Bleach: Turn Back the Pendulum [OOC]

[Frozen_Feet]

This is an idea that I had five years ago. It didn't really take off then, but enough time has passed that I decided to give it a second shot.

This game is a spiritual successor to Bleach in the Playground, Naruto in the Playground and Dragon Ball in the Playground. It is not in continuity with any of them and no characters are intended to carry over, either from them or any other freeform game here on GitP.

Quit blabbering. What's the big idea?

"The Afterlife is in chaos - the Soul King has retreated into His palace and the noble clans are disparate, each pursuing their own goals at the expense of common good. Souls of deceased humans are torn between different sects, unable to seek true enlightment... if they are even able to find their way to afterlife!

With psychopomps more interested in their petty infighting than doing their jobs, more and more human souls get lost by the day - those who led a decent life fall into desperation and lose their hearts, deprived of reward or reprieve, and evil souls deserving of punishment are free to flee Hell's clutches, wreaking havoc upon earth. Tales even tell of mortals who've taken it to their own hands to exorcise maddened spirits... but can they, just barely knowing of the world beyond, preserve balance of the Wheel of Life?

Each day, the world veers closer to complete chaos. It is in grave need of a guiding hand, a harsh hand, if need be... but the King is a king in name only, his forces outnumbered by the nobles many times over. Somehow, the afterlife must be united, so that balance can be restored and justice can prevail.... but who is there to do it? "

The idea is to reimagine and play out the history of the Bleach setting, starting from the very beginning: the founding of the Royal Guard and Shinoreijutsuin.

I, specifically, want this game to answer the following questions:

• Who was the Soul King?
  
  • The manga leaves this question almost completely open. We know he came to being to regulate flow of souls and to keep balance between worlds, but his personality is unknown.
• Why was he sealed?
  
  • It's claimed Shinigami are enemies of the Soul King, but what does this mean?
• Who founded the five great Noble Families?
  
  • The known Great Noble Families are Shihoin, Kuchiki and Shiba. Two are yet to be named.
• Who founded Seiretei and built its walls?
  
  • In canon, nobles live in the city, but why did they choose to seclude themselves from common Pluses?

And once those questions have been answered, I want to move 1100 years forward, to the time of the First Quincy War, and the founding of Gotei 13. And, if this game lasts enough to get that done, move another 1000 years to the future, to contemporary times, and move into urban fantasy like in the beginning of the original Bleach Manga. Ambitious, I know, but a man can dream, right?

Still, that's the goal to keep in mind: to retell history of and recreate a status quo similar to the Bleach setting we know and love, and then move on from there.

The starting point for this game, as noted in the above text, is 2100 years in the past. This means the following elements do not exist yet:

• Canonical characters, save for the Soul King, who is borderline non-character in the manga. The reason is simple: they have not been born yet. They might never be born in this continuity.
  
  • Yamamoto, Unohana and Royal Guard members are maybes. Even then, they would be much younger at this point and not have their canonical rank and powers.
• Shinigami: as counter-intuitive as this may sound for a Bleach game, neither Shinoreijutsuin nor Gotei 13 have been founded yet. The people who will later be called "Shinigami" are known as "Balancers" at this point of time. This will, obviously, change fairly soon. Just keep in mind when making a new character. You can't introduce a character as having always been a Shinigami, because Shinigami haven't always been around.
• Japan. Another counter-intutive thing, but neither Japanese culture nor nation exist yet at this point of time. Of course, the same goes for all other modern nations and inventions, including some world religions (Christianity and Islam, for example.)
  
  • I do not expect total historical accuracy from anyone. This is a fantasy game at heart, after all. So you can use Japanese names and spirits can have access to anachronistic technology. Still, keep in mind that it's a premodern setting. If I see guns, computers or mentions of genetic engineering, I will cry blood.
• Quincies, Vizards, Arrancars, Zanpakuto, Mod Souls, Espada, Las Noches, Hogyoku etc. do not exist either as no-one has invented them yet. This will, obviously, change as the game progresses.

So what does exist?

• Pluses exist.
  
  • Pluses with significant spiritual powers are expected to become Shinigami, of course.
• Hollows exist.
  
  • Vasto Lorde, however, do not exist... yet.
• Humans exist.
• Fullbringers may exist.
• Soul Society exists.
• Hueco Mundo exists.
• Hell exists.
• People who were cursed to be animals in life and retain bestial traits as Pluses exist. (See: Komamura)
• Togabito (Sinners who escaped from Hell) exist.
• Kushanada (Wardens of Hell) exist, though they aren't really suited for player characters.

The list will get updated as the game progresses.

To get off the ground, I'm looking for players to play the following sorts of characters:

1. Someone to found the Shinoreijutsuin (AKA Spiritual Arts Academy AKA Shinigami Academy).
2. Someone to found the Royal Guard. (Wao Shen, played by Razade)
3. Someone to make the first Zanpakutos. (Qiu Tao, played by igordragonian)
4. Someone to play a head or heir to a Great Noble Family. (Kuchiki Ichiro Takehiko played by Frozen_Feet, Kane Shiba played by Toxic_Mind, and Shihoin Yuuka Saki played by Lord Raziere. Two more spots to go.)
5. Someone to play the Soul King.

I will cross roles off the list as soon as they are filled.

I, myself, am a veteran to several long-running Bleach freeforms, and have played almost every possible role within the setting. As such, I don't want to reserve any of these roles for myself. Instead, I ask the next five posters to vote or suggest which sort of character I should play. It can be one of the above, it can be none of the above, it can even be a canonical character. Just throw an idea at me.

. . .

So, yeah. Any takers?

Link to the IC thread is here.

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Rules:

1. Do not control other people's characters without permission.
2. No fighting or bullying people in the OOC. If you can't stand someone's face, hold that discussion elsewhere.
3. It's polite to ask before jumping into fights or other personal scenes. Not every event is meant to involve every character. Of course, you can also pre-emptively inform other people about whether your scenes are open or not.
4. Related to the above: Shunpo is not teleportation, Garganta are not wormholes, Reiatsu sense is not plot detection, and the world is big. If your character is on the other side of the world, you really shouldn't even need to ask if they can participate. It should logically follow they can't.
5. Fights are decided by agreement between players, not by whose character is most powersome. If you want to maintain the surprise to other players, talk it through privately. If you really can't decide, flip a goddamn coin already.
6. The game starts when I have a character idea and there is at least one other active player to play with. It ends when the last two active players lose all interest in it.

