Aarakocra

**Aarakocra**, also called **bird-men** and **birdfolk** by the other races of Toril, are a race of avian humanoids descended from the Aearee-Krocaa and the Aearee-Syran. They are a widespread race, residing on both Toril and the gas giant Coliar due to the spelljamming capabilities of their Aearee ancestors.

## Description

    Aarakocra resemble humanoid birds, specifically a blend of parrots and eagles. The average Aarakocra stands about 5 feet (1.5 meters), and has a wingspan of 20 feet (6.1 meters). While the Aarakocra of Toril have arms that are separate from these wings, the Aarakocra of Coliar have no separate set of arms. Instead, halfway along the edge of each wing was a hand with three human-sized fingers and an opposable thumb. An elongated fourth finger extended the length of the wing and locked in place during flight. Theses hands could not grasp while flying, but they were nearly as useful as human hands when an aarakocra was perched and its wings were folded back. The Aarakocra of Coliar make up for the lack of hands with their more expansive wingspans and more dexterous talons, which could serve as hands mid-flight. The wings of both the Aarakocra races are attached to a bony chestplate, which protects their vital organs.

Aarakocra have powerful legs and sharp retractable talons on their feet, which they use frequently in aerial combat. To allow for better flight, the Aarakocra have fragile and hollow bones, as well as lightweight builds. Aarakocra of both Toril and Coliar have gray-black beaks, and show their sexual dimorphism through the color of their feathers. Males tend to be brighter in color, with red, orange, and yellow coloration. Females tend to be darker in color, with brown and gray coloration. The Aarakocra of Toril have different tribal variations when it comes to this dimorphism, but those of Coliar never vary when it comes to these physical differences. Most Aarakocra have black eyes, with some having irises of brown, yellow, red, blue, green, silver, and golden hues.

## Personality

The Aarakocra are a proud and peaceful people who cherish their solitude and the freedom of the open sky. They look down on the other races, both literally and figuratively, pitying those who are land-bound and unable to view the world from their perspective. Though most Aarakocra choose to live in isolated communities of their own kind, their wanderlust drives them to travel the skies and occasionally adventure. They are known for being extremely claustrophobic, refusing to enter enclosed areas unless there was no other choice. To the Aarakocra, being trapped in a room with no way to reach the sky is akin to death. This is partly true, as the extreme stress from being in such enclosed spaces has caused some Aarakocra to have much smaller lifespans.

The Aarakocra's avian qualities are not limited to their physical appearances, as they have many mannerisms seen in 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 aarakocra 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. These chirps were often misunderstood by non-avian races, leading to confusion and conflict.

Male Aarakocra, especially those of Coliar, were known to have short tempers that would lead them to fly into fits of rage when a perceived wrong occurred. While this was less common on Toril, it led to a matriarchal society on Coliar, where females were more trusted as leaders due to being in more control of their emotions. Males on Coliar also had a reputation of being notorious flirts, regardless of their own marital status. This was not a biological trait of the Aarakocra, but a relic of Aearee-Kroca mating rituals. On Toril, this tendency is only seen in a few tribes, and is not solely limited to males. Rather, it was seen in whatever gender an individual community had deemed responsible for courting the other.

## Combat

The aarakocra avoided melee combat where possible, instead favoring the use of ranged weapons from above. Those that did engage in melee combat did so using *flight lances*, special lances crafted by the aarakocra for use as melee and throwing weapons. These lances could be used in aerial charges, thrown like a javelin, or used in close quarters like a shortspear. Flight lances were particularly useful to the aarakocra of Coliar, for the polearms could be gripped by the talons and used while their wings were in use. Flight lances and normal javelins alike could be kept a special sheathe that was strapped to the aarakocra's body.

Aside from these favored weapons, the aarakocra could used their talons in combat, which were especially useful during flyby attacks. While some aarakocra wear light armor during combat, most prefer not weigh themselves down which such equipment. While this did not always apply to the usage of shields for the aarakocra of Toril, shields were impossible to effectively use for the aarakocra of Coliar.

