Aarakocra
Majority live in colonies in the mountains between the Dapha Sea and the Meridian Sea. They tend to be Isolationists. Their city Nabiru is open for trade and diplomacy, but no outsiders may live there permanently.
This species originated from planet Nibiru. Their capital is named after their homeworld. After the crash of the colony ship the contingent collected as many small easily carried devices and supplies and flew from the crash site early on and spent centuries as hunter gatherers. one group settled and founded Nabiru, and became a central trading hub. As this city grew settlers built new colonies that have since become enclaves of Aarakocra culture.
Aarakorcra live in cities carved from the living rocks of the mountain. since they do not use carts or beasts for transport every thing has to be hand carried and flown up to their cities. this makes them impossible to reach, except by air ship. Navigating in a balloon to their cities is a risky venture, much less planning any kind of hostilities.
Traders will fly to neighboring cities over a period of days and usually bring precious ores, gems or relics to trade for supplies they can't obtain in their habitat. Medicines, fine tools, books, and other similar items are a rarity.
Nabiru has a section of the city on flat ground along a river suitable for ships. Flat town is where other species can live and trade with the Aarakorcra, only a few trusted servants and individuals are allowed to stay there, all other individuals must leave after 9 days.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Aarakocra are humanoids with avian features. They have fully functional wings, bipedal movement and can sustain flight as well. They are covered in feathers and have predatory hawk-like beaks, and binocular vision.
Though they look large they are very light weight with hollow bones and may weight up to 100 lb. Aarakocra lay eggs which hatch in 90 days, maturity is gained by age 3.
Genetics and Reproduction
eggs are laid by females once a year in clutches of 3 to 5 at a time, usually only one egg will hatch. Maturity is reached at age 3. Most Aarakocra females lay an unfertilized egg every other month until the age of 19. Feather patterns run in families and colors and patterns can help trace ancestry.
Growth Rate & Stages
Aarakocra grow quickly, and eat voraciously from birth to age 2. They start as downy chicks and are immobile and need to be fed. They can communicate at birth, but don't form words. They learn to speak quickly from their parents, and can hold conversations by age 2. by age 3 they are nearly their adult size and can become pregnant and lay eggs. Mentally they become adults at age 5. By age 5 they can think and reason like an adult, but have very little knowledge or context to make good judgements. As such they are subject to supervision by adults, and given lots of advice to fill their heads with wisdom. By age 15 they are in their prime and have probably already started one or two families. By age 19 they are considered wise and will begin feeling the effects of age. By age 25 they are considered elderly, and many start to become feeble and loose the ability to fly for long periods. Aarakocra that live to 30 are considered ancient and few live this long without magic, cyphers, or other artificial means. The oldest known Aarakocra lived to be 45. Once they loose their flight ability they become very depressed and most loose the will to live.
Ecology and Habitats
Aarakocra prefer high mountains and cooler climes. They like to be near large oceans, lakes and rivers so they can hunt for fish as a staple food. Farming and agriculture is nothing they engage in, they hunt and are carnivores.
High altitudes and low oxygen levels in those areas do not affect Aarakocra very much and can flight up to 15,000' without effect on their ability to fly and stay conscious.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Carnivorous and need large amounts of protein. Their staple food is fish, salt water or fresh. Their other is red meat from medium sized animals like rams, goats, deer, antelope, small pigs, coyotes, or giant insects.
When hunting fish they tend to try to snatch it up with their talons. When hunting land animals they will try to land on it and crush it's neck or skull with force.
Biological Cycle
Aarakocra are not nocturnal, but only need about 4 hours of sleep a day. Their reproductive cycle is quick, and they can get pregnant at any time, but once having conceived they will not have an ege capable of fertilization for another year. Aarakocra are innately territorial and like to stay in one location all year, though they are capable of flying great distances.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Aarakocra are tribal and clan based. Parents are generally monogamous and mated for life. The older individuals lead the group and hunting parties.
Average Intelligence
Highly intelligent, cunning and capable of human level thought and invention.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Aarakocra have normal range of vision and see in the same light spectrum as regular humans. Their hearing is slightly better attuned, and they have a "beak feeling" when pointing toward magnetic north. Sense of taste and smell is about the same as a human, but they enjoy fishy smells and that humans may find revolting.
