Minotaurs
"Seven feet tall, horns half that in width, and fast enough to make you regret jokes about steak in their hearing. Which, I should note, is just as surprising as their speed. Don't risk it, just smile and be polite."These humanoid bovines are a peculiar species, with origins shrouded in mystery. Some scholars claim them to be created from magic merging humans and bovines, but these claims fall flat as there is a lack of evidence to support these claims. While there very well may be truth in this idea, the expanse of history has not offered any such. It is thus safe to assume these origins are untrue, until minotaurs become comfortable enough to describe their myths about their origins. That may be some time off, given the mutual enmity between minotaurs and the rest of the world.
Recent decades have allowed more to come to light than originally was known, adding to the confusion about minotaurs among adventurers. Their villages are hidden in hilly areas, away from prying eyes and most troubles, and mostly minotaurs keep to themselves. However, there are almost as many who see it as a sacred duty to push back against adventurers who hunt them. They swear allegiance to a deity they call "The Horned Master", and trend towards a very militant mindset. These minotaurs are the ones which have kept the reputation of being murderous savages alive, though they are quite far from "savage and primitive".
Most minotaur villages are located within Helenic or Gilvonnaie, as the Empire has an active interest in culling 'dangerous' beings from within their borders. Gilvonnaie welcomes them, hesitantly, as long as the local laws are obeyed. Given how Helenic is really a 'no-man's-land' with individual cities being the only havens of civilized behavior, it should be unsurprising the territory is quite attractive to the minotaurs seeking to avoid problems.
The Labyrinths
Most minotaur settlements are protected by a maze of trails and passages which they can navigate easily, but others would find confusing and difficult. These are created before a permanent settlement reaches a significant size, while temporary settlements are protected through powerful earth-shaping rituals performed by shamans of the Horned Master. Despite 'common knowledge', the minotaurs do not always situate their settlements at the center point of these labyrinths; often times the labyrinth is designed to exit directly into the settlement's defenses. There is also no guarantee there is only a singular "entrance" and "exit", as more important settlements demand more intricate labyrinths to avoid unwanted visitors.The reason these labyrinths are so easy for minotaurs to navigate is quite simple: they cheat. There are numerous shortcuts and concealed doors which respond to the touch of a minotaur's hand, or a command word. Utilizing these is critical to minotaurs managing to evade any pursuit and leave their pursuers with no reasonable trails to follow.
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