GILES, HENRY - Gemischt Quincy - [Finished]
Nov 14, 2017 16:22:53 GMT -5
Alyshea Pfoertner likes this
Post by Henry Giles on Nov 14, 2017 16:22:53 GMT -5
GILES, HENRY
Former Agent of the Quincy Council
[ AT A GLANCE ]
Age: 57 (Born 17th March 1960)
Gender: Male
Height & Weight: 6'1" & 184 lbs
Hair & Eye Color: Grey hair & pale grey eyes./font]
Positive Traits: Charitable, Dedicated, Disciplined, Loyal, Unprejudiced
Negative Traits: Fearful, Private/Secretive, Regretful, Stubborn, Strict
Titles: Fechtmeister (Fencing Master)
Former Titles: Investigator of the Council, Knight of the Council
Loyalties: Jess Young, Gabriel Pfoertner and his daughter Alyshea
Former Loyalties: The Quincy Elder Council
Languages: English natively. French, Italian and German fluently. Spanish and Latin partially (The latter he can read perfectly)
Accent: Queen's Accent
Snapshots:
[ ON THE SURFACE ]
Physical Description: Henry stands over 6 feet in height marking him out as a rather tall individual but also one who projects a considerable physical presence. Having dedicated the majority of his life to the study of martial arts, largely those of western origins, as well as having a partially combative job under the Council has forged Henry into a physically powerful fighter. Despite having retired from Quincy affairs Henry has kept up a regiment of frequent exercise ensuring that he has maintained a powerful athletic physique highlighted with a broad chest and a slim waist not to mention barely any noticeable fat. Despite the stress of his life during the days of the Elder council having caused the man’s hair to turn grey Henry still has an otherwise youthful appearance for someone approaching 60. His pale grey eyes are undimmed by the years and his healthy complexion could allow Henry to easily pass for an individual a decade younger than his actual age if not for the previously mentioned hair colour.
The swordsman likes to keep himself tidy and keeps his hair well kept with his fringe worn to the left and the sides cut just above the ears and brushed down flat. Henry also keeps his beard trimmed which is a slightly darker shade of grey than his hair.
Despite being 57 years old Henry moves with an easy grace, each movement conveying strength and surety, born from many years of intense dedication to swordsmanship as well as combat experience gained from serving the council. This gracefulness becomes even more apparent when he is actually wielding a sword even if just in practice. In such moments his movements give an impression of primal strength which broadcasts just how dangerous the man might be to any perceptive enough to notice. Perhaps more terrifying to behold than this is how he appears when on an assignment that forces him to “kill” his emotions, his features take on a terribly cold appearance and he moves with a lethal intent to carry out his duties.
However on a casual basis the man simply seems somewhat stern although far from unapproachable. He is quick enough to smile or laugh when happy or amused and as quick to show his anger or displeasure as any man. However in the quiet moments when Henry is alone and indulging in the memories of his past then a look of subtle forlorn sadness will creep across his features.
Clothing: Once upon a time Henry was most frequently seen wearing either the traditional Quincy uniform of the Council’s agents or a more modern military uniform issued by his masters. However with his retirement Henry is more likely to dress in suits. The Quincy’s preferred clothing is a grey suit, white shirt and black tie with polished black oxford shoes. When out and about he’ll usually add a dark grey trenchcoat. All of the man’s clothing is exceptionally well made and very obviously expensive.
Although not clothing Henry is never seen without his silver rimless glasses. Lastly he always carries his Quincy cross and although when expecting combat he’ll always wear it tied around his wrist it is not uncommon for him to simply wear the cross around his neck.
Spiritual Description: At any ordinary moment Henry’s Spiritual Power is much like that of the majority of Quincy. A soft pale blue mist blowing lazily around the swordsman as if caught in a breeze. When forcibly exerting his power it begins to flicker around Henry in a much more concentrated fashion almost like a flame. However a unique property of the Englishman’s Reiatsu is that when he activates any manifestation of his Schrift the pale blue will shift into a silver aura and appear almost like a dense liquid metal flowing around him.
Unlike many Spiritually active beings there is no sensation given off by Henry’s Reiatsu. No heat, coldness or any sort of feeling accompanies the release of power. In fact the most notable trait of Henry’s Spiritual Power is the almost void-like qualities this part of his Reiatsu provides. This gives a hint towards the private nature of the man.
[ BEHIND THE EYES ]
Personality: Henry was raised for years by the Priests and Nuns of the orphanage that had taken him in, they were kind souls and although he would eventually be fostered by a Quincy family these servants of God instilled in the child a sense of charity and and compassion. It is perhaps due to these early years living unaware of his heritage that Henry has grown to be a less prejudiced man than most Quincy. Henry doesn’t view Spiritualists or even mundane humans as any less significant than the Quincy themselves. Likewise he lacks the pure hatred many of his people associate with the Shinigami and although he has dealt with the black garbed samurai spirits in the past, often unpleasantly, he doesn’t despise them in the same way many Quincy do. Even his views of the Hollow are less those of disgust that many of his kind believe and although he hunted them for sport as a young man in his later years he began to prefer avoiding the beasts than facing them head on.
However although the Darce Family did not influence his views on the other races when they fostered him it can not be said that they did not significantly influence Henry’s develop in other ways. They great Pureblood family taught him how to be a true Quincy, instilled him Henry a sense of duty towards his people and his betters. They hired the greatest teachers in the realm to train him in fencing, Quincy techniques, unarmed combat as well as more academic areas and although this would cause him to grow up to be a disciplined man it also had the unintended side effect of making Henry quite stern and strict himself.
Later, as an agent of the Council, was a committed individual and his dutiful nature led to him being an extremely loyal servant of the Elders. The believe that he had to retain this loyalty, no matter what however led to stubborn and tended to ignore signs that his masters where not all that he let himself believe. His role as an investigator led to Henry becoming an extremely private individual due to the nature of his role however, unfortunately, this soon became such an ingrained part of his personality that now the swordsman finds it difficult to open up to others about his inner thoughts or concerns.
