Minyak Bumi

Minyak bumi (bahasa Inggris: petroleum, dari bahasa Latin petrus – karang dan oleum – minyak), dijuluki juga sebagai emas hitam, adalah cairan kental, coklat gelap, atau kehijauan yang mudah terbakar, yang berada di lapisan atas dari beberapa area di kerak Bumi. Minyak bumi terdiri dari campuran kompleks dari berbagai hidrokarbon, sebagian besar seri alkana, tetapi bervariasi dalam penampilan, komposisi, dan kemurniannya.

Gempa Bumi

Gempa bumi adalah getaran atau guncangan yang terjadi di permukaan bumi. Gempa bumi biasa disebabkan oleh pergerakan kerak bumi (lempeng bumi). Kata gempa bumi juga digunakan untuk menunjukkan daerah asal terjadinya kejadian gempa bumi tersebut. Bumi kita walaupun padat, selalu bergerak, dan gempa bumi terjadi apabila tekanan yang terjadi karena pergerakan itu sudah terlalu besar untuk dapat ditahan.

Tanah longsor

Longsor atau sering disebut gerakan tanah adalah suatu peristiwa geologi yang terjadi karena pergerakan masa batuan atau tanah dengan berbagai tipe dan jenis seperti jatuhnya bebatuan atau gumpalan besar tanah. Secara umum kejadian longsor disebabkan oleh dua faktor yaitu faktor pendorong dan faktor pemicu. Faktor pendorong adalah faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kondisi material sendiri, sedangkan faktor pemicu adalah faktor yang menyebabkan bergeraknya material tersebut. Meskipun penyebab utama kejadian ini adalah gravitasi yang mempengaruhi suatu lereng yang curam, namun ada pula faktor-faktor lainnya yang turut berpengaruh:

• erosi yang disebabkan sungai-sungai atau gelombang laut yang menciptakan lereng-lereng yang terlalu curam
• lereng dari bebatuan dan tanah diperlemah melalui saturasi yang diakibatkan hujan lebat
• gempa bumi menyebabkan tekanan yang mengakibatkan longsornya lereng-lereng yang lemah
• gunung berapi menciptakan simpanan debu yang lengang, hujan lebat dan aliran debu-debu
• getaran dari mesin, lalu lintas, penggunaan bahan-bahan peledak, dan bahkan petir
• berat yang terlalu berlebihan, misalnya dari berkumpulnya hujan atau salju

Pencemaran Udara

Pencemaran udara adalah kehadiran satu atau lebih substansi fisik, kimia, atau biologi di atmosfer dalam jumlah yang dapat membahayakan kesehatan manusia, hewan, dan tumbuhan, mengganggu estetika dan kenyamanan, atau merusak properti.

Pencemaran udara dapat ditimbulkan oleh sumber-sumber alami maupun kegiatan manusia. Beberapa definisi gangguan fisik seperti polusi suara, panas, radiasi atau polusi cahaya dianggap sebagai polusi udara. Sifat alami udara mengakibatkan dampak pencemaran udara dapat bersifat langsung dan lokal, regional, maupun global.

Global Warming

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. According to the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the 20th century. Most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century has been caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, which result from human activity such as the burning of fossil fuel and deforestation. Global dimming, a result of increasing concentrations of atmospheric aerosols that block sunlight from reaching the surface, has partially countered the effects of warming induced by greenhouse gases.

Climate model projections summarized in the latest IPCC report indicate that the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) during the 21st century. The uncertainty in this estimate arises from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations and the use of differing estimates of future greenhouse gas emissions. An increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts. Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects include changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, species extinctions, and changes in agricultural yields. Warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe, though the nature of these regional variations is uncertain. As a result of contemporary increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, the oceans have become more acidic, a result that is predicted to continue.

The scientific consensus is that anthropogenic global warming is occurring.Nevertheless, political and public debate continues. The Kyoto Protocol is aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gas concentration to prevent a "dangerous anthropogenic interference". As of November 2009, 187 states had signed and ratified the protocol.

