Post by Mike on Apr 13, 2009 11:29:24 GMT -5
Quincy
What is a Quincy?
The Quincy are a line of spiritually aware human warriors. Originally a mixture of survivors of Hollow attacks and those who had 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.
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, also unlike the Shinigami, who rely on their own innate spiritual energy (as a reflection of this, Quincies have white spirit threads like normal humans, while Shinigami have red spirit threads.) Flashbacks in the anime show earlier Quincy using longbows or crossbows and firing spiritual arrows from them. Quincy bows are summoned using an artifact called a Quincy Cross. The only limit to a Quincy's ability to create and fire arrows is their own stamina and ability to absorb ambient spirit particles. Quincies 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.
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 on their uniforms and artifacts. The cross is not the same shape among all Quincy (e.g. Uryuu uses a Celtic cross, while Ryuuken uses a pentacle). There is also a six-pointed cross that appears on the back of Uryuu's Quincy tunic.
The Quincy Arsenal
--- Quincy Items
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. When used by Uryuu, the bait, in combination with Ichigo's powerful spiritual pressure, was able to draw a Gillian-class Menos out of Hueco Mundo.
Mekkyaku Juuji ("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, as Ryuuken's cross is a pentacle.
Sanrei Shutou ("sanrei glove") -- The sanrei glove is a powerful Quincy artifact that can increase a Quincy's power exponentially, but requires a dangerous and exhausting type of resistance 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, making it much harder to form a working bow. If a Quincy can summon a bow and use it for the required amount of time, they will have undergone a massive increase in power. When removed, however, the glove will release the user's energy all at once - first transforming them into a being of tremendous strength, and then forcing their Quincy powers to gutter out completely.
Seele Schneider ("soul cutter") -- The Seele Schneider is a thin sword that can be fired similarly to an arrow. 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. Uryuu also stated that using it increased his spiritual power.
Gintou ("silver tubes") -- 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 kidou. Like kid¨, they are activated by calling out various commands.
Reika Gin ("soul-synthesized silver") -- Soul-synthesized silver was used by Ryuuken Ishida to construct the hidden chamber in which Uryuu trains.
Reika Gurasu ("soul-synthesized glass") -- Like soul-synthesized silver, soul-synthesized glass was used to construct the hidden chamber in the Karakura Hospital.
--- Silver Tube Techniques
A list of techniques that utilize silver tubes (gintou):
Heizen ("heat") -- This technique creates a transparent, rectangular beam of energy from silver tubes which slices through the opponent. It is activated by the command "Feel the wrath of battle and accept this sacred chalice - Sacred Bite!"
Gritz -- This technique forms a man-sized pentacle symbol which envelops its target. It is activated by the command "A silver rod strikes the five-fingered stone bed - Quintuple Restraining Frames!"
Wolke ("cloud") -- This technique uses a silver tube to create a large blast. While it may not be intended for use as such, Uryuu uses it to cushion the impact of a fall. It is activated by the command "Tilt the goblet to the west - Emerald Grail!"
Sprenger ("explosion") -- This technique uses five Seele Schneiders to create a pentagram-shaped seal, which when activated causes a massive explosion within its borders. The Seele Schneiders function as accumulators, gathering the necessary amount of spirit particles to create the explosion. The liquid inside a silver tube acts as the trigger. The preparations for the technique combined with the charging time for the Seele Schneiders make its use in battle impractical unless the user has a partner that can stall to buy time.
--- Quincy Techniques
To go with their bow, the Quincy have a number of special techniques to give them an edge in combat:
Hirenkyaku ("flying screen step/god step") -- Analogous to the Shinigami Flash Steps or the Arrancar Sonido, the Quincy Hirenkyaku allows the user to move quickly over short distances; according to Uryuu Ishida it is faster than flash steps, though Mayuri Kurotsuchi's superior speed suggests that this is just a generalization. To perform the technique, the user gathers spiritual particles under their feet and rides them to the desired location. Like the air-walking skill displayed by most Arrancar and Shinigami, it can also be used to hover or fly for long distances. Mayuri compliments Uryuu on being able to use this technique at such a young age, suggesting that it is difficult to master.
Ransoutengai ("heavenly wild puppet suit") -- this is a high level technique that allows the user to control their body parts using strings of spirit energy controlled by their brain. By using this technique, the user can control their body as one would a puppet, allowing them to move freely despite paralysis, broken limbs, or any other force that would impede normal movement. It was originally created to allow old Quincy to fight effectively, and is rare enough that Mayuri had never encountered a Quincy (out of the 2661 that he examined or studied) who could use it before Uryuu.
Info taken from wikipedia and modified by BPM Staff.