JOAQUÍN VELÁZQUEZ, QUINTO ESPADA
Name: Joaquín Velázquez
Apparent Age: Joaquín appears to be in his late 20’s or early 30’s, and most people would guess he is around the age of 32, which was the age at which he died.
True Age: 830 years. (born in 1190 AD)
Sex: Fully and entirely male.
Aspect of Death: Emptiness
Personality: Joaquín’s personality, like that of most if not all Arrancar, is influenced by his Aspect of Death. His is Emptiness, which is best described as an almost total lack of emotion or feeling of any sort except physical, combined with the feeling that nothing “matters” or is even necessarily real. As such, if Joaquín could be classified under the standard character alignment system, his alignment would be Neutral Evil.
The most obvious aspect of Joaquín’s personality is of course the very nearly complete and total lack of emotion that is a natural part of his Aspect of Death. It is not that, like many beings, he experiences emotion but does not display it outwardly. Instead, he truly experiences no emotion at all. Surprise, fear, sadness, happiness, excitement, and so on are all entirely alien words and sensations to him. To him, emotions are not only completely pointless wastes of time, energy, and brainpower, but also a sign of weakness, and have no place in the halls of Las Noches. In fact, Joaquín would go so far as to state that emotion was a barrier to survival out in the white sands of Hueco Mundo. For these reasons, the Quinto Espada is completely incapable of either feeling or understanding emotion. While this can be useful in the heat of battle and because it makes him extremely difficult to bribe or coerce, it also sets a significant obstacle in the way of social interactions and developing any interpersonal relationships
The main way in which this affects the way in which he is viewed by others is that he is usually seen as cold and uncaring. When speaking with anyone, he will not change the tone of his voice, nor will he use titles, honorifics, or any method of showing respect unless this is absolutely necessary. The only exception to this rule is any dealings with the Cero King, for whom he has the utmost respect. Also, Joaquín will not attempt to console someone going through a difficult time or reassure someone who is worried, instead preferring to give a more realistic outlook on the situation, if he speaks at all. He is a being of few words, speaking only when necessary, and he does not enjoy repeating himself. When he does speak, Joaquín is very blunt and brutally honest, calling situations exactly as he sees them, and is not afraid to speak his mind, even to those more powerful than him.
Stemming from Joaquín’s overall lack of emotion are two more traits: Lack of empathy and extremely high pain tolerance. The lack of empathy is quite simple given his lack of emotion. Being unable to process emotion in any way, Joaquín is unable to place himself in the shoes of others and imagine how a particular situation would make them feel, simply because he cannot understand what it is to “feel.” As such, he is incapable of any empathy or even sympathizing with others in emotional matters. Due to this, he often causes offense to many of those around him, usually unintentionally, as he cannot understand when he is being insensitive. For the same reason, he is often perceived as sadistic or cruel due to his treatment of enemies or actions in battle, when in reality, he is simply taking what he deems to be the most useful action for the situation.
Joaquín’s tolerance for fear, pain, and discomfort is extremely high. Of course, this can be expected to some degree from anyone who was a soldier as a human and then survived centuries as a Hollow in Hueco Mundo’s white deserts, thereby spending most of their existence in constant combat. Joaquín’s pain tolerance, however, goes beyond even this, boosted by his lack of emotion and inability to feel fear. Deep gashes, broken bones, even severed limbs are highly unlikely to elicit a response of any sort from him, and he has never been heard crying out in pain. Of course, the physical effects of said injuries will still hinder him, but the fear and pain usually associated with them will not register in his mind. Fear and pain, or the threat of these things, virtually do not phase Joaquín in any way.
Joaquín is fiercely loyal to Las Noches, and above all, to the Cero King. This is because, being a true realist, the one thing he respects and the one thing that will persuade him to obey anyone is power. The Cero King, of course, has a lot of it, and this is the only reason for Joaquín’s loyalty. As such, obedience and properly carrying out orders are very important to him, a standard to which he holds not only himself, but the other Espada and Fracción of Las Noches. He is not afraid to apprehend and punish those he sees as guilty of failure or insubordination, doing so by way of execution if possible.
This also means that Shinigami and the Gotei are his sworn enemies, with absolutely zero exceptions. Vizards, though he finds them to be repulsive failed attempts at Arrancar, are not his enemies, and he will leave them alone as long as they are not serving the Gotei or opposed to Las Noches. Should any serve Las Noches, he will grudgingly work together with them if he must. Similar logic applies to humans, as well as to Sinners, should he ever encounter any. He does not particularly like them, but in the absence of orders to the contrary, unless they attack him, he will leave them alone. When it comes to other Hollows and Arrancar, he views these as his allies if they serve Las Noches, and will work together with them even in the case of disagreements or open hostility with another member of these races.
Beyond personality elements related to his Aspect of Death and his loyalties, there are some minor aspects to cover. Generally, Joaquín is persistent, (but not to the point of stubbornness) a hard worker who values training and becoming stronger, almost constantly serious no matter the situation, and confident in his ability to handle most circumstances he finds himself in. His main goal is to one day become Primera Espada and thus better serve the King. He is not afraid to fight, and indeed views fighting as a necessary and even important part of life, though he derives no enjoyment from it. At the same time, he will never charge rashly into a fight or underestimate his opponent’s abilities. He is a nihilist in the traditional sense, holding the view that “nothing matters.” Finally, Joaquín is also highly intelligent and quick to figure out and solve the problems with which he is presented, and by human standards, would have an IQ of 250.
CHARACTER APPEARANCE
Height: Joaquín stands at 6 feet, 3 inches tall.
Weight: 200 pounds.
Physical Traits: Overall, while he is in a sealed state, Joaquín takes the form of a European man in his late 20’s to early 30’s. Were it not for the gaping Hollow hole in his chest and the Estigma obscuring his facial features, most beings with a humanoid thought process would likely say he is quite attractive.
