Vandenreich



The Vandenreich|見えざる帝国 (ヴァンデンライヒ)|Vandenraihi|Japanese for "Invisible Empire" is a group of Quincy that is invading Soul Society.

History
The Vandenreich was somehow able to survive the Quincy massacre two hundred years ago and became strong enough to challenge Soul Society. Sometime after the defeat of Sōsuke Aizen, the Vandenreich conquered Hueco Mundo, capturing Tier Harribel in the process, as well as forcing numerous Arrancar into their service and killing many Hollows.

Organization
The organizational structure of the Vandenreich is not yet clear, but there is a central leader based out of their headquarters. In his service, there are a number of subordinates who follow his direct orders. There is also a separate hunting unit called the of Hueco Mundo which in the wake of Hueco Mundo's conquest by the Vandenreich is tasked with capturing Arrancar to serve the empire. The leader of the first Jagdarmee, the, is Quilge Opie. There also exists a communication unit, which maintains the connection between headquarters and operational units, and a group of elite Quincy combatants known as the. Members of the latter and certain other individuals within the Vandenreich military are apparently each assigned a letter of the alphabet and an appropriate epithet by Juhabach in order to designate them.

Headquarters
The Vandenreich is based out of a large ice encrusted building. This building consists of a thick base with a long stairway leading up the front. On top of this are a series of thick columns supporting a thicker second tier of the building. There is a third tier above this, supported by thinner columns. Surrounding the main building are a number of ice covered round or square towers and two curved structures leaning towards each other, forming an arch-like monument at the front of the building. Inside the building, Juhabach has a floating throne, behind it are a series of floating steps leading to a curtained doorway where a prisoner is kept. Housed somewhere in where the Vandenreich reside is a structure called the, which was used to invade Soul Society.

Notable Members
(† = confirmed death)

Uniforms
The typical attire of most Vandenreich personnel consists of a long, white, double-breasted trench coat with shoulder straps and a white, button-down bib. This coat is bound at the waist with a black belt, which is further adorned with a decorative buckle, and is worn over both white trousers and trench boots. Many members also sport white hats with black peaks and a crest emblazoned on its front, which is reminiscent of the five-pointed variant of the Quincy cross. This insignia is also reflected upon the buttons of their other apparel. Some members choose to pair this uniform with other additional pieces of clothing, such as capes or cloaks, but these items do not appear to be standard.

In certain instances, personnel have been observed wearing a more simplified version of the usual Vandenreich uniform, which still consists of a long trench coat worn over trousers and boots, but lacks the button-down bib and belt. Those who took part in the declaration of war upon Soul Society sported this specific variation, as well as a hooded cape that featured a black mask in order to obscure their face and a black band diagonally encircling their body. The Stern Ritter wear a long, white cloak over their uniform, featuring a pentacle on its back.

Vandenreich Equipment

 * Medallion: A number of those within the Vandenreich military, including all members of the Stern Ritter, carry on their person a round, unnamed device that is roughly the size of a person's palm and has the Vandenreich insignia etched into its surface. When activated, this device is capable of stealing a single currently released Bankai in the immediate vicinity. The medallion's owner can then proceed to use the stolen Bankai's power at will. However, they appear unable to exploit this power fully, as according to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Driscoll's use was noticeably inferior to that of Chōjirō.

Terminology

 * A word used to define the exhaustive data collected by the Vandenreich on the opposition's forces, which has been distributed to all essential personnel. Parts of this intelligence include details on those considered to be "Special War Powers" and those in possession of Bankai.


 * In a clear reference to the Quincy pentangle cross, this term is used to describe the process that the Vandenreich uses to steal Bankai.

Special War Powers
In their war with Soul Society, the Vandenreich have placed particular emphasis on five so called, who they believe will play a pivotal role in deciding the ultimate outcome of the war itself. Such is the importance of these powers that the temporary detainment of just one, prompted the Vandenreich to begin the invasion of Soul Society due simply to their guaranteed absence.

Those known to be classified as the "Special War Powers" are:
 * 1 - Kenpachi Zaraki
 * ? - Ichigo Kurosaki