~The Breakdown~
Name: Paradigm
Age: 367 years old
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: March 9th
Date of Death: Unknown
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 150lbs
Rank: Primera Espada
Appearance:
[Here]
Personality:
Perhaps the best way to describe Paradigm is as a ruthless, calculating and rather selfish being, quite obsessed with his own desires, dreams and power and mostly dismissive of everyone else, no matter what their rank, position or power. Admittedly, ever since gathering others to his cause, his soul is less devoid of warmth, and he cares about those who have joined him and, perhaps more importantly, has learned to appreciate the balance of souls between the worlds. Although there is truth in saying that Paradigm is selfish, it is not entirely correct, for he is quite capable of helping others in whatever way they might require it, if he is in a position to do so. Immensely curious, Paradigm is never able to stop himself from interfering in matters, although typically, his actions are all designed to aid him as well as others…so calling him selfish is not something he would deny.
To add to this, Paradigm is highly intelligent and cunning, a strategic genius, understanding everything that is said by others and perhaps more importantly, the countless things that are not said, capable of advanced thinking and assumptions that are usually right. He prides himself on this; he is able to understand how others think, how they plan and plot and scheme and he has no qualms about using all of this to his own advantage. He is quite willing to use all at his disposal to see his goals achieved, constantly seeking more power and adhering to his own sense of honor to do so. Even though he can be ruthless, and is always able to see the most sensible way to gain victory in a given cause, gaining a victory without honor is quite tasteless, devoid of the satisfaction that comes with it, and thus Paradigm endeavors to find a middle path in all things, the balance between honor and perfection.
Paradigm has a loose concept of mercy, his understanding of the term having changed somewhat since his life as an ordinary human. In battle, he will often fight to defeat to the foe rather than killing them, his skill allowing him to seize victory in most cases without inflicting mortal injuries. An enemy defeated by Paradigm has two choices; they may either surrender to his will and do as he asks, or be slain; and in this Paradigm takes no pleasure, treating the murder with clear apathy that could horrify most individuals – once the decision has been made to kill, the idea firm and unrelenting, the enemy is already dead in the eyes of Paradigm. He detests weaklings – he is constantly disgusted by the amount of pathetic foes that live in all the worlds. Fighting them isn’t worth Paradigm’s precious time; so they are simply eradicated; mercy is a concept that fails utterly here. If they wish to challenge him without the power to defeat him, then they deserve the annihilation that comes to them. Paradigm is a firm believer of accomplishing tasks with his own hands, and will only draw his Zanpakuto in certain situations; if his foe challenges him to fight them in such a manner, then he obviously cannot deny them, for that would be unnecessarily insulting, and if his hierro is compromised, then fighting with his Zanpakuto is a necessity.
He prides himself on his intellect, a mind above and beyond most others in the Hueco Mundo and indeed any world, and is able to discern the hopes and dreams of his enemies, delving into their being to determine the roots of their personalities, thus finding both their strengths and weaknesses and taking advantage of them accordingly. His is not a mind that cares much for science, for such knowledge has never been one of his pursuits, thus he is quite woefully ignorant. Instead, he is strategist and tactician, a master of combat, both in orchestrating battles and fighting in them. His is a mind that can tear aside the disguises hiding another man’s plan, finding the ultimate flaw and bringing it crashing down, as well as a mind that can easily adapt, altering the methods used in combat to ensure a certain victory. It is said that most plans shatter the moment battle begins, but Paradigm’s plots are never so brittle – they are, on the surface, most simple and instead shaped by the battle itself, Paradigm’s enemies giving him the values he needs for the equation of destruction.
Paradigm does not worry about loss when he fights, because in truth he is extraordinarily arrogant, believing that there is none that can honestly win against him; and in this, he has a certain amount of justification. He will take almost any wound and laugh it off, thanks to his special ability as a hollow, his high speed regeneration. He understands that he is far from un-killable, but he has no care for injury or death because he knows injury is never permanent for him, and death is far away. As a result, he greatly enjoys a fight were he can unleash his full power and bring to bear all his might, a fight against a truly worthy foe. Few truly deserve the honor of fighting with him with his blade drawn. Therein lies one of Paradigm’s greatest flaws – often dismissing rank, if one is not of a prestigious enough status then he is unlikely to go all out, regardless of how powerful the enemy actually happens to be. Fortunately, against such a foe, he has no qualms about drawing his weapons.
And that skill with the Zanpakuto he wields is, in one single word, intense. And if one were to use a second word, then it would be frightening. Paradigm is a master of the art of the blade, and holds the conviction that he is the greatest swordsman alive, a belief set in shape by the fires of confidence, a faith in his own abilities, and tempered by his will that has forced him to practice, a perfectionism that allows no flaws in his technique. A combination of this and his ability to regenerate has formed for Paradigm a combat style that allows him to forsake defense, encouraging others to do the same to try and stop him – an action that condemns them to defeat before the battle is even begun. Against most individuals that call themselves an enemy of Paradigm, the drawing of that sword, Diablo Morado, is tantamount to a death sentence.
His will, his belief in himself, is absolute. It is for this reason that he has no fear, for he is above it all; such an emotion was defeated long ago, and as a result, Paradigm can look upon the world with clear vision. He can not allow himself to submit, cannot allow himself to bow to the will of another, and thanks to this, there can be no middle ground, no compromise. Those who challenge him cannot be denied, and they will be fought until they are finished and broken, their resolve shattered like glass before an explosion. Paradigm is a man who will eternally strive to be the strongest, without any regrets on his path.
It can be said that there are not many things in the world that Paradigm really hates; most things are not worthy of his hate. He dislikes people who do not strive for their dreams, and who have no real purpose other than to make up the numbers – worthless hollows, Shinigami and humans who have low reiatsu, for example. In the grand scheme of things, they are necessary, but they are detestable to look upon. On the other side of that emotion, there is nothing that Paradigm loves either, and this is, in his mind, his greatest failing, crushed down intentionally by the weight of his ambition. Paradigm has always sought friendship, always wished for love, and yet such things were forever denied, and so he turned to seek power instead, in the hopes that upon becoming the most powerful of all, he would be accepted by others.
Hollow Powers:
Garganta: It opens the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, revealing a tunnel of whirling, torrential energy that must be focused and solidified to create a discernible pathway.