He stands 6 feet and 3 inches above the ground at full height. While this is slightly above average for an adult human male and not particularly intimidating, it was quite impressive for one living in medieval Europe during the time of his human life due to the lack of proper nutrition or modern medicine. If it were possible for him to step on a modern scale, he would weigh in at almost exactly 200 pounds, though depending on the time of day, time elapsed since his last meal, and his level of hydration, this number can fluctuate between 200 and 210 pounds.
In any case, Joaquín’s weight consists mainly of muscle. There is very little body fat, meaning that this muscle is clearly defined. His biceps and triceps can both be seen clearly even if he is not flexing or straining his muscles, and veins are clearly visible running down his arms and hands. The state of his legs is similar, with his calf muscles being especially well-defined from years of running about on battlefields. On his stomach, his abdominal muscles form what humans refer to as a “six-pack,” and just below that, the feature usually described as “v-lines” is present. The muscles of his pectorals, shoulders, neck, and back are also easily visible, resulting in defined collarbones and a chiseled jawline. Were he visible to humans, Joaquín would easily be mistaken for an elite athlete.
The skin that covers these features is a very light brown, as expected in a person of European descent. He is noticeably tanned, however, as a result of many years spent outside in the bright southern European sun. Joaquín’s hair is a dark brown in color, though its ends are mildly bleached by excessive exposure to sunlight. He wears it slicked back, its ends barely reaching where the head and neck meet. His eyebrows are the same color and rather thin. Joaquín’s eyes are a very dark green-brown in color, though by firelight, they can appear to be a lighter green-gold hue. Around his pupils, there is a ring of very light gold-brown pigment, though this disappears when Joaquín becomes agitated. His Estigma, or Hollow mask fragment, is located on the bottom part of his face. This fragment takes the basic shape of a clam shell, and it covers all of his face from the nose down. There are three teardrop shaped-holes, with the two on the sides being smaller than the one in the middle. He can actually move this fragment to the side to reveal his mouth when necessary.
There are few major markings on Joaquin’s body. First, of course, is his Hollow hole, which can be seen directly above the anatomical location of the heart. Two noticeable scars mar his skin, along with many smaller, less serious ones. Each of these is covered by hard, thick, dark red-brown scar tissue. The first is the obvious result of a stabbing attack, a rectangular mark 3 inches long and half an inch across in the center of his throat, directly on his trachea. The other is a straight line 2 inches wide at its widest point atop his trapezius muscle on the left side, tapering off to less than half an inch wide at its narrowest, about 4 inches below his left pectoral muscle. It also stretches down his back to just above the seventh rib, the result of a failed attempt at removing his left arm at the shoulder. The only other scar of note is a thin, white line on the middle finger of his right hand, this being the designated location he cuts to draw blood to perform a Gran Rey Cero. Besides scars, Joaquín’s body is marked by one tattoo. Being the Quinto Espada, this is the number 5, and it can be found on his forehead immediately above his right eyebrow.
Finally, there is Joaquín’s clothing and Reiatsu. He wears the standard uniform of those who serve the Cero King. For him, this means a white, kimono-like overcoat, white hakama, black socks, and silver sandals. On Joaquín’s uniform, the kimono-like garment is long-sleeved with a sharply descending neckline, effectively open until it reaches the lower chest, and the borders of the fabric are black, including the cuffs. The lower section of this piece of clothing contains two front pockets, one on each side. The hakama is a pure white with no markings and ends just above Joaquín’s ankles. The uniform is held together by a black, obi-like sash that wraps around the entire body at the waist. This sash also secures Joaquín’s sheathed Zanpakuto at his side. The Quinto Espada keeps his uniform in immaculate condition, and it will almost never be seen with stains, tears, or even wrinkles. Joaquín’s Reiatsu is a dark burgundy in color. Like that of any Espada, it is usually perceived as being very heavy and thick. When it flares up, the burgundy energy flows around him in a way that brings to mind flowing streams of water, and beings nearby will often detect the scent of freshly spilled blood. In those weaker than Joaquín, his Reiatsu can bring on a feeling of intense sadness and emptiness.
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FIGHTING STYLE
General Fighting Style: Joaquín can be said to have three distinct fighting styles, as his physical form, weapon, and abilities vary depending on what release state he is in. In other words, he fights differently depending whether he is in a sealed state, Resurrección, or Segunda Etapa. Overall, however, his general approach to battle can be summarized by the phrase "the best defense is a good offense."
First, there is his style of fighting while in a sealed state. Depending on the strength of his opponent, he will rely on either Hakuda or his sword. Joaquín prefers to fight weaker opponents without drawing his blade, while for more powerful foes, he will draw and use the weapon due to its longer reach and higher destructive potential. As such, he is more of a medium to close range fighter while sealed. However, if facing a ranged fighter, he does still have Bala and Cero to compensate for this, though he prefers not to use these unless absolutely necessary, as they require more energy than simply striking with his limbs or sword. When necessary, he can use Sonído to rapidly close in on an opponent, forcing more of a close range fight if the foe is slower than him. As in all release states, he is a very offense-based fighter, choosing to go all-out from the beginning of the fight and relentlessly attacking until either he becomes exhausted or his enemy has been dispatched.
Second, there is Joaquín's style of fighting while he is in Resurrección. In this first stage of Zanpakuto release, he gains access to a wide range of abilities as well as more bodily appendages that can be useful in battle. In this form, not only does his weapon increase in size, granting him much more reach and a wider variety of possible uses, but he gains long tentacles which can reach far beyond his body. These tentacles all end in hardened, blade-like appendages which can be used to strike the opponent as well as block Hakuda or sword attacks. The tentacles themselves are protected by Hierro and can be used for the same purpose, as well as for grabbing or otherwise restraining foes. Finally, he gains access to more abilities, allowing him much greater range when in this released state. As such, Joaquín's fighting style in Resurrección is varied depending on what is necessary for the situation. Against melee-oriented foes or medium-range fighters, he will rely on his sword and tentacles, occasionally turning to Cero and Bala when necessary. Against ranged opponents, he will turn to the abilities gained by releasing his Zanpakuto, as well as Cero and Bala. Of course, there is also Sonído to close the distance between himself and his opponent when necessary. As always, his fighting style is entirely based on offense and dispatching the foe as quickly as possible.
