Bird-folk native to the elemental plane of air,, these humanoid birds stand about 5ft tall weighing around 90 pounds, their faces resembling that of raptors (the bird type not the prehistoric dromaeosaur) though they can occasionally appear like other bird types their feathers come in a variety of colors, ranging from orange and reds, to the more common white, gray, and brown, very rarely they will appear a violet or black color. Their hands and feet are equipped with sharp talons allowing their unarmed attacks to deal additional damage, they also possess the talent for flight and the ability to call upon the winds of their home world. If 5 of them are together they can even summon a lesser air elemental to fight by their side. When not in their homeland they generally live as immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a terrestrial world both strange and alien to them. In general, they live in settlements that resemble gargantuan nests open to the sky. They are generally peaceful creatures who tend to cherish solitude, known to be extremely claustrophobic, often refusing to enter caves or other enclosed spaces. The males of the species are known to have short tempers often flying into fits of rage against any perceived wrong, additionally they tend to be notorious flirts, regardless of whether they are married or not. 

In general, Aarakokra attempt to avoid melee combat, their tactics tend to involve attacking opponents from above, thus the main weapon they use is a javelin (they use this weapon so much so that they have created their own kind of javelin called a wind lance). A single Aarakocra could comfortably carry up to six javelins at a time, stored in a special sheathe that was strapped to its body. Other weapons used by Aarakocra included darts and daggers. Their sharp talons and beaks were effective weapons as well. Occasionally they wore studded leather, but they never used shields.

On the Material Plane Aarakocra lived atop the highest mountain peaks in small tribes that shared a communal nest and controlled hunting territories of about 100 square miles (260 square kilometers). Any animals in this territory were considered fair game, including the domesticated livestock of other races, and most male Aarakocra spent their days hunting. The eldest male served as leader, assisted by the tribe's shaman. Meanwhile, female Aarakocra crafted the tribe's tools and weapons.