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Character Roster:

Kuchiki Ichiro Takehiko, 3rd head of the Kuchiki clan
General Qiu Tao, the Blade Heart
Sunyi Tao, vengefull ghost of Qiu former wife
Ezekiel Bellitus, prodigal son of the Soul King
Yan Wao Shen, the Necromancer
The Carrion King

Shiba Kane, Head of Shiba clan
Lady Ana Shiba, Kane's wife
Kuang, Yan Wao Shen's roadie
Shihoin Yuuka Saki, 2nd Head Of the Shihoin Clan
Nanami Fong, Saki's Bodyguard
Tasnim Abdulrashid, the Demon

Roster key:

[KIA] : Killed-in-action. This character has bit the dust, kicked the bucket, thrown in the towel, went to a better place, rests in pieces, yadda yadda. Their place is now in our fond memories and flashbacks.
[MIA] : Missing-in-action. A player vanished and left their character off-screen, but the character was too important to be retconned out. Referring to these characters (and wondering where they are) is allowed, but their fate is left undisclosed unless their player returns.
[Retired] : The player chose to stop playing the character and moved them off-screen. As above, you can continue to refer to them and they are considered to have existed, they just won't make an appearance anymore.
[NPC] : Non-player character. A character who can be controlled by anyone in need.
[WIP] : Work-in-progress. A character is incomplete and not ready to be played yet.
(Currently played by X) : informs if a character is being played by someone else than who created or made their registry post.
Crossed-over: This character has been retconned out. They are considered never to have existed in the story. Don't refer to them.

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Empty character template:

<Your character's name here>

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Age: Exact number or rough estimation.
Gender: Male, female, etc.
Height: Centimeters and/or feet and inches.
Weight: Kilograms and/or pounds.
Species: What kind of creature your character is?
Station: Your character's current lot in life.

Description:

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What does your character look, feel, smell and sound like?

Personality:

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How does your character think? What drives him and what kind of a fellow is he?

History:

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What has happened to your character before the game and made them who they are?

Story So Far:

Spoiler

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You can summarize and update here what has happened to your character during the game.

Abilities:

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What is your character good or bad at? What special things can he do or knows?

These could include anything from martial arts to ki blasts to magic and shapeshifting abilities.

Other information:

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Anything you can't fit to the brackets above, such as equipment or property your character owns.

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On character power:

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Bleach has no powerlevels nor any way to easily compare character abilities. Here is a rough guideline on how you can eyeball where your character stands:

Characters can be divided into following tiers:

• Human; someone with no spiritual ability.
• Plus; someone who can see spirits but is otherwise untrained in fighting them. (See: Chad at the start of series, Ichigo's sisters.)
• Unseated: someone who has both ability to see spirits and basic ability to fight them, but who otherwise is not significantly above human ability. (See: Shinigami mooks.)
• Seated: someone with extensive combat training and spiritual powers. Could achieve Shikai or equivalent. (See: Rukia at the start of the series.)
  • This also where normal Hollows are at.
• Lieutenant: someone with extensive spiritual powers and significant superhuman ability. Could achieve Bankai or equivalent. (See: Renji during Soul Society Arc, Ikkaku, Yumichika.)
  • This where mindless Menos Grande and Gillians are at.
• Captain: someone with extreme spiritual and superhuman powers. Has mastered Bankai or equivalent. (See: Byakuya Kuchiki during Soul Society arc.)
  • This where Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde are at.
• Superman: someone who eats people on the previous levels for breakfast. Can pull powers no-one else has from their posterior. (See: Yamamoto, Aizen, Ulquiorra.)
  
  • This is where Arrancars made of Vasto Lorde were supposed to be, but they didn't really deliver.

The ranks are just for reference; your character doesn't have to hold a rank to be powerful, and vice versa. So your character doesn't have to be a Captain to be Captain-level, and someone with rank of Captain wouldn't need to be Captain-level.

Bleach wiki uses some descriptors for abilities which roughly correspond to the above tiers. They are, in order: poor, normal, enhanced, practicioner, expert, master, grandmaster. F.ex. a Lieutenant-level would be expected to be an expert in some skill.

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On keeping track of time and place:

To avoid confusion, you can use location tags to indicate shifts in time and place. Like this:

[Earth; Pacific Ocean; Noon]

<Stuff happening.>

[Soul Society]

<More stuff happening.>

This way, we can keep track where everyone is, since it's not economical to make a new thread for every little place.

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Resources:

Bleach Wiki (for additional setting information)
Behind the Name. (For names.)

[igordragonian]

looks very int interesting. You inspire me, to get back watching/reading Bleach.

I wanted to join the other Bleach game, but was overwhlemed, I didn't knew where to fit in...

what year is it? In historical terms..
is Soul Society looked like a medieval japanese kingdom?

I was thinking about playing a cursed Plus, that by fighting his animated sins and inner demons is forging the first Zankupto.

[King539]

So, on earth, it's basically the Roman Empire, right? I think it's the right time period.

Anyway, would you mind a character who eventually founds the forerunners of the Quincies? At the beginning, he's basically an Unseated or Plus, but he'll gradually gain power as the game goes on. Does that sound fine?

[Frozen_Feet]

what year is it? In historical terms..
is Soul Society looked like a medieval japanese kingdom?

On earth, it is ~100 BC. Soul Society would resemble the tail end of Warring States period China. For ideas, you could watch the Wuxia movie Hero.

I was thinking about playing a cursed Plus, that by fighting his animated sins and inner demons is forging the first Zankupto.

That is a good concept.

So, on earth, it's basically the Roman Empire, right? I think it's the right time period.

In Europe, yes, Romans dominate.

Anyway, would you mind a character who eventually founds the forerunners of the Quincies? At the beginning, he's basically an Unseated or Plus, but he'll gradually gain power as the game goes on. Does that sound fine?

This is fine. In canon, the first Quincy claimed to be prodigal song of the Soul King. Do you want to keep that element?

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Also, what sort of character would you like me to play?

[King539]

This is fine. In canon, the first Quincy claimed to be prodigal song of the Soul King. Do you want to keep that element?

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Also, what sort of character would you like me to play?

Son of the Soul King works fine. Not that he'll know it, at first.

I honestly don't care what you play. If necessary, I'd be down with playing a Noble.

[Razade]

Oh, I wish you'd have PM'd me a link to this. It was only by chance I spotted it.

I'm interested. 100% interested.

- - - Updated - - -

Yan Wao Shen, the Necromancer
Age: Timeless
Gender: Unknown
Height: 7'
Weight: Unknown
Side: It's Own

Appearance: Yan Wao Shen is rarely seen and even more rarely in its natural form. To many, Yan Wao Shen appears as a tall humanoid dressed in tattered clothing and animal pelts, always with the skull of an animal over its face, however this most certainly isn't the real form of the being. Others have said that it takes the form of a beautiful woman with a voluptuous body to entice young Pluses into its swamp for its nefarious purposes. Others claim that it is in fact the spirit of a a dead God from the Mortal Realm, a massive bird of darkness with eyes the color of fresh blood. Yet more claim that its true form is The Corpse Dragon of legend, an impossibly powerful Hollow that somehow found its way to "Soul Society" and is merely waiting to devour all Pluses at its leisure. This "Corpse Dragon" is said to be a massive serpent made of skeletons and bone, several large skulls sitting in a cobalike hood.

