Kenku

Image credit WOTC

### Languages

understands Auran and Common but speaks only through the use of its Mimicry trait

# Kenku

> *"If you hear a baby crying in an alley, walk the other way. That’s my advice to you."*
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> —Endroth Knag, City Watch corporal in Waterdeep
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Kenku are feathered humanoids that wander the world as vagabonds, driven by greed. They can perfectly imitate any sound they hear.

***Fallen Flocks.*** Kenku wear ill-fitting cloaks, robes, and rags. These garments cover the soft, sleek feathers of their bodies, shrouding their bare arms and legs. They tread lightly when they walk, on talons made for grasping the branches of trees and seizing prey from the lofty skies. Soft as the wind they move, so as not to draw attention to their shameful forms.

Once, the kenku held the wind in their wings, embracing the gusty sky and singing the sweet language of birdsong. Serving a Master whose identity is now lost to their memory, the kenku coveted the glittering baubles of his household, and longed to speak so that they could cajole and swindle others out of such treasures. Stealing the Secret of Speech from a volume in their master’s Library, they disguised themselves in rags to beg for pretty things. When their Master learned of their greed, he stripped away their wings as punishment, forcing them to beg forever.

***Speech in Pantomime.*** Kenku can mimic the sound of anything they hear. A kenku asking for money might make the sound of coins clinking together, and a kenku referring to a busy marketplace can reproduce the cacophony of hawking vendors, barking dogs, bleating sheep, and the cries of street urchins. When mimicking voices, they can only repeat words and phrases they have heard, not create new sentences. To converse with a kenku is to witness a Performance of imitated sounds and almost nonsensical verse.

Kenku speak to one another in much the same way. Because they are adept at interpreting one another’s glances and gestures, the sounds they make to communicate complex ideas or emotions can be succinct. Groups of kenku also develop Secret codes. For example, a cat’s meow might be the Secret code for “Prepare to attack!” or “Flee for your lives!”

Their talent for mimicry extends to handwriting, and Criminal organizations often employ kenku to forge documents. When a kenku commits a crime, it might forge evidence to implicate another creature.

***The Wistful Wingless.*** All kenku pine for the ability to fly, and thus the punishments they mete out to one another often involve false wings, such as heavy wings of wood borne as a mark of shame. As a final, tragic reminder of the wings they once had, kenku carry out executions by hurling their condemned from tall buildings or cliffs.

### Kenku As Players

> *The map we found showed the entrance to the Priest King’s Treasure cache right in the middle of the ruined section of the city. We approached our destination without issue, but as we arrived at the burned-out building, a sudden cacophony erupted around us. Birds squawked, cats hissed, and dogs growled. Lidda hustled us back to the city’s safer avenues. Only when we were back within the area patrolled by the guard did she explain that the noises indicated that the wingless folk had claimed that area, and that to trespass would be to court death.*
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> —Gimble, *Notes from a Treasure Hunter*
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Haunted by an ancient crime that robbed them of their wings, the kenku wander the world as vagabonds and burglars who live at the edge of human society. Kenku suffer from a sinister reputation that is not wholly unearned, but they can prove to be valuable allies.

## An Ancient Curse

The kenku once served a mysterious, powerful entity on another plane of existence. Some believe they were minions of Grazz’t, while others say that they were scouts and explorers for the Wind Dukes of Aaqa. Whatever the truth, according to legend, the kenku betrayed their Master. Unable to resist the lure of a beautiful sparkling Treasure, the kenku plotted to steal the item and escape to The Material Plane.

Unfortunately for the kenku, their Master discovered their plan before they could enact it. Enraged, the entity imposed three dreadful curses upon them. First, the kenku’s beloved wings withered and fell away from their bodies, leaving them bound to the earth. Second, because their ingenuity and skill had turned toward scheming against their patron, the spark of creativity was torn from their souls. Finally, to ensure that the kenku could never divulge any secrets, their Master took away their voices. Once the entity was satisfied that they had been sufficiently punished, the kenku were set loose on The Material Plane.

Since then, the kenku have wandered the world. They settle in places that accept them, usually bleak cities that have fallen on hard times and are overrun with crime.

## Dreams of Flight

Above all else, kenku wish to regain their ability to fly. Every kenku is born with a desire to take to the air, and those who learn Spellcasting do so in hope of mastering Spells that will allow them to fly. Rumors of Magic Items such as flying carpets, brooms capable of flight, and similar Objects provoke a great desire for the kenku to acquire the items for themselves.

Despite their lack of wings, kenku love dwelling in towers and other tall structures. They seek out ruins that reach to the sky, though they lack the motivation and creativity to make repairs or fortify such places. Even so, their light weight and size allow them to dwell in rickety structures that would collapse beneath a human or an orc.

Some thieves’ guilds use kenku as Lookouts and messengers. The kenku dwell in the tallest buildings and towers the guild controls, allowing them to lurk in the highest levels and to keep watch on the city below.