## Society

The Aarakocra of Toril live atop the highest peaks in small tribal communities that share a large roofless communal nest made of thick vines woven into a giant bowl. These tribal communities control hunting territories of about 100 square miles from those peaks. In the eyes of these communities, any animals in this territory were considered fair game, including the domesticated livestock of other races. Most tribal communities of Aarakocra have strict gender roles, though this varies from tribe. In most tribes, male aarakocra were entrusted with the role of hunters and leaders, with female aarakocra instead being crafters. In many other tribes, it was the inverse. Regardless of who had been entrusted with the role of hunter, they were expected to hunt on a daily basis for the tribe, while their counterparts made tools and weapons for their community. Only the young and elderly were excused from these duties. Most tribes are led by the eldest male or female, with the help of their tribe's spiritual leader or shaman.

Aarakocra hatchlings aren't permitted to leave the communal nest for the first three months of their life. After that,they are considered children until they turn five years old. As a young aarakocra nears maturity, they are taught to hunt for themselves or to craft weaponry, depending on the customs of their tribe. If a young aarakocra shows great reverence for the sky, their prey, or the customs of the tribe, they are often steered into becoming a cleric by the elders of the community, regardless of any strict gender roles of the tribe. Once they are considered mature, young adults are kicked from their family's portion of the communal nest and given a place in the nest for themselves.

Aarakocra generally do not raise domestic animals for food or as beasts of burden. They sometimes allow smaller birds to nest around them, but these are more friends than pets. Like the avariel elves, the aarakocra often befriend giant eagles and occasionally bond with other giant avian creatures.

The Aarakocra of Coliar are vastly different from their cousins on Toril, instead living on floating earthmotes and islands in the gas giant. Their communities are instead extended familial clans, where leaders are democratically elected every seven years from a pool of five suitable candidates. These candidates were almost always female, as male aarakocra were perceived as far too emotional to ever rule their communities. As a result, by the 14th Century DR, no male aarakocra had been elected to any governmental office in 1200 years of Coliar's history. Elections on Coliar could take several days, with candidates explaining to their communities why they would make good leaders through usage of a *horn of voices*. By the 14th Century DR, there were over 100 separate clans thriving on Coliar, with no males holding any office of importance. This societal trend of not electing males into office causes tension whenever male aarakocra from Toril or other worlds visit Coliar.

### Religion

Before the Time of Troubles, the Aarakocra of Toril almost all worshiped the dawn goddess Syranita. A few communities still venerated the absent All-Father Krocaa as their patron deity, with even fewer aarakocra tribes venerating the demigod K’ooriall and the primordial Akadi. When the aarakocra migrated across the Trackless sea to establish communities in the mountaintops of Faerun in 418 DR, they became acquainted with the elven goddess Aerdrie Faenya through interactions with the reclusive winged elves, the Avariel. Syranita, who had grown weak since the age of the creator races, began to encourage her followers to associate with the elven goddess, as she had forseen her own fall. Syranita became one with Aerdrie Faenya following the Time of Troubles, becoming an aspect of the elven goddess worshiped only by the aarakocra of Faerun. The aarakocra of Maztica and Kara-Tur went a different path, with many of them becoming worshipers of Akadi, the maztican god Eha, and the demigod K'ooriall.

In the 14th Century, an aarakocran prophet of Krocaa proclaimed a return of the All-Father, which brought a resurgence of worship for the aaeree god of creation among the avian races of Toril- though not enough to eclipse the worship of Aerdrie Faenya and not enough to fully restore the absent deity. During the Second Sundering, a chosen of Syranita emerged in Maztica, spreading word of the goddess' return to all who would listen. By the end of crisis, the goddess of the dawn re-emerged as a separate goddess, no longer an aspect of Aerdrie Faenya. Krocaa returned to divine prominence as well, though he would still be eclipsed by his daughter in worship among the Aarakocra.

