Wandenreich

Vandenreich (見えざる帝国 (ヴァンデンライヒ), Vandenraihi; Japanese for "Invisible Empire"), also known as the Second Vandenreich (二番見えざる帝国 (にばんヴァンデンライヒ), Nidaime Vandenraihi; Japanese for "Second Invisible Empire"), is the governmental and military structure of the Quincy. It was destroyed by Soul Society, but later rebuilt. It currently takes residence in the Nakayo.

History
The Vandenreich was possibly the name of the first organization of Quincy, existing over a thousand years ago. After the first revival of the, the Vandenreich secretly grew in strength until it was strong enough to face the military strength of the Soul Society. Regardless, it was defeated, and its remains absorbed into the multiracial Impero Nascosto. During the War of the Worlds, Yhwach was revived a second time, and, following the war, he revived the Vandenreich; basing it out of the Nakayo.

Goals
The goals of the Vandenreich differ from that of the Gotei 13, but as a military organization, it follows the following duties;


 * The defense of the king, the ruler of the Vandenreich.
 * The deployment of operatives into enemy territory for combat and intelligence operations.
 * The protection of Humans from Hollows, at all costs.

Organization
The Vandenreich is predominately a military, but, since taking command of the Nakayo, it has also adopted a clear -style of government — with its own laws and traditions.

Structure
The structure of the organization is very similar to that to of the first Vandenreich, but, due to his somewhat mellowed state of heart, Yhwach has made several notable changes to the Vandenreich that were previously not present.

For instance, while the Vandenreich is ruled in its entirety by Yhwach himself, the king also created a division called the Salbei (旨い某 (セージ), sēji; German for "Sage", Japanese for "Wizened Ones") — a group of incredibly powerful Echt Quincy, who make both the spiritual and decisions for the organization; so long as it doesn't trump an order from the king himself.

Additionally, every significant member of the organization is assigned a letter of the alphabet and an appropriate by Yhwach himself, denoting their unique abilities and accomplishments.

While, in the previous incarnation of the organization, it was common for to join after they were trained as Quincy, in this incarnation of the Vandenreich, only Quincy (be they Echt or Gemischt Quincy) are permitted to join. In rare cases, the surviving Holden Quincy are also able to join the organization. However, no Shinigami or Arrancar are allowed in the Vandenreich any longer.

Stern Ritter
The Stern Ritter (星十字騎士団 (シュテルンリッター), shuterunrittā; German for "Star Knights", Japanese for "Star Cross Knight Order") for as the to the captains of the Gotei 13. They are the elite among the Quincy, possessing considerable power; both physically and politically, within the organization. They lead the Soldat and give orders to the Jagdarmee when needed.

Jagdarmee
A special division of the Vandenreich's military is known as the Jagdarmee (狩猟部隊 (ヤークトアルメー), yākutoarumē; German for "Hunt(ing) Army", Japanese for "Hunting Corps"). They serve as a primary means of invading enemy territory and as an occupational force when said enemy is conquered. The divisions of the Jagdarmee are numbered, much like that of the Gotei 13, though there seem to be more divisions of the Jagdarmee than of the Gotei 13.


 * : The leader of the Jagdarmee is the Executive Hunting Captain. He can direct the divisions and the soldiers as he sees fit, and is usually in charge of overseeing the treatment of the prisoners of the organization as well.

Soldat
The Soldat (聖兵 (ゾルダート), zorudāto; German for "Soldier", Japanese for "Holy Soldier(s)") are comparable to the Gotei 13's seated officers. They are the fodder of the organization's military, and only the generic Quincy soldiers fill up their ranks. They follow the orders of the Stern Ritter. The communication's division is considered to be part of the Soldat.

Headquarters
The Vandenreich is based out of the Sealed King Palace located in the Nakayo — a dimension hidden within the. Despite this, the entire dimension is under the command of the organization, so there are several other bases of operations spread out throughout it. As an organization of primarily humans, the Vandenreich also has holds in the World of the Living. One of its chief operatives, Vladik Volkov, has a base of operations in Rider City within the World of the Living, for instance. The Jagdarmee, however, also have outposts in Hueco Mundo and other dimensions which are influenced by their presence.

Insignia
The Vandenreich insignia takes the form of a white five-point, star-like symbol. It is inscribed on almost everything a member of the Vandenreich caries; their uniform, flags, and even their weapons. It may have originated from a symbol that appears on Yhwach's Quincy: Vollständig, though this is unconfirmed. It also appears on the unique gauntlets worn by those who have achieved the aforementioned transformation, further lending to this theory.

Uniforms
The typical attire of most Vandenreich personnel consists of a long, white, double-breasted trench coat with shoulder straps and a white, button-down bib. This coat is bound at the waist with a black belt, which is further adorned with a decorative buckle, and is worn over both white trousers and trench boots. Many members also sport white hats with black peaks and a crest emblazoned on its front, which is reminiscent of the five-pointed variant of the Quincy cross. This insignia is also reflected upon the buttons of their other apparel.

Some higher-ranking members pair this uniform with other additional pieces of clothing, such as capes or cloaks, to distinguish themselves. The Stern Ritter wear a distinctive white, ankle-length cloak over their uniform that features the Vandenreich insignia emblazoned on its back and often, a hood attached to the cloak's collar.

Apart from the standard uniform, a Soldat's attire consists of a military beret, black goggles with white lenses and a gas mask that obscures their entire face, as well as a short, collared cloak. In certain instances, personnel have been observed wearing a simplified version of the usual Vandenreich uniform, which lacks the normal button-down bib and belt. Those who took part in the declaration of war upon Soul Society sported this specific variation, as well as a hooded cape that featured a black mask in order to obscure their face and a black band diagonally encircling their body.

Recently, some members of the Vandenreich will also wear flack jackets over their attire, as a form of body armor. It is not a common practice, however.

Unique Equipment

 * Bankai Stealing Device: A number of those within the Vandenreich military, including all members of the Stern Ritter, carry on their person a round, unnamed device that is roughly the size of a person's palm and has the Vandenreich insignia etched into its surface. When activated, this device is capable of stealing a single currently released Bankai in the immediate vicinity. According to Yhwach the ability to steal a Shinigami's Bankai depends on the level of the medallion wielders reiryoku. Once stolen, the medallion's owner can then proceed to use the taken Bankai's power at will,[26] even after the original owner's death. However, they appear unable to exploit this power fully, as according to what Yamamoto experienced.

Terminology

 * Daten (情報 (ダーテン), dāten; German for "Data", Japanese for "Information/(Military) Intelligence"): A word used to define the exhaustive data collected by the Vandenreich on the opposition's forces, which has been distributed to all essential personnel.


 * Medalize (星章化 (メダライズ), medaraizu; Japanese for "Star-Emblemize"): This term is used to describe the process that the Vandenreich uses to steal Bankai.

Size and Recruitment
Because the Quincy previously went through genocide at the hands of the Shinigami, their numbers are not quite as large, though they are steadily increasing. There are 26 members of the Stern Ritter, close to 500 members in the Jagdarmee, and around 1500 Soldat — leaving the standing force of the Vandenreich's army at 2,026; 974 personal short of the Gotei 13, whose army stands at 3,000 at any given time. Recruitment is at the sole discretion of the king, Yhwach, though other members can make suggestions. Quincy can also be trained formally after the foundation of the Hochschule (僧学院 (大学), daigaku; German for "University", Japanese for "Monk Academy").

Influences

 * In the fan fiction rendition of this organization, done by Ten Tailed Fox, as was done with Tiro con L'arco, a large number of  characters will lend their likeness to the Quincy of this organization.