Sonido: The Arrancar equivalent of the Shinigami flash steps, it allows the Arrancar to travel at incredibly high speeds for short distances making a static noise.
Cero: A blast of pure Hollow reiatsu, this attack can be shot from the mouth, fingers, or hands of the user. Depending on the power of the user, a cero can knock someone back or completely obliterate them, turning their body to ash. Jin fires his Cero from his pointer finger.
Gran Rey Cero: It is performed by mixing an Arrancar's own blood with the Cero. The result is a cero with a much greater attack power, size, speed, and force, as well as a change of color unique to the Espada. It is also several times more powerful than a normal Cero. Using his sword, Jin cuts his wrist and focuses reiatsu into his blade. He slices the air in front of him and shoots out his Gran Rey Cero as a large wave of purple reiatsu.
Bala: A much smaller and weaker version of Cero, a Bala is a 'bullet'-like cero, that is much weaker, but also much faster. A Bala is fired from the user’s hands, usually put into a fist, and then fired from a distance.
Negación: Negación is used to rescue fellow Hollows. Negación fields surround a target in a square beam of light that isolates the target from the dimension they are currently in, making it impossible to harm them. The field then pulls the target towards the Hollow that created the field.
Caja Negacion: This technique is used to punish Arrancar subordinates by trapping them eternally in an alternate dimension. However, should the Caja Negacion be used on an Espada, the Espada will eventually break out of the alternate dimension (usually within a few hours), due to their large amount of Reiatsu.
Escudo del Diablo: Summoning his reaitsu, a coat of Paradigm's reiatsu physically manifests itself and shrouds him repelling any type of physical and energy based attacks away from him. Unfortunately, he cannot keep this this ability active at all times due to the amount of reiatsu it takes from him, so he only uses it when he needed.
Espadas Convocadas: With this ability, Paradigm's reiatsu manifests itself in the form of six blades that surround him at the waist. He is able to use these swords as a defensive shield to block incoming enemy attacks or use them as his own projectiles and launch them at his opponent, hopefully impaling them and causing some damage.
Example <----example of sword technique
Zanpakuto Name: Diablo Morado [Purple Devil]
Sealed Form:
Paradigm's zanpakutō measures about 45". [From the tip of the blade to the bottom of the tsuka] The sheath is a radiant purple with a small rounded, silver cross hanging near the bottom of the sheath by a thin, silver chain. A small collection of white hairs, like a rabbit's foot, sticks out of the bottom of the handle. Finally, the crossguard of the zanpakutō is in the shape of an eye. An oval like shape is the main part of the crossguard, while in the middle there is a smaller over where the blade is fed through.
~Resurrección~
Resurrección Release Phrase: Traiga Caos, Diablo Morado [Bring Chaos, Purple Devil]
Hollow Appearance:
[Here]
Release Abilities:
When Paradigm decides that an opponent is worthy of his full power, the cross on the bottom of his Zanpakutō breaks right down the middle releasing all of his stored reiatsu. The process continues as he is enveloped in a cloud of purple mist that represents his reiatsu taking it's rightful form on Paradigm's body. This is how Paradigm's Resurección begins.
A short description is in order for what happens to Paradigm's body during the release of the his Resurección. When the cloud fully envelops Paradigm, reiatsu is absorbed into his skin and his muscle mass begins to grow and form into well toned muscles throughout his body [i.e. legs, arms, back, etc.] Due to increasing body mass, Paradigm's Arrancar clothing tears apart to conform his new body shape as it is seen in the illustration above. His hair becomes decently longer during the change, but nothing too dramatic. The rest of the reiatsu takes the shape of two gigantic purple horns that sprout from his back representing a purple devil.
As for Paradigm's Resurección powers, there are a good amount of powers that are still in the works. His Zanpakutō does not directly change into a different weapon, but instead it becomes two weapons in one. The top of the Zanpakutō is still a silver blade still about 45" in length, but the bottom of the Zanpakutō, where the handle would be, is replaced by what looks like a double barreled shotgun. The physical description of the shotgun part of the Zanpakutō can be seen in the picture above. The barrels shoot reaitsu bullets or "Balas", if you will, at opponents. These "Balas" use the same or even a bit more reiatsu than the regular Balas shot from an Arrancars hands. The main difference is that the Balas are more compact, pack more of a punch, and of course are propelled a lot faster than the hand shot Balas.
Other than that, his abilities are still unknown to most, but it is said that his speed is increased far faster than a regular sonido when he enters this mode. It is rumored to have the name of "Ruido"
~History~
Paradigm was originally called Lucius Bale, and was born into a rich family that had a high opinion of themselves, not that long before the events of the Second World War. Lucius Bale was taught that, as a member of the Bale family, he was superior to the other, lesser beings around him, and that the only thing greater than him was the nobility. Lucius, who was an intelligent but ambitious boy, quickly began to resent those above him, his family values becoming wildly exaggerated, and he started to think that he was the one who should have been greatest, even at an early age.
Disaster struck as Lucius turned ten years old. A great fire started in his home, burning it to the ground and killing everyone inside. They never found the cause of the fire, as it was caused by an attacking hollow. Lucius was rescued in time, but was the only survivor. He was now the sole remnant of his proud family, and before him, in the ashes, laid the charred remains of their fortune. Lucius had gone from mighty to poor in one small moment and was forced to wander the streets alone, without anyone else to call a friend.
Despite his reasonable past, Lucius began to question why life had treated him so poorly, why he had to live alone. He was surprisingly intelligent and remembered everything anyone said to him, and he was able to teach himself more despite his lack of funds through theft of books. Lucius decided, when the Second World War came about, that he would kill anyone and everyone who were his enemies, and that would surely gain him recognition and praise and the future he deserved. He would restore the Bale family name, and perhaps he would become part of the nobility itself.
Alone, Lucius began to form ideas of grandeur and fame. Whenever war and battle started on the ground, he was cruel, merciless and careful, ambushing enemy soldiers, sneaking up on them and killing them in brutal ways. He had decided that he deserved to be in control, for he saw comrades die everyday and then thought of his success, and without a doubt his tactics were better. So Lucius turned against his fellow men and began to murder his superiors in their sleep, hoping that he could seize command and achieve victory after victory.
