Post by Darake Kitoushi on May 3, 2013 5:28:50 GMT -5
Kouki Shōen
The highest and most respected families of Soul Society are the four great noble houses which have existed for as long ago as written history dates back, the only higher power being the Tamashi Tennō (Spirit King). Carrying a great amount of influence over the government law making processes of the central courts, they play a role in nearly all aspects of the lives of everyone in Seireitei. Nearly immune to the law themselves, the only crime in which they are susceptible to is that of the highest offense treason. Even then it requires a great amount of direct evidence in order to prove such a claim. Such an event has not yet happened once in the history of Soul Society. Another important aspects to the Noble Houses are that each lineage is periodically blessed with a child that possess the spirit of their House's great beast which has been passed down through generations since the houses founding. This individual is then treated with great respect and believed to be fated to play a critical role in the houses future prosperity.
---Shirotomi Clan : [Northern Shōen of the Azure Crane]
Jitou (Lord): Shirotomi Shinzen Deceased
Kijo (Lady): Shirotomi Shōtoku Asako
Oujo (Princess): Shirotomi Mariko Deceased
Considered the most formal of the Noble Houses, the Crane Clan is one who places the highest priority on tradition and the law. Always impeccable in both appearance and demeanor, they conduct themselves with a serene grace befitting of their station with anything less than perfection considered a violation of their eternal duty to Soul Society. It is these factors that can often make others of lower status feel as if the clan is guilty of arrogance and condescension, which for some members would not be far from the truth. The lord of the house was struck down in combat some time ago, leaving behind a wife and two children. Their eldest daughter, Shirotomi Mariko, also fell ill a hundred years ago in a complex situation where her she had fallen in love with her Sesshō, Darake Kitoushi, who unknowingly caused her condition. The surviving lady of the house, Shirotomi Shōtoku Asako, rose to the rank of Captain Commander in recent years.
---Ōshima Clan : [Eastern Shōen of the Vermillion Fox]
Jitou (Lord): Ōshima Sukune
Kijo (Lady): Ōshima Hidaka
Ouji (Prince):
Oujo (Princess):
The Noble House of the Vermillion Fox has, through out the centuries, always strived to enrich the culture of their clan. Since the founding of their clan the Ōshima house has held themselves to a strict set of traditions that promote the cleansing of mind and body, living their daily lives accordingly. Known for their virtious patience and tolerance the clan has a large focus on maintaining good relations with the other Noble Houses. Both bathing and tea ceremonies are amongst their most prized traditions, specifically having constructed their grounds around several natural hot spring sources to accommodate this. While definitely known for their more friendly nature the Fox clan are also known for their slyness, usually exercising this trait in the form of trickery, using this to teach a moral lesson to their subjects. The House's lord Ōshima Sukune has in the past allowed the Shibata family, whom pleaded to him for assistance, to migrate into his household as servants. In return for their servitude the lord swore an oath to secure the continuation of the Shibata lineage and let them live on his property. The Ōshima family has little military presence within Soul Society, instead they prefer to open their home to members of the other houses to serve as a temple of spiritual healing and serene rest.
---Ishikana Clan : [Western Shōen of the Golden Lion]
Jitou (Lord): Ishikana Atsuchi
Kijo (Lady): Ishikana Nanaho
Ouji (Prince):
Oujo (Princess):
Courage, strength and skill are the traits that define the Ishikana clan, their foundations built on the sweat and blood of their ancestors. The crest of the Golden Lion accurately depicts the Ishikana house, as they are most focused on the way of the warrior of any of the noble families. The family itself is potentially one of the biggest within all of the noble families, having several branch families that share both heir name and their estate. Their influence of most individuals depends on the amount of standing and respect they have earned within the family. Their customs might not be the most proper or refined, yet their talent for combat and strategics that runs through the family's descendants is seemingly unmatched amongst the other families. The training regimen every member is put through is absolutely brutal and requires the utmost discipline. This results in them producing warriors who often join the Gotei 13, whom end up in high ranking positions. As such their military presence within Seireitei is quite prominent. They relish at the chance to test their skills, hence the family's main custom is to organize combat matches within their grounds. There they pit warriors from within the family against each other, the trainer of the victor and the victor itself earning influence and standing within the clan. Often, when stories of a warrior's strength (outside of their family) reaches their ears, they invite such gifted individuals for a visit to their estate, to test their might against them in a match.
---Sekigawa Clan : [Southern Shōen of the Jade Spider]
Jitou (Lord): Sekigawa Hanzo
Kijo (Lady): Sekigawa Sayuri
Ouji (Prince):
Oujo (Princess):
The youngest out of 4 Noble Houses, the Sekigawa house of the Jade Spider is known for their shrewdness and secrecy. Not much is known about the Sekigawa's customs, even when amongst the other noble clans they rarely share their secrets, this has roused some suspicion about what exactly they want to keep hidden. One of their most exceptional talents, aside being great diplomats, is the training of their personal guards and assassins. Their estate is known to be a near impenetrable fortress which, up until the invasion by the Quincy, had never been breached. Their assassins are infamous in nature, though rarely seen by anyone alive, are deployed to eliminate dangerous targets (mostly high profile criminals) within Rukongai. Occasionally, these assassins are drafted into the 2nd division upon request of the Captain Commander, the Sekigawa often grants this favor as a sign of good will. By the recent events that have taken place, the Sekigawa family have become the target of severe scrutiny. Because the Ōin was compromised whilst being under their watch, the mistrust in the house has increased and their secretive nature has not helped them in their predicament. Their standing amongst the other families has declined, though none will openly admit it. In the wake of the invasion the Gotei 13 has ordered the 3rd division to keep them under surveillance (supposedly for reasons regarding the Sekigawa's own safety), as a result they have retreated back into the deep reaches of their estate, rarely making contact aside of the other noble families.