Spoiler: General Form

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Spoiler: The Corpse Dragon

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Personality: Yan Wao Shen is inscrutable. It rarely interacts with Pluses and when it does it typically takes the form of strange cryptic messages or aid in the petty squabbles of lords. From those few who have met the creature in its own lands, Yan is capricious and calculating. Always seeking something for its time, usually shrewd enough to earn more than what it offers. Strangely Yan Wao Shen adores formalities, treating guests with care and always offering a meal of rice and sake to any who make it to its home. This hospitality extends even to those it is about to kill, making conversation up until the last grain of rice is eaten before commencing its true motives. Failure to take these offerings enrages the Necromancer, one of the few things that seems to break it from its otherwise unreadable facade. This adoration of formality extends to others as well, tales speak of foolish Lords and Ladies who have refused to offer the often times scraggly Sorcerer a warm meal and bed. None of them end pleasantly and these tales have circulated enough that further incidents are rare.

History and Tales: Yan has existed in what will eventually be called Soul Society for as long as any single Plus can remember, and many do for the stories of the being are as varied as they are terrifying. Making its home in a massive tree at the center of a far flung swamp, few dare pierce its realm save for the most important of missions. Stories range at just what one will find in Yan Wao Shen's swamp, from bewitched Pluses to animal Hollows that are said to have been plucked from the White Sands by the being personally.

Abilities: Yan Wao Shen is a powerful sorcerer, shapeshifter and combatant. It rarely seeks out fights and even rarely defends its realm allowing the multitude of traps, natural terrain and animal life to take care of threats. However when it roused to combat, few among even the Noble Families dare challenge it directly and those that speak of assaulting the swamps of Yan Wao Shen to "end the menace waiting for us to grow weak" are laughed down either through fear or good intentions.

Sorcery and Science: Yan Wao Shen is one of the few practitioners of "magic" that remain unaligned and many who practice the arts speak in hushed tones of The Necromancer, a Sorcerer so powerful that none dare even to seek it for tutelage. Yan Wao Shen practices many forms of magic, though rarely brings such might to bare even when it is hired by feuding Kingdoms. Yan Wao Shen also uses this magic in medicine and study, typically being approached by other Pluses to cure sickness and disease.

Hollows and Pets: The stories are not based fully on falsehoods. Yan Wao Shen does in fact keep a large collection of powerful Hollow in its realm. Sorcery and sheer force of spiritual pressure keeps these beasts from turning on their master. Yan also has a collection of Pluses that dwell in its swamp. Many of these are simply unfortunate souls who have been pushed out from other Kingdoms, finding the ability to live only in the Swamps despite the dangers. Others are brainwashed servants, yet others are constructs of magic. Either way, the Necromancer has an army large enough to keep the other Kingdoms out.

Shapeshifting: Yan Wao Shen is a known shapeshifter. What all it can change into is unknown, however many have seen it turn into other people and animals as disguises. If it can change into the alleged Corpse Dragon it has never shown this ability.

Intent: So I think it's pretty clear I intend this guy to be important for a long time to come. Ideally he could be one of the people elected to help seal the Soul King due to its powerful magic and help teach the starting Soul Society what might become Kido and the Vasto Lorde later on down the line. I have some interesting ideas regarding the latter for sure. I can expand on those if people want. I also see him eventually turning, the Hollow Angle here is fairly strong so just looking forward...he could easily aid in instigating the Quincy War and...go quiet for a while to manufacturer the final Hollow Threat, reemerging as the Aizen if/when that stage is reached. Either way, the intent is for creepy semi-help to the "protagonists" with the eventual slide to full on Antagonist.

More Fleshed out ideas as above

Spoiler: Early Game

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I figure as one of the most powerful unaligned beings in the afterlife what ever coalition forms to eventually becomes Soul Society brings Yan in to assist with
1. The walls. As a Sorcerer it might know a thing or two about making unassailable walls
2. Sealing a supreme God Being. Same as the above, as a Sorcerer it probably knows how to do this.
3. Help teach who ever is to become the Royal Guard. They've got to know some crazy magics after all.
4. Be a foil to the Noble Families, a being that drags the eventual Shinigami out of a just and righteous area to something more gray. Something to be...willfully forgotten about.

Why it would do this though, who knows. It's reasons could be many. No matter what they are however, there would be a price attached. One to be named later because why not be a charitable creepy Sorcerer Being

Spoiler: Quincy War

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1. Help fashion the first full and true Vasto Lorde in secret.
2. Ask for its payment as it finally wishes to "return to where it came". Have this payment denied by the Shinigami who no doubt have forgotten about it.
3. Leave in anger, perhaps even assisting the Quincy as a form of "revenge".
4. Begin the creation of the Arrancar.

Spoiler: Modern Day

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1. After a thousand years, the tests have finally worked. Yan has created humanoid creatures like itself. How this is done...will be explored in the game but hopefully give Arrancar characters things to explore on their own.
2. Begin the final revenge on Soul Society.
3. Die. Violently and epic. Hopefully.

[Frozen_Feet]

Let's wait till igordragonian details his pitch about the creator of Zanpakuto before nailing down of Wao Shen has anything to do with that.

Other than that, Wao Shen is a good concept. If I play a noble like King suggested, the game could start by the noble gathering a party of special individuals (namely igor's and King's characters) to go after Wao Shen. I think that'd give us all stuff to do for a couple of months.

So, yeah. I'll start working on a noble. Igor, King, detail your character concepts.

[Razade]

Let's wait till igordragonian details his pitch about the creator of Zanpakuto before nailing down of Wao Shen has anything to do with that.

I'm certain we could work something out.

Other than that, Wao Shen is a good concept. If I play a noble like King suggested, the game could start by the noble gathering a party of special individuals (namely igor's and King's characters) to go after Wao Shen. I think that'd give us all stuff to do for a couple of months.

Ideally, if you want to keep things moving, there should be clear goals on 1. The overarching plot 2. How to get to the end of it to get to the next step. Otherwise it'll bog down and then nothing at all will be accomplished.

I certainly think a party like that sounds like the best way for things to kick off. It certainly acts as a catalyst to the rest of the stories events at least in so far as making Soul Society is concerned.