Shinigami

Shinigami (死神, "death god(s)"; Viz "Soul Reaper(s)") are a race of spiritual beings that act as enforcers and psychopomps who all share similar supernatural powers. They are souls with a high level of innate Spiritual Energy, recruited from the ranks of the residents and nobility of the Soul Society. Like all spirits, they cannot be detected by normal humans. Shinigami use their Zanpakutō, supernatural swords that are the manifestation of their owners' power, to perform soul burials on Pluses. Shinigami also use their Zanpakutō as well as magic known as Kidō to fight their arch-enemies, the Hollows.

Overview

Shinigami are souls that have supernatural powers. As such, their bodies are composed of Spiritrons (spirit particles) instead of atoms. This means that just like most other types of spirits, they can only be seen by other spiritually aware entities, which excludes most humans. Nevertheless, they are quite capable of influencing their environment. When souls with exceptional spiritual energy train their bodies, they reach the level of Shinigami. The most talented of them become affiliated with various organizations like the Thirteen Court Guard Companies and the Stealth Force. Sometimes, a Shinigami is born among the residents of the Rukongai, and in some rare cases from Seireitei.

Shinigami are the personification of death. Their job is to send spirits to the Soul Society (the afterlife) in order to maintain a balance of souls between it and the material world, and to exorcise evil spirits. Because of their duties Shinigami possesses supernatural abilities such as:

• Longevity: While they can age and die of natural causes or as a result of physical injury as regular humans, Shinigami have extended life-spans and it is not uncommon for one to live for thousands of years.

• Enhanced Endurance: While they can be injured and die like regular humans, it takes considerably greater injuries for the latter to occur than it would in regular humans.

• Reiryoku: Shinigami also naturally give off Spiritual Energy, which varies greatly in magnitude with the strength of a Shinigami. Additionally, unlike humans, they do not have to eat anything to sustain themselves, though they engage in the act none the less as Shinigami and other spiritual beings only become hungry when they used too much Spiritual Energy within a short amount of time.

• Kidō: The technique that Shinigami use to focus their Spiritual Energy into magic spells of various powers.

• Hohō: A variety of techniques associated with movement, including jumping and shunpo (flash step).

• Zanpakutō: The most prominent supernatural power possessed by a Shinigami is their Zanpakutō, a supernatural sword (which can be in the form of any kind of Japanese sword) generated from the Shinigami's soul. A Zanpakutō is a physical manifestation of this force concentrated into a blade.All Shinigami have a Zanpakutō, but not all of them carry one with them.

Shinigami operations are based out of the Soul Society, where departed human souls reside. Travel between the human world and Soul Society is extremely limited and monitored, but some Shinigami are stationed in the human world to carry out their duties and therefore must often travel between the two.

It is also implied that Shinigami receive salaries, like workers in the real world.

Appearance

Most Shinigami appear like Humans, a notable difference being their mostly old-fashioned garments by 20th-21th century standards (see Gotei 13 Uniforms and Onmitsukidō Uniforms), and their Zanpakutō which is in most cases tied to their obi sash.

There are, however, a few Shinigami who are less Human-like in appearance. For example it seems that between Shinigami there are much greater variations in body-sizes than between Humans, as there are real giant-like entities (e. g. the four guards of the four gates to Seireitei) and also ones with extremely small stature among them (e. g. Yachiru Kusajishi). This variation seems to occur not just between Shinigami, but also between regular dwellers of Soul Society, too.

Variations do not just occur in size but in overall appearance, too, the most notable example being Captain Sajin Komamura, who appears like an anthropomorphic canine.

Duties

• Konsō (魂葬, Soul Burial): the process by which a Shinigami sends wandering Pluses (souls) in the living world and send them to their respective place. Either Soul Society if they are good in life, or to Hell if their life was full of evil acts (such as murders, theft, etc). Konsō is performed by using the hilt of the Shinigami's Zanpakutō, tapping the soul on the head and transporting them to the afterlife.

• Hollow Cleansing: When a Shinigami slays a Hollow (evil spirit), with their Zanpakutō they cleanse their sins. Once this takes place a Hollow will return to its former state as a Plus and is led into Soul Society. This is called sublimation. Souls that live in the Soul Society are reborn again into the human world. Not all Hollows are sent to the Soul Society. Since Zanpakutō are only capable of cleansing sins committed after becoming a Hollow, Hollows that committed serious crimes when they were still Human are sent to Hell when they are slain.

