Minotaur

A male and female minotaur near Veter village.

Minotaur are a race of “cattle people” who stand upright like humans, yet have the face and legs of bulls or cows. They are more commonly found in West and aren’t a very violent race compared to other primitive beastmen, such as orcs or lizardkin. Minotaur are known to be rather strong, but not in terms of combat; their brute strength is said to help mostly with constructing things, such as housing, or even in smithing.

For the cousin species of Minotaur, see Fauns

## *Anatomy*

Coming from years of hard work as a gathering species, lifting and constructing materials, minotaur appear burly, and often scary. However, earlier species of minotaur had much less muscle, and were more akin to humans, even some without horns. These “skinotaur,” with their ancestral bodies were much more durable as fighters, as their primal selves were territorial. Throughout time, they evolved to grow horns for bearing loads, as well as having weaker legs and a stronger upper body. Male minotaur are always born with horns, which are rather large, sometimes curved to the side and facing forwards like a ram. Of course, their horns can actually vary in size and shape, although a female minotaur can possibly be born without them, though it depends on their genes. Some females who have horns just have smaller horns on their heads.

Minotaur have, of course, elongated faces akin to bulls or cows, with accompanying “manes” that are similar to human hair at a glance but are more stiff and clumped together, naturally. These manes can grow in a range of patterns, from just going along the back of the head and neck, to wrapping around the minotaur’s head and face, resembling some sort of “beard” and even being long and wavy. A lot of people can find similarities with minotaur to differing breeds of bulls and cows, leading some to question their evolutionary traits. Minotaurs also have large, hooved legs, which are coated in a layer of fur similar to their head and are suited for bearing through rough terrain. It is worth noting that their legs can often have more fur than their torso or face. Civilized minotaur wear horseshoes modified and made to be fitted for them to prevent injuries to the hooves.

Female minotaur, although able to be rather strong, are known to usually be a bit more docile and on average, smaller than the male minotaur in height and muscle mass.

## *Psychology*

Throughout the coasts of Southern Keleva and the dense jungles of Neo Keleva is a race of large, bull-like animals that roam the lands. Large roving villages of wild crops and large houses accompany them, with sailors who had visited these lands often noting the behavior of these animals - taking note of their distinct diplomacy and carpentry skills. Influence from them has affected Trepheon, as further studying of the race provided several conventional methods that improved the life of humans in carpentry and building. Being a more peaceful race, these beasts often traded their unique supplies with sailors, preventing risk and dangerous adventures throughout the lands. Minotaur are, most often, a diplomatic and reasonable race. Favoring peace over war, they often refuse to hunt and live as vegetarians. Minotaur education mostly revolves around communication and construction, as it is treated as important values to their people. There are, however, more primitive and “rough” species of minotaur that are prone to hunting, notably the ones that come from Southern Keleva.

They have a traditional tongue, as well, though favor Dormian due to years of speaking to humans. Their language is known as Ad'lak and is documented as a “difficult and harsh sounding language, composed of mostly grunts and low throat groans.”

## *History*

The first documented witness of the Minotaur suggested they were more volatile, and less civilized, though with the open attitude of the race and their intelligence, this was proven wrong by their own records. This type of study and fear has led them to be considered a primitive race by many people, often harassed or feared by humans and other races, which led them to being barred from certain civilizations.

Within their own documented history, it is known they suffered many downfalls within their lands. Warring with trolls and orcs, they were dealt with a heavy population cut and were forced to migrate to Neo Keleva in order to escape the harshness of the continent. Some claim that traditional minotaur still reside on the harsh coasts of Souther Keleva, braving through it and becoming the strong, formidable minotaur that they are pictured as by some legends.

Minotaurs have been brought to Ludwag mostly from wanderlust or the slave trade from Silvadomus. They are a generally small minority in Ludwag, however, are feared for their strength across the board.