But this insanity, born from ignorance and impossible dreams, would prove fatal…
Lucius was eventually discovered by his allies, who were horrified by his actions. They didn’t understand that he was trying to help; they approached him, rambling about how he had jeopardized everything, how evil he was, how twisted and wrong he had become. Lucius tried to explain his ideas, his plans, how they were better, but it was for nothing. He was shot repeatedly by his fellow men and succumbed to the barrage swiftly. In his dying moments, he regretted nothing except their foolishness, how they couldn’t accept that a genius who had suffered years of poverty was better than them, their superior…
Lucius was quite surprised whenever he rose again as a spirit. He saw the Chain of Fate attached to his chest, saw his dead body, and howled with fury at the injustice of it all. He cursed the men who had murdered him, self righteous fools and bastards, and swore vengeance even though he was certain it would never come. Alone on the streets, he had heard about ghosts, but he had never seen them. Now, he supposed, he was a ghost. Lucius abandoned his name, cast off anything he had to do with the people who had failed him, humanity, and renamed himself Paradigm, after the word he had always found the most curious and simultaneously incredible, and he watched the brutality of the war with a flame burning in his soul. He saw that the Chain corroded slowly and thought nothing of it, until it was suddenly gone.
Paradigm found the transformation to a hollow quite relaxing, not painful at all. It was as if he was taking a step towards his true destiny, a real purpose. His new body was tall and covered in spikes and blades, and his red hair was wildly exaggerated into a mane of burning crimson fire. His fingers were claws, his feet had talons…he was a monster and, surrounded as he was by people, he saw prey. Paradigm fell first on his murderers in their sleep, devouring their souls in a single bite each, and then he turned to the wounded, feasting on them one by one, growing in strength. The war had meant that many souls were floating around, and they were Paradigm’s food. It was only a few days before a Shinigami arrived to stop him, but in those few days Paradigm had grown unbelievably strong, far greater than an ordinary hollow.
The Shinigami, arrogant as they all were, explained their purpose to the surprised Paradigm and attempted to purify him. But Paradigm was far stronger than that Shinigami could have imagined, having devoured hundreds of souls in a matter of days, and Paradigm easily devoured him, and then he returned the buffet of souls strewn about the place. Such a massive concentration attracted other hollows that sought the food, and Paradigm found them and devoured them too, disregarding them as worthless trash in a mindless pursuit of power. He knew they were after the food too, and he would not allow that. The Shinigami came down in greater numbers to send souls on, and Paradigm hunted them down. On one lucky occasion, he managed to catch an entire group of Shinigami off guard, and they proved to be a sweet meal. By the time the war had ended, Paradigm was not recognizable from his original hollow form, because of the amount of humans, hollows and Shinigami he had overpowered. By the time a real threat showed up, a dispatched Vice-Captain to hunt him down, Paradigm had left for the Hueco Mundo.
In the Hueco Mundo, Paradigm soon found that there were countless numbers of hollows, many of whom were more powerful than him. This enraged the hollow, which set to devouring everyone he struck down. Paradigm’s dominating personality and near reckless ambition quickly led his peers in the Hueco Mundo to despise him, but that never annoyed Paradigm. He didn’t really consider any of them his level. They were nothing more than food.
But soon he discovered that there was something much greater than the simple hollow classes that he was decimating. These were the Menos classes, the Gillians, the Adjucas, and the Vasto Lorde. Immediately Paradigm decided that he would become one of the Vasto Lorde, and he would rule over the Hueco Mundo. This swiftly became a dream and with his actions he intended to make it a reality. Within a single month Paradigm became a Gillian Menos, and then he turned on that race, attacking and consuming his fellow Gillians without a shred of remorse. He had designated the normal hollows as food…he called the Gillians prey, for there was a slightly greater challenge in hunting them down. It was at this point, as a Gillian Menos, that Paradigm’s ability of regeneration was born.
At the rate at which Paradigm was devouring hollows, it was only a matter of time before he advanced again to the next stage, the Adjucas. This were he finally realized the flaw to his dream. The numbers of Adjucas were very thin, very thin indeed compared to the slow and ungainly Gillians, and he had long since managed to establish a fearsome reputation. Hollows of all kinds fled when the small humanoid hollow with white armor and flames on his skull appeared. Very few tried to hunt him anymore, which, needless to say, reduced his meals. Nevertheless, he was not about to simply be discouraged. Paradigm feasted on every Gillian and normal hollow that crossed his path. They could not run from him anymore, and they provided the sustenance he needed. And with that energy, he was able to track down and overpower other Adjucas Menos. They proved to be sweet, sweet meals and he savored every last bite of them.
So over the years Paradigm went from strength to strength, occasionally returning to the human world to track down a Shinigami, remembering the delicate flavor their souls had. His power as an Adjucas rose and rose, but then, the meals suddenly ceased. He could not find Adjucas Menos, which he needed to finish his ascent to Vasto Lorde, and that was because they all flocked to the new building erected in the Hueco Mundo called Las Noches. Paradigm traveled there out of curiosity and found that the hollows who went there became much stronger, new beings named Arrancar. However, those hollows had pledged their loyalty to a Shinigami named Aizen. It seemed that this had a device to create Arrancar and had spent some time slowly gathering hollows to his side and making them Arrancar…there were now enough to attract major attention from others in the Hueco Mundo.
Unwilling to ever pledge his loyalty to another, no matter how powerful Aizen was, a disgusted Paradigm moved far away from Las Noches, but he intended to return, when he was strong enough to defeat the self proclaimed ruler. He knew, of course, that there was irony in such a goal, but such was unimportant to the hollow. Just because someone set up a palace and built a race of Arrancar did not mean that they were suited to rule. Only Paradigm had the qualities to be King in the Hueco Mundo, and thus this Aizen, no matter how powerful, how good a King he was…he would die, to make way for Paradigm.
However, all the food left worth eating was scarce and weak. Months passed, and although Paradigm was sustained, slowly growing in power, it was not enough. He could not abide the slow increase in strength whilst that Shinigami ruled and he did not. Bitter, he decided to temporarily put his dream of joining the tiny number of Vasto Lorde to the side, and sought a second way to get stronger – he would become an Arrancar. The easiest way, of course, was to join this Aizen…but that was no choice at all. However, Paradigm had heard of rare hollows in the Hueco Mundo that had removed their masks. He hunted them down and tried to force the secrets from them, but found that it was all useless. They had found no tried and tested method, it was all luck. So Paradigm was forced to make his own method, however risky it was.
