Stillshrine of Ibuuj

The Stillshrine of Ibuuj, current day.

Located deep within the forests of Hara no Kuni, the Stillshrine of Ibuuj, as it is currently known, is the resting place of the Five-Tailed Demon Kokuo. Having been modified with and fortified to contain great sources of chakra, the size of the building is oddly deceptive, with the shrine's rooms and the surrounding forests warped by the massive amounts of energy. Few who venture into the dark confines return unchanged. Historically the building was known as Bishamonten's Stage and was a relic of a time before the villages. Originally constructed as a large Colosseum, the "Stage" was meant to be a methods of settling territorial disputes between clans and showing off shinobi prowess to would-be clients. After the adoption of the Shinobi Villages system, the facility fell into disuse and disrepair until it became the sealing location for the five tailed demon.

History

Bishamonten's Stage is a structure once built by the combined effort of a number of Shinobi clans with the backing of several feudal lords. Its original purpose was simple: it was intended to be a way to circumvent large-scale battle between powerful shinobi clans that would threaten non-shinobi civilians and the integrity of the lands upon which they resided. For a time before the unification of the Shinobi Villages, the Stage saw a great deal of use as a means of settling territorial disputes and as a way to demonstrate a clan's power to potential clients. It was as much a battlefield as it was a market; several non-ninja merchants would set up shop during large events and sell their war-wears to the shinobi, while the Feudal Lords would observe prospective clans in action and work to outbid each other in utilizing the skills of each individual clan for whatever purposes. The Stage fell out of favor with the shinobi shortly before the founding of the villages, however, as clan rivalries boiled over and turned the arena itself into an actual battlefield. After the dispute over the Stage had "resolved" and the shinobi had moved on, the Stage was rarely visited by anyone except worshipers of Bishamonten looking to find order in their lives and the chaotic world they lived in.

Some time after the ninja villages came into being, the village of Kusagakure no Sato converted the shrine into what it is now. The Stillshrine of Ibuuj, as it is known now, has been used for generations as a way of sealing the Five-Tailed Demon, either in it's natural form or within a Jinchuuriki host. Even when the chakra monster is given a human host, the Stillshrine remains a powerful source of corrupted chakra. Strange beliefs surround the place and the beings that guard it. Most recently, this is location where Kinsen 'Raz' Rasen and Cho Hakkai received the "Seal of the Gobi", infusing both of them with a portion of the Kokuo's power.

See: Hunt For The Stillshrine of Ibuuj!

Architecture

The Bishamonten's Stage was built as a large arena located upon a plateau in the midst of an impressive wide and deep ravine. Given its precarious position, the structure extends several stories into its foundation with "root"-like hallways branching out from a spiraling floors that narrow as the structure extends deeper into the plateau. When one initially enters the Stage, they would be faced with a hallway wide enough to fit clan processions and extends in a wide circle around the entirety of the complex. In this circular hall, there are a number of alcoves and stalls meant for various clans and non-shinobi businessmen to sell wares to feudal lords and the shinobi clans themselves; these stalls are located on the outer edge of the circle, while the inner leads into a series of stairs that would take a visitor into the stands that overlook the Arena itself. The Arena itself is an open 'field' approximately a kilometer in diameter and is overlooked by stone-hewn seating that is estimated to have been able to once have seated well over a thousand spectators. At the end of the Arena farthest from the Stage's entrance is a large doorway wrought with an iron portcullis. Behind this portcullis is a hallway that leads downward and into the Stage's deeper layers. On the first floor, there exists several rooms large enough to house the respective champions from each clan during their stays at the Arena, while the rest of their families were ushered away to dwell in off-site inns. Deeper yet, and down the spiraling levels of the Stage dwell a handful of large rooms meant to be training and/or dining halls for the shinobi competitors; these halls reside alongside a number of now-empty rooms that once served as armories and repositories for personal affects. The "Root-Halls" themselves remain mostly empty and devoid of subsidiary branches, save a large room at the end of each hall speculated to facilitate meditation and prayer in large groups. The very lowest level of the Stage's downward spiral ends in a large room, approximately half the size of the arena itself. In this room lies a large statue of the god Bishamonten constructed of various fine metals-- this room was believed to be the primary gathering hall for champions before large fights, wherein they would pray to Bishamonten in hopes that he would see justice in their clan's cause.

Unfortunately because of the corruption caused by the demons chakra over time, few ever witness the Stillshrine in it's natural form. The rooms have become infested with manevolment chakra bent to the will of the Gobi, which the tail beast uses to manipulate and corrupt anyone who angers it. Because of this, every person's experierence and memory of the place differs, with only a few knowing the true secret of it's designs.

Geography

The Stillshrine of Ibuuj lies in the forest of Lorien, situated in the northeast corner of the Country of Crass. Originally known as the "Land of the Valley of Singing Gold", the landscape has slowly been changed overtime due to the presence of the Gobi and other malevolent chakra beings that been sealed within the Stillshrine. Trees grow close to each other with their branches intertwining, blocking out any natural light and leaving most of the forest in a perpetual darkness. The only exception to this is the area directly surrounding the Stillshrine and the great expanse it is built over. The forest is unnaturally quiet during the day, and the nighttime noises are far from natural. The flora and fauna have become dark and twisted by the corrupted chakra that lingers in the earth and air, and the place has become strictly off limits by civilians or lower-ranking ninja. Despite the warnings against entry, people still do, though the number of those who have entered and not returned is kept a national secret.