The highest and most respected families of Soul Society are the four great noble houses which have existed for as long ago as written history dates back, the only higher power being the Tamashi Tennō (Spirit King). Carrying a great amount of influence over the government law making processes of the central courts, they play a role in nearly all aspects of the lives of everyone in Seireitei. Nearly immune to the law themselves, the only crime in which they are susceptible to is that of the highest offense treason. Even then it requires a great amount of direct evidence in order to prove such a claim. Such an event has not yet happened once in the history of Soul Society. Another important aspects to the Noble Houses are that each lineage is periodically blessed with a child that possess the spirit of their House's great beast which has been passed down through generations since the houses founding. This individual is then treated with great respect and believed to be fated to play a critical role in the houses future prosperity.
---Shirotomi Clan : [Northern Shōen of the Azure Crane]
Jitou (Lord): Kijo (Lady): Shirotomi Shōtoku Asako Oujo (Princess): Considered the most formal of the Noble Houses, the Crane Clan is one who places the highest priority on tradition and the law. Always impeccable in both appearance and demeanor, they conduct themselves with a serene grace befitting of their station with anything less than perfection considered a violation of their eternal duty to Soul Society. It is these factors that can often make others of lower status feel as if the clan is guilty of arrogance and condescension, which for some members would not be far from the truth. The lord of the house was struck down in combat some time ago, leaving behind a wife and two children. Their eldest daughter, Shirotomi Mariko, also fell ill a hundred years ago in a complex situation where her she had fallen in love with her Sesshō, Darake Kitoushi, who unknowingly caused her condition. The surviving lady of the house, Shirotomi Shōtoku Asako, rose to the rank of Captain Commander in recent years.
---Ōshima Clan : [Eastern Shōen of the Vermillion Fox]
Jitou (Lord): Ōshima Sukune Kijo (Lady): Ōshima Hidaka Ouji (Prince): Oujo (Princess):The Noble House of the Vermillion Fox has, through out the centuries, always strived to enrich the culture of their clan. Since the founding of their clan the Ōshima house has held themselves to a strict set of traditions that promote the cleansing of mind and body, living their daily lives accordingly. Known for their virtious patience and tolerance the clan has a large focus on maintaining good relations with the other Noble Houses. Both bathing and tea ceremonies are amongst their most prized traditions, specifically having constructed their grounds around several natural hot spring sources to accommodate this. While definitely known for their more friendly nature the Fox clan are also known for their slyness, usually exercising this trait in the form of trickery, using this to teach a moral lesson to their subjects. The House's lord Ōshima Sukune has in the past allowed the Shibata family, whom pleaded to him for assistance, to migrate into his household as servants. In return for their servitude the lord swore an oath to secure the continuation of the Shibata lineage and let them live on his property. The Ōshima family has little military presence within Soul Society, instead they prefer to open their home to members of the other houses to serve as a temple of spiritual healing and serene rest.
---Ishikana Clan : [Western Shōen of the Golden Lion]
Jitou (Lord): Ishikana Atsuchi Kijo (Lady): Ishikana Nanaho Ouji (Prince): Oujo (Princess):Courage, strength and skill are the traits that define the Ishikana clan, their foundations built on the sweat and blood of their ancestors. The crest of the Golden Lion accurately depicts the Ishikana house, as they are most focused on the way of the warrior of any of the noble families. The family itself is potentially one of the biggest within all of the noble families, having several branch families that share both heir name and their estate. Their influence of most individuals depends on the amount of standing and respect they have earned within the family. Their customs might not be the most proper or refined, yet their talent for combat and strategics that runs through the family's descendants is seemingly unmatched amongst the other families. The training regimen every member is put through is absolutely brutal and requires the utmost discipline. This results in them producing warriors who often join the Gotei 13, whom end up in high ranking positions. As such their military presence within Seireitei is quite prominent. They relish at the chance to test their skills, hence the family's main custom is to organize combat matches within their grounds. There they pit warriors from within the family against each other, the trainer of the victor and the victor itself earning influence and standing within the clan. Often, when stories of a warrior's strength (outside of their family) reaches their ears, they invite such gifted individuals for a visit to their estate, to test their might against them in a match.
---Sekigawa Clan : [Southern Shōen of the Jade Spider]
Jitou (Lord): Sekigawa Hanzo Kijo (Lady): Sekigawa Sayuri Ouji (Prince): Oujo (Princess):The youngest out of 4 Noble Houses, the Sekigawa house of the Jade Spider is known for their shrewdness and secrecy. Not much is known about the Sekigawa's customs, even when amongst the other noble clans they rarely share their secrets, this has roused some suspicion about what exactly they want to keep hidden. One of their most exceptional talents, aside being great diplomats, is the training of their personal guards and assassins. Their estate is known to be a near impenetrable fortress which, up until the invasion by the Quincy, had never been breached. Their assassins are infamous in nature, though rarely seen by anyone alive, are deployed to eliminate dangerous targets (mostly high profile criminals) within Rukongai. Occasionally, these assassins are drafted into the 2nd division upon request of the Captain Commander, the Sekigawa often grants this favor as a sign of good will. By the recent events that have taken place, the Sekigawa family have become the target of severe scrutiny. Because the Ōin was compromised whilst being under their watch, the mistrust in the house has increased and their secretive nature has not helped them in their predicament. Their standing amongst the other families has declined, though none will openly admit it. In the wake of the invasion the Gotei 13 has ordered the 3rd division to keep them under surveillance (supposedly for reasons regarding the Sekigawa's own safety), as a result they have retreated back into the deep reaches of their estate, rarely making contact aside of the other noble families.
