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Welcome to Shin’o Academy, where those souls gifted with high spiritual energy are trained to become shinigami before moving on to the ranks of one of the three military branches of Soul Society. Located amidst Seireitei, the Academy was founded by Genryusai Shigekuno Yamamoto. It is where young shinigami are given the basics needed to survive as a shinigami. Academy students are also given an Ausauchi, the weapon that will eventually become their zanpakuto. Female academy students uniform consists of a red hakuma and a white top with a red stripe down each sleeve with circular emblems over each breast with a red undershirt. The male counterpart is the same as the female’s with the exception of the red being replaced with blue. Both wear white socks with sandals.
Curriculum
Four Major Shinigami Combat Forms
Hakuda
Hakuda (白打, White Hits) is a close-combat style of fighting, in which one is unarmed and uses only one's body, and is one of the four basic fighting styles of the Shinigami. Captain Suì-Fēng of the 2nd Division excels in this style. High-speed Taijutsu (体術, Body Skill) attacks are used to overwhelm the opponent. Physical strength and skill is determined by this class. It seems to be a combination of several martial arts.
Hoho
Hohō (歩法, Step Method; Viz "Fast Movement") is the name given to one of the four combat skills of the Shinigami and relates to footwork. Hohō is an important skill for most Shinigami, and is one of their four basic fighting styles. The agility and speed of Hohō can be enhanced and improved through concentration, training, and mastery of it. The foremost practitioners of this technique are those assigned to the Onmitsukidō. Shunpo (瞬歩, Flash steps) is the greatest expression of the Hohō technique. However, there are variations even within Shunpo which only master Hohō practitioners can use.
Kido
Kidō (鬼道, Demon/Spirit Way; Viz "Soul Reaper's powers"/"Spells"; sometimes translated as "Demon Arts") is a form of Shinigami combat based on advanced spells. These spells are produced with strong Reiryoku and fall into two categories: Hadō for direct attacks, and Bakudō for battle support. It is one of the techniques in the Zankensoki, the group of Shinigami primary combat skills. Kidō spells are triggered by an incantation. Experienced users can trigger them without an incantation, though the effectiveness of the spell will be diminished.
There are three main types of Kidō: binding spells, destruction spells, and healing spells.
Bakudō
(縛道, Way of Binding)
Supplementary spells which can immobilize an enemy or have an effect besides a direct strike. They may seem subtle, but these spells can give their users a tactical advantage when used properly.These are a broad category of defensive spells which block/repel attacks or freezes enemies in place. This class of spells include Kidō Barriers & Seals.
Barriers (結界, Kekkai): Focused spiritual energy formed into a solid form of energy. This energy can take on many shapes or colors as determined by the user. Barriers are protective in nature, and can be as simple as a barrier only protecting one direction or encompassing all sides of an area. Barriers can be used for containment, and some barriers can be used offensively. Barriers can mask spiritual pressure and can make one spiritually and physically invisible. The strength of a barrier is dependent upon the power of the user. Weak barriers are easily breakable, while strong ones can last for centuries. Barriers created by noble blood are said to be unbreakable by those of lesser status. Certain barriers can be placed beforehand and activated later, while others require certain artifacts and time to activate.
Seals (封, Fū): Somewhat similar to barriers, but far more powerful and require far more preparation to create. Seals can only be used by those of sufficient spiritual power being who are meant to hold the most powerful and/or dangerous artifacts or beings. Seals are usually hard to break.
Hadō
(破道, Way of Destruction)
Offensive spells which inflict direct damage to the enemy. Their effectiveness differs depending on the user. It is said the effectiveness of the higher-ranked spells are beyond imagination.
Gisei Hadō (犠牲破道, Sacrificial Way of Destruction): A particular offensive spell like Ittō Kasō that requires the user to sacrifice a certain portion of themselves in order use it.
Kaidō
(回道, Turn Way)
Also known as healing Kidō (治療用鬼道, chiryōyō kidō). These spells do not have known names, numbers, or incantations to cast, and simply heal the target. As the user holds his/her hands above the patient's wounds, his/her palms glow with green spiritual energy to facilitate healing. When one heals with regular healing kidō, they perform Reiatsu restoration first. By doing so, one can attempt to recover the physical body using the patient's restored reiatsu and the healer's external reiatsu. Therefore, restoring the reiatsu when the physical body is in a fully healed state is no trouble at all.
