Aarakocra (Common)

## Snow Aarakocra

The **common aarakocra** is the most common subrace of the anthropomorphic avian race, the aarakocra, viewed as the racial standard.

## Origin

The original aarakocra, the common ancestor between the subraces, was initially created by Avo, in the image of Tilo's beloved birds, as a gift. Over time, this subrace diverged from the main ancestor, seeking a way to be closer to the sky in the higher altitudes and northern areas.

## Physicality

### Anatomy and Physiology

Common aarakocra set the racial 'standard' in terms of anatomy and physiology. They stand as anthropomorphic, bipedal birds with slender, lightweight bodies and a wingspan of 20ft. They stand between 5½ and 6ft. tall and weigh between 90 and 110lbs, with hollow bones and narrow arms and legs tapering to sharp talons. Their bones are strengthened with a criss-crossing strut structure, conserving weight whilst reinforcing them, and they have a closed circulatory system and flow-through respiratory system to meet the metabolic demands of prolonged flight. Common aarakocra display sexual dimorphism, with males being bigger and having brightly coloured plumages, whilst females are smaller and generally have more subdued feathers in shades of brown, cream, white, black and grey. They are born in clutches of eggs, 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

Though aarakocra are rare to find amongst humanoid civilisations, common aarakocra are the most likely of the aarakocra subraces to live alongside society. However, instances of this are still rare, with common aarakocra preferring their reclusive and remote outposts. Within Illandor, there are established common aarakocra outposts in Bregdan and Hadar - namely within the Cloud Hills, the southwest of the Redreach Mountains, Haallehunt's Ridge, the Ikes, and around Pilgrim's Pass.

## 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.