Aarakocra
Aeritum are the most commonly encountered bird-people of the Deep Desert Tablelands of Paracia. Some are from Winter Nest in the Snow Crown Mountains near Kurn, while others are from smaller tribes scattered in the Ringing Mountains and elsewhere. These freedom-loving creatures rarely leave their homes high in the mountains, but sometimes, either as young wanderers or cautious adventurers, they venture into the inhabited regions of the Tablelands or beyond.
These bird-people can spend hours riding the wind currents of the mountains, soaring in the olive-tinged sky. While traveling, an aeritum prefers to fly high above to get a good view all around of their location and detect any threats well in advance. When they stop to rest, they tend to perch on high peaks or tall buildings. Enclosed spaces threaten aeritum, who have a racial fear of being anywhere they cannot stretch their wings. This claustrophobia affects their behavior. Unless it is absolutely necessary, no aeritum will enter a cave or enclosed building, or even a narrow canyon.
Aeritum stand 6 ½ to 8 feet tall, with a wingspan of about 20 feet. They have black eyes, gray beaks, and from a distance they resemble lanky disheveled vultures. Plumage ranges from silver-white to brown, even pale blue. Male weigh around 100 pounds, while females average 85 pounds. An aeritum’s beak comprises much of its head, and it can be used in combat. At the center of their wings, aeritum have three-fingered hands with an opposable thumb, and the talons of their feet are just as dexterous. While flying, aeritum can use their feet as hands, but while walking, they use their wing-hands to carry weapons or equipment. Usually living for between 30 and 40 years aeritum have a bony plate in their chest (the breastbone), which provides protection from blows. However, most of their bones are hollow and brittle and break more easily than most humanoids. The aeritum’s unusual build means they have difficulty finding armor unless it has been specifically made for them.
Aeritum zealously defend their homeland. They are mistrustful of strangers that venture onto their lands. Many of the southern tribes exact tolls on all caravans passing through their lands, sometimes kidnapping scouts or lone riders until tribute is paid. Tribute can take the form of livestock or shiny objects, which they covet. Some evil tribes may attack caravans without provocation. Aeritum have great confidence and pride in their ability to fly, but have little empathy for land-bound races. Tending towards neutrality with tribes usually following their leader. Aeritum, no matter how good, rarely help out strangers. Most communities are small nomadic tribes. Some prey on caravans, while others or build isolated aeries high in the mountains. The least xenophobic among them generally come from Winter Nest, in the White Mountains, a tribe allied with the city-state of Kurn. Of all the human communities, only Kurn builds perches especially made for aeritum to rest and do business. In contrast, king Daskinor of Eldaarich has ordered the capture and extermination of all aeritum. Other human communities may tolerate their pressence in the short term but do not welcome them.
Never well established outside the Deep Desert the aeritum have only four colonies outside Parracia. The most notable of these reside within Mount Anulil in the Feneri Forest of Ethigoviel. Small tribes still hold on in the Tempest Point in the Heartlands, in the Sundered Mountains of Rhelac, and in the Mistcliffs of Caladon. Those colonies established in The North, closest to the Maeander Valley and the Ruins of Vuldoon, were ever a secretive and guarded
people only spotted during their flights over the Forest until a cruel and rapacious green dragon nearly wiped out the population and scattered the survivors. These aeritum and their descendants have sworn vengeance against the dragon and may be seen scouring the lands of the North and West of The Titanbridge for signs of their foe. Their only remaining settlement lies on the southernmost slopes of the Anulil Mountains. At the headwaters of the Corellon River the Last Aerie is home to several dozen aeritum. Recently their elders detected changes in the prevailing winds that they regarded as a bad omen. Unlike the aeritum of other areas of the world this tribe does not summon elementals and only rarely travel to the Plane of Air.
Merchants will generally do business with aeritum as long as they remain on foot. Most land-bound creatures are suspicious of strange creatures that fly over their herds or lands unannounced, and most settlements have standing orders to attack creatures that fly over the city walls without permission. Aeritum shamans are usually air clerics, sometimes sun clerics, and occasionally druids. Most rituals of aeritum society involve the summoning of an air elemental or Hraak’thunn. Summoned air elementals are often used in an important ritual, the Hunt. A coming of age ceremony involves hunting the great beasts found in the silt sea.
Aeritum are as familiar with psionics as other races of the tablelands. They particularly excel in the psychoportive discipline. In spite of their low strength and constitutions, they excel as psychic warriors, often using ranged touch powers from above to terrifying effect. Most tribes shun wizardly magic, but a few evil-aligned tribes and at least one prominent good-aligned tribe from Winter’s Nest preserve the ways taught to them by human mages.
Aeritum speak their own language and have no written language though some of the more sophisticated tribes have borrowed alphabets from their land-bound neighbors. Regardless of the language spoken, since they do not possess lips they, therefore, cannot even approximate the ‘m’, ‘b’ or ‘p’ sounds. They have difficulty also with their ‘f’s and ‘v’s, and tend to pronounce these as ‘th’ sounds. Male names like Akthag, Awnunaak, Cawthra, Driikaak, Gazziija, Nakaaka, and Thraka are common while female common names include Arraako, Kariko, Kekko, Lisako, Traako, and Troho. Tribal names of tradition include Cloud Gliders, Sky Divers, Peak Masters, Far Eyes, and Brothers of the Sun.
Individual traveling aeritum are usually young adults with a taste for the unknown. They are usually curious, strong-minded individuals that wish to experience the lives of the land-bound peoples. Good tribes see these young ones as undisciplined individuals but can tolerate this behavior. Evil tribes may view this sort of adventurous behavior as treacherous, and may even hunt down the rogue member. They generally loathe the heat and stink of the cities and long for cold, clean mountain air. The spectacle and movement of so many sentient beings remain fascinating to them, watching them from above usually satisfies their curiosity.
RPG Datasheet
Variant 1: Aarakocra
Elemental Evil Player's Companion page 3
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