Minotaur

History:

Legends speak of a human called Minaus being the forefather of the Horned
Ones. Minaus was born into a human tribe of nomads that resided within
the lush forests that once existed between the dragon teeth mountains and
Miruvhor. Not much is recorded of his childhood, but that he grew into a
proud and violent barbarian leader - learned in the ways of the Berserker.
Minaus was known to charge into battle with his trademark dual axes, so
consumed by bloodlust that once or twice he would inadvertantly strike down
an ally. None dared intrude upon their territory and life was good; but
all good things in Aabahran must come to an end - and it is usually abrupt
and brutal.

As the Lunar Triad aligned, and the gateway to the rift opened, Minaus's
home took the brunt of the first wave of Chaos. Though the majority of his
tribesmen died within a blink of an eye, Minaus and his best warriors stood
fierce and stubborn, causing so many casualties in the seemingly endless
demon army that it impressed the entity known as Crypticant. Sensing so
much violence and chaos within the heart of Minaus, the Crypticant did not
kill him, but left him and his men to die along with his forest home. Yet
the Demon was not the only deity impressed by Minaus. The fleeting spirit
of the forest poured its last magics into Minaus, transforming him into a
creature fitting of such rage - the body of a man, but the upper torso of
a bull. Thus, Minaus came the first Minotaur - the name being derived from
a shortened version of Minaus's Tribe in the ancient tongue. The remaining
warriors were then changed to match their leader's appearance, and their
forest homeland was soon corrupted by the Chaos energy, becoming the desert
wasteland that is now known as the Forsaken Lands.

Instead of falling into despair, Minaus accepted his new form and moved his
people out of the deserts, across the Dragon Teeth mountains, and into the
Alpines. He spawned many litters and the race grew. After the passing of
Minaus, who some minotaurs believe ascended into the heavens, a Minotaur
by the name of Mahun rose to power, assuming leadership of the Herd. Much
of his reign has been lost to history, but it is known that during his 30th
year in power, his son Tahros challenged him for leadership. After a bloody
match lasting several hours, the son of Mahun struck a fatal blow on his
father.

In the year 900, Mahn-Tor's son, Prince Zaar would finally usurp his father.
Zaar quickly gained the popularity of his people for the annihilation of
the elven homeland. Hailed as a war Hero, he was dubiously absent from his
Father's side during the subsequent invasion of Maelbrim. The minotaurs were
forced to retreat and what happened next has had few eye-witnesses. Upon
returning to Mahn-Tor, the gates were immediately sealed for two years. Some
would claim that Zaar, who protested the invasion of Maelbrim, challenged and
defeated his father in open combat. Others would claim more nefarious deeds
were involved. One thing is certain, when the city reoppened its doors, it
had a new leader in Mahn-Zaar, along with a new name, Minoma.

Usual Height:

Above human, below Ogre

Hometown:

Minoma

Religion:

Minotaurs are not a deeply religious society as a whole. A small group,
however, does worship the first Minotaur, Minaus, as a minor deity. It has
become common practice to use his name when making oaths.

Minotaurs have the upper body of a bull, and the form of a man. This means
that minotaurs have snouts and horns atop their head. The curl of the horn
differs from minotaur to minotaur - some curl upwards, while others curl
outwards. Minotaurs are covered with fur from the top of the shoulders and
up, and also from midshin down. They do not have human feet, but hooves.
The amount of hair and fur on the torso will vary depending on where the
minotaur is from, some will be more covered with more fur than others on
their humanoid torso.

Society:

Minotaurs live in groupings called Herds, the largest known being Minoma.
The Leader of the Herd carries the title of Mahn, much like the title of
King or Czar. They are a combative race and very quick to ire. Minotaurs
take much pride in their horns, and in certain circles, their horns are
related to fertility. Promiscuity runs rampant in the men, with each Bull
never pledging himself to a single female. Despite their bovine appearance,
one of the most egregious insults to a Minotaur is Cow. With their foul
temper, they have been known to strike down anyone making this mistake with
hardly a word spoken. Minotaurs are fond of piercings, wearing the nose
ring as a sign of reaching maturity. Some minotaurs forego this practice,
believing it to be archaic.

Relationships with Other Races:

The minotaurs are not very trusting of anyone outside of the Herd. Due to
recent conflicts caused by the Minotaur destruction of the Elven City of
Shasarazade, tensions between the Elves and Minotaurs have escalated into
an all time high. Minotaurs tend to get along with Giants and Ogres quite
well due to their common propensity for combat. They also have moderately
good relations with werebeasts and ferals. The Minotaurs feel these races
to be kindred spirits due to the animal-like humanoid appearances.