Utsuro

The Utsuro (虚, "Empty") are a group of that live among the, having attained a form of  different than that of the. Their existence is relatively unknown, even to the, yet perhaps this ignorance is bliss, for the Utsuro are a threat unlike any the have ever encountered. However, it appears as though they harbor no hostility toward any other group, preferring to remain undisturbed in their own roving communities.

Overview
What plagues all Souls in the are the existence of. They are the natural predators to any spiritual being. It is the duty of the to protect them from Hollows, but the Hollows easily outnumber the Shinigami by the thousands to one. Furthermore, the Shinigami are not collectively concerned with humans themselves, but rather maintaining the balance of the worlds. They will only hunt down enough Hollows that will sustain the flow of souls, and all others are left to fend for themselves. But it is in human nature to survive; it is their biological imperative as a race to do whatever it takes to preserve their lives. It is because of this need to survive Hollows that the Utsuro came about.

Creation
When humans die, their soul leaves the body, and is supposed to leave for the, but humans are often creatures with unresolved conflicts and issues even in death. These lingering concerns cause them to remain in the human world even after death, causing them to exist as a soul with a visible chain of fate connected to their chests. When that chain deteriorates, they will become a Hollow, and lose themselves to their base instincts, becoming a ravenous monster. Perhaps what is worse than becoming a monster is when one observes another turn into a monster. The process is horrendous and blood-curdling.

But that pain eventually became useful to those who survived. It cannot be said with any certainty, but it is likely that by observing the process of the chain of fate eroding and the eventual Hollow transformation, the ones who managed to survive those encounters learned that their chain of fate needed to be connected to something to prevent the transformation. In life, the chain was connected to the physical body, but now in death, it needed to be tied to something else. Perhaps it was that realization that led to the shared understanding between them that their existences were meaningless; empty. They weren't even worth saving by the that governed this world. But perhaps that was how it was supposed to be. This "emptiness" was itself their true nature. Hollows were not the enemy but rather a natural part of this world and their kin. They needed one another: Hollows needed them as sustenance, at least that's how they thought, and they would need them to keep them chained to this world. They could become empty by filling a Hollow's own emptiness with their own essence, and thus in turn, the Hollow kept them forever bounded to the living world in their human state, achieving a unique form of symbiosis.

That is how the Utsuro were born. Souls that discovered, through trial and error, a method to connect their chains of fate to other Hollows as a way to preserve their own hearts and consciousness. They would willingly "become empty" by joining together with other beings of emptiness, thus evolving into the true form of their species. It produced a curious phenomenon; their chains were connected to the Hollows through quantum entanglement, enabling them to venture far distances away from the Hollows they were chained to, without being restricted by the chains themselves. The result was a unique form of born from this symbiosis, granting them considerable elevations in their spiritual power, but more importantly, it allowed them to control Hollows by acting like a hivemind for them.

General Traits
Utsuro, keeping true to their nature as souls that live with Hollows, often cover themselves in the corpses and remains of deceased Hollows. They cover their own faces with a Hollow's mask and generally wear large tufts of stitched-together fur and skin that is worn over their bodies like a robe. It gives them the appearance of a normal and notably small Hollow, allowing them to easily blend into Hollow herds without being detected by onlookers. They will only show their faces to each other and to those that have earned their respect. When at camp, however, they are generally seen dressed in scraps of clothing they have procured throughout their travels. As a group that does not believe in trinkets or unnecessary luxuries, none of them wear anything particularly ostentatious.

In order to communicate with one another during travels with large Hollow herds, they speak in low gruff voices, almost reminiscent to that of growling. This is often done to avoid drawing attention to themselves from potential onlookers but also to prevent Hollows that are not chained to themselves from registering them as a human and therefore as prey.

Philosophy
Born out of their need for survival, the Utsuro came together; or more accurately, it can be said they were drawn to one another. Although they are isolationists, they always welcome souls burdened with a decaying chain of fate into their fold, given that they prove their worth. They view the Hollows as the most natural evolution of their existence. All souls are destined to empty themselves in death and ascend to a realm beyond all needless emotions, becoming what they consider the perfect and most natural existence. They come together as a society solely under a belief that it is their instinctive calling to empty themselves before the Hollows, rather than out of a need for family or community, in order to become what they were always meant to be. It is simply the result of them following what they consider the "truth of this world". One could even say they deify Hollows themselves in a manner of speaking.