A side of Henry that few people are aware of is the intense regret he is often consumed with when thinking back on his life. In hindsight he sees the decades he spent in service of the Council as misled and how the Elders often forced him into situations that led to bloodshed against his fellow Quincy. His other great regret, one that will likely never disappear, is his love for Sarah Darce who he was never able to win the heart of. Now that she is dead, and his titles as a once Knight of the Council gone, Henry feels like he has nothing to show for his existence. No family, no progeny and no legacy. All he has is Jessica Young, the daughter of the woman he loved and he greatly fears that he may lose the young woman just as he lost her mother.
Goals & Achievements:
[ GUARDIAN ANGEL ]
Quincy Cross: Henry’s Quincy Cross is the only thing he has of his parents not remembering much about them due to their death when he was only five years old. The nuns at the orphanage told him that the cross had been found on his mother’s body. It took years for Henry to know the details behind the item however the Quincy Council eventually provided him the information.
The item was once a normal cross, not infused with any Spiritual Energy, in the hands of ordinary mortals. It was one of a pair taken by a von Müller knight who killed a Byzantine Noble during the Siege of Constantinople at the end of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 AD. This cross has been in the von Müller family for over eight centuries and has been worn by many of the bloodline’s great warriors. It was reported lost when a member of the Main Family vanished after one of the many Cullings carried out on their people by the Shinigami.
The cross is made of silver in the shape of a traditional Latin cross. In the centre is a purple gem with four smaller, less lustrous, gems set at the tip of each end of the shaft and of the crossguard. Along the vertical of the cross has IC XC engraved on it which are abbreviates in Greek for “Jesus Christ” whilst along the horizontal is NI KA which is a Greek verb meaning “conquers”.
While the cross is perfectly preserved, perhaps protected somewhat by the spiritual energy that has been flowing through it for hundreds of years, but the chain is much more modern having last been replaced by Henry himself. The current chain is silver but of modern construction.
Spirit Weapon
Longsword
Henry’s Spirit Weapon is unusual in that it takes the shape of a melee weapon although it took years for the man to understand that there was a reason behind this. Despite his mixed blood Henry is still affected by the Ritual of Change conducted by the ancient Knightly Aristocratic House of von Müller many centuries ago.
This Gintō ritual was conducted during the late 14th Century when the Knights of the Noble House decided that the Quincy Realm lacked front-line warriors. The ritual was to provide them, and their descendants, with spirit weapons to cover their brethren during war against the Hollow as well as any possible conflict that might come from rising tensions between the Mortals and the Shinigami. Since that ritual every Knight produced by the von Müller family would summon some kind of melee weapon although it is impossible to predict what it will be.
For Henry it was a Longsword, the most commonly manifested sword by the von Müller Quincy. A two handed cut and thrust sword from the 13th to 17th Centuries.
Unrefined Form - Longsword - Langschwert
Henry’s unrefined spirit weapon takes the shape of a basic longsword made of blue spiritual energy with a slightly curved crossguard. The sword is 120.65 cms long with a blade length of 92.54 cms and because of the unrefined weapon being a less concentrated version of the refined spirit weapon it constantly bleeds spiritual energy in the form of blue mist floating off the blade. Although certainly a strong weapon it pales in contrast to a Quincy's refined spirit weapon.
Like all Quincy weapon he can fire Heilig Pfeil, the originate from the tip of the blade but are significantly weaker than those fired from a more traditional ranged Spirit Weapon.
If needed, although it takes a constant flow of power, Henry can create a sheath of energy to wear the sword at his hip.
Refined Form - Longsword - Balmung [Not Yet Achieved]
Henry named it Balmung after the sword of Siegfried the dragon slayer from one of his favourite stories; the Nibelungenlied.
The refined version of Henry’s spirit weapon is metallic in appearance appearing as a medieval Longsword. With a overall length of 117.5 cms long with a 92.5 cm blade. The blade is strongly tapering and acutely pointed with a flattened diamond cross-section (Oakeshott - Type XVa). The sword has a simple crossguard which curves outwards at each side of the blade and a black grip which tapers to the "scent stopper" pommel.
The blade shines like silver and seems to gleam with inner light and when in battle Henry’s blue spiritual energy can flow down and over the weapon showing that the weapon is a mere extension of his body.
Schrift
K - "The Knight":
Every Quincy possesses a Schrift which is a letter and word which summarises the nature of their unique abilities. For Henry Giles this is “K - The Knight”.
Henry was raised by his foster family to be a protector and companion for their daughter. Although they cared for him the Darce Family made it clear that as a mixed-blood Quincy he was never one of them however he could still have honour and purpose as a guardian. This was a role that he never felt any bitterness over, in fact he was actually quite thankful for the opportunity and kindness the noble Quincy where showing him. Later when he was an adult and living away from England he would become an agent for the Council, in this role Henry was an enforcer of the corrupt Council’s will but he followed his duty faithfully. Although more of an investigator, and sometime executioner, than a medieval crusading knight he still served his masters loyally. Henry pursued his duties with honour and sought to follow his moral compass as much as the world would allow although he admits that sometimes reality forced compromises, some of which haunt him to this day. Despite his non-combat role there were numerous occasions where Henry’s duties lead him to using his sword wether to achieve his goals, defeat the wicked or defend himself. Eventually he would become a Knight of the Council as well as a famed fencing instructor amongst his people.
It is worth noting that Henry is far from the first Quincy of the von Müller bloodline to manifest this Schrift, as the House most famously known for their Knights and adherence to the ancient codes of chivalry the fact that a descendant of these men would once more possess this Schrift is unsurprising.
