Soul Society (Zf6hellion)

Soul Society (尸魂界 (ソウル・ソサエティ), literally "dead spirit world") is an afterlife where most dwell until they are reincarnated in the, the  also reside here.

Overview
While most Shinigami would describe the Soul Society as something of a paradise, where nine out of ten times it is better than the living world and hunger is never a problem, Soul Society is far from sublime. In fact, aside from the slowed aging and aforementioned lack of hunger, life there is much like that in the living world.

Soul Society consists of the Rukongai, where souls live when they arrive in Soul Society, and the Seireitei, which is at the center of Soul Society. The mode of life here closely resembles that of feudal Japan.

The Human World and Soul Society are parallel to each other and are two sides of the same coin. Families separated by death are rarely reunited in the Soul Society unless they arrive in Soul Society together. People live nestled together like a family of strangers. One never gets hungry (if she or he doesn't have spiritual powers) and aging is slowed to a great extent, with lifespans of 2000 or more years not being unheard of, though such ages are limited to Shinigami or other Soul Society dwellers with high spiritual power. Children can be born as they are in the Human World. People can also be killed as regular Humans are, though they are capable of surviving wounds that would normally be considered fatal. A soul that dies in Soul Society is reincarnated on Earth as a new Human with no past memories.

Shinigami enter and leave Soul Society by unlocking the and using a. Pluses, on the other hand, enter Soul Society through the ritual of Soul Burial. When people die, they are assigned a number to a part of Soul Society according to when they died. Spirits can be born in Soul Society as much as in the living world, with the Shinigami acting to balance the souls.

Intruders can pass through the Senkaimon in the same manner, but only in soul form. This allows spiritual beings, such as Ichigo in his Shinigami form, to enter without permission. Humans can also use such a gate through the use of Reishihenkanki (霊子変換機, spirit exchangers), which convert solid matter into Reishi's.

Finally, can also directly rip a hole to Soul Society from, or in the case of , using a.

Rukongai
The Rukongai (流魂街, wandering soul city) is divided into 320 districts (80 in North Rukongai, 80 in West Rukongai, etc.), each numbered in descending order on how far they are from the center; this results in the higher-numbered (and farther) districts decaying into slums. Thus, while District 1 is peaceful and lawful, much like the antiseptic lifestyle of early-, District 80 is a hardscrabble, violent, crime-infested area that more depicts Kyoto. The duties of the Gotei 13 include defending the districts of Rukongai, a duty currently handled by the and s. The living standards in Rukongai decline sharply beyond the fourtieth district, with an increase in people wearing rags and no footwear. This is partly blamed on the Gotei 13 and their predecessors for not only ignoring their duties in governing the Rukongai, but also waging battles in them as well.

The Rukongai is full of families that are not related by blood. People die at different times and places, and it is rare for a person to find their real family in the vast Rukongai. When a soul arrives in Soul Society, they are given a ticket according to the time they died and are sent off in different directions. Even if two people were to die together, if they do not receive tickets at the same time, they will not know where the other is.

When the balance of souls between the Human World and Soul Society is endangered, the Shinigami can request permission to kill citizens in Rukongai in order to restore the balance of souls between the two worlds.

Seireitei
The Seireitei (瀞霊廷, Court of Pure Souls) is a massive circular with four main entrances, ten days walk apart, each guarded by a. These gates are collectively called the Four Great Seireimon (四大瀞霊門, Shidai Seireimon; Seirei Gates). Individually the gates are made up of the Black Ridge Gate (黒隆門, Kokuryōmon) in the North, the Blue Stream Gate (青流門, Shōryūmon) in the East, the Red Hollow Gate (朱洼門, Shuwaimon) in the South, and the White Way Gate (白道門, Hakutōmon) in the West. Each of the Gatekeepers are figures of incredible size, but even then, the gates are so heavy that it requires the full might of one of these Gatekeepers to open a single gate, though at times when a Gatekeeper may be indisposed, the Shinigami may also make use of siege engines specifically designed for opening the gates. There are also small doors within these gates to allow smaller groups of individuals through. During the war between the and, the Red Hollow Gate was broken down by Roshan Bamshad.

The walls of Seireitei are made of  (殺気石, spirit reducing stone), a rare type of stone known to negate all, similar to. The stone also forms a spherical barrier around the city, extending above and below, stopping anything spiritual from breaching it from ground level, from the sky or from underground.

The wall that surrounds the Seireitei is commonly held up, only closing down when there is an emergency. When it is not down protecting the Seireitei, the wall protects the Palace of the Soul King, located in a seperate dimension.

