Goryōmaru the Scarred

Goryōmaru the Scarred (傷の御霊丸, Goryoumaru no Kizu) was once the Captain of the who stepped down from duty in order to better serve the  as a teacher at the  as the Instructor of Class #8. Goryōmaru was once a powerful shinigami who earned a name for himself throughout the Soul Society, though his status has faded since his resignation of captaincy. He is a man of thought, and reaches to his students by combining philosophy with the ideals of the shinigami - in what he calls an attempt to raise a new type of shinigami who serves less for themselves and more for others.

Appearance
The words 'a living shadow' best represent Goryōmaru, as he is no more of a man then he is a shinigami. Ash black hair tumbles down onto his shoulders, past his inverted eyes that look more Hollow then Shinigami. The ghosts of his past dance behind his empty eyes, mocking him from the depths of his subconscious every waking moment. He often wakes up in the dead of night to the whispers and chortles of voices he swears he remembered, but can't. His skin borders on the phase of rotting, stricken a shade of sickly yellow that has not seen the sun in ages. Beneath his clothes, Goryōmaru covers his body in a layer of bandages that hide his skin from the world for it is the only way to hide such shame. Though he is more of a corpse then he is a man, the lusts of the living still plague him which is apt considering he looks quite handsome for a man in his situation.

With a lean frame, Goryōmaru looks as though he just lost a large amount of weight, all the time. Some believe it to be the cause of some illness, though Goryōmaru refutes any mention of his body. In order to hide his appearance, which serves as a constant burden to him, Goryōmaru wears a slate gray colored kimono, a standard among the Instructors. He wears a thick obi around his waist, styled with a rather large fluffy ball (one of his many finds in the World of the Living many years ago, apparently a style from the 1940's). Over his kimono, Goryōmaru wears a long navy blue haori which also serves as a uniform piece for Instructors. And though it is against regulation, Goryōmaru spices up his rather bland attire with another find from the World of the Living (which he uses to keep attention from his rather drear appearance). A black fedora, with a splash of red just above the brim, which he won in a game of cards on one of his many excursions during his captaincy.

Though he is burdened by his sickly, almost demonic appearance, Goryōmaru maintains a sly smile most of the time. He does this, as if he tries to hide the fact that his appearance hurts him more then he can put into words.

Personality & traits
The Shin'ō Academy had never seen such a student when Goryōmaru enrolled so many years ago - for he was the perfect combination of intelligent and skilled. Some went as far as to call him perfect, though he refuted any and all claims. His skills landed him in the 1st Class beneath Chief Instructor who saw him through to an early graduation. This level of academic prowess did more harm then good for the young prodigy, having developed an extremely arrogant persona towards his peers and squad mates. Even when he was promoted to Captain, having earned the honor by meeting all the requirements, he did not grow as a person. A sense of superiority and smug satisfaction for his accomplishments served as his strength, for Goryōmaru was truly a genius on the battlefield. His abilities were always seen as less-then-savory, though it did not matter for he could clear out hundreds of men in an instant.

It was his arrogance that also served as his downfall, for an excursion to the World of the Living led to the deaths of many of his subordinates. Though he avenged their deaths, Goryōmaru was scarred by the sight of watching so many lives butchered because he was too slow and too proud to act. As if the Gods had watched him from above, his judgement came swiftly when one of the attackers (a shinigami who went rogue) unleashed the full force of his zanpakutō. It was an ability that could only be used once every ten years, that corrupted the mind, body, and soul of the target. Goryōmaru fell victim, and became a shadow of the man he once was.

Returning to the Soul Society - not only a failure, but a monster, Goryōmaru resigned from his position and laid down his sword before the Captain-Commander. His sense of arrogance faded and was replaced by a calm submissive voice that like to hide from the limelight. Because of his skill, he was offered a role as an Instructor, and accepted on the grounds that it meant being able to avoid the past that scarred him like a pestilence.