First Manifestation
Ritterlich Reishi Rüstung (Knightly Spirit Armour)
Henry’s first manifestation of this Schrift is to address the weakness of mortal flesh, to make sure that despite his human fragility that he can do battle against his enemies such as Hueco Mundo, the Seireitei, and unfortunately, sometimes his own people.
The Quincy summons Reishi to encase himself in plate armour. The visual appearance of this Spirit Armour is shimmering silver metal which appears to roughly take the appearance of a suit of Gothic Plate Armour. The armour covers every inch of Henry’s form and it’s large, faceless, appearance makes the tall man seem much more physically intimidating that he usually would look without it. The metal constantly shimmers as if it contains an inner light much like Balamung giving it an unnatural sheen.
The Reishi Armour provides equal defense against all attacks whether physical or spiritual in nature.
One of the most wondrous properties of the armour, at least to Henry, is that it is completely weightless and doesn’t restrict his freedom of movement and using his sword whilst encased in it is absolutely no different than fencing unarmoured.
It is also worth noting that the Quincy’s Cross is embedded on the cuff of his right gauntlet becoming a part of the armour for as long as it is summoned.
[ LEGACY CREATED ]
Origin: Henry was born on the 17th March 1960 just outside of Lincoln, England to a rather unusual couple. His father was Marius Giles, born Henry De Liancourt, a young Frenchman on the run from his family who had tried to force him into inheriting their Spiritualist traditions against his will despite Marius’ wish to never use his powers again. His mother went by the name Isabella Angelo, born Sofia von Müller, an equally young German woman who had no intention of living the life of a Quincy. Together they fled the continent and lived a quiet live in Yorkshire under assumed names. In time their son was born and for a short while all was well.
Sadly their happiness could not continue forever. Although the couple had left their Spiritualist roots behind it would not leave them and one day, while visiting York, a Hollow detected the Reiatsu of the couple and attacked. Due to their lack of training the mortals were unable to properly utilise their abilities and were promptly slain. Meanwhile Henry, only a boy of five years, was left alive being considered too small a morsel for the Hollow to bother feeding upon after gorging itself on his parents. For Henry this meant the end to his having a family, at least for now, once the authorities found the boy and it was realised that both his parents had fake credentials there was nothing for it but to hand the child over to child services. However fate would take a turn that day, rather than the boy being sent far away a priest on the scene spoke with the civil servants that day and had the boy transferred to a Catholic Orphanage just outside the city. The Priest also took the cross from Isabella’s corpse to give to the boy so that he would have something of his mother’s.
The Orphanage was kind to the boy, the Priest and Nuns that worked there made sure all the children had proper educations so that they would be able to make their way in the world one day with as many opportunities as possible. During these early days Henry was happy enough especially after making friends with a local girl called Sarah, in truth he was discouraged from spending time with her as she came from the wealthy Darce family who still held titles of aristocracy in England. However Henry would not be dissuaded and soon the two where the best of friends.
Then one day, in 1972, Sarah decided to show her friend her abilities. She summoned a bow of gleaming light as an aura of blue encompassed her. Henry stepped back and felt a tingling sensation flood through him as blood light began to burn around his own flesh. Within moments a short blade of light hand formed in his grip as light began streaming around his mother’s cross. Sarah was ecstatic that her best friend was another Quincy but Henry made her promise to tell no one, he was scared and unsure about what this power meant. Sarah agreed but only in return for Henry letting her teach him in secret. This deal continued until the next year when Sarah’s parents grew furious having found out that the Orphan boy was playing with their daughter however this swiftly changed when Sarah revealed that Henry was a Quincy too. After a short conversation with the boy and the priest Lord and Lady Darce fostered the boy.
Rise to Power: Taken in by the Lord and Lady Darce Henry was never truly one of them. He was taught early on the difference between the Echt Highborne families and the mongrel Gemischt Quincy like Henry. He instead was raised to be a servant of the household and a protector of Sarah but also the Darce Family felt like it was their duty to induct him into his people’s world. Despite this Henry was happy, happier than he could ever remember being. When he turned 14 Henry’s Spiritual Weapon took it’s true form for the first time transforming into a Longsword. His new foster parents arranged for the best fencing masters amongst the Quincy Houses to train the boy primarily in Lichtenauer’s Kunst des Fechtens long before the Historical European Martial Arts Movement reached the ordinary man. Although this was his his main martial field of study Henry would later expand his interests into other forms of swordsmanship. His training in the other Quincy techniques was handled by the family itself and, at times, by Sarah who was much more talented than Henry in almost every field of study with the boy only showing great aptitude in the realm of swordsmanship.
As Henry grew older he soon realised he was in love with his best friend Sarah although he pretended otherwise. When he turned 18 he moved to study Classics and Latin at the University of Cambridge. During these years Henry was approached by a representative of the Quincy Council of Elders who offered the boy a job one he graduated as well as a sort of internship for his summers while still a student. Henry, wishing to get out of the Darce Family’s shadow, agreed. During these summers Henry operated out of a Manor owned by the Council in Toulouse, Southern France. At these times Sarah would often come and visit at his request where they would go on Hollow Hunts together.
When he graduated Henry moved to Toulouse permanently although he traveled frequently as a low-ranked law-enforcer of the Council. In ‘84 Henry discovers an old Pureblood Family in Spain plotting treachery against the Council to overthrow them and reestablish the Monarchy. When he tried to arrest the Echt Quincy resisted and Henry used force to arrest them. In recognition Henry was granted the title of Inspector and he was reassigned to serve directly under the Elders to investigate corruption. In his free time Henry subsidised his income by providing fencing lessons to other Quincy usually in Longsword, Sabre or Smallsword.
