Kenku

Kenku are a hard-working, shrewd race of birdlike wingless humanoids that dwell in Kontonyus. Though their homeland is currently unknown, they rapidly enstabilished trade agreements with the pathfinders. Their main feature is that they cannot speak or produce any sound on their own, but they can imitate whichever sound or voice they hear during their lifetime. It is said that they were once a proud, flying humanoid race cursed by an envious god, which brought them to losing wings and ability to speak. Moreover, it seems that as part of this curse they have lost any type of creativeness and cannot invent anything. As good as they are at imitate voices and sounds, they are also good at copying items and forge things they have seen and touched. For this reason, Kenku are opportunists and well-suited for illegal jobs. At the end of the day, everything a Kenku does is usually in hopes of lifting the curse from them, in particular they have a strong desire of flight. In fact, most Kenku study magic because they hope to learn spells that will allow them to fly again.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Kenku have different colours and beaks, but they all share the lack of wings and feet similar to those of a crow.

Ecology and Habitats

Kenku prefer to live in high places like gigantic trees, peaks of mountains or abandoned towers. They fear many predatory monsters in the wild and as such try to avoid as much as they can open fields or vast forests.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Kenku can't come up with anything new so they have to rely on sounds and words taken from nature or other species. Most of their names can be transcribed as "Boom", "Crack", "Splash" as they just imitate the sound. When a Kenku decides to communicate often with another race usually it is given a name that has to do with its job or an ability it has, like "Spy", "Hammerer", "Sailor" and so on.

Major Organizations

It is currently unknown if Kenku have any kind of organization at all, since their homeland is yet to be discovered and visited by other races.

Average Technological Level

At the moment, Kenku are one of the most advanced races inhabiting Kontonyus, but that is thanks to the pathfinders from the main continent, whose technology was rapidly acquired and copied by Kenku.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

As said, Kenku cannot have a language. Nonetheless, they seem to know some words of a mysterious language, not belonging to any other race on Kontonyus.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Kenku get along well with Tabaxi, but ultimately don't share anything with the other races, since Goliaths and Tritons don't like being copied (they perceive it as stealing) while Firbolg dislike Kenku for their lack of love towards nature and Lizardfolk see them as prey.

Lifespan

At 12 years a Kenku is considered mature and they can live up to 60 years.