Kenku

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 society. Kenku suffer from a sinister reputation that is not wholly unearned, but they can prove to be valuable allies.

### **An Ancient Curse**

The first kenku heard whispers from the dark, some mysterious entity that entangled the kenku into servitude. The creature convinced the kenku to steal some object or some secret from the first ones.

Unfortunately for the kenku, the first ones learned of their treacherous act before they could complete it. Enraged, the first ones imposed two 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 been turned toward scheming against the first ones, the spark of creativity was torn from their souls. A third curse was placed upon the kenku by their once patron. To ensure that no one would ever learn of the entity's identity, it stole away their voices.

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 hopes 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 such 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 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 Plagirists**

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 sound of rocks clattering down a hillside. However, kenku cannot create new sounds and can communicate only 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 lead 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 altar the 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 kneku 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 a 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 what 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 daring and ambitious 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 uncover 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 it's chosen companion.

> **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 you character's intentions unless your deliberately aiming for inscrutable or mysterious.
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> You might day "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 Lord's Allience member sitting at the bar." Creating a vocabulary of noises for the other Ayers to decide might sound like fun, but it could prove distracting and could slow down the game.
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### **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 make 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 kenu by describing this nose. 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 backs 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.