MLP- The Minotaur

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EDIT: 

-Added colors to the to Iron Will and the female minotaur.

-Headcanon sections that have been revised and extended: BREEDING and BEHAVIOR. 

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I've actually been asked a couple of times about how I saw the Minotaurs of the MLP world. So, here they are! The way I personally see the minotaur in the world of MLP. The minotaur from the canon show is named Iron Will (big blue guy), while the rest are just random characters I drew to better illustrate the whole thing. However, I have taken to calling the adult female Neo, in reference to her Neapolitan color palette. o3o

These bastards were so much fun to draw, you have no idea. I'll eventually do more for the other subspecies of the same family, but until then, I hope you guys enjoy this! C:

So with that said, let's move on to the TEXT OF HEADCANON DOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

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The minotaur is a part of of the Taurus family, the classification of the creatures that are seemingly half-primate/half-ungulate. This includes the Satyr, the Centaur, and the Faun as well. The minotaur in general is specifically a creature that is almost exclusively bovine in appearance, however it has the upright stature and overall body build that is similar to an ape.

Appearance:
The Minotaur are relatively tall creatures, the average height  being around 8 ft from head to toe for both sexes (females typically end up a tad shorter). In addition to their height, the creature's body is heavy and sculpted with muscle; this is true for both the female and male. Both genders also grow horns, however it's possible for the minotaur to simply not grow a set, depending on the individual. I also don't think the minotaur female would have prominent breasts until they were pregnant (and even then, it wouldn't be nearly as prominent as an average human female), so the chest of the minotauress here is not that defined for that very same reason.

Minotaurs are covered in a short but dense coat, with the fur from the waist-down usually being more coarse in texture. The coat and mane --like many creatures in this world-- can come in a variety of colors and markings. That said, the most common coat color in minotaurs tend to be blue, tawny,  brown,  red, and green.

The primary locomotion of the minotaur is bipedal, however their arms are long and powerful which allows  quadrupedal locomotion if they so desire. Running on all four tends to be favored, due to how much faster and agile they become. Their hands/paws (either is acceptable) are large and are tipped with claws that are short, but sharp. Both genders harbor long and sharp canines.


Diet:
Like all of the members of the Taurus family, the Minotaur is primarily an omnivorous creature. However, of the races in this genus, the minotaur actually prefers meat more than herb and leafy foods. Although the structure of their teeth allows them to eat a wide variety of potential foods, their diet typically consists of fish, venison, leafy herbs, and fruits.

The minotaur thrills in the hunt, almost as much as they appreciate a worthy fight; success in hunting is often likened to that of having wit, strength, and the endurance to pull it off. As such, hunting is often used in a coming-of-age ceremony, where young bulls and heifers prove their worth both as individuals and as good tribe mates by bringing back wild game. The minotaur typically hunts solo or with family members (usually no more than two). However, for ceremonial hunts or, say, a family reunion, the hunting party usually increases to about four to six taurs at a time, sometimes more if the hunt calls for hunting huge and formidable prey.

Aside from hunting, the minotaurs rely on crops, gathering, and trading tactics to maintain their rather voracious appetites. They are especially fond of potatoes, lettuce, and bittersweet apples.

Breeding:
The breeding habits of the minotaurs focus very heavily on the courting aspect and relationship basis of a pair. When a minotaur goes looking for a mate, it's usually for something that'll be long-term, and not so much a temporary partner for a romp in the hay. If this is what the minotaur is looking for, or if they are looking for someone to rear a calf with but not so much the romance part (aside from just plain adopting), they have a system in which an individual minotaur can put in a breeding request.

As for typical courtship, first let it be known that --in minotaur culture-- different sexual preference, identification, and orientation doesn't matter. Nearly the entire country of Taurus completely accepts the fact that every taurus has different preferences in everything, including which gender they are more attracted to (in fact, Taurus is considered the most openly accepting country when it comes to sexual preference/orientation/identification).

When looking for a potential partner, the minotaur generally looks for someone who has proven themselves to be a exceptional hunter, a skilled fighter, and a good level of confidence. Once a particular taur catches their eye, the individual presents their potential-love interest with a gift of sorts (can be just about anything that could possibly prove their worth, such as a catch from a hunt or a hard-to-find stone. Anything. Some are confident enough to ask without presenting a gift) and will formally ask if they could court the other.

On the off chance that two minotaurs are interested in the same potential partner, there is the possibility of the two parties engaging in a formal duel for the privilage of having the chance to court the bull/heifer they are interested in. Whether or not this happens is entirely up to the partner the two minotaurs are interested in courting; If they are interested in one but not the other, then the "court-ee" will simply choose the one he/she's interested in and that is that. If they are interested in both parties but can't decide whom to give a chance, or if they simply doesn't know whether or not they're all that interested in either of them, THEN the two will have the court-ee's permission to duel each other.

The duel is essentially a traditional match that is nothing but hooves, horns, and fists, although for the most part it is mostly wrestling and headbutting. The goal isn't to hurt one another; it's to further prove to their similar courtship interest that they are competent individuals with the attitude and dedication needed for a potential long-term relationship.