Paradigm spent three months doing little except learn how to manipulate and control his reiatsu. Once he had near perfect control, the kind of mastery where he could summon a cero in a flash and totally conceal his presence, the hollow traveled to Earth. He began a search for one thing and one thing only – Shinigami, and not just any ordinary Shinigami, but the strongest he could possibly find. Through a series of attacks, feints and subtle plots over the course of a whole year, Paradigm eventually managed to coax a Lieutenant from Soul Society as a harbinger of death, revealing enough of a threat to justify such a presence, whilst holding back enough strength to prevent a Captain coming down. Paradigm fought and overwhelmed the Fukutaicho in combat, breaking his body and leaving him crippled, before taking his Zanpakuto. He had expected more of a fight...but then again, he did not know about the limiter the Shinigami had.
He had seen the Arrancar, and saw there were four major differences between them, and him. They had no mask, they had boosted strength from Shinigami powers, some had more human appearances, and they had Zanpakuto’s. Thus, Paradigm took the Shinigami Zanpakuto and channeled his reiatsu into it, putting all his hollow power inside it, and when he had reached his limit, he raised the blade and slammed the hilt against his mask, the ceramic shattering against the impact.
The result was agonizing, yet successful. He had, by his own dangerous method, become what was essentially the perfect natural Arrancar, without denying himself any strength. He was an Arrancar, and unlike the other natural Arrancar, he had done the transformation correctly. His new form was like his old human body, but older, and entirely better. And the power…he was now, once again, a force to be reckoned with.
However, Paradigm knew that he could not kill Aizen alone, not whilst he had the Espada and the other Arrancar at his side. For what seemed like an age, Paradigm traveled through the desert of the Hueco Mundo and made visits to Earth, constantly training his skills in every way, learning the new limits of his Arrancar form, which. Over those months, he gathered followers to his cause. Aizen was powerful, unmatched in Las Noches, but he was also a tyrant, abusing his power and had intentions of launching an attack on Earth that would start a massive war between Soul Society and the Hueco Mundo. Paradigm knew that such a war would bring ruin upon the land that would be his kingdom…and other disillusioned Arrancar saw that Paradigm would be a better ruler, his charisma and ideals bringing them to his side. The cold being that was Paradigm thawed ever so slightly, becoming truly suitable as a ruler at last.
However, time had been against Paradigm, for Aizen launched his attack anyway. Paradigm declined going to Earth to aid in the battle, for he saw an opportunity in that event, a way to make use of Aizen’s stupidity. The natural Arrancar made a journey to the weakened Las Noches, planting seeds of doubt in the minds of many Arrancar, showing them the truth of Aizen through careful words. When Aizen returned, bruised and beaten in his attack, he found himself in a shattered kingdom, the Arrancar having dispersed. And like others before them, such dispersed Arrancar were, in truth, followers of their new leader.
Thus, the first round of the game of the throne went to Paradigm.
~OCC info~
Name/Alias: Chaotic
Contact Info: N/A
~Role Play Sample~
Name: Paradigm
Age: 367 years old
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: March 9th
Date of Death: Unknown
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 150lbs
Rank: Primera Espada
Appearance:
[Here]
Personality:
Perhaps the best way to describe Paradigm is as a ruthless, calculating and rather selfish being, quite obsessed with his own desires, dreams and power and mostly dismissive of everyone else, no matter what their rank, position or power. Admittedly, ever since gathering others to his cause, his soul is less devoid of warmth, and he cares about those who have joined him and, perhaps more importantly, has learned to appreciate the balance of souls between the worlds. Although there is truth in saying that Paradigm is selfish, it is not entirely correct, for he is quite capable of helping others in whatever way they might require it, if he is in a position to do so. Immensely curious, Paradigm is never able to stop himself from interfering in matters, although typically, his actions are all designed to aid him as well as others…so calling him selfish is not something he would deny.
To add to this, Paradigm is highly intelligent and cunning, a strategic genius, understanding everything that is said by others and perhaps more importantly, the countless things that are not said, capable of advanced thinking and assumptions that are usually right. He prides himself on this; he is able to understand how others think, how they plan and plot and scheme and he has no qualms about using all of this to his own advantage. He is quite willing to use all at his disposal to see his goals achieved, constantly seeking more power and adhering to his own sense of honor to do so. Even though he can be ruthless, and is always able to see the most sensible way to gain victory in a given cause, gaining a victory without honor is quite tasteless, devoid of the satisfaction that comes with it, and thus Paradigm endeavors to find a middle path in all things, the balance between honor and perfection.
Paradigm has a loose concept of mercy, his understanding of the term having changed somewhat since his life as an ordinary human. In battle, he will often fight to defeat to the foe rather than killing them, his skill allowing him to seize victory in most cases without inflicting mortal injuries. An enemy defeated by Paradigm has two choices; they may either surrender to his will and do as he asks, or be slain; and in this Paradigm takes no pleasure, treating the murder with clear apathy that could horrify most individuals – once the decision has been made to kill, the idea firm and unrelenting, the enemy is already dead in the eyes of Paradigm. He detests weaklings – he is constantly disgusted by the amount of pathetic foes that live in all the worlds. Fighting them isn’t worth Paradigm’s precious time; so they are simply eradicated; mercy is a concept that fails utterly here. If they wish to challenge him without the power to defeat him, then they deserve the annihilation that comes to them. Paradigm is a firm believer of accomplishing tasks with his own hands, and will only draw his Zanpakuto in certain situations; if his foe challenges him to fight them in such a manner, then he obviously cannot deny them, for that would be unnecessarily insulting, and if his hierro is compromised, then fighting with his Zanpakuto is a necessity.
