Auran Kenku

The auran kenku were the primary ethnicity of kenku found in Umenor. They lived in small communities outside of large population centers before they were blamed for the death of the current and living Emperor of Umenor. When she was missing, they were systemically pushed out of their homes. While some remained behind, most participated in a mass emigration to the still-forming kenku commune in 3492.
Now, the auran kenku are predominantly in Saikyiao, a kenku-dominant but small nation in the "wilds" of Menia.
Auran kenku are deeply spiritual and have an ethnoreligion with the Prime pantheon. They have a long history of animosity with the Faewyld and its inhabitants, so they greatly distrust fae magic.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Auran kenku commonly spoke Auran, a dialect of Primordial. Because generations of kenku were unable to articulate themselves easily, there were two means developed to enable more personal expression.

• The first, called the vulgar tongue, was the kenku's approach to the verbal langauge Common. By combining words and phrases spoken by uncountable participants in the communal song, a kenku was able to speak in Common. This was an unsettling sound, though, since the voices and intonations would dramatically change over the course of a conversation.
• The second, called the gesture language, was the internal means to communicate to each other. By gesturing with features, hands, arms, and body language, a kenku was able to convey complex ideas silently. This has proven difficult for non-kenku to learn because many non-kenku struggle to read the emotes of feathers.

Common Dress code

Auran kenku dressed with very concealing clothes. Tailfeathers, bodyfeathers, and armfeathers were hidden behind layers of fabric so that people outside of the community wouldn't see them.
Auran kenku used to be plucked of their feathers by outsiders. The feathers on a kenku's arms were considered wonderful quills and the feathers of a kenku's tail were considered a beautiful adornment. Kenku often did not consent to this procedure. This inspired the very conservative dress of the auran kenku.

Art & Architecture

Auran kenku favor simple homes with large communal areas around a hearth. Their temples to the Prime pantheon are more elaborate.
Auran kenku have a rich and vibrant art history. Their musical and oral tradition is steeped in generations of kenku participants passing along their creations through the communal song. Because of their mimicry abilities and astounding memory, kenku carried and permutated centuries of auditory musical tradition. In addition, these kenku also have a lively dance tradition. Dance was used to communicate to each other when they could not recall the communal words to express themselves. Thus, there have been dances for tasks such as courtship, intimidation, celebration, and lamentation.
Auran kenku are most famous for their ability to write poetry, stories, and histories. The epics the auran kenku recorded have been well received amongst various other cultures.

Foods & Cuisine

Auran kenku favor breads, pastries, fruit, and grains. Oates are a popular daily meal for auran kenku.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Auran kenku prefer cremation for their dead. When the auran kenku were primarily in Umenor, they were not granted large graveyards to lay their dead. It soon became a logistic necessity to cremate their dead for storage purposes. When the fae began to steal away auran kenku, the kenku found that their gravesites were disturbed far less when cremated compared to those entombed.
Cremation ideally occurs within a day of the death. Having a body waiting only encourages foreign, hostile entities to steal it away, either for its feathers or for dark fae purposes. When the cremation is complete, the family and chosen close friends will gather at the crematorium and perform a funeral dirge. While performing, they march from the crematorium to a local temple or shrine to Thuses, the kenku god of death and overseer of The Raven Queen, the kenku patron of the dead's memories. As they walk down the road, the immediate family often begins reciting their most meaningful quotes from their family song or even their lover's song. This allows the deceased's most pure voice to join the communal song, spreading from all participants. Mourners will often join the march from their homes during the performance.
When at the temple or shrine, a priest will perform a funerary dance and song to appeal to Thuses. After the performance, a cantor will recite the history of the deceased to the audience so their memory may be robust and complete, and so the community and generations to come will not forget.
After the temple, the family is escorted to a shared residence, where they are able to mourn their loss. The community supports the grieving household for seven days, supplying food and performing basic chores. While they do so, the mourners often share memories and further evocations of the deceased's voice to disseminate their identity into the community. After this period of mourning, the household rejoins the neighborhood.
Every year, on the longest night and greatest time of darkness, the community will maintain a burning pyre that remains lit for a full night and day, from sundown to sundown. They will write letters to the deceased they remember and toss them into the flames, where the ashes are supposedly carried to the Raven Queen's halls of memory. These allow the living to keep the dead informed on their lives as a comfort in the afterlife. It is considered a great honor to be a flame attendant, who has the responsibility to stand vigil at the pyre and ensure it remains burning.

Common Taboos

Auran kenku loathe most enchantment and necromantic magic. For them, magic that can strip someone of their autonomy and agency is profane.
In addition, language and words are very important to auran kenku. Plagiarism of kenku works is considered a cruel insult, since theft of ideas and culture is insidious.

Historical figures

There are many heroes in the auran kenku epics. Two that have played important roles are Page and Nyke. Page, who wrote The Lamentation of Page and helped remove the curse of Lies Made Truth. Nyke continued Page's work in recent years and helped enact the plans to rid the world of Lies Made Truth and found Saikyiao.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The ideal auran kenku has obsidian-black feathers that shine with blue and green irridescence when the light catches them so. The feathers are fluffed and draping over the head and shoulders. The physique is lean and slender.

Gender Ideals

Biologically male kenku tend to have more colorful plumage than biologically female kenku. Thus, males tend to be more flamboyantly dressed than female kenku.

Courtship Ideals

In general, the male kenku courts a female kenku through song, dance, gifts, and acts of service. There is no significant social structure or hierarchy to consider for mates, nor are there any significant taboos related to kenku courting members of their gender. There is a fading taboo about auran kenku courting outside of the kenku community.

Relationship Ideals

The standard kenku relationship is one of two-person monogamy and equal responsibilities. There are no significant gender roles within relationships (such as one gender being the source of wealth and one maintaining the home). It is a significant thing to court a mate and to pick an auran kenku's forever love, so divorce and separation are very uncommon.

Encompassed species

• Kenku