Ganryū [WIP]

» Name: Ganryū (翫劉)
» Title: Heike no OnryōVengeful Spirit of the Taira (平家の怨霊)
» Alias: Mushō KyōganNo Name, All Faces (無称 共顔)
» Age: ~938 (born in 1185AD)
» Appears: Mid-Thirties
» Gender: Male
» Height: 7'11 (6'9 outside of armor)
» Weight: Heavy
» Estigma: See: Hakuya Hakkotsu
» Hollow Hole: Two halves equally split on each palm
» Aspect of Death: Martyrdom

» Appearance Written: [What does your character look like? Write it up.]

» Alignment: Neutral Evil
» Association: Getting paid

» Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
» Relationship Status: Single
» Attraction: Slim waists, long hair, supple necks, expressive faces


» Personality:

Ganryū is guided by what he was in life. Dutiful soldiers and retainers with unquestioning loyalty are those that he feels a sad connection with. They were him at one time. He lived in their shoes, and now he steers far from their course. It would only lead to despair after all. And although war leads to overwhelming despair overall, there are times where it would be best kept to a minimum. Wanton despair is probably one of the things he despises most (but not the most). It gives him a bit of "heart" that many of his kind lack.

Ganryū is a loyal dog, so long as he is paid. Gold, territory, slaves, food—he will take whatever payment he fancies (except for cryptocurrency, as he does not understand it). There is a stipulation in all of his deals for service. He will not throw away his own life for the sake of honor of the employer. He will carry out his duties as prescribed to the best of his capabilities—and it will be as clean or as dirty as his current liege wants. But it won't result in him putting his life as as bet for gambling. He will continue to live on until he finds the right place to die.

That being said, Ganryū is not a coward. He may be more prone to flee from combat than many would expect, but he is rarely the first to retreat. He would not run from a challenge, nor would he fight at an underwhelming disadvantage because his current liege orders so. The best way to describe him is someone who will not willingly give up his life. If a combat turns against him—even if he does see a path to victory, if the path of escape is brighter, Ganryū will prefer to flee 95 times out of 100.

Honor is something Ganryū respects almost like how a parent respects the rules of a game their child is playing. He'll fight honorably so long as it doesn't put him at a disadvantage. And by fight honorably, I don't mean that he avoids taking shots when the opponent is down nor do I mean that he announces who he is before a battle. He'll gladly strike at a downed opponent, and the fact he is entirely shrouded in armor shows that he doesn't want most people to see his actual face. No, by fight honorably, I mean that he does not pursue retreating foes, nor does he target doctors. To him, it truly is Geneva "suggestions."

Outside of fighting, Ganryū is an anachronism. It's hard to imagine his bulky form saying "bro, that's cringe" but he would. Part because it's the easiest way to express that feeling and part because it does put people off-kilter. He's the type to smack a woman's ass just to get her reaction—he may not even be interested in her, but he definitely is interested in seeing if she'll scream, call the police, slap him, or wink at him. "I see" is the closest thing to a motto he has with how often he says it.

» Likes: People cringing when he says "cringe," the sounds of walking through a forest, butterflies, spicy foods, whack-a-mole, hot coffee, iced tea

» Dislikes: Boats, butterflies, sweet foods, getting sprayed by water, iced coffee, hot tea


Ganryū was a unique Hollow in only one fashion. His "soul" was the formation of many beings from the same side of a singular battle—that of Dan-no-Ura, the end of the Genpei war and the the end of the Taira's control. Ganryū is a combination of most of the Taira that died during that fateful battle, lamenting the loss of the war and thus their clan. From archers to sailors to boarders, the souls that encompass Ganryū are many—but it is not their story we tell. It is the story of what came after that matters here...

Ganryū did not have a name at first. He was many names all at once, and instead of calling himself Jugemu, he remained Nameless. He tormented the victorious Genji for years. He left the Shimonoseki Straits and hid around and within Kamakura. He fed sparingly to rile up tensions within the city. He was going to break them down from the inside—his goal was to send the Minamoto clan into a downward spiral where they would destroy themselves. But within two years of his birth, Ganryū realized that they were doing this to themselves. They were already eating at each other in a way that would spell their eventual defeat (or so he thought).

