Post by Ranth on Nov 25, 2017 3:39:13 GMT -5
Opening
Password 1: Guts's Jawline.
Password 2: #Rekt.
Type: Spirited
Squad: Kido Corps
Alignment: Passive Good{RP Sample}
Kaladin stood at the heart of Poinsettia, his breath creating smoky wisps that danced into the air above his head as the faceless crowd bustled around him despite the late hour. It was Christmas Eve, a time held by many to be the most wonderful time of the year. The city was covered in snow from the streets to the rooftops and it was truly a beautiful sight to behold no matter which way his eyes roamed. Kaladin wore a long sleeved jacket that was dark in colour with fur lining around the collar that kept his neck warm against the chill. He wore long black pants that ended in boots that were perfect for traversing through the snow that blanketed the city, although it wasn’t snowing at the moment.
Kaladin had always loved Christmas. Or at least, he’d loved the picture Lydia had painted of it during their time together in the organisation. She’d told him of things he could scarcely imagine. Towns and cities decorated with lights of every shape and colour, men and angels made from snow, explosions of colour in the sky and people coming together in peace and harmony to sing and laugh and eat and drink. “But why?” He had once asked her- he had been twelve at the time. “Why do they do all of that?” Given the life they’d led it was hardly surprising that he had trouble grasping the concepts that she spoke of but Lydia had just smiled sweetly at him and said, “because it’s Christmas silly!” as though that explained everything and yet, in a way… it had. There was something magical about Christmas- something that made it okay for not everything to make sense.
Something cold stung Kaladin’s and he went briefly cross eyed as he examined the glittering snowflake that rested on the tip of his nose before turning his eyes skyward. More snowflakes were descending languidly from the sky. Some landed on his clothes, contrasting starkly against the dark material whilst others nestled amongst his hair. others were perfectly camouflaged as they nestled amongst his silvery grey locks and he began to walk down the street. Ahead of him, he saw an overpass and at the base of the stairs sat a man in tattered clothes rattling a tin can filled with shrapnel- the pocket change of those who thought a few jewels in the tin allowed them to keep walking guilt free. But Kaladin stopped. In this man he saw everything he'd once been. "Care to spare some jewels friend?" The man asked with forced cheer. Kaladin looked at the man, but he didn't really see him. What he saw was a bittersweet memory.
“Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year”, Lydia exclaimed with a twirl of excitement. “I love the colourful lights and then the snow falls down on the city like a giant white blanket and made everything prettier than it already was!” Kaladin still remembered how her eyes had sparkled as she spoke of Christmas and even though it was the same things she'd say every year, he never grew tired of hearing it. “You get to wear cute scarves, hats and even gloves. But most importantly, you feel loved. Your family shows how much they care and your friends show you how much they want to be there for you.” Kaladin had no family or friends besides his brothers and sisters within the organisation, but instinctively he knew that wasn’t the same as what Lydia was talking about. "Sounds great", he'd said- although his heart wasn't in it. Had he even had a heart back then? Probably not.
But love… that was another matter entirely. No matter how many times Lydia tried to explain it to him, Kaladin simply couldn’t get his head around it. The way she’d described it then made it sound both terrific and terrible in equal measure. Lydia had described love as, “wanting more for another than for yourself. Love is the biggest sacrifice and the biggest gift. It’s when you can't get someone off your mind when you get a chest ache by just thinking about them.” Kaladin had laughed at her then and she’d refused to speak to him until he’d apologised a hundred times- literally.
Kaladin reached into the pocket of his coat and drew out not just a few jewels but all the jewels he had on him in a simple knotted pouch. This pouch he dropped into the beggars tin. "Merry Christmas", he said softly before walking up the stairs and leaving the man behind him stunned speechless. With the money he'd just received he could put a roof over his head for a week! Kaladin stopped walking when he reached the railing of the overpass and sighed as he leaned against it. Even after all this time, he wasn’t sure he knew what love was or what it was supposed to feel like, but perhaps it was something like the fuzzy feeling in his chest when he'd given the beggar those jewels. Or perhaps it was the ache in his heart when he thought back to the days he'd spent with Lydia... which in fact was the reason he had come here in the first place. It was all for her, or perhaps because of her was more accurate. Lydia had died so that he could live. This new life... it was a life beyond the reach of the organisation, a life in the world that she’d dreamed of being a part of for her so long. It hardly seemed fair that now he had everything that she'd ever wanted and she was just... dead. Kaladin closed his eyes as another memory bubbled to the surface.
“Hey Kally…”
“Hmm?”
“Have you ever thought about what it’s like outside of the organisation?”
“Not really… Seems pointless.”
“What? Why!?”
“It’s not like we’ll ever get to see it right? They'll never let us leave while we're still breathing.”
“We’ll definitely go see it someday! We’ll get out of here and we’ll go and see the world. We can go to Poinsettia and see the fireworks on Christmas Eve, it’s supposed to be the most beautiful place in the whole country!”
“If you say so…”
“Promise me Kally. Promise me you’ll come with me to see it!”
“…Alright, it’s a promise.”
It was a childish promise made by children, but ever since the day he’d lost her he’d found himself unable to forget all the silly little promises they’d made over the years- most of them so Lydia would quit pestering him and certainly none of them he’d ever expected to find himself in a position to carry out- and he felt like he owed it to her to see them through. Even if she couldn’t be there to see them carried out, this was something that he wanted to do. Something he had to do… both for her and for himself.
Around him, a chorus of voices roused Kaladin from his reverie. They were counting down from ten and it didn’t take a genius to work out that it was a countdown to midnight and the fireworks display that would mark the occasion. Kaladin had never seen fireworks, although he thought he knew what to expect thanks to all the times Lydia had described them. But as the countdown hit zero and the city went inexplicably dark, he soon found that even in his wildest imaginings he’d never come close to capturing the wonder of fireworks. A loud whistling sound was the only warning Kaladin got before the entire sky exploded in a shower of reds, blues, greens, purples and a dozen other colours that Kaladin couldn’t possibly count before they faded into the darkness only to be replaced by a cascade of golden sparks that felt as though they were inches from his face but were in fact hundreds of meters away.
Kaladin watched the display with wide eyed awe, losing himself in the dazzling display that was more beautiful and more stunning than anything else he’d seen in his entire life. But Lydia wasn’t here to see it and as that thought struck home, despite the joy of what he was experiencing, a single solitary tear sprung from his left eye and as it trickled down his cheek, the wind whipped up around him in a loving embrace and carried the tear away on wings of night and as it did, he thought he heard Lydia’s voice reciting the prayer she’d say aloud each night before she went to bed and for the first time in twenty one years, Kaladin joined in- although the sound of his voice was lost amid the fireworks, the wind heard it all.Thinking of you, wherever you are.
We pray for our sorrows to end,
and hope that our hearts will blend.
Now I will step forward to realize this wish.
And who knows:
starting a new journey may not so hard,
or maybe it has already begun…
Name: Ranth Amanite
Nickname: n/a
Age of Death: Born in Rukongai
Real Age/Apparent Age: 90/ 24
Gender: Male
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 90 kg
Blood Type: A Positive
Birthday: November 3{Appearance}Physical Description
Standing at six feet and two inches, Ranth possesses a slim frame with sharp features and pale skin. Lacking in both muscle and facial hair, Ranth can definitely be described as boyish rather than manly. Featuring medium length silver hair that possesses an almost mercurial quality when it catches the light and resists all attempts to tame it. Add to this his thin eyebrows and pale, honey coloured eyes and one would be forgiven for mistaking him at a glance for someone important. On rare occasions he's even been mistaken as an Albino, although this is not the case. Ranth certainly doesn't look strong, though he possesses a passable level of tone that to a practised eye shows that he's not a total stranger to physical labour, though his physique does suggest that he is more suited to speed and flexibility. Generally, his appearance conveys a sense of sheltered wealth and harmlessness that just seems to attract all the wrong sort of attention at the worst possible times.
Ranth possess lips that are firm to the eye, but soft to the touch whilst his body is unadorned by scars or callouses that indicate that his physique is a result of targeted training rather than manual labour. In fact his skin is peculiar in that it is completely unblemished by the sun. Possessing not so much as a tan line, which is strange no matter how you look at it, Ranth seems strangely immune to exposure to the sun as not so much as a freckle lives upon its surface despite taking little to no effort to protect it other than with his usual attire.