Goryōmaru maintains a soft spoken voice and has settled into his mentor role very well over the years. He is the voice of reason to many, and guides students towards greatness. Though he trains them in the arts of the shinigami, Goryōmaru also serves as an Instructor in Philosophy and hopes to guide these young minds away from the path that he chose as a student.

Despite his change of heart over the recent years - Goryōmaru is no stranger to serving his duty. In the end, he is still a shinigami. He served the Soul Society as a Captain, and continues to serve it through the minds of every student who passes through his classroom. Should the time arise, Goryōmaru will be there to lift up his sword in the name of the Soul Society - even if the world must see what kind of monster he is.

Powers & abilities
As an Instructor of the Shin'ō Academy, Goryōmaru is skilled in the Shinigami arts having spent the last few hundred years training up and coming students in the art. He is stern, yet inviting in his teaching methods - always welcoming a challenge and allowing his students a chance to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Goryōmaru is a skilled swordsman, though he claims to have grown rusty after putting down his sword when he stepped down from his Captaincy. It was said that in his day that Goryōmaru was a demon with a sword, having apparently planned to take on the Kenpachi of his day for ownership of the title, though his plans never came to fruition once he stepped down.

Master : Though he put down his sword officially when he stepped down as Captain, in his day, Goryōmaru was said to have wielded his blade like an extension of himself. Goryōmaru's style rivaled that of his arrogant personality, blunt and wild, all while carrying a sense of control behind his swings. He would often speak about wanting to take on the Kenpachi of his time for ownership of the title, though his plans never came to fruition. Though he tones down his sword skills when training the students of the Shin'ō Academy, his true skills come out when he feels the need for them to. A single swipe carries with it a flash of white light, capable of blinding men as he cuts them down. He was once feared as 'the Sword of the Dawn' - for his zanpakutō constantly grows a faint white said to breath the power of the stars themselves. It bites through cloth, flesh, and steel with ease - turning grown men to shreds beneath his blade.
 * Sankōken (三公剣, Three Lords Blade): A simple technique taught to Goryōmaru in his youth, remastered into a technique that can fell full grown men. The white light that manifests around his zanpakutō resonates with Goryōmaru's own spiritual energy, sharpening itself over and over again and increasing in size until it is longer then four-men by itself. The speed at which the spiritual energy moves around the blade allows Goryōmaru to deliver thousands of cuts into one swing, which he refers to as his army-killing technique. The name of the technique stems from a highlight of Goryōmaru's career where he slayed three rebelling lords with the technique (which was previously referred to as Suzumenō (雀能, Sparrow's Gift).
 * Dairoku: Ryōdan (第六:両断, "The Sixth: Bisection"): A sword technique that relies on the ancient style of kendō that consists of a single downward swipe. Though this technique sounds basic, the power behind a single swing, when put in the right hands is capable of destruction on a whole other scale. Releasing forward a fountain of spiritual energy with one swing, Goryōmaru can flatten the area directly in front of him with great ease. Though the technique is not precise, the range in which it takes up is enough to land a deafening hit on an opponent. In the wake of Goryōmaru's spiritual energy, the ground around the attack decays and rots within seconds - a side effect of his tainted spiritual powers.

Great : A loud thrum of spiritual energy that echoes across a vast distance with the songs of the dead. A corrupting force that bleeds out from Goryōmaru's very being that startles the souls at rest beneath the soil. Like a leech, the spiritual powers of Instructor Goryōmaru are reminiscent to a leech latching onto its target. Digging into the flesh and soul of those around him, Goryōmaru's own powers ravage the surrounding area, filling it with the cold touch of death that makes skin crawl.

 Expert: As an Instructor, Goryōmaru is capable of teaching the fundamentals of the art to up and coming students without much problem. His years of experience attribute to his level of skill in the field of Kidō, having gone over basic formulas and reiteration of the basic spells so many times. At this point, basic concepts like Incantations and manipulation of reiryoku are ingrained into him. His mindful, analytic approach to combat allows for a refreshing form of combat with Kidō when the need arises to go all out. Though Goryōmaru has not mastered the art of chaining together spell after spell, he is capable of using the ebb and flow of spells to his advantage. An example would be manipulating the direction of a spell, by applying force equal to that spell to it. By doing so, he can puppet a spell across the battlefield into a position where he can gain a tactical advantage. Goryōmaru considers Hadō #54. his 'signature spell' - combining it with his sword style on numerous occasions.