Henry continued to rise in the eyes of the Council and was eventually granted the title of Fechtmeister for his prowess as a fencing instructor. However Henry was slowly beginning to realise that many of the families he was sent to deal with and investigate where simply enemies of the Council, that perhaps the greatest corruption lay within the ranks of the Elders. However Henry enjoyed his role and simply tried to act as morally as possible as he continued to deceive himself into believing that his leaders only wished the best for their people.
In 1989, shortly after visiting Sarah in England and discovering that she had taken a new lover, called Adam Young, Henry reported to Berlin for assignment. It was here that he’d meet a man who’d become one of his closest friends, an advisor to the Council called Gabriel Pfoertner who specialised in the creation of Holy Artifacts. The two struck up a friendship and whenever they were both in the Capital they often spent time together. It was a year later that Henry visited his friend at his home in Germany to congratulate him on the birth of his daughter Alyshea shortly before he moved to the United States of America.
In ‘94 Henry returned to England, heartbroken, for Sarah and Adam’s marriage. He had never really thought that she would end up falling in love with another man having believe they were destined for one another. Once the marriage was over Henry left England and grew apart from his once best friend to instead throw himself into his work. 2 years later, in recognition of his duties, Henry was made a Knight of the Council. Shortly after this he visited Gabriel in Ohio whose wife had left him and convinced the man to move back to Germany so that he, and his daughter, could be with their Quincy Clan once more. From this point on Henry became like an uncle to Alyshea and would often call in to see her, especially when Gabriel was sent away for work by the Council. In ‘98 Sarah invites Henry to come visit and he returns to find out she’s just had a daughter. The two reestablish their friendship and Sarah names him the Godfather of Jess. Although cordial with Adam the two men never become friends.
A great revelation would occur in 2000 when the Elders of the Council called Henry in for an audience and told the man that they knew his origins. They wouldn’t say for how long they had known but they revealed that he was one of the last known descendants of the von Müller bloodline and provided him with access to their archives to research the extinct House. The Council, considering Henry a loyal servant, offered him the opportunity to take the old name and revive the Bloodline under his rule but feeling that a mixed Blood Quincy shouldn’t attempt to take such a position amongst the aristocracy the Investigator declined.
In 2008 while he was on standby in Berlin Henry would receive a panicked call from Gabriel asking for help. His daughter had gone missing and although it was not unusual for her to go off on her own for short periods of time he had grown panicked that she’d gone missing for too long. Rushing to his friends home he joined the Clan’s search for Alyshea and her cousin. It would be Henry who found Alyshea and although he was too late to save her cousin he did save his friend’s daughter but not before sustaining substantial wounds. Henry would spend months recuperating at the Pfoertner manor with Gabriel and his family.
During his time off Henry had reevaluated his priorities and although he returned to his role as an agent of the Council he began to slowly gather evidence against these men hoping to help purge corruption from it’s ranks and usher in a new group of leaders into the Council’s numbers to lead their people with a fairer hand. As part of this he planned to never again use force against his fellow Quincy and only tried to use peaceful methods to detain and arrest those suspected of breaking Quincy law. Sadly this would become more difficult as 2014 approached and tensions against the Council grew more violent while more Quincy began to disobey the Council wishing for their dissolution. During these last years of the Council Henry was forced to fight, sometimes kill, more of his own people than ever before. To this day these memories sicken him.
Call to Action: In 2014 everything changed when the Council was dissolved due to the outcome of the Kingsmoot. Henry, having been a vocal opponent of the Monarchy System, and who instead had lobbied for a Council with more anti-corruption measures and oversight decided that he could no longer act in his role quit. At first he retained his Fencing Master and Knight title as well as the Manor in Toulouse however the new Monarch’s Pureblood edicts led to him losing both his home and the aristocratic title. However Henry was hardly destitute. For one he had considerable savings which he had gathered over the year however even more so one of the Elders who had sat on the Council, a man that had been Henry’s patron over the years, passed away the same year as the new King’s rise. A man with no family this Elder left a large part of his estate to Henry making him an exceptionally rich man.
Henry would sit out the politics of his people from this point on having had enough of Quincy even going as far as to cancel all future fencing lessons. He also made a point of rebuffing attempts by the various Monarchies to recruit him seeing their inability to establish a stable ruler as more proof that the Crown would never last. Instead he focused on his few friends such as helping the Pfoertner Clan survive the changing social structure of their people especially with Gabriel’s Family’s displeasure at the rise of the New Order. He also spent a lot of time visiting the Young family in Northern England and watching young Jess grow up to be so like her mother. During these years Henry travelled abroad seeking out non-Quincy Spiritualist Mortals, to learn their ways and know more about how they operating having found out years before that his father had been one of these variants.
Recently Henry got a terrible phone call from Jess Young herself. He rushed back to Yorkshire in time for the funeral of Adam and Sarah, the only woman he’d ever loved. Jess was 18 years old and had been named as the sole successor of her parents, ready to live her life as an independant Quincy Noblewoman. However to Henry she was just a scared child, alone in the world having suffered a great loss. Taking it upon himself to mentor and protect the girl he offered for her to travel back to Germany with him knowing Jess had never made much contact with the international Quincy community. While staying at one of Henry’s properties in Germany he was recently contacted by Gabriel who asked his old friend if he could travel to Japan as apparently Alyshea had run into some issues there with Hollow, the trip having turned out to be much more dangerous than her father could have predicted. Agreeing, and with Jess following behind, he bought a pair of plane tickets to Tokyo.