Ranth's ears are a rarely noticed feature of Ranth's appearance save for that they serve the basic function of framing his face. Neither pierced not in any way noteworthy, they do a fine job of hearing things but otherwise sit right in the middle of average in all respects from size to shape and are usually obscured by his hair anyway. Similarly, his nose is of a size and proportion that fits his face and does little to draw the eye other than take up space in the centre of his face and features no additional adornment.
Ranth is possessed of limbs that can be best described by words such as slender and lithe. Whilst he does possess muscle, that is not to be mistaken for bulk and even his fingers are possessed of a slender, almost delicate quality that would invoke thoughts of an artist or scholar over that of a labourer or warrior. Even his above average height works to give him an almost elegant visage without entering the realm of being lanky.
Despite being of above average height, there's something about the meek way in which Ranth carries himself that allows people to forget this and he seems to almost shrink whenever he feels awkward or uncomfortable- which is quite often. Generally this makes him seem like an easy target or a pushover to most men, whilst making him seem adorable to most women and this interaction can often get him into trouble with both of the aforementioned groups in a myriad of different ways. In the event that Ranth does make eye contact with someone, they would see a gentle yet skittish soul that prefers not to make waves or be the centre of attention.
Ranth's reiatsu can best be described as silver in colour and not altogether unlike liquid mercury in terms of visual texture as it rises around swirls around him. Although it is more transparent than the aforementioned substance as it's intermingled with shades of grey and white. Unlike many Shinigami, Ranth's reiatsu doesn't seem to alter in any notable way in accordance with his mood. His eyes on the other hand noticeably change from a light honey yellow to an almost glowing molten gold the more he draws upon his power.
Moving past the features that are readily apparent at a glance, for those that linger for closer inspection they'll find that Ranth possesses an earnestness that shines through in the way he wears his emotions on his sleeve. It's quite obvious to almost anyone with any degree of empathy when he's distressed, embarrassed, infatuated, happy, sad or anything in between whether he wants to hide it or not, but this in turn gives him an aura that those with any empathy will pick up as kind and well meaning.Clothing
Ranth can almost always be seen wearing predominantly white. Furthermore, his preferred attire regardless of weather or circumstance are the flowing garments unique to the 23rd district of Rukongai. These garments possess an almost decorative composition for the upper body whilst incorporating samurai-esque features from the waist down and finger-less gloves to protect his hands from callouses during training. Taken together, this combination serve to make discerning his exact size difficult at a glance whilst also providing significant freedom of movement, but the real reason he wears them is simply because he's used to them and feels comfortable both physically and mentally while wearing them. When absolutely forced to wear traditional Shinigami attire, Ranth will, but generally with a demeanour not unlike that of a kicked puppy and so he often gets away with his unorthodox attire with his more lax (and typically female) instructors at the academy.Accessories
Ranth wears a gold chain around his neck with two small golden obelisks hanging from the front. This was a gift from the brotherhood given to him the day he left for the academy to serve as a memento of where he came from and a reminder that he always has somewhere he can call home to return to.Pictures{Personality}Overview“It was a mistake, but the cruel thing was, it felt like the mistake was mine for trusting you”.
There was a time when Ranth dreamed of lofty pursuits and strode with the confidence that only a young boy could. A young man that knew nothing of the realities and hardships of life that everyone faces. He opened himself to the world and those around him and was promptly crushed. As a result, his confidence was crushed and his aspirations left as dying embers that served as a monument to what he simply hadn't been worthy enough to reach. Of course it had been a girl that- for the most part- had been the catalyst for laying him low, but for a young man's first love to go so spectacularly wrong and for those he thought he could rely on to turn their backs so easily hurt more than any physical injury could have. With nothing left for him in Rukongai, the only choice left to him was to join the 13 Court Guard Squad and hope to find something there that could change him.Detailed"One kind deed is more beautiful than a thousand good intentions”
Ranth is, for the most part, a well meaning individual. However, he is shy around strangers and extremely averse to conflict. Through his experiences as a child, Ranth has come to put very little stock in what people say. Having been taken in by sweet words and empty promises once before, he instead focuses on how people act both towards himself and towards those around him. As such, Ranth can be quite easily drawn in by someone who treats him kindly whilst remaining distant with someone who merely speaks to him nicely. However, this is indicative of a certain kind of naivety that can lead him to be easily manipulated."You cannot open a book without learning something"
Whatever he may lack in common sense, Ranth makes up for with academics. With an incredible appetite for knowledge of all kinds and an incredible aptitude for retaining that knowledge once exposed to it, Ranth feels at home surrounded by books or sitting in Academy lectures. On the flip side, he feels out of place in most social situations and tends to perform poorly under pressure or close observation. As a result, he excels when left to operate out of the spotlight or behind the scenes, making him an excellent team member and an awful leader."A fool is a person who ignores information because it disagrees with desired results"
Many people are zealous in their convictions, whether it be about religion, politics, friends, enemies or the inner workings of the very universe itself and will gladly- if not consciously- ignore or dismiss anything that may serve as evidence to the contrary. Ranth, on the other hand, is open to new ideas and information so long as they are backed by compelling evidence. The world isn't black and white to Ranth and he's always open to shades of grey in all aspects of life, whether that be in the way he regards other races or even his fellow Shinigami."Indecision may or may not be my problem"
Ranth does possess a firm sense of morality and a fairly standard perception of right and wrong. The trouble is that he's more often than not too reluctant to act swiftly upon witnessing something that that he disagrees with and on the rare occasion that he does, he has the problem of mumbling and stuttering and generally making a total fool of himself. Despite that, he does try his honest best at everything he does and this generally endears him to those around him and pity is a powerful weapon- especially in the hands of one who doesn't know he wields it. Ranth is inclined towards forgiveness even towards those who may not deserve it, which serves to be a constant headache for those that can see when he's being taken advantage of."Anger doesn't solve anything. It builds nothing and destroys everything"
Ranth has no temper to speak of. In fact, there is nobody anywhere who can claim to have heard him raise his voice for any purpose other than to call to someone over distance. As a result, he cannot properly relate to those who become angry- justified or not- and subsequently becomes uncomfortable as a result either because he feels his empathy is lacking, or because he feels that the person is being unreasonable but doesn't possess the nerve to say so. In fact, much of what Ranth might want to say does in fact go unsaid for this exact reason, which has led to a habit forming in which he imagines a scenario in which he was brave enough to speak his mind where in reality he holds his tongue. It's a coping mechanism of sorts, but one that leaves a bitter taste for almost always he wishes that his fantasy could have been reality."Friendship isn't about who you've known the longest. It's about who walked into your life and said 'I'm here for you' and proved it"
Ranth doesn't make friends easily, not what one would consider true friends at least. Polite almost to a fault, he's an easy person to get along with because he's an exceptionally tolerant and accommodating individual. However, for those who can prove themselves trustworthy through consistent and earnest effort, Ranth can be brave and fierce in supporting. For those that he considers a true friend, Ranth could sacrifice himself without hesitation. However, he has never had such a friend and if everyone shared his standards, then neither would anyone else.“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”
Ranth doesn't hold grudges and he certainly doesn't enjoy having people consider him an enemy. Therefore, he's always willing- perhaps even eager- to foster good relations even between people who have wronged him in the past. Of course there are always exceptions and people who simply cannot be forgiven or gotten along with and Ranth isn't quite so naive as to bare his throat to someone who will almost certainly cut it, but in lesser extremes Ranth will go to great lengths to treat people the way he would wish to be treated and one should never underestimate how effective such a simple philosophy can be."Single... and ready to get nervous around anyone that I find attractive"
Ranth is terrible with women, scarcely able to look them in the eye for fear of his eyes wandering- or the woman in question suspecting that his eyes were wandering- and scarcely able to string together a coherent sentence with anyone he finds even remotely attractive. But if an onlooker thought it was funny seeing him in the company of an attractive woman, then they'd barely be able to remain on their feet upon witnessing the disaster that is Ranth trying to deal with flirting. Prone to overthinking and over analysing, Ranth digs his own grave and then proceeds to climb in and fill it in again whenever such an encounter arises."Women are made to be loved, not understood"
On the off chance that Ranth is able to form a friendship with a woman, he's extremely aware that they are, at their core, fickle creatures thanks to often spoken 'conventional wisdom'. Ranth doesn't understand women and their fascination with makeup and cute things that are actually hideous or things (and people) that are clearly bad for them. He's seen women make terrible decisions that defy common sense and earnest advice, only for things to go as poorly as they were warned about and yet still be shocked at the outcome. So what Ranth has learned is that woman are creatures that are nice to look at, but simply cannot be reasoned with.Likes
Structure: Ranth feels most comfortable in an environment where most aspects of his life are laid out for him. Always having somewhere to be and something to do as part of a regular routine gives him a sense of safety in his day to day life. When his routine is disrupted or- god forbid- removed, he does not cope well.
