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He has been active in the SHR for years, and is a consistent winner in the Roman Gladiator-Division in the combat exhibition tournaments. He fights in the style of a Retiarius, limited by rules to minimal body armor, and allowed to start a bout with only trident, net. and dagger for both offense and defense. Back when death was the usual consequence of a loss in the arena, Retiarius was not the most popular style.
Georgetown, University of Athens and Conrad had recently co-sponsored an expedition to Mt. Olympus in Greece. Conrad had discovered an unusual road near the summit of the mountain. Unusual because it had clearly been well used in the time of the Greek ascendancy, but, it passed between the columns of a shattered arch which was at the edge of a1000 foot cliff. Why had the ancient Greeks built and used a roadway that ran off a cliff? Investigations showed no wreckage at the foot of that cliff as Conrad would have expected if, for example, this roadway had been used for sacrifices.
After weeks of painstaking searching, Conrad was able to recover most of the shattered pieces of the columns and arch, including the capstone, and he reubuilt the monument. When the recovered capstone was replaced, the view through the arch changed. Instead of a cliff, the road continued, spiral up and around the mountain. Rather than being near the summit, the mountain on the 'other side' continued to rise as far as the eye could see! Conrad had discovered an entrance to the legendary Mount Olympus home of the Greek Gods.
On the road on the other side of the arch, there was evidence of a ancient battle – twisted, shattered skeletons in corroded or rotting armor surrounded by broken weapons and shields. The armor and weapons looked Greek, and assuming that time on the other side of the arch passed at the same rate as time on this side, this battle had probably occurred at just about the same time that the arch had originally been destroyed. Conrad was about to pass through the arch and begin exploring the mythical Mount Olympus when a lightning bolt blasted the arch from the mythical side, destroying it again, and incidentally sending a message to Conrad – “Leave us alone!” However, perhaps as a bribe towards his future good behavior, a single artifact was blasted through the arch before the magical gateway was closed again.
Conrad recovered this artifact, and discovered that it was an intact girdle. Made of leather, worked with gold, it was as flexible and untarnished as the day it had been created. The emblem on the 'stomach shield' was a stylized hawk, the sign of Hippolyta. When Conrad tried on this girdle, he found that it provided him with great strength and great resistance to damage. This was likely the same magical girdle that Hippolyta had given to Hercules, so long ago!
When he returned to Georgetown, he took the capstone with him, as his way of thanking the Greek gods for their gift. No future archaeologists would be able to restore the magical doorway without the capstone, thus insuring their privacy.
Back in Normerica, Conrad used his engineering skills to develop some powerful Retiarius-style weapons to complement the belt. The SHR was in the process of creating a division for ‘super powered’ combat, and Conrad was looking forward to winning that division as well.
When Sabbac attacked Washdist, Conrad was returning from an SHR tournament in Virginia. A Gladiator at heart, he donned his new gear and began a new career.
A magical item that gives the wearer vastly enhanced strength and limited invulnerability. How strong and how invulnerable are not determined yet
Energy Net:
a small device attached to the Girdle creates Energy Nets. Gladiator wears a Gauntlet of Force that allows him to hold and cast these Energy Nets without being affected by them. Gladiator uses an Energy Net to entangle his opponents' weapons, to encumber and capture opponents, and he can also throw them with considerable accuracy.
Each net is composed of strands of energy, and the net itself is very resistant to damage. And Gladiator can command the net to deliver a stunning energy discharge to whoever or whatever it touches. He also mentally controls the size of the net, from the size of a Frisbee to approximately 10 feet in diameter.
After a net has discharged, it vanishes, and a new net reforms hanging from Gladiator's belt. The new net is 'neutral' until Gladiator activates it by detaching it from his belt with the Gauntlet of Force. Gladiator can dissipate a net with a mental command.
The belt device can sustain two Energy Nets at one time.
Gauntlet of Force:
A glove on Gladiator’s left hand, the Gauntlet allows him to safely handle a charged Energy Net. He can also fire an energy pulse similar to the discharge of one of the Nets, or deliver that pulse to anything in Gladiator's grasp.
Additionally the Gauntlet is very damage resistant, making Gladiator's hand/Gauntlet much more invulnerable than the rest of him.
Power Trident
A long spear with three tines. Each of the tines is a dart gun, with the clip of darts concealed in the handle of the Trident. Gladiator can also use the trident as an offensive and defensive weapon, and it can also fire Force Pulses similar to those of the Gauntlet. Gladiator normally employs the trident in his right hand. Dagger:
Gladiator carries a dagger, but the powers of the dagger are still undefined.
Power Boots:
Gladiator’s Boots are made of the same damage resistant material as his Gauntlet
Enhanced Sensory Goggles:
Gladiator wears a set of technically advanced goggles, which cover his eyes and ears. These goggles allow him to see in the dark and haze, protect him from very bright lights, amplify his hearing and protect him from loud noises.
The goggles can also project a holographic heads-up display that only he can see, which allows him to see what is behind him without turning his head, and have built in radar and sonar.
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