Fiction:The Firmament/Minotaur

"Never have I seen such pure, unadulterated hatred. The monster charged into the spears, shrugged off all blows and massacred everything in its path until its body could no longer withstand the wounds, and it just dropped dead, still scowling in rage. These creatures are not of Aether, that much I can tell."

- Ukk Muckhook, gnoll guard

Minotaurs, otherwise known as bullfolk, are a monstrous species of humanoid bovine hailing from the badlands of Kultaurus. Notorious for their destructive and extremely violent disposition, they are considered one of the most terrible forces of southern Dryadala.

Biology
Minotaurs are enormous humanoid bulls with awesome muscles which allow them to charge with enough force to trample the likes of ogres and rock trolls with ease. They all possess burning red eyes and sport dark fur, typically darker shades of brown, red and black. All minotaurs possess an impressive pair of curved horns which can easily impale through steel armor, and possess an incredible tolerance to pain, shrugging off most blows. The average minotaur is almost three meters tall and can weight over half a ton. Female minotaurs are slightly smaller than males, sport smaller horns and are much less common in occurrence; only one in every ten minotaur births are female.

History
Harpy legends claim the land of Kultaurus was once made of lush and beautiful like that of Amazq, before a 'great flaming shadow' descended upon it which was followed by the minotaurs crawling their way out of the ground and conquering the landscape, forcing the harpies to flee northwest. The creatures themselves claim to be creations of their dark goddess, implying a possible truth to the myth.

Culture
Minotaurs are viciously aggressive creatures who seem consumed by rage, which manifests in battle; during combat, they go on a bloodthirsty frenzy and abandon all sense of self-preservation, throwing themselves into danger and fighting to the death. Their monstrous hatred for all life and their mysterious origins lead many scholars to believe minotaurs are not natural creatures. Despite their destructive nature, however, minotaurs possess a clear affinity to metalsmithing and possess skilled artisans who provide their warriors with high quality equipment not usually expected from such monstrous hordes.

Minotaurs band in herds, with their leaders being warlords chosen through combat who are advised by shamans. Minotaur females generally do not participate in war parties due to being considered too sacred and precious to their herds to be in harm's way; bringing harm to females or shamans are considered the only true crimes among minotaurs, which are 99% of the time responded with the responsible being ripped apart.

Religion
All minotaurs worship their patron, the dark fire goddess Maulak, who they believe to be the literal mother of their species. Her worship is regulated by the shamans of each herd, who commune with the goddess in order to instruct their warlords on her wishes. Maulak is a dangerous and malevolent deity who seeks to consume the land with flame, leading minotaurs to be notorious arsonists.

Relations with other races
Minotaurs hate all races beyond their own; the sight of an outsider leads to an immediate attack. They hold no strong opinions on any of their neighbours, as they essentially hate them all equally, though they possess a greater respect for the duergars over the others, as they are the ones who provide them with the toughest battles. The duergars meanwhile see minotaurs as prime slave material, leading to the two races to fight very often.

Notable minotaurs

 * Mivtanreior - Brass King of Kultaurus