Rainfall Ministry

The **Interior Ministry**, commonly referred to as the **Rainfall Ministry** or simply the **Mountain**, stands as an Auterran organization wielding significant influence within Shibaya politics. The Ministry's mandate centers on the promotion of peace throughout Auterra, the intricate management of Shibaya-Human relations, and the ambitious Aon Yeoi settlement endeavor. Central to its authority, the Ministry exercises control over the Yeoi-Moonline, thus governing all transit between Auterra and the Yeoi moon colony. Additionally, it upholds the delicate Peace of Belief agreements binding Auterran nations. Although most Shibaya perceive the Ministry as a benefactor and mediator, its intransparent nature and perceived political influence has provoked criticism and even open rebellion.

## Names

Despite its name, the Ministry acts neither on behalf of a governing body nor of a ruling minister. Although a centralized ministerial structure was formed during reforms taken by late Empress Juneka, the namesake Ministry of the Interior did not outlive the turbulent reign of Juneka's successor Aoshi and the current Ministry's relationship to said institution is muddy at best.

The nickname Rainfall Ministry stems from the popular tradition to wishes concerning weather uttered in the presence of the Talking Pillars. In popular belief, the Ministry directs the wishes to the Rainmaker device - an ancient Sunlover mechanism that controls Auterra's climate.

Since Ministry recruits flog to the Mt. Nagashin Seclude, the instition and the mountain are often referred to interchangeably.

## History

During the Age of Reason, Empress Juneka initiated significant administrative reforms that included the establishment of the first Imperial Ministry of the Interior. However, this bureaucratic body, born out of necessity during the Non-Consenter's Uprising, met its end less than a century later during the tumultuous reign of Empress Aoshi.

Following the dissolution of the Empire, various Interior Ministries sprouted across Auterran governments, but the exact origins of the Rainfall Ministry remain shrouded in mystery. The revelation of the Mountain's existence occurred when ministerial agents detonated a nuclear device near Nazarime. This province, devastated during the Non-Consenter's Uprising, had long served as a central port for offworld caffeine smugglers since the Landing. However, the nuclear threat forced the Caffeine mafia to withdraw from Auterra. The eyewitness accounts of this detonation quickly spread, inciting widespread fears of nuclear dangers. In response, the Mountain declared a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of Auterran governments.

In the year [YEARNAME], a remarkable event transpired as the first pair of Talking Pillars rekindled with light and began to emit a melodious hum once more. Scattered across the entire planet, these enigmatic structures had seemingly ceased to function when the Slumber, shielding the planet from offworld interference, deactivated. Inquisitive residents soon discovered that these pillars acted as catalysts for benevolent forces, capable of curing afflictions, bestowing favorable weather, and even offering solace and guidance in times of adversity. With each passing year, more pillars awakened from their lengthy slumber, at times causing substantial migratory movements. Rumors began to circulate, linking the Ministry to the Talking Pillars.

In [YEARNAME], tensions between the Moon People and Shibaya residents of Iwagatama province reached a precarious tipping point due to the rising number of caffeine addicts among the Shibaya populace. Allegations of caffeine smuggling added to the growing unease among observers. To everyone's astonishment, the Rainfall Ministry intervened on behalf of the local Moon People. To ease the tensions, ministerial agents engaged Anatheran and Cantani authorities, urging them to restrict travel to Auterra. Furthermore, the Ministry unilaterally decreed that no new Moon People could settle on Auterra in the coming decades, prompting many offworlders to depart. Most of the remaining Moon People were evacuated from Iwagatama province and relocated near Lake Wane at Mt. Nagashin, ensuring their safety. The Ministry also pledged to swiftly resolve the blockade and work towards a harmonious coexistence between the two peoples - a promise which was not met until the settlement of Yeoi many years later.

In [YEARNAME], reports of peculiar sightings around Lake Wane's shores began to circulate. These included accounts of the enigmatic Lake Wane Bathing Woman, a mysterious figure purportedly wandering the fog-covered lake in search of a bathing spot, flickering lights dancing beneath the water's surface and across the mountainside, an inexplicable dense fog enveloping the Mountain, and the baffling disappearance of Wangu township. In the wake of these events, curious residents and travelers flocked to the lakeside in pursuit of the Bathing Woman. While many suspected the Ministry's involvement due to its proximity to Mt. Nagashin, sightings of the Bathing Woman gradually became rarer and eventually ceased entirely. In response to these accusations, the Ministry issued a statement asserting that the lights and fog on the Mt. Nagashin mountainside were side-effects of repurposed Sunlover technology. Simultaneously, they announced an ambitious goal of establishing Auterra's first moon colony, Yeoi, and encouraged interested Auterrans to settle near Lake Wane. Considering that no Auterran nation possessed the means for mass spacecraft production, the Ministry's aspirations were widely regarded as unrealistic.

However, in a surprising turn of events, in [YEARNAME], a powerful beam of light emanated from Mt. Nagashin, extending beyond the atmosphere and connecting Yeoi to the Auterran surface. This beam left behind a colorful bridge of light connecting the two celestial bodies, visible from space and large parts of the Northern hemisphere under specific weather conditions. Subsequently, the Ministry asserted control over a transportation device facilitating travel between Auterra and its satellite, an achievement attributed to the unconventional utilization of ancient Sunlover technology. This event triggered a diplomatic crisis involving the Circle League's Office for Shibaya affairs, which was eventually resolved through a thorough Anatheran investigation confirming that the technology behind the Yeoi-Moonline was non-reproducible outside of Auterra. The establishment of the Aon Yeoi moon colony marked a significant turning point in Auterran politics and Shibaya-Human relations. As the Ministry redirected its focus towards selecting and recruiting future colonies, they formalized their policy of non-interference with all Auterran governments, solidifying the separation of powers and establishing the Aon Yeoi colony as a self-governing body set to develop autonomously. The culmination of Yeoi's self-rule occurred when the Moon's administration joined the Three-Moon Consortium in [YEARNAME].