Finally, we come to Joaquín's style of fighting in Segunda Etapa. As with all Arrancar who have achieved this advanced release, his speed, power, and the range of his attacks dramatically increase in this form, opening up even more possibilities for battle strategies. As his physical sword disappears in this form, using it is no longer an option. Instead, he chooses to rely mainly on the abilities granted by his Zanpakuto release, as well as Cero-based techniques. For the most part, Joaquín becomes more of a ranged fighter in his second release state. However, he is entirely capable of turning to Hakuda when necessary. In addition, the numerous tentacles he gains in this form behave similarly to those he gains in his first release state, though they can extend as far as 30 feet, allowing for greater reach. His Sonído is also useful in such situations. Therefore, it can be said that his fighting style is very adaptable in this state, though there is now a marked preference for ranged attacks. As always, his style of doing battle is entirely offense based, with the objective of dispatching the foe before they are able to land a hit, as his defenses are nowhere near his offensive capabilities.
Strengths:
1) Zanjutsu
2) Sonído (Speed)
3) Cero/Bala
4) Hakuda
Weaknesses:
1) Hierro
2) High-Speed Regeneration
3) Stamina
4) Taking Hits
Ability Name: Venganza del Mar
Ability Description: Joaquín's original form as a Hollow was that of a jellyfish, and this personal ability serves as a reminder of that, as well as a helpful tool in combat. It allows him to produce tentacle-like whips of burgundy Reiatsu that can be used to strike the foe. This whip is generated from his hands, meaning a maximum of 2 can be used at any one time. These whips measure 2 inches in diameter, tapering off to a point at their ends, and start at 10 feet in length, though they can extend toward foes further away. The whips lash out at the speed of a Bala, and upon contact, cause Bala-equivalent damage, along with a lasting sensation similar to that of a jellyfish sting. They remain in existence for 2 posts before dissipating, and have a 2 post cool down before they can be generated again.
Ability Name: Las Cuchillas
Ability Description: This ability allows Joaquín to produce triangular, blade-like projectiles 2 feet in length and around 8 inches wide with his Reiatsu and then fire them toward the opponent. Under normal circumstances, these travel at 75% the speed of a Bala and cause damage equivalent to a Hado in the mid-50's range, such as Haien. They can be fired one at a time and require a 2 post cool down between uses. However, Joaquín has developed two variations on this ability for other situations.
1) Los Dedos: In this variation on his Las Cuchillas ability, Joaquín is able to create several small triangular projectiles of burgundy Reiatsu rather than one large one. One forms on each finger except for the thumb, meaning that a maximum of 8 can be formed at any one time. Each of these measures 3 inches in length and 1 in diameter, tapering off toward the pointed tip. When fired at the opponent, each projectile travels at Bala-equivalent speed. They cause damage in the form of puncture wounds, and this damage is equivalent to that caused by Hado #4: Byakurai. This variation requires a 2-post cool down between uses if 4 or fewer projectiles were created and a 3-post cool down if 5 or more were used.
2) Las Tijeras: In this variation, Joaquín creates the projectile of burgundy Reiatsu as he normally would, but then divides it into two curved, crescent-shaped blades, each 3 feet in length and an average of 2 inches wide. These blades also have looped "handles," and when they are held together, appear vaguely similar to a pair of scissors. Rather than firing these toward the opponent, Joaquín can fight with them in lieu of his Zanpakuto. Strikes with these blades cause the same damage and effects a standard sword strike from him would cause. These can be maintained for a total of 3 posts and require another 3 posts of cool down before they can be used again.
ZANPAKUTO & CERO
Sealed Appearance: Like the overwhelming majority of the Zanpakuto wielded by Shinigami, Vizards, and Arrancar alike, El Triste takes the shape of a katana while in its sealed state. This weapon fits the usual dimensions of a Japanese sword, but with some minor differences. The overall length of the weapon, from the pommel to the tip of its blade, is 4 feet and 8 inches. The tsuka, or hilt, of the sword makes up 8 inches of this length, while the blade is exactly 4 feet long. The tsuka is constructed of what appears to be bamboo wood as in any katana, and is painted black. For better grip, the wooden hilt is wrapped in dark blue cloth, visible only through the small, diamond-shaped gaps in the cloth wrapping. This part of the Zanpakuto is exactly 2 inches in width and can be gripped with either one or both hands. The pommel of the weapon is made of black spiritual steel, and is engraved with an intricate design. Even Joaquín is not entirely certain what this engraving depicts, but it appears to show a sun rising over rolling hills or maybe sand dunes. Next, there is the tsuba, or cross-guard. On the sealed form of El Triste, this piece is made from black spiritual steel and takes the general shape of an equilateral hexagon. There are four evenly spaced notches in it, each one taking the shape of a triangle without a point. This also means that two arrow-shaped protrusions are formed at the top and bottom points of the hexagon. Finally, there are two crescent-shaped holes, one in each side, of the tsuba, each interrupted by a small triangular protrusion. The blade is very similar to that of a standard katana, being 4 feet in length, an inch and a half in width, and 1/8th of an inch thick, tapering off to a razor-sharp cutting edge. Interestingly, this spiritual steel blade is a dark blue color, fading to charcoal gray at its edges. When not in use, El Triste is kept in a dark blue sheath made of painted bamboo wood.
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Zanpakuto Name: El Triste
Zanpakuto Call Out: ”Drown them in tears, El Triste.”
Cero:
1) Bala: A standard Bala. Joaquín's is of a burgundy color, just like his Reiatsu.
2) Cero: A standard Cero. Joaquín's is burgundy in color.
