Racial Description

An Ancient Curse: The Kenku once served a mysterious, powerful entity on another plane of existence. Some believe they were minions of Graz’zt, while others say that they were scouts and explorers for an unknown God. Whatever the truth, according to legend, the Kenku betrayed their master. Unable to resist the lure of a beautiful sparkling treasure, the Kenku plotted to steal the item and escape to the Material Plane. 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 Kenkus beloved 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 set loose on the Material Plane. Since then, the Kenku have wandered the world. They settle in places that accept them, usually bleak cities that have fallen on hard times and are overrun with crime.   Dreams of Flight: Above all else, Kenku wish to regain their ability to fly. Every Kenku is born with a desire to take to the air, and those who learn spellcasting do so in hope of mastering spells that will allow them to fly. Rumors of magic items such as flying carpets, brooms capable of flight, and similar objects provoke a great desire for the Kenku to acquire the items for themselves. Despite their lack of wings, Kenku love dwelling in towers and other tall structures. They seek out ruins that reach to the sky, though they lack the motivation and creativity to make repairs or fortify such places. Even so, their light weight and size allow them to dwell in rickety structures that would collapse beneath a human or an ore. Some thieves' guilds use Kenku as lookouts and messengers. The Kenku dwell in the tallest buildings and towers the guild controls, allowing them to lurk in the highest levels and to keep watch on the city below.   Hopeless Plagiarists: As, a result of their lack of creativity, Kenku function comfortably as minions of a powerful master. Flock leaders enforce discipline and minimize conflicts, but they fail at effective planning or crafting long term schemes. Although unable to speak in, their own voices, Kenku can perfectly mimic any sound they hear, from a halfling's voice to the noise of rocks clattering down a hillside. However, Kenku cannot create new sounds and can communicate only by using sounds they have heard. Most Kenku use a combination of overheard phrases and sound effects to convey their ideas and thoughts. By the same token, Kenku have no ability to invent new ideas or create new things. Kenku can copy existing items with exceptional skill, allowing them to become excellent artisans and scribes. They can copy books, make replicas of objects, and otherwise thrive in situations where they can produce large numbers of identical items. Few Kenku find this work satisfying, since their quest for the freedom of flight makes them ill-suited to settle into a routine.   Ideal Minions: Kenku gather in groups called flocks. A flock is led by the oldest and most experienced Kenku with the widest store of knowledge to draw on, often called Master. Although Kenku can't create new things, they have a talent for learning and memorizing details. Thus, ambitious Kenku can excel as superb spies and scouts. A Kenku who learns of clever schemes and plans devised by other creatures can put them to use. The Kenku lack the talent to improvise or alter a plan, but a wise Master sets multiple plans in motion at once, confident that underlings can follow orders to the letter. For this reason, many Kenku make an easy living serving as messengers, spies, and lookouts for thieves' guilds, bandits, and other criminal cartels. A network of Kenku can relay a bird call or similar noise across the city, alerting their allies to the approach of a guard patrol or signalling a prime opportunity for a robbery. Since Kenku can precisely reproduce any sound, the messages they carry rarely suffer degradation or shifts in meaning. Human messengers might switch words or phrases and garble a message inadvertently, but the Kenku produce perfect copies of whatever they hear.   Kenku Names: Given that Kenku can duplicate any sound, their names are drawn from a staggering variety of noises and phrases. Kenku names tend to break down into three categories that make no distinction between male and female names. Kenku thugs, warriors, and toughs adopt noises made by weapons, such as the clang of a mace against armour or the sound made by a breaking bone. Non-Kenku refer to the Kenku by describing this noise. Examples of this type of name include Smasher, Clanger, Slicer, and Basher. Kenku thieves, con artists, and burglars adopt animal noises, typically those common in urban settings. In this manner, Kenku can call out to each other while those who overhear them mistake them for common animals. Non-Kenku use names that refer to the sound made or the animal a Kenku mimics, such as Rat Scratch, Whistler, Mouser, and Growler. Some Kenku turn their back on crime to pursue legitimate trades. These Kenku adopt noises made as part of their craft. A sailor duplicates the sound of a fluttering sail, while a smith mimics the clanging of a hammer on metal. Non-Kenku describe these folk by their trade sounds, such as Sail Snap, Hammerer, and Cutter.Racial Deception An Ancient Curse The Kenku once served a mysterious, powerful entity on another plane of existence. Some believe they were minions of Graz’zt, while others say that they were scouts and explorers for an unknown God. Whatever the truth, according to legend, the Kenku betrayed their master. Unable to resist the lure of a beautiful sparkling treasure, the Kenku plotted to steal the item and escape to the Material Plane. 