Hengeyokai Information

[Kiriko Tenshi]

This is not a suggestion or a mechanic. This is something I wrote for another bleach site that is being posted for the 4 Hengeyokai characters on this site for ideas, lore, etc... I'm rather proud of the casting systems inherit to this prestige class, but this wouldn't work for our RPG so please don't take it as a mechanical suggestion.*

*Not that I'd oppose such a thing.

For those who care:
Reiatsu = Stamina (except on our site Stamina = GP, not half of GP)
Connection = GP
Zanjutsu and Hakuda = Strength (it was a stat, not a skill)
Kidou = Spirit

----

Note that this post is a written chapter so the information here is all from the point of view of a single character. The hengeyokai prestige class allows characters who are themselves hengeyokai, half-hengeyokai or under possession by a hengeyokai to unlock particular abilities and powers the race are known for while still being a shinigami. Shinigami hengeyokai are a bit of an oddity: usually shinigami are only human. But its not entirely without precedent. Shinigami or hollow yokai appear when a yokai acts human enough during their life (or gains strong enough bonds with a human) may be mis-categorized in their afterlife as a human being and granted the position and powers of a shinigami or hollow. They can also appear when a yokai devours and syncs with a human soul, or when they live in their human body too long after an extended tsuki (or simply don't leave said body and then pass on). They could even be humans themselves who are half-hengeyokai or who bonded with the soul of a hengeyokai before or after their death on earth. All in all there are countless ways this oddity could occur--each and every instance of a hengeyokai entering the illustrious courts of seireitai seems to be unique and special enough to be considered its own case. And although such cases are rare, in a world where men and women can live for hundreds of years its not uncommon for a solid handful of such beings to exist at any given point in time.

[Kiriko Tenshi]

Pure Hengeyokai:

"Pure"
hengeyokai are those who were born as yokai and, for some reason, wound
up in Soul Society after they died or joined the human afterlife
through some other means. Usually hengeyokai have a deeper innate
connection with the spiritual world than humans. They are usually more
used to manipulating reiatsu and seeing "strange" beings such as hollows
and shinigami fight amongst one another back on earth. They are used
to being ignored, feared and even hunted by humans. They usually lose
most of their past powers and bonds when they enter seireitei--even a
three or four tailed fox can find himself back down to one when he wakes
up on the dusty roads of some far off district of soul society.

Pure
hengeyokai have the largest selection of spirit powers available to
them, but must follow their taboo or risk losing all their spiritual
power.

Half-Hengeyokai:

Half-Hengeyokai
are usually the sons and daughters of a hengeyokai and human couple
whose yokai side has awakened itself enough to allow it to manipulate
spiritual energy. Other times they are a form of possessed hengeyokai
who have completely merged with their inner spirit and become one
being. They are often outcasts of society if such a power isn't kept
under check. In today's 'less-spiritual' times, such beings are often
seen as incredibly lucky or unlucky with an air of exoticism and even
mysticism about them. They are quite common, but they usually die off
and reincarnate as full humans before their power manifests (as it
usually takes 100 years or more for a hengeyokai's power to begin to
show itself).

Half-Hengeyokai have a lower selection of spirit
powers than full hengeyokai. However, if a taboo is broken they will
only lose access to particular hengeyokai powers and can still function
as spiritual entities capable of wielding their reiatsu.

Possessed Hengeyokai:

Quite
often in the yokai world a demon will use the now illegal and forbiddon
art of Tsuki (possession) to reincarnate itself (often in the body of
an unblessed child). Doing such an act requires devouring the soul of
the body the demon now inherits (if the possession is permanent), or
simply eating a portion of it and residing in the spiritual cavity.
This is done quite often when a yokai is injured or needs to rest for a
decade or two. Hengeyokai are sometimes also sealed into humans against
their will, but this is rare as shrines and rocks are more permanent
solutions to getting these spirits out of one's hair. Sometimes special
rituals are performed that bring a willing spirit and willing host into
a symbiotic relationship with one another, forming a bond similiar to
that of a shingiami and zanpaktou. Although this art is frowned upon,
if both participants are willing it is not forbidden in the hengeyokai
world. All of these examples create a being known as "Hengeyokai-Tsuki"
or "Hengeyokai Posessed."

A hengeyokai possessed is a human who
somehow has a hengeyokai residing in or along with its soul. Hengeyokai
possessed get an extremely limited and seemingly sporadic access to
certain powers but need not follow any taboo. They cannot transform and
are the most shunned of all three races. Those who have a hengeyokai
whose personality, goals or overall alignment clash with that of the
posessor may find themselves at odds with what is slowly becoming a part
of their very own soul. This creates a sort of spiritual tension that
tends to turn off people around you if not outright cause them to
immediately dislike you. Furthermore, techniques dealing with the
manipulation of the physical body are very limited. So, for example, a
possessed hengeyokai cannot transform.