3) Gran Rey Cero: A standard Gran Rey Cero. For Joaquín, this Cero variant takes on a bright, lime-green color.
4) Cero Oscuras: A standard Cero Oscuras, usable in Segunda Etapa state only. For Joaquín, this type of Cero is pitch-black, though it is surrounded by a burgundy afterglow-like outline around its edges.
5) Gran Rey Oscuras: This is the true ultimate Cero, the pinnacle of power when it comes to the use of this Hollow technique. It is, in essence, a combination of the two most powerful types of Cero available to any Arrancar. By cutting his hand and mixing his blood with a Cero Oscuras while in Segunda Etapa form, Joaquín can produce a strange, pure black Cero more powerful even than a Cero Oscuras. Its speed is equivalent to that of a standard Cero Oscuras, however. Its damage is equivalent to that of a Hado in the low to mid 90's. Of course, this means the technique is also extremely taxing to use. Accordingly, it may only be used once per thread. In addition, its use will drain Joaquín to the point that he will be unable to remain in Segunda Etapa state, forcing him to revert into either normal Resurrección (if he has been fighting for fewer than 5 posts up to that point) or his sealed state (if combat has lasted 5 or more posts) for the remainder of the thread. Along these lines, if combat has continued for 9 or more posts, he will not have enough energy to use this technique at all. Joaquín can teach other characters this technique, provided they are capable of using Segunda Etapa.
6) Cero de la Cuchilla: This Cero variant allows Joaquín to wrap his Cero around the blade of his Zanpakuto to enhance the power of his sword strikes. It can only be used with standard Cero, and not with anything more powerful. While this technique is active, a sword slash with Joaquín's Zanpakuto will cause the same amount of damage as a hit with a Cero. This can be maintained either for 2 posts, until Joaquín strikes the opponent, or until he has parried 3 sword strikes with his Zanpakuto. In any of these scenarios, the Cero will detonate as it normally would. Also, the Cero can be fired from the blade of the sword, in which case it will behave mechanically as a standard Cero. 3 post cool down.
RESURRECCIÓN
Appearance: In Resurrección state, Joaquín's appearance changes significantly. First, there is the most basic change: his clothing. The upper part of his uniform disappears entirely, fully exposing his upper body. The only part of the original uniform that remains is the white hakama, which is not altered in any way. The black socks and silver sandals disappear as well, leaving Joaquín barefoot.
The main changes to the Quinto Espada are to his body itself. His height increases slightly to 6 feet and 9 inches, and his muscle mass and definition both increase significantly, raising his weight to 275 pounds in this form. Veins now bulge outward all across his body, and all of his muscles are clearly defined and visible. The relatively unimposing Joaquín, in other words, becomes quite the intimidating figure in his released form. Besides the slight increase in size, the Quinto Espada's skin color changes, from a "normal" light brown to a pale, almost sickly ash-gray. Joaquín's hair changes drastically, darkening from brown to black but turning bright red at its tips, growing to shoulder length. He also gains tentacles, 10 of the appendages in total. 4 are attached to his right side at the waist, 4 in a similar configuration on the left side of his body, and one at each shoulder. These tentacles are a light purple in color, similar to those of a poisonous jellyfish. Each tentacle near the waist is 5 inches in diameter at its base, tapering off to 2 inches near its tip, and measures 10 feet in length. The two tentacles at his shoulders measure 15 feet in length but have the same diameter as those at his waist. The tip of each tentacle consists of a sharpened blade-like appendage made of hard, white material similar to that of a Hollow's mask but far more durable. Each of these is roughly diamond-shaped, a foot in length, and 5 inches across at its widest.
Significant changes to the Espada's face and weapon can also be seen. His Estigma remains unchanged, but everything else becomes radically different. Most notably, Joaquín's eyes increase in number from 2 to 6, with three eyes on each side of his face. The sclera, or "white" of his eyes becomes crimson in color, while the irises turn white and the pupils yellow. The upper right part of his forehead becomes marred by a jagged, crimson blotch. Finally, his number tattoo, a black number 5, relocates from just above his right eyebrow to the very center of his forehead, and increases in size to cover most of that part of his face. Unlike most Arrancar, Joaquín retains his sword in Resurrección state. The weapon, however, is quite changed. Though the tsuba and tsuka remain the same, the blade becomes almost unrecognizable, lengthening to 6 feet. The characteristic slight bend of a katana blade disappears, leaving the blade perfectly straight. It also changes color from dark blue and charcoal gray to a sinister red-gray similar to that of hot metal. Three new blades now branch off of the main one, two protruding from the inner edge and one from the cutting edge. The two on the inner edge are 8 inches and 1 foot in length, respectively, while the blade branching off from the cutting edge is 5 inches long. These "branches" are of the same length and thickness as the main blade. All parts of the sword are covered in evenly-spaced designs in the shape of eyes, as well as purple markings that appear suspiciously similar to veins.
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Abilities: The overall theme of Joaquín's Resurrección is the production and use of as much overwhelming destructive force as possible. This is done via the creation of powerful, blade-like Reiatsu-based projectiles.
1) Balístico: This ability involves the use of the aforementioned projectiles, which can be fired at the opponent. They can be fired either from his left hand or the blade of his weapon. These can be fired in bursts of 50 projectiles at a time. When fired, they travel in scattered swarms similar to shot from a shotgun at 90% Bala speed. A hit with 10 or fewer causes Bala-equivalent damage, while being struck with more than 10 but fewer than 45 causes Cero damage, and 45 or more will result in Gran Rey Cero damage. As such, this ability requires a 5 post cool down between uses.
