The World of Bleach Gotei

The Basics

Introduction
Welcome to Bleach Gotei, an Alternate Universe that is based on the world of Bleach as authored by Tite Kubo. Although strongly tied to “canon” Bleach this community does differ in a handful of important ways that you as a player should learn as you play here! By no means are you required to know all of this to join, but instead it is seen as a valuable reference for gameplay and storytelling.

Before we begin we would like to remind everyone that anything covered in this topic is merely the typical case. Exceptions do exist so don’t let yourself feel cramped by what you read.

Glossary
Normally a glossary of unique terms is located in the back. Given how often these are used throughout the guide we thought it only prudent to define them now. These will focus on how they differ from their canon counterparts, along with a shallow overview.

Reiatsu: Spiritual Pressure. Used as a catch-all term in Bleach canon, here it has a very specific meaning. Reiatsu is the weight a being exerts on the world around them by simply existing. By paying attention to and measuring Reiatsu one can get an idea of personality traits or a shift in moods. It is, in a phrase, the essence of a being. The heavier the weight that is felt by others the greater the willpower and resolve of the person in question. Here in Bleach your raw power (as demonstrated by our statistics) comes not from lengthy sessions in the gym but instead your own emotional, psychological, and spiritual development.  Reiatsu can be used to convey emotion and sometimes even share simple ideas or memories, merely by flexing this sixth sense.

Reiryoku: Spiritual Energy. Very rarely heard in Bleach and largely lumped in with Reiatsu, here on Bleach Gotei it has also been refined. Reiryoku is the actual energy (in the forms of lasers or spells, for instance) that is used to make things happen. It is the fuel that all spiritual beings run on. Reiryoku is the raw material with which you fuel your outward abilities.

Reishi: Spiritual Particles. These are the building blocks for all Spiritual things, and compose the entirety of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. Spiritual beings such as Shinigami and Hollow are made of bodies comprised entirely of spiritual particles.  While Earth and the beings that dwell there are made up instead of Kishi (see below), Reishi can be found in small quantities, especially in places close to nature.

Kishi: Physical Particles.  This is most closely akin to 'atoms' and 'matter' in our real world.  These are the basic building blocks of all things in the World of the Living and cannot be manipulated like Reishi.

Hakusui: Soul Sleep. On the body there exist two vital “pressure points;” this is the point from which all Reiatsu originates. It is expelled from this point and from the wrists as well, amplified by the Saketsu. If this point is damaged or destroyed, the typical spiritual pressure output drops significantly and may result in a loss of spiritual powers.

Saketsu: Soul Chain. On the body there exist two vital “pressure points;” the Saketsu is one of these and it is the one that amplifies Reiatsu that is radiated from the body. Without it the spiritual being loses much of their supernatural strength and becomes akin to a mundane human.

Konsō: Soul Burial.  This is a simple ritual performed by Shinigami where they touch the hilt of their Zanpakutō to the forehead of a Plus, granting them immediate passage to the Soul Society.  During this process, most Pluses find the issues and memories of their Mortal life wiped away, although traits of personality usually remain intact.

Purification: Death by Zanpakutō.  Hollows killed in this way reappear in the Soul Society as their former, human selves.

Gigai: Artificial Bodies.  These are essentially 'blank' bodies that do not house a soul, which Shinigami often use when visiting Earth in order to blend in and appear unassuming during their missions, as it also helps them hide from Hollows.  Gigai do exist for Arrancar characters, as pioneered by one of our player characters, and function in a similar way as their Shinigami counterparts.

Denreishiki: Shinigami's Soul Phone.  This small device functions very similarly to a cell phone, in that it allows remote communication back and forth to the Soul Society as well as provides an avenue for the Gotei to update mission parameters, download maps, and provide limited intel remotely.

Schrift: The concept that unifies a Quincy’s developed powers, represented with a letter and simple title, such as “A – The Almighty”.  These powers are manifested as unique properties and functions of Reishi when put under the control of a Quincy, usually manifested around their Quincy Cross.

Asauchi: Blank Sword.  These weapons are the empty house that a Shinigami will imprint on in order to assist with manifesting their Zanpakutō.  Normally appearing as a katana, these are distributed to all Academy students very early on in their training.  Unlike Bleach canon, our Asauchi are simply empty vessels that the wielder fills themselves, rather than artificial beings waiting to be imprinted upon.

Cycle of Rebirth
The guiding set of rules for all souls as they pass between lives and start new ones, this is the fundamental issue that pits the Shinigami against Hollows.

Everybody dies, eventually.  And when a human dies of natural causes or with unfinished business or unresolved issues, they become a being known as a Plus, something like a ghost or phantom. In this form, they appear much like they did as a human with the addition of a broken chain in their chest, the Soul Chain, and sometimes ghostly attributes (like a phantasmal tail). In this form, they can last one to two years as their Soul Chain erodes, though this process will take significantly less time for profoundly traumatized or conflicted souls. Once this chain is completely disintegrated, the Plus becomes a Hollow. However, before this transition is finished they can be found and saved by a Shinigami that performs Konsō, Soul Burial, to send them to the Soul Society.

