If you tell me again that "Sargas", our great and glorious Father, is the same deity as your pitiful god of vengeance, "Sargonnas", then I shall take it upon myself to rearrange the shanty features of your face.
- Things you shouldn't say to a minotaur
At home both on land and at sea, minotaurs live in an honor-based society where strength determines power in both the gladiatorial arenas and in daily life.
Personality
Minotaurs believe in the superiority of their race above all others. They believe their destiny is to rule the world. From youth, minotaurs are trained in combat and warfare and instilled with a strict code of honor. The militaristic society of minotaurs gives them a rigid view of the world, clearly delineated in black and white. Minotaurs value strength, cunning and intelligence. The ultimate test of all three virtues is conducted i the Great Circus, an annual contest held in a gladiatorial area.
Physical Description
Minotaurs are physically imposing, standing between 6 1/2 and 7 1/2 feet in height and weighting between 300 to 450 pounds. A minotaur's upper body is humanoid, with broad shoulders, a deep chest and strong arms ending in fully articulate hands. For the most part, the legs are also human-like, although their feet end in cleft hooves.
Their powerful bodies are covered with short, thick fur, ranging in hue from red to brown, with rare occurrences of black, tan, or white-furred individuals. Minotaur heads are clearly bovine in nature. They have large, deep-set eyes in shades of dark brown and black. Minotaurs have short, yellow-white horns that grow from their temples, 6 to 12 inches long for females and anywhere from 1 to 2 feet long for males. Minotaur manes are a shade or two darker than their fur.
To non-minotaurs, the physical differences between males and females may not be immediately apparent, since both sexes are equally powerfully built and there is no role distinction between the sexes.
Minotaur dress tends to be austere and simple, nothing more than a harness and a leather skirt, although those of noble rank may wear loose-fitting robes. The harness carries weapons as well as providing a place for the minotaur to hang trophies. Minotaurs are considered adults around the age of 17, and can be over 150 years old.
Relations
To the minotaurs, all the other races of Krynn are weak and inferior. They view dwarves and centaurs with a modicum of respect due to their rugged, uncompromising natures. Elves and gnomes, on the other hand, are considered weak, frail creatures without any honor or courage. Kender are a nuisance, no better than rats of an infestation of roaches. Of all the races, humans have earned the most respect from the minotaurs, for the military and naval skills are second only to the minotaurs' own.
Alignment
Minotaurs are lawful, raised to believe in a strict code of honor. They are loyal to the death to family and friends and implacable adversaries to their enemies. Minotaurs tend toward evil, due to their worship of Sargas.
Minotaur Lands
The minotaur homeland (in the current setting) is the land of Kothas. Kothas serves as the center of minotaur society and is home to the capital of the minotaur empire, Lycanos.
Religion
Sargas the Destroyer is the primary deity worshipped by the minotaurs. The Horned God appears to the minotaurs as a giant minotaur with char-black or blood-red fur, covered in the blood of his enemies.
There are some who will try to tell a minotaur that Sargas and Sargonnas are in fact one and the same. While this may be true, minotaurs believe them to be separate deities. Any who try to "correct" a minotaur will soon find themselves on the receiving end of a battle axe.
Kiri-Jolith is the second most prominent deity of the minotaurs, and the rival of Sargas. He appears to the minotaurs as a bison-headed minotaur with a great horned axe.
Minotaur followers of the Great Bison tend to be the most noble and honorable among their race, yet they can be reviled and even persecuted for their beliefs among their own people, even resulting in being cast out by their families and exiled from their homeland. Kiri-Jolith is often referred to as "Emperor" by his minotaur followers, as they can openly swear an oath "by the Emperor", which other minotaurs mistake for meaning the emperor of the minotaur empire.
As a seafaring race, the minotaurs know it is wise to pay homage to Zeboim the Maelstrom. Zeboim is quite volatile, and it is in the best interests of all minotaur sailors to say a prayer to her before voyages. Occasionally a minotaur ship will offer a sacrifice during the voyage. Each port city in the empire has at least a small shrine to Zeboim.
Language
Kothian is the minotaur language, though minotaurs also speak Common fluently. A clipped, abrupt language, Kothian is much like the minotaurs themselves - controlled, precise, and harsh.
Names
Clan names originate with a great hero. His or her descendants take on the name as their own, doing their best to live up to the ideals of their ancestor. Clan names are always preceded by the diminutive "es-" or "de-", meaning "of" (thus Kyris de-Entragath is Kyris of Clan Entragath). Those with the "es-" diminutive often consider themselves superior to those with the "de-", since they see themselves as being closer to the throne.
Male Names
Beliminorgath, Cinmac, Dastrun, Edder, Galdar, Ganthirogani, Hacariverani, Kyris, Tosher, Zurgas.
Female Names
Ayasha, Calina, Fliara, Helati, Keeli, Kyri, Mogara, Sekra, Tariki, Telia.
Clan Names
Athak, Bregan, Entragath, Kaziganthi, Lagrangli, Mascun, Orilg, Sumarr, Teskos, Zhakan.
Adventurers
Minotaurs glory in strength, honor and bravery, so adventuring comes naturally to them. Minotaur adventurers tend to be more independent than others of their kind, for they have severed ties with their clan to seek their own fortune in the world. During the various wars that have wracked Ansalon, minotaur mercenaries have joined whichever side they believed to be the strongest. When a minotaur finds a cause in which he truly believe, he will dedicate himself to that cause, a fact that has earned them the grudging respect of the Knights of Solamnia and other lawful groups.
Minotaurs are born sailors and venture out into the world in trading or pirate ships, for although they despise other races, minotaurs are no averse to take their goods and money.