He prides himself on his intellect, a mind above and beyond most others in the Hueco Mundo and indeed any world, and is able to discern the hopes and dreams of his enemies, delving into their being to determine the roots of their personalities, thus finding both their strengths and weaknesses and taking advantage of them accordingly. His is not a mind that cares much for science, for such knowledge has never been one of his pursuits, thus he is quite woefully ignorant. Instead, he is strategist and tactician, a master of combat, both in orchestrating battles and fighting in them. His is a mind that can tear aside the disguises hiding another man’s plan, finding the ultimate flaw and bringing it crashing down, as well as a mind that can easily adapt, altering the methods used in combat to ensure a certain victory. It is said that most plans shatter the moment battle begins, but Paradigm’s plots are never so brittle – they are, on the surface, most simple and instead shaped by the battle itself, Paradigm’s enemies giving him the values he needs for the equation of destruction.
Paradigm does not worry about loss when he fights, because in truth he is extraordinarily arrogant, believing that there is none that can honestly win against him; and in this, he has a certain amount of justification. He will take almost any wound and laugh it off, thanks to his special ability as a hollow, his high speed regeneration. He understands that he is far from un-killable, but he has no care for injury or death because he knows injury is never permanent for him, and death is far away. As a result, he greatly enjoys a fight were he can unleash his full power and bring to bear all his might, a fight against a truly worthy foe. Few truly deserve the honor of fighting with him with his blade drawn. Therein lies one of Paradigm’s greatest flaws – often dismissing rank, if one is not of a prestigious enough status then he is unlikely to go all out, regardless of how powerful the enemy actually happens to be. Fortunately, against such a foe, he has no qualms about drawing his weapons.
And that skill with the Zanpakuto he wields is, in one single word, intense. And if one were to use a second word, then it would be frightening. Paradigm is a master of the art of the blade, and holds the conviction that he is the greatest swordsman alive, a belief set in shape by the fires of confidence, a faith in his own abilities, and tempered by his will that has forced him to practice, a perfectionism that allows no flaws in his technique. A combination of this and his ability to regenerate has formed for Paradigm a combat style that allows him to forsake defense, encouraging others to do the same to try and stop him – an action that condemns them to defeat before the battle is even begun. Against most individuals that call themselves an enemy of Paradigm, the drawing of that sword, Diablo Morado, is tantamount to a death sentence.
His will, his belief in himself, is absolute. It is for this reason that he has no fear, for he is above it all; such an emotion was defeated long ago, and as a result, Paradigm can look upon the world with clear vision. He can not allow himself to submit, cannot allow himself to bow to the will of another, and thanks to this, there can be no middle ground, no compromise. Those who challenge him cannot be denied, and they will be fought until they are finished and broken, their resolve shattered like glass before an explosion. Paradigm is a man who will eternally strive to be the strongest, without any regrets on his path.
It can be said that there are not many things in the world that Paradigm really hates; most things are not worthy of his hate. He dislikes people who do not strive for their dreams, and who have no real purpose other than to make up the numbers – worthless hollows, Shinigami and humans who have low reiatsu, for example. In the grand scheme of things, they are necessary, but they are detestable to look upon. On the other side of that emotion, there is nothing that Paradigm loves either, and this is, in his mind, his greatest failing, crushed down intentionally by the weight of his ambition. Paradigm has always sought friendship, always wished for love, and yet such things were forever denied, and so he turned to seek power instead, in the hopes that upon becoming the most powerful of all, he would be accepted by others.
Hollow Powers:
Garganta: It opens the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, revealing a tunnel of whirling, torrential energy that must be focused and solidified to create a discernible pathway.
Sonido: The Arrancar equivalent of the Shinigami flash steps, it allows the Arrancar to travel at incredibly high speeds for short distances making a static noise.
Cero: A blast of pure Hollow reiatsu, this attack can be shot from the mouth, fingers, or hands of the user. Depending on the power of the user, a cero can knock someone back or completely obliterate them, turning their body to ash. Jin fires his Cero from his pointer finger.
Gran Rey Cero: It is performed by mixing an Arrancar's own blood with the Cero. The result is a cero with a much greater attack power, size, speed, and force, as well as a change of color unique to the Espada. It is also several times more powerful than a normal Cero. Using his sword, Jin cuts his wrist and focuses reiatsu into his blade. He slices the air in front of him and shoots out his Gran Rey Cero as a large wave of purple reiatsu.
Bala: A much smaller and weaker version of Cero, a Bala is a 'bullet'-like cero, that is much weaker, but also much faster. A Bala is fired from the user’s hands, usually put into a fist, and then fired from a distance.
Negación: Negación is used to rescue fellow Hollows. Negación fields surround a target in a square beam of light that isolates the target from the dimension they are currently in, making it impossible to harm them. The field then pulls the target towards the Hollow that created the field.
Caja Negacion: This technique is used to punish Arrancar subordinates by trapping them eternally in an alternate dimension. However, should the Caja Negacion be used on an Espada, the Espada will eventually break out of the alternate dimension (usually within a few hours), due to their large amount of Reiatsu.
Escudo del Diablo: Summoning his reaitsu, a coat of Paradigm's reiatsu physically manifests itself and shrouds him repelling any type of physical and energy based attacks away from him. Unfortunately, he cannot keep this this ability active at all times due to the amount of reiatsu it takes from him, so he only uses it when he needed.
Espadas Convocadas: With this ability, Paradigm's reiatsu manifests itself in the form of six blades that surround him at the waist. He is able to use these swords as a defensive shield to block incoming enemy attacks or use them as his own projectiles and launch them at his opponent, hopefully impaling them and causing some damage.
Example <----example of sword technique
Zanpakuto Name: Diablo Morado [Purple Devil]
Sealed Form:
Paradigm's zanpakutō measures about 45". [From the tip of the blade to the bottom of the tsuka] The sheath is a radiant purple with a small rounded, silver cross hanging near the bottom of the sheath by a thin, silver chain. A small collection of white hairs, like a rabbit's foot, sticks out of the bottom of the handle. Finally, the crossguard of the zanpakutō is in the shape of an eye. An oval like shape is the main part of the crossguard, while in the middle there is a smaller over where the blade is fed through.
~Resurrección~
Resurrección Release Phrase: Traiga Caos, Diablo Morado [Bring Chaos, Purple Devil]
Hollow Appearance:
[Here]
Release Abilities:
When Paradigm decides that an opponent is worthy of his full power, the cross on the bottom of his Zanpakutō breaks right down the middle releasing all of his stored reiatsu. The process continues as he is enveloped in a cloud of purple mist that represents his reiatsu taking it's rightful form on Paradigm's body. This is how Paradigm's Resurección begins.