Former Agent of the Quincy Council
[ AT A GLANCE ]
Age: 57 (Born 17th March 1960)
Gender: Male
Height & Weight: 6'1" & 184 lbs
Hair & Eye Color: Grey hair & pale grey eyes./font]
Positive Traits: Charitable, Dedicated, Disciplined, Loyal, Unprejudiced
Negative Traits: Fearful, Private/Secretive, Regretful, Stubborn, Strict
Titles: Fechtmeister (Fencing Master)
Former Titles: Investigator of the Council, Knight of the Council
Loyalties: Jess Young, Gabriel Pfoertner and his daughter Alyshea
Former Loyalties: The Quincy Elder Council
Languages: English natively. French, Italian and German fluently. Spanish and Latin partially (The latter he can read perfectly)
Accent: Queen's Accent
Snapshots:
- 1960 - Born in The East Midlands, England
- 1965 - Parents die, Henry is left his mother’s cross and sent to an Orphanage.
- 1972 - Fostered by Quincy Nobles, the Darce Family.
- 1980 - Begins working for the Council of Elders.
- 1984 - Made an Inspector and official Agent of the Council
- 1987 - Is officially named a Fechtmesiter by the Council.
- 1989 - Meets Gabriel Pfoertner and becomes the man’s friend.
- 1996 - Named a Knight of the Council.
- 2008 - Almost killed by a powerful Menos Adjuchas when defending Gabriel’s daughter.
- 2014 - The Council dissolves and Henry retires. Loses all his titles except that of Fencing Master due to the new Pureblood regime.
- 2017 - Sarah Young dies along with her husband. Takes it upon himself to become Jess’s mentor and protector.
[ ON THE SURFACE ]
Physical Description: Henry stands over 6 feet in height marking him out as a rather tall individual but also one who projects a considerable physical presence. Having dedicated the majority of his life to the study of martial arts, largely those of western origins, as well as having a partially combative job under the Council has forged Henry into a physically powerful fighter. Despite having retired from Quincy affairs Henry has kept up a regiment of frequent exercise ensuring that he has maintained a powerful athletic physique highlighted with a broad chest and a slim waist not to mention barely any noticeable fat. Despite the stress of his life during the days of the Elder council having caused the man’s hair to turn grey Henry still has an otherwise youthful appearance for someone approaching 60. His pale grey eyes are undimmed by the years and his healthy complexion could allow Henry to easily pass for an individual a decade younger than his actual age if not for the previously mentioned hair colour.
The swordsman likes to keep himself tidy and keeps his hair well kept with his fringe worn to the left and the sides cut just above the ears and brushed down flat. Henry also keeps his beard trimmed which is a slightly darker shade of grey than his hair.
Despite being 57 years old Henry moves with an easy grace, each movement conveying strength and surety, born from many years of intense dedication to swordsmanship as well as combat experience gained from serving the council. This gracefulness becomes even more apparent when he is actually wielding a sword even if just in practice. In such moments his movements give an impression of primal strength which broadcasts just how dangerous the man might be to any perceptive enough to notice. Perhaps more terrifying to behold than this is how he appears when on an assignment that forces him to “kill” his emotions, his features take on a terribly cold appearance and he moves with a lethal intent to carry out his duties.
However on a casual basis the man simply seems somewhat stern although far from unapproachable. He is quick enough to smile or laugh when happy or amused and as quick to show his anger or displeasure as any man. However in the quiet moments when Henry is alone and indulging in the memories of his past then a look of subtle forlorn sadness will creep across his features.
Clothing: Once upon a time Henry was most frequently seen wearing either the traditional Quincy uniform of the Council’s agents or a more modern military uniform issued by his masters. However with his retirement Henry is more likely to dress in suits. The Quincy’s preferred clothing is a grey suit, white shirt and black tie with polished black oxford shoes. When out and about he’ll usually add a dark grey trenchcoat. All of the man’s clothing is exceptionally well made and very obviously expensive.
Although not clothing Henry is never seen without his silver rimless glasses. Lastly he always carries his Quincy cross and although when expecting combat he’ll always wear it tied around his wrist it is not uncommon for him to simply wear the cross around his neck.
Spiritual Description: At any ordinary moment Henry’s Spiritual Power is much like that of the majority of Quincy. A soft pale blue mist blowing lazily around the swordsman as if caught in a breeze. When forcibly exerting his power it begins to flicker around Henry in a much more concentrated fashion almost like a flame. However a unique property of the Englishman’s Reiatsu is that when he activates any manifestation of his Schrift the pale blue will shift into a silver aura and appear almost like a dense liquid metal flowing around him.
Unlike many Spiritually active beings there is no sensation given off by Henry’s Reiatsu. No heat, coldness or any sort of feeling accompanies the release of power. In fact the most notable trait of Henry’s Spiritual Power is the almost void-like qualities this part of his Reiatsu provides. This gives a hint towards the private nature of the man.
[ BEHIND THE EYES ]
Personality: Henry was raised for years by the Priests and Nuns of the orphanage that had taken him in, they were kind souls and although he would eventually be fostered by a Quincy family these servants of God instilled in the child a sense of charity and and compassion. It is perhaps due to these early years living unaware of his heritage that Henry has grown to be a less prejudiced man than most Quincy. Henry doesn’t view Spiritualists or even mundane humans as any less significant than the Quincy themselves. Likewise he lacks the pure hatred many of his people associate with the Shinigami and although he has dealt with the black garbed samurai spirits in the past, often unpleasantly, he doesn’t despise them in the same way many Quincy do. Even his views of the Hollow are less those of disgust that many of his kind believe and although he hunted them for sport as a young man in his later years he began to prefer avoiding the beasts than facing them head on.
However although the Darce Family did not influence his views on the other races when they fostered him it can not be said that they did not significantly influence Henry’s develop in other ways. They great Pureblood family taught him how to be a true Quincy, instilled him Henry a sense of duty towards his people and his betters. They hired the greatest teachers in the realm to train him in fencing, Quincy techniques, unarmed combat as well as more academic areas and although this would cause him to grow up to be a disciplined man it also had the unintended side effect of making Henry quite stern and strict himself.
