Request Information and Templates

Milestone Request Form

Current Base GP: <Amount>

Desired Base GP: <Amount>

Last Milestone Request: <Link to last Milestone>

What am I applying For?

All characters keep a 'Base GP' as a reflection of both how far down the road their character is in their story, and as a reward for achievements in storytelling.  Characters begin play with a Base GP score and then request a Milestone amount of their choosing.  This can be any number but most requests are in the range of 400 to 600 GP, rounding to the nearest increment of 50.  

Consider your character's life as a book or a TV show, wherein your have 'chapters' or 'seasons'.  Parts where one of these chapters reaches climax and resolution is a great spot to bring together a Milestone and capitalize on the hard work you've done.

Within a Milestone Request, players should be looking to establish three, key elements.  One, identifying and establishing the themes of their character that are changing.  Two, the threads and actual content that displays how this change happened and how significant it was.  And Three, framing what your character will be like 'Going forward', or in other words, what will be happening in your next arc as it relates to the work you've done in this one.

You can visit our Milestone Workshop forum to request addition help, or approach any number of our veteran staff and writers for advice on putting one together.  For a more theoretical look at storytelling, we suggest examining concepts like 'The Monomyth' or 'The Hero's Journey'.

Mastery / Grandmastery Request Form
 
Current Base GP: <Base GP>
Current Masteries: <List Skill and Rank>
Desired Masteries: <List skill and Rank you are applying for>
Last Mastery Request: <Link to last Mastery request>
 
What am I applying for?
 

Skills are the primary force that reflects just how 'amazing' your character is at what they do.  Sure, there is natural talent and raw power, but technique must be refined and practiced.  There are things that someone who is intimately familiar with a skill will know that others cannot even conceptualize in their limited experience.  The difference in understanding between characters who are using the same skill is reflected by rank, pure and simple.  

Raising your Skill Rank Between None (0) and Expert (400) is entirely at your discretion.  In order to raise your rank to Master (600), you must complete this request form, have it approved, and then spend the GP.  Once you've obtained Mastery, you can further request advancement to Grandmaster (800), or one day even perhaps Transcendent (1200) understanding.

When pursuing Mastery, players should already have the skill at Expert rank and be looking to include threads in which they show a fundamental ease of use relating to the core concepts of the skill.  As each Mastery Request will be unique to the skill being requested and the flavor of the user it is difficult to provide explicit examples, but players should be looking to show off neat moves choreographed with flair.  Weapon Skill users should be pulling off combos, Kidō users should be weaving together or skipping incantations, Regeneration users should be recovering more and more important body parts with increased speed and efficiency, et cetera.  You want to, literally, master the fundamentals so they become something like second nature.

When pursuing Grandmastery, we ask a great deal more.  Players should have already established Master rank and have spent the required GP.  At this level, we want to see you play with intricate ideas relating to the Skill that people concerned with fundamentals and 'normal' mastery are too busy to think about.  Develop a brand new, signature Hakuda strike that renders your enemy's arm completely immobile, user your extensive knowledge of Bakudō to isolate a specific segment of the timeline.  Get a little bit crazy, and get cool.

In addition to 'going beyond' in a Grandmastery, we also normally expect the player to demonstrate what we call a 'GM Moment' where they have clearly shown a breakthrough in the skill and applied it to a real challenge.  For many, this takes the form of a climactic moment in a fight but it is not necessary that it follow this mold.

Do be aware that each race has their own Racial Skills and Power Skills unique to a character that would be impossible to draft examples for.  Each of these differs from the next and may require special thought to Mastery or GM.  Do not hesitate to seek out members of the community or members of staff to assist in pitching ideas for how to advance your own skill.

As a final caveat, Mastery becomes cumulatively more difficult to achieve.  The first couple have relatively low thresholds for 'success', and most characters find themselves settling in with 4-6 total by the time they are well into Prestige.  Masteries beyond the 6th require extensive thought and sometimes even arcs dedicated solely to developing that skill in order to gain Approval.

Thread Links

Legendary Challenge Request Form
 
Current Base GP: <Base GP>
Legendary Thread: <Name and Link>
Last LC Request: <Previous LC only>
 
What am I applying for?
 