Learning: Lacking many of the basic practical experience that most of his peers at the Academy possess, Ranth has found that the best way to make up for this gap is by attaining knowledge. Although in many regards knowing how to do something in theory is a poor substitute for being able to do it in practise, there are also many ways in which theoretical knowledge can offer alternate approaches to problems.
Following: Ranth is not a leader and doesn't perform well at even the most basic tasks when put in such a position. His thoughts become cloudy and his hands shaky when that kind of pressure is put upon him, but when someone else can fill that role then he is excellent at following orders and seeing tasks through to completion. Ironically, when acting according to orders from a superior, Ranth can actually display competent leadership qualities.
Drawing: Ranth has always had a knack for drawing, but his particular favourite style is simply sketching what he see's in his day to life. This consists of people mostly and sometimes animals or scenery and his ability to hash out an uncanny likeness with a stick of charcoal can be considered enviable by most.
Animals: Ranth just has a way with animals, both domesticated and wild. Perhaps they simply recognise a gentle soul when they see one, but Ranth simply see's all creatures great and small as companions that he can turn to in times of stress and turmoil and they seem to feel the same way about him.
Confidence: Ranth is drawn to those who display confidence. Perhaps it's because he wishes it would rub off on him, but he finds being around such individuals reassuring even though the kinds of people with such bearing have an unfortunate tendency to be overbearing, arrogant and insufferable to most.
Acknowledgement: Few things make Ranth as happy as genuine, honest praise forgetting something right. It's one of the precious few things that can bolster his confidence and combat his general sense of mediocrity.
The colour blue: Not much to say here, other than that Ranth finds the colour to be both relaxing and reassuring. It's worth noting that he finds women with blue eyes inherently attractive and assumes that most women feel the same way about blue eyed men.
Spicy Food:Not much to say here other than that Ranth really enjoys spicy food, especially curries. He'll add spice to meals where he feels it's appropriate to do so and in some cases his meek demeanour seems to be at odds with his tolerance for even the hottest chilli and the most powerful spices.
Kido: It's a common saying that it's easy to like something when you're good at it and that's exactly the case when it comes to Ranth and the Shinigami arts. The spells and incantations fit well within his scholarly approach to things and as he finds that practising them is a joy not only because he finds it relaxing in many cases, but also because it's the thing that attracts the most praise from his peers and superiors.Dislikes
Violence: It stands to reason that no reasonable person enjoys witnessing or inflicting harm on another person or creature, but Ranth is particularly adverse to it even by the most ardent standards. Violence is a last resort for him that comes well after most people would have thrown a punch either in anger or in defence of themselves or someone else.
Swords: In much the same way as Ranth likes Kido because he's good at it and people praise him for it, Ranth hates swords because he's terrible with them and is often scolded for his lack of aptitude compared to the vast majority of his peers.
Anger: Ranth views anger as a liability. Inhibiting clear and rational thinking and dulling awareness, he can't understand how so many people fall victim to it so easily. Of course there are some who seem to perform better- at least in some respects- when angry, but those kinds of people are outliers who both fascinate and confound him.
Leading/ Pressure/ Public Speaking: Ranth is, to put it kindly, a terrible leader. Indecisive and prone to over analysing to a fault whenever put in charge of other people's well-being. Furthermore, his dislike of leadership relates nicely to his inability to perform well under pressure and his tendency of becoming tongue tied when speaking in front of crowds.
Dishonesty: Having been spurned by lies and betrayal in the past, Ranth holds himself to a higher standard of honesty and integrity than he does the people around him and while he's generally willing to live and let live even when someone does lie to him, he will never forget it.
Alcohol: Ranth just doesn't have the stomach for booze. He'll still drink it on occasion, but mostly out of social obligation rather than for pleasure. If given the choice, he'll opt for red wine over anything else and likes spirits least of all.
Dice Ranth has the absolute worst luck when it comes to dice games. If he needs high numbers, he'll roll the lowest number. If he needs low numbers then he'll roll the highest. Statistical probability just doesn't seem to work properly when Ranth is around, so he makes a point to never play for keeps when dice are involved.
Sweets: Ranth doesn't have a big sweet tooth and although the occasional piece of cake or chocolate is enjoyable, he doesn't have the stomach for them in large quantities or ultra sugary, super rich desserts and they leave him feeling sick whenever he forgets this or is forced to eat them for the sake of politeness.
Flirting: He's bad at it and it makes him uncomfortable when people do it to him, not least of which because he can never tell when someone is teasing him and when someone is actually interested in him. Overall it's just something he prefers not to dabble in so there's one less thing he can make a fool of himself for.
Dog earring books: Ranth likes books of all kinds. Novels, text books, journals and anything else where there is ink on paper and one of his greatest pet hats is people who fold down the edges to makr their place instead of using a book mark.
Being Overestimated: There's nothing quite as terrifying as expectations and Ranth in particular hates them. He'd much rather people expect nothing of him and be pleasantly surprised than for them to expect greatness and be disappointed.Flaws
Lacking Confidence: Most of Ranth's flaws stem from this one overarching tendency to doubt himself. He questions his abilities, his ideas and his self worth constantly and this self destructive habit serves to constantly undermine his growth and feed his insecurities. One of his dearest wishes is to be able to believe in himself the way he sees those around him doing, but his own lack of confidence often leads him to dismay ever actually achieving such growth.
Naive: Perhaps because of his inability to trust in himself, Ranth has an unfortunate tendency to put too much trust in those around him, particularly those in a position of authority. This doesn't necessarily have to be in regards to any deep, meaning of life type issues. It could be something as simple as being given terrible relationship advice and taking it at face value or believing someone's tall tales without much scrutiny.
Awkward: When Ranth becomes uncomfortable, he becomes awkward and it doesn't take a lot to make him feel uncomfortable. This can manifest in almost any situation from socialising to training to real combat. If someone knows what gets under Ranth's skin then it's not hard to exploit it to reduce his effectiveness with minimal effort.
Indecisive: Ranth likes to be sure of something before he commits to it, which unless someone he trusts or respects can give him- such as through a direct order or instruction- means agonising over potential outcomes and worst case scenario's. This means that he thoroughly explores every available option without overlooking any conceivable alternative, which in theory sounds great but in practise leads to missed or wasted opportunities.
Lack of Training: Many of his classmates at the Academy came from families that provided training in relevant disciplines to what would be taught to them. Ranth on the other hand did not and his admission was more of a last minute decision than a planned affair. As a result, he often finds himself way behind his fellows- particularly when it comes to wielding swords and other martial disciplines.
Oblivious: When it comes to more intricate social interactions, Ranth can be completely oblivious to sensitive or off limit topics. This could include anything from a woman's interest to someone being upset or sensitive about something and thus shouldn't be brought up or even alluded to or worse still... asked about.
Curious: Curiosity by itself is to be encouraged, but sometimes Ranth takes this to an unsafe extreme when encountering the new or unknown. Sometimes he needs to see or experience something for himself, even if that thing is hazardous to his health.
Passive Ranth is often too content to go with the flow and do what other people tell him, even if he thinks he might have a better idea or simple doesn't fully agree with the course of action. In other words, he's the poster boy for peer pressure.
Takes failure to heart: Having had his failures in judgement lead to catastrophic results in the past, Ranth is especially fragile when his decisions lead to bad outcomes, even if it's only a theoretical exercise. He's simply been through it too many times in the past to go through that kind of hell again.
Overly Thoughtful: Whilst being the cool, calm and collected type is usually a trait to be admired, in Ranth's case he finds it very difficult to be impulsive or act 'in the heat of the moment'. This can be a problem when lives could be on the line and Ranth's decision is the one people are waiting for.
Blunt Honesty: Ranth possesses a bad habit for telling the truth. If someone asks him for an honest opinion but what they really want is a 'nice' answer, they'd best not ask Ranth because he's more than likely to say exactly what comes to mind.Habits
Sketching: It's a common sight for Ranth to produce his sketch pad and a stick of charcoal to sketch what he can see, or something he recently saw. Usually he does this when he's trying to relax as the creative outlet allows his mind to focus on the art.