[Kiriko Tenshi]

Any hengeyokai character, irregardless of race, receives Chikuryoku equal to their total raises to Connection after becoming a hengeyokai. Full hengeyokai also receive spirit points equal to 75% of their connection before getting this prestige class. Half get Chikuryoku equal to 50% of their connection before getting this prestige class. Posessed get 25% of their connection before taking this prestige class. This stat functions in a way similar to a mixture of kidou and reiatsu for spirit powers. The stat is lowered in order to obtain access to new powers and abilities. But characters also spend Chikuryoku, not reiatsu, when using their powers.

So, for example, if a character's "Transform" power cost 500 points to equip and 100 points to use, they would lower their Chikuryoku posted each week they had that power equipped by 500 points. So if they have 1000 points and equipped the 500 point Transform power, they would post their stats as such:

Each time they used that power, they would lose 100 Chikuryoku of their 500 available that week. Chikuryoku function in the same way as reiatsu with regards to spending them to activate spirit powers. They are replenished at the same rate and may be replenished with the same methods as replenishing reiatsu with the exception of items. Items that replenish reiatsu must be specifically marked on your sheet as an item that replenishes Chikuryoku in order to replenish these points. These items no longer replenish reiatsu unless re-equipped to do so in another week.

Spirit Powers are divided into 4 technique categories. These powers can be obtained by spending an appropriate amount of points for your particular species of hengeyokai. These categories are Tsuchijutsu (earth techniques), Hitsujutsu (animal techniques), Shinjutsu (heaven techniques) and genjutsu (false reality techniques).

Hitsujustu – (Animal Techniques)
Hitsujutsu represent techniques that herald back to a more primal nature from which hengeyokai come. These are most often techniques that modify the user's body. Possessed Hengeyokai may never obtain Hitsujutsu.

Hitsujutsu:

Animal Adaptivity:

Animal Transformations:1030:

Tsuchijutsu – (Earth Techniques)
Tsuchijutsu represent techniques that modify the physical world around the hengeyokai. These are most often techniques concerned with nature and the natural world.

Tsuchijutsu:

Tier 2:

Tier 3:

Element List:1030:

[Kiriko Tenshi]

Taboo are regulations that must be followed in order to keep your hengeyokai powers. Hengeyokai derive their power from the plane of Chikushudo. While not on that plane, they must keep a nearly constant mental focus via the contingency of taboo. These restrictions or changes to a hengeyokai's activities allow it to keep a vigilant connection with the source of its power. Possessed Hengeyokai need not use Taboo, but they may also never use Hitsujutsu.

A hengeyokai must get 1 taboo for every 1000 points of powers he or she equips that week. After 15 points of taboo have been acquired, you no longer require any taboo. If a hengeyokai fails to keep this taboo, they lose all Chikuryoku and access to all their powers until next week or, in the case of severe taboo, until they meet some other condition.

You may apply for custom taboo. You may not say whether your custom taboo are slight, moderate or severe--they will be categorized based on the staff's recommendations.

Note that in combat a lot of these taboo have to be viewed differently. If someone drops their purse outside of combat, you should give it back if you have to "must give back any dropped item to their owner". If someone drops their sword to get their dagger to stab you on the otherhand...

Slight Taboo:

These Taboo give you 1 point of taboo each, offsetting 1000 points worth of abilities.

You cannot cross running water.
You cannot drink alcohol.
You cannot eat meat of any kind.
You must always dress in the colors of your natural form.
Your shadow is always the shadow of your true animal form. You must hide it from anyone who doesn't know your secret. Only those you trust may know your secret. If they reveal your secret, you lose this taboo and any others that function similar to this.
You may never start a fire.
You may not sit a particular direction (north, east, west, etc...)
You cannot bathe.
You must wear as little clothing as possible.
There is one type of food you may not eat.
You are deathly afraid of your rival animal (for example, foxes are scared of dogs and smaller birds are scared of larger birds of prey).

Moderate Taboo:

These Taboo give you 2 point of taboo each, offsetting 2,000 points worth of abilities.

Choose a person other than your lover or spouse. You may never hurt this person. You must obey this person. You may only take this taboo once.
You cannot enter a building where someone lives without asking permission from someone who is already inside. You can sense if you are about to enter such a space.
If someone drops something in your presence, you must pick it up and return it to them.
You cannot cast one type of Kidou.
You cannot allow kidou to be cast upon you.
You cannot enter a holy temple.
You must eat living flesh once a day. Mice and insects will do, but it must be alive when you start chewing.
You cannot allow a human to touch you.
You cannot kill except in self defense.
You have a favorite food you would do things normally against your code to get a hold of.
You must perform a prank at least once a day.
There is one type of food you may not eat. That food must be a staple like rice.

Severe Taboo:

These Taboo give you 4 points of taboo each, offsetting 4,000 points worth of abilities.

You cannot lie and must reveal the truth to others if you know someone else is lying or hiding the truth.
You cannot tell anyone of your true nature or allow it to be spoken of in your presence.
You must repay a human's kindness toward you with a greater kindness within a year. Likewise, you must repay a human's insult toward you with great mischief in a like amount of time.
You must have a human mate, lover or spouse within 1 year and treat them with loyalty and respect. If the spouse proves unworthy, you lose your spirit powers until you find a new spouse or loved one, or get a new Taboo after 3 weeks.
You may not touch an item containing steel.
You may not speak or write to communicate.
You may never take human form.

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