Legendary Challenges are a way for characters to capitalize on short bursts of character development that take advantage of the shounen setting as well as classic, shounen and anime 'tropes'.  To this end, they act as almost 'mini Milestones' for your character, that just happen to not contribute to your Base GP (They act as earned / written GP).

In each Challenge there are three basic elements that we evaluate.

First, we want to see actual change in your character.  What ideas or thoughts and emotions have you explored and changed during the thread?  These should make sense in context with a fight, and with the characters involved.  We want to see doubt and fear burn away into resolve and catharsis.  Or, we want to see confidence and pride melt away to loathing and resentment.  There are lots and lots of angles for you to take here and put your own spin on but we need to see a change carried through from introduction to resolution.

Second, is the fight choreographed well between the participants?  We are writers afterall, and communicating with one another to create great stories is what Bleach Gotei is all about!  Does this blend together to make a well written, 'neat' fight for me to read, or is it a chore to get through?  Is this two people just trading posts or is it obvious that both of you have goals and have talked about how to play off of each other?

Third, is the 'WOW' factor.  Does your fight include some cool moments that capitalize on those tropes we mentioned?  Just two punch trading punches and cero is boring.  One guy body slamming the other with a train while he tries to protect the President from a rogue Hollow is pretty freakin cool.  Do the characters believe and act like there is real danger?  Are these characters somewhat matched in terms of power, in order to make this an interesting fight?

None of these categories are more or less important than the other, but a weak or strong performance in any one of them can make or break your grade.  Legendary Challenges are not simply for each fight that you do - they must meet a criteria.

Do note that each participant must elect to ask for a Legendary Challenge on their own.  You cannot claim on behalf of all participants, as it requites specific clarification on the behalf of each party to explain how they changed.

As a final caveat, while Legendary Challenges have not cap to the amount of GP they can award, they do carry with them a cumulative penalty for each one that you request.  Your award will likely be lower for your 4th LC than it was for your 1st, all other things being equal.  Do keep this in mind when considering what to apply for.

What's the Setup?

Race Change Request Form

Current Race: <What are you now?>

Desired Race: <What are you going to?>

Old Application: <Link>

New Application: <Link>

What am I applying for?

Race changes are a rare event in which your character stops being the race they were 'created' as, and transitions into something else due to reasons of story.  This is different from the classifications we use to distinguish between a 'Normal' class character and 'Prestige' in that it is a physical change chiefly, with only moderate impact to a character's personality (although that impact can be far reaching).

Race changes come about in a few typical ways, with countless more unique options depending on your story.  The most common Race Change in our setting is a Hollow becoming Purified into a Shinigami, or a Mortal passing on in death to become either a Hollow or a Shinigami.  Other such examples include a Variant who may discover Quincy heritage and unlock their true nature.  Or a Shinigami with an Inner Hollow who succumbs to the beast and becomes an Arrancar.

Staff does not 'approve' Race Changes in so much as we make sure you have taken care of anything you might need to be aware of before transitioning.

When a race change occurs, you must create a new application following the template for the new race. This new app will include your new power and personality, as well as the History relating to how you became this new race.

Once all of your threads are finished as the 'old' race, we calculate all GP earned after your application.  Milestone, LCs, written GP, rank up rewards, et cetera.  This GP is isolated from your new self in a pool that you can claim from once you have completed your new application.

Characters can request 'Race Change GP' in 50% chunks (not including the base 1500 from approval), with at least 30 days between requests.  This is to reflect your soul growing into a new body and adjusting to new life.  No GP is lost in this manner.  All that is required to ask for this GP is that you demonstrate you are actively threading.

Thread Links

The Next Chapter

Character Death Request

Name: <Name of Killer>

Target: <The Deceased>

What am I applying for?

Death is a very real, very present threat for virtually each and every character on Bleach Gotei.  Whether or not we, the writers, ever plan on having it happen does not completely stop it from happening under the right circumstances.  There are four major ways in which death is going to occur.