2) La Cruz -- Primera: This technique allows Joaquín to generate a single burgundy-colored Reiatsu weapon. This weapon takes the form of a medieval European broadsword. It measures a total of 5 feet in length, with a "hilt" a foot long and a "blade" 4 feet in length and 3 inches wide at its base, slowly tapering off towards its point. This sword can be used for combat and while in Joaquín's hands, functions as a normal sword. It can also be thrown or fired at the enemy, in which case it will travel at Bala speed and inflict Bala-equivalent damage. This sword can be maintained for 4 posts at a time, after which it will dissipate and a cool down of 1 post will be required.
RESURRECIÓN SEGUNDA
Appearance: Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, the final and most powerful form of Zanpakuto release available to an Arrancar. As any Arrancar release would, this form results in a massive change to Joaquín's appearance. In fact, the only thing left unaltered is the position of his Hollow hole, which remains the same in both of his releases. Upon releasing his Segunda Etapa, Joaquín grows to 7 feet in height, but actually loses muscle mass and definition, dropping to 240 pounds. In this form, both his number tattoo and Estigma completely disappear. The material that previously made up the mask fragment moves to his head, becoming two downward-pointing, helix-shaped, black horns. Each horn is 7 inches long and an inch in diameter at its base. Halfway along each horn, there is a 5 inch long, jagged blade-like appendage, also black in color and pointing upward. Joaquín's hair becomes slightly shorter, now ending just above his shoulders, but remains black as in normal Resurrección state. His skin becomes a dark charcoal gray, and his eyes change to fully burgundy in color with no pupils or irises visible. Joaquín's entire body becomes covered in what outwardly appears to be a suit of armor made of thousands of overlapping strips and plates of black metal. This "armor" is in fact a part of his body, protected by Hierro and fused to his tissues. There is now no trace at all of his sealed state uniform. At his hands, these strips of black material fuse with his body to become cruel, sharp claws. Around Joaquín's waist, they form a total of 100 black tentacles of varying sizes. Each tentacle is tipped with a roughly triangular blade, glowing burgundy with Joaquín's Reiatsu. Similar tentacles extend from the armor plates at his shoulders, with 25 on each side for a total of 50.
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Abilities: In Segunda Etapa, Joaquín retains the ability to fire his projectile bursts from normal Resurrección. However, the ability becomes slightly more powerful, and he also gains the ability to use other techniques based on this overall ability. These are described in detail below.
1) Balístico Última: This is the Segunda Etapa version of Joaquín's "Balístico" technique from normal Resurrección. In this form, the projectiles remain the same size as before. However, bursts now consist of 100 of these, and they now travel at 120% the speed of a Bala. Damage calculations function the same as in normal Resurrección, however. A hit with 1-10 projectiles causes Bala damage, while 10-45 projectiles cause Cero damage, and 45-60 projectiles striking at once will cause Gran Rey Cero damage. Now, there are added damage categories: 60-85 projectiles will cause damage equivalent to a mid to high 70's level Hado, such as Soren Soukatsui, and 85-100 projectiles will result in Cero Oscuras-equivalent damage. Because of this technique's speed and power, it requires a cool down of 7 posts following its use.
2) La Cruz -- Segunda: This ability is a mildly enhanced version of Joaquín's La Cruz ability from normal Resurrección. As before, he can generate burgundy-colored Reiatsu weapons in the shape of medieval European broadswords. Their measurements are the same as in normal Resurrección. However, in this form, he can generate two at any given time instead of just one. While in his hands, they function as normal swords. However, they can also be thrown or fired at the opponent, in which case they travel at 1.5 times Cero speed and cause Cero-equivalent damage. Swords used for normal combat can be maintained for 4 posts at a time. In any case, once both swords have dissipated, this technique has a 2-post cool down time.
3) Anillo de Cuchillas: This is Joaquín's favorite (and arguably most useful) Segunda Etapa technique. When active, it creates a 20-foot-wide ring of burgundy-colored Reiatsu weapons in the shape of standard medieval European broadswords around Joaquín. Each sword has an overall length of 5 feet, with the "hilt" measuring a foot in length and the "blade" measuring 4 feet long and 3 inches wide at its base, tapering off toward the point. This ring consists of two layers, one on top of the other. The upper layer slowly rotates clockwise while the lower layer rotates counterclockwise at the same speed. Each layer contains 100 swords, for a grand total of 200 weapons. While in place, the ring has a passive defensive strength equal to that of Bakudo #81: Danku. This makes it the only ability across any of Joaquín's releases with any defensive applications. This being said, there are gaps of 8 inches between each sword, and a fast opponent can strike through these. Joaquín can manipulate these Reiatsu swords in any way he wishes, with the restriction that he can only control 3 weapons at any given time. Mainly, this means firing them at the opponent. When fired, each sword travels at 5 times Cero speed and inflicts Cero-equivalent damage. He can also grab one of these swords and use them to fight, should an opponent breach the ring, in which case they behave as normal swords. Swords fired or used cannot be replaced, widening the gaps in the ring. The ring itself remains active for 3 posts, after which it dissipates and requires a 10-post cool down.
BACK-DROP
History: Late in the night of February 13th of the year 1190 AD, the being now known as Joaquín Velázquez was born. He was born in the place now known as the city of Toledo, Spain. At the time of his birth, however, Spain did not exist, and the small nation he was born in was called the Kingdom of Castille. Medieval Europe was an extremely harsh place to live, and this was especially true in this particular part of the continent. In addition to the usual difficulties seen at the time, namely rampant disease and poverty, extreme inequality, oppression, lack of proper medicine, and widespread food insecurity, this part of Europe was in a perpetual state of conflict. This was the time period known as the Reconquista, during which Catholic kingdoms such as the one Joaquín was born in were conducting military operations to push the Muslim occupiers known as Moors out of what would later become Spain. Such was the world into which young Joaquín was born.
