Difference between revisions of "User:Ammcclain15/kaladin"

 
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{{quote|It’s good to care when you fight, so long as you don’t let it consume you. Don’t try to stop yourself from feeling. You’ll hate who you become.|Tukks to Kaladin on his first day of training{{book ref|sa1|27}}}}
 
==== Tien's Death ====
[[File: Tien%27s_death.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Kaladin after Tien’s death by [[User: Exmakina]] ]]
 
==== Tien's Death ====
 
Despite [[Amaram]]’s promise to [[Lirin]], the older messenger boys, including [[Tien]], were soon organized into several squads of reserve units to make up for a shortfall in recruitment. [[Dalar]] assured Kaladin that these squads would not see combat unless the army is in serious danger. Less than four months after his enlistment, Kaladin took part in his third real battle. Amaram’s army was attempting to hold a hilltop, but as the battle deteriorated, messenger boys were assigned to [[Sheler]]'s company. Hearing that the messenger squad was sent to the front, Kaladin ran recklessly through the battlefield in an attempt to reach his brother. On the southeast side of the hill, Squadleader [[Varth]] placed Tien and two other boys in the front lines, successfully using them as bait. Kaladin, killing a man for the first time during his run, reached Tien only after he had been killed. Weeping and bleeding from wounds taken during his run, he hugged Tien’s dead body until long past the end of the battle.{{book ref|sa1|67}}
==== Stormblessed ====
Kaladin sent a letter to his parents informing them of [[Tien]]’s death and his decision not to return to [[Hearthstone]]. He spent the next year driving himself to exhaustion every day on the practice yard, vowing vengeance and never letting another person die because of his lack of skill. He became the best spearman in his company and was rumored to be the best in the entire army.{{book ref|sa1|47}}{{book ref|sa1|63}} He eventually met [[Tarah]], the daughter of an assistant quartermaster, who coaxed Kaladin out of his single-mindedness, claiming it would burn him out. The two became romantically involved, but they separated soon after she was transferred to a scribe’s job in Mourn’s Vault. Kaladin blamed himself for their failed relationship, knowing that he’d been stupid not to send responses to her letters.{{book ref|sa2|68}}{{book ref|sa3|112}} He later joined the [[Takers]] under [[Tukks]]' leadership. There, Kaladin met [[Durk]], who became a mentor to him. Durk was impressed with Kaladin’s abilities, considering him a natural born soldier, an artist with a spear.{{book ref|sa1|46}} Unfortunately, every member of the Takers was eventually killed with Kaladin being the lone survivor. At the age of eighteen, Kaladin was promoted to squadleader, marking him the youngest one in the army and becoming known as Kaladin Stormblessed.{{book ref|sa1|2}}
 
[[File:Stormblessed by BBQShapez.png|300px|thumb|left|Kaladin, Cenn, and Dallet on the battlefield by [[User: Exmakina]] ]]
 
==== Fighting the Shardbearer ====
Four years later, in {{Rosharan date|1172|10}}, Kaladin fought his final battle in [[Amaram]]’s army. Prior to the battle, Kaladin met with a Squadleader [[Gare]] and two of his sergeants. Kaladin bribed Gare to transfer [[Cenn]], a young and inexperienced soldier, to Kaladin’s own squad, whom he entrusted to his sergeant [[Dallet]]. He also bribed the surgeons to give priority to his men. While bribing the surgeons, the money pouch stuck to his hand by what Kaladin assumed to be a [[windspren]], although it was actually his first meeting with [[Sylphrena]]. After consulting with Dallet, Kaladin went to the front lines to prepare for battle.{{book ref|sa1|47}}
 
{{sidequote
| We’re taking him. Imagine it Dallet. Real soldiers. A war camp with discipline and lighteyes with integrity. A place where our fighting will mean something.
| Kaladin to Dallet before attacking the battalionlord {{book ref|sa1|47}}
|left|240px;}}
 