Information about the Seireitei is confidential. What is known is that in the center of the Seireitei is a white tower known as the ' (懺罪宮, lit. Palace of Remorseful Sin), where criminals are imprisoned (similar to death row); on the hill adjacent to it is the ' (双殛, Twinned Punishment), where prisoners are executed. The Sōkyoku also acts as a seal, imprisoning within the Seireitei.

The primary residents of the Seireitei are the Shinigami, the families of the nobility, and, high ranking officials such as those of. Each have their own accommodations, with the Shinigami living in the barracks of their Division, or their own homes if higher ranking officers, and the nobility living in extravagant family compounds such as the. Central 46 operates out of the Central 46 Compound (中央地下議事堂, Chūō Shijūroku Shitsu; lit. "Central Underground Parliament"), a massive complex that stretches far underground with only a small area visible from above ground. The compound contains an assembly hall where the members of Central 46 meet and hold rulings on specific matters, such as dealing with major crimes and their respective punishements. The assembly hall boasts an extensive thirteen layers of protection to halt intrusion. The complex also houses the Seijōtōkyorin (清浄塔居林, Tranquil Forest of Residential Towers; Pure Pagoda Forest) where the Central 46 members reside, it is a massive space that is empty except for several thin tower-like buildings scattered around the area. The Seijōtōkyorin is off limits to anyone not apart of Central 46 and access is not to be permitted no matter the reason.

The Daireishokairō (大霊書回廊, lit. Great Spirit Book Gallery) is also contained within the Central 46 Compound. It is a repository of all knowledge and history of the Soul Society, access to its stores are greatly restricted and few know its inner workings well. Certain confiscated items are contained within if the Central 46 deems them to dangerous to leave out in the open but too valuable to destroy.

All aspects of Shinigami life are contained within the walls of the Seireitei, beginning with the  (真央霊術院, Spiritual Arts Academy), also known as the Shinigami Academy or Genji School, an institution founded by the same man who founded the, where prospective are trained to become Shinigami. The academy has several expansive classrooms and halls or training grounds dedicated to each of the four basic Shinigami arts mentioned in the Zankensoki.

The 13 Divisions of the Gotei each have their own headquarters, barracks, training fields, and associated support buildings that they may fill out as they need. These buildings are scattered across the landscape of the Seireitei so that each Division may have as much space alotted to them as possible without needing to butt heads with the others. Some buildings serve specialized purposes, such as the Captain's Assembly Hall and Lieutenant's Assembly Room located within the 1st Division barracks, or the  (蛆虫の巣, Ujimushi no Su), an underground prison monitored by the Onmitsukidō that is housed within the grounds of the 2nd Division.

There are various stores through out the Seireitei that provide services to the Shinigami, though they are known for being expensive.

Reiōkyū
The Reiōkyū (霊王宮, Soul King Palace) is the official residence of the said to be located in a seperate dimension at the very core of, though it actually rests high above the Seireitei.

The Reiōkyū consists of several layers, with one layer suspended above the other, The lowest level is comprised of many buildings in a style similiar to that of the Seireitei. From this, a large stairway leads upwards to a wide and flat expanse, with both areas at the base and top of these stairs being lines by rows of huge, circular pillars. Floating above are five discs, each a city of their own lined by numerous buildings and each containing a palace owned by a member of the. Higher still is the Greater Soul King Palace (霊王大内裏, Reiō daidairi), a large cylindrical structure that has a conical top and bottom, it is where the Soul King resides.

The sekkiseki walls that surround Seireitei are ordinarily intended to protect the Reiōkyū, instead meant only to fall down to Seireitei in times of emergency. However, if emergencies occur in succession, they remain in place around Seireitei indefinitely until things are returned to normal.

There are only two ways to enter the Soul King's Palace, both of which require use of the. The first method is by having a Royal Guard open a Chōkaimon (超界門, Super World Gate) to send someone directly to a location such as the. The gate can be used to return but to do so requires syncing up the arrival and departure times. The second method is through usage of the Tengokuhenokaidan (天国への階段, Stairway to Heaven), a lengthy stairway that starts on the summit of and leads into the  (霊王宮表参道, Reiōkyū omote sandō). This staircase resides in its own dimension which allows it to remain invisible and untouchable unless in the presence of the Ōken.

Cities of the Reiōkyū
The five giant floating discs are the Royal Guard Headquarters. On each disc there is a city, to which the Soul King entrusts to each individual member.

