Setting:SS

From BluWiki

Soul Society is the afterlife, spirit world, and depository dimension in which most departed souls and Shinigami (or Soul Reapers) reside.

Overview

While Rukia Kuchiki initially describes Soul Society as something of a paradise, where nine out of ten times it is better than the living world and hunger is never a problem, Soul Society is portrayed as anything but sublime (having died as a baby, Rukia's lack of knowledge regarding the human world may have influenced her viewpoint). In fact, aside from the slowed aging and aforementioned lack of hunger, life there is much like that in the living world. Soul Society consists of two portions: Rukon District , a massive group of cities where most people live; and The Court of Pure Souls , a walled fortress where the spirit world nobility and Shinigami live. While this covers the dominant region in the Soul Society, it is acknowledged that various others exist, with Shinigami and ruling courts of their own. These often have differing dominant cultures, just as the Court of Pure Souls and the Rukon District are heavily influenced by Japanese culture in the 'real', or central, dimension.

Though Soul Society is considered the afterlife, people are not immortal by any means, though aging is slowed to such an extent that lifespans of 3000 or more years are not unheard of. Such ages, however, are usually limited to Shinigami or other Soul Society dwellers capable of manipulating spirit energy. Perversely, children can even be born as they are in the Human World. It is rumoured that these souls are not quite the same in the sense that they are not 'recycled' back into the real world upon their deaths. People can also be killed as regular humans are, though they are capable of surviving wounds that would normally be considered fatal. A soul that dies in Soul Society is reincarnated on Earth as a new human with no past memories.

Accessing Soul Society

Shinigami come and leave Soul Society by unlocking the senkaimon(lit. world penetration gate}} using a jigokuchō (Hell Butterfly). Pluses, on the other hand, enter Soul Society through the ritual of Soul Burial(konshō).

Intruders can pass through the senkaimon in the same manner, but only in soul form. This allows spiritual beings, such as Ichigo in his Shinigami form, to enter without permission. Humans can also use such a gate through the use of reishihenkanki(lit. spirit exchangers), which convert solid matter into Reishi's. While this method uses the same gate, the lack of a Hell Butterfly forces intruders to pass through the dangai(lit. prohibiting world), a bordering dimension between the human world and Soul Society (not to be confused with Hueco Mundo). This is much more dangerous to do, as souls that cannot pass through before the gate to Soul Society closes are trapped there forever.

Finally, hollows can also directly rip a hole to Soul Society from Hueco Mundo, or in the case of Arrancar, using their ability, garganta.

When people die they are assigned a number to a part of Soul Society according to when they died.

Government

Royalty (King of Soul Society & family): Soul Society is ruled by a royal family, which is protected by a royal guard. The King and the royal family reside in a separate dimension in the very core of Soul Society, which can only be opened with a tri-pronged golden key fittingly named the Royal Key. The location of this key is passed down verbally from one Gotei 13 High Marshal to the next, the current holder being Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai. The king's practical role is believed to be mostly ceremonial, as the Shinigami are governed largely by the Central 46 Chambers, nor has the king been implied to participate in any of their deliberations. According to Rangiku Matsumoto, no Shinigami in the Gotei 13 has ever seen the king.

Royal Guard

Also known as the Zero Battalion, it is made up of former commanders of the Gotei 13 who have been promoted to this level. Only commanders of the Gotei 13 know of their existence. They are said to have considerable power and tactical knowledge. Only the Royal family presides over them, and the Central 46 have no say in them what so ever.

Executive & Judiciary

Central 46 Chambers: The Central 46 Chambers serve the Shinigami royalty (the ruling class of the dominant region of Soul Society)They are made up of 40 sages and 6 judges, selected from all of Soul Society. They are sealed into an enclave in The Court of Pure Souls called Seijōtōkyorin which no one else may enter, regardless of their military or civilian status. They serve as a supreme judiciary and legislative government that is second only to the royal family. They are responsible for judging and sentencing Shinigami who have committed serious crimes, such as murder or treason. Punishments for less serious crimes may be given by other authorities, such as Shinigami commanders. It is implied that the Central 46 Chambers mostly deal with capital offenses. The decisions of the 46 Chambers are final and unquestionable, regardless of what the decision may involve. The Shinigami enforce order in Soul Society as a sort of executive and military branch. Another duty of the Central 46 is the execution of capital offenders.

There are several forms of executions in Soul Society, although only two have been revealed:

• Spirit-sealing pit: The spirit-sealing pit is an ancient form of execution in which Shinigami criminals are thrown into a pit walled with deathstone – a type of stone that absorbs spiritual power, preventing those nearby from using their powers. Hollows are then thrown into the pit with the criminals as the means of execution. The practice was considered too barbaric and discontinued.