Once the signal to march was given, Kaladin’s well-disciplined squad used non-standard tactics to avoid taking any casualties. However, the larger battle didn’t go nearly as well. When the larger body of [[Amaram]]’s forces broke, Kaladin’s squad was left in the middle of the enemy. During the chaos, Kaladin single-handedly defeated six men to save Cenn, who had been stranded alone without the rest of the squad.{{book ref|sa1|1}} After treating [[Cenn]], Kaladin saw an enemy battalionlord and decided to kill him, hoping such a feat would get him transferred to the [[Shattered Plains]], where Kaladin believed the real fight and honorable men can be found. Kaladin and two of his subsquads executed their plan flawlessly, with Kaladin himself landing the killing blow on the enemy battalionlord.{{book ref|sa1|47}}
 
Kaladin fought with amazing prowess, his natural talents enhanced to unnatural levels by [[Stormlight]]. He single-handedly engaged and defeated dozens of [[Parshendi]]. Kaladin and his men held the bridge until [[Dalinar]]’s soldiers were able to fight their way to them. During the brief respite, the bridgeleader checked on his men, learning they had suffered three casualties and several injuries. Kaladin organized the retreat, putting [[Teft]] in charge of the bridgemen and keeping [[Moash]] by his side. Upon closer inspection of the [[Alethi]] soldiers, Kaladin realized that neither Highprince Dalinar nor [[Adolin]] were with them. Heading back to the front lines, Kaladin found the [[Cobalt Guard]], the group sworn to protect Adolin, still fighting. Knowing they wouldn’t leave without their highprince, Kaladin searched for Adolin and ordered him to retreat. However, Adolin refused to leave without his father. Kaladin convinced him to go with Moash while he went to retrieve Dalinar. He leapt over the chasm to where Dalinar was fighting with [[Eshonai]], both of whom were utilizing a full set of [[Shards]]. Fighting a [[Shardbearer]] for a second time, Kaladin rescued Dalinar and retreated with what remained of his army. Dalinar commended Kaladin for his actions and promised that he would ensure their safety from [[Sadeas]].{{book ref|sa1|68}}
 
====A promise kept====
When they arrived back at the warcamps, Kaladin and the rest of [[Bridge Four]] accompanied [[Dalinar]] to confront [[Sadeas]]. Dalinar offered to pay an exorbitant sum of money, sixty emerald broams each, for the freedom of the bridgemen, but Sadeas refused. Finally, Dalinar offered his Shardblade [[Oathbringer]] in exchange for the men, which proved to be an offer Sadeas couldn’t refuse. With the deal made, Dalinar walked up to a shocked Kaladin and instructed him to gather the men he left behind and return to his warcamp. Later that night, Dalinar offered to make the bridgemen soldiers in his army, with Bridge Four becoming his personal guard. Kaladin accepted an appointment to the rank of captain, agreeing after Dalinar promised him an extraordinary amount of authority and autonomy for a [[darkeyes]].{{book ref|sa1|69}}{{book ref|sa1|73}}
 
=== Kholin's Bodyguard (1173—) ===
[[File: Kaladin paint portrait.png|thumb|right||<center><small>by [[Coppermind: Artists/Exmakina|Exmakina]]</small></center> Kaladin wearing his Captain's uniform.]]
 
==== Rebuilding the army ====
 
After the massive casualties at the [[Battle of the Tower]], Kaladin was tasked with turning the remaining bridgemen into a standing army. He promoted [[Teft]], [[Moash]], [[Skar]], [[Rock]] and [[Sigzil]] to lieutenants, a rank between captain and sergeant, to form a command structure for a thousand men. More specifically, Kaladin named Rock quartermaster, with [[Lopen]] as his second, and appointed Sigzil to be their clerk as he was the only one who could read glyphs. He put Teft in charge of training, suggesting that he combine the remaining bridgemen into twenty crews and train two members in each to go back and train the others. Kaladin promised a few men to assist Teft, but explained that would have to do as most of [[Bridge Four]], including Moash and Skar, would be needed to keep Dalinar alive. Without the highprince, Kaladin feared that the bridgemen would just be sold back to [[Sadeas]] by his successor. With word spreading that the emperor of [[Azir]] was dead at the hands of the [[Assassin in White]], Kaladin reminded Teft that the assassin had already killed [[Gavilar]] and they just had to hope he was done. Regardless, they had to protect Dalinar at all costs.{{book ref|sa2|2}}
 
