Post by GM on Jun 9, 2007 16:02:43 GMT -5
The Quincy (lit. master of destruction) are originally a mixture of survivors of hollow attacks and those who'd lost loved ones to hollows, the Quincy developed a variety of supernatural powers to hunt and kill hollows before they attacked humans (and to destroy those who already had), including the ability to control spiritual energy. The Quincy are nearly extinct due to extermination by the shinigami about 200 years before the main Bleach storyline.
Unlike the shinigami, who use a sword as their primary weapon, the Quincy's weapon of choice is a bow. It is constructed from spiritual particles drawn from their surroundings. Quincy bows are summoned using an artifact called a Quincy Cross. The cross is not the same shape among all Quincy (e.g. a Celtic cross and a pentacle would be acceptable). There is also a six-pointed cross that appears on the back of the Quincy tunic. In the Christian church of the late Roman era and early Dark Ages, the Latin cross had not yet come to dominate church imagery, and all three of these symbols would have been in use. The only limit to a Quincy's ability to create and fire arrows is their own stamina and ability to absorb ambient spirit particles. Quincy also have various tools and battle aides that can increase their power or serve as secondary weapons.
Another contrast between the shinigami and the Quincy are their methods. While shinigami purify hollows, thus preserving the balance of souls between the two worlds, the Quincy destroy hollows, former soul and all. In doing so, the balance between the worlds is slowly tipped towards one side, endangering both worlds. This danger led to a Quincy-shinigami war, which ended in victory for the shinigami and the deaths of many Quincy. The Quincy line was closely monitored over the decades, as their numbers continued to dwindle. Later Quincy advanced the idea that since they were already among the living and still more numerous at the time, they could act as "first responders" to hollow attacks, protecting humans until the less-numerous shinigami could send a representative to finish the hollow off. Embittered by the recent war, the shinigami refused to participate, opting instead to allocate their limited resources to reacting to the most dangerous hollows and current hollow attacks. This caused great enmity towards shinigami by most quincy.
The final point of contrast between Quincy and shinigami is their respective choice of uniform. While the shinigami wear traditional, black, flowing hakama, the Quincy wear white, form-fitting, high-collared tunics. These bear some resemblance both to Mandarin Chinese dress and to the cassocks of Catholic priests. This gives the Quincy a distinctly "foreign" or "Western" style compared with the shinigami.
One peculiar recurring motif of Quincy is that of a cross, which appears frequently in their uniforms. This, combined with their attitude and goals, gives the Quincy much in common with medieval knights; more specifically, crusaders or priests.
While the differences between Quincy and shinigami in costume and iconography are minor compared to the differences in weaponry and ideology, a few chapter cover images from the manga have exploited the black/white contrast to create a yin-yang motif, most notably chapter 189, "Resolve".
Unlike shinigami, who use their inner spiritual power to fight, the Quincy fuel their abilities by absorbing the spiritual energy of their surroundings. They primarily absorb spiritual energy from the atmosphere, and have an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of spiritual particles, such as Soul Society. To a sufficiently powerful Quincy, there is no difference between spiritual particles and spiritual energy as a source of power. The Quincy can also use the energy they gather, or use silver tubes filled with spiritual energy (gintō), to perform various offensive, support, and defensive techniques similar to the shinigami kidō certain quincy however have learned to use there internal spiritual energy to use actual kido spells although this practice is generally frowned apon by quincy as they call it the shinigami's sorcery.
A Quincy's power can be significantly enhanced using the sanrei glove. A Quincy needs to complete a week of intense training in order to be able to use the glove. The glove operates by repelling spirit particles, making it far more difficult for the Quincy to summon their bow. Any Quincy who is able to successfully utilize their powers while wearing the glove can thus reach much higher levels of power. This training is also the basis for the Quincy final form.
