Kenku

Cursed for eternity for crimes of their ancestors' past, these birdlike humanoids often live on the outskirts of human civilizations where they prey on merchants and any opportunity that arises them to excel in their burglarizing. Often regarded with a pest-like mentality, the kenku are often subjected to disdain and prejudice due to their kinds actions. This reaction, however, isn't completely inappropriate.

An Ancient Curse

Gathering information from Kenku when the Scholars of Oryth first started recording history, it has always been unclear of the past of the kenku. Due to the language barrier, no solid information can be ascertained by the avian people. Even spells such as Comprehend Languages and Tongues are insufficient in communicated with these cursed people. Through mimicry and sound-effects, a great deal of information has been verified, but there are still missing elements. The kenku were once slaves to a powerful being on a different plane of existence, likely the Abyss or Elemental Plane of Air. They had planes to steal something of immense value and flee to the Material Plane of Oryth, but the plane was found-out by their master and they were cursed for their insubordination.

In the case of this happy kenku,
some dreams do come true...

Art By: Pikmin Girl

Curses Three

The first of the curses cast by their master is that they would never know the joy of flight again. Their wings withered and fell from their bodies. Due to the cleverness of their scheme against their master, the spark of creativity was torn from their souls so they could never scheme such a betrayal again. And last of the curses three was their gift of expression, their breath never uttering a voice of their own again. Once they were sufficiently punished, the kenku were banished to the Material Plane where they would suffer their punishment for the rest of their days.

Created With: Hero Forge

Dreams of Flight

Above all else, the kenku wish for their gift of flight to be returned to them. As such, many kenku tend toward the arcane arts to give them that gift once more. Objects like flying carpets, brooms, or boots of levitation are highly coveted by the Kenku and many will do whatever it takes to obtain these items or spells.

Though they have a new-found relationship with the gravity of Oryth, they flock to high places such as cliffs, mountains, large towers, or even magically floating isles without any fear of falling just to be closer to the sky so they can dream of their flight-filled days once more. Kenku will often take positions of eyes-in-the-skies, using their excellent vision to keep watch over their designated areas in high-placed towers and tall buildings.

Ideal Minions

Due to their ingenuity and creativity being taken from the kenku, they lack the ability to think of ways to stray from plans laid forth from them. They often follow orders without question and their innate ability of mimicry and memorization makes them perfect spies and scouts for any governing body.

Their mimicry allows them to perfectly make any sound or phrase they had heard and often serve as use for signaling any sort of warning or alert. These messages suffer no stray in tone or meaning, making the kenku perfect messengers of whispered secrets and instructions.

By Any Other Name

Lacking a voice to name their young, kenku instead mimic sounds that ring true to them. It is not uncommon for a kenku to introduce themselves as the sound of a blacksmith hammer slamming onto the solid surface of an iron anvil. In this case, other races might decide to call them "Ting". A kenku that identifies themself as an unsheathing sword might be referred to as "Shnnk" or "Sheath". There is much that is left up to the interpretation of the person hearing the name, and it is not uncommon for the kenku to be called many different things in association with the sound they make for their name.

Though they have perfect mimicry, any attempts to teach a kenku the phonetic way to communicate have failed due to their lack of creativity. Only phrases and words of meaning may be verbalized by the kenku.

Created With: Hero Forge

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Secundus

Scientific Name

Corvus Sapien

Average Height

4'10" - 5'3"

Average Weight

75_lbs - 90_lbs

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Kenku are usually black and resemble ravens, but have been known to be a multitude of colors ranging from deep blues to vibrant and multicolored hues.

Geographic Distribution

• Abyss
• Elemental Planes

Kenku Quirks

Characteristics (d8)

1. *TING!*, *TING!*, *TING!*
2. *Monstrous Roar!*
3. *Sounds of an arrow in flight.*
4. *The sound of a young child splashing their feet in a running river...*
5. *The comforting noise of a roaring bonfire with the crackling of wood.*
6. *A loud belch reverberating throughout the echoey chamber of a near-empty tavern.*
7. *The sound of a masterful wizard muttering an arcane incantation.*
8. *The cantor of horses escalating to full-gallop.*

Created With: Hero Forge