Aarakocra

The Aarakocra are a race of avian humanoids native to the Elemental Plane of Air.

Origin
Aarakocra are native to the Elemental Plane of Air, and were created directly by Qovan sometime during the First Era. They became guardians against the evil that would periodically arise from the Elemental Chaos that lies at the heart of the Inner Planes.

Sometime during the Sixth Era, near the beginning of the Dark World Crisis, the fiends allied themselves with some of the forces of Elemental Chaos. Shortly thereafter, the Elemental Evil began spreading to the Prime Material Plane. The Aarakocra, seeing this, sent groups to places on the Prime Material Plane near portals to the Plane of Air, where they established colonies called "Eyries". Over time, the Aarokocra settled down in these colonies, and remain in them to stand vigilant and guard the Prime Material Plane from the incursion of Elemental Evil.

Physical Description
Physically, Aarakocra generally resemble bird-human hybrids. They have wings similar to birds, as well as avian heads, and have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons.

Aarakockra are covered in feathers, with colors often depending on their subrace. No matter the tribe, however, males generally have brighter, more vibrant colors, while the females take on more subdued tones, but this rule has many exceptions.

Aarakocra typically grow to around 5 feet tall, and are light (rarely breaking 100 pounds), owing to their hollow bones.

Personality and Behavior
Aarakocra generally display physical mannerisms akin to those of birds. They are fastidious about their plumage, constantly tending to their feathers, and frequently can be distracted by shiny objects that catch their eye.

Aarakocra love to be in the sky, and can spend days or weeks flying, and oftentimes will be in the air for months at a time on their home plane, often landing only to lay eggs or feed their young. On the flip side, Aarakocra hate confinement. Because of Qovan and Elnar's fued, they avoid the ground if possible, and mostly despise going underground.

Aarakocra tend to punctuate their speech with chirps, sounds they use to convey emotion and add emphasis, much like most races do with facial expressions. As a result, members of other races often have difficulty picking up when an aarakocra is being sincere or facetious, often leading to mutual frustration.

Aarakocra Societies
Aarakocra are omnivorus, usually eating nuts and seeds (often hoarding them for the winter months), but will also eat meat and plants, favoring fish. They typically hunt and forage for food independently, though families will often work together in groups. Aarakocra will almost never produce agriculture, due to their aversion to being grounded for long periods of time.

Aarakocra usually will mate for life. Females will lay eggs (usually 2-4 at a time) in a nest. Eggs hatch after 6-8 weeks and Aarakocra will mature in around 5-10 years.

Aarakocra dwellings are typically tall and have high ceilings or no roofs at all. They're typically made from thatch and wood, and very rarely of stone and mortar.

The governance of Aarakocra society depends on the subrace; each are ruled in a different manner.

Subraces
There are three subraces of Aarakocra on Somara, each differing in appearance and social structure.

Kochan
The Kochan are the largest and most numerous type of Aarakocra. The Kochan are brave and valiant defenders of the realms, never shying away from their duty to their tribe and to the world as a whole.

The Kochan typically have heads resembling those of birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles. Their plumage is typically more earthen-toned, ranging from light tans to dark browns.

The Kochan reside primarily in the city of Aurach, in Zaneth, set in the cliffs high above the shores of Lake Kochan, but they do have several smaller settlements in the area. The Kochan are ruled over by a Chieftain, often advised by the tribe's Shaman, who has magical abilities akin to that of a sorcerer.

The Kochan are the type of Aarakocra most accompanied by outsiders, as they typically travel far and wide to root out and destroy elemental evil wherever they may find it.

Ikki
The Ikki are the second largest tribe of Aarakocra found in Somara. Unlike the Kochan, the Ikki have an immense appreciation for the arts, especially song and dance.

The Ikki typically have a more exotic appearance, with heads resembling those of birds like parrots and tucans, and more colorful plumage, in shades of reds, yellows, oranges, and blues.

The Ikki are found in the city of Sallek which overlooks the Myfin Sea on the western side of Maltou. The Ikki are governed by a Qokeen, who is elected for life by a council of elders. A Qokeen is chosen based on creative ability, and many young Aarakocra will head out from home to find new cultural discoveries in hopes of being chosen.

Aariq
The Aariq are the least numerous tribe of Aarakocra, and are generally ascetic scholars. They run the Library of Highnest, which is located in their city of Highnest, situated in the mountains of Khegur Bhru.

The Aariq closely resemble owls, and have neutral-colored plumage, in shades of tan, brown, gray, and white.

The Aariq are ruled by Sages, who are elected for life by a council of elders. The Aariq are close allies of the Timekeepers, and have pledged to defend them should they ever come under attack.

Young Aariq are often sent out on quests to find tomes or books containing rare knowledge to bring back to the Library of Highnest as a rite of passage.

Aarakocra Adventurers
Aarakocra typically stay in clustered groups, but sometimes leave home during their youth for one reason or another, typically to prove their worth to their tribe. For example, Kochan will sometimes seek out and destroy Elemental Evil, Ikki will often leave home in search of cultural pursuits, and the Aariq will often head out to find valuable knowledge to return to the Library of Highnest.

Aarakocra tend to be fast and dexterous, and favor using their powerful wings to their advantage in combat. As a result, they tend to be poor in straight up fights, eschewing classes like Barbarian and Pugilist for classes like Rogue and Monk that let them use their high aerial mobility to their advantage. Aarakocra clerics will typically take the Nature or Tempest domains, following Qovan, Neferi, or Jekhari.

Aarakocra of the Kochan tribe typically are the bulkiest warriors, often times becoming Fighters, Rangers, and rarely Paladins. As Paladins, they typically take the Oath of the Watchers, and as Rangers, often fall under the Horizon Walker Archetype, both of which enable them to combat the extraplanar Elemental Evil forces. Kochan tribes often have a Shaman acting as an advisor to the chieftain. Though Aarakocra shamans will rarely leave home, those who show magical aptitude (primarily sorcerers of the Storm Origin, due to the race's innate connection to elemental air) are often trained as future shamans, and are often sent into the world to gain wisdom and experience.

Aarakocra of the Ikki tribe enjoy cultural pursuits, and contain a large number of bards of nearly every college among their ranks.

Aarakocra of the Aariq tribe tend to be astute alchemists, artificers, scholars, or wizards, spending hours studying arcane lore and writing many of their own treatises to add to the ever-growing library.