First, and perhaps the easiest, it may simply make sense for the character to meet their end at the hands of a rival or in a particularly bloody fight.  In this case, all players involved 'agree' that the character is going to die and this request serves simply as a notification for staff of what has occurred, and so we can assist you in acquiring Death GP for your next adventure.  If this method is going to be used, a quick post from the deceased character's writer stating they consent would be much appreciated.

Second, writers may pursue character death as a means of furthering their story.  Humans can die and their misery may turn them into a Hollow.  Hollows can be purified and wake up in the Rukongai.  The list goes on but the result is the same - the character continues on in a different form despite this 'setback'.  If this is the avenue you are taking, you should redirect your efforts to the "Race Change Request" above, as there are special rules regarding a death resulting in a race change.

Third, a character may find themselves in a situation where death has not been agreed to.  Most commonly, this can occur if a character is in the middle of combat but extenuating circumstances lead to their leaving the site without warning for at least sixty days.  If this has occurred a Death Request may be filed where you are asked to prove that death is a convincing and likely outcome to the situation.  Make no mistake, the burden of proof here is high.  It is our preference that you leave an afk writer with a chance to come back and pick up their story, but if you are locked in a battle with a bitter rival, we would not want you to ignore the only course of action that would make sense.

Fourth and finally, an unwilling death.  These occur in circumstances where a character's actions repeatedly invite death at the hands of their thread partner(s), and even though they are unwilling to die, there is truly no other alternative than for one to kill the other.  This is, without a doubt, the rarest of the methods.  Consequences are real, and there comes a point where those involved must be true to the considered actions of their character and attempt murder against a transgressor.  Be aware of who you provoke in character, you may bite off more than you can chew.

Please see the "Stats and Skills" Rules post and look for the section explaining Character Expiration, for a description of how Death GP works.

Waystone Request Form

Desired Skill: <Skill Name>
Current Base GP: <Base GP>

What am I applying for?

One of the more unique requests available, Waystones are a specially forged skill or power that your character pioneers during their story, but is either unrelated to their racial skills, or is an emergent, supplementary skill based on their success in other areas.  This can take the form of either a Waystone Skill, or a Waystone Power.

Waystone Skills are either brand new skills, or a supplementary skills based on other successes.  A covert agent may roleplay an enthusiasm for creating and testing poisons to the point where they develop a Waystone Skill to determine their strength and effectiveness.  Or a user of Zanjutsu may find a way to integrate her style of swordplay and their personal flare for Reiatsu Perception in order to create a skill that reveals weak points via an opponent's aura.  Regardless of the elements being blended, the results are generally highly personal.  

Waystone Powers are a means of tapping into a profound understanding, or a uniquely acquired ability, for a brief period of time.  This Power is generally not related to the suite of other Powers held by the character but it may be connected.  Just as the above, it relies on some mechanism of personal understanding in order to be realized.  A release used in this manner never confers a Release Bonus.

Mechanically, the character gains either a new 'power skill' or a new 'supplementary skill' at Rank 0 that they can invest in as normal.  This is an additional slot and cannot be governed by an existing power's skill.  This does not replace any existing Power or existing Skill.

It is only fair to disclose that there is a very high burden of proof necessary in order to convince us that you have earned an additional skill slot or power.  These are very powerful tools, so use them wisely if you think you've earned it.

Note that characters are limited to a maximum of 2 Waystone award for the life of the character.

What is the difference between a Skill and a Power in this context?

Simple put, the difference between whether or not you want to apply for a Waystone Skill or a Waystone Power is determined by how the ability would grow.

You can consider a 'Skill' to be a demonstration of knowledge or proficiency in an area.  A skill is something that grows in effectiveness as the breadth of your knowledge become greater.  I know how to brew a better poison and more carefully balance the components.  Therefore my Skill in poisons is better.

You can consider a 'Release' to be a demonstration of control over something you have the ability to do.  A release is something that grows in effectiveness as your raw command over it increases.  I can control this golem as finely as if it were my own body.  Therefore my Power to control golems is better.

Thread Links

Why do you deserve this?

Character Title Request

Desired Title: <Title>

What am I applying for?