I also thought, perhaps for the Nobles, that by the end of the first...story...arc?...once the Soul King is done and sealed and the Royal Guard appointed (perhaps as guardians of the seal?) that the Nobles could conspire to cheat Yan Wao Shen out of its payment, engineering the events later down the road where there's no record it was ever meant to be paid at all. Thus allowing Yan Wao Shen to leave in a fury and start Las Noches. The idea being that it will become the first Vasto Lorde. How it already has a human shape before that will be detailed in the actual game.

I also see, if we do get some Hollow characters early, Yan Wao Shen RPing in both areas from the start.

So, yeah. I'll start working on a noble. Igor, King, detail your character concepts.

Perhaps you should cross post this other places? I could post this on Mythweavers, we might be able to pull more people in that way.

[King539]

I actually meant I could play the noble if necessary, but I wasn't set on it or anything, so keep doing what you're doing, FF. My character draft should be up later today.

[igordragonian]

I'll adjust my character as needed...
In general I had an idea for an ex warlord who made capital war crimes and he haunted by his victims.

[King539]

The main problem with your plan, FF, is that my character has almost no idea about the Spirit World, Hollows, Balancers, etc. It will be quite the rude awakening.

My concept so far is that he was raised by Visigoths, who adopted him. He believes he is a Visigoth. His adopted parents were killed by Hollows when he was very young. He was found by a Jewish blacksmith, who adopted him again. Now that his second adopted father is old and bedridden, he runs the smithing business in Rome. He barely remembers the Hollows, and thinks of them as demons. This backstory is subject to change, depending own who exactly the Soul King is.

EDIT: Would you mind me sigging a link to this thread, to help recruitment?

[Frozen_Feet]

The main problem with your plan, FF, is that my character has almost no idea about the Spirit World, Hollows, Balancers, etc. It will be quite the rude awakening.

That's not a problem, that's an opportunity.

Your backstory looks fine. Don't sweat the details about the Soul King. If your character is clueless about the Spirit World, it follows they wouldn't remember much about the Soul King either.

EDIT: Would you mind me sigging a link to this thread, to help recruitment?

Yes. As a general rule, advertizing the game elsewhere is allowed if you think it will attract interested players.

[Razade]

I, myself, am a veteran to several long-running Bleach freeforms, and have played almost every possible role within the setting. As such, I don't want to reserve any of these roles for myself. Instead, I ask the next five posters to vote or suggest which sort of character I should play. It can be one of the above, it can be none of the above, it can even be a canonical character. Just throw an idea at me.

Totally missed this. I vote you play the Soul King.


Also, considering Igor wants to do the Zanpakuto thing, I've geared Yan more to the Hollow side of things. Early game though, since we're looking to fill roles. I'll put Yan Wao Shen as

Someone to found the Royal Guard

Have some ideas for that and the Vasto Lorde to come later. So updated the character sheet to reflect all this. Would appreciate a review from all currently involved if/when you've the time.

[Razade]

Hueco Mundo and the Hollows

The White Sands are not as they are 2,100 years in the future. The Vasto Lorde have yet to appear in the shifting wastes and the Menos Grande are likewise not present, instead the lesser hollow the same majority animal creatures that make up the Adjuchas rank. These lesser Hollow are still referred to as Gillian, the term yet to mean the towering beings they will someday become. The process to become an Adjuchas remains the same as well, devouring lesser Hollows granting more Souls to the predator until they simply grow powerful enough to be identified as an Adjuchas. Rumors speak of a great Hollow Kingdom at the center of the Wastes where the mightest of Adjuchas pay homage and fealty to a human king, a Kingdom where strange and new Hollows are commonplace and where ones desire to slack the constant hunger can be soothed. They call this bastion Las Noches.

Las Noches and the Carrion King

At the heart of the White Sands sits Las Noches, a massive ruin made from the bones of an ancient and powerful Hollow said to be The Corpse Dragon. At the heart of this slain beast sits the Black Wisteria, said to be the remnants of the weapon used to slay the strongest Hollow the Wastes had ever seen. This Black Wisteria is the true Las Noches for its hanging flowers glow and twinkle like stars and its canopy of black leaves and black bark block out the endless night sky above. Hollows have long since hollowed out the majority of the wisteria, creating a massive castle within a castle and at the center of this strange court sits the being powerful enough to force Hollow to cooperate. The Carrion King.

None within Hueco Mundo know where The Carrion King came from, none dare wonder aloud though many believe that it was none other than the hero that purged the Sands of The Corpse Beast in the long distant past. There is little question how the Carrion King rose and keeps power whoever or what ever it is for at the heart of the black wisteria that is Las Noches sits a pool of water so pure and clean and cold that it is said to even wash away the sins of Hollows that might be bound to Hell upon their death at the hands of the few Balancers who dare fight them. In the desert, whoever controls the water controls life and this is the true power of Las Noches. The Carrion King is often absent from its throne, carved into the wisteria though its enforcers and powers are not. None may approach the pool without express permission from the Carrion King, few have supped from the cold clean waters, fewer still have swayed from their loyalty to the King after.

Spoiler: The Carrion King

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Yan Wao Shen and The Carrion King are in fact the same being, using the Black Wisteria in Las Noches and its tree home in what will one day be Soul Society to travel between the realm as a proto-Garganta. As such, Yan Wao Shen appears differently but presents the same personality with minor changes and the same abilities to bear regardless of who it is acting as.

The Carrion King
Age: Timeless
Gender: Unknown
Height: 5'
Weight: Unknown
Side: Las Noches

Appearance: The Carrion King dresses in a full black robe and cowl that obscures its face. Its hands are skeletal and pale and two baleful green eyes burn in the depths of its cowl though no face has ever been visible in the gloom. The Carrion King also seems to enjoy adornments of skulls and Hollow Masks which it wears and hangs about its person as trophies.

Personality: The Carrion King is inscrutable. It rarely interacts with Hollows and when it does it typically takes the form of strange cryptic messages or aid in the petty squabbles of lords. From those few who have met the creature in Las Noches, The Carrion King is capricious and calculating. Always seeking something for its time, usually shrewd enough to earn more than what it offers. Strangely The Carrion King adores formalities, treating guests with care and always offering a meal of rice and sake to any who make it to its home. This hospitality extends even to those it is about to kill, making conversation up until the last grain of rice is eaten before commencing its true motives. Failure to take these offerings enrages the Carrion King, one of the few things that seems to break it from its otherwise unreadable facade. This adoration of formality extends to others as well, tales speak of foolish Adjuchas who have refused to offer the Carrion King its dues and gifts. None of them end pleasantly and these tales have circulated enough that further incidents are rare.