Routine: Ranth's most easily observable habit is the rigidity of his routine. Rising at dawn, studying or practising before classes begin as necessary and eating his meals at precisely the same time each day- or as close as possible at any rate- before concluding his day with more study and then bed with time for 8 hours of sleep.
Closing his eyes: When Ranth really needs to concentrate on something, he has a tendency to close his eyes. He finds that by shutting out visual stimuli his ideas tend to come faster and more clearly. Especially if there are people around to make him feel self conscious.
Clicking his tongue: An unconscious tick of sorts, Ranth often clicks his tongue in a variety of different ways for a variety of different situations. Frustration, concentration, derision, sympathy, surprise and many others besides all have a way of being conveyed with a click of the tongue.
Blushing Ranth wears his emotions on his sleeve whether he likes it or not (he doesn't), so when he becomes embarrassed or flustered it shows in his face without exception.
Crossing his arms and tapping his finger: When Ranth crosses his arms and taps his fingers it may at first be mistaken for impatience or perhaps even condescension, but this is the most clear sign that he's listening to what's being said and taking it seriously.
Sitting down: Ranth doesn't especially enjoy standing when he doesn't have to, so if there's nothing going on and there's something to sit on or lean against then he'll usually opt to do that if he's going to be in one place for a long or undefined amount of time.
Sitting down: In his free time, Ranth likes to read. Given the fact that he seems to enjoy any book he can get his hands on, sometimes he'll be found with some rather strange or even scandalous material, yet he never seems to be embarrassed when it comes to books.Fears
Failure: Ranth's single greatest fear is that he'll never succeed in life. After having everything he thought he could ever want snatched away from him because of what he perceived as his own worthlessness and failure to be good enough, there is nothing he dreads more than suffering like that again- or worse, causing others to suffer due to his own shortcomings.
Going Back: On a day to day basis, the thing that motivates Ranth is the fear that if he doesn't do well, then the only place he can go is back to his home in the 23rd District. A home where there is nothing for him except a long and dismal life of dwelling on what might have been.
Killing: Ranth has never killed anything in his life save for the odd mosquito and whilst it's not something that he thinks about often- in fact, he's never had occasion to- if presented with the need to kill someone then the prospect would terrify him.
Intimacy: Ranth has loved once and loved deeply and it ruined him. So even though part of him wants nothing more than to feel that again, a larger part is afraid of everything that could go wrong if he did and so he's extremely wary of allowing himself to go down that path again.Goals
Catch up: Compared to his peers, Ranth had a very late start to everything related to becoming a Shinigami and so his primary goal is simply to make up for the difference. To him, there's little use in looking forward past such a blatant and consequential shortcoming and in keeping with his own lack of self worth, he doesn't hold onto lofty goals like so many of his classmates. His dearest wish at the moment is simply to be adequate and if that time comes, then he can turn his to a new goal.
Find Purpose: Ranth had a purpose once and a plan and a dream of the life he thought he would have. With all of that gone, all that's left for him is to start again and build what he can with the broken pieces that remain. Surely there must be some place within the Soul Society where he can fit. Somewhere he can belong and feel at home and build a new life with a new future. Of course, before he can do that, he needs to actually graduate from the Academy.
Reform the Kido Corps: Since the Kido corps have no captain, the organisation has been disbanded and cannot be joined. As a Kido practitioner, Ranth's dream is to reform it so that people like him will have a place that suits them amongst the Gotei. It's an ambitious goal and he's never shared it with anyone, but it drives him to hone his skills so that he can make this wish a reality.{History}Prelude"People who get nostalgic about childhood were obviously never children"
Ranth was born in the 23rd District of Rukongai to a merchant family of middling importance and slightly above average wealth. His father served the role of a typical family head, running the day to day business and seeming to spend all of his time in one meeting or another, always negotiating another deal to keep things moving smoothly. This left Ranth's mother to fulfil the role on the other side of the stereotypical coin as his caretaker and educator, such was the case with almost every family that wasn't quite wealthy enough to afford to hire people to do it for them.
An important thing to note about Ranth's family is that they were married out of convenience rather than love. Such was the way of things, was all Ranth's mother would say about it on the odd occasion that Ranth would ask. As for his Father, who had a number of mistresses over the years, Ranth never had the chance- or rather, the nerve- to raise the topic with the man. It was like some unspoken agreement had been made between them in that it was easier, or perhaps more convenient, to pretend that everything was normal. There was no shame in it, his Father more likely simply found it easier not to try and explain something so complicated as love, marriage and how they weren't mutually inclusive.
Ranth's mother on the other hand had no other lovers, though whether this was because she didn't want one or was forbidden by Ranth's father he would never know. She had been born in a lower district than his father, so perhaps that played a role in the dynamic, but it never seemed to bother her or affect the way she treated Ranth. In fact, from the stories he heard from other children when he attended public schooling it seemed like his living situation was far better than many of his peers whose parents had presumably married for reasons like love or passion. Of course, at the time he hadn't thought about it in such terms and only on reflection many years later did he come to this realisation.
Tragically, Ranth suffered no small amount of cruelty at the hands of the other children in the form of taunts and whispers about his parents who didn't love eachother- no doubt words spoken by parents out of spite, jealousy or any number of petty grievances they had with their own sad little lives. Nonetheless, the poison trickled from parent to child and gave Ranth his first taste of injustice. Ultimately, the lesson Ranth learned was that nobody could be quite as cruel as children. Their inherent innocence added an edge to everything they did that no adult, however cunning, could replicate.
The irony was that Ranth was only sent to school in order to socialise and much of Ranth's actual schooling was done at home under the stern eye of his mother. He had thought that the intention was that he would make friends at school, but when he spoke of the torment the other children put him through, his mother explained that that too was a kind of education. A lesson to be learned. According to his mother, the world was a cruel place and people were fickle and unkind to those who were different or better off. It was a kind of jealousy fuelled spite that one had to be aware of in order to not be blindsided by it.
In the end, Ranth's mother had him treat it as a diplomatic exercise. For there was nothing quite as infuriating as having hate met with kindness and so Ranth's task was to respond to every taunt, every prank, every grievance directed at him with kindness. It's difficult to say for sure, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say that this 'exercise' is what compounded his already quiet and timid nature. For it's an easy thing to tell someone to meet hate with kindness, but the reality is that it's not much different to letting someone punch you until their hands get too sore to continue.
Eventually, Ranth was pulled out of school. This wasn't because he couldn't stand the bullying anymore- which despite his Mother's advice, never stopped completely- but rather because it was required of him that he focus more on his studies in order to be properly prepared to first assist and then take over the family business. Regardless of the reasoning, for a young Ranth his mother's textbooks presented no taunts, insults or cruelty towards him but instead presented the knowledge within them without reservation, which was a welcome solace.
From as early as he could remember, Ranth was to walk in his father's footsteps and take over the family business when the time eventually came, so much of Ranth's time as a youth was spent in study rather than playing or spending time other children out in the streets. He didn't resent it though, either because it was what he became accustomed to or simply because it was in his nature, Ranth never seemed to mind the study and even as a boy he was adept at retaining the knowledge his mother drilled into him. It was by no means an idyllic childhood, but Ranth looking back on it, Ranth could safely say he was content with it.
“Infatuation is not quite the same thing as love; it's more like love's shady second cousin who's always borrowing money and can't hold down a job.”
This all began to change the day he met Sylia, although he wouldn't realise until years later. Daughter to another merchant family, their father's had been in business together for most of their lives and so of course they quickly became close having so much in common. As children, they didn't play the same kinds of games that other children played. They played games of strategy and completed exercises given to them by Ranth's mother in order to emulate to some degree the skills they would require when they became old enough to take part in their fathers' business. This went on for years and of course, as adolescence arrived Ranth was sure that he was in love.
This infatuation was a pleasant distraction from the fact that business was not going well. Ranth often spoke at length to Sylia of the strain between his own parents as his father made one poor investment after another. She was the only person he felt safe enough to confide in and she seemed to return the sentiment as she told him of her own father's indiscretions. To Ranth, they were each other's secret keepers and in his wilder flights of fancy, he imagined their lives together... married and wealthy with children to someday take over from them as they would someday do for their own parents as well. Life seemed at that point to be such a simple thing and happiness such an achievable goal.
