Name, King of the Thirteen Islands.Geographically the Ancrath Archipelago consists of thirteen islands divided into two clusters, with the majority of the islands belonging to the Southern Cluster. The islands form a natural line that separates the lands of Hotsprings and Frost from the Kaizoku Sea and the Eastern Mainland from the Haran Bay. The two islands near the archipelago, though not a part of geographical Ancrath, are both at least partially under the authority of the archipelago. Tenkaichi, located south of the Southern Cluster, has recently been commandeered from the Land of Hotsprings by a faction known as the Brotherhood, while the second island, Takejima, has largely been left to itself because its status as a traditional burial ground for the islanders. The archipelago, like most islands, suffers under the wrath of nature. Storms and storm-related accidents cause many deaths annually and the rough weather has affected the architecture of particularly the Southern Cluster, which isn’t protected from the worst winds by Takejima as the Northern Cluster is. Ancrath has a history of island-to-island independence, internal warfare and isolationistic policies. Historically the two clusters have always been in a state of pseudo-war, only signing temporary truces and treaties to defend against foreign aggressors and immediately discarding them once the threat has been dealt with. This constant threat of violence that can erupt from anywhere at any time has molded the islanders into a hard and bitter people over the course of generations. The Northerners in particular have gone from cautiously trading and interacting with surrounding nations in the time before the First Shinobi World War, to openly terrorizing settlers and confiscating goods from passing ships as a warning to foreigners. The Southerners, though still wary of strangers, have prospered through trade with the Elemental Nations and thus tolerate its citizens. Trade is the primary source of income for most of the archipelago’s upper class. The Ancrathi nobility, who have ruled and warred in Ancrath for hundreds of years, claim the lion’s share of the money made on imported and exported goods, but a wealthy upper class consisting of successful merchants and entrepreneurs still exists. Many Southern Lords in particular have made fortunes from taxing passing ships and acting as middlemen for the Northerners, who largely refuse to sell their goods directly to the Elemental Nations. Because of the focus on trade the waters around the Ancrath Islands are almost always teeming with fishing boats, trading galleys and ships in service of the local nobles. Privateers and pirates in search of prey also roam the waters, often freely due to the constant power struggles of local nobles. Codex: Northern Islands”If the weather in the north was as cold as the Northerners themselves there would be no settlers for them to bully.”-Unknown.The Northern Island Cluster is the least populated part of Ancrath, which accounts for five of the thirteen islands that make up the geographical archipelago. The Northern Cluster is generally characterized by its small, almost self-sufficient communities, rocky hills and xenophobic population. It is known for fielding the best non-Shinobi spearmen in the world and never forgetting a slight. The Northerners are farmers, fishermen, hunters and craftsmen. They are a simple people, a majority of which live in small, close-knitted communities where everyone knows each other. The rest live in or near the few cities the north has to offer, or behind the walls of the local Lord’s castle. The Northerners often live very linear lives, marrying someone from their own community and rarely, if ever, leaving the island of their birth. Deviating from the norm is generally frowned upon and the social pressure from the local community, combined with the hardships involved with moving, ensures that very few Northerners ever move away from their birthplace. The Northern Cluster has a history of xenophobia, but bad diplomatic experiences with the Elemental Nations and occasional cases of foreign interest influencing the cluster has seen the population go from being unfriendly to strangers to being downright hostile, especially to settlers from the mainland. The Northerners are generally considered traditional and rural. The cluster’s general lack of densely populated cities has allowed the islanders to grow crops, practice animal husbandry and mine on a much larger scale than would otherwise be possible. It is not uncommon for a village to have its own mines or fields that the inhabitants maintain together and have joint ownership of. The lack of heavy winds and storms, courtesy of Takejima’s forests and hills, along with the high average quality of soil in the Northern Cluster makes it an ideal place for farming, a fact that many inhabitants takes advantage of. From the top right, the Northern Island Cluster consists of island Rishiri, Nishinomi, Todoko, Hohki and Yamaguchi. Codex: Southern IslandsThe