Cathela
10-28-2005, 03:05 PM
((I wrote this for Silverdawn's "Write a story about an ability" thread on the ER forum. The WoW forums get pruned pretty viciously, so I'm reposting it here for safekeeping.))
Scenes from a paladin's training.
Autoattack
The young paladin gripped the hammer tightly, her eyes fixed intently on the training dummy.
"Now step into the swing, Cathela. Attack with your entire body."
With a grunt, she lunged forward, the mallet hitting the dummy with a satisfying thump. A smile broke on her face as she stepped backward.
"Very good, my child," Lord Arius intoned. "But don't stop. Swing again."
Cathela lifted the hammer and lunged forward, striking the dummy a second time.
"And again!"
"You mean just the same swing over and over? That's it?"
"Yes, my child. Patience is the way of the Paladin."
-----
Blessing of Might
Cathela's hammer crushed the Kobold's skull, and the creature fell dead at her feet.
"See how the Blessing of Might empowers your blows, Cathela?" Arius asked, leaning casually against the side of the tunnel.
"Indeed, I do!" Cathela lifted her arm, feeling the raw energy of the Light flowing through her muscles. "With such power I can truly smite the... wait... it's gone. What happened?"
"Ah, Cathela, the light only fills thee for a short time."
"But it was like five minutes ago!"
"Indeed. Now you must ask its blessing again."
"Oh. Well can't I just ask it to bless me longer?"
"Nay, Cathela. You must ask again each time for the light to bless you, and then ask the light to bless each of your comrades in arms."
"What? You mean every five minutes I have to bless every single..."
"Cathela! Patience is the way of the Paladin!"
-----
Blessing of Freedom
Cathela hobbled across the tightly-packed dirt of Westfall, her tendons severed by the knife of the Defias raider that lay dead at her feet.
"Now cast the Blessing of Freedom upon thyself," Arius commanded from the top of his hill, "and feel the shackles lifted from thy legs!"
Cathela spoke the holy incantation she'd learned, and the pain in her ankles vanished as she sprinted up the hill to her tutor. "I can feel it!" she exclaimed.
"Indeed, the Blessing of Freedom is a powerful tool."
"I see its usefulness!... Say, what's this jellyfish doing around my feet?"
-----
Seal of Command
Sweat dripped down Cathela's face as she battled the orc among the hills of Redridge.
"The Seal of Command, Cathela!" Arius called from the shade of a nearby tree. "Call upon its might to aid you!"
The proper words brought the Seal forth, and Cathela felt its holy power coursing through her body. With a grunt, she swung and felt her hammer connect once, and then twice, the second blow penetrating the orc's armor and searing it with holy fury. Her enemy fell dead at her feet.
Cathela turned to face Arius, a look of wonder on her face. "Truly the Seal of Command is a marvel if it delivers such holy power with every blow!"
"Nay, Cathela. The Seal doth not empower every swing..."
"Oh, so I must be careful and only use the seal's holy wrath on the blows where I need it most?"
"No, my child. It is not for us to control when the Seal of Command unleashes its power; it is for the Light to decide that. Patience is the way of the Paladin."
"Ahhhh." Cathela nodded her understanding. "But at a the time in the battle when I need the Seal's power the most, the Light will give it to me?"
"Um..."
-----
Exorcism
Cathela's hammer smashed into the chest of the Forsaken assassin, sending him sprawling. She moved to deal the killing blow, but the rogue sprang to his feet and ran in a burst of speed.
"Well done, Cathela!" Arius applauded in between sips of his wine. "You have defeated your opponent, and he flees!"
"He shall not escape! I shall Exorcise him and he shall burn with... wait... hey, why can't I exorcise him?"
"Ah, Cathela, you forget: Only the undead can be exorcised!"
"Right, but isn't he..."
"Nay, the Forsaken are not undead."
"But... I mean, look at him. He's a zombie. Maggots crawling through his flesh and everything."
"But nonetheless, he may not be exorcised. Fear not Cathela, he shall meet his end in due course. Remember, patience is..."
"... the way of the Paladin. Right, right."
-----
Hammer of Wrath
Cathela's blow crushed the rogue's shoulder, and he turned to flee, sprinting away from the Paladin.
"Curses! This rogue always escapes before I can finish him!"
"Do not worry, Cathela," Arius consoled her as he received a massage from a scantily-clad elf. "His end will come in due time. Remember, patience is..."
"You know what? Screw patience." Cathela lifted her hammer, feeling it glow with holy power, and flung it at the fleeing assassin. It struck him square in the back, and with a flash of light he fell to the earth.
Arius' face went pale. "Cathela... that's... the teachings of our Order do not include such things!"