Later, as an agent of the Council, was a committed individual and his dutiful nature led to him being an extremely loyal servant of the Elders. The believe that he had to retain this loyalty, no matter what however led to stubborn and tended to ignore signs that his masters where not all that he let himself believe. His role as an investigator led to Henry becoming an extremely private individual due to the nature of his role however, unfortunately, this soon became such an ingrained part of his personality that now the swordsman finds it difficult to open up to others about his inner thoughts or concerns.
A side of Henry that few people are aware of is the intense regret he is often consumed with when thinking back on his life. In hindsight he sees the decades he spent in service of the Council as misled and how the Elders often forced him into situations that led to bloodshed against his fellow Quincy. His other great regret, one that will likely never disappear, is his love for Sarah Darce who he was never able to win the heart of. Now that she is dead, and his titles as a once Knight of the Council gone, Henry feels like he has nothing to show for his existence. No family, no progeny and no legacy. All he has is Jessica Young, the daughter of the woman he loved and he greatly fears that he may lose the young woman just as he lost her mother.
Goals & Achievements:
- Henry was once a personal Agent of the Quincy Elders and a Knight of the Council. He was considered one of the greatest of their servants although now he is nothing but a retired fencing master.
- Henry has very few goals at this point in his life. He wishes to travel, to meet other spiritualists both Quincy and simply Spiritually active humans. He also wishes to protect Jessica Young and the Pfoertner Clan as they are the closest thing to family that he has.
[ GUARDIAN ANGEL ]
Quincy Cross: Henry’s Quincy Cross is the only thing he has of his parents not remembering much about them due to their death when he was only five years old. The nuns at the orphanage told him that the cross had been found on his mother’s body. It took years for Henry to know the details behind the item however the Quincy Council eventually provided him the information.
The item was once a normal cross, not infused with any Spiritual Energy, in the hands of ordinary mortals. It was one of a pair taken by a von Müller knight who killed a Byzantine Noble during the Siege of Constantinople at the end of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 AD. This cross has been in the von Müller family for over eight centuries and has been worn by many of the bloodline’s great warriors. It was reported lost when a member of the Main Family vanished after one of the many Cullings carried out on their people by the Shinigami.
The cross is made of silver in the shape of a traditional Latin cross. In the centre is a purple gem with four smaller, less lustrous, gems set at the tip of each end of the shaft and of the crossguard. Along the vertical of the cross has IC XC engraved on it which are abbreviates in Greek for “Jesus Christ” whilst along the horizontal is NI KA which is a Greek verb meaning “conquers”.
While the cross is perfectly preserved, perhaps protected somewhat by the spiritual energy that has been flowing through it for hundreds of years, but the chain is much more modern having last been replaced by Henry himself. The current chain is silver but of modern construction.
Spirit Weapon
Longsword
Henry’s Spirit Weapon is unusual in that it takes the shape of a melee weapon although it took years for the man to understand that there was a reason behind this. Despite his mixed blood Henry is still affected by the Ritual of Change conducted by the ancient Knightly Aristocratic House of von Müller many centuries ago.
This Gintō ritual was conducted during the late 14th Century when the Knights of the Noble House decided that the Quincy Realm lacked front-line warriors. The ritual was to provide them, and their descendants, with spirit weapons to cover their brethren during war against the Hollow as well as any possible conflict that might come from rising tensions between the Mortals and the Shinigami. Since that ritual every Knight produced by the von Müller family would summon some kind of melee weapon although it is impossible to predict what it will be.
For Henry it was a Longsword, the most commonly manifested sword by the von Müller Quincy. A two handed cut and thrust sword from the 13th to 17th Centuries.
Unrefined Form - Longsword - Langschwert
Henry’s unrefined spirit weapon takes the shape of a basic longsword made of blue spiritual energy with a slightly curved crossguard. The sword is 120.65 cms long with a blade length of 92.54 cms and because of the unrefined weapon being a less concentrated version of the refined spirit weapon it constantly bleeds spiritual energy in the form of blue mist floating off the blade. Although certainly a strong weapon it pales in contrast to a Quincy's refined spirit weapon.
Like all Quincy weapon he can fire Heilig Pfeil, the originate from the tip of the blade but are significantly weaker than those fired from a more traditional ranged Spirit Weapon.
If needed, although it takes a constant flow of power, Henry can create a sheath of energy to wear the sword at his hip.
Refined Form - Longsword - Balmung [Not Yet Achieved]
Henry named it Balmung after the sword of Siegfried the dragon slayer from one of his favourite stories; the Nibelungenlied.
The refined version of Henry’s spirit weapon is metallic in appearance appearing as a medieval Longsword. With a overall length of 117.5 cms long with a 92.5 cm blade. The blade is strongly tapering and acutely pointed with a flattened diamond cross-section (Oakeshott - Type XVa). The sword has a simple crossguard which curves outwards at each side of the blade and a black grip which tapers to the "scent stopper" pommel.
The blade shines like silver and seems to gleam with inner light and when in battle Henry’s blue spiritual energy can flow down and over the weapon showing that the weapon is a mere extension of his body.
Schrift
K - "The Knight":
Every Quincy possesses a Schrift which is a letter and word which summarises the nature of their unique abilities. For Henry Giles this is “K - The Knight”.
Henry was raised by his foster family to be a protector and companion for their daughter. Although they cared for him the Darce Family made it clear that as a mixed-blood Quincy he was never one of them however he could still have honour and purpose as a guardian. This was a role that he never felt any bitterness over, in fact he was actually quite thankful for the opportunity and kindness the noble Quincy where showing him. Later when he was an adult and living away from England he would become an agent for the Council, in this role Henry was an enforcer of the corrupt Council’s will but he followed his duty faithfully. Although more of an investigator, and sometime executioner, than a medieval crusading knight he still served his masters loyally. Henry pursued his duties with honour and sought to follow his moral compass as much as the world would allow although he admits that sometimes reality forced compromises, some of which haunt him to this day. Despite his non-combat role there were numerous occasions where Henry’s duties lead him to using his sword wether to achieve his goals, defeat the wicked or defend himself. Eventually he would become a Knight of the Council as well as a famed fencing instructor amongst his people.
