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Interactive Map of Snowhorn, Mystic Altar, and environs
The area South of Frostwood Valley is surrounded by high mountains, but not exposed to the cold winds blowing down from the mountain peaks. It is a relatively warm area and this is the home of the Minotaurs. They have dwelt here since time immemorial and even though the inscriptions in the stone walls might look crude to humans, they do proudly tell the history and culture of the Minotaurs.
The Minotaurs are a race of giant humanoids that live off hunting and some agriculture. But even though they possess a highly developed culture, scholars presume that the civilization of the Minotaurs can be traced back nearly to the time of the ancient civilization. That makes it older than the civilization of most of the Barbarian tribes, and this is the reason that there is this spectacular cave city.
The cultures of the Minotaurs and the ordinary Barbarian tribes are quite similar. These societies are governed by tribal chiefs and priests. They admire courage and fighting power, and unlike humans are not able to use runes. But there are also differences between the Minotaurs and the Barbarians. In their legends they often refer to “men with power” and “sons of the creator” and apply these names to statues and wall paintings. Since these depictions have characteristics that humans would attribute to demons, the Minotaurs are believed to worship demons.
Many people also believe that since the Minotaurs have lived such a long time on the Ystra Highland, the key to many of the riddles in the legends of Ystra lies with them.