Tall and broad with black fur and mane, William the minotaur is a head taller than the other villagers on Verdant isle at 6’10”, not including his impressive horns which add another two feet, and he weighs as much as several villagers combined at nearly 400 lbs. His hands and forearms are thick and muscled from working as a village blacksmith for over a decade. Normally he wears plain clothes of earth tones with a blacksmith apron, but he wears a chain hauberk if the need arises. In a fight he carries a round wooden shield painted half blue and half white, and wields an enchanted hammer that he forged himself. William is as calm in battle as he is in peace times, with warm intelligent eyes (for a minotaur).

Background

James Cooper was the seasoned first mate of the Fancy Fortune, a merchant ship that roamed the high seas. One fateful day, as the ship passed the shores of Verdant Isle, James's sharp eyes caught sight of something unusual—a small, solitary figure wandering the beach. To his astonishment, it was a baby minotaur, far from any known village, and even further from the nearest minotaur settlement. Intrigued and moved by the sight, James rowed ashore to investigate. The moment he laid eyes on the child up close, he felt an unexpected bond form. Minotaur or not, this child needed someone, and that someone was him.

After spending days asking the island’s villagers about the child—none of whom had ever seen another minotaur—James knew what he had to do. With no other answers, he adopted the child and brought him aboard the Fancy Fortune. Though he assured the captain and crew it was only temporary, he knew in his heart that the child had become part of his life.

Life aboard a ship was no easy place for a child, much less a growing minotaur. Some among the crew resented having another mouth to feed. But the child quickly proved his worth. He possessed a natural, uncanny sense of direction—always able to point north, no matter the conditions. James had heard tales of minotaurs with such abilities, but he had never truly believed them. Yet, the child’s skill was undeniable. The crew began to warm to him, half-jokingly calling him “Compass,” a name that stuck for a while.

As the child grew, so did his contributions. He helped keep the ship on course and showed a thirst for learning. James, ever the doting father, taught him to read and write, as well as the languages spoken by the diverse crew. Though the child’s learning was slower than a human’s, their time at sea offered endless opportunities for patience. When the time came to make the adoption official, James named the boy “William Cooper,” after his own father, Bill. By then, young William was already proving his strength, eager to assist with the loading and unloading of cargo whenever the ship docked.

As William matured into a tall, gangly teenager, he began to dream of a life beyond the rocking of the ship's deck. The sea was no longer enough for him; he wanted solid ground beneath his feet. With a small sum of coins gathered from the crew and his father, William returned to Verdant Isle, hoping to start anew. He set up a humble workshop near a village, intending to repair and craft items for the locals. However, the villagers were wary of him—his towering stature and unusual appearance as a minotaur made them slow to trust.

Despite the cold reception, William persevered. Whenever the Fancy Fortune passed by Verdant Isle, James and a few crew members would visit him, bringing small gifts and supplies to help him get by. But life on land was harder than he had anticipated.

Everything changed when a band of pirates raided the village. Desperate, the villagers turned to William for help, realizing his size and strength could be their salvation. Grateful for the opportunity to prove his worth, William fought back alongside them, driving the pirates away and reclaiming what was stolen. From that day forward, the villagers began to see William in a new light. He was no longer an outsider; he was one of them.

With a newfound sense of purpose, William took an interest in combat. When he wasn’t working in his smithy, he spent his time training and honing his skills as a fighter. But as the months passed, a growing worry gnawed at him—his father’s visits became more infrequent, and eventually, they stopped altogether. Eight months had passed without a word from the Fancy Fortune. Fear gave way to despair, and William began to accept the bitter truth: his father was gone, lost to the sea.

In the years that followed, William’s small workshop grew into a respectable smithy. His reputation as a blacksmith and fighter earned him the respect of the villagers, who now saw him as one of their own. He mostly crafted mundane items—horseshoes, tools, and nails—but occasionally made weapons and armor for the village militia, which had formed in the wake of the pirate attack. Time and familiarity eased the initial mistrust, and William became known for his unshakable calm, his curiosity about how things worked, and his unwavering dedication to perfecting his craft.

Though he had long since given up hope of his father’s return, William carried with him the lessons James had taught him—the value of hard work, the importance of family, and the courage to face the unknown.