Aarakocra

### Hair Colour(s)

Males have colourful feathers, females have feathers that are more subdued in colour

### Typical Build

Humanoid; anthropomorphic bipedal avian, two arms, two legs (both in the style of avian lower limbs), avian head and wings

Also known as the ***birdfolk***, the **aarakocra** are an anthropomorphic avian race with a strong connection to the skies. They spend much of their time in flight, or in high altitudes to be closer to the sky. The demonym is **aarakocran**.

## Origin

It is believed that the aarakocra were created by Avo, sculpted in the image of Tilo's beloved birds, as a gift for her sister, to act as guardians for the skies.

## Subraces

The aarakocran race diverges into three distinct subraces: the common aarakocra, the desert aarakocra, and the snow aarakocra. These subraces are distinguished by physiological differences resulting from geographical dispersal.

### Common Aarakocra

*'Main article: Aarakocra (Common)'*
The common aarakocra is the most common subrace of aarakocra, considered to be the racial 'standard'. Generally, they stand at about 5½ feet tall, though some can grow as tall as 6 feet, and weigh between 90 and 110 pounds. They are found in temperate climates; within Illandor, they have settlements in Bregdan and Hadar.

### Desert Aarakocra

*'Main article: Aarakocra (Desert)'*
The desert aarakocra is adapted for life in hot deserts and rocky outcrops, with specialised feathers arranged in spaced-out tracts to allow for improved air flow to aid cooling. To accommodate for metabolic stress and water retention, desert aarakocra are smaller than the other aarakocra subraces, averaging at 5 feet tall and weighing between 80 and 100 pounds. They are found mostly in Al Shari-Tijaar, but in Illandor, they can be found in Khader Sar.

### Snow Aarakocra

*'Main article: Aarakocra (Snow)'*
The snow aarakocra is specialised for cold environments and particularly high altitudes, adapted to bear the low temperatures and decreased oxygen availability. Their feathers are evenly packed across their bodies, with an outer pennaceous layer and an inner layer of down feathers, with air pockets to trap heat for insulation. Additionally, they have a higher red blood cell count to increase oxygen absorption into the blood to account for the low oxygen availability at these high altitudes. Generally, snow aarakocra average at 6 feet tall and weigh between 100 and 120 pounds, making them the largest of the aarakocra subraces; this aids them in heat retention. Within Illandor, the snow aarakocra can be found in the mountains of Vilnhost, and the Moonkissed Mountains of Estrella Tseluna.

## Physicality

### Anatomy and Physiology

Aarakocra appear as anthropomorphic birds, standing upright between 5ft and 7ft tall. They have slender, lightweight feathered bodies, weighing between 80 and 100lbs, as well as hollow bones to support flight. These bones are reinforced by criss-crossing struts to strengthen their structure, whilst conserving weight. To further meet the metabolic demands of prolonged flight, aarakocra have a closed circulatory system with a four-chambered heart (left and right atria and left and right ventricles) with complete separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, as well as a flow-through respiratory system making use of small air capillaries and air sacs. The average aarakocra has a wingspan of around 20ft, and can fly uninterrupted for several hours. To offset this, their walking speed is slower than that of other humanoid races. Their long, narrow arms and legs taper to sharp talons. Aarakocra display sexual dimorphism, namely in size and in plumage: males have brightly coloured feathers, while females generally have more subdued colours. Aarakocra are born in clutches of eggs, roosting in high altitudes. They reach maturity by age 3, and seldom live longer than 30 years.

### Attributes and Abilities

Due to their proclivity for extended flight and requirement for balance and sharp reflexes, aarakocra tend to be markedly dextrous, and their introspective natures pair perfectly with the wisdom-garnering culture they exist in. However, a culture of vigilance and worship does not render them harmless - the tapered limbs bear sharp talons, capable of striking akin to a dagger.

## Distribution

It is highly uncommon for aarakocra to reside within ordinary humanoid civilisations, preferring a reclusive lifestyle of outposts established in remote, high-altitude locations, where they will be free to soar the skies undisturbed. Within Illandor, there are a handful of aarakocra outposts, dispersed throughout Bregdan, Khader Sar, Hadar, Vilnhost, and Estrella Tseluna.

## Culture

### Language

The native language of the aarakocra bears the same name, and strongly resembles various predatory bird calls and caws. Alongside Aarakocra, many aarakocra learn Auran, the primordial language of air, in worship of their creator Avo. Auran is based upon the sounds of air and wind, and proves difficult to accurately speak without the necessary vocal and lingual adaptations. Thankfully, being children of Avo, the aarakocra do meet such requirements. Many aarakocra learn to speak Common out of necessity, as the ability to communicate with humanoid society avoids the risk of conflict due to poor communication where territory disputes may arise.

### Society and Customs

Much of the aarakocran culture revolves around the sky and being airborne. Their settlements are built in open spaces at high altitudes, favouring mountain outcrops or upper tree canopies. They revere Avo as their creator and Tilo as their inspiration, and hold great reverence for the air and sky. There is a race-wide pity for those who cannot fly, and an interesting phenomenon of an ingrained racial claustrophobia and fear of confinement. Many aarakocra tend towards open isolationism to combat this. There is a noted emphasis on defense and combat in aarakocran culture, their roles as ‘defenders of the skies’ taken entirely seriously.