Southern Island Cluster houses the bulk of the archipelago’s residents. The islands are more urbanized and the towns there more industrialized and modern than their northern counterparts. Where settlements of the northern cluster still make do with wood, straw and clay, the southern settlements have paved roads and houses of stone and metal. The southern cluster, though still isolationistic in spirit, maintain a healthy trading-relationship with the Land of Hotsprings and, when it comes to counterfeit goods, the western edges of the Land of Fire. Many ‘southerners’ have made their fortunes off buying wares with origin in the Eastern Continents and using the ‘buccaneer toll booths’ as validation for reselling the goods to the Western Mainland and making quite a profit in the process.The cluster’s largest settlement is the port-city of Dai on the island of Dotai, which serves as a hub and meeting-ground for criminals of all shapes and sizes with operations in the Haran Bay or the Kaizoku Sea. From the top right, the Southern Island Cluster consists of island Nero, Mekkyaku, Jigon, Gōka, Gakiyaru, Oishiden, Izu and Dotai. Codex: Tenkaichi”All for one, more specifically me.”-Garrett Hawke, 3rd Leader of the BrotherhoodThe island of Tenkaichi is technically not a part of geographical Ancrath, but the island’s affiliation with the archipelago and its history of diplomatic relations with the Southern Cluster has made it a part of what is known as ‘modern Ancrath’. The island was always semi-autonomous even when it had an official status as a province of the Land of Hotsprings and few Tenkaichians ever felt colonized or oppressed, especially considering the island had its own tax collection office and didn’t pay tribute to the Hotsprings Country. This lack of practical ties to the Land of Hotsprings made the island’s transition from colony to headquarter of the Brotherhood much easier than it would have been otherwise. Tenkaichi is generally characterized by its unique status as Brotherhood-controlled territory, its fortified settlements and its focus on the production of military hardware. It is known for its universal male conscriptions and permanent war economy. Before the Brotherhood’s annexation of the island Tenkaichi was almost self-sustaining. The local councils who administered the island at the time carefully managed the production of goods and foodstuff to suit the island’s needs. Little was imported and even less was exported as the island embraced an economy-oriented form of Juche. The Brotherhood’s sudden annexation radically changed Tenkaichi. The organization’s contacts overseas and its expertise within the field of smuggling led to an influx of cheap goods that flooded the Tenkaichian markets and made much of its industry obsolete. To rebalance the island’s dwindling economy the Brotherhood launched an aggressive expansion of the weapon’s industry and encouraged the natives to join the organization, two key aspects of the process that transformed Tenkaichi into an authoritarian, militant island state. Tenkaichi still maintains Juche as its official political standpoint, but economic independence has been replaced by political and military independence as the focal points of society. Men are encouraged to join the military or serve as craftsmen while women are pushed towards positions as civilian artisans, bureaucrats and managers. In simple terms men administrate the military industry and women the civilian. It is not forbidden for a woman to join the military – though not as a Brotherhood member - just as it isn’t forbidden for a man to work in the civilian sector, but neither is encouraged by the regime.The Brotherhood<img src="http://i41.tinypic.com/egwubk.jpg" data-url="http://i41.tinypic.com/egwubk.jpg" class="bbImage " style="" alt="" title="" /> "Gazing Back Into You and if Thou gaze long into an Abyss, the Abyss will also gaze into Thee"History:Under Samurai DaiThe Brotherhood was founded by Samurai Dai during the Second Shinobi World War as hired muscle for his smuggling operation the River Country. Though the Brotherhood only accepted male members over fifteen and under fifty; the group grew almost exponentially during the war, courtesy of the massive amounts of desperate refugees fleeing the violence in the warring nations, looking for some way feed their families. The Brotherhood offered food and shelter for all Brothers and their families in exchange for loyalty to Dai’s organization, a policy that earned him one of the most zealous group of loyalists in modern history and turned his den in the River Country into a virtually impregnable fortress of men and iron. Dai had intended for the Brotherhood to be a mobile fighting force that could accompany his ships on their journeys downriver, keeping rivaling smugglers, the authorities and other unwelcome guests away from his cargo until they reached the sea. Many new members, however, had brought their families with them from whichever nation they were fleeing and were both unable and unwilling to