Creature:Minotaur

The Minotaur
The Minotaur of Polin-2 are arguably one of the oldest species in the galaxy, having been in existence for over 11 billion years. It has been speculated that they may even pre-date the Grox, although this is unlikely, as ancient prehistoric myths and legends mention a "Dark Race from the Central Eye", the "Eye" being the galactic core.

Minotaur Biology
The Minotaur species' biology is similar to that of the Minotaurs of Earth legends. The main difference being that the Minotaurs of Polin-2 are herbivores while the Earthen Minotaur is a bloodthirsty beast. Also note that, also classified as Artiodactyla, the Minotaur does not have hooves.

The History of the Minotaur Empire
Being an ancient species, the Minotaur have a lot of influence and experience despite the relatively small size of their empire. It is also suprising to know that the Minotaur have only had one major war in their entire history, which lasted 15,000 years. After the advent of cloning technology, though, the "War of Planetary Unification", as it came to be known, lessened the amount of loss in the war. The cloning process, however, was only utilized for miltary purposes. Civilians, priests, and government leaders could not be rivived through cloning, and not all soldiers could be revived either, as it was still very unstable at the time and, as such, was only used on the so-called "clone battallions".

The War of Planetary Unification
The war started when the "Nation of Spode" wished to convert the "Republic of Mynhos" the only true remaining world power(Another world power, Brahminia, which was an Economic country, managed to stay neutral for most of the conflict.). As such, the Nation of Spode wished to convert them and unify the planet Polin-2, the Minotaur homeworld, forever. Unfortunatley, the Mynhosi(People of the Mynhos Republic) didn't want to convert to the worship of Spode, or Spodism, due to the fact that, as they saw it, the Spodites(People from the Nation of Spode) just wanted their land and wealth. Seeking an ultimatum, the Grand Mynhosi Council proposed that they send a message to the Spodites stating that, although they considered it, they would not convert to Spodism, and that the Nation of Spode would just have to deal with that fact. When the Spodites received this message, they were outraged, and acted according to the word of Spode, which stated that All unrepentant heretics must be destroyed. The Spodites sent one last message to the Mynhosi, which said:
 * "You are cowards, ALL of you, for fearing the unity that Spode brings to us all. You and your fellow heretics have but one last chance to repent and join us. Resistance is futile. Refuse and you will cease to exist."

This message sealed the fate of the Mynhosi. Within 1 year, the war began.

The Siege of Catteri
The Siege of Catteri was the first real conflict of the war. The siege began when the Mynhosi reply to the Spodite ultimatum was received. Infuriated beyond reason, the Spodite High Priest ordered his armies to march on Catteri, the Mynhosi's most valuable port city and Naval Base. Immediatley the military division known as "The 8 Blades of Spode" mobilized toward Catteri. The group was comprised of five highly trained military units, a naval blockade force, and a religious propoganda division known as "The Gaze of the Sacred Eye", a task force of highly trained preist, linguists, and a Musical Dream squadron, which was the premier Spodist Religious aircraft. After arriving at the gates, they demanded that the Mynhosi inhabitants either convert or be destroyed. The Mynhosi Military forces reacted violently, and the Siege conintued with heavy casualties on both sides for a week. After the Mynhosi refused to honor the rules of war on Polin-2(Battles must stop on religious holidays) by continuing to fight on Spode's Day, the Spodist forces, now blind with uncrontrollable fury, called in the Wings of Spode, the Spodist Tactical air-strike force, to finish of the defenses at Catteri. After 3 days of contionuous bombing and shelling, the walls of Catteri finally came crashing down.

The First Battle of Proud Spire
Proud Spire was a Mynhosi secret military base that was being use do research orbital bombing technologies. When The Eyes of Spode, the Spodite equivalent of our own CIA, reported this to the High Priest, he order an all out assault on the heavily fortified base. When infored of the Spire's defenses, he assigned his best Generals and tacticians to the assault force. No one could have predicted how bad this would turn out. When the assault force arrived at the Proud Spire's location, they are in awe of it's design. Appearing as to touch the sky, its immense size was enough to make any small arms force to retreat. But the SPodites were no small army. With 15 million men and over 5 million heavy and light assault craft, they were ready for anything. After the iniial balst was dealt, they spent over 2500 years attempting to bring down the Spire, but to no avail. No matter how hard the tried, the Spire never fell. So, they changed tactics. Instead of trying to bring it down, they decided to capture it and continue its research. After finding all of it's weak points, the Spodist forces formed ranks and blasted their way into the Spire. after 2,500 years, the First battle of Proud Spire was finally over.