Thread Links

State Your Case

[b]Desired Title:[/b]

[b]Thread Links[/b]
[spoiler]Please include supporting links for your title. If this is a rank, link directly to the IC or OOC post containing permission[/spoiler]

[b]State Your Case[/b]
[spoiler]Explain why this title is appropriate for your character. Not necessary for a Rank.[/spoiler]
Currently Applied Titles

Chinda Nagisa || Smiling Blade

Garra Desalmados || The Wall of Las Noches

Jacob 'Adimus' Kaillan || Hero of Midgard

Jasper Aizawa || Lightbringer

Kenshou Ine || Flash God

Kyousuke Tsukimiya || The Swordbreaker
Minamoto Shun || The Spellbreaker

Sakamoto Miki || The Storm
Tokiyo Fujikai || The Raven

Second Power Advancement
 
Current Base GP: <Base GP> 

What am I applying for?
 

The first major evolution a character will likely undertake is their Second Power.  While no race has an easier or harder time than the others with Second Power, the routes that each will take are often wildly different based on a combination of personality, race, and personal journey.  Perhaps the best way to think of Second Power is your character owning up to and grabbing hold of who they have claimed to be up to this point - A crystallization of your what application set out to show.

Mechanically, Second Power operates on the same skill as your first power.  The exception to this rule is Arrancar, which have their release governed by a new skill that unlocks as a result of their evolution.

Before continuing, you should ensure your character meets all of these minimum milestones:

• This character has been active for no less than six weeks (42 days)
• You have not applied for Second Power within the last two weeks (14 days)
• Your race specific skill must be Intermediate rank or greater
• The character's total GP is at least 2,500
• You have completed, or nearly completed, all threads relevant to the request.

The following are general ideas and themes for each race and should serve as merely a place for you to start thinking

Each section of this request should include at least one full paragraph of content.

**For additional information on how Second Power is graded and judged, please see this thread and address questions there.

Second Release Ability:

Prestige Rank Advancement

Current Base GP: <Number>

What am I applying for?

Normally the second, major transformation in a character's life, Prestige is a general term for an elevated state of being characters can ascend to as a sort of 'next level' for their base race.  In the pursuit of Second Power, the element that changes normally focuses around a player's power.  But for Prestige, we see a change in the core personality and fundamental makeup of a character.  They have achieved a resolution and direction in their life on a level they have never known and have grown as a result.  The best way to think of Prestige might be to imagine your character facing down their antithesis (emotionally, spiritually) and confronting and overcoming it (or possibly intentionally failing to do so).

Wherein the progression to Second Power was often linked with a relevant skill, the path to Prestige is entirely free-form and open to your interpretation as a storyteller.  There are no lines you must color within, aside from a select few already associated with some 'established options'.

Before applying for Prestige, you should ensure your character meets all of these minimum milestones:

• Your character has been active for no less than eight weeks (2 months)
• Your last attempt to become Prestige was denied no less than four weeks ago (1 month)
• The character's total GP is at least 5,000
• You have updated your application to reflect the character's 'new' personality in line with their new status.
• You have completed, or nearly completed, all relevant threads to the request.

The following are general ideas and themes for each race and should serve merely as a place for you to start thinking:

Once you have completed most of the content in your associated threads, you can fill out this form and a member of Staff will copy your request for our discussion and vote.  If you would like your request to be handled privately, you may instead PM this request to a member of staff.  

Each section of this request should include at least one full paragraph of content.

**For additional information on how Prestige requests are graded and judged, please see this thread and address questions there.

Prestige Power Ability

Post-Prestige Advancement Request


What Am I Applying For?
Post Prestige is the term for the final tier of development for the soul. It is a special rank that does not correspond to any other race or group of races, and those who wear this title are our most complete and well known stories. This rank is as much as sign of character development as it is a sign of achievement as both a writer and a storyteller. The expectations for content, quality of that content, behavior as a player, and impact to the site are a significant step beyond those of Prestige. This is not an attempt to dissuade you, merely a clear declaration of what will be expected. It is in the best interests of most players to not 'plan' on making Post Prestige.