• Sōkyoku: Sōkyoku is a form of execution usually reserved for those with extremely strong spiritual powers, namely shinigami commanders. The Sōkyoku is a giant halberd that utterly destroys a soul on contact. When released, Sōkyoku takes on the form of a phoenix, its true form, called Kikōō. The Kikōō has the destructive power of one million zanpakutō, and that power is multiplied by a factor of 10 at the moment it pierces its victim.

Laws

• It is against the law for a Shinigami to give their spiritual power to Humans.

• It is against the law for a Shinigami to use forbidden Kidō.

• It is against the law for a Shinigami to steal from other Shinigami.

• It is against the law for any citizen of Soul Society to create weapons of a dangerous nature not sanctioned by the feudal government. To do so is treason.

• It is against the law to attack a commander. To do so is treason.

• It is against the law to commit terrorist action or attempt overthrow of the balance of Soul Society. To do so is treason.

• It is against the law to commit murder.

• It is against the law for a Shinigami to release classified information.

• It is forbidden for a Shinigami to acquire Hollow abilities.

• It is by ancient law that two Shinigami cannot hold the same zanpakutō. They must fight for the honor of bearing the spirit, with the spirit going to the winner.

In past months, an ex-Commander, Sōsuke Aizen, massacred the members of the Central 46 Chambers. No interim government has been set up, some say deliberately. Instead, the High Marshal has taken over their powers and duties and as such is effectively the dictator of the Court of Pure Souls.

Four Noble Families

1.) Shihōin Family: by tradition the head of the Shihōin family leads Office #3 in the position of Director, though in recent centuries this post has been taken over by the Adjutant, though they remain in effective control as the Deputy-Director. If they attain a Commander seat in the Gotei 13 then Office #3 is subject to that Command as well. The 22nd Head of the Shihōin clan and former Commander of the 2nd Battalion and Director of Office #3 is Yoruichi Shihōin.

2.) Kuchiki Family: The Command of the 6th Battalion runs in the Kuchiki family, as multiple members have held the title Commander. The 28th Head of the Kuchiki clan and the Commander of the 6th Battalion is Byakuya Kuchiki. Another member is Byakuya's adopted sister Rukia Kuchiki of the 13th Battalion. Past members include Byakuya's grandfather and former Commander of the 6th Battalion Ginrei Kuchiki and Byakuya's wife Hisana Kuchiki.

3.) Rokkaku Family: While most of the four families have martial traditions, the Rokkaku family does not. Instead, they are a prominent Merchant House whose rise to power correlated with the skyrocketing of their financial status. As such, they are often ridiculed by other noble houses - behind their back, of course. They control most of the business that surrounds the Court of Pure Souls and its military attachments, with everything from food, housing and equipment.

4.) Yagyū Family: Reknown for producing skilled swordsmen, the Yagyū family often oversaw the training of elite Shinigami at the Academy and offered private tutorship on top of that. Its head or successor usually held the Command of the 11th Battalion. However, their last true scion was defeated centuries ago in a duel to the death for the command of the Battalion by Leonidas Agiad. With a loss of honour and a lack of a skilled swordsman with the Yagyū blood running in his veins, they have acknowledged the new commander as their adoptive Head. However, the Commander further insulted the family by declaring he was an Agiad and a Spartan to boot, and would never take another name. Bruised, the family lost its influence for a number of years before a young member of the clan, Minoru Yagyū, rose to prominence in the Gotei 13 not as a warrior, but as an influential administrator who eventually took the newly created post of 'Adjutant' and is now rumoured to be the second-most powerful individual in the Court of Pure Souls.

Lower Noble Houses

• Fon Family: traditionally serves the Shihōin family by joining Office #3. Any member who doesn't pass the rigorous tests and programmes to get into the Office is immediately exiled from the family. The only known member of the house is Soifon, current Commander of the 2nd Battalion.

• Kyōraku Family: an old, prestigious and high-ranking noble family. The only known member of the house is Shunsui Kyōraku, current Commander of the 8th Battalion.

• Ukitake Family: a low-class aristocratic family. The only known member of the house is Jūshirō Ukitake, current Commander of the 13th Battalion.

• Ōmaeda Family: a aristocratic, rich family. Marechiyo Ōmaeda, current Executor of the 2nd Battalion is from this house. Their influence is probably the reason why he holds his post.

• Kira Family: a lesser noble family. The only known member of the house is Izuru Kira, current executor of the 3rd Battalion.

• Kasumiōji Family: a high-ranking noble family that is just below the four great noble families in status, commenting that their circumstances are a bit "special". The Kasumiōji is well known as master forgers in the art of weapons crafting, making the finest weapons in all of Soul Society. The family is traditionally lead by a female. The only surviving member of the house is Rurichiyo Kasumiōji.

