The tengu are one of the few avian humanoids in Tolomar. Unfortunately, their uniqueness and beauty has led to much heartache. In the distant past, tengu were collectively captured and made into slaves, first by humans, then by giants. During these generations of slavery, nearly all trace of their native culture and history was wiped out, a loss still felt keenly to this day. Over time, tengu have filled this hole with traditions adapted from neighbouring cultures, assembling a hodgepodge of customs.

Current day tengu live on the fringes of society, persecuted by the other races as scavengers and criminals. Faced with generations of poverty and deprivation, the tengu have a keen sense for their own survival, routinely forced to questionable acts to continue living. This has earned them numerous negative stereotypes, including calling them “crows” (a combination slur implying an attraction to shiny objects and willingness to pick the flesh off other’s corpses).

While outsiders may view the tengu as greedy and amoral, they are in fact quite the opposite with their own. The tengu are very race-conscious, and are willing to go to great lengths to preserve the safety of their species. They see themselves as survivors of the world’s worst cruelties, and will go to great lengths to have their species to survive. Within the tengu community, self-sacrifice is common and quietly appreciated. Ever distrustful of outsiders, tengu go to great lengths to hide this, playing up to the stereotypes of greed and avarice.

If there is one thing a tengu cannot abide, it is slavery. They have lost too much to slavery already, and no tengu will ever allow themselves to be made a slave again. During the Red Wars, a hobgoblin legion captured a community of six hundred tengu, and chained them together for transport back to a goblin city where they would be made slaves. The tengu waited one sunset, then simultaneously killed themselves as quickly as possible. In minutes, all but a handful of tengu remained alive. It is rumoured a few of those survivors are still chained in a hobgoblin prison somewhere, watchful for any opportunity to commit suicide.

Tengu train with swords of all types from birth, refusing to ever be helpless before another’s arms again. Better to die in battle than to surrender into slavery. Some tengu take this one step further, vowing to wipe out all slavery at the point of a sword. Such individuals will generally gather in small groups nicknamed "murders", performing guerilla style raids on slavers wherever they can be found.

Of all their possessions, tengu value their swords most of all. Facing constant struggles against prejudice and poverty, they rarely have the resources to purchase or make a sword, but feel the blades are their surest defense against being made into slaves once more. As such, swords are valued far more than the coin one can buy them for.

Masterwork blades are especially valuable, and are often family heirlooms or signs of status. Tengu heroes are known as easily by their sword's name as their own, with stories often personifying the blades, sharing in the glory. A family's honour is passed on with its sword, and the only thing worse than having your blade broken is being taken as a slave.

Of all the races, tengu have truly positive relations only with kobolds. As a “new” race, the kobolds are truly blameless for the tengus’ ancestral wounds (even though their dragon masters are not considered blameless), and have dealt with the tengu with honesty. The suspicious tengu do not quite consider the kobolds allies, but they respect that the kobolds have always been fair to them, compensating them fairly for work, judging them individually and never complaining about them as a people, even if their numbers put stress on a community’s capacity to provide for everyone.

Classes:
Magus: There are three known families of tengu who carry a Black Blade. These families of Bladebound magi are highly honoured and respected in tengu society.
Samurai: Tengu samurai are typically Ronin, and sworn service to another is too close to slavery for most tengu to suffer. These wandering warriors serve their people as best they can, righting wrongs and repaying injuries before vanishing into the night, drawing off retaliatory attacks against the locals.
Fighter: Many tengu choose to study the art of war, and their skill with blades of all kinds melds well with a fighter's disciplined study of weapons.
Rogue: Constantly disadvantaged, tengu rogues have learned to fight dirty to get by. Whether by stealing, spying, or stabbing someone in an alley, tengu rogues know how to survive in the toughest neighbourhoods.
Soulknife: These rare tengu are both highly regarded and pitied. They are one with their blade, and are often heroes of great worth. Yet, they will never pass on their sword to their heirs, meaning their honour can never be passed on. Tengu who develop their gift/curse usually end up as wanderers, preferring the open road.
Swashbuckler: These tengu love making a name for themselves, thriving on adventure and excitement. They will draw their blades at the slightest provocation, eager to humiliate their foes.
Stalker: Stealthy and deadly, tengu stalkers are highly valued by Murders. The Soul Hunters have a reputation for never letting a target escape them, even if they take years to track down.
Warder: Warders watch over tengu communities, protecting them from angry mobs, rival gangs and racist guards. Dervish Defenders move through clustered streets with ease, while Zweihander Sentinels use their massive swords to intimidate large crowds.
Warlord: Rare among the tengu, warlords are most commonly those who have lost their community, and so seek to throw themselves into the path of danger to find glory or join their loved ones in death.