[BitP:R] BleachITP Reborn OOC Thread 14: When in doubt...Getsuga Tenshou!
There was discussion of a reboot for the BleachITP-verse. A new beginning, more structured and with an overall lower power level. Similar deal to Ultimate Marvel.
This thread is for discussing that, to keep it out of the main thread.
A while ago we chose Central 5, a group of five people who work as a governing body for the Soul Society. They are currently Callos_DeTerran, Sucrose, Frozen_Feet, KnightDisciple and Prime32. They are tasked with such tasks as deciding Captain promotions and upholding laws of Seireitei. Details can be found below.
In the second last thread people voted and decided that there would not be a Quincy vs Shinigami war before the actual start of the story/roleplay unlike in canon. It was also decided through a vote that Quincy arrows would destroy souls as they do in canon through a vote. People are open to the possibility of future conflicts between the two factions and the Quincy learning how to purify souls with their arrows. Learning how to do so would likely be a significant plot point.
Quincy players have decided that anyone that makes a Quincy should write up a description of their family/clan's history.
Souls that are fully absorbed and become part of a hollow permanently fuse with it. When a hollow is purified the souls it absorbed are not split up. They are reborn as a single entity.
Frozen_Feet's proposed take on this:
Spoiler
Life Cycle of Hollows.
Canny Hollows: these are beings like Grand Fisher and Shrieker - normal Hollows that stay behind in Mortal World much longer than usual. Why? Either they still have unfinished business... or they were already crooked in life.
My reasoning is as follows: when a good Plus turns into a Hollow, it seeks to destroy its loved ones like any other Hollow. However, the mind of the good souls can't hold together once they're done with that. They lack killer's instinct, and might even feel guilt for breaking what was once dear to them in life. This is why they seek oblivion.
Evil souls, on the other hand, gain much more pleasure from tormenting living beings. Even after they've killed those they had a personal beef with, they stay in Mortal World, because their bestial desires won't let them leave. In a way, they still have something to do that defines them and stops them from losing their inviduality, even if it's only "kill all things":
Menos Grande Gillians: When a soul becomes Hollow, the first thing it does is destroy all things it held dear in mortal life. In most cases, having lost their purpose and consumed by their own loneliness, Hollows wander into Hueco Muendo, where they instinctively seek out other souls who died in the same way. Seeking embrace of sweet oblivion, they engage in cannibalistic orgy and fuse into Menos Grande Gillian. Fusion of souls is permanent; once eaten by a Gillian, a soul cannot be separated again.
Menos Grande Gillian's have no identity, only scattered fragments of negative memories and emotions. When such a Gillian is purified, its soul passes into Soul Society as essentially blank slate. However, due to originally being gestalt of multiple entities, such soul has much vaster Reiryoku than normal and is more likely to fragment into Zanpakuto spirit and Inner Hollow. Thus, a purified Menos Grande Gillian is very likely to become a shinigami.
Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes: As noted, Menos Grande Gillians are gestalt formed from people who died in the same way. Adjuchas happens when the amount of souls reaches a critical mass, causing a new personality to bloom from the fragmented memories. This being is effectively personification of its "cause of death". However, Adjuchas aren't stable, and must keep absorbing other Hollows who died the same way to increase in power. Should they fail to absorb other Hollows, starvation will make them regress, reducing them back to mindless beasts. Once Adjuchas has eaten enough souls, it evolves into a Vasto Lorde. However, this requires that they beat all of their challengers, letting none who manage to eat a bit of them to get away.
So, why can't Adjuchas who gets a bit of itself eaten become a Vasto Lorde? It's because losing to another Hollow means there's another being with same Aspect of Death who is more powerful. A Vasto Lorde is a Menos who has absorbed or proven itself to be stronger than all other Hollows with the same aspect of death. They are, effectively, anthropomorphic personifications of their Aspect of Death, and rule supreme over lost souls who died that way. As long as they remain undefeated, they are stable; if a Vasto Lorde does lose, it begins to regress like Adjuchas until it can destroy the Hollow that defeated it.
Arrancars: A Hollow can become an Arrancar in any point of its life, as long as it has a personality at the time. An Arrancar is a Hollow who learns to define itself by way other than its Aspect of Death, thus rising above its bestial instincts.
All Arrancars are stable. While an Arrancar can keep eating souls to increase in power, it no longer fuses new souls with the core of its person - the nommed soul only loses its reiryoku. A soul eaten by Arrancar is usually reborn as a new Hollow. In any case, eating Pluses or other Hollows is pretty much voluntary for an Arrancar - they mostly do so because there is no other food in Hueco Muendo. Because of this, Arrancars can't be held as inherently worse than humans or Shinigami.
Menos and Purification: Shinigami who don't remember their lives were Menos who got purified. As the identity of a Menos is effectively a new entity and is only born after death, Konso unfortunately wipes that all away. For purposes of Redemption, a soul which has gone through Oblivion of the Gillian phase is exempt from Hell's punishment. They become Shinigami because of huge amount of Reiryoku they accumulated as a Hollow.
Resurreccion and Segunda Etapa: Resurreccion is an Arrancars ability to retake its form as a Hollow, and consequently as the manifestation of its aspect. The power of an Arrancars resurreccion is in part directly proportional to how much the Arrancar's behaviour reflects its Aspect.