A Quincy who wears the sanrei glove may remove it in desperate cases, entering a state known as the Quincy final form. By removing the artificial repulsion to spiritual energy that the glove placed on them, the Quincy will experience an abrupt increase in power, along with a change in appearance. While in this form, the Quincy will absorb energy from their surroundings at such an alarming rate that they can actually deconstruct spiritual objects. In such a state, the Quincy is able to fight with extreme strength and speed, and can completely overwhelm an average shinigami captain. However, the final form is a double-edged sword, as no human body is capable of handling the immense power the form comes with. After a short period of use, the Quincy's body will forcibly seal itself off from all spiritual power in self-preservation, effectively robbing the Quincy of their abilities. The final form is only used as a last resort because even though it is possible to regain Quincy powers afterwards, the process is exceedingly dangerous.
The only way for a Quincy to regain their powers after using the final form is to first exhaust themselves both mentally and physically, then be hit exactly 19 mm to right of their heart with a spirit arrow. After this, a pentacle-shaped scar will form on the point of impact, and their powers will be restored.
The Quincy possess numerous artifacts and equipment which help them in different ways. Below are the ones that have been shown:
Hollow bait - This item is a small, coin-shaped disk that attracts hollows when crushed.
Quincy bangle - the Quincy Bangle is an artifact designed to mimic a Quincy's natural powers. It works by drawing in spirit particles from the environment, much like a Quincy does regularly. It can only be used properly by those who are already adept at forming and directing spirit particles. When activated, it forms a metal bow on the user's hand and gives them an appropriate Quincy outfit to match. The bangle is an unstable and delicate device, which eventually falls apart with extended use. The bow it creates has a huge drawback in that spirit particles must be gathered and charged to be of any use; doing otherwise greatly weakens the power of the resultant projectiles. The arrows also seem to fire erratically, sometimes curving away from their intended target. Furthermore, if shot at the time when the device is at its maximum power, it could explode, killing the user and destroying anything else nearby. Quincy are able to bypass most of these problems by using the bow to focus his own suppressed powers, rather than relying on it to draw in spirit particles for him.
Quincy cross - Standard equipment for any Quincy, the Quincy Cross acts as the focus for a Quincy bow. The cross need not necessarily be in a cross shape.
Sanrei glove - The sanrei glove is a powerful Quincy artifact that can increase a Quincy's power exponentially, but requires difficult and dangerous training (wearing it for a week while constantly firing spiritual arrows) to master. The glove works by scattering the spirit particles in the surrounding area. If a Quincy can summon a bow and hold it for the required amount of time, they will experience a massive increase in power.
Seele Schneider (lit. that which slits the soul; German for "soul cutter") — The Seele Schneider is a portable arrow that doubles as a sword in melee combat. It's much longer than a standard arrow and functions something like a chainsaw: the spirit particles of its blade vibrate at ultra-high frequencies, loosening the molecular bonds between any spirit matter it cuts so that the Quincy user may easily absorb the freed spirit particles.
Silver tubes (ginto) - Silver tubes are small liquid-filled capsules that store spiritual energy, and are used by Quincy for spellcasting in the same way that shinigami use kidō. Like kidō, they are activated by calling out various commands.
the 4 quincy disiplines are as follows. quincy select 1 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 tetirary.
spiritron manipulation - very rare is the quincy who does not have spiritron manipulation as his primary this discipline involves the forming of the quincys signature weapon. primary users signature weapons are powerful enough to perform most trick manuvers such as firing upside down, from moving vehicles, bouncing off walls, and sniping. secondary users can fire as per a standard skilled militia bowman. tertiary is someone who took high school archery classes.
Hoho - Primary Hoho users start with 3 first level hoho techniques and 1 second level Hoho technique. Secondary begin with 2 first level. Tetirary begin with 1 first level.
Hakudo - a rare discipline for Quincy to specialize in as the natural human body is frail tool and the quincy are taught to utilize there ranged weapons in combat. Secondary users have 1 martial art and naturally tough human bodies. Tetirary users are average humans are far as endurance goes.