Joaquín did have some luck when it came to the circumstances of his birth, however. He was born into a mid-rank noble family, granting him access to sufficient food as well as health care that was, for the time, quite advanced. At the very least, he would be free from the concerns of the vast majority of people living in medieval Europe, and he would certainly not be doomed to the life of a peasant. Despite this, there was one drawback to being born male in a noble or high-class family during a time of conflict, and this was that all men born into such circumstances often become knights and must go to the battlefield to fight in the name of their King. This would be Joaquín’s destiny as well, for well-trained warriors were much needed by the kingdom’s military forces at the time. Thus, from nearly the time he was old enough to walk and speak, the young nobleman was training to become a warrior, practicing with wooden swords and exercising his body.
Living in the city of Toledo, which was only a few miles from the border between the Kingdom of Castille and the Muslim-controlled lands, Joaquín was exposed to the conflict raging around him from a very early age. He watched, day after day, as armor-clad knights and soldiers rode out from the city, and watched again as they returned, fewer in number, some beaten, bloodied, and even missing limbs. And of course, he saw the dead being carried behind the lines of warriors, armor caked with dried blood and with deep gashes and punctures in their bodies, some even missing their heads.
There was much more for Joaquín to learn than swordsmanship and physical exercise, however. The young man was not being trained to be a common foot soldier, but a knight. As such, he would need to be taught the rules of chivalry, the honor code followed by European knights. He was also raised to be a devout Roman Catholic, a religion he would follow until his death. As he grew older, Joaquín would have lessons in riding on horseback, as well as fighting from such a position. Though he had spent much time training in the use of the standard medieval European broadsword, the young knight-in-training also received instruction in the use of a spear, as well as archery. It would soon become clear that of all these weapons, the sword was the one he was most skilled with. As he grew older and stronger, Joaquín added another element to his training: fighting in the heavy plate armor he would be wearing on the battlefield. This proved quite difficult and tiring, but he eventually adapted, becoming even stronger.
After many years of training, both in the use of weapons and his knowledge of the laws of chivalry and his religion, Joaquín finally reached his fifteenth birthday. In medieval times, where life expectancy was quite short, this was the age at which one was considered a man. He had grown quite tall and strong, reaching a height of 6 feet and 3 inches, and weighing in at 200 pounds of pure muscle, very imposing for a time when malnutrition prevented most people from even reaching 6 feet. Thus, Joaquín received his first sword, set of armor, and the title of “knight” on that day. From now on, when the armies of the kingdom rode out to battle, he would be accompanying them, risking his life to reclaim what he believed to be the rightful lands of the kingdom in the name of God and the King.
As it happened, only two days passed before the army was mustered and ordered to move out on a mission past the kingdom’s southern frontier and into the lands of the enemy. It was the spring of 1205, and Joaquín had been ordered to join the kingdom’s forces in the upcoming campaign. A very nervous Joaquín readied his sword and armor, and joined the lines of knights and soldiers as they departed the city and set a course to the south. The young knight had been trained well, but no training could prepare him, or anyone, for the reality of war. The sensation of his blade sinking into the flesh and blood of a living human being was something he could never forget. Still, this was the will of the King, and more importantly, as he thought, the will of God. Countless times that day, his heavy sword flashed down, reflecting the light of the midday sun as it crushed and sliced the tissues of one enemy soldier after another. Warm blood flowed over his hands and splashed up onto his armor. This would be Joaquín’s reality for the remainder of his life.
Year after year, and battle after battle, went by. Somehow, Joaquín was incredibly lucky through all of these. Not only did he manage to stay alive through countless battles, but he avoided any serious injury, experiencing only one moderate sword wound across his left shoulder, which healed without incident. At the time, the knight attributed this luck to God and his prayers before and after each battle. Even so, for one reason or another, everyone’s luck runs out eventually, and this was what would happen to Joaquín. This would occur in the winter of 1222, when the now very well-respected knight reached the age of 32. Against all odds, he had survived over three decades in medieval Europe, avoiding both death in battle and death by disease. In the time since his first battle, he had also gotten married and had two children of his own, one son and one daughter. Life was going very well for him, especially considering that he was a thirteenth-century knight.
In late November of 1222, the King of Castille mustered a massive army, larger than any Joaquín had previously been a part of. The rumor was that it would number over 30,000 men. This turned out to be true, and Joaquín was to be just one small part of this gigantic host. The force set out from the gates of Toledo on a cool winter morning, making their way to the south as usual. A day later, they would pass the southern frontier of the kingdom and enter the lands of the Muslim caliphate. The goal of this invasion was to push all the way to the city of Seville, but they would never even make it halfway there. An enemy spy had learned of this plan long ago, and now a force of 70,000 enemy knights and soldiers waited in ambush. They sprang their trap just four days after Joaquín had set out with the army, and the entire host was forced into a full retreat, as they simply could not win.
As it happened, Joaquín was part of the group assigned to guard the retreat, meaning he would have to do battle with the full strength of the enemy forces until given the signal to retreat as well. The small rear guard charged into the enemy host, desperately trying to stem the tide of enemy troops just long enough for his countrymen to make it to safety. Joaquín’s blade rose and fell, and one enemy after another fell to the dirt, never to rise again. And then… something went wrong. Out of his peripheral vision, the knight noticed a flash of steel. A harsh cry in Arabic sounded as something slammed into Joaquín’s chest just below his neck, knocking the wind out of him and striking him off of his horse. A metallic taste crept up into his mouth, and a warm, wet sensation began to spread across his body. Moving his hand to his chest as he gasped for breath, he felt a deep gash in his armor. When he rose his gloved hand to his face, the knight was shocked to find it completely covered in his own blood. He barely had time to think ”It must be by time to meet the Lord,” before everything went black.
The next time the knight opened his eyes, he was laying upon a bed in his own home. His armor had been removed, leaving only the blue cloth tunic beneath it, which was of course almost completely saturated with blood. For at least four days, he had been dead to the world. By now, it was obvious what had happened. An enemy knight had caught him unaware and slashed him across the chest with his scimitar. Now, he would have to recover from the severe wound. Unfortunately for Joaquín, the blade that had cut him was not quite clean at the time. On his third day of being bedridden, the family’s physician noticed pus bubbling from the gash and dark red streaks spreading from the wound. Even in thirteenth-century Europe, doctors knew that this meant a patient’s demise was near. Over the next few days, Joaquín slipped deeper into fever and delirium. By the fifth day, he was barely aware of his surroundings. As he slept that night, the gravely wounded knight’s heart ceased beating.