• Kannogi Family: a high-ranking noble family. The only known member of the family is Shū Kannogi.

• Mizzrym Family: The only noble family that traces is origins to one of the other regions of Soul Society, the Mizzrym family are strongly associated with the Kidō Corps and rumours abound about illegal spells practiced under the cover of night. Like the Kasumiōji family, it is matriarchal. One of its scions, Pharaun, is the current commander of the Kidō Corps.

• Unknown past name they call themselves Dark Ones, who were once a noble family in Soul Society.(Decreased)

Former Noble Houses

• Shiba Family: The family was apparently the 5th Noble Family, having prestige along the lines of the Kuchiki and Shihōin family, for whatever reason the Shiba family fell from their high status position after the death of its most prominent member the former executor of the 13th Battalion Kaien Shiba. The only surviving members of the house are Ganju Shiba and Kūkaku Shiba.

Army

The armed forces of the dominant region consist of four independent main branches: the Court 13, the SSEF, the Kidō Corps, and Office #3.

Court 13

The 13 Court Guard Battalions is the organization which many Shinigami join. It is split into thirteen battalions (hence the name), with several battalions having certain specializations. The 4th Battalion is the medical/supply division, the 11th Battalion is the combat division (specialization in swordsmanship), and the 12th Battalion is the research/scientific division. The 9th Battalion handles most informative publications within the Court, in addition to most investigations. While many of the battalions are specialized, there are a few that provide universal capability. Additionally, it should be noted that Soifon is in charge of both the 2nd Battalion and Office #3. While they are not necessarily an elite, Shinigami from the 13 Court Battalions are usually picked for a combination of loyalty, capability, and character. While all a Shinigami needs to join the Soul Society Expeditionary Force is to pass the Academy Exit Examinations, the 13 require recommendations from credible sources.

Soul Society Expeditionary Force

While many join the 13 Court Guard Battalions, most Shinigami start their career in the Expeditionary Force, which is permanently stationed in the 'real' world and various other dimensions for the sole purpose of combating Hollow and other threats to the peace of human souls. An elite platoon is even rumoured to wage unconventional warfare in Hueco Mundo. Just because a Shinigami is posted in SSEF does not mean he or she is any less powerful than a member of the Court 13. Reasons for such a posting can fill a drawer's worth of binders. Unlike the Court 13, the SSEF has no commanders. Instead, they rely on a council of twelve executor-level officers that report directly to the Adjutant to command the Division which numbers at around 15,000 and serve a more administrative purpose than their Court equivalents. While they are not under the jurisdiction of a 13 Court Battalion Commander, they are technically ranked lower than a Commander, though the Commanders rarely have any dealings with an SSEF Executor, as a courtesy. The Force is typically split up into platoons (around 50 shinigami) and recently even smaller sections (consisting of 8 shinigami) that patrol designated spots in various dimensions. Despite their vast numbers, they are spread so thin that the average supernatural hotspot is usually only afforded a single section.

Kidō Corps

There is currently little information on the Kidō Corps , due to the secrecy in which they operate. It is known that they were not under the High Marshal's command until the massacre of the Central 46 Chambers and that their current Commander is the young Pharaun Mizzrym.

Office #3

Most information about Office #3 is whispered, behind closed doors and thus not public fact - even within the Seireitei. They are currently lead by Soifon, who is also the Commander of the Gotei 13's Second Battalion. She succeeded Yoruichi Shihōin on both posts. It is widely acknowledged as an agency of the Court of Pure Souls that deals in espionage, sabotage, information, and various covert operations. The Intelligence Initiative, the Special Strategic Service, the Detention Unit (i.e Guantanamo), and PsyOps all serve as branches of Office #3. It is supposed that two more branches exist.

Rukon District

Rukongai is the largest portion of the Japanese region of Soul Society and the most populated. It is divided into 320 districts (80 in North Rukongai, 80 in West Rukongai, etc.) It also touches some of the other regions, and as such, the borders of the Rukongai are often under jurisdictional dispute, though the respective powers do not often care about those areas, since they are decidedly 'lower class'.

The Court of Pure Souls

The Court of Pure Souls or The Court for short is in the center of the dominant region of the Soul Society, a circular fortress with four main entrances, each guarded by a gate guardian. The walls of the Court are made of stone called Sekkiseki, a material known to negate all Spiritual Essence, similar to lodestones in magnetism and preventing the ability to gather spiritual essence underneath your feet to walk in the air whist within the Court. The stone also forms a spherical barrier around the city, stopping anything spiritual from breaching it.

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