Soul King
Soul Society is ruled by the Soul King (霊王, Reiō), who commonly leaves the running of Soul Society to the Central 46 Chambers and Nobles. The Soul King lives in the Royal Palace in a separate dimension in the very core of Soul Society, which is protected by the Royal Guard. The King does have a specific system of "specialty duties" which are actively carried out but the exact nature of these duties is unknown. The dimension can only be opened with a tri-pronged golden key fittingly named the Royal Key (王鍵, ōken). The location of this Royal Key is passed down verbally from one Gotei 13 Captain-Commander to the next, the current holder being. It is commonly believed by most Shinigami that no one has ever laid eyes on the king.

Nobility
Another part of the government are the Noble Houses (高尚一族, Kōshō Ichizoku; Noble Families), especially the four Great Noble Houses, which are considered to be the highest of them all. The lower noble houses all serve one of the four each.

Judiciary
The Central 46 (中央四十六, Chūō Shijūroku) serve the Shinigami royalty. They are made up of 40 wise men and 6 judges, selected from all of Soul Society. They are sealed into an enclave called Seijōtōkyorin within the Seireitei which no one else may enter, regardless of their military or civilian status. They act as a supreme judiciary organization whose authority puts it in direct control of the legal system. They handle all rulings on Shinigami and souls who have violated prohibitions. Their orders are absolute and no decision has been known to be overturned.

Laws

 * The ultimate law is to maintain balance.
 * It is against the law for a Shinigami to give their spiritual power to Humans.
 * It is against the law for a Shinigami to use forbidden Kidō.
 * It is against the law for any citizen of Soul Society to create weapons of a dangerous nature not sanctioned by the feudal government. To do so is treason.
 * It is against the law to attack a captain. To do so is treason.
 * It is against the law to commit terrorist action(s) or attempt to overthrow the balance of Soul Society. To do so is treason.
 * It is against the law to commit murder.
 * It is against the law to kill a Human that a Shinigami has not been ordered to kill.
 * It is forbidden for a Shinigami to acquire or attempt to gain.
 * It is a crime for a Shinigami to remain in the Human World longer than a certain time limit.
 * It is against the law for the Gotei 13 to meddle in the affairs of the noble families unless the family in question breaks one of the laws of Soul Society beyond a shadow of a doubt.
 * It is by ancient law that two Shinigami cannot hold the same Zanpakutō. They must fight for the honor of bearing the spirit, with the spirit going to the winner, and the loser being executed.
 * It is forbidden for a Shinigami to intervene in anything that is related to.

Punishment
Exile: Certain crimes allows for the punishment of exile, commonly stripping a Shinigami of their powers and banishing them to the Human World.

Detention: A punishment not well known among the citizens of Soul Society is the detention of Shinigami. It is commonly reserved for those who have either broken the law, quit the Gotei 13, or those who just seem dangerous and mentally unstable (as per the government's interpretation). This is carried out by the Onmitsukidō.

Imprisonment: The Central 46 can sentence a Shinigami to be held in the Central Great Underground Prison (真央地下大監獄, shin'ōchikadaikangoku) for a set amount of time. The prison has eight levels which prisoners are confined in based on the severity of their crimes. The use of forbidden Kidō techniques, would commonly result in being confined in Shugo (衆合, Gathering Group), the 3rd level of the underground prison. The crime of treason, was equal to a 20,000 year sentence in Muken (無間, Voided Space), the 8th and final level of the underground prison underneath the barracks.

Execution: There are two known forms of execution in Soul Society:
 * Spirit-Sealing Pit: The Spirit-Sealing Pit is an ancient form of execution in which Shinigami criminals are thrown into a pit walled with sekkisekki rock – a type of stone that absorbs spiritual power, preventing those nearby from using their powers. Hollows are then thrown into the pit with the criminals as the means of execution. Following reforms within the Gotei 13, the practice was considered too barbaric and discontinued. The Spirit-Sealing Pits were then converted into garbage dumps.
 * ' (双殛, Twinned Punishment): The "ultimate punishment", Sōkyoku is a form of execution usually reserved for those with extremely strong spiritual powers, namely Shinigami captains. The Sōkyoku is a giant halberd that utterly destroys a soul on contact. When released, Sōkyoku takes on the form of a phoenix, its true form, called Kikōō' (燬鷇王, Blaze Fledgling King). The Kikōō has the destructive power of a million Zanpakutō, and that power is multiplied by a factor of 10 at the moment it pierces its victim.

Military
The armed forces of Soul Society consist of three independent main branches: the Gotei 13, the Kidō Corps and the Onmitsukidō.