Satisfied he did not have anything more to do, Ganryū fled to Hueco Mundo. He had met and battled other Hollows over territory around Kamakura, and many fled back to the realm of endless sand. During once such retreat, he followed the other Hollow in. Ganryū wandered aimlessly through the desert. Losing but not dying, winning but not living. He never saw much of a point to many things. He became stronger only for the sake of survival, but for what purpose did he survive? He could merely sit and starve, never evolving as a Hollow. But what was the point of ending it?

Ganryū realized that he did not think like the other Hollows around. He did not exist with a true malicious intent guiding his soul. He was emptier—more hollow. And yet, he still proved stronger than most other Hollows of his level. Although his core was a void, the structure around it was unified beyond just being an amalgamation of different souls. He was many of the same. This led to a more unified structure to his being.

Unable to fill the void himself, Ganryū grouped with other Hollows. He was nothing more than extra muscle being paid in scraps of souls. Territory disputes and power-seeking from others were his clients. He began to serve not other people, but their goals. They tended to pay better if they succeeded. He lived his second life by abandoning the lofty ideals of the Taira. He lived by the rules he created through his experience—and thus, he Named himself.

Ganryū became known as a Hollow that would put himself all the way to nearly dying to make sure he got his payment. He would succeed where others couldn't. And thanks to his ability to effectively duplicate himself, he could be in multiple places at once. This ended up working well for him—more clients. It also worked poorly for him—stronger tasks. After failing a client to the point of their death, Ganryū realized that he needed to be stronger. Although he had evolved beyond his initial, bulky form into a more advanced Hollow, he needed more.

Ganryū took the way of the mystic and ventured deep within the deserts in search of fabled secret powers. He encountered one Vasto Lorde, who paid him little mind. The lanky figure scoffed and stated he'd never match it in power as a Hollow. That little tidbit gave Ganryū pause. He redirected his search to finding what existed outside of a Hollow. He had heard of and even seen the rare Shinigami, but he knew he could not be one of them. He had heard of the Quincy, and thought their archery was neat but again, he could not be one of them.

This led him to deep within the desert, where there was so little movement it was more like a bed of rock. There, he learned of the power beyond a Hollow—that of the Arrancar. He learned from ancient Hollows whose holes were so tiny because they never had much of a heart in the first place. These ancient ones taught him that he would need to break free of his mask in order to succeed where they had failed. Noticing cracks, scars, and missing pieces on their masks, Ganryū assumed this meant it was a more physical process.

This led to a year of daily head-bashing. He found rocks, trees—even mindless Hollows to smash his mask against. He threw himself at his targets like a determined goat. This lasted until he was fighting a fellow Adjuchas. He had the Hollow in a tight bear hug and was smashing his face against it. To some, it might have looked like a scene between passionate lovers. To them, it was a painful death. And as he continued, Ganryū plead with himself. Let this work. I'm tired of this! This needs to stop! I am better than this! Better than this other Hollow! I am better than myself, my goals, and who I was! I am...!

As he finished his internal tirade, Ganryū's mask shattered. The burst of Reiryoku blew the other Hollow apart. The only one standing in the sand crater was Ganryū. For the first time, he had a distinct face. At this time, his mask fragments took the form of a Heian-perior helmet with out a crest. He finally got his head protection, although his face was now clear for all to see. This was fine for Ganryū, for he would soon be known by face and not just by name.

Ganryū was successful upon his return. He continued to earn greater spoils of war. And his notoriety continued. And for the first time, that really bit him in the ass. Although Ganryū had many masters by this point, there was one he avoided. He knew that Hollow would never accept anything but undying and unquestioning loyalty. Ganryū had no interest in either of those. And so he avoiding the ever-seeking arm of the King of Hueco Mundo— Baraggan Louisenbairn.

That task was difficult. In fact, it was too difficult a task. He could not win, but perhaps he could just not lose. That would be his plan. When he felt the creeping eye of the desert's master closing in, Ganryū would move without hesitation. But all runners get backed into a corner. It took many years before one of Baraggan's underlings finally caught up to him. They gave him the spiel he was expecting—join or die, you have no place to hide, blah blah blah.

