Cyrodiil/The Man-Bulls of Cyrodiil

ne of Cyrodiil's greatest enduring mysteries is that of the  , those great man-bulls that live in isolated groves and camps far from civilization's eye. Many an old tale has been spun out of these terrifying creatures, but what is fact and what is fiction? Do minotaurs truly see better in the dark than light? Do the greatest among them possess wings, as legend holds? Do Colovian women occasionally take minotaurs for husbands, as the Nibenese say? These questions (save that last one) continue to vex bestiarists such as myself.

That these magnificent beasts exist is no question; any adventurer venturing into the Great Forest might surmise as much. From time to time they appear in captivity, but there they never last long. Do not believe that old ghost story about the murderer with the minotaur in his basement. One of the defining traits of the man-bulls is their wildness, and to separate them from the wilds is to, in essence, kill them.

Furthermore, many of the traits attributed to minotaurs - including the odd winged variant - seem to be myth as well. They are wholly lacking in supernatural power. However, while nonmagickal creatures, minotaurs should still be known for their incredible strength and stamina.

One point that remains a hotly contested point of contention among the Empire's intelligentsia is that of the minotaur's origin. The commoners typically hold to one theory - that minotaurs are the semi-divine offspring of St. Alessia and her lover, Morihaus (the latter is oft depicted as a minotaur himself, in fact). Many will remember the children's folk tale 'Belharza and His Seven Wives'. It is easy to accept the description therein as fact; and, I must admit, it is entirely possible that the disappeared bloodline of the Alessian emperors runs among bulls, not men. The proliferance of bull worship in early Imperial history should be noted as well.

But how, then, do you explain the minotaurs' seeming lack of intelligence? Or their paucity of divine might? Belharza was attributed as "cunning and powerful" and Morihaus, while described in more taurine terms, is still seen as a sapient demigod. Moreover, consider this bit of Adabalic apocrypha:

"[A]nd Mor snorted, for the ways of the people of Nibennium seemed prudish to him. But Aless looked to him, and so he became man once more, asking, "Does this form please you better, Niben-lord? I am bull, yes, but I am also man and more, for the adoption of forms is an easy thing for us ada. Look and know that I yet remain Morihaus-Breath-of-Kyne, Second Triumph of Man, and lover of the Al-Esh."

So it would seem that the Morihaus was able to appear as both man and bull, which is an ability entirely unseen in today's minotaurs. His son Belharza might have possessed this power as well. Knowing this, it is impossible to conclude with certainty that the minotaurs of today are related to Morihaus. For while there might be a blood relation, it is equally likely that it is simply coincidence. Perhaps some change came across the Alessian bloodline to explain the discrepancies - or perhaps not. In the end, there is just no substantive proof for either side.

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Addendum: further investigation into minotaur group dynamics - including their unexplored relationship to the unicorn - is ongoing. This will hopefully allow for more conclusive statements about this enigmatic species to be drawn. Keep your eyes open for a second publication.