Asterion
Asterion is a Minotaurian Shaman. He is a long-time friend of Argus who somewhat reluctantly accompanies Argus and Brutus on their quest. He does so only after his mate Helione, a prophetess of Lady Pasiphae relays to him a vision. Helione is expecting their firstborn, who she predicts will be a son and indicates to him, that if he does not go, their son “will not live to see his first winter”. Alarmed at the prophecy he goes with Argus, determined to safeguard the life of his son, and the continuation of his people.Asterion is a very powerful sacred wizard and magician. He is also very well versed in many of the world’s lore and languages and has connections among many of the secret and hidden societies and civilizations across the mythic world. This includes the Telkhinoi and Phaiakians, as well as the sorceresses Circe, Calypso and Medea. He is also a skilled combatant having been trained in the Labyrinthian military, which is part of every young male minotaur’s service to their people.
NOTE: Asterion is also the proper name given to the original Minotaur in mythology.
Description:
Asterion is a member of the race of minotaurs. He appears as a classical minotaur with a bovine head (in his case a bull) and a humanoid body with legs terminating in hooves. His head is covered in predominantly brown hair/fur with streaks of black and blond. The hair is long and is braided and gathered in various ways. On his horns he wears electrum bands with ornate and mystical symbolds etched into the metal.
The Cretan Minotaurs are a race descended of the original Minotaur of the Labyrinth. Contrary to popular myth the Minotaur only ate the male sacrificial youths from Athens in the Labyrinth. Secretly (due to further shame to Minos, and insult to Athens) the Minotaur would take the sacrificial maidens for himself as a harem of mates. From the children borne of these became the founding families of the Cretans Minotaurs (also called Labyrinthians). After the destruction of Knossos, the Labyrinthians continued to live in the remains of the Labyrinth, building within it their first and capital city Labyrinthis. The Minotaurs also have villages and smaller cities in the hidden high Plateaus and caverns of the mountains.
The Minotaurs are a secretive people, perhaps owing to the circumstances regarding their origin. Despite the savageness of their progenitor, the race is not particularly violent one, nor prone to cannibalism. They are in fact, quite civilized, no doubt due to the Athenian heritage of the mothers of their race. They worship a pair of deities, in the form of a divine couple. The male of which is a confluence of Poseidon, and ancestor worship of the white bull that Poseidon sent to Minos to be sacrificed. The female is Pasiphae, mother of the original minotaur, who they consider as the divine mother, daugher of the sun, and giver of life. They are accomplished in the arts, architecture, literature, math, lore and magic (through Pasiphae who like her sister Circe was an accomplished sorceress).