As someone on the receiving end of this more often than not, I've never thought to question it's purpose. It's there to ensure that someone ships when you kill them.

Or to at least do your best to. It's to deprive them of a fair chance to get their defences up. Post popular trigger attacks when people are seem to be ordering them to chant eq, sometimes zahir, and sometimes double quirrog. Actually ignore that last one, that's just Gaar but he uses double Quirrog on practically every jab as it is.

If it's a question of stopping this from happening, then perhaps when you take your first breath of life, a ten second divine protection would be usful? This would throw city enemies of the city and give them a chance to flee perhaps, or simply give 10 seconds to prepare for another bout.

Result would be a lot less shipping I guess.

Clansman Grymauch, Paladin of Springdale

Written by my hand on the 18th of Eleuthral, in the year 1132.