Aarakocra

The **Aarakocra** are an ancient avian race whose history in Elideria exists for millennia. The three subraces of aarakocra, while all different in appearance and physical traits, can trace their lineage back to one common ancestor who protected the Elemental Planes of Air and Light, and were even servants to the deities of Celestia. Now, the aarakocra people are mortals of Elideria, yet their livelihoods are shrouded by their undying worship of deities both legitimate and false.

Despite their shared kinship, however, the three aarakocran races live estranged from one another, and oftentimes their wildly different cultures clash in both political and physical violence. Rarely, however, some smaller aarak tribes join together in trying times, and will support each other regardless of their differences or past ancestral conflicts.

## Eagle Aarak

The noble eagle aarak, known as the en'aarak, live in the mountains. They are a proud people, exemplifying the very essence of all that is good in the world. They are watchers of their lands, and have constructed great spires on the tallest of mountains, creating sprawling communities across multiple peaks. The eagle aarak worship the deities of their ancestors, gods that represent the Elemental Planes of Air and Light, as well as Celestia.

* ***Ability Scores.*** Dex +2, Str +1
* ***Size.*** Medium. Eagle aarak stand 6 feet tall. Their bodies are muscular, yet lightweight, and they often weigh between 100 to 160 pounds.
* ***Speed.*** 25 feet. You also have a flying speed of 50 feet, if you are wearing heavy armor, this speed is reduced to 30 feet.
* ***Age.*** Eagle aarak reach maturity at the age of 15, and live to be roughly 80 years old.
* ***Alignment.*** Eagle aarak are almost always bound by the aspects of good, and rarely choose to side with chaos, citing law as the only way of life. While great crusaders and priests might be lawful good, the chaotic and adventurous are not unheard of.
* ***Might of the Aarak.*** When you deal damage with a melee weapon, you may roll an additional damage die. You can not use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.
* ***Savage Talons.*** You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal slashing damage. In addition, when you hit with an unarmed strike on your turn, you may use your bonus action to attempt to grapple the target of your attack. If you successfully grapple your target, you can deal an additional 1d4 slashing damage to it.
* ***Language.*** You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocran, and your choice of Auran or Celestial.

## Owl Aarak

The owl aarak, known as the oa'aarak, live in the forests of lawless lands and are a nomadic and reclusive people. They build small community nests and shelters in the great canopies and are primarily hunter-gatherers, wary of not just outside races, but even their own kin. Legends tell that generations past, the owl aarak were once as proud as their eagle relatives, worshiping the gods of their ancestors, but following the uprising of an evil blasphemer who killed many innocent people, the owl aarak exiled themselves to a silent worship of nature itself, shameful of what they had let happen.

* ***Ability Scores.*** Dex +2, Wis +1
* ***Size.*** Medium. Owl aarak range from 4 to 5 feet tall. While they only weigh between 80 to 100 pounds, their plentiful feathers give the illusion that they're heavier.
* ***Speed.*** 25 feet. You also have a flying speed of 50 feet, to use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armor.
* ***Age.*** Owl aarak reach maturity at the age of 20, and can live well into their second century.
* ***Alignment.*** Owl aarak believe in the values of self preservation and take no particular stance on the preservation nor the scorn of others. The alignment of an owl aarak is almost always dependent on the tribe's alignment, as well as the individual's upbringing.
* ***Darkvision.*** Because of your nocturnal ancestors, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
* ***Keen Senses.*** You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
* ***Talons.*** You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal slashing damage.
* ***Language.*** You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocran, and your choice of Auran or Sylvan.

## Falcon Aarak

The timid falcon aarak, known as the fa'aarak, live exclusively in the deserts of Yasun and are the ones that built the sprawling desert city of Ankar. Youngest of any of the Aarakocran, it is rumored that the falcon aarak are the offspring of a group of nomadic eagle aarak travelers, and were birthed directly from the false gods that their ancestors worshiped. Now, the falcon aarak live among the absolute ruin of their fallen empire, madly worshiping false gods in a blind attempt at replicating the religious servitude of their ancestors.

* ***Ability Scores.*** Dex +2, Int or Cha +1
* ***Size.*** Medium. Falcon aarak barely grow beyond 4 and a half feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies and weigh between 50 to 80 pounds.
* ***Speed.*** 30 feet. You also have a flying speed of 60 feet, to use this speed, you can't be wearing any armor.
* ***Age.*** Falcon aarak reach adulthood at the age of 8, and only live for up to 30 years.
* ***Alignment.*** As nomadic as they are, the wild gods that they worship leave the falcon aarak with a naturally chaotic disposition, with a fair split between good and evil depending on which of their gods that they worship.
* ***Enhanced Agility.*** You have advantage on all Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks. In addition, you may stand up from being prone as a bonus action, requiring no movement.
* ***Worship of False Gods.*** You have proficiency in the Religion skill. Additionally, you are proficient in one of your choice of the Deception, Insight, or Persuasion skills.
* ***Talons.*** You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal slashing damage.
* ***Language.*** You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocran, and your choice of Auran or Celestial.

## Godsworn, Godforsaken, and False Worship

When it comes to the worship of deities, each of the aarakocra races follow different beliefs. Where the eagle aarak have an undying worship of the deities that rule over the Elemental Planes of Air and Light, as well as Celestia, the falcon aarak spread their beliefs in the false gods that their ancestors tricked them into worshiping. In contrast to its two brethren, the owl aarak have exiled themselves from the belief in any of the gods, and instead worship the soil and the nature that lives upon it, believing themselves to have been forsaken from the gods because of their own failings.

However, outliers of typical aarakocran society within their broods exist more frequently than the godsworn--or the godforsaken--would like to admit, and so an eagle aarak may shun the deities his kin worship, and an owl aarak may believe in the God of Death much to the dismay of her elders, and a falcon aarak may choose to worship the true aarakocran deities over the false gods he may have been raised to follow.

## Appearance

The aarakocra are an avian species all descended from a single ancient race of divine creatures who were believed to have been created in the prime image of their deity, Asreqaan the Healer. Over the centuries, and as the ancient aarakocra spread their wings to the mortal lands of Elideria, they have naturally evolved and adapted based on their environments and their predatory needs, their appearances are similar to that of the avian wildlife that surrounds their homelands, and as such they have adopted Common names in relation to those birds of prey.

The eagle aarak, as their namesake suggests, appear as eagles. Their head feathers come in shades of white to dark brown, while the feathers on their body are rustic light and dark browns. Their arms and legs end in mighty talons, and their beaks are large and golden or ebony in color. Their eye color typically ranges from a near-white yellow to a deep sun-colored yellow, but some eagle aarak who live in colder climates have icy blue eyes. Their feathers are sleek in their younger years, and become ruffled as they age. Males and females often look similar, with slight variations in feather patterns.

The owl aarak appear visually similar to barn owls, with feathers ranging from snow white to deep, near-black browns. Their eyes are glossy black, and their statures are short. Most owl aarak wear long, hooded clothing in browns and greens, whether cloaks or robes, to hide their faces and bodies, believing it to be a sign of their departure from the gods and their desire to hide in the confines of nature.

The falcon aarak appear as peregrine falcons, their feathers lighter than would be typical as to shroud them from the heat of their desert homelands. Falcon aarak wear light and loose clothing, and some tribes even forgo wearing clothing, letting their feathers run free in the wind, believing that their false god would prefer them in this state, as they also believe that their ancient ancestors lived in this way.