Also, if they are destroyed by a Quincy, Hollows are completely vanquished and cannot ever return to the Soul Society.

• Soul Governance: Shinigami are responsible for governing the flow of spirits between the Human World and Soul Society. This is commonly carried out by balancing the total number of souls by moving and managing them in the human world. All of the soul-related jobs are under their authority.

Training

Shinōreijutsuin (Spiritual Arts Academy): sometimes called the Shinigami Academy. The majority of training for individuals (that is, souls residing in the Soul Society) wanting to become Shinigami is done through the Shinigami Academy. It is a six-year academy, during which time its students learn how to use their Spiritual Energy properly, fight Hollows, and perform Soul Burials. While the exact date and details of its foundation are not specified, the academy seems to have been founded by Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai about 2000 years before the Bleach storyline.

Not much is known about the conditions on which a dweller of the Soul Society is admitted to the Academy. One elementary requirement seems to be that the individual has to possess a certain, above-average level of Spiritual Energy, and has to be able to perform some basic feats using that. Becoming hungry seems to be a good sign in Soul Society for hopeful Shinigami candidates, because feeling hunger means that the person in question is capable of using up Spiritual Energy.

It is at the Spiritual Arts Academy where all the military forces of Soul Society are formally taught. While a majority of students are taken into the Gotei 13, there are those who have a special affinity for certain forms of combat that get taken in by the two more secretive and selective branches of the military, namely the Kidō Corps (excelling in Kidō) and the Onmitsukidō (excelling in Hohō and Hakuda).

The Shinigami Academy is one of two groups that is not under the jurisdiction of the Central 46 Chambers.

Combat

The cleansing of Hollows is very dangerous task, as most Hollows are no more than mindless monsters thirsty for devouring more and more souls, be it a Plus, a Human soul still in its body, or a Shinigami. Moreover, Hollows who have some of their human consciousness remaining are even more dangerous, as they can be swift, strong and cunning adversaries, utilizing various tricks to avoid purification and catch their prey.

Taking these facts into consideration, Shinigami have to be highly trained in defending themselves and other spirits from being devoured, while being able to land a critical strike on the Hollow itself with their Zanpakutō.

Zankensoki: basic Shinigami fighting techniques. Zan refers to sword fighting techniques. Ken refers to unarmed fighting techniques. So refers to moving techniques. Ki refers to Kidō. All of which require the controlled usage of a varying amount of Spirit Energy.

Kidou

Kidō are a type of sorcery used by Shinigami. They can be used for various purposes, such as healing, attacking, and restraining. Healing seems to be a more general skill, while attacking and binding require an incantation to be recited beforehand. Demon arts spells are divided into two major groups: destructive spells, used for direct attack, and binding spells, which are spells that restrain someone or have other effects. These forms of demon arts spells are performed by calling out a complicated and often long-winded incantation followed by the name of the spell, which causes an effect once the name has been recited. Lesser versions of the spells can be used by calling out the name alone, but their effectiveness is reduced when used in such a fashion.

Hand-to-hand Combat

Hand-to-hand combat is not elaborated upon by the majority of Shinigami. The Onmitsukidō troops, however, especially those of higher ranks such as Suì-Fēng, are known to be well-trained in this field.

Agility

Hohō (agility), like hand-to-hand combat, is not elaborated upon by every Shinigami. Flash steps (Shunpo), a movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow, is implied to be part of this category, and most (though not all) Shinigami are able to perform it to some degree. Another skill, though not necessarily related, is the ability of some Shinigami to walk on air using spiritual power. By collecting and solidifying spiritual particles beneath their feet, Shinigami can gain traction on thin air to either freely move about or to stop themselves from falling.

Swordmanship

Zanjutsu (swordsmanship) is the most used form of combat among Shinigami, since their Zanpakutō is the most effective way of dispatching any given opponent. As the name suggests, it involves using a Zanpakutō and its various special abilities to attack an opponent. In addition to its basic form, each Zanpakutō has two enhanced forms: Shikai ("initial release") and Bankai ("final release"), which change the sword's form to unlock its potential and that of its user.