Although they were always chaperoned when visiting each other's homes, when their families attended public events together they were able to have time to themselves and it was those moments Ranth treasured. Whether it was walking the elaborate gardens of the 12th district gardens under the light of the moon guided by fairy lights intertwined with hedges, or perhaps the grand cathedral of the 8th district with its intricate mosaics and stained-glass floor to ceiling windows, it was in these places and others like them that he felt courageous and daring as they be closer than was strictly appropriate and speak of things that they would never dream of having anyone else overhear or be privy to.
Looking back on it later, Ranth could hardly blame himself for not seeing the signs. Although they stole away to secret places, they never did anything that could be considered truly romantic. Not in the way the stories told or in the way the collective understanding of what young love entails. Yet how could he push the issue? Even had he been bold enough to make such advances, he could not have done anything to force something that was meant to be spontaneous and wonderful.
It had always felt wonderful that they could connect on what seemed to be an intellectual level and with nothing to compare it to, Ranth came to think of it as the way things were meant to be in reality amongst proper society. Never mind that boys and girls his age from lesser families partook in all sorts of misadventures that the mere mention of would make him blush, they were a different people with different rules. That was what he told himself, even as his heart ached for more and his head scolded him for his impropriety.“It was a mistake, but the cruel thing was , it felt like the mistake was mine for trusting you.”
Time passed and Ranth became accustomed to keeping his misgivings buried so deeply that most of the time he could pretend he didn't know they were there. A smile here, a hinted promise there... that was all it took from Sylia to keep him on the hook for the longest time. Eventually though, adolescence won out and Ranth did something he never would have thought he'd have the courage to do. He kissed her. Or rather... he tried to. No matter how much time passes, he'll never forget that night in the gardens of one of the 11th Districts manors while their fathers drank and socialised for the purpose of strengthening ties and forging trade deals. There had bene fireworks, bathing them in bright colours and staining the sky. It had felt... right, being there with Sylia and he'd done it without even meaning to. But she'd pulled away and for a moment Ranth had seen it. Not disgust exactly, but reluctance. Something was wrong, but Ranth was too hurt to think on it as she made a hasty exit andelft him in the gardens with his thoughts... and his worry that he'd made a terrible mistake and somehow ruined their relationship by being too forward. They had a good thing though, didn't they? So surely one small mistake... a crossed wire couldn't bring an end to that, could it?
The very next morning brought the answer to that question and it came in the form of a sudden, disastrous end. For every word Ranth had ever spoken about his family's internal affairs to Sylia had been faithfully and systematically repeated to Sylia's father and the man had been using that information to push Ranth's own father into a corner. From the very beginning, Sylia's purpose had been to gain Ranth's confidence and use it for her own families gain. The end result of this was that Ranth's father ended his own life, unable to deal with the crippling debt he'd accrued in his desperate attempts to stay afloat. This broke Ranth's mother in a way Ranth didn't know people could break, but he soon experienced it first hand as Sylia's father swept in and took over the remnant of the business and he finally realised the role that he'd played in his own family's downfall.
Sylia's father had been able to push Ranth's father towards investments and decisions that benefited him, knowing just what to say to give him the proper nudge thanks to the things Ranth told his daughter. It was a crushing realisation that compounded the loss of both his mother and father- although each had been lost in a different way. In the course of a few days, Ranth's entire world had fallen apart and left him with nothing but a crippling sense of guilt and loss. With his mother taken in by a place that dealt with cases like hers and the family home possessed by Sylia's family, Ranth had nowhere to go save for The Brotherhood, a sanctuary of sorts for boys and men to keep them off the street."Life's funny. You have to find a way to keep going, to keep laughing, even after you realise that none of your dreams will come true”
With Ranth's skill set, he was a welcome addition to their number as he was able to assist with their book keeping and other clerical matters, but he was deeply unhappy. Every day he saw reminders of what had once been and what he'd done. Although he never saw Sylia again after the night he'd tried to kiss her, he eventually heard that she'd entered into an arranged married to the son of another merchant family from a wealthier district, whilst Ranth's mother couldn't remember who he was on most of the occasions he visited her.
As a member of the brotherhood, Ranth was exposed to a seedier side of the Rukongai. It wasn't a side that he hadn't known existed, but it was one he'd never been so openly exposed to before. Drugs, sex, murder and violence became a part of his everyday life at least in the sense that part of his role within The Brotherhood was to help those who had been in similar positions to him... and much, much worse. For where he'd come with skills, good health and a certain amount of discipline, there were many boys and men who came seeking help who had none of those things.
Of course, as his duties expanded the longer he spent within the organisation he became a mentor of sorts for the youths that came seeking shelter. He quickly found that many of them were too proud to accept help outright and were quick to anger lash out at him with words and occasionally fists or weapons too. This was never something Ranth took to heart though, as he'd long since been conditioned to respond to such treatment with one thing and one thing only. Kindness. This gave him a special kind of knack with many of the youths who he visited that his superiors noted, but there was one boy in particular that Ranth felt a aprticular kinship too.
His name had been Kel, though Ranth never know if it was a nickname or a short for something longer. He'd come from a broken home- his father an addled drug addict and his mother simply never spoken of. Kel would often show up with all manner of injuries that Ranth eventually was able to discern came from being at the bottom of the pecking order among whatever gang he'd been forced to join with in order to survive.
In his foolishness, Ranth had given Kel a pair of shoes one day after seeing the state of the poor boy's torn and calloused feet. He'd given the boy a meal as was standard practise and then he'd bid the boy farewell. It was the last time he ever saw Kel. Several days after that final farewell Ranth found out through another boy that Kel had been robbed and killed trying to defend himself. Up until that point, Ranth had clung to a belief that he'd been making a difference somehow. He'd almost convinced himself that he was making up for the betrayal that had destroyed his own family. Yet in the end, he'd betrayed Kel through his own ineptitude. He should have known that he'd painted a target on the young boy's back with such a gift. What he'd given Kel hadn't been a pair of shoes, but a warrant for execution. Ranth learned that day that the worth of one boy's life was equivalent to a pair of new shoes.
This realisation cut Ranth deeply and he swore on that day that he would never serve as a leader or mentor for anyone again, for he was unqualified and unworthy to be trusted with such a position with all the consequences such a position entailed. Others in The Brotherhood tried to reassure him, but to no avail. He retreated from the public side of his duties and nothing anyone said could convince him otherwise as the guilt within him was simply too strong.
As the years passed, Ranth's mother fell ill and passed. It was a slow, inexorable descent and it had been excruciating to watch the woman who had raised him go out in such a way. In the end, he'd forced himself to see it through to the end as a kind of self punishment, but now he was left with a hollow emptiness. He'd lost the girl he'd thought he loved, he'd lost his mother and family and the more he thought about it, the more he became certain that there was nothing for him in Rukongai. Yet where else could he go? In the end, it was The Brotherhood's own guild master- the one person whom Ranth still felt he could confide in- who gave him the advice he sought. The advice was for him to leave the Rukongai behind completely and seek a fresh start within the Academy. In the ultimate display of irony, he would become a Shinigami, a god of death... and be reborn.
{Combat}Overview
While there are many who choose a fighting style other than swordplay for a variety of reasons, Ranth is one of the seldom few has elected to take an alternate path because he can't use a sword. Or rather, he was so late in picking it up the best he'll ever likely achieve is competence at best. Instead, Ranth has had to look to other means to keep up with his peers.Fighting Style
Ranth know's that he's a poor match for any practised swordsman (or woman), so from the outset he's focused his efforts on learning everything he can about the use of Kido. For many Shinigami, this is a purely supplementary style that is often discarded in favor of brute strength- especially once they have mastered their Zanpakuto releases. But for someone like Ranth, Kido is the perfect weapon. Allowing him to engage a fight on his terms and keep his opponents out of sword range, Kido actually conveys a number of enormous advantages, especially against those who have yet to unlock either of their releases.
An ideal fight from Ranth's perspective begins with a powerful ranged sneak attack. Should that fail, then a binding followed by more ranged attacks is an ideal followup and in the event that this fight is against a serious enemy, then he simply wouldn't be foolish enough to be in that situation without allies and so he slots very nicely into a support role, able to immobilise enemies that get close and pick off enemies that remain at a distance. This is also an ideal style for him because it generally gives him far more time to think about his next move without sharp things being waved in his face.
