"Shar is an unforgiving place. One decision caused our kind's ruin. We must find a cure for this disease. To this curse."
Known as the Beastman, the minotaur race has a tragic tale across the realms of Shar due to an unforeseen decision made early in Shar’s development. The race itself has not had much time to develop, except for roaming tribes trying to survive in their realms. Seen as monstrous beasts or cursed pre-demonic creatures, the life of a minotaur is a rough one for the desert sands of Acroshia. At a moment’s notice, the curse caused by the Pact of Ruination would transform a minotaur into the fierce Capra Demon that haunts the desert sands. It is said that two out of three births would result in a demonic transformation. It's truly a sad and pathetic existence to live knowing that, at some point, you’ll become nothing more than a monster.
The Herds
For the minotaurs that have not succumbed to the capra’s curse and vowed to work against the intentions of Mishra, they have devoted themselves to large nomadic herds that survive by moving from place to place to stay away from the demonic hordes that flood their hellish home known as the Deadlands. Creating a system of leadership, the largest and most successful herd commands the greater minotaur population. Known as the Orion’s Belt herd, they somewhat successfully revoked Mishra’s influence over the remaining populations of free minotaurs. As a result, the herd is seen as the most important part of their society. Without the herd, the risk of the curse infecting and taking you grows greater.
To the knowledge of the Orion’s Belt, there is one other herd to match its strength and power. Through the Grey Mountains and into the desert sands of Acroshia, the Blood Marauders consist of the majority of free minotaurs in the Acroshia lands. Seen as blood-hungry savages, the Blood Marauders cause the image of the minotaur to suffer with each passing year. Isolated mostly by the mountain range, both herds do their best to prevent Mishra from gaining access to even more minotaurs for her goals.
Within each herd, there appears to be a hierarchy following the strongest and wisest.
The Great Horns
The Great Horns are usually the leaders of the herd. Surprisingly enough, they act as a council for the herd. Usually consisting of five or six members representing each piece of what matters to the minotaur population. Skilled warriors, shamans, and nobles are usually seen taking up positions. From time to time, one powerful warrior can claim leadership over the entire herd. This has been seen within the Blood Marauders with his lordship, Taku.
The Nobleborn and Shamans
Noble-borns are minotaurs that somehow escaped the chance of producing cursed offspring. Considered a protected class and held in high regard, whenever a pairing produces a child without the risk of taint, they are boosted to the status of Noble-born. Unfortunately, the chances of a child being born without the capra taint are slim to none. All minotaurs carry the chance of it. Shamans act as wardens and priests to help stave off the Capra curse. They spend their limited, short lives searching for cures and other ways to prevent the curse from taking hold.
The Nightingale and the Executioners
The Nightingales act as bounty hunters and the police force for the herd. They go after minotaurs that turn towards the ways of Mishra or minotaurs that act against the herd. Seen as more silent and dexterous compared to other minotaurs, they act by the laws of the Great Horns. Executioners are trained killers and personal bodyguards for the higher classes. They have their pain receptors removed by shamans, allowing them to defend and fight well beyond their limits. Almost considered the perfect killing machine, they must be honed in with large collars that dig into their next. In some extreme cases, they have given themselves over to the Capra curse.
The Warriors, Trail Winners, and Children
The Warriors are minotaurs that have proven themselves in battle and fight on the front lines against the Capra menace. They prevent the curse from taking hold of them and fight tooth and nail for the herd. The Trail winners are minotaurs that have gone through the Three Great Trails to prove themselves to the Herd. The trials determine their place within the herd as a warrior, a leader, or a servant. The trails prepare a minotaur for their hardest battles. Children are extremely important to the herd. Each birth has a chance to have the Capra curse. If there's even a hint of a chance for the child to be uncursed, that child is cherished and protected no matter what. If the child is presented with the curse, unfortunately, there is nothing to be done.
The laborers, child bearers, and educators
The lower castes still hold significance for the herd. Child bearers bear the children for the herd. Teachers teach the herd to fight, live, and thrive in their harsh desert landscape. Laborers build homes and sleds to grow livestock and help the herd out. These positions are where the majority of minotaurs live if they do not become warriors to fight against the demonic creatures.
The Trail Failures and Servants
When a minotaur fails to follow the trail, they have proven to themselves that they cannot help the herd. Unable to help the herd, the herd becomes weaker as a result. They are sentenced to a life of slavery, unable to protect or help their own kin. Seen as the worst position within the herd, many failures run toward the open arms of Mishra, devoting themselves fully to her. Where they were weak on their own, they hoped to gather power in another way.
Each herd can be unique, and a majority of the classes can take up the herd. For example, the Blood Marauders are mostly made up of warriors. Nothing stops a herd from forming once a solo or group of Great Horns decides to head off on a journey. However, all herds follow the same core policy. A policy against Mishra and a way to save the minotaur race. Unless the herd were to fall into the schemes of Mishra, which would surely be a sad day.
