Worldbuilding - Minotaur Village

 *NOTE: Some of our Discord folk have suggested that this looks like a coloring page! By all means if you'd like to color this then go right ahead!

Small Minotaur Village

When it comes to the Minotaur people of Verdant, you are taking in a culture which has both maintained it's own identity and merged successfully within the human population of their adopted country. While recognizing the authority of the Queen and obeying the laws within her nation, these bovine folk have embraced much of their new life while still remaining attached to much of what makes them so unique. Looking into the structure of a Minotaur household, it is important to note that despite having lived in Verdant for generations, these houses have kept much of their traditional structure. So much so that it seems more appropriate to take a look at a Minotaur village as a whole instead of just a singular household.
 
Minotaurs can be found just about everywhere there are crops to be tended and a harvest to bring in. This agrarian society is almost single-handedly responsible for food production within the nation, something which they achieve with great pride. Because of this, they are largely found living in villages amid the massive swath of fertile fields around the oasis cities. It should be noted that there are many who opt to live within the safety of the city walls, but many of the older houses and structures are not really built to accommodate these towering folk. Newer or more public buildings have more suitable accommodations, but even then Minotaurs are likely to find the surroundings crowded and noisy, constantly having to what their peripherals to ensure they don't trod on someone. Because of this, Minotaur vendors will often keep a stall they operate in the markets of the city while maintaining their own private homes.
 
Farming in Verdant happens along the areas where yearly flooding occurs. Building a village in such a landscape would sound like a terrible idea, but the Minotaurs have found a solution through terraforming engineering called 'raised terrain'. By utilizing layers of sandstone, rock and packed mud, they build the site for their villages above the flood waters. They then create a system of canals to ensure proper irrigation of the crops during the flooding and planting seasons. The terraforming can be expanded on a regular basis as the population increases and is checked on a bi-yearly basis for damage and repair needs.   
 
Housing

A small minotaur village typically has enough room to sustain about 12 – 14 families as well as about 40 – 60 thralls, or roughly a population of 140 – 250 people depending upon the size of the families and the size of the harvest. A large family of Minotaurs would have about fourteen members within the same household, requiring a much larger abode than is normally found within the city. Minotaurs utilize a open floor plan, combing cob house circular buildings with connecting rooms. These structures are ingeniously built, with domes structures containing skylight which are left open to let hot air escape, allowing for a comfortable temperature to be maintained. While city houses and apartments tend to be multi-story and compact, these farming houses are single level and wide to accommodate the needs of the Minotaurs within them.    
 
It is important to note that while a large family estate in Verdant would typically be walled off or otherwise bordered in some manner, the Minotaurs seem to buck their concept by limiting the use of fences to livestock only. There is a saying among them which goes “The biggest bull in the herd is still only one bull.” This is to remind them that they survive best as a community that opens itself up to one another. A large family estate may have as many as 5 – 6 domes connected together, with the largest one servicing as a living/dining/entertaining area. One dome will be allocated as the kitchen, with another servicing as the larder/dry storage area. Additional domes are added on as the family increases, with new homes being built when a bull takes his first cow as wife and splits off to begin his own family.   
 
Alongside the house will be the families private garden. While the farmlands are excellent for staple crops such as barley, potatoes, rice and chickpeas, the families private garden is more useful for herbs, spices, and smaller crops. Minotaurs have an interesting communal habit of not charging one another for food grown from their private gardens, preferring instead to trade from time to time depending upon what is in season. A word to the visiting person, there can be intense rivalries between families as to who has the best produce. Choose your loyalties wisely, as word travels fast in these small villages and you don't want to set yourself on the wrong side of a slighted cow.   
 
A sizable family will also have a barn and storehouse on the property. Ox driven carts are used to gather produce from the fields and bring it into town to be accounted for and dived up. Despite their bovine appearance, Minotaurs do not consider themselves to be in any sense related to oxen, cows, buffalo or any other cattle and will be immensely insulted if it is insinuated otherwise. They do not take offense to beef eating or any meat eating really, though they themselves are herbivores.    
 
Thrall Lodges
 
Each season, an allotment of thralls is sent to the villages in accordance with their Council's requests. Though the numbers may vary from year to year, a typical allotment is between 40 – 60 thralls for the year, which are kept in suitable lodges of 30 thralls each. These longhouses are constructed and maintained by the village. While they are by no means luxurious accommodations, Minotaurs are of the general opinion that a miserable thrall causes more problems than a content one. This should not be confused for leniency or a generous attitude. Each thrall is given a bed, a blanket, a pillow, two sets of clothing, and two meals a day, all of which is contributed by the villages population. Thralls are expected to maintain the residence while they are there,  with major repairs often requiring further attention. Since Minotaurs are herbivores, the chickens, goats and other such livestock are kept almost exclusively for thrall consumption, unless of course a Minotaur has a human spouse.   
 
Village Center
 
The village center has four locations of note, chief among them being the public well. While the terraforming creates a suitable platform on which to build, great care of taken not to disturb the flow of water through the area. A well in the center of the village allows the population access to fresh water while ensuring the canal system continues to drain efficiently. Circling the well are often small booths set up by people coming to trade either from the city from for Gabelin caravans passing through.   
 