While achieving Segunda Etapa is only typical for Vasto Lordes who already rule over their Aspect, theoretically any Arrancar can achieve it through meticulous training and self realization.
Soul Society and the inhabitants of Las Noches (The King of Hollows, the Epsada and their underlings) have a truce between each other at the start of the game/story but both sides want to break as soon as they gain a substantial upper hand on the other.
People that want to make captain entries should write up a history for their preferred division including duties, a past captain or two and whatever else you might think important to add. It can be significantly different from canon.
General
Spoiler
Originally Posted by Zarah
We need a clearly directed plot in order to keep things trucking along without getting stalled, and I had a thought of a way to help accomplish that. Basically, we come up with some central themes for this game. This isn't a revolutionary idea, and some people were already doing just that in the previous game, but I'm saying we all come up with and agree on two or three major themes for this story. Ones that will continue to appear again and again across many of the plotlines throughout the entire game. It'll help direct the plot and could potentially give some good ideas for other characters. Not to mention, it'll give much more of a satisfying payoff in the end once the themes are fully realized.
Whatever they are, they should be fairly general, so they can be adapted to as many of the plots that we have going. Of course, we can expand to include as many motifs and themes as we want in our own stories, but if we have a set of continuous themes to draw from, then it'll really help make things much more connected. Even more coherent.
Obviously, the one I'm gunning for with Kujo is "Law vs. Chaos," and Bleach in of itself has tons of themes we can pick from. "Inner Conflict" is a big one, for example. But hey, I'm open to other suggestions. Any thoughts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by KnightDisciple
I think "Law vs. Chaos" is good.
I'd like to play off of strawberryman's suggested faction, as well as off of what we've seen in our current game, and suggest something dealing with the question: How far do you go to accomplish something? Do you do evil in the name of a greater good? (Sorry. I couldn't help myself.) Or do you make sure to never compromise your principles, large and small, no matter the cost?
Not sure how to compress that into a pithy phrase, but there we go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KnightDisciple
The following came about in a discussion about the nature of various Shinigami and Arrancar hybrids and such.
The Hougyoku is a substance used to perfect the hybridization of hollow and shinigami. It might have been created, or not. If it has, the creators were most likely vanquished by the powers of the Seireitei and Las Noches, who then sealed the thing off into some forsaken spot of some forsaken demiplane, with only the Ghost King and the Commander General being aware of its location. Both factions had problems with mad or power-hungry Artificial Arrancar and Stable Vizards, deciding that it better to forget the thing.
Shinigami Hybrids:
Unstable Vizard
An unstable vizard is a shinigami who, through some sort of accident or other means, has gained minor hollow powers.
An unstable vizard has access to a personal hollow mask, but does not have any unique powers and his hollowfication never progresses sufficiently to make a resurreccion or segunda etapa possible, and the unstable vizard gains access only to cero and garganta.
Becoming an Unstable Vizard is dangerous and hardly ever intentional, as the name implies, most accidents that would result in an unstable vizard result in a dead shinigami or a hollow, instead. Unstable Vizards must fight off their inner hollow and hollowifcation fully, to prevent the being from overcoming them utterly, but this is a fight that never truly ends.
Stable Vizard
A stable vizard has been created through use of the hougyoku. They do not have to fight off the hollowfication or an inner hollow, which is melded into their person completely.
A stable vizard has access to all hollow powers (cero, bala, sonido, garganta and hierro), and their masks might grant them a unique power, they also have the power to achieve resurreccion and even segunda etapa.
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Hollow Hybrids
Natural Arrancar
Natural arrancar are hollows who arrancarised themselves, or with the help of other hollows who know how to speed up the process. The arrancar gains an arrancar zanpakutou, which has no spirit, and is merely most of the arrancar's unique powers sealed into sword shape.
Natural arrancar have access to resurreccion and may develop segunda etapa. But do not have access to shinigami abilities.
Artificial Arrancar
Artificial arrancar are created through the Hougyoku. They have the potential to sunder off one of the souls that forms their colective and form it into a second zanpakutou capable of granting shikai and even bankai. Artificial arrancar have the potential to learn shinigami techniques such as Hoho, Kido and Hakuda.
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Mortal/Hollow Hybrids
Living Vizard
A Living Vizard is a mortal with a hollow mask, the mask comes with an innate, unique power, and when on, it gives the normal boosts and hollow abilities. Living Vizards can, eventualy, achieve resurreccion. A vizard mask cannot ever be lost, and if broken it can be resummoned almost instantly.
Living Arrancar
A living arrancar gains an arrancar zanpakuto (no spirit), hollow abilities (sonido, cero, hierro, bala) and the power of resurreccion. Resurreccion relies on the zanpakuto, which, unlike the vizard mask, can be broken (in which case it needs awhile to regrow).
Hollowing
A hollowing is a mortal who gains the power to turn some body part into a hollow-like version with greater strenght, speed and resilience. The powers in this hollowlike limb can be bolstered through training, but only up to a limit. As this limit is reached the hollowing must, in order to increase her powers, absorb hollow reishi, either form the atmosphere of hueco mundo or through the cannibalization of hollows, which allows even more of the Hollowing's body to turn into hollow-like parts.
The powers of the hollowing come at a risk, for, when enough of the hollowing's body becomes hollowlike, he risks becoming trapped into the monstrous shape.
