Aarakocra

by Christopher Burdett

Aarakocra (pronounced: /ærɑːˈkoʊkrɑː/ æ-ra-KO-kra[9] about this audio file listen or: /ɑːrɑːˈkoʊkrɑː/ a-rah-KO-krah[10]; pl: aarakocra[1][4][5] or: aarakocras[3]), also called bird-men,[11] were a race of avian humanoids.[3]

Basic Information

Anatomy

Aarakocra resembled humanoid birds. The average specimen stood about 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall and had a wingspan of 20 feet (6.1 meters). Halfway along the edge of each wing was a hand with three human-sized fingers and an opposable thumb. An elongated fourth finger extended the length of the wing and locked in place during flight. The hands could not grasp while flying, but they were nearly as useful as human hands when an aarakocra was perched and its wings were folded back.[3][note 1] Their powerful legs ended in four sharp talons that could unlock and fold back to reveal another pair of functional hands. These humanoids had hollow, fragile bones. Their faces combined the features of both parrots and eagles. They had gray-black beaks and black eyes. Plumage color varied, but males generally had red, orange, and yellow coloration, while females tended towards brown and gray.[3]

Genetics and Reproduction

Like modern birds

Growth Rate & Stages

Similar to humans

Ecology and Habitats

Worldwide(sometimes)

Dietary Needs and Habits

Meat

Additional Information

Social Structure

Varies

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Feathers

Facial characteristics

Avian features

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Worldwide

Average Intelligence

Varies

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Varies

Courtship Ideals

Varies

Relationship Ideals

Like a human

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Common, Aarakocra

Common Dress Code

Varies

History

Following the fall of their empires to the first Flight of Dragons around −30,000 DR, the surviving members of the avian creator race known as the aearee (primarily the subgroup known as the Aearee-Krocaa) fled to Anchorome, where their further exploits went largely undocumented by Faerûnian historians. The only thing known was that at some point after their arrival there, the aearee either created or devolved into the aarakocra, who then move south into Maztica.[21] In 418 DR, following generations of travel between Maztica and the islands of the Trackless Sea, the first aarakocra colonists successfully crossed to northern Faerûn.[22]
In 1267 DR, the last aarakocra living in the Riders to the Sky Mountains were killed by Chessentan mercenaries, who hunted them to extinction for sport.[23]

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Varies

Lifespan

65 years

Average Height

5 ft

Average Weight

90 lbs

Average Length

20 ft(wingspan)

Average Physique

Thin

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Varies