Kenku

The Kenku are desperate and mischievous, often living on the streets and working as petty criminals to live day to day, haunted by the curse that stripped them of their voices and their wings. As their legend goes, in a time lost to the history books, the kenku once served a mysterious and powerful entity on another plane of existence. Most believe they were scouts and explorers for the deities of the Elemental Plane of Air, relatives to the Aarakocra, while others believe it to be a mad, fallen deity that they plead worship to. Whatever the truth, according to legend, the kenku betrayed their master, unable to resist the lure of a beautiful sparkling treasure, and they plotted to steal the item and escape to Cevantia. Kenku suffer from a sinister reputation that is not wholly unearned, but they can prove to be valuable allies.

 

Rejected by All

Unfortunately for the kenku, their master discovered their plan before they could enact it. Enraged, the entity imposed three dreadful curses upon them. First, the kenku's beloved black wings withered and fell away from their bodies, leaving them bound to the earth. Second, because their ingenuity and skill had turned toward scheming against their patron, the spark of creativity was torn from their souls. Finally, to ensure that the kenku could never divulge any secrets, their master took away their voices. Once the entity was satisfied that they had been sufficiently punished, the kenku were banished to Cevania, forced to wander a world that could not hear their plight, nor understand their noble origins.

Features

• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
• Age. Kenku have shorter lifespans than humans. They reach maturity at about 12 years old and can live to 60.
• Size. Kenku are around 5 feet tall and weigh between 90 and 120 pounds. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Expert Forgery. You can duplicate other creatures' handwriting and craftwork. You have advantage on all checks made to produce forgeries or duplicates of existing objects.
• Kenku Training. You are proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand.
• Mimicry. You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.
• Languages. You can read and write Common and Auran, but you can speak only by using your Mimicry trait.