Ganryū wasn't going to die for another king's goals and made that abundantly clear. The Hollow King's vassal and he fought. One had a fear of failure, the other a fear of losing. The two were not the same. Their fears brought out abilities that neither had used before. Their battle turned the desert landscape into a shapeless game of connect-the-dots with craters and cero-carved troughs.

With bones broken and blood leaking, Ganryū retreated to behind a thin mesa. He was going to lose—at least if nothing changed. The large staff he had been using began vibrating in his hands. It was almost speaking to him. "I guess there's no harm in trying." He tried calling out his Resurrección like he had seen a Shinigami call their sword—but the name and phrase was clearly incorrect. As his opponent laughed at such a farce, he shrugged and smiled. "I thought I'd try it. Fuck it. Let's just go!"

Instead of calling the name and releasing his Resurrección as per normal, Ganryū poured all of his remaining strength into the polearm. He wasn't sure what was going to happen—but growing to twice his size and being covered in white armor sure wasn't it. The increase in power startled Barragan's vassal—and Ganryū left no chance for an opening. He crushed the vassal like a potato. Ganryū ate well that day—though still enlarged as he had no idea how to end the effect.

Ganryū fought more and more of the vassals that came his way. He gave his Zanpakutō its name—Sangaku Shirozuki—as he used it more and more. It bent to his will and it required less effort after being named. When the vassals started coming in multiples, Ganryū was at a disadvantage even with Sangaku Shirozuki. He began feeling a pounding in his chest that moved to his arms as if something wished to be let out.

Ganryū's first use of Kokkakumure was in such a fight. Outnumbered, he needed more men. He didn't have anyone to call back to, so he decided to let that pounding feeling out. The orbs that came out in the middle of combat were anticlimatic, but when they manifested into soldiers that could fight alongside him, he laughed. He and his makeshift band of warriors were victorious one final time.

Ganryū suddenly stopped getting attacked one day. It wasn't long after he had seen three weird guys in the desert, but he didn't think much of it. Instead, he decided to take the reprieve as a time to train. He burrowed down into the Forest of Menos. There, he freely tested the limits of Sangaku Shirozuki. Once he found those limits, he pushed them. Ganryū used his time outside of training to make connections. He felt up the proverbial 'food chain' down there and found that it wasn't going to be a good investment long-term.

By the time Ganryū returned to the surface, many things had changed. Barragan was no longer the King of Hueco Mundo. A Shinigami named... something-that-started-with-an-S Aizen was effectively in charge now. Ganryū heard Hollows trying to seek an audience with the man who claimed to have power beyond their dreams. Ganryū didn't believe such a thing and decided not to follow. With what happened later, it was a good thing he didn't.

Although Ganryū was not involved in the so-called Winter War, he did observe from a distance when he could. When the roof of that ostentatious castle was blown off, he decided to leave the area. Ganryū saw opportunity when Aizen was defeated. Many wanted to be the new King of Hueco Mundo. And in order to do that, they'd need supporters. They'd need an army. And so, Ganryū fed the various sides. He fanned the flames of chaos. He would fight for one side one day and another the next. His Kokkaku would even have to fight against one another—and he made a killing. He was an equal-opportunity merchant of death.

During this time, things changed for all realms. Hueco Mundo became less insular. Currency beyond just souls were cropping up. Ganryū helped foster this by charging less in these forms of payment. This led to him being perhaps the wealthiest man in Hueco Mundo—though few knew it. Ganryū did eventually grow bored of nothing but chaotic infighting. He decided to take a vacation to the World of the Living—quite literally. He travelled the human's world and spent the money he had gained. He learned gambling and even the stock market. He bought properties he enjoyed the views from.

Unfortunately, Ganryū did not have long to enjoy his success. He did not make wise financial decisions and was subsequently kicked out of his living spaces. When he fought back, tough opponents would come in. It was a pain in the ass being broke—but there were few that would take him up on his offers in the World of the Living. The ones that did didn't pay much at all. So for the first time, Ganryū decided to take an actual job.

Ganryū joined with Shadow Fall near the height of their expansion. As they ventured into Hueco Mundo, he helped carve out territory for them. It was a reminder of the fun and interesting times he used to live in. Unfortunately, the Hollow kingdom cracked under the pressure from Shadow Fall and joined far too quickly. And thus he was sent back to the World of the Living.

