Bird Folk

Bird Folk, Skepsis Halieetus & Skepsis Corvus, are humanoid creatures from the tibetan mountains that resembles avians.

Description
The term ‘Bird Folk’ in actuality refers to two clearly distinct species. Skepsis Halieetus, known in the common tongue as Aarakocra, appear clearly similar to the Eagle or Falcon, a winged creature with a beaked mouth and talons. Aarakocra appear capable of flight, often roosting in trees or the mountains where they build their cities, and are intensely lightweight. The second, Skepsis Corvus, or Kenku, seem to resemble crows and similar avians. Kenku lack wings and are notable for their mimicry, a trait which they use to communicate with all who are not Kenku.

Culture
Bird Folk culture is intriguing in its simplicity. The two species work together in a sort of caste system, Aarakocra forming a ruling class that can be enforced by their flight, constructing great fortresses and monasteries atop the high Himalayan mountains, while the Kenku fill a middle class, overseeing farmsteads and rookeries, as well as bossing around all the other sentient species that live on the mountains, who fill the worker class. While significantly divergent in many ways, the Bird Folk do have some very similar cultural aspects in common: The perfection of all things, even the simplest things, are a priority among the sparsely populated avians, and many Kenku and Aarakocra alike spend entire lifetimes pursuing a single goal. For Kenku, it is often an art form: Writing and Calligraphy are both viewed in high regard among Kenku circles, who also prize those individuals who have ventured out and brought back unique voices to the mountains, often literally thanks to their Mimicry ability. Aarakocra, on the other hand, prize physicality and athletic prowess: Flight, Dance, Acrobatics, and numerous other sports and martial arts take up a great deal of the ruling class’ time, with the most prestigious families sending their fledgelings off to be taught by the masters who dwell upon the highest peaks. Interestingly, despite their focus on martial prowess and physical perfection, neither Kenku nor Aarakocra tend to fight with strength alone. Thanks in large part to their hollow and brittle bones, the Bird Folk put a large emphasis on evasion and dexterity, as well as utilizing your opponent's momentum and physicality to their own detriment. The Bird Folk also regard actual fighting as a detriment, and prize wisdom in warfare as higher than simple brute ability.

Religion
Bird Folk religion is vaguely similar to the human religion of Zoroastrianism, a dualistic cosmology of black and white morality focused around the balance of Good and Evil, Law and Chaos. Respect and Charity are prized virtues, and the perfection of one’s soul and body is seen as the highest form of worship. The Bird Folk believe in only two gods, Râmro and Khârâba, literal representations of Good and Evil respectively, who battle/(attempt to mate with?) each other in a cosmic dance that, as many Bird Folk believe, may inevitably end with the triumph of  Khârâba. Bird Folk perform air burials, and their temple architecture is notable for its naturalistic approach.

Rules
Bird Folk speak Auran, their native language. Auran is not a Primordial language, rather a unique bird language.