Zanjutsu
Zanjutsu (斬術, Swordsmanship; Viz "Art of the Sword"; Cutting Technique) is the fighting style for the Zanpakutō (i.e. sword fighting) and is one of the four basic fighting styles of the Shinigami. It is shameful for a Shinigami to not master at least this technique. It is the specialty of Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division.
Soul Burial
All students will be required to know how to perform a soul burial. Konsō (魂葬, Soul Burial): the process by which a Shinigami sends wandering Pluses in the Human World to Soul Society if they are good in life or Hell if their life was full of evil acts (such as murders, theft, etc.). Konsō is performed by using the hilt of the Shinigami's Zanpakutō, tapping the soul on their forehead and transporting them to the afterlife.
Zanpakutou
Zanpakutō are the trademark weapons of the Shinigami. Capable of cutting spiritual bodies, they are among the few weapons which can be used to combat Hollows. Each Shinigami carries a Zanpakutō, and each Zanpakutō is unique: the swords are reflections of a Shinigami's power and soul, and sentient beings unto themselves. The Zanpakutō's name is the name of the living spirit which empowers the sword and lends its strength to the Shinigami who wields it. These beings can vary greatly in appearance, and have their own distinct personalities, which match their owner's. A Zanpakutō's shape and abilities are based on their Shinigami's soul. Once a Shinigami learns his/her sword's name, they can communicate with one another and grow stronger together. Zanpakutō are born with their Shinigami, and they die along with their Shinigami. Shinigami use them in battle as a reflection of their heart. When released, they can display a vibrant power. They are one with the Shinigami, and they share a Shinigami's conviction. Inside each Zanpakutō is an incarnation which manifests itself upon the Zanpakutō's transformation. Academy students will need to learn how to communicate with their Zanpakuto and try to learn the name.
Assignments
1
Watch the first twenty episodes of Bleach or read the first seventy chapters of the manga.(Not Graded)
2
Seek out one of the Senseis, and take the entrance exam.
3
Study the four combat skills used by shinigami and decide what style of fighter your charater will be. Write out a paragraph or two explaining your character's fighting style and add that to your bio. Visit the Shinigami bio page and look at the format. Add a section to your bio for each of the four combat skills that mimics your fighting style. As an academy student, the highest level reached is expert. If one chooses to be an expert, it means that they would devote most of their time to learning that skill, so they would be at Novice levels for the other three. If a character is a Practitioner at two of the skills, the other two are at Novice level. Depending on how one does through the Academy, these skills will be changed at graduation. This activity is meant to give your character a solid foundation and put them on a path for future development. Let a sensei know when you have completed this assignment.
4
Work out the basics of your zanpakuto, what is expected is on the shinigami bio page. Leave the information on Bankai blank as that will be worked out later. Edit your bio accordingly and notify a sensei. While you are at it, fill in the Reiatsu information as well.
5
The final assignment has two parts to it. The first part is to write out a small paragraph that is your goal for your character. What division do you want to be in? What rank do you want to achieve? And why? Add this paragraph to your Bio as a goal, you may also include any other personal goals for you character as well. The second part of the assignment is to write a proper entrance into the role play of your character entering the proper division barracks and presenting yourself to the Captain. Be mindful of what is already occurring in the barracks and enter your character in a way that is logical and flows with the role play. The Captain will give you your rank in his reply.
Grades
There is no way to flunk out of the academy. These assignments are as much for your benefit as they are for us to gauge your abilities. As you finish your assignments, your grades will be posted below on a report card. Each of the four graded assignments will be given in a percentage from zero to one hundred. Those four grades are then added together and the total number is used to divy out as your percentages for the offensive, defensive, mobility, kido, intelligence and physical strength portion of your bio. If at anytime you are unclear on anything, feel free to contact one of the senseis to answer your queries.
Anyone caught mocking anthers' grades will be demoted, immediately.
On occasion, highly talented Shinigami may be admitted to a division, or even granted a seated position with a division before completing the full curriculum, or partake in missions with a division.
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