==== Freedom, Bridge Four ====
 
Once in agreement, they rounded up the rest of the men in [[Bridge Four]] and went to get their slave brands covered with tattoos. [[Hobber]] sat down first, with each man following, receiving tattoos that said “Freedom, Bridge Four.” Sitting down last, Kaladin closed his eyes and waited for the tattooist to finish. She cursed, revealing that the tattoo ink wouldn’t take. Kaladin sighed, realizing he was unconsciously holding [[Stormlight]] in his veins. He banished the Stormlight and she tried again, the ink taking this time. He looked in the mirror, seeing his slave brands covered up for a moment. [[Syl]] landed on his shoulder and he unconsciously sucked in Stormlight which melted the tattoo. The tattooist cursed again and picked up her rag, preparing to try again. However, Kaladin insisted that it was fine and tossed a small bag of spheres to the tattooist.{{book ref|sa2|2}}
 
{{quote
| The scars haven’t finished with me yet, it appears. I’ll try again another time.
| Kaladin to the rest of Bridge Four when his tattoo melted away{{book ref|sa2|2}}}}
 
Upon [[Bridge Four]]’s return to the barracks, [[Rind]] was waiting for them with their new [[Cobalt Guard]] uniforms. While the men eagerly tried on their uniforms, [[Teft]] hesitated, unsure if he deserved to wear something like this again. Kaladin objected, saying the uniform was what he was and not to let the slave rule him. Teft countered, asking Kaladin when he was going to admit he was doing the same thing. Teft tried to convince him that he needed to show [[Dalinar]] that he was a [[Surgebinder]] and a [[lighteyes]]. However, Kaladin confessed that he had everything taken away from him by the lighteyes and for now, he couldn’t let them take this too. Dropping the subject, Teft put on his uniform and joined the others. With the uniforms sorted out, the men cut off the insignia of the Cobalt Guard, declaring themselves Bridge Four.{{book ref|sa2|2}}
 
====Becoming what Dalinar needs====
Kaladin set up rotations to protect [[Dalinar]], always assigning himself, [[Moash]], or [[Skar]] for the Blackthorn. After a small council, Dalinar wished for Kaladin and his best men to take on more duties extending to protecting [[Navani]], his sons and eventually King [[Elhokar]] himself. Dalinar confessed that there may have already been an attempt on the king’s life when the gemstones on his [[Shardplate]] seemed to be sabotaged. Unsure of who to trust, Dalinar asked Kaladin to familiarize himself with how the King’s Guard works and to learn from them. Once their training was complete, Kaladin would be in charge of a new group guarding the king consisting of some of the old King’s Guard and Kaladin’s own men. Kaladin worried that his men were stretched thin, but Dalinar said he was not alone in that problem.{{book ref|sa2|4}}{{book ref|sa2|5}}
 
During a trip to the chasms, Kaladin asked [[Syl]] what she thought about Dalinar’s plan to reform the [[Knights Radiant]]. She exclaimed that not only was it a wonderful idea, but she was jealous that he thought of it first. He then asked her if a spren could be writing the glyphs on the wall. While she didn’t know, Syl admitted that she had seen a spren like red lightning, a dangerous spren. Kaladin asked Syl if there were more like him. Though she expected the question, she didn’t answer him at first. She eventually told him that there were others like him as spren, those she didn’t know, tried to reclaim what was lost. Syl goes on to say that Kaladin has to become what Dalinar is looking for and not to make him search in vain.{{book ref|sa2|9}}
 
