Minotaur (MIN ah tor)
Warriors of the Witch
The horned bull head of these humaniods feature into some of the most popular stories of the ancient world. They are at the same time one of the most famous creatures of Aldern, as well as one of the most mysterious. It is common knowledge that their origins, like most other monsters, in found in the mythology of the Aggelomachy. According to the myth, during the heavenly war most factions created armies to fight, the minotaur were the warriors of the Valan people that made the early Craddle Valley home. Unlike most of the other Aggelomachy monsters, who's creation are lost to time, we have an account of minotaur creation in the Book of the Valan. In the Book, it states that Elder Tree Urzan aided in the creation of the minotaur, "bark given to the flesh of man, sap given to the blood of man, leaf given to the soul of man." The man was transformed using the "essence" of an Aurochs. The enchantments and spells are not recorded, though the ritual seems to have survived, as there are tavern tales of witches in Tinjir creating minotaur in the modern day. Though these minotaur are a far cry from the near indestructible creatures the originals were fabled to have been.
The minotaur of the Valan are credited with being the single force that saved the civilization and the elder tree during the war. Even today, the image of the bullheaded man is still a symbol strength and resilience. As Ancient Siduum fell to the Umaybbad, the minotaur banners flew, inspiring the warriors to fight to the last man.
Unlike many of the ancient 'monsters,' minotaur did not vanish after the Aggelomachy. Nor did they survive and spread across the world like vermin as an eternal problem for mankind as some did. Rather, the minotaur remained a controlled species. There were never any females created during their origin, nor in the modern-day rituals. So, there was no way to breed more. All that were created were voluntary transformations, meaning they stayed loyal to their purpose, even after the Aggelomachy ended. They have remained throughout history, small in numbers, created to serve their masters. As such minotaur have never been recorded outside of Anbar. There they are almost exclusively recorded in the Craddle Valley or on the Thoamaine Peninsula. Yet, their tales have spread far, even across the sea into Dergonhad, as a terrifying beast of the ancients and a symbol of resilience against overwhelming odds.
Minotaur are servants of their creators. As such the understand the language that the witches speak, which is Maine and/or the Common Tongue. Though intelligent they do not have the ability to speak.
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