Those colonies established in the Star Mounts, closest to the Dessarin Valley, were ever a secretive and guarded people, only spotted during their flights over the High Forest. Never well established in Faerûn, aarakocra have only four major colonies: in the Star Mounts within the High Forest, in the Storm Horns in Cormyr, in the Cloven Mountains on the Vilhon Reach, and in the Mistcliffs in Chult. The eldest acts as leader with the support of a shaman. Once tribes of aarakocra settle in an area, they share a hunting territory that extends across an area up to 100 miles on a side, with each tribe hunting in the lands nearest to their colony, ranging farther should game become scarce.Ī typical colony consists of one large, open-roofed nest made of woven vines. A few find their way to such a world through portals on their own plane and establish nests in high mountains or in the canopies of old forests. Accident might also send a nest of aarakocra tumbling into a world on that plane. Aarakocra can be drawn into the Material Plane, sometimes to pursue enemies or thwart their foes’ designs there. Most aarakocra live on the Elemental Plane of Air. Even when perched on a high branch or at rest in their mountaintop homes, they appear alert, with eyes moving and bodies ready to take flight. To be grounded, trapped underground, or imprisoned by the cold, unyielding earth is a torment few aarakocra can withstand. An aarakocra who spends years among other races can learn to inhibit these impulses.Ĭonfinement terrifies the aarakocra. They find it hard not to pluck the treasure and bring it back to their settlement to beautify it. Shiny, glittering objects catch their eyes. As a result, aarakocra who have little interaction with other people might be a nuisance as they drop from the sky to snatch livestock or plunder harvests for fruits and grains. After all, who owns the sky? Even when explained to them, they initially find the notion of ownership mystifying. The idea of ownership baffles most aarakocra. An aarakocra might become frustrated with people who fail to pick up on the nuances an aarakocra’s threat might be taken as a jest and vice versa. 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. When they deign to descend from the sky, they often do so near pools where they can catch fish and bathe themselves. They are fastidious about their plumage, frequently tending their feathers, cleaning and scratching away any tiny passengers they might have picked up. Aarakocra display many of the same mannerisms as ordinary birds. The resemblance of aarakocra to birds isn’t limited to physical features. They sometimes forget or ignore vertical distances, and they have nothing but pity for those earthbound people forced to live and toil on the ground. Those that make it to a world in the Material Plane find it a strange place. On their native plane, they can fly for days or months, landing only to lay their eggs and feed their young before launching themselves back into the air. Once airborne, an aarakocra leaves the sky with reluctance. In battle, they prove dynamic and acrobatic fliers, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons or talons before turning and flying away. They can spend hours in the air, and some go as long as days, locking their wings in place and letting the thermals hold them aloft. Nowhere are the aarakocra more comfortable than in the sky. Their heads complete the avian appearance, being something like a parrot or eagle with distinct tribal variations. Females have more subdued colors, usually brown or gray. Males are brightly colored, with feathers of red, orange, or yellow. Their plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. Standing upright, aarakocra might reach 5 feet tall, and they have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons.įeathers cover their bodies. Only when they descend to roost on a branch or walk across the ground does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Beak and Featherįrom below, aarakocra look much like large birds. They are immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a world both strange and alien. They hail from a world beyond - from the boundless vistas of the Elemental Plane of Air. Many aarakocra aren’t even native to the Material Plane. Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the aarakocra, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke fear and wonder. This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore. Monstrous Compendium Vol 3: Minecraft Creatures
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