The number of souls in Soul Society and Earth must be somewhat even to keep the worlds in balance. Anything less and the balance of the worlds will collapse and catastrophically merge both worlds.

A Hollow, when killed, will reincarnate as a human. The same applies to Shinigami and other inhabitants of the Soul Society. Hollows that are dealt a death blow by a Shinigami’s Zanpakutō reappear in Soul Society as their human selves. The souls devoured by Hollows then pass on appropriately when they die or are purified, and leave a mental fragment in the mind of the Hollow.  Hollows which become Arrancar release all of the devoured souls inside of them during this process.

When two spiritual beings conceive, they create new life and the child will be a brand new soul rather than a reincarnated one.  These are often referred to as Pure Souls and, while not common, do occur with some frequency in the Soul Society.  Unlike in Bleach canon, Pure Souls generally do not have any distinct advantage over other souls and are not automatically more powerful than the average.

Souls that are deemed dangerous to humanity itself due to heinous actions as a Human, Shinigami, or Arrancar will be sent to Hell upon their death instead of reincarnation.  Occasionally, souls which demonstrate that they are irredeemably evil may also be claimed by Hell as a final punishment for their refusal to correct their evil ways.  In our world, Hell is a natural force and not governed by any organization.  Once a soul enters Hell, it is not possible for it to leave by any means.  To this end, the Sinners, The Damned, and the Redeemed, are not playable characters on Bleach Gotei.

Hollows
Creatures born when a human is devoured or the Soul Chain of a Plus erodes completely away.

Marked by an insatiable hunger, Hollows are known for eating souls in an attempt to fill the void in their heart. Hollows take on monstrous, animal-esque forms and are granted a unique power. As they consume humans they grow in both size and power. The greater the Reiatsu of the being they consume the better it tastes and more it adds to the Hollow's power, giving Hollows a bad habit of taking on powerful beings that they are not yet strong enough to defeat in search of an even tastier meal. Hollows that reside on Earth are not usually powerful and can easily find themselves the targets of Shinigami. Those that become powerful enough eventually tire of the meager sustenance they get from humans and can only find satisfaction in making a meal of other Hollows.

The Gillian stage is the end result of this hunger.  When hundreds of Hollows have been devoured the mental fragments from those creatures drive the Hollow to insanity and they become one of the black, towering amalgamations of souls that stalk the Menos Forest. Given time, a fragment with enough will can overcome the others present in the host, and continue to devour and grow in power.

Eventually those Gillian start to regain part of their intelligence and actually shrink in size, though they remain much larger than a normal human. These cunning beasts are known as Adjuchas. These creatures are animalistic and very visually similar to their original Hollow form although usually more evolved and refined.

Beyond even Adjuchas, those that have truly mastered the broken minds in their soul are the Vasto Lordes. These are very humanoid Hollows and are vastly more powerful than the Adjuchas before them.  Hollows that reach this stage are the rarest of the rare, as a Hollow typically stops evolving if they are even partially devoured.  Note that on Bleach Gotei, Vasto Lordes are the product of considerable character development and are considered a Prestige Class.  To this end, this is not a state that a new character can achieve, and must be earned through storytelling and awarded by the Game Master.

Arrancar
Some few Hollows do the unthinkable. When a Hollow mask is entirely destroyed, the Hollow will die. But, when the mask is partially destroyed and left only as a fragment?  They become Arrancar.

These creatures are very much human, aside from a few traits: They still possess that mask fragment, a Hollow Hole, and a very prominent Aspect of Death. Otherwise they are entirely human and even possess a Zanpakutō which represents their sealed away Hollow nature, similar to but distinct from a Shinigami.

Arrancar always retain their base Hollow Power for use at all times. However those that were Adjuchas will find their Second Power sealed away. Those that had not yet reached their point will find that their Zanpakutō hides the secrets of what could have been. Some few Arrancar possess two base Hollow Powers, but always possess the potential to release their sword and achieve Resurrección. In this form they take on a more Hollow-like appearance and gain that lost or hidden power.

Much like Vasto Lordes there is a small minority that goes even further beyond. Those Arrancar that push it farther can attain Resurrección: Segunda Etapa. This ability is a release that is far beyond their previous one and comes with the power to match. When achieving both stages of Resurrección the Arrancar must come to be in tune with their Hollow nature one way or another. Only through accepting it in their broken heart can they can learn to use these powers.

Aspect of Death
Never manifested, always present.

Less noticed in Hollows but prominent in Arrancar is the Aspect of Death. All beings are fractured, such as Shinigami souls being split between Shinigami and Zanpakutō Spirit. An Arrancar's Aspect of Death is the psychological reflection of this fragmentation. It is a personality trait so crippling that, if left unchecked, will undoubtedly lead directly to the death of the Hollow or Arrancar--and was responsible for their deat as a Human, as well. Hollows find this typically overshadowed by their hunger for souls. While Arrancar can still consume souls they are much more driven by their Aspect than their hunger.  Aspects can take on either passive or active roles in the Hollow's life, and many never even become aware that this underpinning force is influencing their actions.

For additional and detailed information on Hollow, Arrancar, their society, and their history, please see this post.