A short description is in order for what happens to Paradigm's body during the release of the his Resurección. When the cloud fully envelops Paradigm, reiatsu is absorbed into his skin and his muscle mass begins to grow and form into well toned muscles throughout his body [i.e. legs, arms, back, etc.] Due to increasing body mass, Paradigm's Arrancar clothing tears apart to conform his new body shape as it is seen in the illustration above. His hair becomes decently longer during the change, but nothing too dramatic. The rest of the reiatsu takes the shape of two gigantic purple horns that sprout from his back representing a purple devil.
As for Paradigm's Resurección powers, there are a good amount of powers that are still in the works. His Zanpakutō does not directly change into a different weapon, but instead it becomes two weapons in one. The top of the Zanpakutō is still a silver blade still about 45" in length, but the bottom of the Zanpakutō, where the handle would be, is replaced by what looks like a double barreled shotgun. The physical description of the shotgun part of the Zanpakutō can be seen in the picture above. The barrels shoot reaitsu bullets or "Balas", if you will, at opponents. These "Balas" use the same or even a bit more reiatsu than the regular Balas shot from an Arrancars hands. The main difference is that the Balas are more compact, pack more of a punch, and of course are propelled a lot faster than the hand shot Balas.
Other than that, his abilities are still unknown to most, but it is said that his speed is increased far faster than a regular sonido when he enters this mode. It is rumored to have the name of "Ruido"
~History~
Paradigm was originally called Lucius Bale, and was born into a rich family that had a high opinion of themselves, not that long before the events of the Second World War. Lucius Bale was taught that, as a member of the Bale family, he was superior to the other, lesser beings around him, and that the only thing greater than him was the nobility. Lucius, who was an intelligent but ambitious boy, quickly began to resent those above him, his family values becoming wildly exaggerated, and he started to think that he was the one who should have been greatest, even at an early age.
Disaster struck as Lucius turned ten years old. A great fire started in his home, burning it to the ground and killing everyone inside. They never found the cause of the fire, as it was caused by an attacking hollow. Lucius was rescued in time, but was the only survivor. He was now the sole remnant of his proud family, and before him, in the ashes, laid the charred remains of their fortune. Lucius had gone from mighty to poor in one small moment and was forced to wander the streets alone, without anyone else to call a friend.
Despite his reasonable past, Lucius began to question why life had treated him so poorly, why he had to live alone. He was surprisingly intelligent and remembered everything anyone said to him, and he was able to teach himself more despite his lack of funds through theft of books. Lucius decided, when the Second World War came about, that he would kill anyone and everyone who were his enemies, and that would surely gain him recognition and praise and the future he deserved. He would restore the Bale family name, and perhaps he would become part of the nobility itself.
Alone, Lucius began to form ideas of grandeur and fame. Whenever war and battle started on the ground, he was cruel, merciless and careful, ambushing enemy soldiers, sneaking up on them and killing them in brutal ways. He had decided that he deserved to be in control, for he saw comrades die everyday and then thought of his success, and without a doubt his tactics were better. So Lucius turned against his fellow men and began to murder his superiors in their sleep, hoping that he could seize command and achieve victory after victory.
But this insanity, born from ignorance and impossible dreams, would prove fatal…
Lucius was eventually discovered by his allies, who were horrified by his actions. They didn’t understand that he was trying to help; they approached him, rambling about how he had jeopardized everything, how evil he was, how twisted and wrong he had become. Lucius tried to explain his ideas, his plans, how they were better, but it was for nothing. He was shot repeatedly by his fellow men and succumbed to the barrage swiftly. In his dying moments, he regretted nothing except their foolishness, how they couldn’t accept that a genius who had suffered years of poverty was better than them, their superior…
Lucius was quite surprised whenever he rose again as a spirit. He saw the Chain of Fate attached to his chest, saw his dead body, and howled with fury at the injustice of it all. He cursed the men who had murdered him, self righteous fools and bastards, and swore vengeance even though he was certain it would never come. Alone on the streets, he had heard about ghosts, but he had never seen them. Now, he supposed, he was a ghost. Lucius abandoned his name, cast off anything he had to do with the people who had failed him, humanity, and renamed himself Paradigm, after the word he had always found the most curious and simultaneously incredible, and he watched the brutality of the war with a flame burning in his soul. He saw that the Chain corroded slowly and thought nothing of it, until it was suddenly gone.
Paradigm found the transformation to a hollow quite relaxing, not painful at all. It was as if he was taking a step towards his true destiny, a real purpose. His new body was tall and covered in spikes and blades, and his red hair was wildly exaggerated into a mane of burning crimson fire. His fingers were claws, his feet had talons…he was a monster and, surrounded as he was by people, he saw prey. Paradigm fell first on his murderers in their sleep, devouring their souls in a single bite each, and then he turned to the wounded, feasting on them one by one, growing in strength. The war had meant that many souls were floating around, and they were Paradigm’s food. It was only a few days before a Shinigami arrived to stop him, but in those few days Paradigm had grown unbelievably strong, far greater than an ordinary hollow.
The Shinigami, arrogant as they all were, explained their purpose to the surprised Paradigm and attempted to purify him. But Paradigm was far stronger than that Shinigami could have imagined, having devoured hundreds of souls in a matter of days, and Paradigm easily devoured him, and then he returned the buffet of souls strewn about the place. Such a massive concentration attracted other hollows that sought the food, and Paradigm found them and devoured them too, disregarding them as worthless trash in a mindless pursuit of power. He knew they were after the food too, and he would not allow that. The Shinigami came down in greater numbers to send souls on, and Paradigm hunted them down. On one lucky occasion, he managed to catch an entire group of Shinigami off guard, and they proved to be a sweet meal. By the time the war had ended, Paradigm was not recognizable from his original hollow form, because of the amount of humans, hollows and Shinigami he had overpowered. By the time a real threat showed up, a dispatched Vice-Captain to hunt him down, Paradigm had left for the Hueco Mundo.
In the Hueco Mundo, Paradigm soon found that there were countless numbers of hollows, many of whom were more powerful than him. This enraged the hollow, which set to devouring everyone he struck down. Paradigm’s dominating personality and near reckless ambition quickly led his peers in the Hueco Mundo to despise him, but that never annoyed Paradigm. He didn’t really consider any of them his level. They were nothing more than food.