leave them for months at a time. Dai’s solution was to settle the new Brothers and their families along the rivers themselves, in shelters close enough to the banks that the members could watch the ships, assists the sailors and help wherever they were needed in their area all without ever leaving their families. The plan’s success was legendary. Throughout the course of the war Dai controlled every black market from Keishi in the Fire Country to the Claw Country. No shipment was too large or too ludicrous. The sheer number of Brothers guarding the rivers far surpassed that of any taskforce the River Nation might have put together to stop the influx of illegal goods and after a Chuunin-ranked Nukenin, who had been hired to solve the problem, was brutally murdered and chopped into pieces by an angry group of almost eighty Brothers; the government at the time decided to leave the Brotherhood and their employer alone. Samurai Dai’s time as smuggler king came to an abrupt end less than half a year after the armistice treaty was signed. The original members of the Brotherhood had sworn themselves to Dai and his lieutenants, but the flood of refugee-members put an end to the group’s status as an organized institution and turned it into a patchwork fraternity with no common goal among the members other than providing for their families. Though this worked exceptionally well during the war; the peace that followed changed the game completely. With the violence subsiding and the local governments slowly stabilizing the different regions; many refugees simply packed up and went back home. Over the course of a few weeks much of the so-called ‘Black Wall of the Rivers’ (a reference to the black cloaks many members wore as camouflage) disappeared without a trace, leaving Dai’s ships without protection. The Brotherhood had intimidated and defeated Dai’s enemies by force of numbers and the refugees’ exodus more than halved the smuggler king’s numbers. The result was the collapse of Samurai Dai’s empire. The Samurai himself tried to cut his losses and gather the wealth he had already amassed, but without hired muscle it was a hopeless endeavor. Before Dai had even finished loading the ships he had left; a pirate captain by the name of Reaver fell upon him and took both ships and cargo for himself, slaying every single one of Dai’s men and the king himself during the ambush.Under Alart the OldThe death of Samurai Dai would have heralded the end of the Brotherhood were it not for a refugee from the Land of Rain named Alart. Alart, who had worked as part of the Black Wall of the River, convinced a dozen of his Brothers without any family to speak of to join him in robbing the few ships that still passed unprotected through the rivers of the River Country in the chaotic period that followed the armistice. The Brothers’ endeavors, though amateurish, were largely successful and as the regions slowly stabilized and became policed the Brothers simply moved on, finally ending up in the Land of Noodles. Alart revealed himself to be a natural leader. Instead of focusing his efforts on one country like his predecessor the 2nd Leader of the Brotherhood sought to form a reliable core of loyal and competent members who could establish footholds in many nations simultaneously and recruit their own men as they pleased. Though this decentralized the Brotherhood and sometimes led to semi-independent factions with little to no relation to the actual Brotherhood the plan was mostly successful and turned the organization into a pulsing, underground organ of guilds that altogether controlled much of the international smuggling industry. Alart’s biggest triumph is credited to his work on transforming the Brotherhood into a tight-knit organization. Samurai Dai allowed the Brothers to roam freely in unorganized bands and rarely directed their efforts. Alart attempted to change this by introducing intricate and almost spiritual joining rituals and symbols to the group. The Brotherhood’s banner was drawn up and applied to all uniforms and equipment. A motto was laid out and local fraternities were introduced. Alart sought to improve the Brotherhood as an organization by encouraging internal competition and contests. Medals and honorary orders were introduced along with an expanded hierarchical ranking system. Like Dai’s Black Wall of the River the foundation laid out by Alart is considered legendary by the Brotherhood.<img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/9t0g2f.png" data-url="http://i39.tinypic.com/9t0g2f.png" class="bbImage " style="" alt="" title="" /> [/SPOILER]House KatsuryokuName: House KatsuryokuMotto: "As befits a Giant"Public History: Classified - (Soon to be revealed)Heraldry/Sigil:[SPOILER]<img src="http://narutobase.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=77514&d=1370876407" data-url="http://narutobase.