Upon learning his release and realising that it leaves him without a tangible weapon, Ranth was left with no choice but to invest a great deal of time in learning and polishing martial art skills in case of emergencies- for only a fool wouldn't take precautions to compensate for such a glaring potential weakness. Thankfully however, Ranth's releases also serve to significantly bolster and grant new possibilities to his preferred fighting style. Revolving around the extensive use of Kido, Ranth's releases serves to drastically increase the amount of Kido he can use whilst also enabling him to keep enemies at a distance and punish those that attempt to engage in close quarters combat to boot. One side effect of this ability however is that when taking on the reiatsu of beings with powerful personalities, they can bleed into his own to colour the way he thinks, speaks and acts.
In Shikai, Ranth's style switches from ending a fight as quickly as possible to forcing a war of attrition. Because he simultaneously increases the costs of his opponents techniques and stores some of that excess to supplement his own reiatsu reserves, allowing him to, in theory, have an unlimited amount of reiatsu available to him. Furthermore, Ranth's focus becomes reducing his opponents reiatsu to zero as quickly as possible and to that end, his strategy revolves around marking opponents with his reiatsu in order to increase their susceptibility to his ability to drain them.
In large scale battles or battles in which Ranth takes on a supporting role, he serves as a kind of reiatsu battery that enables him to provide more powerful allies with the means to be more liberal with their techniques whilst also forcing his opponents to be more sparing with their own. This obviously makes him an incredibly useful person to have backing you up. Conversely, if Ranth is the most powerful person on the team and his allies are useless, they can become reiatsu batteries for him instead.
In Bankai, Ranth doubles down on the strategy of taking his opponents reiatsu down to nothing by virtue of the fact that he no longer needs them to cast techniques in order to drain from them. Of course, marking them with his reiatsu makes this drain faster and forcing his opponents to use techniques further increases the rate at which his opponents reiatsu goes down. Furthermore, his fighting style has the potential to become drastically more varied in this form because he gains the ability to use the techniques of those who he's drained reiatsu from and has witnessed or otherwise has knowledge of.
When using his mask, Ranth becomes colder in the execution of his strategies and more inclined towards being ruthless overall. When using his resurrection however, his personality can change to match the person he transforms into as a side effect of integrating their reiatsu into his being. Furthermore, this creates an incredibly diverse modifier to his fighting techniques as he can make free use of other people's abilities- including their releases, but primarily uses this ability for the purpose of subterfuge moreso than outright combat and he prefers to keep the particulars of his ability to himself unless absolutely necessary.{Kido Techniques}
This is where Kido techniques will live}{Other Techniques}
This is where other techniques will live{Zanpakuto}Overview
Ranth's Zanpakuto is named Zenzeiken, which roughly translates to "Absolute Tax". Aesthetically, it shares no special features that make it stand out from the crowd. Underneath this unassuming veneer however lies a secret that makes it truly unique. For Zenzeiken possesses two spirits within its blade and these two spirits each represent one extreme of the Zanpakuto's ability. On the one hand, a ruler can use collected taxes in order to better serve the people by distributing wealth. On the other hand, a ruler can tax all of that wealth for themselves and use it for their own benefit. It is up to Ranth to decide where he will stand between these two extremes and decide just what kind of 'ruler' he will be.
Zenzeiken's power of 'collecting an absolute tax' refers not to any kind of material wealth, but instead on the most absolute thing any living creature possesses. Their souls. Every living thing possesses reiatsu, which is an intimate part of their being. It is this that Zenzeiken taxes, taking the reiatsu of those around it and allowing its wielder to either use what it collects for themselves or distribute it to his allies. Furthermore, a person's reiatsu carries an inherent part of themselves within it and this gives Zenzeiken the ability to recreate a person's reiatsu based techniques after seeing them performed. During either release state, Ranth's reiatsu signature permeates the entire area, making it virtually impossible to pinpoint his location without direct line of sight.Inner World
An endless moonlit void is the personification of Ranth's soul. Time seems to move faster here, with the stars that move through the endless sky seeming to form streaks of light as they move through predetermined orbits. The ground itself seems to be made from perfectly polished obsidian that reflects everything above it. The twin crescent moons serve as a solitary, immobile way-point that never gets any closer or any further away whilst bathes everything beneath it in silver light. Yet despite its darkness, this inner world is a place of serenity and peace rather than darkness and chaos. The calmer Ranth is, the slower the stars move, whilst the greater his inner turmoil, the more the opposite is true.Zanpakuto SpiritsJinsei
Benevolent and wise, Jinsei is the embodiment of a wise, but more importantly kind ruler. The kind that would be beloved and respected by his people... if he had any. Jinsei represents the portion of Ranth's power that allows him to use the Reiatsu he collects for the good of others and counsels him towards actions that serve the greater good with no thought to his own well being.Asseisha
Tyrannical and self serving, Asseisha is the embodiment of a selfish and tyrannical ruler. The kind that is loathed and derided by her people... if she had any. Asseisha represents the portion of Ranth's power that allows him to use the Reiatsu he collects for his own benefit and counsels him towards actions that are self serving with no regard for the well being of others.Shikai
Release Phrase:"Pay Tribute, Zenzeiken"
Upon release, Zenzeiken breaks down into microscopic fragments that saturate the air over an area that extends 50 metres from the point of release and creates a sparkling effect. This leaves Ranth without a weapon, but in return he gains the ability to siphon reiatsu from a number of sources within this saturated space using a variety of methods. The first source is any being that uses a technique or ability that requires reiatsu to function whilst the second source is from a technique that was created using reiatsu and enters the saturated space after being cast beyond it. This space operates with Ranth at its centermost point. Furthermore, Ranth must be inside the saturated area or in contact with whatever he's using as a vessel in order for him to interact with the stored reiatsu. In addition, Ranth gains a passive awareness of all reiatsu infused entities that come into contact with his release. Furthermore, it takes less stamina overall to use someone elses reiatsu than it does to use his own.
In the case that a person uses a technique within the saturated space, they will find that the cost of using that technique is increased proportionate to the difference between Ranth's reiatsu strength and the highest spiritual stat of his opponent. If their highest spiritual stat is equal to or less than his by 50%, then they pay 25% more for their techniques. If they possess half as much in their highest spiritual stat (or less) than Ranth does then they pay 50% of the reiatsu cost for their techniques. If a target possess a superior spiritual stat to Ranth then they are unaffected by the ability. In the case of a reiatsu based technique or construct entering the saturated space from afar, there is no extra cost inflicted to the caster but reiatsu is still siphoned away from the technique itself following the same guidelines as normal (25% of the technique cost if 100-50% Ranth's RS, 50% if less than half his RS and unaffected if superior).
Furthermore, there is a limit to how much reiatsu Ranth can store outside of himself at once, equal to his own maximum amount of reiatsu as well as a limit on the maximum amount of reiatsu that he can siphon from a single unwilling target in a single post which is equal to 25% of his own maximum reiatsu. Finally, any kido spell he casts within range of his release has its costs treated as being 1 class lower than it normally would.
This ability is passive for as long as Ranth's Shikai is released and does nothing to alter the power, speed or properties of the techniques that are siphoned. What it does do however is form a pool of reiatsu separate from Ranth's own which he can draw from or deposit into others in order to use techniques of his own without having to resort to diminishing his own reserves. Furthermore, Ranth can also make use of this collected reiatsu to replenish the reserves of his allies as long as they are within the saturated space with the following limits. A single person can only willingly allow Ranth to siphon reiatsu of equal value to 10% of their current reiatsu in a single post and this limit also applies to allies being given reiatsu as well. This reiatsu is simply drawn out and absorbed by the tiny fragments of Ranth's zanpakuto that saturate the air and pass it between themselves to him like an unseen electric current. The only outward sign of this process occurring is that the target will glow the colour of their respective reiatsu to indicate that the effect is active. Ranth will glow in a similar fashion whenever he draws reiatsu from his external stores and into himself or out of himself and into someone else. Merely by reversing the order of this process, Ranth can give his reiatsu or reiatsu that he has stored to others so long as they are willing recipients (or incapacitated) and are within range of his release.Bankai
Release Phrase:"Surrender Everything, Zenzeiken"
Ranth's Bankai operates according to the same principle as it's Shikai, but with a few key upgrades. Firstly, the saturated zone moves with Ranth always at the centre and covers a range of 500 metres in all directions and his awareness of anything possessing reiatsu is further heightened whilst the maximum amount of Reiatsu he can store, transfer and otherwise manipulate per post is now unlimited.
Secondly, If their highest spiritual stat is equal to or less than his by 50%, then they pay 75% more for their techniques. If they possess half or less of their highest spiritual stat than Ranth does then they pay an extra 150% for their techniques. If they possess more than him in their highest spiritual stat by 50% then they pay 50% more for their techniques. If they possess at least twice as much of their highest spiritual stat than Ranth then they are unaffected by the ability.
