The sound of feathers as the wind whipped across them was a blessing of his birth. Passi drifted between the skylands, keeping his eyes open for any threats that may sit on the stones. As he approached the destination, he could see the crowd of people that were gathering in anticipation of his arrival, farmers, craftsmen. Sometimes he pitied them, they would never know the freedom of flight, but it would not do to show it, he had mail to deliver.
Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees or tall trees along the skylands, the aarakocra, sometimes called bird-folk, evoke wonder and envy. The aarakocra are immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outpost nests functioning as footholds for boundless flight.
The idea of ownership is a burden or a curiosity to most aarakocra, after all, who owns the sky? And when you are reliant on flight, you cannot afford to carry much with you. Usually aarakocra share possessions amongst the members of their nest and simply take the things they feel they need. As a result, Aarakocra who have little interaction with others might be a nuisance as they drop from the sky to snatch things that have caught their eye. An aarakocra who spends years among other races can learn to inhibit these impulses.
Once tribes of aarakocra settle in an area, they share a hunting territory that extends across an area up to 100 miles on a side, with each tribe hunting in the lands nearest to their colony. A typical colony consists of one large, open-roofed nest made of woven vines. The eldest acts as leader with the support of a shaman.
The aarakocra have embraced the plane of Orizon, calling it a place of “calm skies.” Few live outside of their nests, which can take up entire skylands in their expanse. Those that do make themselves a part of larger society often work as couriers, valued for their ability to soar between the skylands.
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