Kikwi

Created via MidJourney AI

Name: Kikwi
Species: Kenku
Age: 12
Height: 2.5 ft (76 cm)
Weight: 30 lbs (13 kg)
Hair: Tawny feathers
Eyes: Yellow
Occupation: Naturalist
Place of Birth: Falwood
Writer: Szesh

Appearance
Diminutive, bright-eyed, and curious, Kikwi most closely resembles a saw-whet owl. He is covered entirely in feathers of various browns, with large round, yellow eyes and a small sharp beak. While almost entirely bird-like, he does not possess wings, and rather walks on clawed feet and writes with similarly clawed hands. He usually wears a deep red traveling robe with plenty of pockets for his journal, quills, ink bottles, bits of charcoal, and any interesting specimens he has found on his travels.

Kikwi has never worn armor, but if he did, he would look rather like this:


Leesha Hannigan

Skills and Abilities
Kikwi is not particularly strong, nor fast. He has no magical aptitude whatsoever, and he often opens polite conversation by showing off whichever beetle he is most proud of at the moment. Where Kikwi excels is his mind. He is exceptionally observant and has an excellent memory, and he quickly learns most academic concepts.

His owl-like features have also gifted him with excellent vision (especially at low light) and very acute hearing. If he sheds his clothing, he can also move almost entirely silently.

Personality
Kikwi is a scholar by nature. He is inquisitive and inventive, and he is always seeking to learn more about the world, particularly its flora and fauna. He thinks fast, talks fast, and walks slowly (but that’s mostly a height issue). His natural curiosity extends to those that he meets, and while he is very friendly he will often ask very personal questions in the hopes of learning more about his newest acquaintances.

Having just turned 12, the age when a young kenku is labeled mature, and having spent most of his life in the same small stretch of forest, he knows little of the outside world and its customs. He is trusting and naive, and likely to get into trouble. He does not mean to be rude, he just does not understand that not everyone wants to see the centipede he found this morning.

Biography & Lore
Kikwi was born in a small kenku village in the Falwood. He was raised by loving parents and enjoyed all of the comforts of communal living. He was always a bit “funny,” as the villagers put it. He asked questions constantly, and was always wandering off into the forest to collect moss and flowers and bugs. As he grew, so did his curiosity. He began sketching the animals and plants in the forest, and the people in the village (they did not always appreciate this). He started making observations about the village itself, and even began offering advice to the locals based on his studies. He suggested that the best berries grew along deer trails, as their manure provided nourishment. He pointed out that, with a few minor adjustments, the blacksmith could improve airflow to his furnace and keep his coals burning hotter. It soon became clear that Kikwi was something special. Something odd, for sure, and something that could scarcely tie his own belt properly let alone help out with the harvest or hunts, but something that the village could be proud of (some day).

When a traveler arrived in the village one hot summer day, Kikwi was naturally enthralled. Outsiders weren’t unheard of, but they were a rarity to be sure. The little kenku peppered the elderly human with question after question about the great wide world, until he was told something he had never, ever forgotten.

In the great city of Elbion, there was a college. A place where people like himself could learn anything they wanted. Great towers of books, and hundreds of people who would be very interested to talk about fungus for hours. A fire was lit inside of Kikwi, and from that day forward he knew he must get there.

The visitor returned several times over the years, and each time Kikwi asked about the college. How far was it? How did he get there? What would they teach him? The visitor answered as best he could, but when his answers were exhausted he would always chuckle and say, “Well, you’ll just have to go and see for yourself.”

When Kikwi finally came of age, he knew what he had to do. He gathered up his journal and his quills, hugged his parents goodbye, and set off into the great unknown. To Elbion and whatever may come before.

~*~

Since setting out Kikwi has had many adventures. He has since joined Elbion College as a research associate, being allowed to take some classes so long as he continues his work with the natural phenomena of Arethil.

He has acquired a Desert Fighting Beetle, a large orange and green beetle with a curving rhinoceros-like horn atop its head. He has named the beetle Frederick.

References