When Joaquín next awoke, he was immediately aware of a burning pain in the center of his chest. Was it his wound? He put his hand to his chest to find the wound completely gone… but replaced by something else. A metal chain was fixed tightly to his chest, leading away from him. Following it with his eyes, he saw that it led to… his body? There was no mistaking it. The body upon the bed was his own. He could see his grieving family gathered around the bed, and could clearly hear the priest that had been summoned giving him his last rights. ”What is this…? Should I not be on my way to Heaven by now?” wondered Joaquín. For the next several days, he remained near his body, even attending his own funeral and watching as his body was buried. It was now below the surface of the earth and yet, he remained in the world still. Day by day, the now dead knight lost faith as he wandered. He slowly but surely began to come to the realization that everything he had been taught about his religion was false. A new thought started to dominate his mind: ”Nothing really matters.”
Joaquín soon became aware of a much more pressing problem: the chain attached to his chest was becoming shorter by the day. He had no way of knowing what would happen when it reached its end, but he had an overwhelming feeling that it was not anything good. He also noticed that the more he reflected on how meaningless everything was, how completely devoid of purpose, how empty the world was, the faster his chain destroyed itself. So it was that after several days, the chain had but three links remaining. All of a sudden, these links began destroying themselves at a faster rate than Joaquín had ever seen. A searing, all-consuming pain shot through his chest, radiating throughout his entire body. Gasping, he fell to his knees as white material began to pour from every opening on his face: his mouth, nose, eyes, and even ears. It hardened around his chest, forming a sort of mask as a hole opened in his chest and his human form dissolved away, beginning to restructure itself as Joaquín lost consciousness.
When he awoke, Joaquín’s body had taken a form similar to that of a gigantic jellyfish with many tentacles and a gaping hole in the center of its body. Now, he was not the well-respected knight he had been for the past three decades. In fact, he had no recollection or knowledge of any of this. The only things he could feel were a horrific pain in what used to be his chest, and a terrible, all-consuming hunger. ”Eat,” was the only thought his mind was capable of processing. Joaquín had become a Hollow, and now needed to consume the souls of others to survive. This being medieval Europe, death was all around, and the Hollow had no difficulty finding unfortunate recently-dead humans to prey upon. He ate hundreds, maybe even thousands of these humans, but the burning hunger and desire to consume more could not be alleviated. For the next century, he roamed the countryside, coming to large cities or the scenes of battles to feast upon human souls.
One day, something strange happened when Joaquín was hunting. As he wrapped one of his tentacles around a human and dragged the screaming spirit toward his mouth, another man appeared, wearing a strange black robe and carrying something that appeared to be a sword but took a form he had never seen before. The man slashed away at least half of the tentacle holding the human freeing him from Joaquín’s grasp. For just a moment, the pain from the sword wound surpassed the pain of his eternal hunger. Then, the tissues of the wounded tentacle began to bubble, quickly regenerating. The black-clad figure lifted its sword and leapt at Joaquín, who responded by slamming multiple tentacles into his enemy’s body, knocking him back. This new enemy, Joaquín would learn, was a Shinigami. Unfortunately for him, he was not a particularly powerful one, and Joaquín eventually defeated and consumed him. To his amazement, his hunger was momentarily satiated, though it would soon return. From that day forward, the Hollow would develop a taste for Shinigami.
Over the years, Joaquín consumed more souls, both human and Shinigami, steadily gaining power. Soon, he mastered his abilities and began to gain new ones, learning to use an attack that he would later learn went by the name of Cero. Shortly afterwards, he learned to travel between the world he had always known and another world, which he came to discover was called Hueco Mundo. Here, there was perpetual night with a crescent moon always in the sky. The gigantic form of the palace of Las Noches filled the horizon, and billions of Hollows like him called that world home. Now that he was powerful enough, Joaquín spent most of his time in the white deserts of Hueco Mundo, constantly fighting, killing, and eating other Hollows in an attempt to end the terrible, constant hunger. One day, after countless years of consuming other Hollows, something strange happened to Joaquín. In a massive burst of burgundy Reiatsu, his body increased in size massively, reaching nearly a kilometer in height. Huge and clad in black robes, Joaquín had become a Gillian, sometimes also known as a Menos Grande.
From here, the Hollow eventually found his way to the underground Forest of Menos, filled with millions of lesser Hollows, but also with Gillian like him. In time, Joaquín would come to learn that something even stronger lurked here: more evolved Hollows by the name of Adjuchas. Joaquín made an effort to avoid these, realizing they were too fast and strong for him to take on. He consumed lesser Hollows by the hundreds each day, as well as one or two other Gillian if he could. He quickly came to realize that for some reason, most fellow Gillian seemed to have no consciousness or individuality, and all of their masks appeared the same. While he could never figure out why this was, Joaquín was quite disturbed by it and resolved never to let one of these defeat him.
Uncounted time in the dark Forest of Menos passed. Had it been years? Decades? Centuries? Joaquín could not possibly know. All he knew was that it was a constant struggle for survival, never ending, only becoming more difficult by the day. One day, after finishing a grueling fight against a group of several Gillian and consuming the bodies of the defeated, Joaquín felt another change coming about him. This time, his body shrank, returning to the jellyfish-like form he had known before. But for some reason, the Hollow felt far stronger. Finally, he had evolved into an Adjuchas. After so many years fighting for his survival in the underground forest, Joaquín finally returned to the surface, laying eyes on the endless white sands of Hueco Mundo for the first time in centuries. Now began the truly challenging phase of the Hollow’s existence.