History and Tales: The Carrion King has existed in Hueco Mundo and specifically Las Noches for as long as any single Hollow can remember. Where it came from, what it really is and what its motives are sadly remain unknown or forgotten. Tales tell of enterprising Hollows who have tried to unseat the Carrion King for its throne, the tales tell that all have failed and that instead of simply killing such foolish creatures the Carrion King has embedded these failures into the roots of its Black Wisteria feeding it on the souls of powerful Hollows since time began. Others speak of the perverted experiments the Carrion King does on those willing to take the chance for greater power. Those few who survive are living testament to both the graciousness and cruelty of the Carrion King.

Abilities:Yan Wao Shen is a powerful sorcerer, shapeshifter and combatant. It rarely seeks out fights and even rarely defends its realm allowing the multitude of traps, natural terrain and animal life to take care of threats. However when it roused to combat, few among even the Noble Families dare challenge it directly and those that speak of assaulting the swamps of Yan Wao Shen to "end the menace waiting for us to grow weak" are laughed down either through fear or good intentions.

Sorcery and Science: The Carrion King is the only practitioner within Hueco Mundo and its knowledge seems unable to translate to Hollows though the reason for this is known only to the King. Any who attempt to learn the Carrion King's arts suffer horrible fates, being cleansed instantly and returned to the Cycle of Rebirth. As such The Carrion King has used its near endless supply of Hollows to experiment on, having created several unique and terrifying forms that are rarely seen outside of Las Noches itself.

The Court of Las Noches: As it stands, The Carrion King is the major power in Hueco Mundo and as such commands a vast army of Hollows of various shapes and sizes.

El Paria: The guardians of the well, El Paria are proto-Menos Grande. These beings are incredibly weak Hollows fed to a singular strong Hollow to form towering and aggressive monsters. At least twenty of these beings exist.
Los Masas: These Hollow act as the foot servants of Las Noches, being very weak individually but strong in number and being able to act in conjunction with one another. Most take the form of Hollow Wolves but they are not Adjuchas.
La Bestia: These creatures stand apart from their Adjuchas siblings in each has been granted a sip from the well. This drink has slacked their hunger and they now longer need to feast on lesser Hollow to save themselves from reverting to the lesser Hollow Forms.

Shapeshifting: The Carrion King is a known shapeshifter. What all it can change into is unknown, however many have seen it turn into other people and Hollows as disguises.

Spoiler: El Paria

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So going off a throw off line that "The Royal Guard deal with the Menos Grande" I thought perhaps...they weren't something that existed originally and instead were created by Yan Wao Shen as a method to guard Las Noches. Once the Royal Guard are formed, I thought perhaps they would be a way to send souls to The Royal Realm and directly to The Soul King. So the reason the Royal Guard "deal with the Menos Grande" is because it was engineered to help keep the Seal going. The El Paria are the proto-form of these, essentially setting the stage for Hollow Evolution as we know it from canon.

Spoiler: Los Masas

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All the Bleach Games have made Las Noches rather similar to canon and I'd like to break from that if/when the Arrancar show up. Los Masas (the Masses) are intended to be super weak Arrancar eventually but for now, they're just wolf foot soldiers for the Hollows

Spoiler: La Bestia

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Proto-Vasto Lorde, pure and simple. They're broken from the endless hunger of Hollows so they can focus on evolving further. They're rare but they could easily be background for other players.

Spoiler: Handy Dandy Hollow Evolution Chart

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Lesser Hollows
Human Hollow: Humans who have died violently or with great regrets.
Animal Hollow: The dead of an animal and the native inhabitants of Hueco Mundo. Typically weak enough that they can survive on the ambiet reishi within Hueco Mundo.

The Menos
Las Masas: Incredibly weak and animalistic Gillian but the most numerous of the Gillian forms. Most appear as skeletal wolves
Menos Grande: Vast amalgamations of Hollows that congregate rather than live as simple Las Masas. Engineered by The Carrion King long in the past. Less intellegent than Las Masas.
Gillian: The typical Menos, less numerous than Las Masas but possessing almost human level intellegence. Particularly smart Menos are known to exist though these typically evolve into Adjuchas through various methods. Gillian evolve from regular Hollows when their dark thoughts consume them.
Adjuchas: Adjuchas are rarer still than the typical Gillian but are far more powerful. At this stage the hunger of the Hollow becomes a constant fixture of their life and they must constantly feed. Those who fail become known as El Caido, The Fallen, and while the hunger abates they can never grow into a Vasto Lorde.
Vasto Lorde: The ultimate form of Menos. Stronger than Shinigami Captains, the Vasto Lorde are so rare many claim they can be counted on one's hands. Most are insanely old.

Proto-Forms
El Paria: Proto-Menos Grande. These were the guardians of the well within Las Noches until they were phased out by the Carrion King.
La Bestia: The proto-form of the Vasto Lorde, these were hand picked Adjuchas that were granted a drink from the well within Las Noches and had their hungers stalled yet somehow retained their ability to evolve into the Vasto Lorde form. Those who did not become Vasto Lorde were slain.

[igordragonian]

General Qiu Tao- "Blade Heart"
Age: 7 generations. Looking in his 40's
Gender: Male,
Height: 2.05 meters
Weight: 220 kg
Species: Cursed Plus
Station: An ex Chinese warlord.
Description

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Personality: Haunted. Despite his monstrous actions in the past, he actually has compassion, sorrow and guilt. Qiu has a legendary discipline and a deep fear inside he is afraid of vanishing, and preffer trying again and again. This fear has motivated him to go to extremes, to prove his loyalty to his kings. Now, as ghost, and masterless.. he is lost. Caught and hunted by his past sins. He was nicknamed "Blade-Heart"

History
In first Qiu's childhood, he tried to oppose a soldier- who stabbed him in return. The sword scratched his heart- physically, he has survived- but the pain and the terror, motivated him to join the army and do everything to prevent the rage of his superiors. He did crazy heroic and cruel acts. just out of fear.
Qiu grew to be a Chinese War Lord from the Warring States Age.
Qiu was loyal to his king, and went extreme and harsh- making terrible things even relatively to such ancient age.
Every time, he was assinated by his lover, wife or daughter- probably from a repeating reacarnation.
But he wasn't EVIL- he never turned into a Hollow, and just reincarnated again, getting a chance to be a hero again.
But he did the same.
And then he reincarnated again, growing into a Warlod, failing to be a noble warrior.
Again.
After 7 recantations he simply stayed.. as a plus. Haunted by the hollows and the suffer he has created for 7 life times.

Now he has no king to hide behind- now he has to choose whether he'l be a noble warrior or a savage. Now he is chained to his dead body at his burned mansion.