The duel is called off by either the court-ee that they're dueling over, or when one falls and is too exhausted and battered to get up. The winner isn't decided by who remains standing though; it's decided by the minotaur both parties are interested in. Even the one who is on the ground bruised and tired can win the chance to court the "court-ee" if he/she liked what they saw, paired up with what they knows about the duelist. Basically, any factor can be the deciding factor in the match, because regardless of how it turns out, it's the court-ee's choice as to whom they will give a chance. However, it should be noted that any underhanded tactics to win the match will automatically "disqualify" the duelist who performed the act. The only way they could possibly get away with this is if the court-ee finds this acceptable, and more times than not, they wouldn't.

Once a potential courting partner is chosen, and they accept (duel or no), the courtship (basically dating) will go on from there. This can last around two years and more, however it isn't unheard of if the two parties don't feel like it's working or if they'd be more interested in a friendship instead of possible marriage.

Despite their aggressive nature, minotaur relationships often doesn't end with bitterness .

When two minotaurs become mates, it's often for life (they have a low divorce rate). When the taurs want to get married, it's a common tradition that, when asking for blessings, the taur will spar with their significant other's parents to further prove they are worthy of their offspring's companionship. Regardless of whether or not the taur wins against the parent, it's often their determination that settles whether or not they gain the parents blessing. That said, getting the blessing from parents is no longer required in some Minotaur tribes' society.

A minotauress usually only has one calf at a time, but twins are not unheard of. The baby minotaur can be referred to as "calf", "cub", "infant", or "child", and are born tiny, fluffy, defenseless, and unable to walk. The calf, however, would be strong enough to grip onto the mother or father's fur so, if they so choose, they can have their offspring riding their back without fear of them falling. This method is often used only if the minotaur parent is using quadrupedal locomotion, especially if it was to get away from danger.

The calf develops faster than the human baby as well, being able to walk and begin speech at around 6-7 months old.

Behavior:
Minotaurs can be somewhat likened to the behavior of Krogans (from Mass Effect), in that they are a very prideful race that thrives on physical power. They can be aggressive and bold and loud, and are known to settle disputes with their fists (it's actually a part of their culture that, at the end of every year, every male and female, young and old, settle grudges and quarrels with each other by duking it out with their fists only. After, they go to have a ceremonial feast with each other to start the new year with a fresh and clean slate).

That said, they are not idiots, nor are they mindless brutes; they have a culture that strongly emphasizes the ability to both be able to be your own person and to be able to form strong bonds with your family, mate, and companions.

They are native to the small country by the name of Taurus (shares the name of the species Family/genus), however --like several sapient species-- they have branched out all over the world of Gaia, Equestria included. The country, like Zebrica, is very tribe-like in orientation (in which there are many different tribes in the same country), however their government works somewhat like an oligarchy.

Now this part I had a bit of hard time trying to make how their government works in a unique way, so most of this part is off the top of my head. Bear with me here. :/

There is a "council" of sorts (referred to as the Council of the Holds) that is composed the leader and most trusted shaman/elder/representative of each individual "Hold" in Taurus (their are 10 holds in total). Each hold is under the rule of the Alpha (basically a king/queen/president) of Taurus, whom of which could be referred to as the "High Chief" of the country. The requirements to become the High Chief is that the minotaur must be an experienced warrior and hunter, and must be at least 30 years old or older. Political experience isn't necessarily needed to try to become the High Chief of Taurus, however it is prefered by those in the seats of the council.

Every four years, there is a huge, country-wide tournament held for those who wish to challenge the current Alpha for his/her seat as the High Chief. Only the best of the best will be able to get into said tournament, so in the year before the fourth year of a High Chief's rule, there is are hold-local tournaments held, in which each Hold has their own competition to determine who will go to challenge the High Chief. These tornaments will determine the candidates' hunting and battle skill, their ability to adapt, their ability to lead, and whether or not they follow the Code of Honor. Each hold's tournament will send out two candidates (the winner of the tourney and the 2nd placer winner). This gives the final tournament 20 participaters.

Once the candidates for the 4th Year Tourney has been chosen, they will train for the remainder of the time up until the final High Chief tournament begins. Once said tourney rolls around , 20 candidates will battle each other until there is only one who makes it to the final round. That round involves fighting the High Chief himself/herself. Whomever wins the duel will then be nominated High Chief of Taurus.

However, in the event that the current High Chief is less than satisfactory, those of the Council of the Holds are welcomed to challenge the High Chief to a duel for the title.

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And there ya have it. C: I had bunches of fun sketching these, so I'll probably end up giving them color in a later update. That, and I'll eventually do a drabble on the Satyr, Faun, and Centaur as well. But first, I have another species folks have been asking me a LOT about, so I'll do it first. What is it? You'll just have to wait to find out! >:3

But until then, if you have any questions feel free to ask. And thanks again for stopping by! Reward yourself a treat for actually reading the entire text, as well; you've earned it, buckaroo. ;D