The
Kenku of
Crestfall are descended from nine tribes native to the region of Keshari. Each tribe is considered its own separate ethnicity, with each tribe's culture having been distinctly cultivated through centuries of seclusion.
Notable Skills
All nine of the Kenku tribes are skilled in the ways of martial arts, with each tribe having developed its own particular styles and techniques of martial artistry embodied in each tribe's monastic traditions.
These traditions are considered sacred to the tribe in which they were developed, and as such teaching the ways of a tradition to an outsider is commonly seen as taboo, and is often punishable by exile from the tribe. There have been known to be exceptions to this rule, however, usually due to extenuating circumstances.
Society and Culture
Because of their isolationist worldview, the nine Kenku tribes rarely interact with outsiders, even Kenku from other tribes. The rare exception to this is during times of great peril where a conflict presents itself as a threat to
Keshari as a whole; during these times, representatives of each tribe meet to discuss the possinility of pooling resources to combat this threat.
During these times of unification, the meeting place for these representatives is Mopou Ka, the now-abandoned city originally erected as the Keshari capital, during a time when the Kenku were still a unified people.
The Nine Tribes
The nine
Crane Tribe
Dwelling within KEshari's wetland regions, Kenku of the Crane Tribe tend towards tall, slender builds, with long necks and slim, pointed beaks. The tribe's knowledge of anatomy and medicine has given rise to their signature monastic tradition, the
Way of Mercy.
Eagle Tribe
Kenku of the Eagle Tribe are powerfully built, with curved beaks and large, sharp talons. The signature tradition of the Eagle Tribe is the
Way of the Sun Soul, honed from generations spent atop the sun-bleached stone plateaus that rise above Keshari's misted landscape.
Hawk Tribe[/h2
Kenku of the Hawk Tribe resemble members of the hawk family, with sharp eyes and sharper beaks and talons. Their signature tradition is the Way of the Kensei, adapted from their skilled metallurgy and weapon-crafting skills compared to the other tribes.
Falcon Tribe
Kenku of the falcon tribe have slight, sleek builds that bear a resemblance to numerous species of falcon. Their monastic tradition is based on quick, precise strikes, leading to the development of their signature tradition, the Way of the Open Hand.
Peacock Tribe
Kenku of the peacock tribe are highly dimorphous, with males typically displaying bright feathers and wide fanlike tails while females usually present more drab plumage. Their monastic tradition, the Way of the Astral Self, allows the kenku to manifest spectral limbs which fan out much like the kenkus' tails.
Raven Tribe
The Raven Tribe swell within the northermost reaches of Keshari, deep within the obscuring mists that permeate the region's mountains and treetops. Their signature tradition, the Way of Shadow, reflects and embodies this tribe's elusive nature.
Shoebill Tribe
The Shoebill Tribe are known for their strange gaunt frames, long legs and wide, bulbous beaks. The Shoebill Tribe's proclivity for fermenting rice wine has had an influence in their signature monastic tradition, the Way of the Drunken Master.
Sparrow Tribe
The smallest among the kenku subspecies, kenku monks of the Sparrow Tribe have honed their ki in a way that alloed them to attune their bodies to the fundamental forces of nature itself, resulting in the creation of the Way of the Four Elements.
Vulture Tribe
Living on Keshari's stony mountains and feeding on bones and carrion, the survivalist Vulture Tribe have developed a form of martial arts as desolate as their surroundings, known as the Way of the Long Death. Kenku of the Vulture Tribe come in a variety of shapes and sized, ranging from band, featherless heads to large feathered crests and wickedly curved beaks.
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