### Relations

The Aarakocra of Toril like to keep their distance from most other races, usually seeing them as overly violent or naive (if the race in question was land-dwelling).Of all the other races, the aarakocra feel closest to the avariel elves because of their common worship of Aerdrie Faenya and the respectful way in which most elves treat nature. Aarakocra tend to have a hatred or at least a wariness of orcs, goblinoids, and lizardfolk, as oral histories told among the aarakocra warn of these monstrous races caging aarakocra to torment them in the past. Most aarakocra are also distrustful of dragons, as many tribes have oral histories about the destruction of their ancient homeland by dragons.

The Aarakocra of Coliar on the other hand have an amicable relationship with the neutral-aligned dragons of Coliar, who fly the skies closer to the center of the gas giant. They are open to trade with visitors from other worlds, but have an adversarial relationship with the lizardfolk that call the floating islands of Coliar home. The Aarakocra of Coliar have no oral histories pushing them to hate orcs or goblinoids, and have no fondness of elves like their cousins on Toril.

### Language

The Aarakocra typically speak the languages of Aarakocra and Auran. Some communities of Aarakocra take the time to learn Common or Elven, but being an isolationist people, this rarely occurs. Most Aarakocra are illiterate, having no use for writing.

### Homelands

The Aarakocra are a widespread race, owing to their ability to fly and the accomplishments of their Aearee ancestors. The First Flight of Dragons around −30,000 DR saw the ancestors of Aarakocra fleeing the lands of their empires to the lands of Anchorome, as well as the world of Coliar and the Elemental Plane of Air. Eventually, these Aearee-Krocaa and Aearee-Syran that migrated to different homelands began to develop into the Aarakocra. Following the First Sundering around -17,300 DR, the ancestors of the aarakocra on Toril migrated from an ever-changing Anchorome to Maztica, which they would call home forevermore.

The Aarakocra living in Maztica only began to leave Maztica in the early 4th Century DR, establishing their first settlements in Faerun some generations later in 418 DR. From there, the Aarakocra would spread as far as Kara-Tur in the next few centuries, becoming an exotic race living in the mountaintops of Faerun and its sister continent.

Aside from Toril, a large population of Aarakocra live in the world of Coliar, owing to a single flying enclave of the Aearee escaping the First Flight of Dragons to arrive in the gas giant. A few Aarakocra tribes also reside in the Elemental Plane of Air, either because they descend from Aearee migrants, or because they entered the inner plane through a portal that opened in their original homeland. Finally, there are communities of Aarakocra that live in Aerie, the divine realm of Aerdrie Faenya that the elven goddess shares with the goddess Syranita. The aarakocra call this realm 'Whistledge'. Even after Syranita's period of decline and being absorbed into Aerdrie Faenya, the elven goddess continued to invite and protect the planar Aarakocra residing in her divine realm.

### Known Settlements

Aarakocra are a widespread and isolationist race, meaning their settlements can remain hidden from the outside world for generations. Known aarakocra settlements and mountain ranges known to hold aarakocra tribes in Faerûn were:

* The Star Mounts in the High Forest, which held five tribes of Aarakocra. They were almost entirely slain by the green dragon Elaacrimlicros in the 1360s DR. The survivors were scattered to different regions of Faerun.
* The Storm Horns in Cormyr.
* The Cloven Mountains in the Vilhon Reach.
* The Mistcliffs in Chult.
* The Adder Hills in Chessenta.
* The monastery Kir Sabal in Chult.
* Khle'cayre, the last settlement in the High Forest after the slaughter done by Elaacrimlicros. Since 1370 DR, it has been inhabited by descendants of those slain by Elaacrimlos, seeking revenge on the ancient wyrm.

