Minotaur

Illus. by Brandon "Rogue" Williams

Description
Body of a man and head of a bull, these brutal warriors are stacked with muscles and a powerful physique. They stand about 7’ to 8’ tall, and the two large horns that grace the top of their head adds extra inches to their already overbearing stature. Their nose and mouth are jut forward into a snout, which causes all of their speech to become somewhat muffled. Minotaurs are usually only comfortable when speaking their own language because of the shape of their mouths, but usually only have the luxury of this when around other minotaurs. Rather than having normal feet, minotaurs balance atop two large hooves, which precariously hold up their massive weight. It is impossible for these characters to wear normal boots because of their hooves, and as humiliating as it might be, horseshoes are quite a relief to their feet when traversing paved roads.

Origin
Minotaurs believe that they were created from Kabera, the ancient God of War who was killed in a grand battle between the Gods long ago. Though some minotaurs may still follow Him as their deity, he is still seen as a dead God and one that cannot answer prayers or instill powers.

It is quite apparent as to why the God of War is associated with this race, as they always seem to be geared toward battle. Not that they start many of these battles, but the stubborn prideful ways of the minotaurs have always been found to quickly get them into trouble rather than agreeing on a compromise.

History
Minotaurs are originally from a lost part of the world once known as Fobakoo (Fo-bâ-koo), but it is now known better as the Dark Plains. Before this land was cursed and the minotaurs were forced to retreat what turned into the land of the damned, they held a hostile border with draxarian lands. Nearly 700 years ago, the Black High Magicka at the time known as Eseriun was supposedly a descendant of Vo, the maniacal “creator” of magic. Eseriun claimed that the minotaurs had killed his only son, and therefore sought revenge against their kind. The Order of Magicka ended up waging a giant war that was meant to lay waste to all minotaurs because of their refusal to compensate and atone for their crimes against the High Magicka after this accusation was thrust at them. Powerful magic killed many minotaurs in this short war, but Eseriun was dabbling in a darker magic than anyone could ever dream of, darker than even Vo, his crazed ancestor, had dared to delve into. The art of necromancy was born from it, but the tremendous power and sheer destruction that Eseriun brought forth during this war was a power of dark magic that infected the very land itself. His goal was to raise the prideful minotaurs and force them to work under his command in one grand unleashing of magic, but the devastating spectacle that he wrought was more powerful than even he could control. Eseriun lay dead himself after unleashing this horrid energy upon the land, along with any knowledge of how to control it or dispel it. The dead minotaurs on the battlefield did indeed rise into an undead form, but the land would never recover and still retains this curse even today.

Only about 50 to 100 minotaurs escaped slaughter on that cruel day, but the rest took refuge in the Saurdrax Mountains to the northwest. They have now rebuilt their communities and cities, many years later, but still do not thrive as they once did long ago.

Beliefs
Minotaurs will choose one God or Goddess that fits their liking, and will stick to the teachings of that religion without sway. Though they may believe all of the deities to be greater beings, they will only follow and dedicate their life to one. A favorite of the minotaurs is Kabera, the God of War, but this is considered to be a dead God.

Darkyns have now begun a reign of terror and slaughter on the minotaur race again because they would rather die than change their faith. There are some young minotaurs that have taken on the religion of Deltayn, but this will not be found in any minotaur that is over 25 years old in the year 25 RD.

Habits
It’s no wonder that minotaurs are “bull-headed,” as they do have the head of a bull, but reminding them that they resemble a cow in any way is definitely not the way to make a minotaur your friend. In fact, anyone calling them a cow or mooing at them will make a very quick enemy and quite possibly cause a ferocious duel to take place shortly thereafter. This race is known for its one-track mind, and actually takes pride in that because it is impossible that they could ever be wrong. Minotaurs also have a short temper and are often quick to lay accusations without the need or thought towards proof or substance of those accusations. They can be very friendly creatures, however, as long as you do not cross their pride.

Abilities
When using a two-handed weapon, a minotaur receives -1 toward Init Adj and inflicts +2 Add Dmg.

Minotaurs may perform a Battle Shout as a simple action, which causes all enemies within earshot to focus all of their attacks on that character for one round if a successful +30 TRU check is made against each enemy’s resisted MNT check. Enemies that would not be able to make a successful attack on the character for any reason can still choose to attack a different target.

These characters may not wear boots of any kind.