"Yeah, well this is something new I just made up. It's called the Hammer of I'm Goddamn Sick and Tired of People Running Away From Me."
"Um... perhaps we'll change the name a bit."
Scenes from a paladin's training.
Autoattack
The young paladin gripped the hammer tightly, her eyes fixed intently on the training dummy.
"Now step into the swing, Cathela. Attack with your entire body."
With a grunt, she lunged forward, the mallet hitting the dummy with a satisfying thump. A smile broke on her face as she stepped backward.
"Very good, my child," Lord Arius intoned. "But don't stop. Swing again."
Cathela lifted the hammer and lunged forward, striking the dummy a second time.
"And again!"
"You mean just the same swing over and over? That's it?"
"Yes, my child. Patience is the way of the Paladin."
-----
Blessing of Might
Cathela's hammer crushed the Kobold's skull, and the creature fell dead at her feet.
"See how the Blessing of Might empowers your blows, Cathela?" Arius asked, leaning casually against the side of the tunnel.
"Indeed, I do!" Cathela lifted her arm, feeling the raw energy of the Light flowing through her muscles. "With such power I can truly smite the... wait... it's gone. What happened?"
"Ah, Cathela, the light only fills thee for a short time."
"But it was like five minutes ago!"
"Indeed. Now you must ask its blessing again."
"Oh. Well can't I just ask it to bless me longer?"
"Nay, Cathela. You must ask again each time for the light to bless you, and then ask the light to bless each of your comrades in arms."
"What? You mean every five minutes I have to bless every single..."
"Cathela! Patience is the way of the Paladin!"
-----
Blessing of Freedom
Cathela hobbled across the tightly-packed dirt of Westfall, her tendons severed by the knife of the Defias raider that lay dead at her feet.
"Now cast the Blessing of Freedom upon thyself," Arius commanded from the top of his hill, "and feel the shackles lifted from thy legs!"
Cathela spoke the holy incantation she'd learned, and the pain in her ankles vanished as she sprinted up the hill to her tutor. "I can feel it!" she exclaimed.
"Indeed, the Blessing of Freedom is a powerful tool."
"I see its usefulness!... Say, what's this jellyfish doing around my feet?"
-----
Seal of Command
Sweat dripped down Cathela's face as she battled the orc among the hills of Redridge.
"The Seal of Command, Cathela!" Arius called from the shade of a nearby tree. "Call upon its might to aid you!"
The proper words brought the Seal forth, and Cathela felt its holy power coursing through her body. With a grunt, she swung and felt her hammer connect once, and then twice, the second blow penetrating the orc's armor and searing it with holy fury. Her enemy fell dead at her feet.
Cathela turned to face Arius, a look of wonder on her face. "Truly the Seal of Command is a marvel if it delivers such holy power with every blow!"
"Nay, Cathela. The Seal doth not empower every swing..."
"Oh, so I must be careful and only use the seal's holy wrath on the blows where I need it most?"
"No, my child. It is not for us to control when the Seal of Command unleashes its power; it is for the Light to decide that. Patience is the way of the Paladin."
"Ahhhh." Cathela nodded her understanding. "But at a the time in the battle when I need the Seal's power the most, the Light will give it to me?"
"Um..."
-----
Exorcism
Cathela's hammer smashed into the chest of the Forsaken assassin, sending him sprawling. She moved to deal the killing blow, but the rogue sprang to his feet and ran in a burst of speed.
"Well done, Cathela!" Arius applauded in between sips of his wine. "You have defeated your opponent, and he flees!"
"He shall not escape! I shall Exorcise him and he shall burn with... wait... hey, why can't I exorcise him?"
"Ah, Cathela, you forget: Only the undead can be exorcised!"
"Right, but isn't he..."
"Nay, the Forsaken are not undead."
"But... I mean, look at him. He's a zombie. Maggots crawling through his flesh and everything."
"But nonetheless, he may not be exorcised. Fear not Cathela, he shall meet his end in due course. Remember, patience is..."
"... the way of the Paladin. Right, right."
-----
Hammer of Wrath
Cathela's blow crushed the rogue's shoulder, and he turned to flee, sprinting away from the Paladin.
"Curses! This rogue always escapes before I can finish him!"
"Do not worry, Cathela," Arius consoled her as he received a massage from a scantily-clad elf. "His end will come in due time. Remember, patience is..."
"You know what? Screw patience." Cathela lifted her hammer, feeling it glow with holy power, and flung it at the fleeing assassin. It struck him square in the back, and with a flash of light he fell to the earth.
Arius' face went pale. "Cathela... that's... the teachings of our Order do not include such things!"
"Yeah, well this is something new I just made up. It's called the Hammer of I'm Goddamn Sick and Tired of People Running Away From Me."
"Um... perhaps we'll change the name a bit."