Aarakocra

Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the aarakocra, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke fear and wonder. Their ability to make homes in high and hard to reach places have helped them survive. While most spend their entire lives sequestered away in their hideouts, others leave their homes to explore the world as scouts, explorers, or messengers.

Beak and Feather
From below, aarakocra look much like large birds. Only when they descend to roost on a branch or walk across the ground does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing upright, aarakocra might reach 5 feet tall, and they have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons.

Feathers cover their bodies. The plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. Plumage typically corresponds with that of a known bird species, typically a bird of prey or an otherwise larger bird. Their heads complete the avian appearance, corresponding with the bird species that matches their plumage.

Sky Wardens
Nowhere are the aarakocra more comfortable than in the sky. They can spend hours in the air, and some go as long as days, locking their wings in place and letting the thermals hold them aloft. In battle, they prove dynamic and acrobatic fliers, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons or talons before turning and flying away.

Once airborne, an aarakocra leaves the sky with reluctance. In their native habitat, they can fly for days or months, landing only to lay their eggs and feed their young before launching themselves back into the air. Those that travel to the outside world find it a strange place. They sometimes forget or ignore vertical distances, and they have nothing but pity for those earthbound people forced to live and toil on the ground.

Avian Mannerisms
The resemblance of aarakocra to birds isn’t limited to physical features. Aarakocra display many of the same mannerisms as ordinary birds. They are fastidious about their plumage, frequently tending their feathers, cleaning and scratching away any tiny passengers they might have picked up. When they deign to descend from the sky, they often do so near pools where they can catch fish and bathe themselves.

Many aarakocra punctuate their speech with chirps, sounds they use to convey emphasis and to shade meaning, much as a human might through facial expressions and gestures. An aarakocra might become frustrated with people who fail to pick up on the nuances; an aarakocra’s threat might be taken as a jest and vice versa.

The idea of ownership baffles most aarakocra. After all, who owns the sky? Even when explained to them, they initially find the notion of ownership mystifying. As a result, aarakocra who have little interaction with other people might be a nuisance as they drop from the sky to snatch livestock or plunder harvests for fruits and grains. Shiny, glittering objects catch their eyes.

They find it hard not to pluck the treasure and bring it back to their settlement to beautify it. An aarakocra who spends years among other races can learn to inhibit these impulses.

Confinement terrifies the aarakocra. To be grounded, trapped underground, or imprisoned by the cold, unyielding earth is a torment few aarakocra can withstand. Even when perched on a high branch or at rest in their mountaintop homes, they appear alert, with eyes moving and bodies ready to take flight.

Aarakocra Nests
Aarakocra tribes live in settlements called Nests, typically located on a mountaintop or tall tree. There are very few aarakocra tribes as the species is not very common. Most have never seen an aarakocra, though a few can be found in primarily beastfolk settlements.

Great Purpose
Aarakocra enjoy peace and solitude. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples and less interest in spending time on the ground. For this reason, it takes an exceptional circumstance for an aarakocra to leave his or her Nest and undertake the adventurer’s life. Neither treasure nor glory is enough to lure them from their Nests; a dire threat to their people, a mission of vengeance, or a catastrophe typically lies at the heart of the aarakocra adventurer’s chosen path.

Another circumstance that could lead to an aarackra leaving their nest would be a duty to the Endless Sky. Their love of flying causes most aarakocra to serve the Endless Sky as the personification of what they love. Perhaps they received a vision at a Sky temple, or their tribe feels abandoned by the deity and they must journey to seek out answers or restore the honor of their tribe.

Additionally, the aarakocra could be seeking out evil cults serving the dark manifestations of the Crumbling Earth. As the elemental opposite of the Endless Sky, aarakocra foster a dislike for anyone associated with this being and followers of these two primordial powers often clash. Aarakocra might leave their colonies to lend aid to other humanoids committed to fighting Earth cults and thwarting their efforts.

Aarakocra Names
As with much of their speech, aarakocra names include clicks, trills, and whistles to the point that other peoples have a difficult time pronouncing them. Typically, a name has two to four syllables with the sounds acting as connectors. When interacting with other races, aarakocra may use nicknames gained from people they meet or shortened forms of their full names.

An aarakocra of either gender may have one of these short names: Aera, Aial, Aur, Deekek, Errk, Heehk, Ikki, Kleeck, Oorr, Ouss, Quaf, Quierk, Salleek, Urreek, or Zeed.

Aarakocra Backgrounds
Backgrounds that are most appropriate for aarakocra include the outlander, the hermit, and the sage.

The small colonies of aarakocra are insular and remote, and few aarakocra live away from their roosts. No more than a few dozen aarakocra live away from the nests of their families. Those that do are usually rangers or fighters, constantly patrolling for outside threats. They could also be outcasts from their tribes.