A History of Minotaur Clans Written By The Great Archeologist and Anthropologist Endiara Cavendish
The Bonehorn clan are excellent glass smiths and frequently wield elegant glass bladed weaponry. These glass weapons are extraordinarily keen cutting blades and leave wounds that often bleed profusely. The few Bonehorn representatives who travel to the annual gathering Gathering of Asterion bring glass trading goods such as flasks, glass weapons, and various glass containers and jars. They primarily trade for water and slaves.
The Bonehorn Clan select their leader once every few years, Any minotaur who wishes may attempt the challenge and the first to return is crowned the Chieftain for 3 years. The challenge is simple but dangerous. Each contestant walks into the desert with nothing but a glass dagger and small glass water flask. The first to return riding a Bullete is the new chief. The Bonehorn Clan use Bulletes as raiding beasts as well as pulling heavy loads such as slave carts and sand loads. Rumor has it a great Bonehorn chief once constructed a great temple made of glass, but no outsider has ever seen it and lived.
The clans elders are greatly adept at the creation of traveling foods that last for weeks on end but do not go stale. Aside from the great drying racks of ox jerky, Rodrigez the explorer once recorded a Stonehoof Travel Biscuit (made from almond flour and mixed with ox fat) lasting well over a year without growing stale. The clan typically trades these food goods for whatever their needs may be, typically tools and wood.
The Stonehoof are not great smiths, and they prefer to purchase tools and utensils from traveling merchants rather than forge things themselves. They also rely on trade at the Gathering of Asterion where they bring Oxen and Prepared Travel foods to trade for tools and containers of various sorts. Though less of a tradecraft the Stonehoof clan typically makes most of their clothing from shaved Ox fur.
The temples of the Green Axe clan are sacred territory, and at each clan meet up one family group is selected to stay behind and guard the temple. The remaining groups will bring offerings of slain beasts and foraged fruits upon their return for this great service. The Green Axe clan are highly protective of their temples, I once witnessed the family group guarding the southern temple, wipe out 3 dozen high elven water dancers that strayed too close to their temple. The Minotaur took a single casualty and he was given a funeral pyre the same night.
The Green Axe clans are great beast hunters, priding themselves on killing beasts like giant otters and the hulking nameless behemoths of the ancient forest alike. Their weapons are made from a deep green mineral called Malachanium, it holds a sharp edge and rumors of a deeper latent magic abound but the minotaur that I spoke with were coldly silent on the topic.
the mountain clan and discovered their historical records. The entry that follows is my interpretation
of that history. I believe the Mountain clan to be lost to history, their existence stomped out by a powerful sorcerer king.
The Minotaurs that moved into the mountains were arguably the most warlike of the clans. They came to conquer, viewing themselves as the rightful rulers of the meek in a very nietzsche-esque "Powerful always dominate the weak" way. They held to the old traditions of ritual combat for leadership and were highly militaristic. It seems they grew very little of there own food, and didn't trade for it either. By all accounts, much of their diet consisted of plundered food, and jerky from the Gathering of Asterion. (Minotaur are equals and therefore worth trading with)
When the four nations of the Minotaur tribes split their separate ways the Fellhide clan, already the most bloodthirsty of the clans retreated to the Mountains of Madness where the dark energies of that land warped them into cruel creatures, long bereft of any humanity. It did not take long for them to enslave the many goblin clans that inhabited the area, the great chieftain known only as Duuvera Fellhide built a fortress of iron on the backs of goblin slave labor. He had the mountain stripped of its resources quickly for this fortress, and it stands to this day. The walls are rusted over and the great spike battlement lays devoid of life, inside nothing but empty halls and dust.
It is hard to imagine this fortress would have been like in its hay day. This is my final entry regarding the culture of the majestic Minotaur species. None of this work would have been possible without help from my kind friend and fellow researcher Ernesto LaVenta.
The Bonehorn Clan
Any Desert Traveler will tell you to avoid the maze-like canyons that bisect the Badlands. Everyone knows that is the Domain of the Bonehorn clan and their slave army. The Bonehorn clan are brutal minotaur slavers, famous for raiding unwary caravans and Orcish war parties alike, often selling their captives off to the Gnoll Druids of the central desert in exchange for harvested water fruits and stolen waterskins.The Bonehorn clan are excellent glass smiths and frequently wield elegant glass bladed weaponry. These glass weapons are extraordinarily keen cutting blades and leave wounds that often bleed profusely. The few Bonehorn representatives who travel to the annual gathering Gathering of Asterion bring glass trading goods such as flasks, glass weapons, and various glass containers and jars. They primarily trade for water and slaves.