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=77514&d=1370876407" class="bbImage " style="" alt="" title="" />[/SPOILER] Family Head: Amaimon KatsuryokuFamily Members: Amaimon KatsuryokuLands: RishiriRishiri is the most northern island in the whole of Ancrath. It consists of two halves, the south and the north. Starting south, heading north, the level of land starts arising slowly, meaning the island is one humongous uprising hill, untill it hits the border of the northern part, where it goes straight down as a cliffside. Reaching the nothern half of the island it becomes impossible landing ashore unless theres been designed ladders, staircases and ropeworks to piers down the cliffside. But this have been near virtually impossible as the waves hits hard and high against the side of Rishiri, smashing most to bits if anything. On Rishiri there are several villages, all under the rule of one. [JUTSU=Lands of Rishiri]<img src="http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb339/Gobi_Gobletsson/Rishiri_zps3b544e58.jpg" data-url="http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb339/Gobi_Gobletsson/Rishiri_zps3b544e58.jpg" class="bbImage " style="" alt="" title="" />[/JUTSU]Heartseed - [SPOILER]Heartseed is the ruling and main village there is. It is under direct rule of Amaimon Katsuryoku. It is located furthest to the north as possible on Rishiri, and is located at the bottom of a humongous mountain range. Reaching back in time, when a master smith forged seven godly weapons, each of their own, with their own respective abilities, one of them went by the name Goddess of Earth, a truly splendid design of a whip, that could be straigthen out to become a sword. Not only held it its own graceful design, but it carried an utmost exquisite power to devastate landscapes when used in combat. One of its many wielders through time, created two small mountain ranges in a dreadful fight. The two of them, clashing against one another, created a huge magnificent peak reaching far above the clouds, to be ever shrouded in the white plumes.It later got named the Giant's Toe, by the peasants of the land, because of its slight resemblance to that of a toe, somehow(weird peasants). Nonetheless, Heartseed itself is located at the bottom of the mountain ranges, resting against the southern part of the humongous peak. Unlike most northern villages, cities and whatnot, Heartseed consists of stone built houses, walls and buildings. Surrounding the village itself, a hemi-sphere of stone walls. Each wall starts at the mountain side and snakes its way around the village itself. From the walls, towers are emerging flying the banners of the House Katsuryoku. Several districts are made, and formed, market places, trading ports, slum districts and barracks. There is three Gates running along the walls of Heartseed. On facing west, one east and one south, while the north rests against the south of the peak. Furthest to the North in the village the keep of Heartseed lies, built with but a smaller ring around the traditional square stone built keep. Beyond the Keep, a small entrance if you would call it was made into Giant's Toe. Inside the Gaint's Toe, comes the Everlasting Walk, steeps leading up in a circular manner, in a hollowed out space inside the Mountain peak, leading further and further up, as it starts to narrow in on itself, reaching it's peak. The heavy stone slab steps, uncounted nd unwanted, yet needed. Desgined by the ancestors unknown when ´they settled down on the location. Along the sides of the inside, runs old ores that illuminates the place up with a faint glow of various colours, and carved in runes telling old mythical tales, battles and wars that have been, and what there is to come. Theres a hang of the cold moisture in hollowed parts, clinging to every surface possible, yet every know and then theres a slight warm breeze that flows throughout the long cylinder warming the bodies of the cold. Finally, reaching to the top of the Everlasting Walk, the ceiling of Giant's Toe. Seemingly bare, pulling a small lever at the last stone slab, hidden in small room behind loose rocks, will let off the chiming of stone against rock as a trapdoor slides into a part of the mountain. Above, High Haven lies, the tip of Giant's Toe, the tip of the peak. A flat plateu like platform reaching long-range into every direction. Standing in the middle, the trapdoor lies hidden, surrounded by four pillars in a square-formation each pointing their own direction of the world map. Each connected by a slab of stone ontop reaching the other pillar. High Haven, despite all is prosperous with grass patches, and small flowers, each of their own and of various colours, fills out the plateu. Looking into every direction, white plumes of clouds manifests itself around the top, constantly day and night. However, each day at a certain time the clouds part themselves unfoldning the earth country before the viewers. Facing north, at the far end of High Haven, two slabs are placed ontop of eachother, the second smaller than the first. Ontop, a stone chair is located decorated with light blue runes, and from the top wolfclaws spreads out as wings. Surrounding the slabs, flowers of purple, green and gray sprouts ever so prosperous and emits an golden pollen. To the far western side, a storage shed is located.Heartseed itself produces many products from the mountain range itself, such as iron, cold, tin, copper and so forth.