Third, it siphons reiatsu from any living being within range at a rate of 10% of their current reiatsu total. In the case of a technique entering the saturated space from afar, there is no extra cost inflicted to the caster but reiatsu is still siphoned away following the same guidelines as normal.
Fourth, his Bankai provides the ability to cast the reiatsu based abilities of those whose reiatsu he has stored as long as he has enough of that individuals reiatsu to pay the full cost of the technique. This applies only to wholly reiatsu based attacks and constructs such as cero, bala, getsuga tenshou, kamehameha etc, although he must have seen the technique used in order to use this ability and it cannot be used on techniques that require a release. Furthermore, Ranth cannot copy a technique in 'short form', for example a kido spell cast without an incantation cannot be copied by this ability. Finally, any kido spell he casts within range of his release has its costs treated as being 2 classes lower than it normally would.{Zanpakuto Techniques}
Naidokin [Ruler's Private Property]
There are few things more annoying than an opponent who is faster than you, so Ranth's answer to such foes is simple. By spending 300 reiatsu he is able to crystalise the tiny pieces of his Zanpakuto that saturate his surroundings to create what is essentially an inconceivable number of tiny blades. These blades are actually harmless to anyone passing through them unless one specific criteria is met. If a person or object is moving faster than a particular threshold then they will suffer damage proportionate to how fast they're moving through his space. Using Ranth's own base speed as a baseline, for every 100 speed greater than his that something moves (including Ranth himself and any allies who may be present) they will suffer moderate cuts to their body. For every 100 speed beyond that, the wounds become deeper and greater in quantity with no limit other than the top speed a person can achieve. One activated, Ranth can maintain the effect at a cost of 50 reiatsu per post.
The drawback of this technique is that Ranth and his allies are also affected by it and if he wants to toggle it on and off he has to pay the activation cost to turn it back on each time. He's also unable to only enable the effect in some areas and not in others- it's an all or nothing ability. In addition, when this effect is activated, the faint silver sparkling effect that Ranth's release normally possesses becomes more pronounced. Finally, the blades will not be able to cut anyone or anything with a superior OS than Ranth's own reiatsu Strength, whilst owned weapons are subject to the appropriate durability checks. An owned item is anything that is created or carried between threads by an opponent.
Shukensha Hoshoukin [Ruler's Bond]
As someone who relies heavily on the use of Kido and the heavy drain this can place on his stamina, Ranth needed a method which can allow him to push past fatigue in the short term in order to close out a fight when the going gets tough. In order to do this, Ranth converts reiatsu- either his own or someone elses- into a burst of energy that can temporarily undo the strain of previous exertions. Specifically, Ranth can pay 100 reiatsu in order to 'fuel' one post worth of major exertion (a single tier 1 technique, A couple of tier 2 techniques, a few tier 3 techniques etc). Every time after the first that Ranth uses the technique, it costs an additional 50 reiatsu to achieve the same effect with no upper limit within a single battle and a cooldown of 24 IC hours before that limit is reset.
The drawback of this technique is that it has to be used sparingly and at the right time or else its cost becomes impractical, if not impossible to pay very quickly especially at the point of a fight when such a technique would come into play. It's designed as something more akin to a trump card, allowing Ranth to dig deep at critical moments rather than a crutch that he can turn to at the first sign of trouble. Note that this does not negate the reiatsu cost of any actions taken whilst using this stamina boost.
Zettaichi Keiyakusho [Absolute Contract]
Although Ranth's Shikai and Bankai are effective at what they do on their own, Ranth has developed a means by which he can take their effectiveness to a new level. He achieves this by marking opponents using his own reiatsu which in turn makes them more susceptible to his ability to siphon reiatsu from them and their techniques. He can mark his targets in a number of ways, including hitting them with a spell or making physical contact with but the most effective and common way for him to mark them is simply by having them be exposed to either of his releases area of effect. Once per post in Shikai or twice per post in Bankai, Ranth can pay 50 of his own reiatsu in order to place a single mark upon anyone within range of his release. For each mark that they have upon them all draining and siphoning effects applied to them will be increased by 5% in Shikai and 10% in Bankai.
While in Bankai, for every 100 more Ranth has in reiatsu strength versus his targets reiatsu strength or spiritual pressure (whichever is higher), an additional mark may be placed upon them per post up to a maximum of 10 marks (which is a 100% modifier). A single mark can also be applied from any Kido spell that touches the target or by touching them and paying 25 reiatsu (this can only be done once per post, whilst Kido can apply unlimited marks per post so long as they are applied by separate hits and not damage over time effects). When the maximum number of marks has been reached, Ranth can choose to activate them. This consumes the marks and disables the drain modifier, but in exchange Ranth gains the ability to pay the reiatsu costs of his techniques from his opponents reiatsu pool for the next 3 posts with a limit of 800 reiatsu used per post. Alternatively, against an opponent with 5-9 marks Ranth can trigger the marks early to simply drain 25% of the marked targets current reiatsu instead. Doing this triggers the same drawbacks as using the full 10 mark version, but this can be useful in a pinch.
The drawback of this technique is that Ranth cannot mark an opponent if either their reiatsu strength or spiritual pressure is twice as much as Ranth's reiatsu strength. In addition, he must use his own reiatsu in order to mark an opponent through his Area of Effect and the opponent can elect to pay 50 reiatsu per mark to remove them while inside the effect of Ranth's Shikai or Bankai or 25 per mark outside of it. Furthermore, upon activating 10 marks they cannot be marked again for the duration of the fight with a cool-down of 24 IC hours between fights.
Ryuukei Koukoku [Eviction Notice]
When a technique is used within range of his releases, Ranth has the option of paying 125% the cost of that technique in order to seal the ability completely and prevent the opponent from using it for as long as the seal is in tact (this cancels out the initial use of the technique being sealed and in doing so prevents any effects associated with it from triggering). This seal takes on the form of an ethereal silver chain somewhere on the opponents body and as long as the chain remains intact that technique cannot be used (the visual aspect of the chain is merely to indicate the presence of the seal and it cannot be countered using strength). In order to keep the seal intact Ranth must pay 50% of that technique's cost per post to keep it sealed. Alternatively, the target of the sealed technique can elect to pay 3 times the technique's original reiatsu cost to break the seal. Ranth is capable of sealing two techniques simultaneously in Shikai and 4 in Bankai, but he must pay the required cost for each technique every post.
The drawback of this technique is that it comes with a very heavy reiatsu drain. In addition, he cannot seal step techniques or prevent someone from activating their release. He is also unable to seal the techniques of anyone with a superior spiritual stat to him in Shikai or 50% greater while in Bankai.
Teisen Sakusenchiiki (Quarantine Zone)
Ranth's release and subsequently his entire fighting style is centered around the idea that he chooses an area in which to fight and whilst within that area, he is inherently at an advantage within that space. But as any good ruler knows, there are times when controlling a large area is impractical and victory requires a consolidation of territory in order to better defend it. This is the role that this technique serves, as it decreases the area of effect that his release covers (both in Shikai and Bankai) in exchange for some defensive properties.
In Shikai, this technique enables Ranth to halve the radius of his release up to two times at his discretion (50m -> 25m -> 12m). By doing so, Ranth's newly reduced area of effect gains the ability to eradicate foreign mundane and reiatsu particles that it comes into contact with as long as the OS that determines their power is less than his own RS. This brings us to the second benefit that this technique provides him. Each 'level' of reduction to the radius of his release provides the technique with a stacking 25% boost to its RS valuefor the purpose of defensive checks only. It should be noted that the types of foreign reiatsu that this technique interacts with fall within a very specific criteria, which is that they must be some kind of gas, smoke powder, virus or other similar kinds of substances. In addition, this technique will also negate any status effects caused by foreign sources- be they friendly or harmful ('status effect' is defined as something that alters Ranth's base status in some way e.g. paralysis, poison, healing, buffs and debuffs). It will not remove, reverse or mitigate damage that has already been inflicted from any effects that were active prior to being negated however.
For a practical example, if Ranth had 100 RS and an opponent launched a poison cloud at him with an OS of 120, then he could cut his AoE in half and the technique would operate as though it possessed 125 RS and would thus eradicate any of the poison it came into contact with. He could also choose to cut the radius from 25m to 12m and have the technique's OS treated as 150 If that same person launched a Cero or byakurai at him, then Ranth would be hit and the technique would provide him with no defense against it. Alternatively, if Ranth activated the technique after already being exposed to the poison and he began coughing up blood, it would remove the poison and prevent the effects from getting worse, but he would still be coughing up blood.