Missions Aids

To aid in their missions, particularly when said missions involve more than simply dispatching a Hollow, Shinigami have a number of unique items to assist them in their duties. In addition, it should be noted that all Shinigami captains and lieutenants have their spiritual energy reduced by about 80% when they enter the human world by use of a spiritual limit, represented by a seal called the Gentei Reiin (限定霊印, "Soul-Limiting Symbol"), which resembles the symbol unique to their division, in order not to cause unnecessarily high damage while there.

In extreme cases, where their full power is needed, they can request a limit release. The command to release the seal is Gentei Kaijo (限定解除, "Limiter Release").

Skull Symbol

Though not officially named, it seems to be an important tool for Shinigami during missions in the real world. It can basically force out one's spirit from a human body or a Gigai (see also below), a human soul or an artificial one alike (see also below). Rukia Kuchiki has the Gokon Tekkō, a glove which has this skull symbol on it, which she uses several times to force Ichigo out of his body. Kisuke Urahara also has a skull symbol on the end of his cane, which can be used in the same manner. The skull also appears on Ichigo's Seal of Approval (see below). They always touch Ichigo's forehead with the symbol, it is unknown if pressing the symbol against other body parts has the same effect or not. (Uryū Ishida uses Ichigo's seal to remove Noba's soul by striking it on his thigh; it seems poking the forehead is only done for dramatic reasons.)

Jigokucho

Jigokuchō are completely black butterflies that serve various purposes. They guide the Shinigami through the Senkaimon when travelling between the Soul Society and the Human World, thereby saving them from the inconvenience of passing through the Dangai Precipice World. Jigokuchō are also used as messengers between Shinigami, often carrying important orders. It is implied that Jigokuchō are bred and taken care of by Shinigami in Seireitei, the latter task being carried out usually by new and inexperienced members of the Gotei 13. Jigokuchō, like the Shinigami themselves, are only visible to spiritually aware beings.

Gigai

In certain circumstances, a Shinigami will need a way to stay in the human world for long periods of time, interact with the living, and/or recover their powers when the need arises, all of which they cannot do in spirit form. Thus, the Gigai was developed.

Artifical Soul

Artificial souls, as the name suggests, are souls designed by Shinigami scientists to separate a Shinigami's spirit from a Gigai, should they be inhabiting one, or to evict stubborn spirits from their corpses if necessary. It is commonly called Soul Candy, as the Shinigami Women's Association complained that the name "Artificial Soul" was not cute and had it changed.

Modified Soul

Modified souls are artificial souls designed to enhance regular human physiology, making them capable of battling Hollows equally. The modsouls are condensed into tiny, candy-like orbs and placed into corpses to achieve their function as soldiers to combat Hollows. They are also more independent to fit with their purpose. The mod souls were exterminated after the experiment was halted due to ethical reasons, since they were intended to be used to reanimate human corpses to use as weapons against the Hollows. But there are still a small amount left; namely Kon, Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba.

Memory Replacement

In some cases, a human witnesses a Shinigami purify a Hollow or affect his surroundings in a significant way. To keep the incident a secret, Shinigami perform memory replacement with an item called Kikanshinki (記換神機, "Account-Replacing Spirit Device"). When used, a bird's head pops from the top of the device and produces a puff of smoke. The human it is used on is knocked unconscious and wakes up a while later with a new memory. However, the new memory that the human acquires is random and often based on the limits of what they themselves will believe. For example, Ichigo's family merely believed they slept through a truck crashing into their house when it was used on them. Conversely, Orihime Inoue, who has a much more active imagination, believed that her house was attacked by a yakuza gunman.

Soul Phone

A vital tool for any Shinigami stationed in the real world, this variation on a cell phone functions both as a regular phone and as a communication line with the Soul Society. It receives information about the time and exact location of a Hollow's emergence via a Global Positioning System (GPS). A Shinigami's kills are also recorded in the phone and can be used as currency (according to the bounty placed on each Hollow).