Shinigami/ Mortal Hybrids:
Substitute Shinigami
This should be pretty basic and obvious.
Living Shinigami
Living shinigami are mortals with access to a shinigami zanpakutou while still in their mortal bodies.
Purpose of the Central 5/46 and Division Information
Spoiler
5 trusted players are chosen to act as the Central 46. Any of these people can post as the entire body, and essentially act as an administrative organization both in and out of character. You might think that doesn't make sense, but in actuality, the duties would cross-over a lot more than you might imagine. For example, say a player wants his character to be promoted to a captain at some point in the RPG. The Central 46 would be the ones who analyze the situation and make a decision, but they'd have to look closely at both the character and the player to see if they're ready for the responsibilities. As another example, imagine that a group of rogue Shinigami appear in the mortal world and start causing trouble. The 46 would decide whether or not Soul Society goes to war with them, and thus whether or not any of the more powerful characters get involved in the plot. Think of them like a set of unofficial moderators for the RPG, who keep things in check both ICly and OOCly.
I think it could also add a whole new layer of role-playing opportunities. Let's say a group of low-powered academy students are training in the mortal world when one classmate decides to do something reckless and ends up getting them into dire straits. They make it back to Soul Society alive and in one piece, but now they have to answer to the Central 46 and explain their actions. Having actual players behind the council instead of just mindless NPCs (or corpses) makes it a bit of a nagging threat in the back of people's minds, and could even indirectly prevent players from going overboard. Since I know that if I were sitting on the council, I would not be a gracious host.
Laws of Las Noches
1. Only a victory in singular combat entitles one to take the position of espada from another.
2. The espada are not allowed to conspire against one another.
3. Killing a fellow citizen is a crime, unless it is self-defense, or you don't get caught on the act (drow influence: The real crime is being caught). The espada can add other exclusions of culpability for their sectors (including and up to any reason, LAW*). *Laws as Written.
4. Vandalism is a crime. See above for excludents.
5. Thievery is a crime. See above for details.
The espada and privaron have equal authority over all numeros. The espada have sole authority over their own fraccion. The espada have sole authority over the citizens of their own districts. The fraccion have authority beneath the espada and privaron over all other citizens of Las Noches who live in own their districts. The fraccion have authority beneath that of the espada and privaron over the numeros. The privaron have sole authority over those designated to them by the King and Queen. The King and Queen have authority over all.
Originally Posted by Draken
Now, on to other matters, we need to decide how a few things work. For instance, the menos fusion. When first someone asked what happened to the souls that form a menos, we decided, back then, to have it so that they remain separate (which means when the menos is destroyed all souls are released). But I think it is best if (save exceptions) we have it so that they all permanently fuse.
This has two benefits:
1. It adds a depth of moral doubt to the destruction of an arrancar. They aren't mindless monsters like hollows, they can be argued with, and destroying them won't fre thousands of innocent souls. Just erase their memories.
2. It creates a good "soul number check". We assume that, along with the reincarnations, new souls are, indeed, created. But then... There are only means to increase the number of souls in place. None to reduce them (save awful, vile acts and stuff). The menos "singularity of souls" would be a decent means of keeping the soul population under control.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Draken
On Las Noches, I was thinking of this organization:
The King of Hollows: The King of Hollows, duh.
The Espada: Captain/Nobility Equivalents.
Fraccion: The liutenants, officers and close persons to the Espada.
Numeros: The soldiers of Las Noches.
Rest: The rest.
I perceive Las Noches as a city in Hueco Mundo, a city governed by arrancar and open to shinigami, mortal and hollow alike. A city where all beneath the artificial sun is under scrutiny of the law enforcement of the city, but where the shady alleys are hive to scum of the worst sort, criminals, traitors, traficants. A place where the Commander General and the Big Bad can look face to face and not be expected to try to kill each other on the risk of losing free access to this (mostly) safe haven.
The idea here isn't that arrancar and hollows are friendly.
The idea is that one vasto lorde decided to open his domain to other spiritual beings. Mainly because rational menos actually have very little reason to fight shinigami except spite, this is because your average menos won't ever leave Hueco Mundo unless goaded out by some other force. Menos have no interest in plus or living souls, they eat other hollows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Draken View Post
1. I will be assigning the Espada, most likely.
2. I will also, probably, not keep the numbers strongly tied to the power of each character.
3. The Ghost King will not be the primera.
4. My main arrancar character (King's gonna stay in the background) will be the Queen of Hollows, and she will not be an espada either. I will keep those positions for other players.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frozen_Feet View Post
About Aspects of Death: it's established that once a Hollow has destroyed things that were dear to it, they wander into Hueco Muendo and seek out other Hollows to ease their pain / to forget about their lives. I propose they instinctively seek out others who died in the same way, and thus their suffering condenses into their Aspect. Arrancars gain power when the ascended personality realizes this and works around / with it.
Fae
Spoiler
Okay, I think I now have enough to bring this for discussion.
The Fae
Spoiler
The State of the Afterlife of the British Isles
Britain’s afterlife is stable – just. Long periods of internal strife between the psychopomps of Britain, known to themselves as the mac Lir or fab Lly^r, and to others as the Fae, left ample time for Hollows to develop and grow. Now, Britain faces a deep-rooted infestation of well-hidden Menos, but the Houses of the British Isles are united in their desire to rid the islands of these threats.
