Aarakocra

"It was on the third day of the week when the birdfolk walked into the tavern. His feathers were a bright red that put the fire in the hearth to shame, and his stoic expression was similar to the freezing winds outside. All he wanted to know was the fastest way to 'Tyar-Besil', and then he left. I don't know who lives at this Tyar-Besil, but I suspect I'll never find out."

— Douglas Redwood, Birds of Prey

Sequestered in high mountans atop tall trees, the aarakocra, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke fear and wonder. Many aarakocra aren't even native to the Material Plane. They hail from a world beyond-from the boundless vistas of the Elemental Plane of Air. They are immigrants, scouts, and explorers, their outposts fuctioning in a worth both strange and alien.

Beak and Feather From below, aarakocra look much like large birds. Only when they decend to roost on a branch or walk across the ground does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing upright, aarakocra might reach 5 feet tall, and they have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons. Feathers cover their bodies. Their plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. Males are brightly coloured, with feathers of red, orange, or yellow. Females have more subdued colours, usually brown or grey. Their heads complete the avian appearance, often resembling common birds, such as eagles, hawks, or parrots.

Sky Wardens Nowhere are the aarakocra more comfortable than the sky. They can spend hours in the air, and some go as long as days, locking their wings in place and letting the thermals hold them aloft. In battle, they prove dynamic and acrobatic fliers, removing with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons before turning and flying away. Once airborn, an aarakocra leaves the sky with reluctance. On their native plane, they can fly for days or months, landing only to lay their eggs and feed their young before launching themselves back into the air. Those that make it to a world in the Material Plane find it a strange place. They sometimes forget or ignore vertical distances, and they have only pity for earthbound people forced to live and toil on the ground.