The Ventucci Bond

The Ventucci family was very proud once the Ventucci rapid fire crossbow with the superior bolts became a household name in the Amphitheatre. Life for the Ventucci family of merchants was peaceful and harmonious. An accomplishment of note! In celebration for fulfilling the vision of the great Giambuono, an annual festival became tradition in Ventucci’s hometown of Rogeosk. Each year celebrations and tributes are held in honour of their great work and achievements. The festivities would last for days! Many fun events were organized and held that attracted apes of all classes and ages. A few of the popular and fun events were:

❖ The beard freezing contest

❖ The fastest sardine eating contest

❖ The biggest bubblegum bubbles

As tradition would have it, the Amphitheatre was also a huge part of the celebrations. An annual honorary battle was held in the Amphitheatre district, and the chosen arena battle fighters were of the highest caliber and skill. Battle fighters trained all year to sharpen their skill and acumen using the Ventucci RF crossbow with the superior bolts. Legend has it only the most agile and graceful of fighters are attuned and in harmony with this superior weapon of choice.

Dempster Ventucci’s gain in popularity disseminated at a rapid rate and in no time, he was inundated with requests for an exclusive interview. Initially, he declined, the modest side of him emerging. Without fail each year, more and more journalists would hound him for that first exclusive interview. Finally, Dempster conceded after having considered his family’s request to oblige. They helped him understand that sharing and engaging with the greater society would only further solidify the ties between the classes which ultimately was best for the greater society.

The only decision left was to choose the journalist who would conduct his very first exclusive interview. He carefully considered the potential incumbents whose names were listed in a dossier prepared by his advisors. One name stood out, Pierson Roberts. This Ape’s resume was impressive. Amongst many accomplishments, Pierson covered the Amphitheatre’s monumental story over the years. And so, without further ado, the interview date, time, and location were set. The interview would take place at one of the Amphitheatre’s private rooms.

The day arrived, and Dempster felt both anxious and excited! He arrived early at the Amphitheatre and decided to roam around amongst the crowd before getting ready for the interview. The atmosphere amongst the crowd, in the stands and stalls was exhilarating. The Amphitheatre entrances were constantly packed as Apes arrived at all times of the day. Dempster just so happened to pass one of the private entrances in time to catch a glimpse of an entourage of professional fighters entering by horseback. The sight of these warriors gave him goosebumps! He saw the impressive body armour they were adorned with and the mighty horse harnesses their horses were protected with. To round it off, this entourage all sported the mighty Ventucci RF crossbow across their chests! Witnessing this gave Dempster an added spring in his step – he was now ready for his interview!

As he sat down in a chair, across from Pierson, he cleared his mind and tried to remain in the present. Pierson introduced himself and thanked Dempster for allowing him to conduct the first exclusive interview. Pierson then reached for his briefcase and removed his ink and notebook, declaring the opening of the interview:

Pierson: “King Dempster Ventucci, it is an honour sir to conduct this interview. Can you tell us what young Dempster was like? May I call you KV for short?

“ KV: “Ha ha, yes you may call me KV. Hmm let me think back. Young Dempster, well he was the son of a hardworking farmer. We grew up in a time when life was quite simple, back on the farm. As a child, I recall having to work hard over the seasons. We grew both winter and spring wheat you see. But for me, this was not enough. I had dreams and aspirations to be more, to learn more and to travel. So, I saved any little penny I earned and after many years I was ready to move on”

Pierson: “Thank you. Where did your travels take you and were there any defining moments that stood out?

“ KV: “I travelled to many places, far and close. I met many fine and sometimes not so fine Apes. I experienced various cultures and will always be humbled by this experience. There were a few defining moments for sure! In the interest of not choosing any favorites, there are two that I would like to mention. One would be the valuable lessons I learned meeting so many Apes of all classes, for this sharpened my trading skills and my trading techniques become known as VenGucciNomics. The other defining moment was visiting the Amphitheatre for the very first time with my dear friend Forbes Baldwin. This opened the door to a long and fruitful bond that our family dearly cherishes.

” Pierson: “That is an amazing journey for the Ventucci’s and their King! My next question will be centered around your family sponsorship of your chosen weapon. Why did you choose the crossbow and bolts?

“ KV: “Well the answer is easy! All those years ago, back on the family farm, I helped a Military Officer repair his carriage and he gifted me his personal crossbow as gratitude. It is me who is eternally grateful! For that crossbow inspired me to reconfigure and re-engineer the original weapon with the bolts, that today is a masterpiece. The rest as they are history.”

Pierson: “Indeed, the rest is history! What do you foresee as the next step for Ventucci’s and the Amphitheatre?

“ KV: “Our relationship with the Amphitheatre is very important to us. We saw the vision very early on. Our sponsorship for the weapon blueprints was a very easy decision. In fact, I would like to take this opportunity to announce that we will be sponsoring a further amount of $Society that will increase our total to 250 000 $Society toward the crossbow bolts. This will elevate us to a Majestic Noble sponsorship and our weapon will be at a 75% weapon effectiveness. Again, a very easy decision for our family and one which we do with pride!”

Pierson: “That is amazing! And a huge congratulations to the Ventucci family. In closing, are there any last words you would like to say King?

“ KV: “Yes Pierson I would. First, I would like to thank you for your professional conduct and candid approach. Then, in closing may I say that we are immensely grateful to Beltran White, the Grand Architect of the Amphitheatre for his grand vision. And may our Society go from strength to strength!

” Pierson stood up, thanked Dempster for his time and shook his hand. A few weeks later word arrived that the article would be published in both the local and national gazettes. And so, it came to pass. A piece of Ventucci history will forever live on!