For years, Joaquín roamed the white desert alone, fighting, defeating, and consuming what must have been thousands of other Hollows. These were mainly lesser Hollows, though every now and then, an unfortunate Gillian became his prey as well. After some time, Joaquín came upon a Hollow stronger than any he had encountered before. The two did battle for hours on end, neither one able to find any advantage over the other. After what seemed like an eternity, the other Hollow finally made a mistake it its exhaustion, allowing Joaquín to immobilize it with his tentacles before ending its life with a burgundy Cero and of course consuming it. This, as it would happen, was a fellow Adjuchas.
As he finished eating the dead Hollow, a group of eight similarly-sized Hollows appeared over the edge of a nearby dune. Joaquín knew that he had no chance against these new potential foes, as they were all Adjuchas as well. Fortunately for him, however, they had been observing his fight from a distance and wished for him to join their group. Figuring there would be safety in numbers, and not having a real choice anyways, Joaquín accepted the offer.
For the next several centuries, the nine Adjuchas traveled together across the desert of Hueco Mundo, hunting and consuming Hollows and building their power. It was from these other Hollows that Joaquín finally learned about the workings of the spiritual world, of Shinigami and Reiatsu, and Cero, and so much more. He learned of the evolution stages of Hollows, including legendary beings called Arrancar, those who had broken their masks and survived, becoming something that transcended Shinigami and Hollow. He also learned the frightening reality of regression, and what would happen if he ceased consuming other Hollows or became severely injured in combat. Only then did the true gravity of Joaquín’s situation finally begin to sink in.
Uncounted centuries passed. One by one, the group of Hollows decreased in number, slowly being killed and consumed after being defeated in battles. Eventually, the group effectively ceased to exist, consisting of Joaquín and one other Hollow. As it would happen, only a couple of weeks later, the two Adjuchas strayed too near Las Noches and came upon an Arrancar. Unfortunately for them, this was a rather weak Arrancar, meaning that he was on the hunt. Drawing his Zanpakuto, the Arrancar attacked. For hours, the two Adjuchas fought, but despite their combined efforts, both were wounded again and again. Still, however, the Arrancar eventually became worn down. Unable to use Resurrección yet, the being had nothing to fall back on, and the two Adjuchas finally overpowered him.
The other Hollow suddenly lunged forward, intending to consume the dead Arrancar. A ravenously hungry Joaquín, however, was not having it. Using Sonído, he struck the other Adjuchas with all his might, knocking the Hollow away from what he saw as his prey. The other Adjuchas began charging a dark orange Cero, making it clear that a battle was about to commence. Tired though he was, Joaquín narrowly won, consuming the body of what had been the last remaining member of his group. Then, he turned to the real treat, which was of course the body of the dead Arrancar. Upon eating this, he felt a massive surge of power rush through him like nothing he had ever experienced. His body began to restructure itself, the jellyfish-like form narrowing into a humanoid torso, tentacles knitting together into arms and legs. Joaquín had reached the pinnacle of Hollow evolution and become a Vasto Lorde, the strongest possible class of Hollow. In doing so, he had regained a semi-humanoid form, though tentacles still sprouted from his back, reminding him of his past as a weaker Hollow.
”My hunger… it’s gone,” Joaquín realized upon the completion of his transformation. He recalled something a member of his old group had said: upon becoming a Vasto Lorde, one no longer had to consume more souls to prevent regression into a weaker state. However, doing so could still allow him to gain power. Every so often, he would come across other Hollows, which would of course attack him, and he would consume them after their death, viewing it as a waste to just leave them where they lay. For the most part, however, he did not hunt or consume other Hollows. For decades, the Vasto Lorde wandered the burning white sands alone. Day after day, he was left with only thoughts of the absolute pointlessness and uselessness of everything. The universe was empty, and nothing mattered as far as Joaquín was concerned. Slowly, any last remnants of his emotions faded away.
Finally, Joaquín had grown tired of his own existence. It now seemed, to him, entirely pointless. As the futility of continued life sank in, the Hollow made up his mind that the only escape from this situation was his own death. Realizing that finding an enemy who could kill him would be difficult at this point, Joaquín resolved to end his own life. He remembered that most Hollows died when their mask was destroyed, so he put both hands to his face, grabbed onto the white, hard mask as hard as he could, and pulled with all his might.
With a scream and a mighty tug, Joaquín heard a great cracking and shattering, and felt something come free. Pain shot through his face, down his spine, and across his entire body. ”Surely, this must be the end,” Joaquín thought. However, he was incorrect. Instead, another surge of energy rushed through him, and his body transformed yet again, becoming even more humanoid than it already was. When he regained his senses, Joaquín noticed that most of his mask was gone, save for a small fragment covering the bottom part of his face. Looking down, he could see that he was clad in white robes, and that a sheathed katana sword now rested at his side. He drew out the weapon and looked it over, noting that it had a strange, blue and grey blade. Instead of dying, Joaquín had turned himself into an Arrancar.
After some time, Joaquín found his way to Las Noches, where he entered the service of the Cero King. At the time, he had quite high Reiatsu, but was rather inexperienced in combat as an Arrancar, so while he could have become an Espada based on strength alone, he was designated as a Números and assigned the number 83. From then on, the Arrancar resolved to spend all of his free time training until he had mastered the combat techniques of an Arrancar. For two centuries, Joaquín trained. He mastered Resurrección, Cero, Bala, Sonído, and other necessary combat techniques. After 150 more years, the Arrancar learned to use Segunda Etapa as well. With his sharply honed skills, Joaquín returned to the halls of the Espada, where he was finally admitted among their ranks. Now, Joaquín is the Quinto Espada, or number 5. After centuries of constant struggle for survival, the Arrancar is ready to begin a new chapter of his existence.
Side Notes: I'm aware that characters usually aren't given the tiering for the position I'm applying for right off the bat. However, I did speak to Ika and other staff about this beforehand and got the green light to attempt it.
Roleplay Sample: It's me 
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