[/SPOILER]Doven - [SPOILER]Doven is a small holdstead kept in order by Nestor Kaldor, Lord of Doven. A stern-looking man way past his thirties. The village itself, is surrounded by wooden stakes, and its huts are of clay. Produces clay, coal, stone etc.Its military strength is medicore, and its population not very high.[/SPOILER]Timberview - [SPOILER]Timberview is located on a high hill. You could nearly call it a mountain, but is not, compared to the Mountain ranges further north. Timberview is located on Plazek's High Hill. Plazek was the earlier ruler of Timberview untill he got his head cut off by Samuel the Ill-Tempered, also namely the Lord of Timberview. From the Plazek's High Hill, one can even spot so far as past Oakenfell, reaching Vilden itself surrounded by it's many small forests! Timberview itself can only be reached from the bottom of the hill itself, as the rest is functional cliffsides. A single road from the village leads east and down from the Hill, and onto the main road that mingles its way through the land. Timberview produces great the military force, which compensates for its lack of resources. It is oft the place you send the ores as well to have them reforged as they carry the best smiths. [/SPOILER]Oakenfell - [SPOILER]Oakenfell, the greatest military power within Rishiri. Or well, so it is named as that's where the military forces gather before they go raiding. Oakenfell is under the rule of Sarvel Rayder, a high and broad shouldered man. Oakenfell itself is surrounded by a ring wall very much like Heartseed, and is functionally working as the middle ground before going into the Northern or Southern part of Rishiri. Is right in the middle and works as fort as well. It have a gate leading south and north. It is the center of trading ports, and training of newer recruits and whatsoever. If this village produced anything worth mention it would be the spearmen far feared. The village itself is located around Orange Oak Forest. [/SPOILER]Vilden - [SPOILER]Vilden, mass producer of wood, and everything related to it. The spear handles that you see in Oakenfell or the military? These are the ones that produced them. The arrow shafts, polearms and whatelse, these guys made that. Poorly defended however and the villagers go about their own business. This is located on the southern part of the Isle, thus not so hilled and have proved worth of farming crops, fishing and small boat making in the proccess. Lead under the Rule of Sammus the Fat[/SPOILER]Kendal - [SPOILER]Kendal gets its needed wood from Vilden and is the mass producer of ships, for Rishiri. These guys make these northernerns on the island capable of traveling around the world doing their raiding and plundering. Ontop of that they produce good amount of smoked fish, bread, pies, wheat, hops, ale and sailors most of all. They are located close the Ironlake that shines ever so brigtly in the moon light, and is anchored along the Ironshore. Karth Hoster is in rule of this village. [/SPOILER]Alignment: ChaoticRenown/Infamy Level: House Katsuryoku sky-rocketed as one of the more newer Houses in the many Dynasties already existing, however that was only done so after Amaimon Katsuryoku made short dispatch of the previous ruler of Heartseed. He quickly came to be feared throughout the lands, however obeyed he was. None knew his purpose other than the fame and glory about it. The lords throughout the realm however quickly bent knee, and followed his lead. They however seemingly came to become fond of his attitude and perspective on life, which was displayed at their yearly meetings. Amaimon KatsuryokuGiven Name: AmaimonFamily Name: KatsuryokuTitle: High King of Rishiri, The First of his Name, Lord of Heartseed, Protector of the Sacred Laws, Earth KingLands: Rishiri (Island), Heartseed (Village/keep)Alignment: ChaoticRenown/Infamy Level:  House Katsuryoku sky-rocketed as one of the more newer Houses in the many Dynasties already existing, however that was only done so after Amaimon Katsuryoku made short dispatch of the previous ruler of Heartseed. He quickly came to be feared throughout the lands, however obeyed he was. None knew his purpose other than the fame and glory about it. The lords throughout the realm however quickly bent knee, and followed his lead. They however seemingly came to become fond of his attitude and perspective on life, which was displayed at their yearly meetings. Important Information: Amaimon is seemingly nonchalant of appearence, but can be greatly annoyed when things do not go his way about. He enjoys plundering, or atleast watching his men do so. So are the laws of the north.Completed Goal: Overthrowing the previous ruler. Claiming lands.[/QUOTE]

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