Kenku

Stripped of their wings and true voices after betraying the trust of Tsabrak, the cursed Kenku survive as earthbound mimics forever marked by their ancestors’ failure to keep their god’s secret.

Ability Score Bonuses

Stats

Strength

Dexterity

Constitution

Intelligence

Wisdom

Charisma

Value

–

–

–

–

+1

+2

Physical Characteristics

Average Height: 5′

Average Weight: 80 – 100 lbs.

Size: Medium

Lifespan: 60 years

Speed: 30′

Race Information

Languages: Auran & Common (mimmicry only)

Homeland(s): The Shadowgrove

Skill Proficiencies: Any 2 of the following:  Acrobatics, Deception, Stealth, & Sleight of Hand

Typical Alignment: Any

Culture & Society

Kenku, a name that elicits a sneer of loathing and annoyance upon the faces of nearly every other race in the realm.  The Kenku have a well-deserved reputation as thieves, cut throats, and con artists.   If there is a shady underground in any given society, chances are you will find a number of Kenku working within it.

While there are Kenku in nearly every open society, they do have a homeland from which they originate.  The Shadowgrove is a dark and twisted forest far to the west full of writhing shadows and terrifying illusions!  It is amidst these forsaken boughs that the Kenku are hatched and raised before eventually striking out to explore the world on their own. 

The Kenku are also known as the minions of Tsabrak, Lord of Secrets & Deception.  It is rumored that the reason Kenku are unable to fly or speak is that their god entrusted his followers with a secret and they revealed this secret to an outsider, betraying their god’s trust.  Enraged by their treachery, Tsabrak laid a dreadful curse upon them.  The Kenku’s beloved wings withered and fell away from their bodies, leaving them forever bound to the earth.  Also, to ensure that the Kenku could never again divulge any secrets, their master took away their voices leaving only the ability to mimic the sounds of those around them.

There is very little variance in appearance from one Kenku to the next, they all appear as a cross between a humanoid and a raven.  Their feathers come in shades of black, blue, or purple.  Rarely there may be a slight greying at the tips of their feathers brought on by age. 

Racial Traits
  • Expert Forgery – You can duplicate other creatures’ handwriting and craftwork. You have advantage on all checks made to produce forgeries or duplicates of existing objects.
  • Mimicry – You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.