Homebrew Cathartesiak Species Details

Located in the top fronds of dead forests outside of bustling cities, the cathartesiak remain a mystery to many. Most carthesiak have no idea where they hail from, as they failed to remember which deity birthed them.

They can be anything, but are typically found just working within their own community. They can be healers, hunters, merchants; anything they please.

Bald...?

Cathartesiak are very birdlike in most of their features, and some mistake them for large birds. They have large black wings, usually equal to their body length, and only when they decide to touch the ground do folks realize they have humanoid counterparts. They have three fingers and a thump that jut out from the tips of their wings, which look like feathers and blend in. Standing, they can reach five feet to five-and-a-half feet. 

Feathers cover their bodies from throat to ankle, but their head and talons are completely bare. The skin atop their head is very rough, red, and bumpy, and feels like a burn wound when touched.

Hungry Fliers

Chathartesiak, though birds, prefer spending their time perched on trees rather than in the sky. They do most daily activities this way, like socializing. The only things they do in the sky is survey the ground to food.

They eat carrion, prey that is already dead. They will find an abandoned carcass or animal already dead and bring it back to the rest of the fellow cathartesiaks to eat.

Avian Mannerisms

The resemblance of cathartesiaks to birds isn’t limited to physicality. Cathartesiaks display many of the same behaviors as ordinary birds. They are constantly fidgeting and messing with their own plumage, picking out loose feathers and insectly varmints who may have hitched a ride. 

Many cathartesiaks express their feelings using their voices rather than their words. They "purr" to express joy, and hiss when angry, annoyed, or frustrated. They tend to screech instead of laugh, and this frightens most humanoid species. Their voices sound distorted, as if they were talking while in a carriage that was going over a bumpy hill.

Homelands

Most cathartesiaks live in forests full of dead trees near large, busy cities. They live in groups of four or five, and are kind to other groups. They call these groups "families" though it can be made of any combination of relatives or non-blood folks.

They have no territory or boundaries, and don't really understand when they wander into another creature's territory through hunting. They have a "I saw it, it's mine." mentality to everything.

They have no head of the family, and each takes turns helping and doing things, like caring for young or scavenging for food.

Jack of All Trades

Cathartesiaks are known to have many useful skills and to pass them down to their young and groups around them. How to heal wounds, how to make a makeshift nest, how to outsmart someone larger than you, how to steal from the stores in the cities near by without anyone catching you.

No God, No Laws

Since they are raised without boundaries, they tend to not understand that other races have them. Those that have traveled and settled away from their forest to make a new life for themselves struggle to learn how to earn money and that you aren't supposed to steal. Some don't try and learn, and steal anyway. They usually don't understand what "stealing" is.

They don't have a main deity or religion they follow either, so their morals come from whomever raise them. They usually believe treat others the way you wish to be treated, until those others are unkind. The only folks they are focused on being kind to are their friends and family. Strangers usually have to put up with a lot from them until they earn kindness or non-casualness.

 

 

 

Cathartesiak Names

As with much of their speech, cathartesiaks names include hisses and "purrs" to the point that other peoples have a difficult time pronouncing them. Typically, a name has one to two syllables with an apostrophe acting as a connector. Learning to say their name is important when gaining respect from this race. 

An cathartesiak of either gender may have one of these short names: F'hr, Hheek, C'hrraw, G'hrk, Rak, W'hk, H'x, K'x, R'hr, S'rx

CATHARTESIAK BACKGROUNDS

Backgrounds that are most appropriate for cathartesiak include the outlander, the hermit, the charlatan, and the folk hero.

The small colonies of cathartesiaks are insular and remote, and few aarakocra live away from their roosts. If they do leave, they usually become bards, rogues, or some sort of caster.

Cathartesiak Traits

Cathartesiaks are not a very kind race, and are hard to mellow out. Your DM might find the conflict they'll cause within the session annoying.

Proficiencies

Cathartesiaks are proficient in deception and intimidation.

Beak

You deal 1d4 piercing damage and can peck your opponent as an opportunity attack.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 1, and your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Age

Cathartesiaks reach maturity by age 3. Compared to humans, cathartesiaks don’t usually live longer than 30 years.

Alignment

Most cathartesiaks are neutral and will choose their family over anything else. They can be chaotic when the situation calls for it, however.

Size

Cathartesiaks are about five to five-and-a-half feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Flight

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

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Cathartesiakian and Common.