Subtitute Shinigami

A Substitute Shinigami (死神代行, shinigami daikou) is someone who became Shinigami by obtaining another Shinigami's power, or by going through a much harder and riskier process to transform him/herself into one. Obtaining another Shinigami's power is done by thrusting his/her Zanpakutō into the person's chest who wants to obtain the power. However, the percentage of success is low. In the case of success, the person normally obtains around half of the Shinigami's power, and only temporarily. In Ichigo Kurosaki's case however, the whole power of the original Shinigami, Rukia Kuchiki was transferred into him, due to his enormous innate spiritual power.

This practice is forbidden by the Soul Society, as it can give birth to rogue Shinigami with great power, thereby it is only applied as a last resort measure.

In the case the individual borrowing the power being a Human, several difficulties arise, illustrated by the example of Ichigo. In order to be able to fight as a Shinigami, he has to leave his body and get into soul state, which can only be done if he is "killed" (at least put into clinical death) by the "skull symbol" of another Shinigami, or if he swallows a Soul Candy, forcing his soul out of his body. In the former case, his body needs to be taken care of until he finishes his job and re-enters it.

Soul Society has rules for acting Shinigami. If one appears and the Shinigami recognizes his/her existence as being beneficial to Soul Society. They will give that person the "Seal of Approval for acting Shinigami", thus is how the tradition goes. This item serves several functions. One is to identify the owner in the case he/she meets other Shinigami, another is to indicate if Hollows are nearby via an alarm sound. The alarm can only be heard by the owner, and the item itself is only visible to other spiritually aware beings, allowing the owner to keep it with him/herself all day long without attracting unwanted attention. The Seal of Approval can also fulfil the functions of the Shinigami "skull symbol", being able of forcing out spirits out of their bodies, which comes in handy in the case of a Hollow attack, when the Substitute Shinigami has to leave his/her body immediately. The Seal of Approval has a skull symbol similar to, but not identical to the one carried by regular Shinigami engraved on it.

Quincy

The Quincy (滅却師 (クインシー), Kuinshī; lit. "Monk of Destruction") are a line of spiritually aware Human warriors. They use their ability to absorb and manipulate Reiryoku to create bows and arrows from spiritual energy. These arrows and their related techniques are dangerous to spiritual beings. They were destroyed more than 200 years ago. There are only two known living Quincy; Uryū Ishida and his father, Ryūken Ishida.

Overview

Quincy are spiritually aware humans able to absorb and manipulate Reiryoku into weapons. Unlike the Shinigami who use a sword as their primary weapon, the Quincy's weapon of choice is a bow or a crossbow. These are constructed from spiritual particles drawn from their surroundings. This is also unlike the Shinigami, who rely on their own innate spiritual energy. (As a reflection of this, the Quincy have white spirit threads like normal humans, while Shinigami have red spirit threads.) A Quincy bow is summoned using an artifact called a Quincy Cross. The only limit to a Quincy's ability to create and fire arrows is their own stamina and ability to absorb ambient spirit particles. Quincy also have various tools and battle aides that can increase their power or serve as secondary weapons.

Reiryoku Absorption & Manipulation: A Quincy primarily absorbs spiritual energy from the atmosphere and combines it with his or her own spiritual energy to form weapons. They have an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of spiritual particles such as in Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. To a sufficiently powerful Quincy, there is no difference between spiritual particles and spiritual energy as a source of power. They can manipulate spiritual energy for offensive purposes. A Quincy most commonly reshapes spiritual particles into various types of bow and arrows but can also concentrate spiritual energy into the form of swords, Seele Schneider, or Gintō.

• Quincy Bow & Spirit Arrows: All the Quincy have the ability to create a unique spirit bow and subsequently generate spirit arrows for the bow by using a Quincy cross or pentacle. The bow and arrows are made up completely of reiryoku from the user's surroundings and last as long as the wielder's stamina and Reiryoku reserves allow.

Spiritual Awareness: As a spiritual being, the Quincy can sense Hollows and other spiritual beings at a significant distance or tell in what direction they are in.