It was just as interesting there, but there was a little less 'soul' to it. Perhaps it was him, but he also felt that Shadow Fall as a whole was starting to flag. Its steam would run out. And run out it did... The organization was being pushed back and as such couldn't afford his growing fees. As he had grown stronger, he had increased his fees proportionally. An accountant tried to get him to negotiate or to just serve by swearing fealty. The pitiful accountant did not get to report the rejection with his head caved in.

Spies from... some organization he has forgotten the name of approached Ganryū after he left. They knew who he was and knew he had left for financial reasons. They offered to pay him if he'd share what information he had. He countered with a hiring proposal. Their superiors hesitantly agreed. Once again, Ganryū had shifted sides. He'd always fight for who paid him—and always fight against those that didn't.

Throughout World War IV, Ganryū stayed winning thanks to his switching sides. If anyone came out on top, it was him. He had money, no real fame (or infamy), and most importantly, time to kill. Or so he thought. That same organization that had hired him turned on him. Their contract was up, so he wasn't mad or upset with them—just upset that he knew if he remained in the World of the Living, he'd just get chased around like Barraggan's vassals.

And so, Ganryū fled with his riches back to Hueco Mundo. He lived comfortably in the years since, but now his wealth is getting a little low for his tastes. It was time for him to find a new employer or three...



» Dense Body: Due to the specific nature of Ganryū's form, it can be said that not all of the souls within him are distilled. What this means is that each individual soul that made up the Hollow he once was hasn't fully broken down. Their individual weight still exists in some capacity. This means that he weighs signficantly more than one might expect—even with his imposing height. This results in Ganryū being at a disadvantage when fighting in multi-story buildings as he could easily just fall through the floor. This also means he is slower than most. Without the further distillation of those souls, Ganryū is incapable of attaining Speed at a rank higher than D.

» Cero: Ganryū is rather skilled with Cero, and he prefers it as a combat style over getting in close. However, most of his variants are distinct to Hakuya Hakkotsu. Ganryū's cero are teal with a purple outline.


» Sonido: Ganryū is currently unable to be used as a high-speed movement ability due to his Dense Body. As such, he is treated as Untrained in the core aspect of the skill. However, he is capable of something similar to Sonido: Zumbido (絡繹転; JP: Incessant Turn, SP: Whirr/Hum). Zumbido is effectively a extremely short and slow Sonido upwards—just enough distance and force to lift him about 3 inches off the ground. This allows him to hover and glide at his normal speed, even over water or difficult terrain. He can not use this to ascend or fly; it is merely an adaptation to allow him to move at his normal speed in the sands of Hueco Mundo. Due to the limitations of Dense Body, he is currently incapable of creating a variant of this. The sound produced by this is a constant, low hum or whirr that almost sounds like a vacuum cleaner—hence the name.

» Tenka FubuUnify the nation with military might (天下布武): An anachronistic name for a warrior of the Heian era, Tenka Fubu is not so much an active ability as it is the way of describing Ganryū's physicality. He may be a single, strong soul now, but he was once hundreds of souls that eventually merged into the form you see now. And in the initial formation, it was only souls of warriors—with very few civilians who were not skilled at arms. The very limited and specific souls that gave him form has led to a a distilled body—one made of Taira soldiers. His body is reinforced with the accumulated lifetimes of those very same warriors that perished immediately before, during, and after the battle of Dan-no-Ura. Fighting Ganryū is like fighting a tank. He's tough, slow, and built to hit back as hard as or harder than you can touch him. He's an expert marksman with a bow and a devestating staff-wielder. To boil it down to simpler terms, Tenka Fubu is the spiritual enhancement to his physical baseline—his Speed, Strength, and Durability—and is representative of his Aumentar.

» Hakuya HakkotsuBleached Bones of the Midnight Sun: (白夜白骨) Hakuya Hakkotsu is the ability that gives Ganryū his distinct armor. It is his coffin and his life support. Hakuya Hakkotsu uses the fact that Shinigami and Arrancar have nearly-identical anatomy. This includes the Reiatsu vents on the wrists. If you plug a vent, there's nowhere for the pressure (Reiatsu) to go, leading to a very gruesome pop. Instead of letting Reiatsu swirl around and affect the outside world, Ganryū theorized he could hold his Reiatsu close to him as a way to improve his Hierro. He devised a way to space his Hierro further and further away from his body by initially splitting off part of his mask fragment and spreading the Hierro between the two points. As he developed the technique, it created a more physical form of Hierro that was visible to the naked eye. That is Hakuya Hakkotsu.