Civilization and Culture
Average Technological Level
Aarakocra tend to take what they need, they seem to have an almost hunter gatherer level of technology, but understand how to use fire arms, weapons, and crafting simple weapons with iron. They know how to read their own language and can speak several languages. They trade with other civilizations, mostly they produce gems which they find in the mountains, though they don't really have much in the way of mining technology.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Aarakocra is the main language, which is made up of words, chirps, and trills that are hard for non-avian races to repeat. It has a written component that is difficult to translate because it is phonetic. They do not have a good grasp on numbers and use knotted strings to keep track.
They can speak many other languages, and most are conversational in Elvish, Draconian, and some speak common, Gith, Dwarven, or goblin. Few are literate in other languages.
Common Etiquette Rules
Share everything with the clan. Ownership is by the clan, your hunt, your collections belong to the clan. You may be given responsibility for a weapon, tool, magic item, or even money, but you use it for the good of the clan.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Aarakocra are communal. They do not own individually anything. Everything is owned by the clan and meted out to members as needed. the better things you bring back raises your prestige in the clan, though you may not possess the items in the end. Equally loosing an item of the clans can lower your respect as well.
Common Taboos
it is a capital offense to cut someones wings, or render them unable to fly.
History
From planet Nibiru the Aarakocra were members of the Star Walker Hegemony but rarely traveled far from their world.
During the crash the Aarakocra left the ship at high altitude and left the rest of the survivors, for a long time everyone thought they had all perished in the crash. They instead scouted the island for weeks looking for somewhere to settle. They returned to find chaos, and they took what they could carry back to their areas they had chosen to settle. After that it was many generations before they made contact with any other species.
The Aarakocra have several cities on the north end of Origin Island, they have over the centuries built up several towering cities in the mountains. It is unknown how many live there as it is remote and the area is quite wild.
Those that have left their mountains speak of their "great teacher" who has guided their existence on the island and when they need to do something or understand something it tells them.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Aarakocra are generally xenophobic. They will not let outsiders near their towers. The only city that permits outsiders is Nibiru, and that is on a limited basis.
neighboring elves and dragonborn can be victims of raids by juveniles looking to make off with livestock, or mugging traders. Juveniles and most young adults don't understand that ownership can extend to animals, things left outside (like farm tools, carts, tents, etc). Because of this there can be a lot of unnecessary bloodshed.
Aarakocra regard all other sentient beings as "others" and think they all belong to the same "other" race but just look different. It takes a while to understand the differences between elf, human, gnome, dragonborn, automaton, and zombie. However they learn quickly.
Socially the tribes have a non-involvement policy. They may engage in trade, but they don't want relationships, truces, alliances, wars or treaties with other beings. Nibiru is the city where the elders will trade news, try to understand the other beings and trade for goods and resources.
Alien Camps
The coast is rugged and dry and the city sends patrols about 25 miles out to look for any encampments. So about 30 miles by sea southeast down the coast is a semi-permanent camp that is inhabited by all manner of traders, merchants, sailors and others who trade with the city of Nabiru, but can't stay there. these are lawless but lucrative places to swap tales, discuss trading conditions with the Aarakcora, and find adventures.
Scientific Name
Aarakocra
Lifespan
30 years
Average Height
5'-0"
Average Weight
80 to 100 lb
Average Physique
Aarakocra are strong for their weight, their musculature is very efficient. Though they weigh less than an average human they are just as strong. They have very little fat and high metabolisms.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Beaks tend to be yellow to orange.
head feathers may be generally brown, but have black, red, orange or blue stripes
Body feathers tend to also be a light brown, but my have striped patterns of black, blue, or white feathers
The wings tend to be brown with some lineages having bright orange, red, yellow, purple, green or blue spots on the undersides.
Their exposed skin is covered in hard scales usually yellow to deep yellow orange. Talons are usually clear to dark black, usually shiny.
Eyes tend to be shades of blue.
Geographic Distribution