Appearance

The final point of contrast between the Quincy and Shinigami is their respective choice of uniform. While the Shinigami wear traditional, black, flowing hakama, the Quincy wear white, form-fitting, high-collared tunics. These bear some resemblance both to Mandarin Chinese dress and to cassocks of Catholic priests. This gives the Quincy a distinctly "foreign" or "Western" style compared to the Shinigami. One peculiar recurring motif of Quincy is that of a cross, which appears frequently on their uniforms and artifacts. The cross is not the same shape among all Quincy (e.g. Uryū uses a Celtic cross, while Ryūken uses a pentacle). There is also a six-pointed cross that appears on the back of Uryū's Quincy tunic. The differences between Quincy and Shinigami in costume and iconography are minor compared to the differences in weaponry and ideology.

History

The Quincy were scattered all over the world at one time. They were relatives of magic hunters who specialized in the war against Hollows. All the Quincy were destroyed by the Shinigami over 200 years ago in order to prevent the destruction of the world. Shinigami govern the souls between the Human World and Soul Society, which maintains a balance that if not kept would result in the mutual destruction of both worlds. All souls, including Hollows, are subject to the Shinigami governance of maintaining the balance. Quincy completely extinguish Hollows. Thus the souls that come to the Human World do not return to Soul Society and therefore the souls would increase only on the side of the Human World. Meaning, the Human World becomes heavy in souls causing Soul Society to spill over into it; mixing life and death. The ultimate result would be the end of the world. Since the origin of the Quincy, many years passed with Soul Society trying to appeal to the Quincy that the handling of Hollows should be left to the Shinigami. The Quincy refused to accept the situation. As time went on, the number of Quincy increased and the cycle of souls became more unstable, forcing the Shinigami to reluctantly wipe out the Quincy in order to maintain the balance of the world.

The Quincy line was closely monitored over the decades, as their numbers continued to dwindle. Later the Quincy advanced the idea that since they were already among the living and still more numerous at the time, they could act as "first responders" to Hollow attacks; protecting humans until the less-numerous Shinigami could send a representative to finish the Hollow off. Embittered by the recent war, the Shinigami refused to participate, opting instead to allocate their limited resources to reacting to the most dangerous Hollows and current Hollow attacks. This caused great enmity towards Shinigami by Uryū Ishida, Ichigo's classmate and a Quincy, whose grandfather, the last advocate of the Quincy plan, had been slain by a team of Hollows before the Shinigami could arrive.

Philoshopy

While they're trained to confront Hollows in order to defeat them just as Shinigami do, the biggest difference between the Quincy and Shinigami, since ancient times, is whether to kill or not to kill Hollows. As the Shinigami, who tried to purify Hollows with their Zanpakutō and send them to Soul Society, versus the Quincy, who stuck to the thorough killing of Hollows. The idea is a simple concept of Human Justice/Vengeance. "Hollows devour souls of Humans, so why must it be that those who harm and kill friends and relatives get sent peacefully to Soul Society?"

Quincy Combat

Archery

Archery is the most used form of combat among the Quincy. Since they're still human, maintaining a distance from highly dangerous Hollows as well as launching numerous attacks on multiple opponents gives them a great advantage offensively and defensively.

Ginto

Gintō (銀筒, Silver tubes) are small silver cylinder capsules that store spiritual energy in a liquid form and are used by the Quincy for spell-casting in the same way that Shinigami use Kidō. Like Kidō, they're activated by calling out various commands.

Hirenkyaku

Hirenkyaku (飛廉脚; lit: "Flying Screen Step/God Step", Viz: "Flying Bamboo-Blind Leg") is analogous to the Shinigami Flash Steps or the Arrancar Sonído. The Quincy Hirenkyaku allows the user to move quickly over short distances; according to Uryū Ishida it is faster than flash steps, though Mayuri Kurotsuchi's superior speed suggests that this is just a generalization. To perform the technique, the user gathers spiritual particles under their feet and rides them to the desired location. Like the air-walking skill displayed by most Arrancar and Shinigami, it can also be used to hover or fly for long distances. Mayuri compliments Uryū on being able to use this technique at such a young age, suggesting that it's difficult to master.

