Homebrew Carrionfeeders Species Details

Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the Carrionfeeders, sometimes called the flying morticians, evoke fear and wonder. 

They are immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a world both strange and alien.

Beak and Feather

From below, Carrionfeeders look much like large vultures. Only when they descend to roost on a branch or walk across the ground does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing upright, Carrionfeeders might reach 5"6 feet tall, and they have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons.

Feathers cover their bodies. Their heads and necks lack any feathers and show pink leathery skin. While their bodies are covered in feathers that often black, grey, gold, or white.

Sky Wardens

Nowhere are the Carrionfeeders 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 use their flight to their advantage to use their speed from diving into an opponent before using their talons or weapons to rip apart their foes. 

Once airborne, an Carrionfeeder leaves the sky with reluctance. On their native plane, 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 make it to a world in the Material Plane 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 Carrionfeeders to vultures isn’t limited to physical features. Carrionfeeders display many of the same mannerisms as ordinary vultures. They are in a constant search for a fresh carcass. They do not mind getting dirty when picking a carcass clean. When they decide to land to rest they tend to rest on cliffs where a draft can help them take off when they are ready to.

Many Carrionfeeders 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 Carrionfeeder might become frustrated with people who fail to pick up on the nuances; an Carrionfeeders threat might be taken as a jest and vice versa.

The idea of ownership baffles most Carrionfeeders. After all, who owns the sky? Even when explained to them, they initially find the notion of ownership mystifying. As a result, Carrionfeeder 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 Carrionfeeder who spends years among other races can learn to inhibit these impulses.

Homelands

Carrionfeeders do not have a known homeland but scholars assume that they came from the elemental plane of air.  

 

Carrionfeeders IN THE FORGOTTEN REALMS

Carrionfeeders live nomadic lifestyles and rarely settle down in one spot with a couple exceptions. They can often be seen flying around mountains, open plains, and even deserts.  

 

Great Purpose

Carrionfeeders focus on the present and think little about the future. They focus on the survivability of their group. 

 

Carrionfeeder Names

As with much of their speech, Carrionfeeder 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 Carrionfeeder 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. 

 Carrionfeeders BACKGROUNDS

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

Carrionfeeders live nomadic lifestyles searching for any corpses to feed their small groups they search in. Few Carrion Feeders live in large settelments, they usally work as scouts or guards if they do live in such settlements. 

 

Carrionfeeders Traits

As an aarakocra, you have certain traits in common with your people. Being able to fly at high speed starting at 1st level is exceptionally effective in certain circumstances and exceedingly dangerous in others. As a result, playing an aarakocra requires special consideration by your DM.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, your strength score increases by 1, your charisma decreases by 1 

Age

Aarakocra reach maturity by age 9. Compared to humans, aarakocra don’t usually live longer than 70 years.

Feeding

After feasting on a copse you heal 1d6 health at 1st level, 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at level 10, 4d6 at level 15.

Resist the rot

Due your consumption of rotten meat you have gained resistance against necrotic damage and are immune to disease. 

Alignment

Most Carrionfeeders are neutral and rarely choose sides when it comes to law and chaos. Tribal leaders and warriors might be lawful, while explorers and adventurers might tend toward chaotic.

Size

Carrionfeeder are about 5"6 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies yet heavier than normal Aarakocra that weigh between 110 and 140 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 20 feet.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 40 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing heavy armor.

Talons

Your talons are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocra, and Auran.