Hellstorm goes ruthlessly primordial as its next combatants step up to the arena! The Venator, brutal animal-slaying entertainer of the Roman Coliseum, who fought the likes of tigers, lions, and elephants, turns his weapons on the Giant Short-Faced Bear, predatory prehistoric powerhouse that dominated the North American Ice Age through sheer size and heightened senses! It's the professional exterminator against a legendary beast he's never dreamed of battling! Claws will slash, flesh will fly, and some will die, but only one can be the deadliest warrior!
Venator[]
Although technically not a class of gladiator, the Venator is a specialized public fighter who fought in the Coliseum against wild animals. Armed with a spear and a net, the Venator engaged in combat with exotic animals such as bears, lions, and elephants. Assisted by a bestiarius gladiator who carried a whip, the Venator was one of the more specialized fighters to grace the Coliseum; it is estimated that over 9,000 animals were killed by Venator gladiators.
| Category: | Weapons/Armor: |
|---|---|
| Short Range | Whip (carried by Bestiarius), Weighted Net (carried by Venator) |
| Mid Range | Spear (carried by both men) |
| Armor | Leather tunic, bronze arm and leg greaves, leather boots |
Giant Short-Faced Bear[]
In North America during the last Ice Age, a Giant ruled the snows. Its name was Arctodus Simus, The Giant Short Faced Bear. From Texas to Alaska it strolled the frozen world, bullying American lions, Saber and Scimitar Toothed Cats, Dire wolves, and Grizzly Bears from their kills. When it walked on all fours, it reached 5-6 feet tall, and when rearing up, reached 14 feet high. The largest individuals, subspecies Arcotuds Simus Yukonesis, reached 2,205 lbs.
| Category: | Weapons/Abilities: |
|---|---|
| Short Range | Its "bone-crushing" jaws |
| Mid Range | Its claws (on its paws, obviously, which can reach) |
| Abilities | Super size and strength (14 feet tall when standing upright, 2,205 lbs), super sense of smell (can sense dead carcasses 10 miles away), immense stamina |
X-Factors[]
Consider these following X-Factors when casting your vote:
Psychological Warfare
Which warrior is more mentally susceptible to the other's attacks? Keep in mind both of these warriors are masters of psychological warfare, so expect the winner in this category to have a very marginal victory.
Strategy
Which warrior can form a more solid game-plan beforehand, and which warrior is more adaptable to changing their plans if things go south?
Combat Experience
Which warrior has more experience fighting other combat-capable warriors?
Endurance
Which warrior can sustain physical damage for a longer amount of time before giving in?
Intelligence
Which warrior is more intelligent in the battle space? Which warrior will be able to figure out their foe and exploit their weaknesses first?
Creativity
Which warrior will be able to use the environment and any other X-Factors in the area to their advantage more successfully?
Weapon Use
Which warrior is more skilled in the usage of their weapons?
Brutality
Which warrior is more physically brutal in the battle space?
Battle[]
The sun shines brightly on the sand of the arena, blazing hot onto the shoulders of the two gladiators who step confidently out into public view. The crowd roars its approval of the champions, a defeaning boom that continues for minutes as the venators raise their weapons high in the air. The Coliseum's fighting pit is littered with the corpses of fallen fighters, and the venatio is a welcome respite from the man-on-man slugfests. Rumors have spread of a new, wild beast unheard of for centuries, captured and brought to the games to thrill and shock the Roman citizens.
A massive iron gate is slowly raised and from the shadows of the chambers within, a massive hairy form slides forth, limp, chained, and defeated. The Giant Short-Faced Bear squints and struggles to its feet as the harsh light and raucous crowd assault its senses, but it is still stunned from its "sedation" at the hands of its captors. The chains are released and the animal escorts dash back to the safety of the gate, which is quickly lowered and slams shut with a clang. The venator nods to the bestiarius and the two circle the bear, sizing up their impressively-sized foe. The bestiarius raises his whip and slaps it across the bear's face, to the approval of the crowd. Backing up, the bestiarius drops his whip and raises his spear at an angle, nodding to the venator. They've rehearsed this show tens of times - the thrill of the hunt is gone, and the fights are now boring routine.
The venator circles the bear clockwise while the bestiarius does so in the opposite direction. The GSFB is recovering from its concussion, though, and quickly, too. It lets out a confused growl, too low to break throught the crowd. Retreating into the wall of the circular arena, it finds itself closer to the noise and even more frightened, so it stands up on its hind legs (still unable to reach the spectating area) and roars, to the thrill of the public. The bestiarius grows bold and rushes forward, plunging the spear into the exposed underbelly of the GSFB. It promptly falls forward and lands on its paws, the shaft of the spear snapping, leaving the spear-tip buried in its body. The bestiarius discards the useless broken spear and turns to run for his whip. The GSFB lunges forward, paws outstretched, and lands hard on the disarmed gladiator. His armor managed to prevent the claws from slicing through, but the weight is too much and he is crushed under the 1-ton bear. The effects are gruesome - bodily matter spurts out through cracked openings in his armor, blood pooling out from every opening in the bestiarius' broken body. The crowd thunders its approval at the first kill.
The venator dashes to the side as the GSFB charges, still disoriented and dripping blood from its stomach wound. The bear blindly careens past the gladiator and slams into the arena wall, cracking the thick stone. Shaking its head and slightly injured thanks to its now agitated head wound, the bear focuses its vision on the only conceivable source of torment it can fathom - the venator. Bloody saliva drips from its mouth as it roars and makes another charge, only to take a thrown net to the face. The net wasn't especially heavy or thick, but it came unexpected and halted the bear in its tracks as it flailed and raised its paws to its face.
Desperate to take advantage of this moment, the venator dashes forward and drives his spear home, right into the bear's chest. Pushing with all his might, he manages to twist the shaft a few inches into the bear's thick hide, but runs out of strength as the adrenaline wears off. The crowd falls hushed momentarily, leaning forward to watch the coup de grace. Exhausted, the venator can only look up and watch, eyes weary and defeated, as the furious giant short-faced bear lunges forward with an open mouth full of teeth.
WINNER: GIANT SHORT-FACED BEAR
Expert's Opinion[]
The venator and bestiarius were no match for the bear, simply because their weapons were too primitive to do any real damage, and their armor wasn't durable enough to hold up against the bear's claws and teeth. Although arena fighting may have disoriented and frightened the bear, a cornered animal is the most dangerous, and it used that fight-or-flight mentality to tear its attackers to shreds.