Okay...I think I need to explain myself.
First off, I am so glad to see that no one was personally offended by my anger-toned message. I posted it quickly before rushing off to work, and I did not even take the time to second guess my words.
(I greatly discourage the use of profanity...even bleeped out profanity, as I feel they convey nothing but irrational anger and serve no good purpose, so I am really dissapointed in myself for phrasing my opinion so harshly.)
Now...I've been dwelling on this topic all day while at work, trying to figure out why I've gotten so worked up about it, and I eventually figured out the answer.
When it comes to the question of whether or not a Human can hold his/her own against a werewolf (or a bear or a cougar), it is not really the interpretation of the werewolf that I was getting so worked up about. It was the HUMAN factor.
...as it just so happens...
I AM HUMAN
...and it means very much to me to maintain the belief that, as a Human, I am
capable of great things.
Excelsia wrote:In all of my previous posts, all I wanted was werewolves who can defeat all human foes. That hardly constitutes invincibility. Tigers, elephants, gorillas, grizzly bears, and male buffaloes are all capable of destroying any human in hand-to-hand combat (you know what I mean) but that doesn't make them invincible. None of these creatures are even remotely invincible. My vision of werewolves would have been that they could defeat all humans, but not all animals in general. Sure, they could hold their own against a lion, tiger, or bear, but not necessarily. Anyway, those are my thoughts on werewolf 'invincibility'. Invincible to humans (in hand to hand) but not invincible overall.
And yes, it is very very hard for me to let go of the idea that werewolves can defeat all humans. I find the idea of a human defeating a werewolf almost offensive. To me, that'd be like some guy saying "Yeah, I took down a bear last week." ...If indeed this occurs, I think it should be coupled with a lot of good fortune on the human's part. I want the audience to think, "Well, that human guy is pretty strong, but if that bucket hadn't fallen on that werewolf's head he might be dead." Luck should play a factor (IMO) in a battle in which a human beats a werewolf, not merely fighting prowess.
I also happen to find it
very offensive to have it suggested that, being a human, I am a puny helpless weakling who is no threat whatsoever to the next nearest competitors at the top of the food chain, unless some "freak accident" happens to occur to defeat my opponent for me.
I
know this is not true, and am confused as to why you are so eager and insistant to classify
your own species as
physically helpless.
(
The average human being has enough strength in their body to break a lions or a bears bones with well placed blows, almost as easily as they can break those of another human. Though, admitably, a humans agility may not be as great as many preditors, it is not so far inferior that they would be incapable of outmanuvering those creatures, especially with our superior capacity to anticipate the creatrues movements, and knowlage of the effects of momentum on a swift moving body.
...and, (though I am definately "reaching" here), though the strength in the human jaw is but a small fraction of that of a Wolf or Bear or great Cat, if driven to it, a human is capable of ripping live flesh from a crature with thier teeth.
In nature, the bigger fish almost allways eats the smaller fish, and the bigger predetor nearly allways pushes the smaller ones around, but when human-like inteligence becomes involved, this "rule of thumb" no longer ramains as valid. The Neanderthals were bigger and stronger than the Cro-Magnon species of pre-humans but it was the smaller Cro-Magnons who went on to survive and become our ancestors. (If you beleive in evolution. If not...well...I guess I'm just talking nonsense to you...)
In the Human world, it is far less often true that the bigger, stonger opponent will more often come out the victor in combat. More often it is the one who fights "smarter" who comes out victorious.
Therefore...if you take an ordinary human...make them bigger, stronger, faster and give them claws and sharp teeth...thier only advantage remains their Brute Strength, while the inteligence remains equal between them and their Human opponent.
Granted...and "Advantage" is still an "Advantage", and this will enevitably lead to a greater rate of success on the part of the Werwolves. However, so long as a werwolves bones are not made of unbreakable Adamantium, and bloodloss still is a weakening condition, and their bodies nervous system is still succeptable to "blunt force trama" (blow to the back of the head/Neck...strike at the knees, elbows, shoulderblades, tail-bone...and all of the other vunerable joints and pressure points that exist on EVERY vertibrate mammal on the planet.), then it would be possible for an "average" human to take a werwolf down.
...as unlikely as it would be for one of us to do so before we got our guts sliced open, it would be possible.)
...long story short
(Too Late), I am
not trying to contest the notion that werwolves should be powerful, fearsome beings.
What I
AM trying to do is reinforce the notion that "regular humas"
Are in-fact formidable fighters...even when un-armed.
It is a Matter of Pride.
...we stand at the top of the food chain for a reason. How could we have stayed here so long if we were so uttlerly helpless?