Hakuya Hakkotsu is effectively a pressurized container. It is a threefold combination—the armor is a container for his Reiatsu, an enhancement to his Hierro, and his Estigma. In addition to the armor itself being extremely durable, Hakuya Hakkotsu has reactive properties as well. It uses his own Reiatsu as a cushion as well as a counter-force against oncoming attacks.

In terms of duration, Hakuya Hakkotsu is practically infinite. So long as Ganryū can produce Reiatsu, he can keep Hakuya Hakkotsu active. The effects may dwindle as his Reiatsu lowers, but the armor remains. This is because it is kept in place by the circulation of his Reiatsu. By constantly moving his Reiatsu around within the armor, it keeps it "pressurized" and thus active. And by doing most of the work through existing Reiatsu circulation rather than Reiatsu production, it makes Hakuya Hakkotsu incredibly energy-efficient. If too much Reiatsu is produced for the armor to contain, Hakuya Hakkotsu has small holes spread across the body that act as exhaust. However, the downside of this is that he does not have control over his Reiatsu. When he is recovering, he requires twice as much energy as a comparable Arrancar. This is because his natural Reiryoku recovery is unusually atrophied due to his lack of need to recover as much during a fight.

Ganryū has developed Hakuya Hakkotsu further by allowing different configurations to focus on different aspects of his combat styles. These are his Shikkōjisō—Enforcement Modes. Each of them alters the appearance of Hakuya Hakkotsu moderately. There are a few shared traits among the configurations. These include include insulation, self-cleaning, and waste disposal. Reconfiguration within thread can only be done once per two posts.


Shikkōjisō: ChinatsuEnforcement Mode: Subjugation 執行事相: 鎮圧 — Chinatsu is the most common configuration of Hakuya Hakkotsu. It is also the most decorative. This is effectively his "defense configuration." It has the fewest amount of exhaust holes and so it is the most pressurized. While Chinatsu is active, Hakuya Hakkotsu provides a natural 30% boost to durability as he keeps most of his Reiatsu closer to him.

In addition, Chinatsu allows him the use of Cero Kyōbatsu (虚閃牙溶発; Hollow Flash Ablative Fang). This is less a large blast and more of a wide semi-circular spread of energy close to Ganryū. It could almost be compared to an offensive version of Dankū—as it utilizes its energy as a Cero to fight against oncoming attacks. At current, its maximum size could cover half of Ganryū plus ten feet in each direction. It can only be fired from his two jaw-like pauldrons.

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Shikkōjisō: ShokeiEnforcement Mode: Execution 執行事相: 処刑 Shokei is the configuration that is best at fighting small conflicts. It is not entirely a balance between offense and defense. Rather, this is most accurately described as his "agility configuration." Shokei has multiple larger Reiatsu vents in comparison to his other configurations. This allows for large, controlled bursts of Reiatsu that move his body in ways not unlike a thruster might. This doesn't increase his speed—none of them are positioned in such a way for him to be able to, say, jet in a direction. Instead, they allow him to pivot and change direction with artificial enhancement.

In addition, Shokei allows him the use of Cero Kishūsoku (虚閃牙集束; Hollow Flash Fang Convergence). It starts with a single, thin Cero fired from his bow. This Cero is notably weaker than a normal Cero and one might confuse it for a slow Bala. It does not explode upon impact. Instead, it remains impaled. With a second "draw" of his bow, Ganryū releases the remainder of the energy used in the Cero. Cero Kishūshoku is a single Cero split into multiple projectiles. These are fired from the spike protrusions on his bow. The followup projectiles change direction mid-flight. They dart to the side, up, down, etc. as they follow the target impaled with the initial Cero.

