Avid

Little is known of the Avid as much of their history has been lost to the cataclysmic events of the world. The little that is known in the current climate consits of the following.
They evolved in the jungles, in the region more recently known as the The Deadlands. They lived in wooden structures in the jungle canopies and appeared tribal. They were often used by the Ogre Kingdoms as sky scouts due to their ability to fly long distances. They were highly susceptible to toxins and poisons due to a fast metabolism, and had a short structure. Poor in combat with brittle bones, they preferred to attack in hit and run manoeuvres making them effective guerrilla warriors. Avid were also known for advanced ocular technologies.
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Basic Information

Anatomy

From below, avid looked much like large birds. Only when they descended to roost on a branch or walk across the ground did their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing upright, avid might have reached 5 feet tall, and they had long, narrow legs that tapered to sharp talons.
Feathers covered their bodies. Their plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. Males were brightly coloured, with feathers of red, orange, or yellow. Females had more subdued colours, usually brown or gray. Their heads completed the avian appearance, being something like a parrot or eagle with distinct tribal variations.
The resemblance of aarakocra to birds wasn't limited to physical features. Avid displayed many of the same mannerisms as ordinary birds. They were fastidious about their plumage, frequently tending their feathers, cleaning and scratching away any tiny passengers they might have picked up. When they deigned to descend from the sky, they often did so near pools where they could catch fish and bathe themselves.

Ecology and Habitats

Nowhere were the avid more comfortable than in the sky. They could spend hours in the air, and some went as long as days, locking their wings in place to let the thermals hold them aloft. In battle, they proved dynamic and acrobatic fliers, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons or talons before turning and flying away.
Once airborne, an avid left the sky with reluctance. They could fly for days or months, landing only to lay their eggs and feed their young before launching themselves back into the air. They sometimes would forget or ignore vertical distances, and they had nothing but pity for those earthbound people forced to live and toil on the ground.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Avid were, as a rule, a solitary species, at most living in small family groups and enjoyed peace and solitude. Most of them having had little interest in dealing with other peoples and even less interest in spending time on the ground. For this reason, it took an exceptional circumstance for an avid to leave his or her tribe and undertake the adventurer's life. Neither treasure nor glory was enough to lure them from their tribes; a dire threat to their people, a mission of vengeance, or a catastrophe typically lie at the heart of an avid adventurer's chosen path.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

As with much of their speech, aarakocra names include clicks, trills, and whistles to the point that other peoples have a difficult time pronouncing them. Typically, a name has two to four syllables with the sounds acting as connectors. When interacting with other races, aarakocra may use nicknames gained from people they meet or shortened forms of their full names.
An aarakocra of either gender may have one of these short names: Aera, Aial, Aur, Deekek, Errk, Heehk, Ikki, Kleeck, Oorr, Ouss, Quaf, Quierk, Salleek, Urreek, or Zeed.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

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. 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. The idea of ownership baffles most aarakocra. After all, who owns the sky? Even when explained to them, they initially find the notion of ownership mystifying.
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. Shiny, glittering objects catch their eyes. They find it hard not to pluck the treasure and bring it back to their settlement to beautify it. An aarakocra who spends years among other races can learn to inhibit these impulses.
Confinement terrifies the aarakocra. To be grounded, trapped underground, or imprisoned by the cold, unyielding earth is a torment few aarakocra can withstand. 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.

History

Avid were one of the original races to live on Asenguard, so their history was long. These people originated from birds and were always a very quiet and isolationist race. However, in ages gone by, they have fought beside ogre and orc to ensure the safety of their home world and the end of The Seven.
In the age of empires, the avid took on the parentage of the newborn elves after the ogre abandoned those children. The birds sort to teach the race their ways, showing them kindness, honour, and oneness with nature, hoping that the race would continue the pursuit of keeping the world safe. As the elves took their destinies into their own hands, the avid were proud of their children, the elves taking to the land while the avid watched over the skies and the two races grew and prospered together. However, as the elves met the dwarves and war was met and slaves were taken, the avid looked on with sadness and began distancing themselves from the elves.
As time passed the avid claimed the middle jungles as their own land, attempting to create a buffer between the dwarves and elves as they once again waged war on one another. It worked to some degree, though not fully as the avids’ native jungles did not stretch the length of the borders. There were diplomats sent to both races in attempts to quell fighting, the old race having seen too much of it already, only wishing for peace on Asenguard. For every success, however the talks often failed in equal measure.
They eventually gave up their attempts, returning to their peace and solitude once more, showing little interest in continuing to deal with the other peoples and showing considerably less interest in spending time on the ground. They instead resigned to staying within their jungles and kept watch for the ancient dangers of their past. As such, it took a lot to get one to leave their treetop homes, though when it happened the individual did so with great purpose.

EXTINCT

Lifespan

30 years

Average Height

4'0" to 6'0"

Average Weight

80 lb. to 100lb

Avid Racial Stats

Ability Scores: Dex +2; Wis +1
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 ft., fly 50 ft.

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Age. Aarakocra reach maturity by age 3. Compared to humans, aarakocra don't usually live longer than 30 years.
Alignment. Most aarakocra are good and rarely choose sides when it comes to law and chaos. Tribal leaders and warriors might be lawful, while explorers and adventurers might tend toward chaotic.
Size. Aarakocra are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Flight. You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armor.
Talons. Your talons are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Language. You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocra, and Auran.

Source: Aarakocra in EEPC, page 5. Also found in EGW, page 165.