Story So far


Abilities:

Tactical and Strategic Experience: After 7 lives as Warlord, he has significant experience at leading battles and armies.
Weapon Mastery: He is a master of Sword and many other weapons.
Weapon Forging: Qiu also as fanatic soldier, at some point wielded only weapons he made himself.
Martial Arts: Qiu isn't good at martial arts, as he is with weapons- but he probably better than the average martial artist.

Other Information

I plan him to forge the first Zanpakutō

[King539]

Character's done.

Ezekiel Bellitus

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Age: 23.
Gender: Male.
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 163 lb.
Species: Human.
Station: N/A.
Speech: Quincy Blue.

Spoiler: Description

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Ezekiel is a tall man, well-muscled. His hair is red, and he has a large, wild beard, scorched in places. His eyes are startling, ice-blue.

Spoiler: Personality

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Ezekiel is irritable gruff, by no means good with people. He prefers his own company to those of others, and would probably be something of a hermit if his adoptive father wasn't too weak for travel. However, he is still a genuinely good and caring person, despite how much he'll grumble about it.

Spoiler: History

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Ezekiel was raised by Visigoths, who adopted him. He believes he is a Visigoth. His adopted parents were killed by Hollows when he was very young. He was found by a Jewish blacksmith, who adopted him again and named him Ezekiel, after the prophet. Now that his second adopted father is old and bedridden, he runs his smithing business in Rome. He barely remembers the Hollows that killed his first pair of adoptive parents, and thinks of them as demons.

Spoiler: Abilities

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Great Spiritual Power: Being the son of the Soul King, Ezekiel's raw spiritual power is considerable. He just has almost no control over it.

Reishi Sense: Ezekiel has an almost instinctive awareness of Reishi and Reiatsu around him, perceiving it as a sort of energy field. He will probably figure out that he has some control over it later.

Great Strength: Ezekiel is very strong and tough, though nowhere near superhuman.

Surprisingly Smart: Despite his general manner, Ezekiel possesses a keen mind. He's just not that educated.

Proficient Archer: Ezekiel practices archery in his spare time, ands achieved a fair level of proficiency.

Spoiler: Character Plans

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Found Quincy forerunners.

Invent Quincy techniques.

Use Auswahlen to stay alive until modern day.

In modern day, take over Quincies and do stuff.

[Razade]

I still vote Frozen take The Soul King slot.

[King539]

I vote FF take either the Soul King or Noble slots.

[Frozen_Feet]

A noble is more useful for starting the game. I'll consider adopting the role of the Soul King when the need arises and no-one else has showed up to play it at that point.

I'm busy for the next few days, so commentary on the character and making me own will have to wait. I'll get back to you all Saturday evening.

[Razade]

Well, hopefully we get a few more people or we'll all have to take double duty. Sadly, these sorts of games just don't seem all that popular.

[Toxic Mind]

What do we have so far? - saw this on a cross-post (thanks Razade), and was wondering what had not been applied for/still needed.

At base, I like the idea of the Zanpakuto forger (though I think someone is already looking at that), as well as the head of the academy. I could also be roped into the Royal Guard, though my knowledge of the little intricacies of Bleach may hinder me on that one.

EDIT1: It seems like we need a noble player to get the game off the ground - I'm not sure I'm the right one for that for similar reasons to the royal guard - I simply don't feel familiar enough with how the nobility of Soul Society worked/willwork/didwork (tenses are fun) to start that character. I will do some research.

[Toxic Mind]

Having done a little bit of background, I think I feel more comfortable with any of the last 3 (Guard, Noble, Academy Head). Seems like it was rather Wild West-y back then, which I can play just fine. I am still confused as to what exactly makes certain houses "Noble"? If I knew that I think I would be fine playing our Head of House.

[Frozen_Feet]

"What exactly makes a noble?" is one if those questions this game is meant to explore. The canon is very vague on what makes the great houses great - other than giving birth to people with great spiritual powets.

Historically, the answer is pretty simple, though: superior violent potential.

Through violence, nobles-to-come either claim land, or are given land by existing national body in exchange of services. "Services" usually means "protecting nations from other violent people who want to claim them".

[Razade]

What do we have so far? - saw this on a cross-post (thanks Razade), and was wondering what had not been applied for/still needed.

Someone to found the Shinoreijutsuin (AKA Spiritual Arts Academy AKA Shinigami Academy).

This one is still open though I think of all the ones on the list...it's the one we need the least at the start. Shinigami aren't even a thing yet. Let alone Soul Society proper.

Someone to found the Royal Guard.

I believe I am ostensibly the person on this in so far as Yan Wao Shen is concerned. Not that we can't have more people involved. We really probably should.

Someone to make the first Zanpakutos.

Igor has taken this I believe.

Someone to play a head or heir to a Great Noble Famly.

You and Frozen seem on this?

Someone to play the Soul King.

I can, if needed, take this slot as well since...I don't expect Yan to be doing a whole lot outside the Soul King storyline.

[Toxic Mind]

I will admit my feelings are definitely running towards the noble - if only because there is a great possibility for variety and if anyone else wanted to do the same I wouldn't be stepping on toes. Also, one of the nobles (frozen or I or both) could even take on the responsibility of the academy when it comes up.

I will write up a mock up when I get home

[King539]

Sounds great! I like forward to the game when it begins. Also, Razade, I have an idea for a character that is basically Wao Shen's second-in-command, a Las Bestia or Adjuchas.

[Razade]

I will admit my feelings are definitely running towards the noble - if only because there is a great possibility for variety and if anyone else wanted to do the same I wouldn't be stepping on toes. Also, one of the nobles (frozen or I or both) could even take on the responsibility of the academy when it comes up.

I will write up a mock up when I get home

Sounds good.

Sounds great! I like forward to the game when it begins. Also, Razade, I have an idea for a character that is basically Wao Shen's second-in-command, a Las Bestia or Adjuchas.

Sounds good to me, I'd like to keep just what Yan Wao Shen is close to the chest. Is it a Shinigami that's corrupted into a Hollow? Is it a Hollow that' somehow taken off the mask already? Is it something even stranger and ancient? What ever it is, it has such power over the Hollow it is the undisputed King. Something to drive the Arrancar storyline if/when we reach it. One of the reasons I'd be happy to take the Soul King though really...I think maybe we should all share that role and develop it collectively.

[Frozen_Feet]

Looking over the other characters, and they look good for now. I suggest we don't worry too much about who plays Soul King yet, as he won't be needed until our other characters have at least met each other.

Some comments regarding future plans;

My character (see below) has obvious motive to seek out Qiu Tao and to do something about Wao Shen, so I expect those to kick off the early game. He also has a less obvious motive to seek out Ezekiel, which I will get at during the game.