 Expert: Like a ghost, Goryōmaru moves with great speed and is nothing but a blur in the corner of your eye. Though his speed is not as well honed as his swordplay or Kidō - Goryōmaru maintains a level of control and has become quite good at utilizing Shunpō to a higher degree then the average shinigami. When he moves, he is gone in the blink of an eye. What makes Goryōmaru different then the rest is the fact that not only does he disappears, but his very presence disappears. Hence the comparison to a 'ghost' - for his zanpakutō's powers allow him to transcend the spiritual realm. Every trace of him fades away as if he never even existed. He often utilizes this to his advantage, for sneaking up on opponents or disappearing the moment they blink or look away.

Master of Whispers: Information gathering was always one of Goryōmaru's more admirable skills, having served numerous Captains as a seated officer as an 'information gatherer'. He often claimed it was his zanpakutō's ability to gather information that allowed him to fish out 'useful bits' of gossip that could serve others usefully. It wasn't until he moved up in rank that Goryōmaru began to make a habit out of collecting information and using it to his advantage - having gathered a rather large portfolio on many of his colleagues and comrades. Zanpakutō abilities, strengths, family relations - everything that he believes may serve him later on. Even now, as a simple Instructor, Goryōmaru continues to collect information and has an even larger 'database'. He claims that he has little birds throughout the Soul Society who supply him with information, and feeds what he gets to the higher ups (though he has been known to be selective with what he shares). He is also not above doing his own investigation to seek out or work with information he needs or wants.

Zanpakutō
Gashadokuro (がしゃどくろ, Gashadokuro) in its sealed state appears as a nodachi with a rectangular guard, black handle, and black sheath. As a nodachi, the blade is long and weighs more then a more standard katana - allowing for a greater reach and a more powerful swing. What makes Gashadokuro so unique, is the unique glow that surrounds the blade of his sword. A milky white light, soft as a star twinkling in the distance that sings every time he swings the blade - the light harmonizes with Goryōmaru's rather dark spiritual energy.
 * : Released by the command "Wake up" (覚める, sameru), the milky white glow that coats Gashadokuro extends up and all over Goryōmaru's body forming an almost ethereal armour around his person. Gashadokuro materializes the shape of a skeleton around him, including spiritual ribs, spine, skull, and shoulder blades. The blade maintains its shape as a nodachi, though it looses its square guard which is replaced by a golden orb with a band of runes around it. When Goryōmaru swings Gashadokuro, it lets out a ringing sound that fills the air and the ears.

Shikai Special Abilities: Gashadokuro is a zanpakutō that commands the powers of life and death, just as shinigami do. Though it shares the aspect of a Shinigami, its powers lack the sense of containment that a Shinigami has. Using his blade as a medium, Goryōmaru can breathe his own energy through the blade and expel it out into the air. Once this is done - the true nature of Gashadokuro comes to light. The ability to wake the dead is Gashadokuro's power, pulling together the bits and pieces of the dead from the surrounding area together into a hulking abomination that serves as another simple pawn to Goryōmaru. Though the proper term is necromancy, Goryōmaru prefers to call it 'dead whispering' as a euphemism of sorts. His creations can take any form Goryōmaru wants them to take - from man-sized foot soldiers to monstrosities the size of a sky scraper. Obviously, the ability to create such large creatures demands an ample source of material which makes them harder to create on short notice.

Due to the nature of Goryōmaru's zanpakutō, the Gotei has put a restriction on his usage of it, deeming it 'too sinister' for use. Goryōmaru has put up numerous requests to repeal his ban, though none have been approved.