Rare Quincy Technique

To go with their bow, the Quincy have a number of rare special techniques to give them an edge in combat:

• Ransōtengai (乱装天傀; lit. "heavenly wild puppet suit", "disheveled paradise puppet" in the Viz translation) — This is a high level technique that allows the user to control their body parts using strings of spirit energy controlled by their brain, forming lines or strings out of countless spiritrons. By using this technique, the user can control their body as one would a puppet, allowing them to move freely despite paralysis, broken limbs, or any other force that would impede normal movement. It was originally created to allow elderly Quincy to fight effectively, and is rare enough that Mayuri had never encountered a Quincy (out of the 2661 that he examined or studied) who could use it before Uryū. Mayuri stated it as "the most powerful technique for the Quincy," but he did not know of the Quincy: Letzt Stil, which means as far as Mayuri knew it was the strongest.

• Quincy: Letzt Stil (滅却師最終形態（クインシー・レツトシュティール）, Kuinshī Retsutoshutīru; Japanese for "destruction sage: final form, Quincy", German for "last style", Viz Media Translation, "Letz Stile"): is the last resort for a Quincy using the Sanrei Glove. It gives the user a tremendous amount of power, but at the price of loss of their powers upon its completion.

The only way for a Quincy to regain their powers after using the final form is to first exhaust themselves both mentally and physically. They must then be hit exactly 19 mm to the right of their heart with a spirit arrow. After this, a pentacle-shaped scar will form on the point of impact and their powers will be restored.

Quincy Item

The Quincy possess numerous artifacts and equipment which help them in different ways.

• Hollow bait: This item is a small, coin-shaped disk that attracts Hollows when crushed. When used by Uryū, the bait, in combination with Ichigo's powerful spiritual pressure, was able to draw a Gillian-class Menos out of Hueco Mundo.

• Quincy Bangle (装身具, sōshingu; lit. "Accessory"): The Quincy Bangle is an artifact designed to mimic a Quincy's natural powers. It works by drawing in spirit particles from the environment, much like a Quincy does regularly. It can only be used properly by those who are already adept at forming and directing spirit particles.

• Quincy Cross (滅却十字, mekkyaku jūji; lit. "Destruction Cross"): Standard equipment for any Quincy, the Quincy Cross acts as the focus for a Quincy bow. The cross need not necessarily be in a cross shape, as Ryūken's cross is a pentacle.
• Sanrei Glove (散霊手套, sanrei shutō): This is a powerful Quincy artifact that can increase a Quincy's power exponentially, but requires a dangerous and exhausting type of resistance training by wearing it for a week while constantly firing spiritual arrows to master. The glove works by scattering the spirit particles in the surrounding area, making it much harder to form a working bow. If a Quincy can summon a bow and use it for the required amount of time, they will have undergone a massive increase in power. When removed, however, the glove will release the user's energy all at once - first transforming them into a being of tremendous strength, the Quincy: Letzt Stil, and then forcing their Quincy powers to gutter out completely.

• Seele Schneider (魂を切り裂くもの (ゼーレシュナイダー), Zēreshunaidā; German for "Soul Cutter", Japanese for "That Which Slits the Soul"): The Seele Schneider is a thin sword that can be fired similarly to an arrow. It's much longer than a standard arrow and functions something like a chainsaw: the spirit particles of its blade vibrate at ultra-high frequencies, loosening the molecular bonds between any spirit matter it cuts so that the Quincy user may easily absorb the freed spirit particles. Uryū also stated that using it increased his spiritual power. The Seele Schneiders Uryū uses are stolen from a secret storage room under Karakura hospital.

• Gintō (銀筒, Silver tubes): Gintō are small liquid-filled capsules that store spiritual energy, and are used by the Quincy for spell casting in the same way that Shinigami use Kidō. Like Kidō, they are activated by calling out various commands.

• Soul-synthesized silver (霊化銀, reika gin): Soul-synthesized silver was used by Ryūken Ishida to construct the hidden chamber in which Uryū trains.

• Soul-synthesized glass (霊化硝子, reika gurasu): Like soul-synthesized silver, soul-synthesized glass was used to construct the hidden chamber in the Karakura Hospital.