"Grandson, sit by the fire, and I shall have your uncle fetch you some tea. Once you are cozy and warm, you may regale us of your travels in the empire of the halflings. I have heard many things, some good, some bad. You shall clear up for us the truth from myth."

Matriarch of the Yuiec Family, Shakesh

Aarakocran Culture

Nomads of the Sky

In the skies above Adra, there exist many terrifying and mighty creatures: dragons, rocs, and all manner of powerful beasts have long been feared for their ability to descend from above on civilized society. However, there exists a race of sky-borne people who are not feared but rather liked. The sight of them portents not destruction but trade and news from afar. These people are the Aarakocra, a race of bird-folk who have lived in Adra for many ages past. The Aarakocran live a semi-nomadic lifestyle, constantly moving from place to place. Scattered through the mountains of the world are four conclaves, corresponding to four cardinal directions, upon which Aarakocra gather in large encampments. These mountain-top settlements are positioned so high in the mountains that reaching them on foot is basically impossible.  There, Aarakocra may come to live for a few months, only to move across the land and live in another conclave for a few more months. Therefore, Aarakocra have no single home, considering the four conclaves to be their home combined. In between visits to their mountain-top gathering grounds, Aarakocra move into the settlements of the "grounders", sometimes living amongst the land-borne people for a time, and often going there to seek work and opportunities not available in their own nomadic societies. While there is no Aarakocran nation state, there does exist a united Aarakocran civilization, and a body of elders gathers in the four conclaves once every year to decide upon the business that affects all Aarakocran kind. Each Conclave represents one vote on the issue, and a tie results in a democratic vote among every Aarakocran present at each conclave. These conclaves decide what grounder nations are to be trusted, and which are to be avoided. They decide what resources are to be traded, and which are to be gathered and kept. They decide, in rare cases, if the military force of the Aarakocrans (decentralized, but still formidable) should be put to war against someone or something. However, besides these major political decisions, most aspects of Aarakocran life are up to the individual. Where to go, what to do, and who to consort with, all decisions that are at least partially made up for most people by their countries, are left up to Aarakocrans. Of course, given the light hand of government, some stabilizing force is needed among these people, and family usually serves that role. Aarakocran families are large and tightly-woven, with fourth-cousins twice removed often meeting up for a meal. The patriarchs and matriarchs of these families do ensure the members of the family abide by certain strictures, and ensure that their family remain safe, happy, and productive.

           Aarakocra tend to be, as one might expect, free-spirited. Their ability to travel long distances 'as-the-crow-flies' even faster than grounders can travel on roads allows them to see more of the world than most. The average human peasant will rarely leave their local area, usually growing up and dying with the same village. Aarakocra however can easily, and usually safely as well, travel over great distances. Therefore, they have a vantage point from which few people in the world have, and it shapes they way they think about the world. Aarakocra tend to be suspicious of attitudes like nationalism and xenophobia, since they frequently travel across the world, and note the similarities between people of different locations; it seems they have noticed that geographical boundaries are not as important as many take them to be. They also tend to have a nomadic mindset, travelling light with only what they need, and often eschewing lodgings, even when they can afford them. Indeed, many Aarakocra have even what could be called a claustrophobia, since they sometimes feel trapped and anxious inside of multi-roomed, stone buildings. It is not surprising then that they are very rarely found visiting the stone-halls of dwarves, an environment suitably hostile towards the Aarakocra. Aarakocra rarely pursue long-term careers, instead tending to take on short term work, often as mail couriers, parcel carriers, messengers, or anything which involves travelling over long distances. Sometimes large Aarakocran families will have dozens of their members working these sorts of jobs, returning with goods for the family at large which cannot be found among the members of the Conclave normally. Indeed, the Aarakocra have little interest in money in general, often gawking at offers of coin as an odd gesture (Aarakocra experienced with the human world will eventually adapt to using currency quite handily), instead preferring barter systems, bringing fantastic items to trade for other things which come from far-away places. These souvenirs from afar can often serve as a sort of brochure for that location. An interesting trinket will imply to an Aarakocran that the place it came from is similarly interesting, and will often prompt them to travel there to see for themselves. Aarakocra are, perhaps above all, adventurous in their inclinations. A life of freedom, danger, and adventure is a natural fit for the culture of Aarakocra, and while Aarakocra are rarely found in the general population of the world outside of their mountain conclaves, they are highly represented within the adventuring community.

          The Aarakocran people are most highly concentrated in the mountain top conclaves, and in mountains in general, for the advantage it gives them in defending their communities. However, Aarakocran people can be found living in some traditional settlements, often as adventurers, couriers, and warriors. The races of the Aarakocrans are most predominately Aarakocra, and very few non-Aarakocra can call themselves as such, for the difficulty of the climb to the mountain-top conclaves, and the thin-air there to be found. The chiefest of all gods among the Aarakocrans is Xerkune (who in legend was once an Aarakocra herself!), with many, particularly those living in landed settlements, following other gods such as Gökotta, Faetari, Eoulous, Tarra, and Aristagoras. Aarakocrans tend to be free-spirited, open-minded, and family-oriented. They also tend to be semi-claustrophobic, naïve, and flighty. The Aarakocrans speak Auran, the language bequeathed to them by air elementals.

If you choose the Aarakocran Culture, you gain the following:

~A +1 to your Dexterity~

~Either a -1 to your Strength score or a -1 to your Constitution score~

~As a known language, Auran~

~A Sub-Discipline in every knowledge skill on checks relating to Aarakocran Culture~

Back to Other Cultures

Back to Culture

Back to Expanded Backgrounds

Back to Adra - 3rd Era World Guide