I'm okay with Las Noches being different from canon. What we see of its backstory, it originally was just Barragan's name for his domain, which was really meant to cover the entire Hueco Mundo. (Really, you could say that's true of the Carrion King as well; Hollows rumour he "rules the night", and since it's always night in Hueco Mundo... the ruins could be said to be "Trono de las Noches", that is, throne of the night.)

I'm going to write a starting post for the IC next. My wish is for everyone to simply establish where their characters are first and then go from there. Remember, you can play, and have each other play, small-time NPCs to keep things moving when none of the big players are present in the same place.

---

Kuchiki Ichiro Takehiko

Spoiler

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Age: 27
Gender: Male
Height: 181 cm (~5'11")
Weight: 71 kg (~156 lbs.)
Species: Plus ("Balancer")
Station: Head of the Kuchiki clan

Description:

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Takehiko is a tall, lean man with pale skin. His hair is black and shoulder-length, held to the side by white hairpiece called kenseikan. He also sports a light mustache. His eyes are cold grey. He usually wears a white shirt and black trousers, his clan emblem sewn to the back of the shirt. On the battlefied, he is often seen wearing an armor of bronze scales and a bronze cap. He is practically never without a sword to his side. Lastly, when visiting other nobles, he usually wears a white silk scarf around his neck, a heirloom from his father and a sign of his position as the current clan head.

Personality:

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"Heaven is made by Law. Laws are enforced by violence. Reach Heaven through violence."

As a child, Takehiko was a hot-headed and lively boy. However, as the weight of his responsibilities as a future clan head settled on his shoulders, he became famously stone-faced and aloof. Some other nobles accuse him of being impossible to negotiate with, claiming it is like talking to a stone wall. This is responded to with a shrug, if responded to at all.

Takehiko is a big believer in law and order. It is no surprise, then, that he finds the current state of the afterlife wanting. He sees it as the duty of himself and his clan to punish evildoers and see that the laws of the land are upheld. He is famously uncompromising when it comes to punishments, with some people saying he would cut off his own hand if he found it committing sin.

History:

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The Kuchiki were ennobled by the Soul King a hundred years ago, as a reward for their exemplary service in the King's army. They were appointed as "balancers", with the intent that they would watch over both Earth and afterlife, making sure the King's Will is executed across the land. The King's withdrawal from wordly affairs has left it annoyingly vague what said Will is, though, and the Kuchiki are having some difficulty exerting authority over warlike residents of the afterlife.

Ichiro Takehiko is the 3rd clan head, appointed by his aging father on Takehiko's 20th birthday. Having trained martials arts all his life, Takehiko assumed a strategy of leading at the front, winning great victories for the Kuchiki in a short span of time. Now the clan's expansion has been halted, however, as its lands are bordered by swamp of "that twice cursed necromancer" in the West and an alliance of opposing clans in North, South and East.

As Takehiko is an only child, his aging father and mother are worried about his warlike life leading to an untimely demise. A lot of other people also agree the man really ought to get a wife, though not necessarily for the same reason.

Story So Far:

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Nothing yet.

Abilities:

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Expert Swordsman: It is said it takes 10 days to master the staff, 100 to master the sabre, and 1,000 to master the longsword. Having been trained by his father from the age of 4, Takehiko well exceeds these benchmarks, and always seeks to improve. He is practically never seen without a jian to his side. Lately, however, he has lamented how no weapon withstands his strength well, and he is a regular customer of local blacksmiths for repairs of his sword.
Expert Movement: The Kuchiki clan is claimed to have a secret technique of traversing great distances with a single leap, which has been dubbed by others as the "Flash Step" (Shunpo). Takehiko has not confirmed such rumours to anyone, but his opponents swear he can move faster than the eye can see, and some claim he can walk on water, or on walls, or even on thin air.
Enhanced strength & durability: Takehiko is by no means a small man by standards of the time, but there are larger still in the wide world. Yet, in competitions held annually by houses of nobility, he has regularly bested larger and heavier men. His servants claim that once, he absent-mindedly split a stone in half. Takehiko himself protests, claiming any such attempt would sunder a sword... which does suggest he has tried.
Enhanced spiritual power: Takehiko has a commanding presence above and beyond that of an ordinary man. Some say he's made grown men gasp for air by merely looking at them.
Highly learned: Being an heir to nobility, Takehiko has been taught how to read and write, he has perused the classics of warfare, and is conversant in topics of history, artistry and spiritual life. He considers these things secondary to being good with a sword, though.

Other information:

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Obviously an ancestor of the Kuchiki clan.

This stick up the ass will be passed down the Kuchiki family line for generations.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's a link to the IC thread.

[Toxic Mind]

Alrighty - sorry about the break, was away for the long weekend. Here's Kane Shiba - noble head of the Shiba clan, big-ass dude, and all around large personality. He's definitely meant as a foil to our dour and stoic Kuchiki, in a "different paths to the same goal" sort of way.

He's got some backstory hooks with our swamp monster in the form of his now-deceased father, and Kuchiki in clan rivalry. Also hints towards the school, and the weaponmaster, because nobody wants more big swords than Kane Shiba.

Spoiler: Kane Shiba

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Name: Kane Shiba
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 195 cm (~6'5")
Weight: 100 kg (~220lbs.)
Species: Plus ("Balancer")
Station: Head of the Shiba clan

Description:

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Kane "Golden" Shiba is a large man, towering over almost any other in the Soul Society. He is pure muscle, a fact not lost in his opponents, and one that he uses to great effect with his size. Kane wears armor almost everywhere, and as with the man himself, it is function over form, with little true ornamentation, save for an ornate shoulder armor that covers his right shoulder down to his hand. Between this and the massive zweihander-style sword he wields, Kane cuts an imposing figure, and a true force to be reckoned with in battle.

Personality:

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Kane is a vibrant man, as quick to laugh and smile and love as he is to drink and fight. He lives life every day as though it were almost his last, making the most of every experience. Despite this trait, Kane Shiba is not a stupid man. His mind is deeply analytical, and while he sees little value in most "book learning", the arts and means of warfare are well studied. Kane Shiba believes that nobility should be shown and earned, not a birthright, and makes sure that those that follow his clan, and those he allies himself with, know this. He has a deep caring and loyalty towards those under his protection, and can be relied on to react violently when they are threatened.

History:e

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Kane Shiba took over as head of his clan 15 years ago, when his father disappeared into the swamp to the West, a failed attempt at peace between the Kuchiki clan and the current alliance of noble houses that Kane works with. In truth, while many among the alliance blame the Kuchiki for the loss of Kane's father, seeing duplicity at every moment, Kane knows the truth - his father was a fool and a weakling, and likely died in another failed attempt at clearing the swamp of "great evil." Now, as the Kuchiki clan seeks to exert its dominance, and expansion, Shiba territories to the South are under threat, and Kane has plenty of experience on the battlefield, but little experience with politics.

