Aarakocra

Those foolish enough to invade the fey world face its most powerful and mischievous protectors: the Aarakocra, or Tengu. Aarakocra are guardians of nature. Masters of the fey realm, they have long struggled to integrate onto the mortal plane.

Origin

Aarakocra or Tengu as they are often known in Nerukudo are avian warriors with brash personalities. Followers of the Way of the Pure Soul believe they spawned from the formless mist that surrounded the world. They believe they are a form of yokai: fey monsters that take on a more physical form than the spirits that embody the natural worldFollowers of Maranism believe they first spawned from the Lotus Cycle, marking them Wildborn. Those of a more divine affiliation believe they are creations of the gods, or demons who escaped the Darkest Dimension. Most Aaracockra claim themselves as either creations of the Feywild or Melora; often if they live in Nerukudo or Zinshali respectively.
The first recordings of their activity are of explorers from the village of Cleyera who wandered the Feywild. Accessed through the Torii gates, these ancient explorers did not always step with the proper reverence or judgment. This lack of respect would often lead these individuals entangled with the Tengu. They had a history of kidnapping children, causing mischief, and attacking those who did not revere nature.
In the early histories of Cleyera, the Aarakocra were incredibly powerful, and rarely made their homes on the mortal plane. Everything changed with the advent of the Sickness. When Teresa, Goddess of Final Judgment invaded the Feywild, many Tengu pridefully stood against her, only to be transformed into the monstrous Kenku. When Teresa left, the Sickness only seemed to spread. Most Aarakocra who have left the Feywild are fleeing the Sickness. This has created a population of Tengu on the mortal plane. There, they would slowly grow to be accepted as a species all their own.

Description

The Aarakocra of Tetraverium are feathered, menacing creatures. They stand at roughly 5 to 6 feet tall, and weigh between 60 to 140 pounds. They reach maturity at the age of 18, and tend to live around a century. Some Tengu have strong, avian characteristics while others have been bred into mortal lines, and possess more mortal traits. Most Aarakocra have black wings, red skin, and human-looking faces with long, red noses. Others have more earthly skin colors and human-looking faces. Others still have expressly bird faces, with long sharp beaks.

Socialization

Over thousands of years, Tengu would become a common fixture of the mortal world. As they intermarried with the people of Tetraverium, many of their more supernatural traits would be lost. Their immense power would decline, with only the rarest of Aarakocra wielding the mighty spiritual power of their ancestors.
Aarakocra are very proud of their appearances, and work to maintain it. Most trim their plumage carefully, and it is expected of a parent to carefully educate their children in proper upkeep of their beautiful feathers. They pride themselves on their beautiful singing voices, and many stories tell of how they would use this to lure and entrap unsuspecting mortals. Their fashion sense is legendary, and many merchants in Nerukudo would come to emulate the beautiful patterns upon their robes.
While ancient Aarakocra were more malevolent, intent on playing tricks on mortals or otherwise harming them, their kind would over time become more ambivalent, sometimes even benevolent. Tengu would come to occupy positions of authority in Nerukudo, especially surrounding shrines. Most priests of these shrines are Aarakocra - especially those that overlook their Feywild counterparts. Others would take up the mantle of warriors: in the age of the samurai, many Tengu would take up the mantle of these proud soldiers.

Living in Tetraverium

Today, Aarakocra are a common sight, especially in Nerukudo. Most live in either Nerukudo or Zinshali. Others live in the Holy Kingdom, where they are sometimes mistaken for celestials or angels. Many modern Aarakocra socialized to the mortal world still take regular pilgrimages to the Feywild, where they pay respects at shrines. They tend to have a more innate reverence for this realm than others.
While Tengu would grow more accustomed to mortal culture, they did not lose their pride and vanity. Many see themselves as a step above mortals, particularly through their connection to the fey world. Many are isolated, preferring their own company to the company of mortals. This leads them to a poor understanding of mortal culture, causing them to be easily tricked. Others have very strong moral judgments of mortals, bestowing their own harsh judgment upon their fellow man. Others still manage to overcome this cultural separation, and have better integrated into the mortal world.
While they are rare, there remain a few mythical Tengu today who are closer aligned with their yokai roots. These Aarakocra tend to be very, very powerful, wielding strength close to the level of the most powerful entities and spirits to wander the outer planes. They are usually prideful tricksters or stalwart priests, defending shrines and the natural world from the corruption of mortals.
The Aarakocra are a powerful people, caught between the mortal realm and their home on the Feywild. While many have come a long way from their mythical roots, they maintain a strong, invisible connection to their homeworld.

Subraces

There are no Aarakocra subraces.

Mechanics

If you choose Aarakocra as your species, you gain the follow traits:

Ability Score Increase: You can increase one Ability Score by 2 and one Ability Score by 1. Creature Type: You are a Fey.
Size: Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Flight: As a Bonus Action, you can activate your wings. For 1 minute, you gain a flying speed of 50 ft. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.
Glide: When you fall at least 10 feet above the ground, you can use your reaction to extend your wings to glide horizontally a number of feet equal to your walking speed, and you take 0 damage from the fall. You determine the direction of the glide.
Talons: You have talons that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Once per turn, when you hit an enemy creature with your unarmed strike, you can choose to grapple the creature.
Wind Caller: Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Gust of Wind spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast the spell with this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it when you cast Gust of Wind with this trait (choose when you select this race).
Language: You can read, write, and speak Common and one other language of your choice.