Physical Description:
Kenku are avian humanoids, resembling crows or ravens, covered in sleek black feathers. They possess distinctive beaks and talon-like hands. Standing around 5 feet tall, their bodies are slender, built for agility rather than strength. Their movements are often graceful and calculated, reflecting their observant nature. Kenku exhibit a mesmerizing mimicry of other creatures' creations, reflecting their curse or divine punishment. Their voices, while capable of speech, mimic sounds, words, and phrases they've heard before.
History:
The origins of the Kenku are shrouded in myths and tales of divine punishment or dark curses. Some suggest that they were once winged beings, stripped of their flight and voice for some transgression. Others believe they were bestowed with their unique gifts by a malevolent deity or curse. Regardless of their true history, Kenku are often outcast or overlooked due to their strange nature.
Society:
Kenku's exceptional mimicry skill shapes their societal roles and interactions. This unique ability, while a gift, is a double-edged sword, propelling them to both resilience and adversity within various societies across Midora. Many kenku, facing social rejection and prejudice, find themselves relegated to the outskirts of civilization, using their mimicry as a means of survival. These kenku often resort to less reputable paths, engaging in clandestine activities and sometimes resorting to crime to secure their place in a world that largely misunderstands or fears them.
However, this mimicry also becomes their ticket to acceptance and success in select circles. Some kenku manage to find a niche in professions that value their talents, such as being employed by scholars, acting as informants for espionage networks, or even thriving as storytellers who pass down rich oral traditions. Their ability to accurately replicate sounds and voices enables them to preserve history and cultural lore, creating a unique and immersive storytelling tradition that captivates listeners.
Their place in different regions varies significantly. Within the Nagan Empire, Kami Concord and Vikholm, kenku find themselves more accepted and integrated, utilizing their skills in a variety of roles and professions. However, in the Vache Kingdom and the Khein Dynasty, they are often exploited as tools or pawns by those with more power, considered as means to achieve specific ambitions. Rivermond and the Silver Dominion tend to overlook or cast aside the kenku, further alienating them from mainstream society. In Kalamar, kenku are acknowledged for what they are, but their acceptance or rejection depends on the individuals or groups they associate with, leading to a varied and sometimes challenging existence within these regions.
Racial Names:
Kenku often adopt names or sounds they've heard, using mimicry to communicate. Their names may consist of imitated words, sounds, or snippets of conversation they've encountered.
Racial Feat:
- Ability Score Increase: Kenku possess heightened Dexterity and Intelligence. Their observant nature and keen memory contribute to their intellectual acumen and nimble movements.
- Age: Kenku reach maturity relatively quickly and live up to around 60 years.
- Alignment: Their alignment varies greatly, shaped by their experiences and the societies they inhabit.
- Size: Kenku come in small or medium sizes, stand around 5 feet tall and have a slender build, weighing around 90 to 110 pounds.
- Speed: Kenku have a walking speed similar to humans, around 30 feet.
- Languages: They are fluent in Common and may learn other languages through mimicry.
- Vision: Kenku have standard vision similar to humans.
- Resistance: They possess no innate resistances.
- Immunity: Kenku lack specific immunities, relying on their adaptability and keen senses to navigate challenges.
Expert Duplication
When theycopy writing or craftwork produced by themselves or someone else, they have advantage on any ability checks they make to produce an exact duplicate.
Kenku Recall
Thanks to their supernaturally good memory, they have proficiency in two skills of their choice.
Moreover, when they make an ability check using any skill in which they have proficiency, they can give themselves advantage on the check before rolling the d20. They can give themselves advantage in this way a number of times equal to their proficiency bonus, and they regain all expended uses when they finish a long rest.
Mimicry
They can accurately mimic sounds they have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds they make can tell they are imitations only with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check against a DC of 8 + their proficiency bonus + their Charisma modifier.