There are three 'types' of Post Prestige.


Transcendentals
These are the few characters who have risen above all of their disparate pieces and truly united both their soul and their psyche to create a being totally at peace with itself. These characters are far from flawless, but rather totally devoid of inner conflict. All doubt and hesitation and turmoil has been washed clean and they are, for lack of a better term, at peace with who they are.

Transcendence comes about when a character is able to truly confront and resolve the ‘ultimate question’ that has underscored their entire life. This problem can can cover almost anything, but each case is unique to only that individual.

As part of the process, a Transcendent chooses a singular word known as the 'Concept' which will represent their personality and their unique story. This term is defined by the writer as part of the request and is a synthesis of everything the character has done in their lifetime. What has been the one thing that has always stood in their way? What is the underlying, fundamental idea of this character's story? Transcendentals must master the motivation behind their Concept of Reality and understand what it means for their character if they are to succeed in this role and serve as protectors of the natural order.

It is worth noting that Concepts take on a unique meaning depending on their wielder. The concept of ‘Truth’ for one character may be entirely different from the point of view offered by another, for example.


Broken Transcendental
Sometimes, due to insurmountable character flaws, a character is driven to make ‘the wrong choice’ when confronting their final problem. For example, you may learn to let go of your anger and forgive those who have wronged you, becoming the Transcendent called Mercy. Or you may refuse to forgive those who have wronged you most deeply and become defined by your Hatred, a Broken Transcendent.

Broken are defined by an inner turmoil that, rather than shedding so the character can grasp enlightenment, the character embrace and holds on to. This is the spiritual equivalent of putting your hand on the door to enlightenment, but instead of turning the knob you snap it off and burn the whole place down. If a Transcendent is a brilliant star, shining bright in the sky, then Broken are black holes that have collapsed in on themselves, threatening to tear everything around them apart.

Like their counterparts, Broken also develop a Concept of Reality that embodies their journey, however, this Concept is 'False' in that it embodies their personal trauma and turmoil, rather than a universal truth.


Prestige+
Even though all characters have an ultimate problem, for some people there is no ‘final question’. A character might come to realize and accept that they are the way they were intended to be and they re-dedicate themselves to being that perfect self. We refer to people who fit this description as “Prestige+”. While characters with this label may not be able to alter the rules of reality, they are the absolute apex of development that any of our races can achieve without transcending into something greater.

Mechanically, Prestige+ does not gain any Concept, real or false, and does not unlock any additional releases. However, they are able to raise their Reiatsu up to 450.

=================================

The Request
Anyone wishing to apply for Post Prestige should post the questions below along with their responses. The process for becoming Post Prestige is intended to be conversational, and so you should be presenting themes and ideas that you are prepared to discuss with Staff if they need to ask for clarification. Expect to have multiple replies looking to further discuss aspects of your request.

A Post Prestige request is graded on a scale of 1 through 10, with 10 being the best possible outcome. While each section will receive its own feedback, the cumulative result is not necessarily an “average” of any of the other parts. Make no mistake; this will be the most difficult request ever asked of you. In order to pass, you must achieve at least a 7 out of 10 overall.


THE QUESTION
In one or two paragraphs, what is your character’s ‘ultimate question’ or ‘ultimate problem’ that has been exposed by their journey towards Post Prestige? This is essentially ‘the point’ of your character’s story at a high level.

THE JOURNEY
What are the most relevant parts of your story that set up and expose this question? In essence, tell us how your character was brought to their final destination. It may be beneficial to cast a light on any special relationships with mentors or antagonists in your character’s life. Please include relevant thread links.

THE CATHARSIS
What is the answer to your character’s final question? Explain how your concluding thread(s) played out and why the catharsis you arrived at was the right answer for your character.

THE CONCEPT
What is your Concept of Reality? How do you see it functioning for your character in use? If you would like to include information about your Transcendent Form (if applicable) you can do so here as well. [Prestige+ does not need to include this information]

THE GOALS
What can you share about your plans from here, should this request be approved? This does not need to necessarily include retirement although for many, it will.





Updated 11/10/2016