To replace the Shinigami whose user stepped down, I now introduce formerly retired Captain Kogarashi Houmatsu. His retirement accounts for his odd style of dress. I'll also go ahead and post Kotou's bio and it will be filled in as I complete it. I have a majority of it. I shall await a point at which to introduce the pair.
Basic Information
Name: Kogarashi Houmatsu
Gender: Male
Race: Shinigami
Age: 2103
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 121 pounds
Division: N/A
Seat: N/A
Physical Appearance: In appearance, Kogarashi looks like a regular old grandpa. Though he is not bald, his white hair is thinner than it used to be as a young man, kept pulled back upon his head. He also has a beard that many would swear could get in his way. It hangs down past his waist, braided with green and gold ribbon to hold it together. He does not, however, have a mustache for he despises the way it tickles his nose. In the category of clothing, he does not wear the standard Shinigami uniform. Instead, he wears clothing of his own make, in the design of the Shinigami uniform, but not color. Where black would be on a normal uniform, his is royal purple, wearing green underclothes, as well as a green obi sash. He does, however, wear the same brown straw sandals.
Beneath his clothes, Kogarashi is still surprisingly fit considering his advanced age. He is not stringy and pale, as one would expect, still in amazing shape. He bears few scars, though a few crisscross his chest. No matter his manner of dress, however, Kogarashi wears a pair of golden-framed, wire-rimmed sunglasses. He can also typically be found with a small brown and gold kiseru clenched in his teeth, even when not smoking it.
Personality: Many, upon seeing Kogarashi, would expect the old man to be grumpy and unkind. While this is partially true, most are surprised to find him to be rather lazy. Kogarashi would prefer to sit around and speak with someone as he smoked his pipe rather than fighting. Much of his time is spent lazing about in a semblance of comfort. That is mostly his goal in life since attaining such an advanced age: to find comfort and watch events pass him by, though he would give assistance if he deemed it necessary.
In his dealings with people, Kogarashi can sometimes be rather blunt. He dislikes dealing with what he refers to as snot-nosed brats. It takes a delicate touch to deal with the old man. One needs to carefully choose the words used or risk the unstable calm collapsing. He will allow people to speak with him, but if they attempt to forcefully coerce him into helping, he always attempts to teach them a lesson they’ll never forget: don’t bother an old man if one is not sure of his ability.
History:
Before Death
In life, Kogarashi was a loser. He’d been of the poor caste, always downtrodden, stepped over and looked down upon. He was what was called a gutter rat back then, surviving by playing vulture and picking through the leavings of others. It was a miracle that he managed to survive until his twentieth birthday, for his parents turned him out as soon as he was able to take care of himself. It wasn’t that they did not love him. It was just so much harder to survive with a child in tow.
Despite his less than stellar upbringing, Kogarashi managed to live on well into his forties before any significant trouble overcame him. As a middle-aged man, Kogarashi had made a bit of a name for himself, a pillar of the community. Though he was modest, he also did not hesitate to speak his mind. Doing so in a public place against a stranger, however, lost him an arm to a wandering swordsman who proved to be as volatile as they come. Though he survived this, it was the inevitable gangrene that came along with poor hygiene and medical attention that took his life.
Rukongai Days
As with many spirits, Kogarashi began his days in the Rukon district. Just as in life, he was a bit of a loser to start with. He was always a slow bloomer, he thought. He helped out where he could, always expecting to one day be repaid for his kindness. He saw life as circular, thinking that things always revolved back to where they began. Though it was a philosophy that was a bit off, it nevertheless seemed to pay off for the man, who always seemed to get help just when he needed it.
Though life was fairly good in the Rukon district, he began to wake late at night from strange dreams. Typically the dream would begin with Kogarashi in a blasted wasteland, no telltale marks anywhere. The wind would eventually pick up, carrying the scent of fresh grass and cherry trees upon it. Kogarashi would then typically follow the scent towards its source, seeing a green and pink dot upon the horizon. As the man drew closer, he saw that the source was a small patch of green and pink.
As Kogarashi would arrive at this patch, he would find it harder and harder to move. At the very heart of the cherry tree grove, a young punk would greet him, though she never told him her name. She would always ramble, telling him about himself, about how he was destined for grand things. Before he could get her name, however, he would always wake from his dream as confused as ever. Each new dream would extend the reach of the grove, the green and pink beginning to further populate the wasteland.
