Minotaur

Minotaurs are shaggy-furred humanoids of great size. Reminiscent of a cross between a bull and a human, these horned fighters tend to serve as bodyguards and fighters. Most of the minotaurs of Eberron call the monster nation of Droaam home, acting as guards, pit fighters, and mercenaries for the Daughters of Sora Kell . Others are drafted into the service of House Tharashk as mercenaries. [1] [6] [7]

Description

Minotaurs are large, muscular, furry bipeds, with the head of a bull. Their fur is long and drapes from their bodies, but their muscles are revealed in certain areas. Minotaurs possess a feral, cunning instinct that is reflected in their dark, powerful eyes. [5]

Abilities

In addition to their tremendous strength, minotaurs have a natural cunning, and are able to instinctively track their prey and never get lost. They use their horns as natural weapons, and will frequently charge their opponents. They do not have any type of claw attacks, and prefer to use manufactured weapons and armor to fight. They have an enhanced sense of smell, and can track their prey by scent. Some minotaurs also possess darkvision. [5]

History

Droaam minotaur gladiator

During the Last War , in the year 987 YK , three hags , known as the Daughters of Sora Kell, announced the creation of a new nation, Droaam. This nation, carved from the western half of Breland , would be ruled by the monstrous races. The Daughters opened an invite for any monstrous race to find a new home in Droaam, and a great many minotaurs accepted their offer. Most minotaurs in Droaam reside in isolated wilderness areas, but individuals are frequently seen in the Great Crag and Graywall , delighting the crowds as pit fighters. [1] [7] [8]

In the year 994 YK , House Tharashk began negotiations with Droaam for the use of mercenary solders in the Last War. The Daughters of Sora Kell agreed, and House Tharashk began recruiting monstrous races, including minotaurs. It is not unusual for House Tharashk to employ minotaurs as fighters or laborers. [6]

Minotaurs not aligned to either Droaam or House Tharashk are common as well. Some of these minotaurs have sought work as members of Daask or other criminal organizations. [9] [10] Over in the continent of Xen'drik, a handful of minotaur warlords have erected maze-cities and forged tiny kingdoms over the centuries. [11]

Religion

The minotaurs of northern Droaam are united in worship of the Horned Prince , a demon Overlord . However, each minotaur has their own representation of this demon and believes all others to be flawed. Some minotaurs of Khorvaire also worship the Blood of Vol . [12] [13]

Notable Minotaurs

Appendix

Behind the Scenes

In 3 rd -edition Dungeons & Dragons , the standard minotaur was a Large creature. Though Medium minotaurs were released (especially in the Dragonlance campaign setting), Eberron sourcebooks of the time made reference to minotaurs being size Large. [5] [15] However, in the 4 th -edition Monster Manual and Player's Handbook 3 , minotaurs are Medium. In 3 rd edition, the average weight of a minotaur was 700 lb, but in 4 th edition this was reduced to 320–350 lb. [3] [4] 5 th edition returned to having minotaurs being Large creatures, but with the playable variant being Medium sized. [2] [18]

External Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Keith Baker , Bill Slavicsek , & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting . ( Wizards of the Coast ), pp. 164–165. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0 .
  2. 2.0 2.1 Mike Mearls , Jeremy Crawford , Christopher Perkins (2014). Monster Manual (5th Edition) . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 223. ISBN 978-0786965614 .
  3. 3.0 3.1 Mike Mearls , Stephen Schubert , and James Wyatt (2008). Monster Manual (4th edition) . ( Wizards of the Coast ), pp. 190–191. ISBN 0-7869-4852-3 .
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Rob Heinsoo , Mike Mearls , and Robert J. Schwalb (2010). Player's Handbook 3 . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 10. ISBN 0-7869-5390-X .
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Skip Williams , Jonathan Tweet , and Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual (3.5 edition) . ( Wizards of the Coast ), pp. 188–189. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X .
  6. 6.0 6.1 Keith Baker , Ari Marmell , Michelle Lyons and C.A. Suleiman (2006). Dragonmarked . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 79. ISBN 0-7869-3933-8 .
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Keith Baker , Jeremy Crawford , & James Wyatt (2019). Eberron: Rising from the Last War . ( Wizards of the Coast ), pp. 198–199. ISBN 0786966890 .
  8. James Wyatt , Keith Baker , Luke Johnson , Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 52. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5 .
  9. Keith Baker & James Wyatt (2004). Sharn: City of Towers . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 14. ISBN 0-7869-3434-4 .
  10. Keith Baker , Jeremy Crawford , & James Wyatt (2019). Eberron: Rising from the Last War . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 250. ISBN 0786966890 .
  11. James Wyatt , Keith Baker , Luke Johnson , Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 77. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5 .
  12. Keith Baker (October 2008). “ Dragonmarks : Backdrop: Graywall” (PDF). In Chris Youngs ed. Dragon #368 ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 5.
  13. Jennifer Clarke Wilkes , Ari Marmell , & C.A. Suleiman (2006). Faiths of Eberron . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 80. ISBN 0-7869-3934-6 .
  14. Keith Baker , Jeremy Crawford , & James Wyatt (2019). Eberron: Rising from the Last War . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 179. ISBN 0786966890 .
  15. 15.0 15.1 Keith Baker , Nicolas Logue , James Desborough , C.A. Suleiman (2008). City of Stormreach . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 102. ISBN 0-7869-4803-5 .
  16. Keith Baker & James Wyatt (2004). Sharn: City of Towers . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 153. ISBN 0-7869-3434-4 .
  17. James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide . ( Wizards of the Coast ), p. 130. ISBN 0-7869-5099-4 .
  18. James Wyatt , Jeremy Crawford (2018). Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica . ( Wizards of the Coast ). ISBN 9780786966592 .