Around 1000 B.C. there was an event. The greatest war in the history of the world was waged leaving nothing but devastation and ruin in its wake. By the time it had finished, the balance of power between the three worlds was completely overturned leaving only the Shinigami with almost complete dominance over the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and Earth. Over the centuries as the participants vanished or perished the event became known only as the Great Spiritual War.
However, the effects of this war were not permanent. As time passed the Shinigami have lost much of their original military might and can no longer keep control over all the races. In both the human world and Hueco Mundo, powerful factions have slowly begun to rise to challenge the authority of the shinigami. With the fate of the worlds no longer as assured, war became inevitable.
As the shinigami were pushed out of hueco mundo by the hollows, a new danger arose called the arrancars. A race of hollows who had shattered their masks to gain shinigami, the arrancar soon became a real danger to the shinigami and to the safety of the human world as a whole. Created by the Primera and led by the Espada, they soon began to rise in power and create an army of hollows that rivaled the strength of the Seiretei.
However, the Gotei 13 soon learned that the threat of the Espada was not their only trouble. During a routine hollow attack, the shinigami made contact with an unknown race known as the Vizards. A group of former shinigami who had escaped the Gotei to gain hollow powers, the Vizards soon made clear that while they were not enemies of the Shinigami, they were not allies either.
While the Shinigami began to prepare for war with the Espada and attempt to communicate with the vizards, the inhabitants of the human world became busy as well. Through a series of coincidences, some of the Quincy Council members and Superhuman Overseers managed to meet in the same battle against the hollow menace. Due to their collective fears about the threat of the Espada they managed to make a temporary protective alliance to better protect the world.
However, before the talks between the races could truly make headway, the Espada finally made their move. In a quick series of destructive attacks they managed to decimate sections of New York and Moscow killing millions before turning their attention on Karakura Town. At the same time a second group of the Espada traveled straight to the Rukongai to bring about anarchy in the Soul Society.
However, the Espada were greeted with a surprise as a combined force of Vizards, Quincies, Superhumans, and Captains rose up to hold them back. With so many allies fighting in the human world, enough of the Captains were able to remain in Soul Society to reach a stalemate with the Arrancar army. Unfortunately, the brilliance of the Primera came to light when large numbers of hollow reinforcements began pouring out of New York City and Moscow. With the nations of the world preparing to wage war due to the invisible threat that was assaulting so many cities, it seemed like the Espada would prove triumphant.
But during the 11th hour, unexpected help managed to put a stop to the Primera's ambitions. Out of the Far Reaches of the Rukongai came an division of Shinigami that had been hiding ever since the end of the Great Spiritual War. Extremely powerful and skilled, they quickly turned the tide of war against the hollows. With the assistance of these Elder Shinigami, the Captains managed to push the hollow army back and forced it to retreat back to Hueco Mundo where it is now recovering.
However, the end of the war has not shown an end to the conflict. As the Elder Shingami soon explained, they were not the only races to survive the end of the Great Spiritual War. With the awakening of the Elder Shinigami, it would not be long before other ancient races began to move as well.
The year is 2022, two years after the Espada/Shinigami war and all of the races have returned to an unstable peace. However, all it will take is one more event for chaos to once again sweep across the battlefields. The true conflict has only just begun as the three worlds approach an even greater Spiritual War then any that have preceded it. The drums of war have begun their deadly beat and the players are lining up for the confrontation. Who will you be in this grand drama of life and death? Find out in Bleach Maelstrom!
12/3/2013, 6:23 am by 