Ginto - Quincy specialize in casting spells using spiritual energy captured in silver tubes. Primary nets 4 spells, secondary grants 2, tertiary grants 1.
notes on making a quincy
1. Quincy generally hate shinigami.
2. A quincy's signature weapon need not be a bow or crossbow although it is always a ranged weapon.
Unlike the shinigami, who use a sword as their primary weapon, the Quincy's weapon of choice is a bow. It is constructed from spiritual particles drawn from their surroundings. Quincy bows are summoned using an artifact called a Quincy Cross. The cross is not the same shape among all Quincy (e.g. a Celtic cross and a pentacle would be acceptable). There is also a six-pointed cross that appears on the back of the Quincy tunic. In the Christian church of the late Roman era and early Dark Ages, the Latin cross had not yet come to dominate church imagery, and all three of these symbols would have been in use. The only limit to a Quincy's ability to create and fire arrows is their own stamina and ability to absorb ambient spirit particles. Quincy also have various tools and battle aides that can increase their power or serve as secondary weapons.
Another contrast between the shinigami and the Quincy are their methods. While shinigami purify hollows, thus preserving the balance of souls between the two worlds, the Quincy destroy hollows, former soul and all. In doing so, the balance between the worlds is slowly tipped towards one side, endangering both worlds. This danger led to a Quincy-shinigami war, which ended in victory for the shinigami and the deaths of many Quincy. The Quincy line was closely monitored over the decades, as their numbers continued to dwindle. Later Quincy advanced the idea that since they were already among the living and still more numerous at the time, they could act as "first responders" to hollow attacks, protecting humans until the less-numerous shinigami could send a representative to finish the hollow off. Embittered by the recent war, the shinigami refused to participate, opting instead to allocate their limited resources to reacting to the most dangerous hollows and current hollow attacks. This caused great enmity towards shinigami by most quincy.
The final point of contrast between Quincy and shinigami is their respective choice of uniform. While the shinigami wear traditional, black, flowing hakama, the Quincy wear white, form-fitting, high-collared tunics. These bear some resemblance both to Mandarin Chinese dress and to the cassocks of Catholic priests. This gives the Quincy a distinctly "foreign" or "Western" style compared with the shinigami.
One peculiar recurring motif of Quincy is that of a cross, which appears frequently in their uniforms. This, combined with their attitude and goals, gives the Quincy much in common with medieval knights; more specifically, crusaders or priests.
While the differences between Quincy and shinigami in costume and iconography are minor compared to the differences in weaponry and ideology, a few chapter cover images from the manga have exploited the black/white contrast to create a yin-yang motif, most notably chapter 189, "Resolve".
Unlike shinigami, who use their inner spiritual power to fight, the Quincy fuel their abilities by absorbing the spiritual energy of their surroundings. They primarily absorb spiritual energy from the atmosphere, and have an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of spiritual particles, such as Soul Society. To a sufficiently powerful Quincy, there is no difference between spiritual particles and spiritual energy as a source of power. The Quincy can also use the energy they gather, or use silver tubes filled with spiritual energy (gintō), to perform various offensive, support, and defensive techniques similar to the shinigami kidō certain quincy however have learned to use there internal spiritual energy to use actual kido spells although this practice is generally frowned apon by quincy as they call it the shinigami's sorcery.
A Quincy's power can be significantly enhanced using the sanrei glove. A Quincy needs to complete a week of intense training in order to be able to use the glove. The glove operates by repelling spirit particles, making it far more difficult for the Quincy to summon their bow. Any Quincy who is able to successfully utilize their powers while wearing the glove can thus reach much higher levels of power. This training is also the basis for the Quincy final form.