It is worth noting that Henry is far from the first Quincy of the von Müller bloodline to manifest this Schrift, as the House most famously known for their Knights and adherence to the ancient codes of chivalry the fact that a descendant of these men would once more possess this Schrift is unsurprising.
First Manifestation
Ritterlich Reishi Rüstung (Knightly Spirit Armour)
Henry’s first manifestation of this Schrift is to address the weakness of mortal flesh, to make sure that despite his human fragility that he can do battle against his enemies such as Hueco Mundo, the Seireitei, and unfortunately, sometimes his own people.
The Quincy summons Reishi to encase himself in plate armour. The visual appearance of this Spirit Armour is shimmering silver metal which appears to roughly take the appearance of a suit of Gothic Plate Armour. The armour covers every inch of Henry’s form and it’s large, faceless, appearance makes the tall man seem much more physically intimidating that he usually would look without it. The metal constantly shimmers as if it contains an inner light much like Balamung giving it an unnatural sheen.
The Reishi Armour provides equal defense against all attacks whether physical or spiritual in nature.
One of the most wondrous properties of the armour, at least to Henry, is that it is completely weightless and doesn’t restrict his freedom of movement and using his sword whilst encased in it is absolutely no different than fencing unarmoured.
It is also worth noting that the Quincy’s Cross is embedded on the cuff of his right gauntlet becoming a part of the armour for as long as it is summoned.
[ LEGACY CREATED ]
Origin: Henry was born on the 17th March 1960 just outside of Lincoln, England to a rather unusual couple. His father was Marius Giles, born Henry De Liancourt, a young Frenchman on the run from his family who had tried to force him into inheriting their Spiritualist traditions against his will despite Marius’ wish to never use his powers again. His mother went by the name Isabella Angelo, born Sofia von Müller, an equally young German woman who had no intention of living the life of a Quincy. Together they fled the continent and lived a quiet live in Yorkshire under assumed names. In time their son was born and for a short while all was well.
Sadly their happiness could not continue forever. Although the couple had left their Spiritualist roots behind it would not leave them and one day, while visiting York, a Hollow detected the Reiatsu of the couple and attacked. Due to their lack of training the mortals were unable to properly utilise their abilities and were promptly slain. Meanwhile Henry, only a boy of five years, was left alive being considered too small a morsel for the Hollow to bother feeding upon after gorging itself on his parents. For Henry this meant the end to his having a family, at least for now, once the authorities found the boy and it was realised that both his parents had fake credentials there was nothing for it but to hand the child over to child services. However fate would take a turn that day, rather than the boy being sent far away a priest on the scene spoke with the civil servants that day and had the boy transferred to a Catholic Orphanage just outside the city. The Priest also took the cross from Isabella’s corpse to give to the boy so that he would have something of his mother’s.
The Orphanage was kind to the boy, the Priest and Nuns that worked there made sure all the children had proper educations so that they would be able to make their way in the world one day with as many opportunities as possible. During these early days Henry was happy enough especially after making friends with a local girl called Sarah, in truth he was discouraged from spending time with her as she came from the wealthy Darce family who still held titles of aristocracy in England. However Henry would not be dissuaded and soon the two where the best of friends.
Then one day, in 1972, Sarah decided to show her friend her abilities. She summoned a bow of gleaming light as an aura of blue encompassed her. Henry stepped back and felt a tingling sensation flood through him as blood light began to burn around his own flesh. Within moments a short blade of light hand formed in his grip as light began streaming around his mother’s cross. Sarah was ecstatic that her best friend was another Quincy but Henry made her promise to tell no one, he was scared and unsure about what this power meant. Sarah agreed but only in return for Henry letting her teach him in secret. This deal continued until the next year when Sarah’s parents grew furious having found out that the Orphan boy was playing with their daughter however this swiftly changed when Sarah revealed that Henry was a Quincy too. After a short conversation with the boy and the priest Lord and Lady Darce fostered the boy.
Rise to Power: Taken in by the Lord and Lady Darce Henry was never truly one of them. He was taught early on the difference between the Echt Highborne families and the mongrel Gemischt Quincy like Henry. He instead was raised to be a servant of the household and a protector of Sarah but also the Darce Family felt like it was their duty to induct him into his people’s world. Despite this Henry was happy, happier than he could ever remember being. When he turned 14 Henry’s Spiritual Weapon took it’s true form for the first time transforming into a Longsword. His new foster parents arranged for the best fencing masters amongst the Quincy Houses to train the boy primarily in Lichtenauer’s Kunst des Fechtens long before the Historical European Martial Arts Movement reached the ordinary man. Although this was his his main martial field of study Henry would later expand his interests into other forms of swordsmanship. His training in the other Quincy techniques was handled by the family itself and, at times, by Sarah who was much more talented than Henry in almost every field of study with the boy only showing great aptitude in the realm of swordsmanship.
As Henry grew older he soon realised he was in love with his best friend Sarah although he pretended otherwise. When he turned 18 he moved to study Classics and Latin at the University of Cambridge. During these years Henry was approached by a representative of the Quincy Council of Elders who offered the boy a job one he graduated as well as a sort of internship for his summers while still a student. Henry, wishing to get out of the Darce Family’s shadow, agreed. During these summers Henry operated out of a Manor owned by the Council in Toulouse, Southern France. At these times Sarah would often come and visit at his request where they would go on Hollow Hunts together.
