Minotaur of Cambrium
Unlike Forgotten Realms minotaur, the minotaur of Cambrium are not demonic in nature, nor do they come from a curse given by the Demonlord Baphomet or have an insatiable, unearthly hunger. Namely because Baphomet as a concept and physical being does not exist in Cambrium. Instead, these monstrous bovine-like humanoids are native to Jhenta, specifically on the higher reaches of the Dragon's Throat mountain range, and the cold wastes of Chuluun, and are not native to the Underdark. While most minotaur have a cattle-like appearance some minotaur take on the characteristics of other bovine races, the most notable being Dragonlord Anshumat, who appears like a white yak.
The minotaur have seemingly always had conflict with the main sentient races, and have only recently built an unsteady truce between them. For many years minotaur were the monsters and villains in stories told to children to warn them about wandering too far away and getting lost, or not doing what they're told. Although they are not demonic, Cambrium's minotaur are still aggressive and bloodthirsty in nature, with a lot of their cultural aspects decided by warfare and battle. However, this is not the case for all minotaur, and simply the perception of them from other sentient races - just as there are aggressive humans, elves and other races, there are plenty of non-aggressive minotaur. The reason they are often tarred with this brush is because of their immense physical prowess, of which even the most average of minotaur can easily outstrip other races in terms of pure physical output, with perhaps only goliaths really offering any level playing field when it comes to raw physical strength. Coupled with the fact that many of the Minotaur Conquests came close to having a full minotaur victory that would have shifted the very structure of Cambrium's sentient races and the prejudice and fear of minotaur has been baked into multiple generations, even in the present day. It is rare, if not unheard of, for a minotaur to have a noble lineage, or exist in upper class societies out with their own native communities, as is common with many beastkin.
Warfare and battle are important factors of minotaur culture. While not every minotaur becomes a warrior, every minotaur does at least learn how to fight at a young age, making even non-warrior minotaur a deadly force to be reckoned with. Minotaur believe that if one cannot defend themselves they do not have the right to life, nor have the honour of defending the lives of others. This is slightly different for minotaur who grow into old age, although it is considered shameful not to die in some sort of conflict and instead pass away from natural causes. Just as many humanoid races taken great importance in their hair or clothing, minotaur take great care of their horns and hooves. Split or shattered horns are seen as ill omens, and so many minotaur decorate their horns with metal clasps or sheathes to protect them. Similarly, minotaur warlords typically engrave their horns with the stories of their conquests and victories, turning them into intricate, primal artworks. As for their hooves, it is seen as bad hygiene to allow one's hooves to grow out, and so some may take to wearing horse shoes, especially when living in areas with pathed roads or cobble streets. Thanks to their thick, wiry fur most minotaur typically don't have to wear much clothing, usually kilts or fly plaids for normal wear, and brightly coloured deels (a type of Mongolian traditional robe) during ceremonies and festivals. The patron deity of minotaur is Abzu, god of fire, mountains and volcanoes, as many minotaur reside around mountainous regions. Minotaur believe that living an exceptional life allows them to become a volcano in their next life, which is seen as a high honour.
Minotaur are considered a fully mature adult at 21 years old and have an average life span of 100, though many don't see past 70 due to their violent and warrior-centric life styles. Because of this, many minotaur typically get married and have children while still fairly young. In traditional minotaur settlements arranged marriages between tribes is still a common practise to ensure mixing of bloodlines and the continuation of their race. This aspect became an important part of their culture after being defeated during the Minotaur Conquests, which saw a large part of the minotaur population being killed off, putting the race as a whole on the edge of extinction. On average minotaur are between six feet and eight feet tall, most commonly on the taller side of the scale with shorter minotaur being more unusual. Cattle and auroch appearing minotaur are the most common appearance, however minotaur can take on the appearance of any kind of bovine animal so there is no one set variation of fur colour, fur length, eye colour and so on.