However, this view on Hollows is two-sided. While on some level, Hollows appear to be regarded as the true existence, and thus are highly regarded as a type of god, in actuality, they regard Hollows as humans that have failed to become their true selves, and thus were punished by losing themselves to the world by becoming monsters. It is a punishment bestowed upon humans that gave into fear and despair, rather than embracing what they were meant to be, and thus, the Utsuro consider it their responsibility as the enlightened ones to use the Hollows as a stepping stone for their own evolution.

Although they are nomads by nature, they do set up communities in various areas that are distant from civilization. They have entire fields populated by the Hollows they keep, although many Utsuro allow their Hollows to wander on their own. The Utsuro generally live as a pastoral society, without the modern conveniences of most forms of technology. It is not uncommon for them to live in housing with other members, living in familial units despite their general lack of a need for familial attachment. For them, family and community is just about survival; nothing more and nothing less.

In becoming "empty", they have discarded their own identities and therefore do not refer to one another by their original names. They operate under a pack mentality. The Utsuro are led by an individual they call Alpha (最初重鎮 (アルファ), Arufa; Japanese for "First Leader"). In turn, the one that the Alpha regards as their second-in-command and personal attendant is referred to by the name Beta (最初従者 (ベータ), Bēta; Japanese for "First Follower"). Given that they live among Hollows, the Utsuro themselves operate under a survival of the fittest regime, and as such, only the strong are valued. To help one another or to protect them is seen as a crutch, preventing them from achieving their own strength, and thus, the Alpha is the one viewed as the strongest of the Utsuro. One can challenge the Alpha for their position at any time, and it is expected that the Alpha be capable of defending their position with their own strength; without the aid or support of other Utsuro. It is also a tradition for significant Utsuro, those that have proven themselves capable to the Alpha, to be bestowed names of their own following the naming scheme of the Alpha and Beta, such as the "Gamma", the "Delta", and so on and so forth.

Powers & Abilities
However, their does not possess the same dual nature that  do, but particularly-keen individuals are able to recognize a minuscule core of humanity within the power of the beast. They do not need to undergo any sort of transformation to access this power, for it is a power naturally afforded to them rather than shelved off as in the case of a Visored. Through this, they are able to utilize the typical abilities afforded to Hollows, such as, , , et cetera.

Hollow Linkage: In order to become an Utsuro, a soul must link their severed chain of fate to a Hollow, and reign them in through strength of will. By doing so, the Hollow becomes docile, and serves as an extension of the Utsuro, but still retains some semblance of its own consciousness, allowing it to act of its own accord. An Utsuro can cultivate and grow their Hollowfication powers by chaining themselves to more than one Hollow. They gain more power from every Hollow that is chained to them, with an Utsuro chained to at least a thousand Hollows possessing power comparable with that of an average Shinigami Captain. Generally, most Utsuro have linkages to countless Hollows, allowing them to utilize entire herds at any given time. It is presumed, therefore, that the Alpha is the one that possesses a truly frightening amount of Hollows under their sovereign, and this is true, for it is said that the current Alpha is linked to more than a million Hollows.
 * Shared Power: Their relationship is one of symbiosis. Not only does the Utsuro benefit but also do the individual Hollows. They no longer exist as individuals but rather their existences are defined by the herd they are connected with. A single Hollow among the herd possesses the might of the several other Hollows that are connected to the same Utsuro, meaning that for an Utsuro with a hundred Hollows, a single one of those Hollows possesses the power of a hundred at any given time. This makes their numbers dangerous in both quantity and quality, making most head-on confrontations with an Utsuro extremely disadvantageous.

Hollow Herd Manipulation: What gives the Utsuro their power is their connection to the Hollows that provide them an anchor to this world. It is through this connection that Hollows can be controlled and directed like tamed animals. The Utsuro generally travel by hiding among the tamed herds of Hollows they have gathered, which tends to attract even other Hollows that follow the pack mentality. While this serves as a means of protection, it also serves as an Utsuro's greatest and most versatile weapon, allowing them to attack their enemies with the large herds of Hollows that surround them.

Notable Members

 * Alpha
 * Beta

Behind the Scenes
This concept was inspired by the Whisperers from the comic book and television series, The Walking Dead.