When he graduated Henry moved to Toulouse permanently although he traveled frequently as a low-ranked law-enforcer of the Council. In ‘84 Henry discovers an old Pureblood Family in Spain plotting treachery against the Council to overthrow them and reestablish the Monarchy. When he tried to arrest the Echt Quincy resisted and Henry used force to arrest them. In recognition Henry was granted the title of Inspector and he was reassigned to serve directly under the Elders to investigate corruption. In his free time Henry subsidised his income by providing fencing lessons to other Quincy usually in Longsword, Sabre or Smallsword.
Henry continued to rise in the eyes of the Council and was eventually granted the title of Fechtmeister for his prowess as a fencing instructor. However Henry was slowly beginning to realise that many of the families he was sent to deal with and investigate where simply enemies of the Council, that perhaps the greatest corruption lay within the ranks of the Elders. However Henry enjoyed his role and simply tried to act as morally as possible as he continued to deceive himself into believing that his leaders only wished the best for their people.
In 1989, shortly after visiting Sarah in England and discovering that she had taken a new lover, called Adam Young, Henry reported to Berlin for assignment. It was here that he’d meet a man who’d become one of his closest friends, an advisor to the Council called Gabriel Pfoertner who specialised in the creation of Holy Artifacts. The two struck up a friendship and whenever they were both in the Capital they often spent time together. It was a year later that Henry visited his friend at his home in Germany to congratulate him on the birth of his daughter Alyshea shortly before he moved to the United States of America.
In ‘94 Henry returned to England, heartbroken, for Sarah and Adam’s marriage. He had never really thought that she would end up falling in love with another man having believe they were destined for one another. Once the marriage was over Henry left England and grew apart from his once best friend to instead throw himself into his work. 2 years later, in recognition of his duties, Henry was made a Knight of the Council. Shortly after this he visited Gabriel in Ohio whose wife had left him and convinced the man to move back to Germany so that he, and his daughter, could be with their Quincy Clan once more. From this point on Henry became like an uncle to Alyshea and would often call in to see her, especially when Gabriel was sent away for work by the Council. In ‘98 Sarah invites Henry to come visit and he returns to find out she’s just had a daughter. The two reestablish their friendship and Sarah names him the Godfather of Jess. Although cordial with Adam the two men never become friends.
A great revelation would occur in 2000 when the Elders of the Council called Henry in for an audience and told the man that they knew his origins. They wouldn’t say for how long they had known but they revealed that he was one of the last known descendants of the von Müller bloodline and provided him with access to their archives to research the extinct House. The Council, considering Henry a loyal servant, offered him the opportunity to take the old name and revive the Bloodline under his rule but feeling that a mixed Blood Quincy shouldn’t attempt to take such a position amongst the aristocracy the Investigator declined.
In 2008 while he was on standby in Berlin Henry would receive a panicked call from Gabriel asking for help. His daughter had gone missing and although it was not unusual for her to go off on her own for short periods of time he had grown panicked that she’d gone missing for too long. Rushing to his friends home he joined the Clan’s search for Alyshea and her cousin. It would be Henry who found Alyshea and although he was too late to save her cousin he did save his friend’s daughter but not before sustaining substantial wounds. Henry would spend months recuperating at the Pfoertner manor with Gabriel and his family.
During his time off Henry had reevaluated his priorities and although he returned to his role as an agent of the Council he began to slowly gather evidence against these men hoping to help purge corruption from it’s ranks and usher in a new group of leaders into the Council’s numbers to lead their people with a fairer hand. As part of this he planned to never again use force against his fellow Quincy and only tried to use peaceful methods to detain and arrest those suspected of breaking Quincy law. Sadly this would become more difficult as 2014 approached and tensions against the Council grew more violent while more Quincy began to disobey the Council wishing for their dissolution. During these last years of the Council Henry was forced to fight, sometimes kill, more of his own people than ever before. To this day these memories sicken him.
Call to Action: In 2014 everything changed when the Council was dissolved due to the outcome of the Kingsmoot. Henry, having been a vocal opponent of the Monarchy System, and who instead had lobbied for a Council with more anti-corruption measures and oversight decided that he could no longer act in his role quit. At first he retained his Fencing Master and Knight title as well as the Manor in Toulouse however the new Monarch’s Pureblood edicts led to him losing both his home and the aristocratic title. However Henry was hardly destitute. For one he had considerable savings which he had gathered over the year however even more so one of the Elders who had sat on the Council, a man that had been Henry’s patron over the years, passed away the same year as the new King’s rise. A man with no family this Elder left a large part of his estate to Henry making him an exceptionally rich man.
Henry would sit out the politics of his people from this point on having had enough of Quincy even going as far as to cancel all future fencing lessons. He also made a point of rebuffing attempts by the various Monarchies to recruit him seeing their inability to establish a stable ruler as more proof that the Crown would never last. Instead he focused on his few friends such as helping the Pfoertner Clan survive the changing social structure of their people especially with Gabriel’s Family’s displeasure at the rise of the New Order. He also spent a lot of time visiting the Young family in Northern England and watching young Jess grow up to be so like her mother. During these years Henry travelled abroad seeking out non-Quincy Spiritualist Mortals, to learn their ways and know more about how they operating having found out years before that his father had been one of these variants.
Recently Henry got a terrible phone call from Jess Young herself. He rushed back to Yorkshire in time for the funeral of Adam and Sarah, the only woman he’d ever loved. Jess was 18 years old and had been named as the sole successor of her parents, ready to live her life as an independant Quincy Noblewoman. However to Henry she was just a scared child, alone in the world having suffered a great loss. Taking it upon himself to mentor and protect the girl he offered for her to travel back to Germany with him knowing Jess had never made much contact with the international Quincy community. While staying at one of Henry’s properties in Germany he was recently contacted by Gabriel who asked his old friend if he could travel to Japan as apparently Alyshea had run into some issues there with Hollow, the trip having turned out to be much more dangerous than her father could have predicted. Agreeing, and with Jess following behind, he bought a pair of plane tickets to Tokyo.
