Homebrew Aviansie Species Details

Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the aviansie, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke fear and wonder. Many aviansie aren’t even native to the Material Plane. They hail from a world beyond — from the boundless vistas of the Elemental Plane of Air.

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

Beak and Feather

From below, aviansie 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, aviansie 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 are brightly colored, with feathers of red, orange, or yellow. Females have more subdued colors, usually brown or gray. Their heads complete the avian appearance, being something like a parrot or eagle with distinct tribal variations.

Sky Wardens

Nowhere are the aviansie 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 aviansie 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 aviansie to birds isn’t limited to physical features. Aviansie 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 aviansie 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 aviansie might become frustrated with people who fail to pick up on the nuances; an aviansie’s threat might be taken as a jest and vice versa.

The idea of ownership baffles most aviansie. 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 aviansie who spends years among other races can learn to inhibit these impulses.

Confinement terrifies the aviansie. To be grounded, trapped underground, or imprisoned by the cold, unyielding earth is a torment few aviansie 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.

Aviansie Names

As with much of their speech, aviansie 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, aviansie may use nicknames gained from people they meet or shortened forms of their full names.

An aviansie 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. 

AVIANSIE BACKGROUNDS

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

The small colonies of aviansie are insular and remote, and few aviansie live away from their roosts. East of the Trollweiss Mountains of the Trollheim Country in Runescape, no more than a few dozen aviansie live away from the nests of their families. Those that do are usually rangers or fighters, constantly patrolling for outside threats or soldiers apart of Armadyl's army within the Godwars Plane.

Aviansie Traits

As an aviansie, 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 aviansie requires special consideration by your DM.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 25 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 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Languages

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

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

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

Alignment

Most aviansie 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

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