Annwn – the Afterlife
The British afterlife is called Annwn, a place that reflects the most untouched corners of the British Isles in its geography. The four courts of monarchs are located in a roughly central location within a few hours journey of each other by normal walking speed. Passage between Annwn and the mortal world is achieved by passing through thick banks of mist that function as the Fae equivalent of Senkaimon. The mac Lir make use of ravens, rather than butterflies, to guide them through the misty realm between Annwn and the mortal world.
The Organisation of the Fae
The British Isles are ruled by four monarchs – one each for Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. Each of these monarchs governs passage of souls into Annwn in the country they are tied to. They each possess three Houses under their command, each ruled by a Tiarna or Pennaeth, individuals equal to the captains of Soul Society. A Tiarna or Pennaeth is directly supported by their Dara or Ail, equivalents to the Japanese Vice-Captains. The rest of the House is made up of thirteen mionn cheangal or lw rhwymo, equivalents to seated officers, plus any other Fae who are members of the House but deemed unworthy of the distinction of the upper ranks. The specialisations of each House vary depending on the current Tiarna or Pennaeth, but it is very rare for their not to be at least one House dedicated to combat in each country at any given time. The ranks of the Houses are held for life, unless the bearer of a rank forfeits it. A House member is usually given a title and land in Annwn upon forfeiting a rank. These titles are hereditary, and their bearers and their family often become the British equivalent of the Noble Houses of Soul Society.
Every year, a randomly selected twenty members of each House are chosen to leave Annwn and go out into the mortal world and deal with Hollows as they see fit. Fae on such leave from their House are known as Fianna, and are exempt from all laws of their lords until the end of their sojourn and return to Annwn.
Each monarch also rules a small Royal House. Tiarna or Pennaeth who truly distinguish themselves are promoted to this rank to serve as the monarch’s guardians and personal champions.
Alongside the House structure exists the Aois-dàna, a loose affiliation of bards and druids that serve as advisors to the lords of the Houses, historians, genealogists, legal specialists, and experts in Ealaín, the British form of kido.
Capabilities of the Fae
All abilities the Fae possess are mirrors of the abilities of shinigami. They can walk on air like their Japanese counterparts, and focus their training on Scileanna Laochra (Zanjutsu), Ystwythder (Hoho), Gan a Arm (Hakudo) and Ealaín (Kido).
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A Note on Language
Whilst most of the terminology for the Fae is based on Celtic languages, some, particularly the specifics and names of Ealaín, were brought to Britain from elsewhere. These use Ancient Sumerian.
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In addition, every Fae possesses a Treoir Anam, their equivalent of a zanpakutou. These possess the potential for a Rhyddhau (shikai) and a Nerthol Rhyddhau (bankai) as a zanpakutou does. The only notable difference between a Treoir Anam and a zanpakutou is that the former are quite likely to take a shape other than a sword even when sealed, spears and axes in particular being quite common, and no small number of Aois-dàna druids possessing sickles.
Ealaín
The mystic arts of Britain function identically to kido, the spells of a given path and number function the same as their foreign counterpart.
Spoiler
Silakus: “Way of Destruction”
1, Taka (Push)
4, Sagir (Pale Lightning Flash): Balor! Unlid the third eye that graces your brow, and let forth the spite of clouds!
11, Nuhuš Gír (Tamed Lightning)
31, Urinti (Blood Arrow): Balor! Unlid the third eye that graces your brow, and let forth the tide of chaos!
33, Nissati (Blue Arrow): Balor! Unlid the third eye that graces your brow, and let the west crash forth!
54, Su-luh Izi (Cleansing Flames): Balor! Unlid the third eye that graces your brow, and empower me to remove impurity from your sight!
58, Imiuru (Windstorm)
63, Anurimiriu (Threefold Storm Roar)
73, Erim Nissati (Host of Blue Arrows): Balor! Unlid the third eye that graces your brow, drown out the sun, and call forth the sundering west winds!
88, Aralimiriutil (Apocalyptic Threefold Netherworld Storm)
90, Gitil (Black Ending)
96, Ašgir Mànu (Single Sword Immolation)
Girserusu: “Path of Shielding Arts”
1, Šaga (Captive)
4, Sigulul (Golden Chain)
8, Tamšen (Reflecting Mirror)
9, Eda (Paralysis): Balor! Lid your third eye, call up the hounds of Annwn, and grace us with the living death!
21, Urinimi (Blood Cloud)
26, Zah Bu (Hiding Light): Balor! Lid your third eye, turn your gaze away, and put the sun in their eyes!
30, Ešhu Ulul (Three-Bird Restraint)
37, Ulgu (Star Net)
39, Senbu (Shielding Light): Balor! Lid your third eye, turn your gaze to me, and guard me with thine wrath!
58, Igisar Lasar (Seeing the World, Knowing All): Balor! Lid your third eye, extend your sight forth, whisper in my ear, and let me see thine sight! The sun and moon are my eyes, the trembling ground my ear!
61, Asni E-kurbu (Six-Body Prison of Light): Balor! Lid your third eye, gift the sun unto to me, and let its halo trap them!
62, Ûšukur (Hundred Spear Fence)
63, Gisigulul (Locking Golden Chain)
73, Išibalsig (Rotated Mountain Wall)
75, Aš Barzilba-an (Five Adamant Pillars)
77, Kadigir (Mouth of the Gods): Balor! Lid your third eye, and gift me with your voice! The clouds are as my mouth, and the skies are as my lungs!