## History

Following the fall of the Aearee empires to the first Flight of Dragons around -30,000 DR, many surviving members of the avian creator race were forced to flee from their home-nests and enclaves. The Aeree-Krocaa and Aeree-Syran mostly fled to the lands of Anchorome, intermingling for generations to create the race now known as the Aarakocra. During the Flight of Dragons, five Aearee cities, all crafted from spelljamming helms, took the stars. Rulungwar, Donnakee, Phra’iskree, Oolatiel, and an unknown fifth city, lost during the exodus, crossed the Sea of Night to the world of Coliar, where their descendants still live today. Other Aearee are believed to have also fled to the Elemental Plane of Air, becoming the Aarakocra that reside in that inner plane.

The early Aarakocra residing Anchorome are believed to have migrated from Anchorome to Maztica in a unknown catastrophe, which oral histories of the Aarakocra describe as uprooting their way of life. Some scholars attribute this migration to the First Sundering in -17,300 DR, believing that the creation of Evermeet and severe alterations to the continents of Toril might have caused a severe ecological pressure that pushed the Aarakocra to migrate southward.

Once in Maztica the Aarakocra called it home for several millennia, though their populations faced a slow decline that would diminish the divine power of their patron goddess Syranita. After generations of migrating to islands of the Trackless sea in the 4th Century DR, Aarakocra tribes began to settle in the mountaintops of Northern Faerun in 418 DR. In the following two centuries, groups of aarakocra had made it as far as the mountains of Chessenta. By 700 DR, the first aarakocra had made it to the mountains of Kara Tur. During these migrations, the aarakocra came to know the exotic avariel elves, and came to see these elves as equals.

Other races in Faerun were far from receptive to the aarakocra. Goblinoid and orc tribes fought off an slaughtered many tribes of aarakocra that attempted to settle in the same mountain ranges, and those aarakocra that settled in the mountain ranges of Chult found similar enemies in the territorial Lizardfolk. Even the 'civilized' races began conflicts with aarakocra communities, taking issue with the hunting habits of Aarakocra. In 1267 DR, the last aarakocra living in the Riders to the Sky Mountains were killed by Chessentan mercenaries, who hunted them to extinction for sport.

In the 1360s DR, five aarakocra settlements on the Star Mounts were the target of the green dragon Elaacrimalicros, who killed over 120 aarakokra and left their homes completely uninhabitable. The survivors scattered across the North, many swearing revenge—such as the Nest of Retribution in the Lost Peaks. Forty-seven survivors came together for shelter at the source of the Unicorn Run in a new settlememt known as Khle'cayre. Eventually, those at the Nest of Retribution were also attacked, forcing survivors to gather at Khle'cayre, which became the last aarakocra settlement in the High Forest.

## Appendix

### Player Race

***Ability Scores.*** The archetypical Aarakocra receives a +2 to the Dexterity and a +1 to their Wisdom. You may choose to add a +2 to one ability score, and +1 to another. Alternatively, you can choose to add a +1 to three separate ability scores.

***Age.*** Aarakocra reach maturity by age 5. Compared to humans, aarakocra don't usually live longer than 65 years.

***Alignment.*** Most aarakocra 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.

***Diet.*** Aarakocra are carnivorous, known for having the ability to eat certain small animals whole. Although some remote tribes in Chult occasionally flavor their meats with spices, Aarakocra as a general rule care very little for adding anything to their hunted meals.

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

***Speed.*** Aarakocra have a 25 ft. walking speed, as well as a flying speed of 40 ft.

***Flight.*** Because of your wings, you have a flying speed. This flying speed begins at 40 ft, and is affected by any increases in your base walking speed gained from spells or class features. You can’t use this flying speed while wearing medium or heavy armor. Aarakocra have an average wingspan of 20 ft, and they cannot fly in an area that does not allow them to fully extend their wings.

***Talons.*** You have talons that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

***Wind Caller.*** Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the *gust of wind* spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast the spell with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher. Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for when you cast gust of wind with this trait (choose when you select this race). When cast using a spell slot, the spell’s spellcasting ability is that of your class.

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