Aragane

[[1]] The Aragane clan is a prosperous family situated in the Country of Coal; it is formally known as Aragane no Shuto [鉱の首都], which means Capital of the Aragane. This name is derived from the industrial business which the Aragane household controls and is the center of. Although the clan's core lives in the City of Tin, there is a significant branch family that lives in Iwa; furthermore, the Aragane have a number of important contacts and family allies which live throughout Iwa, and to a much less extent Kiri. The Aragane clan manipulates the unique element of ʟɪqᴜɪᴅ sᴛᴇᴇʟ, combining the inherent elemental powers of Fire, Earth, and Water. Founded originally as a metalworking firm by Aragane Saburou [鉱三郎] in the year 1943 AA, over decades the family's genetic manipulation over steel and water became apparent and they were reorganized into a ninja clan. Currently, Aragane Katsuo [鉱勝雄] is the head of the Aragane, who pursues a policy of restraint intended to preserve the family against any external threats. The clan is respected for its contributions to Coal and Iwa, but there is always an undercurrent of suspicion towards the family which supposedly still controls a conglomeration of metalworking industries.

Clan Statistics

Clan Name: Aragane
Clan Village: Iwagakure no Sato, Amegakure no Sato, Aragane Clan Estate
Clan Head: [[Aragane Katsuo [鉱勝雄] ]]
Clan Age and Status: Old and Respected with Iwagakure no Sato, unknown outside of the Country of Earth, Water, and Tin.
Clan Bloodline: Ekikoton; Liquid Steel
Clan Element: Ekikoton; Liquid Steel
Clan Size: A handful of households.

Clan Emblem

The Stahlregen is the insignia of the Aragane clan. It represents the dualistic nature of ʟɪqᴜɪᴅ sᴛᴇᴇʟ: Its sharp lines symbolize metal, while their crossed pattern is emblematic of falling rain. To some, the emblem as a whole appears to be a burst of steel shards. The Stahlregen is seen prolifically, sewn on clan uniforms and emblazoned on signs and standards. While the origin of the symbol is not quite known, its clear meaning is undeniable.

Clan History

The Aragane family has lived in the region around the Country of Coal for at least two hundred years; however, it was not until 1943 AA that Aragane Saburou founded his simple metalworking business that would eventually develop into the industrial corporation that the family is best known for today. Initially quite small among the engineering and steelworking industries that blossomed in the Country of Coal, decades of brilliant management and questionable strategies led the Aragane to acquire tremendous capital and absorb competing rivals. Coincidentally, or perhaps somehow related to years of exposure to the substance, those members of the Aragane who chose to become shinobi were natural users of steel-manipulating ninjutsu.

However, it was not until midway through the family's existence that Aragane Shiro, after spending extensive time in Kiri on business trips, discovered the mechanisms that led to the addition of elemental water to the steel mix. The resulting ʟɪqᴜɪᴅ sᴛᴇᴇʟ was profoundly unique; its highly mutable structure allowed the metal to be 'melted down' without heat and reforged quickly and efficiently. This discovery radically changed the nature of the family, as the identification of the latent bloodline empowered many Aragane to choose to become shinobi rather than businessmen. The generation after the discovery was thus marked by tremendous financial instability, as there was a severe shortage of Aragane children to take over the complex mechanisms of the metalworking empire. Following a marked contraction of the conglomerate's influence, desperate times led many of the shinobi to return to the family business; the Aragane industry was revitalized only after this integration of ninja skills into the leadership.

The global conflict caused by the Empire of Kumo significantly impacted the Aragane. While the full extent of the corporation is unknown except to the highest members of the Aragane Board, those assets which were clearly tied to the family were broken up among competitors in order to greatly limit the power of the clan. Furthermore, ruling officials asserted extensive control over Aragane production of weapons and armor, as well as limiting the rights and usage of the volatile ʟɪqᴜɪᴅ sᴛᴇᴇʟ. Needless to say, the Aragane swiftly became involved in the resistance movement, and following the collapse of the Empire the family managed to reclaim a significant amount of their lost capital.

In modern times, the Aragane continue to be a hardy and practical people - they oftentimes neglect what is considered the ideologically correct route in favor of pragmatism. While the family is now dominated mostly by shinobi, a significant minority of children go on to work in the family business, which has regained a good deal of the power it had at its historical height. The internal affairs of the Aragane are conducted in conjunction with the business, where the board of directors (populated with both older and younger representatives, shinobi and businessmen) determines family policy. At times such policy is divided due to the dualistic nature of the Aragane, but such conflicts are tempered by the family head (currently Aragane Katsuo) who traditionally is both a fearsome ninja and a pragamtic director.

The core of the family's wealth and influence is in the Country of Coal; however, a notable branch family exists in Iwa. This group, living in Metropolis, functions mostly as the import branch of Aragane goods from Coal into Iwa. However, the more militaristic nature of the Country of Earth (relative to Coal) leads to a more ninja-centric composition of the branch family. Despite this, both families are on equal social levels (although it has only minor representation on the Aragane Board). Furthermore, while no clan members originate there, a small group of research-inclined Aragane regularly live in Kiri for periods of time in order to look further into the nature of ʟɪqᴜɪᴅ sᴛᴇᴇʟ.

Notable Members

• Aragane Shun