{To Be Continued}
Zanpakutou
Name: Shinkirou (Mirage)
Zanpakutou Spirit’s Appearance: Shinkirou, unlike Kogarashi, is quite young in appearance. Shinkirou is also not a male. She wears a simple green kimono, a purple sash around her waist, bandages around her upper chest to bind and cover her breasts. Her kimono is often open down the front, at least partially, her right arm tucked into the kimono instead of hanging out of the sleeve, her hand visible as it dangles before her belly. Her other arm, however, hangs where it is supposed to. Hair of brown sprouts from her head, barely chin length when it is let down. Generally it is styled up into spikes, though, giving her the appearance of a punk. If she ever were to take off her square-lensed sunglasses, her green eyes would be visible.
Shinkirou also smokes…a lot. Shinkirou is never without a cigarette in her mouth. She is brash and rude to Kogarashi, but she has also become his best friend despite this. She carries at her waist a red-wrapped wakizashi, though she also keeps inside her kimono a purple-sheathed tanto. Its handle rests just beneath her right wrist.
Sealed Appearance: In its sealed form, Shinkirou is normally disguised as a simple shepherd’s crook that Kogarashi uses for a cane. When in need, Kogarashi can dissolve this wooden appearance into a rather plain wakizashi. The hilt is wrapped in royal purple, with green showing through. Its tsuba is plain and square, having little to no other decorations upon the blade. Its sheath, too, is purple, with small green cords upon it to tie it upon his sash.
Release Command: Distort, Shinkirou
Shikai Effects: His zanpakutou is an oddity amongst most. When released initially, the zanpakutou can create small temporal-spatial distortions in the air, redirecting projectiles in wild directions. Upon to twenty distortions can be active at one time. That is not, however, its only shikai effect. It can also manifest a ghostly figure to attack along with Kogarashi, though only a limb at a time and there is a split-second delay between Kogarashi’s attack and the ghostly limb’s attack. His sword gains the ability to extend without gaining weight to a maximum distance of one hundred feet, allowing Kogarashi to fight foes at a distance. If he utilizes the ghostly figure, however, it cuts the number of portals that can be active in half.
Bankai Name: Toko Akumu (Endless Nightmare)
Bankai Effect: His bankai, when activated, surrounds Kogarashi and his unfortunate opponent with thousands upon thousands of distortions, creating a nigh impenetrable dome. Not only do these new distortions act as portals, but they multiply attacks sent into them, creating an extra three projectiles for each one sent in. The ghostly figure of before fully manifests, becoming a slightly less colorful doppelganger of Kogarashi, though the image sometimes wavers to take the appearance of his zanpakutou spirit. This doppelganger does not just copy the old man’s moves, however…it has a mind of its own, attacking as an individual rather than an extension. Also, to compliment the thousands and thousands of portals, he can create balls of energy reminiscent of certain hadou spells from the tip of the sword. Due to the temporal-spatial nature of his zanpakutou, the old man can also control a small time dilation field around his body, giving him exactly a foot and a half of space in which he can slow projectiles. This does, however, negate some of the efficiency of his temporal-spatial portals. Shinigami can also use these portals without the multiplication effect. They merely pop out of another portal. This functions both ways…those inside cannot get out and those outside merely appear somewhere else on the outside of the dome.
Abilities
Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Despite his sword’s small size at 28 inches in total, hilt and all, the old man is skilled in taking down his foes. His style consists of enduring, blocking and parrying blows until an opening is found, then striking with deadly precision. This changes, however, against more than one opponent to an almost dance-like style.
Flash Steps Master: Despite his advanced age, the old man can be deceptively quick. He does not utilize his footwork so much as his swordsmanship most times, however.
Skilled Tactician: Despite having the endurance to outlast most foes, this old Shinigami uses tactics to dispatch foes in a timely fashion. He does prefer to slack off and smoke, after all.
Immense Spiritual Power: Though he appears old and frail, Kogarashi has truly impressive spiritual power. By venting his reiatsu, he could destroy buildings from the inside or bring lesser Shinigami to their knees.
Enhanced Strength: In spite of his small size, Kogarashi is deceptively strong. Capable of dealing immense damage, Kogarashi can break bones with a single blow. Against smaller, less powerful foes, he will hold back, though only in a one-on-one fight.
Enhanced Endurance: Kogarashi is also capable of holding out against many foes at once. His graceful style when fighting more than one foe takes much endurance to keep up for long periods of time. Kogarashi could fight for hours before becoming winded.
Slightly Enhanced Durability: Though not as gifted as he once was, Kogarashi is still capable of taking damage without flinching. Normally grievous wounds for lesser men prove to be only slightly debilitating injuries. He is not invincible, however, and enough damage will still put him down.
Kidou Expert: Due to his zanpakutou’s special nature, Kogarashi has become quite adept in kidou. This is to exploit his temporal portals to maximum effect. His bankai makes his kidou knowledge especially effective, capable of multiplying them to insane numbers quite quickly.
Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Kogarashi is adept at hand-to-hand combat, but it is not his chosen style. He could fight on par with the average Shinigami, but a skilled combatant, such as those from Division 2 of the Gotei 13, could overpower him in a hand-to-hand fight.
Known Kidou Spells
Bakudou
8. Seki (Repulse) – Creates a round shield that seems to temporarily paralyze and repel whatever strikes it.
21. Sekienton (Red Smoke Escape) – Creates a blast upon activation and is used like a ninja’s smoke bomb.
26. Kyakko (Curving Light) – Hides the target from sight by bending light. This spell has the ability to totally hide the presence and reiatsu of the user or specified object.
37. Tsuriboshi (Suspending Star) – Creates a star-shaped cushion of Spiritual Energy, which anchors it to nearby objects with “ropes” of spirit particles. It acts as a safety net.
39. Enkosen (Arc Shield) – Summons a shield of condensed reiatsu to block opponents’ attacks.
61. Rikujoukourou (Six Rods Prison of Light) – Summons six wide, thin beams of light that slam into a target’s midsection, holding them in place. The target is then unable to move any part of their body, including the parts that were not struck by the beams. Incantation: “Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six!”
62. Hyapporankan (Hundred Steps Fence) – A rod formed of energy is formed, then thrown towards the target. In flight, it disintegrates into numerous short rods which are used to pin the target to the surroundings and render them immobile.
75. Gochuutekkan (Quintet of 1-kan Iron Pillars) – Summons five incredibly tall and thick pillars which are connected to each other by chains to pin the target to the ground. Incantation: “Walls of ironsand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end.”
81. Danku (Splitting Void) – Creates an energy barrier in the form of a rectangular wall. According to Byakuya, it is capable of stopping destructive spells up to number 89.
Hadou
1. Shou (Thrust) – Pushes the target away from the caster.
4. Byakurai (Pale Lightning) – The user fires a concentrated, powerful lightning bolt from the fingertip.
31. Shakkahou (Shot of Red Fire) – Fires a ball of red energy at a target. Incantation: “Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!”
33. Soukatsui (Blue Fire, Crash Down) – Fires a burst of blue spiritual energy at a target in similar manner to number 31, but over a wider area and with more power. Incantation: “Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws.”
54. Haien (Abolishing Flames) – Fires a blast of purple spiritual energy that will incinerate a target completely upon contact.
58. Tenran (Orchid Sky) – Fires a widening tornado-like blast towards the target.
63. Raikouhou (Thunder Roar Cannon) – Fires a massive wave of yellow energy at a target. Incantation: “Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!”
63. Souren Soukatsui (Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down) – A doubled version of hadou 33, this spell fires two shots of blue fire with greater potency than the single-shot variety. Incantation: “Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens.”
88. Hiryugekizokushintenraiho (Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon) – Fires an immense electricity blast of spiritual energy, resulting in a truly enormous explosion.
Other
Garganta: This technique is used to travel to and from Hueco Mundo. It literally tears open the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, revealing a tunnel of whirling, torrential energy that must be focused and solidified to create a discernable pathway. Incantation: “My right hand is the stone that bridges worlds. My left hand is the blade that binds reality. The black-haired shepherd is hung from a chair. Stratus clouds come, and I strike down the ibis.”
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Basic Information
Name: Kotou Garou
Gender: Male
Race: Shinigami
Age: 746
Height: 9’7”
Weight: 679 pounds
Division: 7th
Seat: Captain
Physical Appearance: In terms of size, Kotou is massive. Towering over most, if not all, of the other Shinigami in Soul Society, Kotou is like a wall come to life. In honor of the Captain who preceded him, Kotou wears a huge helmet of bamboo and metal to both honor Komamura and protect his skull, as well as gauntlets upon his arms. Beneath the metal-plated helmet the Captain wears, he appears as a massive, anthropomorphic canine, a black wolf to be precise. His ears are ragged at the tips, his fur shaggy.
Kotou wears the standard Shinigami attire, though made to ridiculous sizes to fit his monstrous frame. Beneath his clothes, Kotou is likely the largest Shinigami in current existence. His arms and legs are massive, holding enormous power in sheer physical strength. He could fit another, average-sized Shinigami’s head into one fist and then likely crush it. Kotou is seen without his helmet in two instances…in peacetime as well as in, oddly enough, hectic battles when attention is needed more than protection.
Personality: Kotou, despite his size, is a rather benign being most times. His desire is to help those who desire it and protect those who deserve it. He seems to hold empathy for weaker individuals desiring to become stronger, often taking them under his wing and training them himself. Those who quit often speak of how Kotou is a harsh and difficult teacher, but this is because he barely regulates his monstrous strength when sparring. He holds the opinion that, if his students can overcome or at the very least fare well against his assault, they will go on to grow and become stronger themselves.