While in the chasms, [[Sigzil]] conducted some baseline tests of Kaladin’s [[Surgebinding]] abilities with [[Rock]] and [[Lopen]]’s assistance. They had to rely on counting as Sigzil didn’t have a proper clock to time Kaladin, nor did he even know how to measure [[Stormlight]]. Kaladin suggested that they use chips since they were weighed before being encased in glass. However, Sigzil worried that he was wasting Kaladin’s time as there was still so much about [[Stormlight]] that they didn’t know. [[Lopen]] reassured him that it wasn’t a waste and asked if Kaladin could stick him to the wall. Able to do so, [[Rock]] commented that this skill could be very useful in battle. They continued to experiment further with his new abilities, the others taking up spears to test him. Just like with his spear, Kaladin knew these new abilities would take lots of practice. This meant Kaladin would have to find a new person like himself to spar with. Calling it a day, the men returned to the warcamp and to the news that a hero had come to the [[Shattered Plains]]. Kaladin’s heart became ice when he heard the hero was none other than Highlord [[Amaram]], the man who stole Kaladin’s [[Shardblade]] and branded him a slave.{{book ref|sa2|12}}
 
====Unprepared====
Seven days after [[Amaram]]’s arrival, Kaladin went with [[Moash]], [[Drehy]], and five other men to the sparring grounds to guard the [[Kholin]] sons. The ardent asked what kinds of danger Kaladin expected, but after a word from him, she acquiesced and accommodated the men. Kaladin pointed out watch locations for the men, but Moash hung back asking Kaladin about Amaram. Kaladin admitted to being in his army and it being the last place he fought before becoming a slave. Moash promised him that they would take down [[Sadeas]], Amaram, and any others that had wronged them. As Kaladin walked the practice grounds, [[Syl]] asked Kaladin if he wanted to talk about the situation with [[Dalinar]] and Amaram. Kaladin declined, knowing that Dalinar would not believe him if he spoke out against a [[lighteyes]] and the highprince’s friend. Instead, he walked to meet [[Adolin]] and [[Renarin]], telling them they would watch the area, much to Adolin’s dismay. As Syl and Kaladin talked about the origin of [[Shards]], the latter noticed a man moving in the shadows. Kaladin engaged the man who introduced himself as [[Zahel]]. Unbeknownst to Kaladin, Zahel was the swordmaster who taught Adolin, Renarin, and other lighteyes.{{book ref|sa2|16}}
 
[[Zahel]] tried to convince Kaladin to train under him so that he could learn how to fight Shardbearers, arguing that his battlefield training wouldn’t be enough. Kaladin declined, not wanting to be associated with Shardblades. Zahel implored him to reconsider, challenging Kaladin to spar, telling the latter to convince him to leave him alone. Zahel dropped the blade and slammed Kaladin to the ground with his fists. Getting back to his feet, Kaladin assumed a defensive stance, thinking at some point, Zahel would get tired. The swordmaster told Kaladin that if he was wearing Plate, he wouldn’t tire. Kaladin countered that if that was the case, he would use a different tactic. Zahel told him that if this really was an assassination attempt, he would use a different tactic, too. With that, Zahel charged [[Renarin]], causing Kaladin to dash towards the prince. The swordmaster stopped, spinning to swing at Kaladin, eventually taking him to the ground, defeating him. Zahel asked Kaladin what would have happened if there were two assassins. [[Adolin]] agreed, causing Kaladin to charge him. The highprince soundly defeated Kaladin, leaving him with more than just physical bruises. Zahel chastised Adolin, sending him to help Renarin. Leaning down to Kaladin, Zahel told him he had tenacity, citing that he must have fought Shardbearers before since he didn’t flinch when the blade came toward him. Ultimately, Zahel said he wouldn’t force Kaladin to learn under him, but that the captain hardly knew what he was doing against Shardbearers. Once alone, Kaladin questioned [[Syl]] on what happened, explaining that the [[Stormlight]] just left him. Syl asked him who he was protecting. He didn’t know as he walked over to check on [[Moash]], drawing in Stormlight to heal his shoulder and bruises.{{book ref|sa2|18}}
 
== Attributes and Abilities ==
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