Minotaur

The minotaurs of Midgard are a proud people pushed to the brink. Driven from their ancestral homelands of Kadralhu and Roshgazi by the ever-expanding Dragon Empire, the bull-folk home is now the Serene Isle of Kyprion. Kyprion owes fealty to the Maritime Republic of Tiolo, and with the support of the Republic’s navy, the minotaurs have stability and strength. Triolo may build all its ships in its own harbor, but many of its best crews come from Kyprion.
Minotaurs are imposing and powerful, with a reputation for ferocity that borders on monstrous. That reputation is well-earned. They chafe under the yoke of being a vassal state, but their Queen Kitane understands that without Triolo, the Dragon Empire would swallow Kyprion whole. The aegis of Triolo’s fleet, coupled with the fact that a minotaur has recently risen to lead the Golden Council of Triolo, salves the bull-folk pride. At least for now.
Minotaurs display their achievements proudly by decorating their horns with engraved sigils and designs. If one is versed in minotaur custom, one can tell at a glance the achievements and prowess of a minotaur by examining the decoration on her horns. A minotaur who loses part or all of a horn suffers considerable stigma and must strive to prove his worth. Sometimes a “brokehorn” (a fighting insult to any minotaur) who manages to achieve great deeds earns the gift of having the missing horn magically restored by a temple. Beware any minotaur that willingly gives up or chooses not to restore a lost horn, for this is one of Midgard’s most driven and dangerous creatures.

Terror on the High Seas

The minotaurs of Kyprion and Triolo are a force to be reckoned with in a stand-up fight. Perhaps somewhat against type for their bulk, they are an absolute terror on the sea. The corsairs of Kyprion have carved a tale of bloody blades and shattered hulls on the water, and even the mighty Dragon Empire has learned to respect them. The minotaur’s natural sense of direction makes them ideal navigators on sea as well as land. Cover of night, fog thick enough to carve, and unfamiliar coastlines don’t phase the bull-folk.

Twisting Paths

Minotaur architecture and city planning always incorporate a particular design: labyrinths. Every settlement and structure of any size created by the bull-folk sports a twisting labyrinth of switchbacks and dead ends. None is more famous than the Great Labyrinth in the city of Vespras, the capital of Kyprion. In the center of this maze is the Palace of the Bull, another labyrinth in its own right. At night, the clash of arms and screams of the dying find their way out of the maze. It is said that the queen invites both friends and enemies to enjoy the hospitality of the palace, but only her friends survive the stay.