But soon he discovered that there was something much greater than the simple hollow classes that he was decimating. These were the Menos classes, the Gillians, the Adjucas, and the Vasto Lorde. Immediately Paradigm decided that he would become one of the Vasto Lorde, and he would rule over the Hueco Mundo. This swiftly became a dream and with his actions he intended to make it a reality. Within a single month Paradigm became a Gillian Menos, and then he turned on that race, attacking and consuming his fellow Gillians without a shred of remorse. He had designated the normal hollows as food…he called the Gillians prey, for there was a slightly greater challenge in hunting them down. It was at this point, as a Gillian Menos, that Paradigm’s ability of regeneration was born.
At the rate at which Paradigm was devouring hollows, it was only a matter of time before he advanced again to the next stage, the Adjucas. This were he finally realized the flaw to his dream. The numbers of Adjucas were very thin, very thin indeed compared to the slow and ungainly Gillians, and he had long since managed to establish a fearsome reputation. Hollows of all kinds fled when the small humanoid hollow with white armor and flames on his skull appeared. Very few tried to hunt him anymore, which, needless to say, reduced his meals. Nevertheless, he was not about to simply be discouraged. Paradigm feasted on every Gillian and normal hollow that crossed his path. They could not run from him anymore, and they provided the sustenance he needed. And with that energy, he was able to track down and overpower other Adjucas Menos. They proved to be sweet, sweet meals and he savored every last bite of them.
So over the years Paradigm went from strength to strength, occasionally returning to the human world to track down a Shinigami, remembering the delicate flavor their souls had. His power as an Adjucas rose and rose, but then, the meals suddenly ceased. He could not find Adjucas Menos, which he needed to finish his ascent to Vasto Lorde, and that was because they all flocked to the new building erected in the Hueco Mundo called Las Noches. Paradigm traveled there out of curiosity and found that the hollows who went there became much stronger, new beings named Arrancar. However, those hollows had pledged their loyalty to a Shinigami named Aizen. It seemed that this had a device to create Arrancar and had spent some time slowly gathering hollows to his side and making them Arrancar…there were now enough to attract major attention from others in the Hueco Mundo.
Unwilling to ever pledge his loyalty to another, no matter how powerful Aizen was, a disgusted Paradigm moved far away from Las Noches, but he intended to return, when he was strong enough to defeat the self proclaimed ruler. He knew, of course, that there was irony in such a goal, but such was unimportant to the hollow. Just because someone set up a palace and built a race of Arrancar did not mean that they were suited to rule. Only Paradigm had the qualities to be King in the Hueco Mundo, and thus this Aizen, no matter how powerful, how good a King he was…he would die, to make way for Paradigm.
However, all the food left worth eating was scarce and weak. Months passed, and although Paradigm was sustained, slowly growing in power, it was not enough. He could not abide the slow increase in strength whilst that Shinigami ruled and he did not. Bitter, he decided to temporarily put his dream of joining the tiny number of Vasto Lorde to the side, and sought a second way to get stronger – he would become an Arrancar. The easiest way, of course, was to join this Aizen…but that was no choice at all. However, Paradigm had heard of rare hollows in the Hueco Mundo that had removed their masks. He hunted them down and tried to force the secrets from them, but found that it was all useless. They had found no tried and tested method, it was all luck. So Paradigm was forced to make his own method, however risky it was.
Paradigm spent three months doing little except learn how to manipulate and control his reiatsu. Once he had near perfect control, the kind of mastery where he could summon a cero in a flash and totally conceal his presence, the hollow traveled to Earth. He began a search for one thing and one thing only – Shinigami, and not just any ordinary Shinigami, but the strongest he could possibly find. Through a series of attacks, feints and subtle plots over the course of a whole year, Paradigm eventually managed to coax a Lieutenant from Soul Society as a harbinger of death, revealing enough of a threat to justify such a presence, whilst holding back enough strength to prevent a Captain coming down. Paradigm fought and overwhelmed the Fukutaicho in combat, breaking his body and leaving him crippled, before taking his Zanpakuto. He had expected more of a fight...but then again, he did not know about the limiter the Shinigami had.
He had seen the Arrancar, and saw there were four major differences between them, and him. They had no mask, they had boosted strength from Shinigami powers, some had more human appearances, and they had Zanpakuto’s. Thus, Paradigm took the Shinigami Zanpakuto and channeled his reiatsu into it, putting all his hollow power inside it, and when he had reached his limit, he raised the blade and slammed the hilt against his mask, the ceramic shattering against the impact.
The result was agonizing, yet successful. He had, by his own dangerous method, become what was essentially the perfect natural Arrancar, without denying himself any strength. He was an Arrancar, and unlike the other natural Arrancar, he had done the transformation correctly. His new form was like his old human body, but older, and entirely better. And the power…he was now, once again, a force to be reckoned with.
However, Paradigm knew that he could not kill Aizen alone, not whilst he had the Espada and the other Arrancar at his side. For what seemed like an age, Paradigm traveled through the desert of the Hueco Mundo and made visits to Earth, constantly training his skills in every way, learning the new limits of his Arrancar form, which. Over those months, he gathered followers to his cause. Aizen was powerful, unmatched in Las Noches, but he was also a tyrant, abusing his power and had intentions of launching an attack on Earth that would start a massive war between Soul Society and the Hueco Mundo. Paradigm knew that such a war would bring ruin upon the land that would be his kingdom…and other disillusioned Arrancar saw that Paradigm would be a better ruler, his charisma and ideals bringing them to his side. The cold being that was Paradigm thawed ever so slightly, becoming truly suitable as a ruler at last.
However, time had been against Paradigm, for Aizen launched his attack anyway. Paradigm declined going to Earth to aid in the battle, for he saw an opportunity in that event, a way to make use of Aizen’s stupidity. The natural Arrancar made a journey to the weakened Las Noches, planting seeds of doubt in the minds of many Arrancar, showing them the truth of Aizen through careful words. When Aizen returned, bruised and beaten in his attack, he found himself in a shattered kingdom, the Arrancar having dispersed. And like others before them, such dispersed Arrancar were, in truth, followers of their new leader.
Thus, the first round of the game of the throne went to Paradigm.