A Quincy who wears the sanrei glove may remove it in desperate cases, entering a state known as the Quincy final form. By removing the artificial repulsion to spiritual energy that the glove placed on them, the Quincy will experience an abrupt increase in power, along with a change in appearance. While in this form, the Quincy will absorb energy from their surroundings at such an alarming rate that they can actually deconstruct spiritual objects. In such a state, the Quincy is able to fight with extreme strength and speed, and can completely overwhelm an average shinigami captain. However, the final form is a double-edged sword, as no human body is capable of handling the immense power the form comes with. After a short period of use, the Quincy's body will forcibly seal itself off from all spiritual power in self-preservation, effectively robbing the Quincy of their abilities. The final form is only used as a last resort because even though it is possible to regain Quincy powers afterwards, the process is exceedingly dangerous.
The only way for a Quincy to regain their powers after using the final form is to first exhaust themselves both mentally and physically, then be hit exactly 19 mm to right of their heart with a spirit arrow. After this, a pentacle-shaped scar will form on the point of impact, and their powers will be restored.
The Quincy possess numerous artifacts and equipment which help them in different ways. Below are the ones that have been shown:
Hollow bait - This item is a small, coin-shaped disk that attracts hollows when crushed.
Quincy bangle - the Quincy Bangle is an artifact designed to mimic a Quincy's natural powers. It works by drawing in spirit particles from the environment, much like a Quincy does regularly. It can only be used properly by those who are already adept at forming and directing spirit particles. When activated, it forms a metal bow on the user's hand and gives them an appropriate Quincy outfit to match. The bangle is an unstable and delicate device, which eventually falls apart with extended use. The bow it creates has a huge drawback in that spirit particles must be gathered and charged to be of any use; doing otherwise greatly weakens the power of the resultant projectiles. The arrows also seem to fire erratically, sometimes curving away from their intended target. Furthermore, if shot at the time when the device is at its maximum power, it could explode, killing the user and destroying anything else nearby. Quincy are able to bypass most of these problems by using the bow to focus his own suppressed powers, rather than relying on it to draw in spirit particles for him.
Quincy cross - Standard equipment for any Quincy, the Quincy Cross acts as the focus for a Quincy bow. The cross need not necessarily be in a cross shape.
Sanrei glove - The sanrei glove is a powerful Quincy artifact that can increase a Quincy's power exponentially, but requires difficult and dangerous training (wearing it for a week while constantly firing spiritual arrows) to master. The glove works by scattering the spirit particles in the surrounding area. If a Quincy can summon a bow and hold it for the required amount of time, they will experience a massive increase in power.
Seele Schneider (lit. that which slits the soul; German for "soul cutter") — The Seele Schneider is a portable arrow that doubles as a sword in melee combat. It's much longer than a standard arrow and functions something like a chainsaw: the spirit particles of its blade vibrate at ultra-high frequencies, loosening the molecular bonds between any spirit matter it cuts so that the Quincy user may easily absorb the freed spirit particles.
Silver tubes (ginto) - Silver tubes are small liquid-filled capsules that store spiritual energy, and are used by Quincy for spellcasting in the same way that shinigami use kidō. Like kidō, they are activated by calling out various commands.
the 4 quincy disiplines are as follows. quincy select 1 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 tetirary.
spiritron manipulation - very rare is the quincy who does not have spiritron manipulation as his primary this discipline involves the forming of the quincys signature weapon. primary users signature weapons are powerful enough to perform most trick manuvers such as firing upside down, from moving vehicles, bouncing off walls, and sniping. secondary users can fire as per a standard skilled militia bowman. tertiary is someone who took high school archery classes.
Hoho - Primary Hoho users start with 3 first level hoho techniques and 1 second level Hoho technique. Secondary begin with 2 first level. Tetirary begin with 1 first level.
Hakudo - a rare discipline for Quincy to specialize in as the natural human body is frail tool and the quincy are taught to utilize there ranged weapons in combat. Secondary users have 1 martial art and naturally tough human bodies. Tetirary users are average humans are far as endurance goes.
Ginto - Quincy specialize in casting spells using spiritual energy captured in silver tubes. Primary nets 4 spells, secondary grants 2, tertiary grants 1.
notes on making a quincy
1. Quincy generally hate shinigami.
2. A quincy's signature weapon need not be a bow or crossbow although it is always a ranged weapon.