ND/Minotaur

Formerly agrarian villages, they were hunted as near-animals by the Empire of Night, slaughtered, and scattered. The Empire enslaves survivors and uses them for brute labor on road crews. The minotaur diaspora is in hiding, with populations sheltering with other Resistance nations. A sizeable population is sheltering uncomfortably with the Dwarves; the dwarves think the minotaurs low-caste and terribly rude, while the minotaurs are finding their hosts stuffy and fussy. The Eastern clans have been reduced to a nomadic existence in the forests of Zerniless.

## Physical Description

Minotaurs are large muscular people, with bovine heads, legs, and tails, and fur. The most common minotaur ethnic group resembles *Bos taurus*, but there are many others.

## Society

Minotaur society is matriarchal and matrilineal, and before the Empire of Night scattered them, minotaurs lived in networks of farming villages. Families are centered around a group of related women (sisters and cousins) and a small pool of husbands, traditionally brought in from another community to maintain political ties (and prevent inbreeding). The boundary between "family" and "village" is vague in small communities; in larger settlements the family groups form distinct factions.

Single men are encouraged into front line military service while married men serve as "a home guard" with their wives; leadership positions are usually filled by women. Other social roles are filled based on individual ability and interest; this tends to more men than women in roles involving heavy labor and not requiring too much patience, but it is not a social rule.

#### Marriage

A minotaur "marriage" is typically formed when a group of female friends (typically 10-20) gets together and picks 3-5 husbands from interested suitors in neighboring communities. Marriage is prestigious for men, and the overlap between "interested suitors" and "every bachelor around" is pretty large. Particularly influential families will negotiate to put their children together in an arranged marriage in order to cement political ties and power across a wide region.

Creation of a new marriage is celebrated as a *gigantic* party, involving the families of all the participants, a ritual high meal, ceremonial combat, and typically degenerate into a huge argument or fistfight. Marriages typically last 20-30 years before amicably parting, but individual members may leave and join other marriages over time with no stigma and little formality. Total dissolution of a young marriage is uncommon, but having it split in two is a common way of solving irreconcilable differences.

## Racial Template

Minotaurs have distinct sexual dimorphism, and use two different racial templates.

Female Minotaur [13]
ST +3 [15], HT +1 [10], Absolute Direction [5], Acute Hearing 2 [4], Claws (Blunt) [3], DR 1 (Tough Skin, -40%) [3], DR 2 (Skull and Feet, -74%) [3], Fur [1], Peripheral Vision [15], Striker (Horns; Impaling; Clumsy, -2, -40%) [5], Bad Temper 15- [-5], Colorblindness [-10], Dull [-1], Odious Racial Habit (Cud Chewing) [-5], Poor Depth Perception [-10], Restricted Diet (Grains and hay) [-10], Social Stigma (Minority Group) [-10].

*Features:* Has a tail. Cannot wear humanoid helmets, leg armor, or boots (can be shod).

*Notes:* Social Stigma becomes "Subjugated" in the Empire of Night, reducing template cost to [8].

Figure the height and weight of a female minotaur as for a male human of the same ST, *including* the racial ST modifier.

Male Minotaur [10]
ST +6 [27], HT +1 [10], SM +1 [-10], Absolute Direction [5], Acute Hearing 2 [4], Claws (Blunt) [3], DR 1 (Tough Skin, -40%) [3], DR 2 (Skull and Feet, -74%) [3], Fur [1], Peripheral Vision [15], Striker (Horns; Impaling; Clumsy, -2, -40%) [5], Bad Temper 12- [-10], Colorblindness [-10], Dull [-1], Odious Racial Habit (Cud Chewing) [-5], Poor Depth Perception [-10], Restricted Diet (Grains and hay) [-10], Social Stigma (Minority Group) [-10].

*Features:* Has a tail. Cannot wear humanoid helmets, leg armor, or boots (can be shod).

*Notes:* Social Stigma becomes "Subjugated" in the Empire of Night, reducing template cost to [5]. Neutered males may buy down Bad Temper to 15- for [5] and add the Long enhancement to horns [8], but often suffer from Overweight [-1] or Fat [-3].

Figure the height and weight of a male minotaur as for a male human of the same ST *without* the racial modifier, then increase height by 40% and weight by 170%. *Example:* An average ST 16 minotaur male is ST 10 without the racial modifier; picking a "base" height of 5' 8" (68"), this is multiplied by 1.4 for a final height of 7'11" (95"). Picking a base weight of 150lbs, this is multiplied by 2.7 for a final weight of 405 lbs.

### Optional Traits

Staid, Incurious, and Hidebound (bought up from Dull) are fairly common traits amongst pastoral Minotaurs; in contrast, there's also a lot of racial interest in Philosophy - some folks sit around thinking deep thoughts while chewing their cud, others just sit. Odious Personal Habit (Spits Cud) [-10] is just as gross to Minotaurs as it is to humans, but some do it anyways. Some former slaves will have had their horns sawn short (Striker becomes Crushing, [-2]) or burned off entirely (No Striker [-5]).

Bad Temper can be bought down to a Quirk if the minotaur is trained in Philosophy to at least 4 points, but it cannot be bought off entirely.

### Mass Combat Notes

Minotaurs are Ogres or Ogre Pikemen in Mass Combat. With the maximum armor, they can be Ultraheavy Infantry or Ultraheavy Pikemen, normally with Basic equipment. Minotaurs can ride very large horses as Mounts, but they need special steeds to serve as Ultraheavy Cavalry.

Minotaurs can also train as spellcasters, missile troops, or reconnaissance troops. They prefer not to serve as missile or reconnaissance troops if others can take those roles.

## Minotaurs of Note

Noolan Bear-Witness: Jarl of the Eastern Clans and mother of Moogawl and Hloomawl.
Moogawl Bear-Witness: Noolan Bear-Witness' elder son.
Hloomawl Bear-Witness: Noolan Bear-Witness' second son, champion of the Resistance, Auctorus Rex of The Liberation army, and presumed demi-god.
Hroogar: An elder and philosopher, who was enslaved for decades on a road crew, and now serves in the Liberation Army.
Mesiammel of Eura: Jarl of Eura and Great-Mother of the Minotaur refugees of the Dwarfen Safeholds.
Behamotsoalle of Eura: Mesiammel's cousin and a Minotaur hero of great reknown.