81, Barù-la (Splitting Nothingness)
Geasa
Unlike shinigami, the Fae bear an additional restraint upon their power: geasa (sing. geis). These are taboos for the Fae in question that they must not commit, or lose access to spiritual power or suffer some other misfortune. Anyone can bring a geasa on a Fae, though the Fae in question must willingly accept it. Treoir Anam spirits often require their wielder to agree to a geis before granting Rhyddhau or Nerthol Rhyddhau. They also pay a part in Fae society, geasa often being included in oaths to one’s lord or in marriage vows.
Samsara
Spoiler
Originally Posted by Innis Cabal View Post
As far as the plot is concerned. Here is my contribution, or at least, hopefully. The Samsara plot, and reasoning for their dark activity.
As much as I personally loathe the name of our new city, I figured it could be incorporated into the plot. With a little brain storming with Callos, and a look at the set up of the new game, I’ve noticed there are –a lot- of spiritually aware children. This led to me thinking –why- that might be the case. Its not a normal occurrence. So, here me out.
Phoenix Town () is a center of reincarnation, both out going and inbound to the spiritual world. This inundates the area with spirit particles, thus leading to the relatively high number of the spiritually aware. The Samsara’s main plot in the first game, and the carry over here, is to rebalance the passage of souls, destroying the Valley of Screams, and removing the Blanks from the Cycle of Reincarnation. Thus fixing the balance of the spiritual world. To do this, their plot is to flood the city with Blanks, and over time detonate them once a certain number of highly aware mortal souls are collected. This puts them in direct conflict with the mortal characters for several reasons.
1. The humans –are- those souls, thus making them prime targets for the Samsara to go after.
2. This will blow up the city, killing off the whole area. That’s bad for those living inside the city, with family and friends. Making this a plot that –all- mortal characters can get involved in early on.
Well, that’s my idea for the Samsara plot. Innis tested, Callos Approved. Now, to the playground, think it’ll work?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Innis Cabal View Post
The Samsara
Leadership: “The Boss”
Second in Command: Go Nagi
Mortal World Relations:
Primary Grunt Force: Blanks (Augmented Blanks)
Physical Location: The Valley of Screams
Overview: The Cycle of Reincarnation is not a simple or perfect thing. Souls traveling between the worlds sometimes fragment, their memories fading into some unknown location, the soul falling into a realm that should never exist. These are the blanks, souls without memories, lost forever from the Cycle of Reincarnation, unable to return for they cannot remember how. It is unknown how, but when a number of these memory less shells accumulate, a separate realm, the Valley of Screams, is created to house them. This realm, lies between Soul Society and the Mortal World. But the memories of these creatures are not destroyed or lost forever. The swirling mass of memories and experience’s coalesces into an object known as the Memory Rosary, the accumulation of all memories lost between Reincarnation and the journey there in.
The Samsara
The Samsara are akin to Arrancar in that they are an artificial creation, Blanks granted the copies of memories from the Rosary itself. The likeness between themselves, Shimigami, and Arrancar end at this small analogy, not truly meant to exist the Samsara are the thinking force behind the Valley of Screams, the heralds of those cast out by an imperfect system.
Standard Powers of the Samsara
Blank Manipulation: Every member of the Samsara is capable of utilizing Blanks for various purposes. They may duplicate Kido (if their memories contain such information), create weapons or simple items, duplicate flashstep or sonido (again based purely on their memories), or fly. Samsara may also heal with the power of the Blanks, capable of restoring even lost limbs if given proper time and concentration.
Individual Powers
The powers of a Samsara depends entirely on his or her memories, granting each a highly individualized level of capabilities and powers.
What this is, is a simple dolling up of what seems to be the first Villian team of the Reborn game. We're looking for member's currently. So, if anyone's interested, roll a character up and lets see where it goes
Mortals
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by strawberryman View Post
...Okay, well, I assume because there was little reaction it would help if I actually explained what the faction I was planning is.
It's more or less like the Men In Black... It's a multi-national secret organization that deploys agents to clean up after the various mishaps that Soul Reapers can't. As such, the various Soul Reaper organizations usually leave them well enough alone.
...That's their cover op, though. What they are really trying to do is make Mortals able to fend for themselves, and be self-sufficient on the matters of the spiritual. Which meshed pretty well with Ran's goal during the last cycle... but, that's an aside. They track and recruit various spiritual humans: Quincies (in fact that may possibly be a large base of their agents), Living Vizards, various anomalies, just plain spiritually aware humans, or maybe even Bount.
...As for why they may be considered villainous or antagonistic to the Enclave is their willingness to do literally anything to achieve their ends; assassinations, theft... etc. And it's likely that the various runes they possess will be like their Holy Grail. For reasons I don't feel like fully explaining, I would like to keep some secrets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zarah View Post
Well, I was under the assumption that Phoenix Town was going to be another spiritual hot spot, which explains why so many mortals are developing their own powers. Of course, the introduction of outside forces will help as a catalyst, but it's mostly just the fact of where the people live more than anything. The same abundance of spiritual power in the city would also explain why there might be various factions vying for power in the region even from the beginning.