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Shikkōjisō: JinmetsuEnforcement Mode: Annihilation 執行事相: 尽滅 —Jinmetsu is configuration of destruction. It is not particularly good at one-on-one combat. It's not particularly agile, nor does it consistently pose the same amount of defensive power as Chinatsu. This is because Jinmetsu is his "offensive configuration." The Reiatsu produced while Jinmetsu is active enhances his attacks by 30%. This applies to any of his attacks (punches, kicks, Cero, Bala, etc.) as he increases the force behind the attacks with the Reiatsu.

In addition, Jinmetsu allows him the use of Cero Kantsūhōki (虚閃貫通砲牙; Hollow Flash Piercing Fang Cannon). This isn't a normal Cero—this is actually a modification of the Gran Rey Cero. Unlike the Cero unlocked by Chinatsu or Shokei, Kantsūhōki requires Ganryū to produce as much Reiatsu as possible. This is because Kantsūhōki is wrapped tightly in his own Reiatsu in order to "control" and focus the attack. This causes the Cero to have the same power of a Gran Rey Cero in a more contained manner and thus have much higher piercing potential. Unlike his normal Gran Rey Cero, Kantsūhōki is crimson due to the pressure against the Reiatsu container.

There is a variation of Cero Kantsūhōki—Ōgeki (殴撃; Bombardment). At any time through the Cero's flight, Ganryū can break the Reiatsu container around the Cero. This sudden burst terminates the Cero prematurely but instead the energy is spread in a wide sphere. Ōgeki is very useful against groups of opponents.

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Shikkōjisō: SenyūEnforcement Mode: Infiltration 執行事相: 潜入—Senyū is in some ways the true "default" mode of Hakuya Hakkotsu, or rather it is a reversion to when he didn't have Hakuya Hakkotsu active all the time. It is a suppression of its effects—and the one time his face is shown without his armor being broken. However, it is only temporary. At most, Senyū lasts for 48 hours. For every hour he spends in Senyū, two must be spent with the armor active.


» Zanpakutō Name: Sangaku ShirozukiThree-Jawed White Moon (三顎白月)

» Sealed Zanpakutō Appearance: Sangaku Shirozuki when not affected by Hakuya Hakkotsu takes the form of an overly-thick staff. Aside from the handle in the middle, the staff is as thick as his forearms. Hakuya Hakkotsu affects the appearance of the staff and reveals its true form, that of a bow.

» Sealed Zanpakutō Ability:

• Bow Energy Enhancement: If a Cero, Bala, or other energy attack is fired using the bow form of Sangaku Shirozuki, it gains a 50% boost to power and range. Utilizing Gran Rey Cero (or equivalent/stronger) through the bow requires anchoring of some sort. This does not apply to Hakuya Hakkotsu-specific Cero. If utilized with Sangaku Shirozuki's staff form, Ganryū can bat his own Cero and Bala mid-flight to change their trajectory.
  

» Resurrección Release Phrase: Howl at the empty void.

» Resurrección Release Action: Ganryū simply slams his fists together in front of where his heart would be. Upon calling out the name of his Zanpakutō, his armor explodes outward as the form within grows.

» Resurrección Appearance: Sangaku Shirozuki is a large, bipedal form with jaw-like adornments across the body. These jaws do, in fact, open up and can bite. The most noticable physical trait is that Ganryū is now twice as tall while in his Resurrección.

» Resurrección Abilities: Sangaku Shirozuki allows the usage of the three different unique Cero from Hakuya Hakkotsu. Each of the unique Cero are fired from one of the various mouths across the body or from between the two horns atop his head.




» Merchant of Death: Ganryū's earnings from World War IV were significant enough for him to buy multiple houses if he wanted. Unfortunately, he had to retreat into Hueco Mundo and has little use for most of that money. The money is currently tied up in multiple banks and backed by precious metals.



General Skills
» Durability:
» Speed:
» Strength:
» Soul:

Will Skills
» Willpower:
» Deduction:
» Focus:

Arrancar Skills
» Cero:
» Nucleo:
» Aumentar:
» Sonido:



We've got a lot of antagonists, and Ganryū is my way to put as many fingers into as many pies as possible. He's a sleazebag who'll fight anything outside of an unwinnable fight so long as he's paid. He's a mercenary first and foremost, and he's meant to provide a repeating threat for characters and storylines. You need something truly evil and heinous done? Good news, he accepts CashApp and Venmo.