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 Kenkus beloved 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 set loose on the Material Plane. Since then, the Kenku have wandered the world. They settle in places that accept them, usually bleak cities that have fallen on hard times and are overrun with crime. Dreams of Flight Above all else, Kenku wish to regain their ability to fly. Every Kenku is born with a desire to take to the air, and those who learn spellcasting do so in hope of mastering spells that will allow them to fly. Rumours of magic items such as flying carpets, brooms capable of flight, and similar objects provoke a great desire for the Kenku to acquire the items for themselves. Despite their lack of wings, Kenku love dwelling in towers and other tall structures. They seek out ruins that reach to the sky, though they lack the motivation and creativity to make repairs or fortify such places. Even so, their light weight and size allow them to dwell in rickety structures that would collapse beneath a human or an ore. Some thieves' guilds use Kenku as lookouts and messengers. The Kenku dwell in the tallest buildings and towers the guild controls, allowing them to lurk in the highest levels and to keep watch on the city below. Hopeless Plagiarists As, a result of their lack of creativity, Kenku function comfortably as minions of a powerful master. Flock leaders enforce discipline and minimize conflicts, but they fail at effective planning or crafting long term schemes. Although unable to speak in, their own voices, Kenku can perfectly mimic any sound they hear, from a halfling's voice to the noise of rocks clattering down a hillside. However, Kenku cannot create new sounds and can communicate only by using sounds they have heard. Most Kenku use a combination of overheard phrases and sound effects to convey their ideas and thoughts. By the same token, Kenku have no ability to invent new ideas or create new things. Kenku can copy existing items with exceptional skill, allowing them to become excellent artisans and scribes. They can copy books, make replicas of objects, and otherwise thrive in situations where they can produce large numbers of identical items. Few Kenku find this work satisfying, since their quest for the freedom of flight makes them ill-suited to settle into a routine. Ideal Minions Kenku gather in groups called flocks. A flock is led by the oldest and most experienced Kenku with the widest store of knowledge to draw on, often called Master. Although Kenku can't create new things, they have a talent for learning and memorizing details. Thus, ambitious Kenku can excel as superb spies and scouts. A Kenku who learns of clever schemes and plans devised by other creatures can put them to use. The Kenku lack the talent to improvise or alter a plan, but a wise Master sets multiple plans in motion at once, confident that underlings can follow orders to the letter. For this reason, many Kenku make an easy living serving as messengers, spies, and lookouts for thieves' guilds, bandits, and other criminal cartels. A network of Kenku can relay a bird call or similar noise across the city, alerting their allies to the approach of a guard patrol or signalling a prime opportunity for a robbery. Since Kenku can precisely reproduce any sound, the messages they carry rarely suffer degradation or shifts in meaning. Human messengers might switch words or phrases and garble a message inadvertently, but the Kenku produce perfect copies of whatever they hear. Kenku Names Given that Kenku can duplicate any sound, their names are drawn from a staggering variety of noises and phrases. Kenku names tend to break down into three categories that make no distinction between male and female names. Kenku thugs, warriors, and toughs adopt noises made by weapons, such as the clang of a mace against armour or the sound made by a breaking bone. Non-Kenku refer to the Kenku by describing this noise. Examples of this type of name include Smasher, Clanger, Slicer, and Basher. Kenku thieves, con artists, and burglars adopt animal noises, typically those common in urban settings. In this manner, Kenku can call out to each other while those who overhear them mistake them for common animals. Non-Kenku use names that refer to the sound made or the animal a Kenku mimics, such as Rat Scratch, Whistler, Mouser, and Growler. Some Kenku turn their back on crime to pursue legitimate trades. These Kenku adopt noises made as part of their craft. A sailor duplicates the sound of a fluttering sail, while a smith mimics the clanging of a hammer on metal. Non-Kenku describe these folk by their trade sounds, such as Sail Snap, Hammerer, and Cutter.