Kidou Corps Tower Description

The massive tower that is home to the Kidō Corps soars up towards the clouds. If is made of seamless white stone, like much else in Seireitei, with no cracks or gaps that would indicate bricks or any other form of construction, giving the appearance that the entire structure was carved from a single piece of material. Without the sprawling grounds and many buildings that the Gotei possess, the tower must be large to house all of its members.

Containing nearly a hundred floors and being quite large in width, the spire is still only a portion of the Kidō Corps domain. Beneath the tower is a sprawling complex of dungeons, cells, storage rooms and training facilities. Nearly everything is constructed from energy dampening stone to protect it from outside attack, and to prevent destruction from explosions that quite regularly occur within. As an additional protective measure, the tower is surrounded by a massive wall, several feet thick and over a dozen feet high, with heavy steel-reinforced wooden gates.

Despite the protective measures and energy-absorbing stone, due to the massive amounts of energy being channeled and manipulated within, some tends to seep out to the surrounding area, creating some strange phenomena. As such, there are often mirages and shimmering in the air, as well as localized shifts in the weather, such as sudden storms, clouds forming, or gusts of wind. This gives the tower a somewhat foreboding appearance, and leads many people to avoid it, which suits its occupants just fine. One might even think the place was haunted, were it in a place that wasn't entirely inhabited by spirits anyway.

The interior of the tower is complex, and difficult for strangers and new members to navigate. The interior rooms have no windows, so the only illumination comes from glowing reiatsu-powered lanterns providing artificial light. They are a simple project, and one that many young and inexperienced members undertake as part of their trials. Each lantern emits a slightly different color, ranging in shades and hues. To prevent eye strain, they are often grouped in rooms, causing some rooms to be lit in a greenish shade, others in blue, etc. Each lantern, though initial a project created by the R&D, was finished by a member of the Corps at some point in their history.

Many columns line interior chambers for support, though they are only an extra precaution. The tower can withstand it's own weight without them in an emergency. Inner rooms usually consist of classes, training areas, libraries, laboratories, and other such workplaces. Outer rooms are generally reserved for living quarters, as they have access to windows for natural light and ventilation. The heavy stone construction also provides excellent soundproofing, making the entire tower eerily quiet, save for the occasional particularly massive explosion.

The higher in rank a member is, the higher up the tower they reside. The top floor is dedicated entirely to the personal quarters and study of the Dai-Kidocho and the floor just below that belongs to the Fuku-Kidōchō. To prevent people from having to climb hundreds of flights of stairs, the tower contains a vast network of Kidō powered platforms which can hover up and down with a small application of Sho upon an amplification device provided by the R&D. These are also tweaked by members of the Corps, though generally only the more experienced members are allowed to attempt such a project as the higher you need to go, the more reiatsu is required. Using these platforms, anyone with a Sho can rapidly make his or her way up and down the tower. People without the necessary skills and reiatsu must either have an escort, or take the stairs.

The very top of the tower has a broad, flat roof. Only the top four floors have direct access to it via elevator, meaning that only the Dai-Kidocho, his Vice Captain, and a few high-ranking division members, three through six, can go there. A broad railing exists to prevent people from falling off, though due to the wind at that height, most people are a little uncomfortable standing there. Regardless, it is easily the best view in Seireitei, allowing someone to see the entire area and much of its surroundings with ease. Anyone with a fear of heights is not advised to visit.

The top floor, and residence of the Dai-Kidocho, is divided in to a number of rooms. Kazuo, as the current owner of the area, has a fair sized personal library. The books and scrolls it contains are very old, and often considered too dangerous for others to possess. Only a very select few division members are allowed to borrow from the personal library, and there are horror stories about what has happened to those who did not return what they borrowed in perfect condition. A large workshop takes up a great deal of space, where Kazuo practices and develops new spells and applications of Kidō. There are a number of artifacts and reagents with various purposes scattered about, and intricate patterns are carved in to all of the columns and the floor, though nobody except perhaps Kazuo himself is sure of their purpose.

Finally, the Dai-Kidocoho possesses a parlor for relaxation and entertaining his rare (read 'nonexistant') visitors. He rarely leaves the tower, but occasionally desires a visit to the outdoors. As such, the parlor has a number of plants and trees growing in artificially fertilized soil, under lights generated by Kidō. Strange, bio-luminescent plants grow, emitting different colored glows, and the tree seems to be, rather inexplicably, growing several different kinds of fruit at once. Two ponds occupy opposite sides of the room, with a stream connecting them. A variety of colorful fish inhabit them, swimming about. A bridge crosses the stream, leading to a sitting area under the tree, and a path leads from there out to the balcony which looks outside.

The final room is Kazuo's living quarters, which are generally in a state of disarray, unlike the rest of his area. The bed is rarely made, clothes and books are scattered about. He spends little time there, and certainly has no time to clean it. Some division members offer to clean and maintain his quarters to gain favor, in hopes of borrowing some rare books or getting some instruction and lab time. Only more experienced members are allowed to do this, as Kazuo has little trust for people scurrying around his personal quarters unattended.