The Drahguul Minotaurs - aka The Bloodskins Organization in Dayeimbe | World Anvil
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The Drahguul Minotaurs - aka The Bloodskins

The Drahguul Minotaur - aka The Bloodskins 1. What sets this group apart from the main society they came from?   Basically that they HAVE a society. Traditional minotaur are solitary creatures that occupy subterranean labyrinths or cave networks, terrorizing and hunting prey that happens to enter. The Drahguul have rebuked these racial norms and see themselves as a more enlightened and evolved subset of their kin as a whole. They live in a small tent village above ground, numbering perhaps 100-150 in all, in the desert lands surrounding the town of Khoti.   Moreover, as part of their enlightened society, the Drahguul have smoothed their temperament towards others. While they are still anathema to any sort of true civilization. Their alignments tend to fall around True Neutral rather than their more chaotic and malevolent peers. They keep to themselves in their village and minimize interactions with outsiders, but in general are not proactively aggressive or cruel.   Lastly, the traditional minotaur is beholden to Baphomet, Prince of Beasts and the Demon Lord of Minotaur. The Drahguul, however, worship a lesser deity known as Inyathi. Much like the Drahguul themselves, Inyathi is a more civilized patron deity of minotaur - a protective god of war and minotaur that seeks to see this new vein of minotaur flourish and propagate.   2. What aspects of the dominant society are still there or still influence them? Though the Drahguul have a more traditional village in which to live, there is still a very primal calling towards mazes, labyrinths, caves, etc. In fact, the Drahguul have a small quarrying/mining effort adjacent to their village that serves a dual purpose. Firstly to support themselves financially, but also they are using the excavated tunnels and spare materials to create a temple to their god, Inyathi. The above ground temple will be representative of their new vision and direction for their race, while the foundation tunnels will no doubt be a sprawling maze as an homage to what they once were.   3. Who gravitates towards this group? Why would someone fall in with them instead of going with the mainstream? AND 4. What is their relationship to the dominant culture? Are they tolerated? Accepted? Shunned? Persecuted? Evangelists from the Drahguul are known to travel the world in small groups, seeking out their brethren in an attempt to reform them and bring them into the light of their new faith and direction. This is no easy task and often results in bitter violence. In fact, it has gotten to the point that Baphomet himself has begun to take a keen interest in destroying the Drahguul - setting several of his agents to the task.   Minotaur are primal beings, their reasoning for stalking prey in their labyrinths is innate to their being and not something they can effectively articulate or defend... yet, it is what drives them. Those that do join the Drahguul are convinced that their base, primal impulses are merely a prelude to their higher purpose and calling. The call of Baphomet was the old way, from a lesser and more desperate time when the protection of a dark master was a necessity for survival. But the world is changing and the minotaur must change with it. Inyathi gives them that chance for a more meaningful existence.     5. What can they offer to the players that can't be found in the mainstream? The Drahguul are every bit as strong and competent warriors as their brethren, but are much more open to helping others - at least when there is some mutual benefit. The Drahguul are a strong and proud collective, but they are still relatively few in number and wise enough to realize that external forces could snuff them out with enough effort. They are willing to make allies and will lend their strengths to others causes so long as there is reciprocation. Other than battle prowess, the Drahguul (and all minotaur) can be invaluable assets leading a group through otherwise confusing mines and labyrinths - especially those in the nearby Kohti Crater, still said to posses great treasures and powerful weapons if the legends are to be believed.   In addition to the battle protections and patronage that Inyathi grants to the Draghuul, there are also several harvest, fertility, and animal husbandry rites that the faithful routinely perform and see it as a blessing to the Kohti community as a whole.   6. You do you! The Drahguul are sometimes referred to as "Bloodskins" by the local Kohti people - typically as a derogatory slur - referencing the red ritual tattoos that many of the minotaurs have and also eluding to the ritual in which they are created. Under the light of The Long Night Moon (the first full moon of winter), a dozen cattle are sacrificed, spilling their blood with a ritual stone knife whist the assembled participants wail and moan to drown out the screams of the dying animals. The blood is then used in a number of rites to bless the tribe's prosperity for the upcoming year, the last of which is to make a tattoo ink that is given to new initiates into the faith of Inyathi (either younger members entering adulthood or grown minotaur now joining the tribe). On rare occasions of great importance, 100 cattle are sacrificed. Since arriving at Kohti, this has only happened once - just after the site for the new temple was selected - to consecrate the ground. A great feast follows the various rites consuming a portion of the meat, but most is preserved for the coming winter months and fattier portions are burned in sacrifice.   https://dungeonmasterblock.freeforums.net/thread/2367/nastics-153-building-bold-behaviors

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