Atlas   Rules   Resources   Adventures   Stories       FAQ   Search   Links



A Pelatian adventurer on the land of Mis

by Francesco Defferrari

From Erkani Erental, adventurer and explorer, to Illeia Ishelial, third golden matriarch of Pelatan

Bless upon you, my radiant mother
Here is, as you wished, some information about the minotaurs of the land of Mis. I will begin with their history, as I learned it from them, together with some consideration of mine upon the matter.
The minotaurs divide their history in cycles. I will try to organise the cycles in a timeline more familiar to us.
From 4900 to 2400 BI (before Iemara, BC 5500-3000)
The first cycle was the time when they had wings, and lived in perfect happiness. It's easy to comprehend that they refer to the times of the enduk empire. They have just a confused myth of these times, and they call this cycle the Cycle of Strength.
From 2400 BI to 1450 BI (3000-2050 BC)
The second cycle is the time of rainstorm and dark days when many of them died. They call this cycle the First Cycle of Sorrow, and they said that in this time the Sun God abandoned them. Obviously they speak of the dark and difficult time after the Great Rain of Fire. In this time they began to worship the Death Goddess, who they call Ela. It's very interesting the fact that they don't make mention of the enduks, neither of the civil war between the winged enduks and the fallen minotaurs. As we know well the war ended with the decimated enduks forced to sail north and leave Davania forever.
From 1450 BI to 1150 BI (2050-1750 BC)
But the civil war is not included in the first Cycle of Sorrow, but in the First Cycle of Rage, when the minotaurs attacked every living being on Davania. With regard to the enduks, the fact that they are not mentioned in minotaurs history, as if, after the First Cycle of Sorrow, was survived no winged minotaur, is a clear signal of the sense of guilt for the killings of their brothers. The minotaurs are not mindless brutes as many nations of Davania believed and still believe. They have a strong sense of honour, and they have never tried to exterminate other people, neither the enduks, while other people, particularly Aricans, ogre tribes and Izonda, often tried to exterminate them. That don't exclude that to forget about enduks was an useful lie too, and a way to forget the curse the Sun God placed upon the followers of Minoides: never to have a nation, never to have peace. That don't exclude either that people of Davania suffered under the minotaurs' rule, particularly elves of Pelatan and the newly arrived Tanagoro colonists in Arica.
From 1150 BI to 700 BI (1750-1300 BC)
The minotaurs' power upon the people of Davania ended when Aricans, aided by the elves, defeated the minotaurs. So begin their Second Cycle of Sorrow. It has been reported in ancients chronicles that the elves of Pelatan stopped to aid the humans disgusted with their ferocity against the defeated minotaurs. So the assertions of minotaurs' history are made testimony to even by our chronicles. In the following centuries the minotaurs, driven in the desert, were enslaved by the lizard kin, until a priestess leaded them to a revolt that reversed the situation.
From 700 BI to 300 BI (1300 - 900 BC)
The minotaurs ruled in the desert for four centuries, and in that cycle, called the Second Cycle of Rage, they raided mostly Arican humans, leaving ourselves in peace. There are even reports of Pelatians merchants who travelled to the lands of the minotaurs and traded with them.
From 300 BI to 200 IY (900 - 400 BC)
The civil war in the Arican lands drove away ogres and ogre kin of Arica. The ogre kin of good nature escaped mostly in our lands or in the north, while the ogres and ogre kin of evil intention attacked the minotaurs. So began their Third Cycle of Sorrow. The ogres had no mercy of their enemies. The minotaurs were driven north, where only the kindness of the zebrataurs saved them. The zebrataurs gave the minotaurs some of their lands. This fact is only partially recognised in minotaurs' history. As we know well the ogre kin founded Izonda, and shortly after more humanoid came from the north. That was a bitter time for all the people of Davania, but for us was also the glorious time of the foundation of the Golden Matriarchy (600 BC).
From 200 IY to 500 IY (400 - 100 BC)
When the humanoids began to diminish for the constant wars with Izonda, the minotaurs began their Third Cycle of Rage. They drove away many humanoid tribes, defeated Izonda, and secured the grassland north of the desert for them and the zebrataurs. In Izondian history the shame of the defeat at the hands of "barbarians" minotaurs has been carefully hidden.
From 500 IY to 850 IY (100 BC - 250 AC)
The real barbarians were revealed in the minotaurs' Fourth Cycle of Sorrow. The Izondian army invaded minotaurs lands killing everyone without discrimination. The minotaurs escaped north, only to encounter other hostile humanoids and the goblins of Kresh. They hid in jungles and hills, and hid so well that a Pelatian explorers of that time wrote to the Golden Matriarch Iasia he was sure that the minotaurs had been utterly exterminated by Izondians and savages humanoids.
From 850 IY to 1100 IY (250 - 500 AC)
But that statement was not the truth, because some centuries after the minotaurs came out from their hidden villages, to begin their Fourth Cycle of Rage. Once again they defeated Izondians and humanoids and conquered many lands in the north. The Golden Matriarch Iasia sent an ambassador to speak with minotaurs chiefs, and for some time Pelatan and the minotaurs had an informal alliance against Izonda.
From 1100 IY to the present days (500 AC - 1016 AC)
When Izonda declared the great humanoid war the minotaurs were a primary target of Izondian ferocity. So began the Fifth Cycle of Sorrow. This time, as is well recognised in minotaurs history, the zebrataurs saved them from extermination, giving them hospitality. When Izondian pressure on the north diminished the minotaurs became the nomadic people they are now. They roam the grassland peacefully, fighting only if attacked. But still they await a Fifth Cycle of Rage.

Here ends my report. I hope it will prove useful to you, my radiant mother. I hope also that Pelatan will establish peaceful and constant relations with those people. Living among them I began to comprehend and appreciate them. Their honour and their courage, and even their stubbornness to live against the will of the immortals.
Forgive my last phrase.
Bless upon you, my radiant mother.