Homebrew Aarakenku Species Details

Sequestered in Dark forests and Over-crowed cities, the Aarakenku, sometimes called dark-feathers, evoke fear and wonder. An Aarakenku is what happens when an Aarakocra and a Kenku do the deed. The Aarakenku formally reside in deep and dark forests, only venturing out to find food and purchase building supplies and clothing. However, some Aarakenku choose to live in crowded cities where they can fit in unnoticed by purebred Aarakocra, who either hate them or look down upon them.

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

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

Beak and Feather

From below, aarakenku 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, aarakenku might reach 5 feet tall, and they have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons.

Feathers cover their bodies. Their plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. Males and females alike have feathers that range from a brightish Navy Blue to a complete Black. Their heads complete the avian appearance, being something like a crow or a raven with distinct tribal variations.

Nightsky Wardens

Nowhere are the aarakenku more comfortable than in the dark. They can spend hours in the night sky (Although most prefer not to), shadowy forests, and other dark spaces within cities. Some will go as long as days, locking their talons in place so as to not make a move or a sound. In battle, they prove dangerous and acrobatic in the stealth department, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons or talons before turning and hiding away.

Once hidden, an aarakenku leaves the dark with reluctance. In their native homes, they can go for days or months unseen, showing only to lay their eggs and feed their young before stowing themselves back into the shadows. Those that make it to a city or village find them to be very strange places. They sometimes ignore, or totally forget people, believing they can't be seen. They have nothing but pity for those earthbound people forced to live and toil on the ground and in the sunlight.

Avian Mannerisms

The resemblance of aarakenku to birds isn’t limited to physical features. Aarakenku 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 aarakenku 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 aarakenku might become frustrated with people who fail to pick up on the nuances; an aarakenku’s threat might be taken as a jest and vice versa.

The idea of ownership baffles most aarakenku. After all, who owns the sky? Even when explained to them, they initially find the notion of ownership mystifying. As a result, aarakenku 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, and some might go as far as snatching them right off of people's backs.

Like Aarakocra. they find it hard not to pluck the treasure and bring it back to their settlement to beautify it. An aarakenku, who spends years among other races can learn to inhibit these impulses.

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

Homelands

Most aarakenku live deep and dark forests. Aarakenku can be drawn into the outside world, sometimes to pursue enemies, thwart their foes’, find adventure, or even find love. Accidents might also send a murder of aarakkenku, or a single one, "running" into a city, small town, or kingdom. even so, many find their way to such a place to find a purpose or to find a people they may better. relate to

Once traditional murders of aarakenku settle in an area, they share a hunting and gathering territory that extends across an area up to about 100 miles on each side, with each murder hunting in the lands nearest to their colony, ranging farther should game become scarce.

similar to Aarakocra colonies, A typical aarakenku colony consists of one to 10 large, round, open-planned nest-like buildings made of woven vines, wood, leaves and a thatch roof. There is no leader, instead they follow what their heads tell them to do. They act as an anarchy. 

Great Purpose

Aarakenku enjoy peace and solitude, like Aarakocra. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples, but unlike Aarakocra, They aren't horribly opposed to standing and walking where ever they choose to. For this reason, it takes an exceptional circumstance for an aarakenku to honestly want to stay in their colony for their entire life. Both treasure and glory is enough to lure them from their tribes; a dire threat to their people, a mission of vengeance, or a catastrophe can also be a reason the aarakenku would want to leve their murder. What lies at the heart of the aarakocra adventurer’s chosen path is up to their interpretation.

Aarakenku are typically are shunned on by Aarakocra and other bird-like species. You could say they are "At the bottom of the food chain". Because of this, some aarakenku turn to hidden homesteads and buildings where they can live their life in peace and prosterity. In other cases, though, an aarakenku may choose to live in the world that they were given. Like most other species, aarakenku do not like being left out of all the worldly issues and problems, but instead of actually handling them and facing them at front value, they will likely turn to the shadows and blend in to the darkness with their crow-like feathers. 

 

 

Aarakenku Names

Aarakenku share much of their speech with aarakocra; names include clicks, trills, and whistles to the point that other peoples have a difficult time pronouncing them. Typically, a traditional name has two to four syllables with the sounds acting as connectors. When interacting with other races, aarakenku (Although they prefer the use of their actual name) may use nicknames gained from people they meet or shortened forms of their full names.

An aarakenku of either gender may have one of these short names: Aeda, Akail, A'frin, Deedrae, Eek, Henry, Ihkabod, Klepqu, Oura, Onto, Quack, Quid, Saller, Urrent, or Zefron. 

AARAKENKU BACKGROUNDS

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

The small murders of aarakenku are insular and remote, and quite a few of them live a ways away from their homesteads, but visit at least thrice a year. In the deep ends of dark and high forest's, a small handful of aarakenku pack up their valuables and precious items for their travel to civilization. Those that outgrow their talons and feathers, or those that would simply like to relax for a long while, return to the murder to assist young aarakenku in their journey out to the real world.

Aarakenku Traits

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

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Aarakenku reach maturity by age 12. Compared to humans, aarakenku don’t usually live longer than 60 years.

Alignment

Most aarakenku are good 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

Aarakenku are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

 

Embrace the Shadows

Because of their dark crow-like feathers, and short structure, the arakenku are very adept at hiding in any dark spot they can find. 

Flight

You have a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or 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 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Languages

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