Also, about the idea of the cold war turning hot, I like that plan. I like it a lot. It fits perfectly with Kujo's intentions, and is more or less what I was planning to work toward anyway, so I'm giving it a hearty thumbs up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Innis Cabal View Post
Well, here is what I was thinking for the over all "History". Its diluted yes, and I'll extrapolate more on it when I can sit down and really pound it out.
Spoiler
The Quincy Bloodlines, as they were, are connected to the ancient Ninja Clans of the Sengoku Jidai, now far removed and interbred with the general populace of Japan, the Quincy themselves would retain lasting familial alliances, hatreds and pacts with other blood lines
Translators: Word Reference is a pretty good one for English to Spanish. Just don't translate phrases with it.
...Oh beautiful and stylish woman, Moon Wolf. Please, take these internet flowers as a token of my love, and an appeasement so that I may not have to endure your wrath.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prime32
Gah! Onmitsukido'd!
Last edited by Moon Wolf : 03-04-2011 at 09:50 AM.
Not specifically. It's just that I could see Orihime trying that to spend some, ah, "quality time" with "Ichigo-kun". Because he's kind of dense about girls.
Not specifically. It's just that I could see Orihime trying that to spend some, ah, "quality time" with "Ichigo-kun". Because he's kind of dense about girls.
"Kind of" dense? That boy has a black hole for a skull.
__________________
The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
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I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
I'm pretty sure you can't "get around" a Garganta, since I've seen no indication that an Arrancar couldn't just make it as big as they wanted or something. I mean, if Ulquiorra can make television screens out of them, who knows?
In all cases shown, Garganta takes a while to open in full. So an attack, or part of one, could strike past a blocking attempt before the tunnel is ready, even if an Arrancar can create as big one as he wants.
Personally, I think the size is limited somewhat by the one creating the Garganta; in all Canon occasions, the tears have been just large enough to let the person, or group of persons, pass. The largest tears were created by Hollows that were physically largest as well.
__________________ "It's the fate of all things under the sky,
to grow old and wither and die."
I still prefer Tonics and Philters over Weaponized Garganta (weaponized meaning they're turned into an ability usable in the midst of combat).
Maybe it's just bad memories of Von Geister in the last game so easily going "can't touch me 'cause of that Garganta that absorbed your blast".
Anyways, as to the Ichigo discussion:
Kuroi's right. Black hole in place of normal romantic understanding. Not just feelings; he can't even pick up on such things for others. It's blindingly obvious Orihime has a huge thing for him still.
What does she need to do? Be sitting on his bed ready, willing, and able to go (clothing optional)? Grab him and kiss him in public? Heaven only knows.
I still prefer Tonics and Philters over Weaponized Garganta (weaponized meaning they're turned into an ability usable in the midst of combat).
Maybe it's just bad memories of Von Geister in the last game so easily going "can't touch me 'cause of that Garganta that absorbed your blast".
Anyways, as to the Ichigo discussion:
Kuroi's right. Black hole in place of normal romantic understanding. Not just feelings; he can't even pick up on such things for others. It's blindingly obvious Orihime has a huge thing for him still.
What does she need to do? Be sitting on his bed ready, willing, and able to go (clothing optional)? Grab him and kiss him in public? Heaven only knows.
That might not be enough.
Need I remind you that this is the guy who sat in an open air bath with a birthday suit Yoruichi and got so flustered he couldn't talk straight? If Orihime grabbed and kissed him in public he might have a Heroic BSOD.
EDIT: Seriously, and I always thought I was romantically dense.
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The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
Spoiler
This one's new.
Spoiler
I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
Last edited by Kuroimaken : 01-06-2011 at 08:00 AM.
No, that would be if she turned up on his bed Dressed for Lovemaking.
...actually, no, scratch that. He'd probably be in the hospital with a coma.
Not that Orihime actually would do that.
You forget that Orihime is surrounded by people, classmates included, that are very likely to suggest that as a "sure-fire way" for Ichigo to notice... and the majority of said people would likely predict his reaction as "men are pigs".
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The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
Spoiler
This one's new.
Spoiler
I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
To be honest, I just don't see Orihime doing that. In many ways, she's very much a Yamato Nadeshiko.
Now, I ship Ichihime, yes. But I don't see her doing that.
I'm afraid she's a few nuts short of a bucket to be a Yamato Nadeshiko. Part of the archetype includes intelligence and elegance.
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The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
Spoiler
This one's new.
Spoiler
I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
Oh, come on! Who fits ALL the characteristics of an archetype?
...okay, a few people. BUT....
all right, I got nothing (although I think she's a Genius Ditz, myself, having NOTHING to back this up). She's not a full YN. BUT she does have the demure personality of a YN, and that's what I was talking about. It just doesn't seem to fit her to do something that blatant.
Although kissing him out of nowhere might be in it.
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Originally Posted by Revlid
And so it was that Zaeed, Aang, Winry, Ezio, Sadoko and Snow White all set out on their epic journey to destroy The Empire.
Oh, come on! Who fits ALL the characteristics of an archetype?
...okay, a few people. BUT....
all right, I got nothing (although I think she's a Genius Ditz, myself, having NOTHING to back this up). She's not a full YN. BUT she does have the demure personality of a YN, and that's what I was talking about. It just doesn't seem to fit her to do something that blatant.
Although kissing him out of nowhere might be in it.
A better example would probably be Tokiko Tsumura of Kekkaishi. And she's not exactly demure. If anything, she borders on passively violent...