In Bankai, this technique operates in the exact same way, except that he can choose to reduce the radius of his release an additional time. The difference being that if he does so, the final reduction cuts the radius to 10m (500m> 250m > 125m > 10m). This third, more drastic reduction brings with it an additional 50% bonus to the technique's defensive checks (for a total of +100%).
The most obvious drawback of this technique is that it reduces the range of Ranth's releases and thus gives opponents a much easier time of fighting him without being hampered by his other relase effects and techniques. The secondary drawback is the cost of each level of radius reduction comes with a cost for each of the three 'levels'. These costs are 50, 100 and 200 reiatsu respectively.
Once a level has been activated, it can be reverted to any previous level for no cost (e.g. reduce range from 50 to 25 (level 1) and then to 12 (level 2) in Shikai would cost 150 reiatsu, but he could later increase the range back to 25 for no cost), but any time he reduces it, he must pay the appropriate amount of reiatsu. Once a level has been reached, Ranth must then pay half the initial cost of that level for each subsequent post in order to maintain the effect.
Secondly, this technique prevents Ranth from receiving any beneficial effects from techniques or abilities used by anyone other than himself (unless they possess an OS that can overpower this technique).
Third, if Ranth activates this technique in response to receiving some kind of status ailment, there is a very high chance that he'll be too late to prevent damage from being done so it's relatively ineffective against something he can't predict ahead of time.
Yuuen Kyouhen [Grand Assassination]
There is an age old saying that goes 'the unseen blade is the deadliest'. In Ranth's case, this saying doesn't apply literally, so much as metaphorically by allowing him to strike at an enemy using reiatsu based attacks in ways that no level of mastery could ordinarily achieve.
Ranth achieves this by moving the origin point of any reiatsu based technique he casts to originate from almost anywhere within the bounds of his release. In order to facilitate this ability, Ranth must pay half of what it cost him to use the technique he's using this ability in conjunction with (rounded up) in order to choose an origin point that is to his liking. It is important to note that these 'origin points' are very difficult to detect due to the fact that Ranth's release already saturates the entire area with his reiatsu and these origin points can only appear within this area of effect.
In Shikai, he can only use this ability in conjunction with up to three technique at a time (each instance must be paid for individually). In addition, upon paying the cost for a technique and choosing an origin point, Ranth can choose to delay the actual 'firing' of the technique by 1 post. (e.g. Ranth pays for the technique and places an origin point behind him. His opponent posts and then in Ranth's next post, the previously paid for technique fires from its origin point).
In Bankai, Ranth no longer requires direct line of sight in order to choose his origin point. So long as he can accurately visualise the origin point (such as from memory, illustration or even a sufficiently detailed verbal description), then he can 'fire blind' so to speak. In addition, he can now use this ability in conjunction with as many times as he wishes at a time(each instance must be paid for individually). In addition, upon paying the cost for a technique and choosing an origin point, Ranth can choose to delay the actual 'firing' of the technique by up to 3 posts.
The drawback of this technique is that it requires a lot of concentration, making it extremely difficult to use whilst actively fighting an opponent. In Shikai, this technique can be shut down by blocking or otherwise hampering Ranth's eyesight whilst in Bankai the same limitation can apply unless he's in familiar terrain or has time to 'map out' the battlefield in detail prior to using the technique.
Although the origin points themselves are disguised by Ranth's release AoE, any opponent with at least 200 ES or 300 Instincts will notice the technique as soon it's been fired. Possessing 400 ES or 500 Instincts will enable someone to identify the origin point before the technique launches.
Finally, the origin point of any technique Ranth chooses to manipulate must be at least 5 meters away from his target, which means techniques that would require direct contact with a target to function are generally incompatible with this technique unless Ranth is already in direct contact with the target, in which case he can choose an origin point anywhere on the person's body (for physical contact techniques only).{Vizard}Inner Hollow:Shourisha
Long, long ago Shourisha was counted as one of the most powerful Espada, but she was betrayed by her own Fraccion when her insatiable lust for battle and destruction posed too great a threat to their way of life. Possessed by the aspect of Conquering, she could not be defeated by conventional means so instead they resorted to cunning and trickery, sealing her within their own bodies and then killing themselves. What they couldn't have known however was that Shourisha's aspect was so powerful that it conquered death,at least in a way. For the corpses of the Fraccion was devoured by other Hollows, as was the way of their kind and in doing so fragments of Shourisha's soul were passed along to those who partook in the feast, like seeds waiting for the right time to sprout. Countless millenia passed with these seeds passing from Hollow to Hollow as the endless cycle of devouring went on, but it wasn't until the modern age that one of her seeds found its way into the body of a young Shinigami and at long last it began to awaken.
Although containing only a tiny fraction of her original power, once she takes root within the young Shinigami's soul she is still a fearsome force to be reckoned with and the more time that passes and the stronger her host becomes, the faster her power and sense of self grows. When it does, Shourisha is an incredibly proud and vain creature that takes great pride in appearance which puts her at odds with her incredibly violent, domineering nature. She has no patience for inferior creatures- and every creature is inferior- and a violent and unpredictable temper that goes hand in hand for her lust for wanton destruction. Nothing gives her more pleasure than tearing down what people love, what they idolise, what gives them hope and grinding it beneath her heels. For she is the conqueror of all things.Mask:
Ranth's mask is pure white with orange engravings that are almost an inch deep. These engravings form a curious series of patterns that revolve around a circle in the centre of the mask with lines that diverge and connect to other smaller circles at the bottom of the mask, under the right eye and slightly offset to the left of centre (from the wearers perspective. Another peculiarity of this particular mask is that it has no apparent left eye, but this does not serve to impede visual acuity in any way.Full Resurrection:
Ranth's resurrection is unique in that when activated, he transforms into someone who he currently has at least 500 of their reiatsu stored. This transformation is a perfect copy of appearance, voice and even the feel of their spiritual pressure whilst also being able to make use of the targets techniques as long as he sees them performed first or has seen them used in the past. If Ranth stores 1,000 or more of a person's reiatsu he gains access to very basic memories such as the names and faces of people his target knows and a vague understanding of his target's relationship with that person and knowledge as well as knowledge of all techniques the target has even without seeing them performed. This ability stems from Shourisha's aspect of conquering and can even copy the abilities of the person whose guise he is currently wearing so long as he has a sufficient amount of that person's reiatsu stored- he cannot use his own reiatsu to cast another person's techniques. If Ranth runs out of stored reiatsu specifically from his target then his transformation ends. immediately.
The process for transforming into someone else is similar to summoning his mask, all Ranth does is sweep his hand across in front of his face and in the moment his face is obscured the transformation starts and ends including everything from general appearance to clothing and voice.Quasi Resurrection:
If Ranth activates his Resurrection either without enough reiatsu stored to activate the prior mentioned ability or if he simply chooses not to, then he instead takes on an alternate form of his original appearance. In this form his hair, normally silvery white becomes jet black and his eyes become vivid yellow pools that glow faintly in the dark. In addition, his ordinarily white garb also changed in appearances to match his hair whilst the ordinarily gold trim accents become a dark red colour instead. In addition, Ranth's skin becomes almost pure white which contrasts starkly against his newly coloured hair and attire whilst the way he holds himself becomes far more confident, bordering on arrogance.
From the perspective of someone watching the extended version of the transformation, they would see black mist rising from Ranth's body. Thin and barely perceptible at first, but quickly becoming thicker and darker with flecks of red lightning until his form is completely obscured by roiling black smoke that makes it difficult for anyone who gets too close to breathe. Then Ranth emerges from the smoke and lightning, which slowly dissipates, with his new appearance.
While in this form, Ranth's reiatsu signature can do one of two things: If he possesses any amount of a person's reiatsu then he can use that reiatsu signature as his own, or if he either does not possess any foreign reiatsu or chooses not to use whatever he does have, then his reiatsu defaults to that of his inner hollow, Shourisha. Furthermore, the colour of his reiatsu becomes primarily black with vivid streaks of red intertwined regardless of what reiatsu signature he chooses to take on. In either case, Ranth's voice becomes interwoven with Shourisha's so it sounds like two people are speaking at once in perfect unison- one lower and one higher.