The Bonehorn Clan select their leader once every few years, Any minotaur who wishes may attempt the challenge and the first to return is crowned the Chieftain for 3 years. The challenge is simple but dangerous. Each contestant walks into the desert with nothing but a glass dagger and small glass water flask. The first to return riding a Bullete is the new chief. The Bonehorn Clan use Bulletes as raiding beasts as well as pulling heavy loads such as slave carts and sand loads. Rumor has it a great Bonehorn chief once constructed a great temple made of glass, but no outsider has ever seen it and lived.
Stonehoof Clan
The Stonehoof clan is by far the most peaceful of the 4 Minotaur nation. Settled in the Northern Steppes the Stonehoof clan has traded swords for plow blades. Their size assures that no wandering bandit would care to attack a Stonehoof village. The warriors of the clan drive cattle south through orcish territories with impunity. The Oxen of the Stonehoof clan grow to be nearly 9 feet tall at the shoulder and make some of the finest jerky and leather goods on the market. (Stonehoof leather armor grants +1 AC vs Slashing damage)The clans elders are greatly adept at the creation of traveling foods that last for weeks on end but do not go stale. Aside from the great drying racks of ox jerky, Rodrigez the explorer once recorded a Stonehoof Travel Biscuit (made from almond flour and mixed with ox fat) lasting well over a year without growing stale. The clan typically trades these food goods for whatever their needs may be, typically tools and wood.
The Stonehoof are not great smiths, and they prefer to purchase tools and utensils from traveling merchants rather than forge things themselves. They also rely on trade at the Gathering of Asterion where they bring Oxen and Prepared Travel foods to trade for tools and containers of various sorts. Though less of a tradecraft the Stonehoof clan typically makes most of their clothing from shaved Ox fur.
Clan Green Axe
This clan was near impossible to track down, but when I finally made contact they agreed to let me follow them a brief time. They've taken isolationism to extremes, migrating in some permanent pilgrimage through the massive living forests of the Life Cradle from one great temple to another, arriving at each temple in time to conduct a great ritual to waken the sun from his slumber that the world might live again. There are several family groups who seldom interact with one another during their travels, except when a few families will gather at a hidden outpost made from carved hollows in the trunks of small world trees. As far as I can tell these family groups have no heirarchal structure and when multiple groups meet up they gather in what appears to be some kind of general assembly to address family needs and spread news.The temples of the Green Axe clan are sacred territory, and at each clan meet up one family group is selected to stay behind and guard the temple. The remaining groups will bring offerings of slain beasts and foraged fruits upon their return for this great service. The Green Axe clan are highly protective of their temples, I once witnessed the family group guarding the southern temple, wipe out 3 dozen high elven water dancers that strayed too close to their temple. The Minotaur took a single casualty and he was given a funeral pyre the same night.
The Green Axe clans are great beast hunters, priding themselves on killing beasts like giant otters and the hulking nameless behemoths of the ancient forest alike. Their weapons are made from a deep green mineral called Malachanium, it holds a sharp edge and rumors of a deeper latent magic abound but the minotaur that I spoke with were coldly silent on the topic.
The Fellhide Clan
It Has been many years since my last entry in this book. Much has happened in the time of my travels but that lies beyond the scope of this tome. I have finally reached the ancient fortress ofthe mountain clan and discovered their historical records. The entry that follows is my interpretation
of that history. I believe the Mountain clan to be lost to history, their existence stomped out by a powerful sorcerer king.
The Minotaurs that moved into the mountains were arguably the most warlike of the clans. They came to conquer, viewing themselves as the rightful rulers of the meek in a very nietzsche-esque "Powerful always dominate the weak" way. They held to the old traditions of ritual combat for leadership and were highly militaristic. It seems they grew very little of there own food, and didn't trade for it either. By all accounts, much of their diet consisted of plundered food, and jerky from the Gathering of Asterion. (Minotaur are equals and therefore worth trading with)
When the four nations of the Minotaur tribes split their separate ways the Fellhide clan, already the most bloodthirsty of the clans retreated to the Mountains of Madness where the dark energies of that land warped them into cruel creatures, long bereft of any humanity. It did not take long for them to enslave the many goblin clans that inhabited the area, the great chieftain known only as Duuvera Fellhide built a fortress of iron on the backs of goblin slave labor. He had the mountain stripped of its resources quickly for this fortress, and it stands to this day. The walls are rusted over and the great spike battlement lays devoid of life, inside nothing but empty halls and dust.
It is hard to imagine this fortress would have been like in its hay day. This is my final entry regarding the culture of the majestic Minotaur species. None of this work would have been possible without help from my kind friend and fellow researcher Ernesto LaVenta.
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