The Trails
The trails are a way to test a young minotaur's spirit to see if they have what it takes to provide for the herd and become an asset. Every minotaur under the age of sixteen takes part in the trials. Each herd can have a difference in what each trial is about, but it still holds the core ideal. The Great Horns decide how the trails will be enacted each year when the next group of minotaurs grows up to the task. The first trail is usually called the Maze.
The Maze can take on various forms but usually involves a maze-like structure filled with dangers, traps, and monsters. The goal of this trial is to prove that the minotaurs can survive on their own without the help of the herd. The minotaur, in the end, can be the only one to fight against the Capra curse and Mishra. Armed with limited supplies and their minds, they can spend up to a few weeks or months making their way through the maze. By the end of it, they should have honed their skills to the point of becoming survivalists. At this point, some minotaurs drop out of the trails to become Maze Runners. Individuals that run ancient mazes underneath the Deadlands in hopes of finding treasure or artifacts for their own gains
The next trial is known as the Fight. They usually spend close to a year fighting, training, and honing their skills against one another. Becoming iron-willed warriors, they break their bones trying to perfect the fighting skills required to survive in their hostile world. By the end of one year of training, the warriors are put in a large tournament to determine a true winner. Note that as long as a minotaur proves its worth, it can move on to being a warrior within the class system. Only if they show weakness or get caught cheating will they fail this trial.
The final trial is known as the Temptation. The winner gets taken to an isolated location far away from the herd and is presented with an artifact of Mishra. The artifact promises power, gold, strength—anything and everything to tempt the minotaur into serving Mishra. With the strongest of wills, the minotaur can turn its back on the artifact and ascend to become one of the Great Horns with additional training. However, if they give in to the temptation, they will be killed on the spot. The same temptation caused the minotaur's name to be tied to their greatest shame. Any minotaur or person who falls down that path must always be put to a swift death.
The Capra Curse
Around the fifth era of the creation of Shar, an unknown nation in the far east was forming its borders. The Gods of the outer realms have started their invasion to fight against the Greater Demons of Shar. With the fighting fueled by the Blood God known as Asmodan and extra bodies for the Hollows of Baartzabel, the third strongest of the greater nine, Mishra, was finding herself in a compromised position. Her tactics were stronger compared to the other two, but her followers did not last long. Her power was the dissolving touch of force and necrosis. While the other two could build their followers to extreme measures, Mishra was limited due to her powers. Her followers would destroy themselves along with their enemies. She needed a creature—a foot soldier—that could withstand her impressive powers.
Hineren Glorystep was the perfect soldier to almost fall into the lap of Mishra. One of the first Great Horns of the newly formed Great Herd was found North of the current-day Deadlands. At the height of his power, he controlled thousands of acres of land and hundreds of minotaurs. Glorystep wasn’t a brilliant leader; he found himself excellent at destruction. He didn’t care if it was demons, humans, celestials, or other minotaurs. Whenever he marched, he crushed everything in his path. It appeared that he was amassing a great herd to sweep across all lands to conquer the nearly formed nation to the west. It is unknown if Mishra had a hand in Hineren’s downfall, but whatever the case was, Mishra benefited the most from it.
Hineren’s march started from the northeastern point on the southern continent. The march saw dozens of battles, all resulting in large-scale destruction. With enough destructive power to generate an interesting effect within Hineren, with each battle, the ashes of his victims would start to gather on his skin, staining it black. Soon enough, the name of Black-Hoofed started to accumulate in the West. The fame increased, causing more minotaurs to flock toward his herd. As a result, it caught the attention of another nearby warlord. The newly found nation west had become known as Acroshia, with Five rulers to defend their home. Out of these rulers, one was known as Haibam-Al-Khumran. Considered the shield of this new realm, he had sent a warrior's challenge to the Hineren. Black-Hoofed, fooled by the power that he might not have, accepted charging his herd head-first into the battle with Haibam-Al-Khumran. Pride had tricked Hineren into thinking he was unstoppable. He had never encountered a beast like Haibam. True untouched power, with each swipe destroying dozens of minotaurs in his wake. The wide pathways of his weapon swings destroy not only Hineren’s army but the environment as well. Fear built up in the legendary minotaur, and with that fear, it was the perfect time to strike. A seductive but powerful voice rang out in Hineren’s head. The promise of power and the strength of hundreds of minotaurs are at his fingertips. All the voice wanted was a pact. Hineren had gathered the greatest number of minotaurs in all the lands of Shar. All of them pledged their souls to him. In some ways, they worshiped him as some sort of demi-god. In exchange for untold power, he had to commend all of his worshippers and men to serve this greater demon. With death coming for him and his herd, Hineren agreed. With a blast of force and necrosis, Hineren’s body contorted and broke. His black-stained body grew, and his head shredded its skin. Demonic chains erupted from his arms and begged as his weapon morphed into a machete-like machine. Hineren was able to cling to sanity long enough to see the same happen to his brethren undergoing the same transformation. The forces of Habiam fled as they soon started to become overwhelmed by their newest enemies. On this day, the Capra curse had been made, and Mishra had her foot soldiers.
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