Valley Of Rainbows: Seeking Solutions

by Sparx


From The Journal Of Lyra: Notes On Minos

Notes on Minos

From study of the culture and life of the denizens of Minos, I believe I should explain what I know of them to those ponies who may not be as familiar with the creatures.

The minotaurs are a strong and prideful race of bipedal creatures resembling a two legged cow. They make excellent smiths, mercenaries, or other occupations requiring strength. They have a love for the complicated, complex, and tricky, such as puzzles and mazes. Many of their homes have been built like a labyrinth in fact, puzzling any non-minotaur guest that may come to visit.

The differences between the male and female minotaurs are few, the only physical difference—aside from the obvious—being the lack of an udder on the males. Females, however, still retain the trademark horns that the race is known for. While it is common for females to take on more docile roles than the males, such as milk maid or simply a mother, they can prove to be even more overbearing and intimidating than the males if they should take on a more hands-on duty.

The goats of Minos are often considered by outsiders to be rather… dimwitted, and the reputation isn’t without some evidence. In truth though, the Minos goats hold a great endurance and strong backs that have made them invaluable companions to the minotaurs. While it is rare to see a goat capable of speaking more than his native tongue, they can comprehend words not of their own language. When the minotaurs first learned to speak like them, it became common to see them traveling together. Today, the goats are seen in larger numbers, and it’s common to see a minotaur traveling with at least five of them outside of Minos.

With the ability to communicate, eventually the minotaurs and goats developed communities and societies with one another. In time, they became racially blind to one another, and they regarded one another as family, developing close connections with one another. When these emotions became intimate, it gave way to the first generation of satyrs. These beings shared much in common with their parent races, but with many abilities and interests unique to them.

As the satyrs were born on two legs like their bovine fathers and mothers, but with the smaller size of the goats, they didn’t inherit the strong backs of either race, but in their legs they developed the strength to leap and bound away from the dangers in the highlands of their home. While they are a hedonistic race that takes pleasure in debauchery and the comforts of life, they cannot afford to be lazy within the land of the hardworking minotaurs and goats. Though they haven’t really the power to perform the demanding careers of their parents, the satyrs took advantage of their own talents and became the artisans of the country. Their talent for music and magic brought inspiration and relaxation to the hillsides.

What few ponies are aware of is the process in which a satyr is born. While they understand that originally the creatures were children of minotaur and goat, and that this is still a process, they believe that satyrs are also born from two satyr parents. This however, is impossible, as satyrs are a race composed entirely of males. Aside from the aforementioned union between goat and minotaur, satyrs are born from the union of a satyr and the seduced female of a compatible race. Many times have unsuspecting mares spent a night on the borders of Minos and returned home to birth one of the bipedal goat folk after a night of too much wine and enchanted visions. This isn’t something done out of malice from the satyrs, as the chances of such a union resulting in a child are actually rather low, it’s rather an act of impulse and instinct, it’s a part of who they are.

There are also the rumors of fauns in the country. I myself have not seen the creatures, but I also do not deny their existence. The theory is that a faun is born of the willing union between a satyr and another magical race, such as a pony, kirin, or a half-dragon of other breed. The faun and satyr are almost impossible to tell apart, aside from a softer nature from the former, as well as the possibility of breeding a female faun. They are just as talented as the satyrs at music, but with a slight edge in the art of magic. At least, that’s what folk say.

-Lyra Heartstrings