They were the result of Chaus in the Graygem, never fully reaching the greatness of the ancient Ogre Empires of antiquity. They have been enslaved and hunted by Ogres, Dwarves and Elves, but after epocs have built empires to Sargas’ delight. Let’s look into the beginnings of the Minotaur race. Buy Taladas: The Minotaurs: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17376/DLR2-Taladas-The-Minotaurs-2e?affiliate_id=50797

https://youtu.be/Mn-1wqM81kY

Transcript

Cold Open

Surprisingly, this race has been enslaved arguably more than any other on Krynn.

Intro

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Minotaurs. This is the first in a multi episode series about the history, empires and legacy of Minotaurs. I am referencing DLR2 Taladas: The Minotaurs game accessory and Races of Krynn Sourcebook for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below.

Discussion

I am stunned at the history of the minotaurs. First is the fact that they were slaves for the majority of their existence. Running from their predecessor race, the ogres in Taladas, then from the Dwarves in Kal Thax, then from the ogres in Ansalon. This race seems to want nothing more than to rise to the High Ogre civilization that they sprung from and were rejected by, and it took millenia for them to get anywhere close to it. And then, only in Taladas until the War of Souls. The primary reason they fall into slavery is due to their underwhelming numbers, and this is due solely to the chaos of their creation with the Graygem. 

Their origins are shrouded in myth, though the reality is interesting in its own right, with no real need for myth. The minotaurs relay that the god Sargas transformed into a giant condor and gathered up all of the worthy ogres, transporting them to the eastern shores of Ansalon. He then granted them each his sign, and transformed them into Minotaurs. Minotaurs teach that their horns are Sargas’ greatest gift to them, so as to have the means of defending themselves. A lot of good that did, lol. This is quaint, but just about as believable as our own Abrahamic arc myth. The reality behind their empires is vastly more interesting and deserving of their rage and honor. Minotaurs believe in a brutal code centered on the idea of strength as the instrument of glory and respect. It is through strength that a minotaur will rise through society to serve in the

legions, strength by which a minotaur may lead his clan, strength by which a minotaur may captain a vessel, and strength by which an emperor may rule an empire. Would they believe this if they were granted their beginning, or if they fought horn and hoof for it?

No, the true beginnings are as follows: The gods created Elves, Ogres and Humans, then the high god populated Krynn with Animals. The Elves claim that they were the first, but this flies in the face of the great civilizations the high Ogre society left behind, while the humans and Elves lived off the land in smaller tribes. The Minotaurs contend that in truth the Ogres were created first and populated Taladas initially. The remains of their grand civilization along with the Bakali and Yaggol still remain there to this day. It is of course due to Reorx and his Gnomes that the Minotaurs exist at all. The Graygem traveled over some small farmlands and fishing villages on the northwestern coast of Hosk populated by Ogres, and changed them into Minotaurs. This moment is encapsulated in their history as the Night of Cruel Transformation.