About this mod
These ferocious men-bull descendants of Morihaus are said to have symbolized the Alessian Empire during the 1st Era, but later became commonly seen as dangerous beasts by other races. The variant that inhabits Skyrim is among those closest to the original glory and power of its race, unlike other more ferocious variants that live across Tamriel.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
-
Translations
- Spanish
- Changelogs
- Donations
- This mod is included in a themed pack: High Fantasy Pack (LE/SE-AE). If you downloaded the pack, you don't need or should keep this standalone mod in your load order, to avoid duplicating this mod's features in your game, whether areas, items, creatures, etc. Remove the esp of this standalone mod if you intend to install, or already installed, the themed pack where this mod is included. The action can be done mid-game without issues;
- If you use, like and value my work, please consider giving an endorsement. I've worked hard for years to offer you the best of me for free, and the only thing I ask in return is this gesture, which increases my relevance and engagement on Nexus, and motivates me to continue;
- I do not inspect or have any influence over translations of my mods (including those linked directly on my pages), nor do I have any power over patches or add-ons made to my content. So, before using any unofficial add-ons for my mods, make sure they conform to the latest version of my official release, and never use these if they don't. The same applies to Xbox ports;
- In addition to the Nexus, you can find me on Youtube and on my Discord server;
- Do you have any doubt? Read my Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
In the years during and after Empress Alessia's reign, Minotaurs began to appear in greater and greater numbers. During this time, some scholars believe the early Minotaurs possessed intelligence and culture comparable to other races of beaskfolk. Artwork and texts from the First Era suggest they were fiercely loyal to the Empire and were among Empress Alessia's most devoted defenders, but despite their devotion to the Empire, Minotaurs were always a target of suspicion and fear because of their size and strength, and with the rise of the fanatical Alessian Order, they were re-classified as "monsters", no better than Ogres or Trolls, and most were driven into the forests by the fanaticals, who destroyed whatever culture they previously possessed. Much of the evidence to support this claim was also destroyed in the intervening period while the Alessian Order ruled the Empire, but one remaining fragment of an ancient tablet depicts Alessian troops revolting against Emperor Belharza, giving some credence to the theory. Nonetheless, Minotaurs were not entirely wiped out by the Alessians and continued to roam the woods and hills of Cyrodiil throughout the following eras, while on the other mentioned provinces (far away from the center of the Empire) they remained considerably more in contact with the other races and with civilization itself for a longer period of time, but still often viewed as well with some suspicion by them. By the 3rd and 4th Eras their noble ancestry was all but forgotten by most races, except by some particular groups such as the Forsworn.
Unlike the ferocious Minotaurs that inhabit Cyrodiil, the Minotaurs that inhabit Skyrim, Elsweyr and part of those that inhabit High Rock, are among the variants closest to the original glory, power and appearance of their race. Relatively less muscular and with less endurance than the Cyrodilic Minotaurs, they are however considerably bigger, faster, much more intelligent, and their powerful armor and weapons make them more lethal enemies if a clash between both variants happens. They have gray skin, less body hair, slightly more humanized features, and considerably smaller curved horns. Also commonly solitary, and
eventually engaging in fatal male combats between themselves, some however can be seen alongside Forsworns.
The Forsworns, given their renegade status, their adoration of the "Old Ways" and the "Old Gods", rescuing Tamriel's ancestral soul culture, ended up becoming a safe heaven for acceptance and oportunity to return to the "civilized" community lifestyle for several highly discriminated beast-races, which explains the presence of some Centaurs, Minotaurs and Satyrs, among other races, on their ranks. In addition, the deep connection of this faction to Hircine, the father of the man-beasts, is also an important factor, since many Minotaurs and Centaurs, among others, found the patron they sought in the Daedric Prince. Especially the powerful Minotaur Shamans are worshiped in almost equal footing to the Hagravens by the Forsworn, and treated with profound reverence, as direct descendants of the "Old Gods" and the heirs of their power.