~OCC info~
Name/Alias: Chaotic
Contact Info: N/A
~Role Play Sample~
X Paradigm X
The king surveyed his work with a smile on his face. His face showed not the amused smile that was normally fixed so permanently, but instead a more…triumphant grin, revealing that the Arrancar was happy, pleased. At last, the games were beginning. He had been threatening to do this for quite some time – indeed, the very reason he had become Arrancar was to increase his own power, and thus draw other powers to him, as he knew that, for good or for ill, power attracted power. He had needed other individuals willing to work with him towards a common goal, a singular desire to see that fool of a Shinigami, Aizen Sosuke, humbled and killed, all his work reduced to bitter ashes. For several days now, he had been working on…fixing a few things. Between the hard work of Kira and Benjos, two of his more trusted allies, if not necessarily the strongest of, most of the palace of Las Noches Viejos, the place that would be their stronghold had been rebuilt and renovated. What had once been a crumbling ruin, abandoned to the eternal and voracious hunger of time, was now, once again, the place that it deserved to be. A stronghold, a place for Arrancar and hollow to reside as the masters, a home to the denizens of the Hueco Mundo, a base from which to conduct the latest plan, the action that would likely be remembered as the rebellion if it failed, or the revolution if is succeeded.
But whilst most of the bleached white palace had been restored to its former glory, not all of it was so. There were places that were nought but wreckage, a sad reminder of the unsophisticated attack performed by Kurosaki Ichigo, the powerful substitute Shinigami with a thorough lack of subtlety and finesse. Towers lay in ruin, some cracked, and some destroyed, the only remains being the scattered chunks of white stone that lay around the palace of Las Noches. His Arrancar had repaired the things that needed repaired to make this place function. Superfluous buildings and rooms, including those such as the throne and meeting hall, had been left as they had been found. That was something that Soku could never allow, thus it was a problem solved by his own actions, and now, Las Noches Viejos was not only open for Arrancar to stay in, but also for Arrancar to hold the official meetings that would be necessary to win this little war he had planned.
Every chair around the circular table, fashioned from the same monotone rock as the palace was, was equal in all ways; both the size and the shape. Soku had things planned, and for now, and perhaps forever, there would be a certain arrangement for those on his side, a system that would allow their society to function. That, of course, was the key word…society. He intended to build something here that would last, unlike Aizen, he sought only power and blatantly disregarded all responsibilities that came with it. The Espada were a formidable fighting force, it was true. But that was because Aizen had arranged them to be so; they were nothing but swords in the hands of that Shinigami. They were crafted to do his bidding, to fight his war for his dreams, with the vague promise of rewards for them once all was accomplished. When Aizen was done with the Arrancar, assuming any survived at all; there would be no future for them. Aizen would unleash the Hueco Mundo upon Soul Society, order would collapse and be impossible to restore, and Aizen would certainly not be the one attempting to restore it. The Arrancar would become nothing more than monsters, slaughtering all in their path to sustain their hungers. Perhaps some would break off and form bands, like Grimmjow did as a hollow, but ultimately, there would be no future – only death and misery for everyone.
Hence, when structuring his society in the Hueco Mundo, Soku could not look towards the Arrancar of Aizen. But he could look towards the Shinigami. Although the Shinigami and hollow races were eternally, diametrically opposed to one another, it did not take a genius to observe the differences between the two races. The hollows were primitive, by nature fighting amongst themselves, blinded by instinct into attacking the human world, thus offering themselves up for execution at the hands of the Shinigami. Those same Shinigami operated by a system that had stood the test of time. For over two thousand years, the Shinigami had worked by the concept of the thirteen divisions; each specialized to a specific role in both their job in Soul Society and their actions elsewhere. Comparing that to the humans and it was clear that the Shinigami had an incredibly successful system. The Soul Society, for all intents and purposes, prospered, whilst the Hueco Mundo was stagnant. The introduction of a Shinigami to the Hueco Mundo in the form of Aizen immediately created a system, and despite its faults, it at least granted a purpose to the hollows. Thus, Soku knew, in Soul Society, there was the answer. Separating the Arrancar into more specific roles in society was far more likely to work than organizing them as a war machine.
The room was silent, the lone Arrancar within seated on a chair beside the table, resting the side of his head against his fingertips, his thoughts revolving around the current state of the game, who was his enemy, and who was not. Soku was a firm believer in the old proverb, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’, for in practice, such people could be easily manipulated. As far as his current data suggested, the Gotei 13 was either complete or nearing completion. He did not have any way of getting information straight out of Sereitei, but it had been near two years since Aizen, Gin and Tousen took their leave from Soul Society. The Arrancar expected those missing slots for Captain were filled. That meant that there were potentially thirteen Captains. On the other side, the Espada ranks still had open places, yet to be filled by Arrancar. That was mostly due to Ichigo. Soku smiled at that. He had ways of getting information from that avenue. The Espada, Aizen, Gin and Tousen…they were his only real enemies, now that the Vizard had decided to ally with him, and the Shinigami would deal with Aizen long before they thought about him.
In conclusion, the odds were not entirely in Aizen’s favor. He now had a chance.
Of course, Soku was not one to forget about the Negated, but it was apparent that they had a lack of strategists in Hell, or those that were present were disappointingly inept. The Negated could have finished everything by now, if they had chosen to deal with each enemy separately, rather than engaging the Shinigami, the Vizard, and the Arrancar simultaneously. Now, the ranks of Hell had lost prominent demons, in all likelihood, given that Soku himself had dealt with one of them, and he was unsure if all the Negated even remained alive. It would not take much to finish them off – all that had to be done was some planning, and a trap. The beings were so careless; he knew that on at least one occasion a Negated had walked straight into Las Noches Nuevas, and he had been there when two attacked a city on earth. They could be sent to their destruction in due time.
The Arrancar closed his eyes. He had already thought of everything important, and it was now merely a case of waiting for the others to arrive. He had sent one of the others to collect the rest, telling them that there was an important meeting here, in Las Noches, the first full gathering of the Arrancar at his side. He would announce his plans at last, and they would have somewhere to go at last, rather than wandering in the world of humans…as he knew some of them had taken to.
“Time for the opening move; the birth of a new faction,” Soku muttered to himself, smiling in anticipation.
