Aarakocra

Infobox D&D creature
name=Aarakocra
alignment=Neutral Good
type=Monstrous Humanoid
subtype=
source="Monsters of Faerun, Monstrous Compendium Volume 2, 1E Fiend Folio, Terrors Beyond Tyr, Monstrous Manual, Races of Faerun"
first=
wizards_image_URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/rof_gallery/49742.jpg

In the "Dungeons & Dragons" fantasy role-playing game, the aarakocra are a race of bird-like monstrous humanoids dwelling in high mountains. First appearing in the "Fiend Folio" in 1981, they have since appeared in and been adapted to numerous campaign settings including "Greyhawk", "Dragonlance", "Dark Sun", and the "Forgotten Realms".

Ecology

Typical physical characteristics

Aarakocra resemble humanoid birds. The average specimen stands about five feet tall and has a wingspan of twenty feet. Halfway along the edge of each wing is a hand with three human-sized fingers and an opposable thumb. An elongated fourth finger extends the length of the wing and locks in place during flight. The hands cannot grasp while flying, but are nearly as useful as human hands when an aarakocra is perched and its wings folded back. Their powerful legs end in four sharp talons that can unlock and fold back to reveal another pair of functional hands. These humanoids have hollow, fragile bones. Their faces combine the features of both parrots and eagles. They have gray-black beaks and black eyes. Plumage color varies, but males generally have red ,orange, and yellow coloration, while females tend towards brown and gray.

Environment

Aarakocra inhabit high mountains.

Alignment

The standard alignment of aarakocra is neutral good.

ociety

Aarakocra live in small tribes of about 11-30 members. Each tribe has a hunting territory of about 10,000 square miles with colorful banners and pennants marking the boundaries.

Each tribe lives in a communal nest made of woven vines with a soft lining of dried grass. The eldest male serves as the tribe's leader. In tribes of more than 20 members, the second oldest male serves as the shaman, leading simple religious ceremonies involving the whistling of melodic hymns at sunset on the first day of a new month. Males spend most of their waking hours hunting for food and occasionally for treasure, such as gems and other shiny objects. Females spend eight months of the year incubating their eggs, passing the time by fabricating javelins and other tools from wood and stone. While resting on their backs, aarakocra females can use all four hands at the same time to weave boundary pennants, javelins sheaths, and other useful objects from vines and feathers.

Aarakocra have little to do with other species, including neighboring aarakocra tribes, and leave their home territory only in extreme circumstances. They rarely encounter humans except for an occasional foray into a rural community to snatch a stray farm animal; this is not an intentionally malicious act, as aarakocra are unable to distinguish between domestic and wild animals. A human venturing into aarakocra territory may be able to convince one to serve as a guide or a scout in exchange for a shiny jewel or coin.

Aarakocra are extremely claustrophobic and will not willingly enter a cave, building, or other enclosed area.

Religion

Aarakocra worship the goddess Syranita.

Five aarakocra, including a shaman, can summon an air elemental by chanting and performing an intricate aerial dance. The summoned air elemental will comply with the aarakocras' request for a favor, though it will not endanger its life on their behalf.

Aarakocra in various campaign settings

Aarakocra appear in several campaign settings.

Aarakocra in "Dark Sun"

In the "Dark Sun" setting, aarakocra are one of several player character races.

Aarakocra in "Dragonlance"

Living amongst the mountains of Krynn, aarakocra are rivals of the kyrie and often fight over living space, especially those tribes on the island of Karthay where aarakocra have been known to work with barbaric minotaur tribes to hunt kyrie. Aarakocra that live in the Abanasinia region often trade with the phaethons that live among the Sentinel peaks.

Aarakocra in the "Forgotten Realms"

Aaracokra feature statistically only in the "Forgotten Realms" campaign setting in 3rd Edition "Dungeons & Dragons". In this setting, they are thought to be an immigrant race to Faerûn from Maztica. In Faerûn this rare people have just four established colonies: in the Star Mounts in the High Forest, in the Storm Horns in Cormyr, in the Cloven Mountains on the Vilhon Reach, and in the Mistcliffs in Chult. However the Star Mounts colony has been almost wholly destroyed by a green dragon called Elaacrimalicros.

Aarakocra in "Greyhawk"

In the "World of Greyhawk" setting, aarakocra are known to inhabit the Lortmil and Yatil Mountains.

Creative origins

Aarakocra first appeared in the "Fiend Folio" (1981) and were credited to Lawrence Schick.

The aarakocra is presented as a playable character race in "The Complete Book of Humanoids" (1993), [Slavicsek, Bill. "The Complete Book of Humanoids" (TSR, 1993)] and is later presented as a playable character race again in "Player's Option: Skills & Powers" (1995).

References

*Cook, David, "et al." "Monstrous Compendium Volume Two" (TSR, 1989).
*Keeping, J.E. "The Wings of Eagles." "Dragon" #124 (TSR, 1987).
*Noonan, David. "Dark Sun Player's Handbook." "Dragon" #319 (Paizo Publishing, 2004).
*Slavicsek, Bill. "The Complete Book of Humanoids" (TSR, 1993).
*Slavicsek, Bill. "Dark Sun Campaign Setting Expanded and Revised" (TSR, 1995).
*Stewart, Doug, ed. "Monstrous Manual" (TSR, 1994).
*Turnbull, Don, ed. "Fiend Folio" (TSR, 1981).
*Wyatt, James and Rob Heinsoo. "Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerun" (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
*Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium Appendix II (1995) (Athasian Aarakocra)
*Polyhedron #121 (1996) (Malatran Aarakocra)