Gotei 13
The Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊, goteijūsantai; 13 Division Imperial Guards, or 13 Court Guard Squads in the English dubbed version) is the organization which most Shinigami join. It is split into thirteen divisions (hence the name), with several divisions having certain specializations. The is the medical/supply division, the  is the melee combat division (specialization in swordsmanship), and the  is the research/scientific division. The is in charge of internal affairs, while the  and  both protect the Rukongai. Though most Shinigami have some form of presence in the Human World, the primary duty of protecting it from Hollows is handled by the. It is currently unclear what the special duties of the other divisions are. Though it is superior to them, the Gotei 13 has little authority over the other military branches and must defer to Central 46 when dealing with them. It is possible for Captains to hold multiple positions, such as being the leader of the Onmitsukidō as well has holding a Captains seat in the Gotei 13.

Royal Guard
The Royal Guard (王属特務, Ōzokutokumu; literally "King Subordinate Secret Service"; translated as "Royal Special Task Force" in the English dub), also known as the Zero Division (零番隊, Zerobantai), is a unit dedicated to the protection of the Soul King and, by extension, the Royal Family of Soul Society. Their members are made up of former Captains of the Gotei 13 or Balancers of Souls that have been acknowledged by the Soul King as having made great contributions to the history of Soul Society. Their authority supercedes all other organizations within Soul Society with only the Royal Family presiding over them. There are only five members at any one time, and their power far exceeds the power of the Gotei 13 all together. Aside from protecting the Royal Family, the Royal Guard are charged with slaying.

Kidō Corps


The Kidō Corps (鬼道衆, Kidōshū) is a military force made up exclusively by practitioners of Kidō. They preside over spiritual law and all matters considering the development of (鬼道, "demon/spirit way") and Magic (魔法, Mahō) within Soul Society. They gather recruits from the that excel in Kidō and train them to further develop the art so that they may reach their full potential and become masters. The organization operates under complete secrecy and very few know how the group actually works. It is a rare sight for anyone to see members of the Corps, let alone the Grand Kidō Chief. The Kidō Corps are responsible for maintaining the as well as the various seals and barriers through out Soul Society, such as the barriers that protect the Four Great Noble Families or the seal that contains the Sōkyoku. They are known to be at odds with Jaromira Dragan for her propensity to break through their barriers at any chance she gets.

Onmitsukidō


The Onmitsukidō (隠密機動, stealth tactics; "Stealth Force" in the English dub), also referred to as the Secret Mobile Unit/Corps, Special Forces, or, Covert Ops, is the second largest of the three main branches of the Soul Society's military and the branch that deals with espionage, assassination, and general covert operations. The structure of the organization relies highly on a clan ranking structure, with members of the clan generally in higher positions and those of the families that serve the clan in lower ones. The Onmitsukidō is led by a Commander-in-Chief (総司令官, sōshireikan) who has authority over all of the organization though they defer to Central 46 and the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 when decisions are made. The Onmitsukidō has five branches, each headed by a Corps Commander (軍団長, gundanchō). These branches carry out distinct duties through out Soul Society such as the maintaining of the Nest of Maggots by the Detention Unit (檻理隊, kanritai; lit "Management Force") or the delivering of messages and battlefield reports as done by the Inner Court Troop (裏廷隊, riteitai)

Technology Level
One of the more unusual aspects of Soul Society is its technology level. While the lifestyle and culture of Soul Society is comparable to feudal Japan, they possess technology of a level exceeding that time period. The 12th Division has developed amazing technology to their credit, mixing technology with organic components, even as early as 1000 AD. Allowing for the creation of creatures that do everything from detecting spiritual energy signatures to allowing Humans to see a spirit without the use of a Gigai. They possess touch-screens and databases which are in use for files and historical documentation storage found extensively in the Daireishokairō, which contains all the knowledge and history of Soul Society. View screen technology that is capable of sending signals to the Human World and Dangai, allowing for face to face conferencing. All manner of portable hand-held devices for tracking and communication purposes. Blending old traditions and ideas with new innovation, Soul Society is an enigma in this comparison.

Behind the Scenes
The author believes that there should only be one "Heaven" in the Bleach Universe, and that its Japanese-oriented nature is simply a byproduct of Bleach's being of Japanese origin, much as American authors would typically central stories around America instead of elsewhere in the world. The author has thus taken Soul Society to be the aesthetic of "Heaven" while its inhabitants are far more varied than the world around them.

The Seireitei map was designed by Boomerangmouth of DeviantART, and is being used by the author with permission from him.