Minotaurs: sources and ideas

I first started my series on minotaurs a long time ago and my ideas have changed and matured a lot since then. My original posts were pretty rambling in nature. So this post will be where I condense my prior ideas to lay out a concrete path for myself.

There are a number of gaming resources I consulted to devise my picture of minotaurs. These included:

• Mazes & Minotaurs Creature Compendium
• Masters & Minions: Maze of the Minotaur
• Classic Play: The Book of the Planes
• Animal Races: Clan of the Ox
• Hack & Slash: "On the Ecology of the Minotaur"

In my conception, minotaurs have several key traits that set them apart:

• The king’s bull: in real life, the word minotaur translates to “king’s bull.” This is because the curse was evoked by the wicked king Minos the Younger. In a fantasy setting, there should be a reason for this name. So I would like to keep the Minos connection.
• The starry one: the Minotaur was named Asterion, a name that meant “starry one.” When the Greeks burrowed Etruscan myths, this is probably where the myth of the minotaur came from. Historically, Asterion was a king of Crete and may have been worshiped as the incarnation of a bull god. 
• Curse of the minotaur: there is a clear distinction between herdfolk (aka furries) and minotaurs. Minotaurs are not a true-breeding race, but a curse that transforms someone into a minotaur. If this curse is broken, then the minotaur transforms back into their race of birth. Herdfolk may be so cursed, but they aren't synonymous.
• Maze of the minotaur: all minotaurs are doomed to be trapped in a magical maze as part of their curse. This may occur immediately upon contracting the curse, even being the cause, or develop over some period of time.
• Gulf of azroi: the plane of mazes, all minotaurs' mazes, or more accurately between them. It is the domain of the azroi, abstract entities of order worshiped by minotaurs. The deities worshiped by minotaurs, such as Asterion, Baphomet, etc may be members of this race.
• Many societies: minotaurs don't have a fixed social structure. They have wicked cultists, noble mariners, tribal peoples, etc. Each maze may very well be its own realm. For example, some herds may be caste-based, such as that in Masters & Minions. Assuming that they aren't confused with herdfolk. Remember, minotaurs are king's bulls cursed with the maze.
• Many varieties: there are many varieties of minotaur, such as psychic albinotaur and fire-breathing pyrotaur. Not only that, but minotaurs have no fixed or default appearance. A bull-headed man is just as likely as a bull-centaur.
• Feminine suffix: If anyone needs a feminine form of the word minotaur, then I suggest minotrice, minotress or minotauress as possible examples.
• The golden minotaur: This is my attempt to tie in the myth of King Minos or Asterion with the fantasy minotaur. The golden minotaurs remnants of an ancient noble race (of herdfolk?) who lived on the island Crete. Their king (Minos and/or Asterion) called down the curse upon them, causing many to degenerate into the other varieties of minotaur through mutation and crossbreeding. Every gorgotaur (really ugly minotaur mutants with hooves for hands) was originally a proud golden minotaur whose curse consumed him.

In the future I hope to continue my series on minotaurs. Next up I'll either be dealing with minotaur societies or mutations.