It is important to note that Morihaus was known as Morihaus-Breath-of-Kyne, one of the "Old Gods" worshiped by the Forsworn, and patron of the forces of nature, although, of course, interpreted by the unique Forsworn philosophy and system of beliefs. Kyne is also particularly known as the goddess of storm, thunder, rain and wind, and it was she who gave mortal races the power to use Thu'um. It was not by coincidence that Morihaus, Belharza, and the ancient Minotaurs were known for their powerful shouts that caused towers to collapse, and deluges to fall from the sky, in addition to embedding their heavy hammers with lethal thunder enchantments. Apparently however, this ability seems to have been lost in current days.
In Skyrim, an explorer can find from common Minotaurs to the largest and most powerful Minotaur Lords. Both usually occur in the North, Northwest and Northeast regions of Skyrim, but some can also be found on the Reach. Minotaur Shamans generally live in Forsworn camps, and are incredible users of highly destructive fire magic. Minotaur Gladiators are probably the most powerful variant, and certainly the biggest, and are former veterans of arena combat. Unlike the gladiator minotaurs of cyrodiil, these minotaurs entered this life voluntarily, and take great pride in their proficiency on killing their opponents in the arenas across Tamriel. Unfortunately with the relations between Skyrim and the Empire getting colder, many of the cultural shows that used to be largely sponsored by the Imperials in the province are now scarce, and the Imperial tradition of gladiator arenas was one of them. Because of this, these veterans now live secluded lives, commonly in remote places, building their camps in small forts or abandoned ruins, which a prudent explorer should always avoid. These gladiators traditionally carry on their backs the weapons of the most honorable opponents they killed.
The especially gigantic ghost of a minotaur, a legitimate representative of the glory of his ancestral race, guards the end of Shalidor 'Maze, in the ruins of Labyrinthian, since the 1st Era. Known as The Maze Guardian, this powerful minotaur was once a friend and training partner of the then Archmage Shalidor, and pledged to keep his friend's secrets after his departure. Legend has it that he was also an important part of the mighty wizard's trials. This minotaur honors his demi-god ancestry, being
able to use his powerful Thum'um to manipulate the wind and create storms, casting powerful cyclones and embedding his hammer with the most powerful power of the thunder."
by Beastmaster Mihail *
(*Who is Beastmaster Mihail? He is my avatar/persona within the universe composed of all my mods. He is the ingame author who writes the texts that are usually presented as descriptions for my mods. A former monster hunter, now a dedicated scholar, he is planned to be released as an NPC in late 2022/early 2023, doing the same job in-game as my descriptions do on Nexus.)
- 5 new creatures: Minotaur, Minotaur Lord, Minotaur Gladiator,
Minotaur Shaman, The Maze Guardian (unique)
- 3 new minotaur weapons: Imperial Sledgehammer, Steel Spiked Maul, Minotaur Iron Mallet
- 1 new amulet: Breath-of-Kyne Amulet
- 1 new ingredient: Minotaur Horns
- 1 new architecture- Minotaur Gladiator camps created
on small abandoned unmarked vanilla ruins
So far no incompatibilities have been found between this mod and other mods.
(OBS- If by chance when installing several of Mihail's mods at the same time you are asked about files overwriting those of other Mihail mods or other authors mods, don't worry because they are just the same files shared between mods. I recommend that on these occasions always give preference to the files contained in my mods, and among mine always give preference to the mod you are installing last.)
The Mihail Monsters and Animals series aims to create and make available to the community the most complete set of creatures for TES 5: Skyrim, implemented in an immersive and unique way, with respect to the pillars of lore. Instead of pathetically just throwing models and textures in the game reusing 100% vanilla mechanics, the creatures made by Mihail have uniqueness and extreme zeal in their idealization and implementation, which will provide you with an experience that you have never had before in this area.
- The last Skyrim Update
- DLC Dragonborn
- DLC Dawnguard
- DLC Hearthfire
Author:
Mihail- minotaur models, textures, animations, sounds, loot, effects, weapons, minotaur camps, game implementation
Some assets used on this mod belong to:
tamu75- for the giant hammer used by the common Minotaur variant;
lolikyonyu and Oaristys- for some of the clutter the minotaurs carry on their backs