| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Alignment | Usually Neutral Evil |
| Type | humanoid |
| Image | Wizards.com image |
| Publication history | |
| Source books | Monster Manual III, Creatures of Rokugan, Fortunes and Winds, 1E Fiend Folio, Monstrous Manual, Dragon #329 (ecology of), Black Spine |
A kenku is a bird-like, flightless, humanoid creature in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.
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Kenkus have their basis in Japanese mythology as karasu tengu, where they are powerful and wise crow spirits adept at craftsmanship, and masters of the art of Japanese swordplay, or kenjutsu.
The kenku first appeared in the first edition in the original Fiend Folio (1981).[1]
The kenku appeared in second edition in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989),[2] and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).[3]
The kenku and the kenku sneak appeared in the Monster Manual III (2004).[4] The kenku was further developed in Dragon #329 (March 2005).[5] An adventure involving kenku appeared in Dungeon #120.[6]
The kenku appears in the game's fourth edition in Monster Manual 2 (2009).
Despite their birdlike appearance, kenkus lack wings, instead having human like arms, with talons in place of feet.[4] Kenkus are covered in russet-brown feathers and have black beaks, but have a relatively humanoid build. Though more agile than humans, they tend to be physically weaker as well. They have small black beady eyes and are quite light for their size due to their hollow bones. They average five feet in height and weigh roughly 75 pounds (32 kilos).
Kenkus commonly wear brown robes held in place by a sashes of the same color. Kenkus often conceal weapons beneath these robes.
In 1st and 2nd Editions, Kenku were neutral. In D&D 3.5 they are usually neutral evil. In 4th Edition, they are Unaligned.
Kenkus typically work as gangs in large cities, where they gather riches through theft and robbery. They are not particularly strong, and therefore tend to use cunning rather than force.
Most kenkus worship the demon prince Pazuzu, though Quorlinn is worshipped by those not so disposed toward evil. Kenku clerics usually venerate Vecna.
A group of kenku fought to possess a silver statue in "Tamara Belongs to Me," one of the adventure cards in From the Ashes (1992).[7]
In the Flanaess, kenku have been encountered from the Duchy of Berghof in the Hold of the Sea Princes, to the Gnarley Forest, to the Cairn Hills.
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