Minotaur

Minotaurs are a major non-human race. They are one of the Elder Races. They will probably start as an Uncivilized nation in most scenario's.

## Race

**Elder Race**

*Noble creatures of the plains and low hills, Minotaurs often find themselves driven to extreme climates due to the hostility with which they are greeted, hunted for both their worth as slaves and raw value of their flesh and bone for use in profane rituals. Fortunately, they are hardy enough to weather any difficulty and have thrived beyond the eyes of man. Their traditions are Ancient, passed down through song and are thought to predate even the other Elder Races.*

We do not yet know what the baseline Minotaur is like. They favour planes and hills as a place to live although many live in slavery amongst other races.

## History

Minotaurs were one of the Five Elder Races and they were closest to the Cycle of Rebirth, unlike the other Elder Races (two of whom were immortal) the Minotaurs had short lifespans and uniquely championed the permanence of impermanence through story and song, with each generation appreciating the world anew and adding to the collective tale. When their penumbra fell and they found that their numbers brought ruin they separated into five tribes and scattered, with a member of each tribe meeting with the others once a year, each bringing a new creation of the world - they would sing the tales of their tribe until the life of their gifts left and, knowing their curse had caught up with them, would return. This continued until the Fifth Tribe agreed to serve the Elven Emperor during the War of the Primals - it was found that their penumbra could be used to destroy the primals, and it was their final touch that imbued the Elf Emperor's blade which would later "slay" Karth and unleash the orcs on the world.

The Fifth Tribe was driven into increasing frenzy by the Elf Emperor and embraced their role as conquerors and warriors - in the heat of combat they feasted on a primal and were cursed with endless hunger.

As for the remainder of the Minotaurs they were hunted and enslaved, the free Minotaurs retaining their tribal affiliation while those enslaved slowly lost their identity over multiple generations.

## Culture

The culture of the Minotaurs is focussed on storytelling and their history of slavery.

## Government

**Warpath** - Not all Minotaurs are content to forgive the incursions of the lesser races, the Warpath follows a mighty chieftain and wages continual raids on its neighbors, storing up these gains in the hope to maintain a real army and begin to reclaim what has been lost over the years.

**Circle of Song** - The traditional heart of the Minotaur People is its Speaker, chosen by the previous Speaker to continue the tradition of their people and lead with the discretion to ensure they are not the last of their kind.

## Abilities

The tension between minotaurs and their neighbors will doubtless be a major component of their utility in the world, and the power of the Minotaur's Penumbra to defy the Old Ones will create interesting situations where hunting/enslaving the minotaurs may be a viable strategy by less high-minded Chosen One's in order to mass produce weaponry.

In addition to the powers of their Penumbra (which allows both the creation of negating artifacts as well as the ability to destroy 'Invulnerable' artifacts) minotaurs contain both Ancient and Untyped Lore in their song which allows sages to gain powerful bonuses to research and augmentation, or to even get a snatch of some completely new and random research.

## Classes

**Minotaur Gladiator** - Lost to their people, many slaves are sold for exorbitant prices to the bloodthirsty arenas of the civilized world. These Minotaurs grow up in captivity and are taught only pain, and to savor the kill. The Gladiator begins as a Grey class but can possibly find redemption by meeting with its people again, barring that it may be lead down a darker path, learning to embrace its natural prowess at slaughter.

**Minotaur Speaker** - The Speaker retells the great legends of the Minotaurs from the founding of the world to its breaking and redemption. Honored by its people but persecuted by civilization, the Speaker has difficulty interacting with other heroes and cultures but if it can breach that divide it may be the key to bringing the Minotaur People into the fold before darkness falls again on the land.

## Old Ones

No Old One has a known connection to the Minotaur. The Elven Emperor however has a connection to the Minotaurs and especially to the Fifth Tribe.

## Military Units

We do not know what sort of units the Minotaurs will field.