Kane is frustrated with the lack of progress that the "nobility" have made in protecting the spirits in the Soul Society. He sees this as further hampered by the lack of any formal training outside of throwing oneself at Hollows, or other nobles, and hoping not to die before getting enough experience.

Story So Far:

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None

Abilities:

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Art of War: Kane is a man whose skill in combat was forged in fire, rather than a school. While he recognizes the value of such institutions for lesser men, he is more than capable of wielding the weapons and tools of war to bring destruction to others. He is a master of his zweihander, and in contests has held his own against opponents with much faster weapons, somehow able to parry, and batter aside, blows that should bypass his guard. Despite his favoritism of his singular weapon, he is familiar with, and practiced in, a great many of the common weapons of the time, including their strengths and weaknesses. He is often fond of allowing his opponents to land a blow on his armor, trusting it to take a hit, to give him an opening. Still, he treats every new opponent as if they were a serious threat, until they prove otherwise. Most do.
Increased Physique: As a front-line fighter, Kane has taken blows that would kill other men, and kept fighting. His strength and durability are the stuff of legends. Some soldiers claim to have seen him swinging his massive sword with one hand, though such talk is quickly put aside. The sword stands as tall, and almost as wide, as Kane himself. No one could possibly carry it one-handed, let alone wield it... could they?
Commanding Spiritual Power: Kane commands respect, and exudes the aura of a warrior. When he enters a room, those talking hush, and even those with power are aware of his presence. Almost all of his considerable spiritual power is focused inward, but some of the clansmen bonded to the Shiba tell of a time he found a soldier stealing food from a poor family, and when the man tried to defend his actions, a mere glare caused his mind to shatter and his legs to turn to jelly.
Preternatural Awareness: Kane Shiba sees things that other people don't notice. Those who serve with him on the field cite an uncanny sense of timing, from enemy ambushes to Hollow incursions. He once caught an assassin's wrist, blade in hand, behind his back, without turning around. Kane laughs these away, saying he's just lucky, but those who have faced him in combat and lived to tell about it know that the man seems to be steps ahead of his opponents, no matter how fast or cunning they are.

Other information:

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Head of the Shiba Clan.

Spoiler: Lady Ana Shiba

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Name: Ana Shiba
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Height: 175 cm (~5'9")
Weight: 63 kg (~140lbs.)
Species: Plus
Station: First Lady of the Shiba clan, Wife to Kane Shiba, Chief Strategist.

Description:

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Lady Ana Shiba is a tall and striking woman, though standing next to her husband even she appears small. Her hair is a radiant auburn which borders a face that while youthful and radiant bears its share of scars. She stands tall and proud, no longer hiding her face or the wounds upon it from the world, but they remain, four scars that cross from just above her right eye to the lower corner of her jaw. Before the attack, she had many suitors amongst the minor noble houses and beyond, and was considered one of the great beauties of the Soul Society. After, though only her face was touched, most saw her as "damaged goods".

Personality:

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Ana Shiba can be best described in two words - reserved and devoted. The easy, flirtatious attitude of her youth is gone in the wake of the attack, replaced by stoicism and a cool demeanor. In that crucible, she found the understanding of just how vapid her previous life had been. This attitude makes her particularly off-putting to the more rigid and class-oriented of the nobles and prominents among the soul society. She is also devoted deeply to her husband and the Shiba clan, and works without tiring to see them protected and elevated. This love for both Kane Shiba and those under him makes her one of the most beloved and protected among the clan itself, despite her reserved demeanor.

History:

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Lady Ana Shiba was born Ana Kokuo, the eldest daughter of a well-off trading master in the Western Provinces. Her father doted on her, and she grew up a selfish and vain girl, this attitude made all the more exasperated by her stunning looks, which attracted suitors from all the the Provinces and many of the minor noble houses. That was, at least, until the Attack. When traveling with one of her father's caravans to their summer home, they were set upon by Hollows who had managed to sneak into the Soul Society. The attack was vicious, and Ana was struck across the face by one of the clawed beasts, marring her perfection. The Hollows were driven away and slain, but the damage was done.

For many months, Ana languished, bemoaning her fate. The suitors stopped coming, and her father despaired to ever see his daughter again. As she realized that no longer would her looks be able to make her path in life, Ana looked inward. She hired various tutors to teach her how to run a business, and how to fight, though she hid the second from her father. It turned out that the vapid girl who coasted by before was a fast study, and an excellent markswoman with throwing daggers and needles. She never regained the easy charm and conversation she once had, but a new Ana had shown herself, and despite the horror of the Attack, she was the better for it.

It was the dreams that brought her to the attention of Kane Shiba. She sought the wisest scholars when they began, and one among their number was bonded to the Lord Shiba. This scholar brought the young woman to him, and in return for her service and loyalty, Kane Shiba promised her safety, a place among his house, and that her family would be taken care of - included in the Shiba trade routes, and provided with their protection. The generosity floored Ana, and she accepted. Over time, the two grew closer together, and on the eve of Ana's 24th Birthday, they were married.

Story So Far:

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None

Abilities:

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Bonded with Shadow: Ana Shiba is most adept among the shadows in combat, preferring to strike from where her opponent does not expect, rather than fighting head on.
Markswoman: Ana is wickedly effective with throwing weapons and in particular prefers slim bone needles, hollowed in the core and capable of delivering doses of whatever toxin or drug she needs.
Learned Chemist: Ana studied medicine for a great deal of time, attempting to find some way to fix her scars. Though she has since accepted them as a part of her, that training serves her well, allowing her to expertly mix toxins and other drugs in precise dosages, and deliver them where they will be most effective - to heal or to harm.
Fate-sight: Ana's greatest gift and most acute curse is her ability to perceive, in small ways, the possibilities of the future. In combat, this manifests itself as faster-than-possible reaction times, almost anticipating her opponents movements, though the more troubled her mind is, the less effective the ability functions in high-stress situations. Outside of combat, her dreams often show her visions of futures-that-could-be, though not always the best way to prevent them.

Other information:

- - - Updated - - -

If its okay with you Frozen i'll have Kane arrive at the Kuchiki manor. He's armed, but has no guards, and bears a flag of peace.

When addressed by guards, he will refuse to talk to anyone except the head of the household.

[Razade]

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If its okay with you Frozen i'll have Kane arrive at the Kuchiki manor. He's armed, but has no guards, and bears a flag of peace.

When addressed by guards, he will refuse to talk to anyone except the head of the household.

Oh, hadn't seen this. Perhaps Yan Wao Shen can come with him...once you sort that whole thing out.