History: {To be revealed}
Zanpakutou
Name: Kikan Kire (Mirror Piece)
Zanpakutou Spirit Appearance: Kikan Kire’s manifested appearance is quite odd, though it fits with the odd power it grants him. Kikan Kire appears as a slight-framed being, gender indistinguishable by either appearance or voice, in highly reflective armor. The being’s armor clings to its frame as if it were a part of the creature, allowing it to move fluidly despite looking as if it wore a form of plate mail.
At its waist, Kikan Kire wears a large sword, not like its sealed appearance. Kikan Kire’s weapon bears more resemblance to a mortuary sword than anything. In its right hand, Kikan Kire also wields a large, reflective buckler, for it is a left-handed creature.
Sealed Appearance: In its sealed state, Kikan Kire resembles a massive katana. By normal Shinigami standards, Kikan Kire would be classified as an odachi, but by Kotou’s standards, it is just right. The huge hilt is wrapped in green and gold cords, having a square guard. The guard has ornate decorations upon it, carved wolves and other types of canines upon its square surface.
Release Command: Reflect, Kikan Kire
Shikai Effects: In its shikai, Kikan Kire does not change forms so much as grants Kotou an ally. By calling out the name of his zanpakutou as he jams the blade into the ground, then walking a half-circle around it, a doppelganger of Kotou is formed. This doppelganger is whole, solid and bearing mass, peeling a second Kikan Kire from the first as Kotou pulls his blade from the ground. Though normal Shinigami would only be classified as bothersome to have two of them attacking one foe, for a melee monster such as Kotou, this can be deadly. Kotou’s doppelganger also gains an interesting and unique ability. To fit with its name, Kikan Kire’s doppelganger gains an ability to reflect kidou and other spiritual energy-based attacks off its body. Consequently, this is also the only way to distinguish Kikan Kire’s Kotou doppelganger from the real thing.
Bankai Name: Nijuushin Guntai (Doppelganger Army)
Bankai Effects: In its bankai form, Kikan Kire does indeed change forms. It becomes slightly smaller, resembling a wakizashi in Kotou’s massive hands. This is because if it did not, what came next would be somewhat hazardous to Kotou himself. Upon speaking the bankai’s name, a flare of spiritual power pours from Kotou’s body, obscuring him and causing his captain’s haori to flap in the maelstrom. As the obscuring fog of power begins to dissipate, those who dread melee combat should weep in despair. Where one Kotou once stood now rests thirteen, though more can be created at a cost of cutting each new clone’s power down by one-eighth. Kotou’s clones all possess the shikai doppelganger’s spirit-energy reflection ability, meaning one could distinguish the real Kotou if the spell did not reflect. It would be hectic, however, to attempt such a thing with thirteen melee monsters of Kotou’s size intent on lacerating every square inch of one’s body.
Abilities
Flash Steps User: Though he is not an expert, Kotou can keep an average speed comparable to most captains. His great size, however, would tire him were he to utilize this too much.
Immense Spiritual Power: Being a captain-level Shinigami, Kotou has immense spiritual power. He is also skilled at hiding this immense power, however. It helps to keep his power regulated down until he needs to reveal his ace in the hole.
Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Though Kotou lacks a certain finesse in his style, due to his monstrous power, Kotou can be considered a master hand-to-hand combatant for his sheer brawling potential.
Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Because of his lack of skill in kidou, Kotou has become more than skilled in the application of his zanpakutou. Zanjutsu is his chosen form of combat over all else, using his shikai and bankai against foes he doubts he could beat with his own power.
Kidou Practitioner: Though he can use kidou, Kotou is greatly behind most other captains in his effectiveness with his techniques. Only lower-level techniques are guaranteed to work, even if he uses the incantations for mid-to-high level spells. He is also known by most of his squad and even some captains to only use hadou-type spells.
Enhanced Strength: Due to his massive size, Kotou is known to have great strength. Merely giving what he calls a “love tap” could be surprisingly harmful to those unprepared to face this huge captain.
Enhanced Durability: Also because of his size and sheer force of will, Kotou has shown to be surprisingly resilient. It takes quite a bit of a pounding to even begin to injure the captain to a point at which he acknowledges his injuries.
Known Kidou Spells
1. Shou (Thrust) – Pushes the target away from the user.
4. Byakurai (Pale Lightning) – Fires a concentrated bolt of powerful lightning from the fingertip.
31. Shakkahou (Shot of Red Fire) – Fires a ball of red energy at a target. Incantation: ”Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!”
33. Soukatsui (Blue Fire, Crash Down) – Launches a blast of blue spiritual energy at a target in a similar manner to Shakkahou, but over a wider area and with more power. Incantation: ”Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws.”