In front of the well is the Herald's Box, a small stage which is mostly used in the morning for daily announcements to the thralls before beginning work. Other important announcements may be made from this platform, but it also services as an entertainment during festivals and a judges booth during competitions.   
 
A large meeting hall is maintained for the Elder Council to collect and discuss problems facing the community. The council is made up of the oldest members from each household, allowing for the entire village to have a voice. It sounds exciting, but in truth it's mostly crop rotation, water distribution, and  thrall allotments being discussed, often for hours on end. There is almost always someone there, but the entire council meets once a season unless otherwise convened to resolve issues such as inter-family squabbling or thralls requiring punishment.   
 
Close to the meeting hall is an ancestors shrine, a small place where the village came go to remember those who have come before them. Minotaurs do not bury their dead, nor do they send them off with the Bearers to be placed in alcoves to decay. Minotaurs use pyres to mourn their dead, leaving behind piles of ash which are then spread in the families garden to enrich the soil. When a Minotaur passes away, a small pillar is erected and placed around the larger pillar with the families name on it. Once a year there is a local festival held where offerings are brought to the shrine and the village feasts with their relatives again. It is a place for quiet reflection, and many find it soothing to sit next to their family members and smoke a pipe in the late afternoon. 

Marketplace
 
Even with access to the city near by, many villages have a need for things to be more immediately accessible to them. Some necessities must be at hand, otherwise precious time is wasted going into town and blowing a whole day just trying to get something simple accomplished. These stores may be owned by Minotaurs or by humans, and they tend to be a mish-mosh of one structural design or the other.   

Queen's Storehouse  
 
A portion of the harvest is allocated to the Queen's Storehouse, which is in turn collected and dispenses to the population as needed. Careful tally is kept to ensure fair portions are given and nothing goes missing, as this counts towards the taxes each village pays. During times of drought or famine, the storehouse can be utilized as a breadline with the Queen's permission, allowing a village to take care of it's own with their resources at hand.

Blacksmith
 
A blacksmith will find themselves very busy in a farming community, and no Minotaur village would dare be without one. Smithing is one of the few career choices outside of working directly with the land that Minotaurs consider to be suitable, as it is such an essential part of their livelihood. One can find the forge running non-stop during the busy seasons.   

Mill
  
Every village has a mill, sometimes several to handle the cereal crops before they are stored or taken into town. The millworker typically lives in the mill itself, so it's not uncommon to find a private garden nearby. The mills are typically run by the Minotaurs, as their powerful muscles and determination save having to use oxen or goats to do the work. Even then, thralls can be used in a pinch  to turn the massive millstone.   

Brewhouse & Tavern
 
Is it even really a village if you can't find beer and music? A brewhouse can be found in every village with the tavern usually attached to it. A warning to visitors, Minotaurs consider mugs the size a humans head to be the average cup of beer. The good news is their portions are huge and they always have a chicken or goat near by for human guests.   
 
Bakery
 
A substantial bakery can always be found with ovens running day and night. While a baker or two can be found if you want a well crafted loaf, one oven is always designated for public use. Most households have their own personal ovens, but anyone will tell you that the bakers just so happens to make better bread with a better crust.   

Cheesemonger
 
...get your mind out of the gutter XD...

Minotaurs are very fond of cheese, especially well crafted varieties that originate from goats. Talented cheesemongers will find themselves greatly appreciated, as dairy products are difficult to keep in this desert environment. The cheesemongers shop is typically located in the most well shaded and coolest side of the village, sometimes with a stone slab that sits directly on top of a water canal to keep the room chilled.   

Barber & Farrier  
 
Minotaurs do hard work in the fields, and ass such their hooves are prone to splitting and chipping. Farrier make specially crafted shoes to protect their hooves from such damage, even crafting fillers which can be sanded down to shape and prevent disabling the Minotaur. If one has the money, they can even request silver or gold fillers. Some farriers even have the skill to craft prosthetic in case of farming accidents. Many farriers in a Minotaur community also serve as barbers, keeping hair trimmed and styled while their hooves are shaped.   

Potter
 
Clay jars are the most utilized storage containers in Verdant, and a well crafted one is even said to keep food temperate and last longer. Skilled potters often work for months ahead of harvesting season to ensure the demands of the village are met. If the harvest is expected to be plentiful, then additional hands are lent to produce enough to meet demand.   

Ropemaker   
  
Another dedicated workshop within the village is that of the ropemaker. Sturdy, well made rope has hundreds of uses within a farming community. Many households know how to make basic rope from commonly found fibers, but there's no denying that knowledge of how to properly treat the fibers to turn them into a coil makes a difference.   

Woodworker
 
There's whittling on the back porch and then there's woodworking. Wood is in short supply in the desert, so it takes a careful and well trained hand to make use of what is available and not let it go to waste. Even the cob houses of the Minotaurs make use of wood for the rafters and beams. Their carts, animal pens and barns all utilize wood in the construction.  

While it is true that many homesteads can accomplish some of these crafts on their own or even do basic repairs, quality, long lasting pieces require expertise and thus have a place within the village. As a part of the community their upkeep is assisted by the folk who live there. Upkeep, maintenance and repairs are included as a part of dwelling within the village, but special pieces, commissions and extra work has to be individually paid for according to negotiated prices.