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The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
Spoiler
This one's new.
Spoiler
I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
Last edited by Kuroimaken : 01-06-2011 at 08:28 AM.
__________________
The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
Spoiler
This one's new.
Spoiler
I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
I still prefer Tonics and Philters over Weaponized Garganta (weaponized meaning they're turned into an ability usable in the midst of combat).
Maybe it's just bad memories of Von Geister in the last game so easily going "can't touch me 'cause of that Garganta that absorbed your blast".
They aren't mutually exclusive, and were never meant to be; I brought the ideas up to see how much under-explored areas of existing Arrancar abilities would bridge the perceived gap in character ability. The two "solutions" can quite easily co-exist. Garganta has always been something potentially usable in combat, at least as a way of escaping; I've just been pointing out variant uses of the exact same ability.
I don't think bringing up Von Geister is particularly helpful, as quite a lot of our players aren't familiar with the character or how he (ab)used his powers. As noted, any ability in great enough quantity will break the game. Part of the reason why I've been discussing limits and flaws of the Garganta ability has been to spark thought and create a precedent so that if it's used in combat, it won't be over-used or stretched to the point of breaking.
__________________ "It's the fate of all things under the sky,
to grow old and wither and die."
The problem with Garganta in combat is the same as Senkaimon in combat; time. You can't easily expect to open a Garganta in the way of an attack unless that attack happens from a very long distance away. That's probably why no one does it, it's not practical.
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TGVA has a good point. And honestly, I don't really perceive the great gap between Arrancar and Shinigami that everyone's talking about.
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The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
Spoiler
This one's new.
Spoiler
I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
@tgva: whether or not it's practical is heavily dependent on the situation. Neither is using chanted Kido practical if your enemy is a sword's reach away from you. It doesn't debunk the use of the ability, just proves that it has limits (which is a good thing).
As to why Shinigami wouldn't use Senkaimon in the same way: unlike Garganta, Senkaimon always lead to Soul Society, which is densely populated. Any attack or Hollow outrunning the Cleaner would end up somewhere in SS, and wreak havoc there. It's much more risky than using Garganta, which doesn't necessarily lead anywhere.
Really, it boils down to subtle differences between the abilities, the worlds they lead in as well as the expected abilities of the opposition.
@Kuroi: it's not necessarily a great gap - and gaps don't always need to be great to require fixing. What Callos is proposing is increased versatility for Arrancars overall, to move emphasis from raw power to clever tricks.
Personally, I've nearly always though that the average Arrancar is more versatile than the average Shinigami - but mostly, this has been because my picture of "average Shinigami" has always been "lower seat or unseated", who can't use Shunpo, don't have Shikai, don't have super-endurance and aren't well-weresed in Kido - while I've always assumed "average Arrancar" has all the Hollow equivalents of Sonido, Resurreccion, Hierro, Garganta and Cero, plus Pesquisa on top of that.
Of course, this picture doesn't really fit actual player characters of our setting.
__________________ "It's the fate of all things under the sky,
to grow old and wither and die."
I would also add that Arrancar actually DO have the edge when it comes to versatility, at least in my opinion. Let's think on this for a moment.
First of all, Arrancar pretty much use Bala and Cero in different ways each. Up until an Arrancar uses Cero, for instance, there is no indication whatsoever of how they will conjure it up - big ball of energy at the mouth, through one's weapon, through kicking, and that's before we take into account things like Sereg's Cero Latigo. Meanwhile, Kidou will always take the same shapes each time they're conjured up, and most Kidou users tend to focus on using at most five or six at a time, with potency being the bigger variable instead of choice or shape.
Second of all, each Arrancar has an unique ability of their own, typically usable before Ressurreccion, which varies per Arrancar. Genny's got her auras, Serazel has his illusions, and so on and forth. Some abilities are more useful than others, surely, but that's something that Shinigami lack right there.
Third of all, when they do go into Ressurreccion, each Arrancar gets armor in addition to a power boost and one more unique ability. Most importantly, Ressurreccion is not limited to a weapon shape, which makes the usage of said abilities even less predictable. Meanwhile, Shinigami are limited to weapon (or in Soushi's case, object) forms, which makes their abilities more predictable - in that no matter what happens, the effect will originate from the weapon itself, which is a comparatively small point compared to an entire body. (Besides, let's face it, the vast majority of Shinigami weapons are attack boosters for blasting. Byakuya is basically "I have a million tiny sharp blades now, haha", Ichigo has his BFS, Renji gets BFS with RAAAAAANGE, Rukia and Hitsugaya get ice-blasting...)
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The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
Spoiler
This one's new.
Spoiler
I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
Doesn't necessarily apply to our setting, since our Shinigami characters have shown decidedly more varied use of Kido, as well as greater range of different unique powers. Whether the difference is big enough to matter is another thing, though.
If you don't think the idea of Philters and Tonics is strictly needed, I guess it boils down to whether you like the idea or not. I'm indifferent to it since I don't imagine any of my characters using or benefiting of them.
__________________ "It's the fate of all things under the sky,
to grow old and wither and die."