Final conflicts
After they lost the Spire, the Mynhosi began to consider surrendering, but after they consulted their knowledge of the Spodites, they knew the Spodites wouldn't stop until they either converted or died. As one Mynhosi councilman had said:
 * "It was dreadful, losing the Spire, but it would be even more dreadful if we allowed those hedonistic Spodites their victory. We would not convert, we could not surrender, the only option we have left is to die. And we are NOT going to just sit here and do that."

The Mynhosi then decided that if they wanted to win, they had to take back the Proud Spire, they Had to take back their cities, and they had to wipe those damned Spodists of the face of Ploin-2. The Mynhosi High Council eventually authorized the plans for the Second Battle of Proud Spire, after 10,00 years of failed attacks and empty victories, they were ready to fight to the end for their Spire. Unlike the First Battle of the Spire, however, the results of this one were disastrous.

The Second Battle of Proud Spire
Proud Spire, now the most advanced orbital bambardment facility on Polin-2, was preparing for the Mynhosi Assault. The Mynhosi, however, were secretly planning the assassination of the Spodist High Priest, Sacred Seer Matthias Steed, in order to hopefully end the war. The assault on the Spire proved to be a disaster, 2/3 of the Mynhosi Assault forces were lost, and the remaining third converted. The Mynhosi, now without an organized defense force, quickly put Operation: Close the Sacred Eye into action.

Assassination of Seer Matthias
The Mynhosi assassins were in place, awaiting the order to kill Matthias Steed. When they rceived the signal, they were to move in under the guise of Spodist monks to inform him of the deathof Observer Roakefield, Matthias nephew, which they themselves had a hand in. After they enter his chambers, which only monks and priests could enter, they were to dispatch him without notice then palnt a subnuclear device which would make it appear as if he died from a later planned bombardment. However, unkown to the assassins, the bombardment would not take place due to the complete destruction of the Mynhosi Armed Forces. Although they still received the signal, the cover for Seer Matthias' death was effectively blown. Their mission at least a partial success, they returned home to find that the new Spodist High Priest, Matthias' son Callas Steed, had already been appointed. Feeling as though they had failed, the assassins never left the capitoal city and never returned.

Seer Callus' Treaty of Unification
Seer Callus, however, did not see the war the same way his father, who has presided over the majority of the war, did. To his father, it was the joyous unification of Polin-2. To Callus, it was the unjustified slaughter of millions. Callus' sought to end the war by any means neccessary. The Temple of the Sacred Eye, however, refused to see things his way. After decreeing it heresy to let the Mynhosi live, Seer Callus decreed it heresy for this meeting, and furthermore, this bigotted temple to continue. After disbanding the legslative body of the temple, Callus sought to make peace with the Mynhosi, once and for all. When the Mynhosi learned of this, they were ecstatic. They thought as thoguh their prayers had been answered, and they immediately accepted. This is also viewed as one of the fastest acts in Minotuar history. Afterwards, many of the Mynhosi converted to Spodism, seeing the end of the war as a sign from Spode himself. For the first time in 15,000 years, Polin-2 was peaceful. There were no more screams, no more fires, no more bomings, explosins, no hail of bullets, no barrage of missiles. There was only peace, trnquilty, and most of all, silence.

Callus' New Decrees and years after the War
Seer Callus spent the next 500 years as an Observer of Nature, seeking out all of Spodes bounty. What he found, however, did nothing but horrify him. As a child, Callus had remebered a place now known as the Tattered Plains, but in his childhood they had been called the Plains of Elyssia, the most beautiful place on Polin-2. All that was left of them now was nothing but a burnt wasteland, symbolizing the atrocities of the War. Where there had once been golden fields and beautiful trees, there now stood ashes, splinter, and craters and rifts that had been goued out of the dirt by the warfare. Determined to preserve the bounty of Spode and Nature, Callus made a great many shamanistic reforms, and, with the advent of such policies, went on to oversee the formation of interstellar travel.

The Advent of Spaceflight
After Callus' reforms, Spaceflight soon became a reality. After discovering signs of life on a nearby planet and star system, the Minotaur soon began building their interstellar empire. The Minotaur are still currently expanding at a slow pace, but with their longevity and near infinte wisdom, they should have no troubles.