Kenku (ken-ku)

Cunning, quick-witted, flightless and shadowed in mystery. The Kenku are a rare and resourceful race on Aolara. Haunted by an ancient crime that robbed them of their wings, the kenku wander the world as vagabonds and loners 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

Long ago, kenku were given life by the goddess Revra, to serve as her devoted vassals. According to legend, the kenku grew tired of their existence and made the choice to betray their master. Unable to resist the lure of a sparkling treasure, the kenku plotted to steal an object of extreme value from Revra and escape to the Material Plane. Unfortunately for the kenku, their master discovered their plan before they could enact it. Enraged that they would even attempt to steal from the mistress of thievery herself, Revra 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 turned toward scheming against their patron, the spark of creativity was torn from their souls. Once Revra 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. Rumours 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 many of their skills were stripped away by Revra, they did retain one impressive ability. Kenku can perfectly mimic any sound they hear, from a halfling's voice to the noise of rocks clattering down a hillside. Most kenku are able use a combination of overheard conversation and sound effects to replay an entire affair with scrupulous attention to detail. By the same token, 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

Most 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 signalling 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.

Most kenku flocks can be found crowded together in the lower class neighbourhoods of vast cities or as a travelling band of wayfarers moving from place to place. However on rare occasions, some kenku colonies do settle down and muster enough creativity to build a static home of their own. Mawk Town, east of Merridale in Eltera, is an example of a kenku constructed settlement.

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 the simple life. These kenku are more ambitious and daring than their fellows. They tend to strike out on their own first chance they get, 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 Traits

Ability Score Increase

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. You cannot increase an ability score above 20.

Age

Kenku reach maturity at the age of 12, and have a similar lifespan to humans.

Size

Your size is is Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Expert Duplication

When you copy writing or craftwork produced by yourself or someone else, you have advantage on any ability checks you make to produce an exact duplicate.

Kenku Recall

Thanks to your supernaturally good memory, you have proficiency in two skills of your choice. Moreover, when you make an ability check using any skill in which you have proficiency, you can give yourself advantage on the check before rolling the d20. You can give yourself advantage in this way, a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Mimicry

You can accurately mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations only with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check against your DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.

Kenku

Type - Humanoid
Size - Medium/Small
Alignment - N/A
Preferred Terrain - N/A
Abilities - Mimicry

Click here to return to Races of Aolara