First of all, Arrancar pretty much use Bala and Cero in different ways each. Up until an Arrancar uses Cero, for instance, there is no indication whatsoever of how they will conjure it up - big ball of energy at the mouth, through one's weapon, through kicking, and that's before we take into account things like Sereg's Cero Latigo. Meanwhile, Kidou will always take the same shapes each time they're conjured up, and most Kidou users tend to focus on using at most five or six at a time, with potency being the bigger variable instead of choice or shape.
They may use them different ways, but they always have the same effect. Big-arse blast of damaging energy, usually more like a cone-shape or line then a ball. Things like Sereg's Cero Latigo are an ability unto it's own, otherwise it's just different fluff for the same attack.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuroimaken
Second of all, each Arrancar has an unique ability of their own, typically usable before Ressurreccion, which varies per Arrancar. Genny's got her auras, Serazel has his illusions, and so on and forth. Some abilities are more useful than others, surely, but that's something that Shinigami lack right there.
Not always though and, more importantly, I've always thought of arrancar as 'always-being-in-shikai' since, for the most part, they only have one release. There is no 'normal-shikai-bankai'. There's 'them-Ressurreccion'. A rare few can then go to Segunda Etapa, but that's not the majority or even the most powerful of the arrancar who can do that. And, along that same line, the ability before Ressurreccion (which not every arrancar has either) has always been equated to a 'shikai' ability in my mind becuase it's a rare arrancar that has more then one ability (that doesn't include special-bala/special-cero) outside of Ressurreccion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuroimaken
Third of all, when they do go into Ressurreccion, each Arrancar gets armor in addition to a power boost and one more unique ability. Most importantly, Ressurreccion is not limited to a weapon shape, which makes the usage of said abilities even less predictable. Meanwhile, Shinigami are limited to weapon (or in Soushi's case, object) forms, which makes their abilities more predictable - in that no matter what happens, the effect will originate from the weapon itself, which is a comparatively small point compared to an entire body. (Besides, let's face it, the vast majority of Shinigami weapons are attack boosters for blasting. Byakuya is basically "I have a million tiny sharp blades now, haha", Ichigo has his BFS, Renji gets BFS with RAAAAAANGE, Rukia and Hitsugaya get ice-blasting...)
Not all Ressurreccion's give armor though, that's more like an assumed boost. Also, Ressurreccion is not limited to weapon shape, which DOES make it less predictable...but that doesn't make it more versatile. A shinigami's shikai can alter weapon form, create illusions (only in Aizen's case it seems), create 'blasts', knock people unconscious, create toxins and poisons, etc. Which, I admit, a Ressurreccion could also do, but then there's the zanpakuto that summon powerful creatures to fight alongside the shinigami. Or heals. So on. It makes shinigami zanpakuto even more unpredictable as far as not knowing what's about to happen (though it's rarely as odd as some Ressurreccion) but worse because you don't know what abilities the new weapon has. This is before getting into bankai mind you, where you get Giant-Samurai-Armor-Mecha or Toxin-Spewing-Knife-Throated-Demon-Baby. Heck Byakuya's bankai has three different 'modes' to it! I've yet to see a Ressurreccion with that degree of change. Closest I can think is Szzareal's, but it less changed and more had 'lotsa abilities'. Not counting Findor because he was a naive fool who didn't know what he was talking about and he didn't change at all either.
@Frozen Feet: That works for typical shinigami, but the typical arrancar aren't the same here as they are in canon. There's an entire city of arrancar this time and I'll bet the majority aren't Numerous (which is what I would equate to seated officers, with hollows being the rank-and-file unseated equivalents)
In any case, debate about if there's a gap or not notwithstanding (though it IS fun), does anyone have a problem with them or can I move forward with the intent to introduce them soonish? I ask because it affects my post with Genoveva a fair bit.
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Rouga WILL belittle the users of tonics and such, because he finds that getting high in order to get more powerful is just weak and wrong.
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The Void, the Cold Steel, the Just Sword courtesy of Prime32.
AWSUM
Spoiler
This one's new.
Spoiler
I met a girl with a really pensive look. I walk up to her, put a fifty cent coin in her hand, "For your thoughts. I know the going rate is supposed to be one, but I figure you play hardball."
She gave it back, "Keep it. Pretty sure a guy with your charm can find a way to have them for free anyway."
One thing about the tonics is that they look more akin to the kidotech KD and I have been dabbling with than an actual comparation to Kido. That said, the idea is cool even if it doesn't see widespread use, I say go for it.
I was thinking on this subject earlier and considered this concept, more directly relatable to Kidou (The Demon Way), Brujería (Witchcraft).
Brujería would be split in two main groups, Maldiciones (curses) and Transmutacións (transmutations), related respectively to Hadou and Bakudou.
Maldiciones would be debilitating effects on enemies. Poisons, diseases, quirky curses, weird mind tricks. The like.
Transmutacións, following suit with the ever-present arrancar theme of lovecraftian superpowers are things like baleful polymorphs (Frog time!), mist transformations, zombification of plus souls and mortals (da voodoo!), that stuff.
To give more differentiation to kido, I was thinking it could have no incantations or gestures involved, usually, just concentration and more obvious visual effects of what the hollow is trying to do (more descriptive). Kinda like the age old D&D split between vancian magic and psionic manifestation.
Waiting for Allan and Officer Karashi in Soul Society. Waiting for Amada and Pico in Hueco Mundo. Waiting for Detective Henry in Mortal World. Waiting for Shiro in Ep. 6.
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to grow old and wither and die."
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