## Hopeless Plagiarists

As a result of their lack of creativity, kenku function comfortably as minions of a powerful Master. Flock leaders enforce discipline and minimize conflicts, but they fail at effective planning or Crafting long-term schemes.

Although unable to speak in their own voices, kenku can perfectly mimic any sound they hear, from a half­ling’s voice to the noise of rocks clattering down a hillside. However, kenku cannot create new sounds and can communicate only by using sounds they have heard. Most kenku use a combination of overheard phrases and sound Effects to convey their ideas and thoughts.

By the same token, kenku have no ability to invent new ideas or create new things. Kenku can copy existing items with exceptional skill, allowing them to become excellent artisans and scribes. They can copy books, make replicas of Objects, and otherwise thrive in situations where they can produce large numbers of identical items. Few kenku find this work satisfying, since their quest for the freedom of flight makes them ill-suited to settle into a routine.

## Ideal Minions

Kenku gather in groups called flocks. A flock is led by the oldest and most experienced kenku with the widest store of knowledge to draw on, often called Master.

Although kenku can’t create new things, they have a talent for learning and memorizing details. Thus, ambitious kenku can excel as superb spies and scouts. A kenku who learns of clever schemes and plans devised by other creatures can put them to use. The kenku lack the talent to improvise or alter a plan, but a wise Master sets multiple plans in motion at once, confident that underlings can follow orders to the letter.

For this reason, many kenku make an easy living serving as messengers, spies, and Lookouts for thieves’ guilds, bandits, and other Criminal cartels. A network of kenku can relay a bird call or similar noise across the city, alerting their allies to the approach of a guard patrol or signaling a prime opportunity for a robbery.

Since kenku can precisely reproduce any sound, the messages they carry rarely suffer degradation or shifts in meaning. Human messengers might switch words or phrases and garble a Message inadvertently, but the kenku produce perfect copies of whatever they hear.

## Kenku Adventurers

Kenku adventurers are usually the survivors of a flock that has sustained heavy losses, or a rare kenku who has grown weary of a life of crime. These kenku are more ambitious and daring than their fellows. Others strike out on their own in Search of the secrets of flight, to Master magic, or to uncover the Secret of their curse and find a method to break it.

Kenku adventurers, despite their relative independence, still have a tendency to seek out a companion to emulate and follow. A kenku loves to mimic the voice and words of its chosen companion.

## Kenku Names

Given that kenku can duplicate any sound, their names are drawn from a staggering variety of noises and phrases. Kenku names tend to break down into three categories that make no distinction between male and female names.

Kenku thugs, warriors, and toughs adopt noises made by Weapons, such as the clang of a mace against armor or the sound made by a breaking bone. Non-kenku refer to the kenku by describing this noise. Examples of this type of name include Smasher, Clanger, Slicer, and Basher.

Kenku thieves, con artists, and burglars adopt animal noises, typically those Common in urban settings. In this manner, kenku can call out to each other while those who overhear them mistake them for Common animals. Non-kenku use names that refer to the sound made or the animal a kenku mimics, such as Rat Scratch, Whistler, Mouser, and Growler.

Some kenku turn their back on crime to pursue legitimate trades. These kenku adopt noises made as part of their craft. A Sailor duplicates the sound of a fluttering sail, while a smith mimics the clanging of a Hammer on metal. Non-kenku describe these folk by their trade sounds, such as Sail Snap, Hammerer, and Cutter.

## Kenku Traits

Your kenku character has the following Racial Traits.

***Ability Score Increase.***Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

***Age.***Kenku have shorter lifespans than humans. They reach maturity at about 12 years old and can live to 60.

***Alignment.***Kenku are chaotic creatures, rarely making enduring commitments, and they care mostly for preserving their own hides. They are generally chaotic neutral in outlook.

***Size.***Kenku are around 5 feet tall and weigh between 90 and 120 pounds. Your size is Medium.

***Speed.***Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

***Expert Forgery.***You can duplicate other creatures’ handwriting and craftwork. You have advantage on all checks made to produce forgeries or duplicates of existing Objects.

***Kenku Training.***You are proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand.

***Mimicry.***You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.

***Languages.*** You can read and write Common and Auran, but you can speak only by using your Mimicry trait.

### Random Height and Weight

You may roll for your character’s Height and Weight. The roll in the Height Modifier column adds a number (in inches) to the character’s base height. To get a weight, multiply the number you rolled for height by the roll in the Weight Modifier column and add the result (in pounds) to the base weight.

## Roleplaying a Kenku

If you’re playing a kenku, constant attempts to mimic noises can come across as confusing or irritating rather than entertaining. You can just as easily describe the sounds your character makes and what they mean. Be clear about your character’s intentions unless you’re deliberately aiming for inscrutable or mysterious.

You might say, *“Snapper makes the noise of a Hammer slowly and rhythmically tapping a stone to show how bored he is. He plays with his Dagger and studies the Lords’ Alliance agent sitting at the bar.”* Creating a vocabulary of noises for the other players to decode might sound like fun, but it can prove distracting and could slow down the game.

# Attributes

Size Medium

Speed 30