Minotaur: The Prisoner of Knossos

The Beast of Shame

The Minotaur ("Bull of Minos") is the embodiment of hidden sin. His true name was Asterion ("Starry One"). He was born of a curse. When King Minos of Crete refused to sacrifice a sacred white bull to Poseidon, the god punished him by making his wife, Queen Pasiphae, fall in love with the animal. The result of this union was a monster: a creature with the body of a powerful man and the head of a bull. He lived on human flesh.

The Labyrinth

Because Minos could not kill the creature (it was semi-divine), he hid it. He hired the master architect Daedalus to construct the Labyrinth. It was an underground maze so complex that even its creator nearly got lost. The Minotaur was cast into the center, roaming the dark corridors in eternal solitude.

The Tribute

Crete dominated Athens in war. As tribute, Athens was forced to send seven young men and seven young women every nine years (or annually). These youths were thrown into the Labyrinth. They would wander the pitch-black halls, listening to the heavy breathing and hoofbeats of the monster, until they were hunted down and devoured.

The Thread

The hero Theseus volunteered to be a tribute. He fell in love with Princess Ariadne, who gave him the key to survival: a ball of red thread (clew). Theseus tied the thread to the entrance and unraveled it as he went deep into the maze. He found the Minotaur sleeping. A brutal brawl ensued. Theseus ripped off one of the monster's horns and beat him to death with it (or stabbed him, depending on the version). He used the thread to find his way back to the light.

The Final Warning

Complexes are built to keep things in. If you find a door that leads to a dark hallway and hear breathing, do not enter, but follow the string.