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Above the snow line live the Snow Minotaurs. The Snow Minotaurs resemble large humans with cow-like heads and tails which are covered in thick, curly fur. This fur is light-colored, most commonly white.

They are a peaceful and nomadic people. They are herders of yak. Snow Minotaurs regard the yaks as their close kin, and often form close bonds with individual creatures. Their word for "yak" is the same as that for "brother".

They have a flair for costume- their clothes are often intricately embroidered; Males often attach long braids of string adorned with beads to the ends of their horns during courtship or (rarely) battle- any time they wish to appear impressive; women occasionally dye the fur of their heads with the juices of berries, and wear rings of clay on their tails.

As they are mostly color-blind, their aesthetics are centered around contrast, texture, and pattern; their works are either regarded as ugly and bland or subtly beautiful by other races.

Men often take several wives. Children, or calves, are kept strapped to their mothers' back until up to two years. After that, they are kept on a leash by their mothers. As soon as they are deemed able, they join in with the herding work. When one month old, calves have their right ear pierced and a dangling good-luck charm put in. These charms vary from tribe to tribe, though they are similar, and there are always different ones for males and females. At their coming-of-age, this charm is ceremonially removed. Many Minotaurs choose to retain their charm, and many replace it in their ear, wearing it until death.

Snow Minotaurs live and travel, following their herds, in tribes which are essentially extended families, and are led by the elders of the tribe. Marrying inside your own tribe is taboo. The first marriage of male Minotaurs is arranged by their parents, with goods and yaks exchanged. Their later marriages are usually based on courtship, so the woman usually belongs to a particularly poor family or is particularly homely.

Snow Minotaurs worship the Sky and the Snow, whose mating produced twins, the first Minotaur and the first yak.

Sketch of a Snow Minotaur Calf.

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