Archives of Nethys
Source Cheliax, Infernal Inheritence pg. 38
PFS Note As of May 2025, all Pathfinder Society characters have access to the strix ancestry.Known as itarii in their own language, strix are avian humanoids capable of flight. They enthusiastically take to the skies, a place where few other ancestries can follow.
The dangers that live among the skies and treetops are particularly fearsome, leading strix to develop defensive sensibilities. They defend their communities with broad wingspans and razor talons. Strix value ferocity, vengeance, and devotion above all else. This ferocity sometimes causes other ancestries to incorrectly interpret strix to be a wholly dangerous or wicked people. In contradiction to their misunderstood nature, strix boast a spiritual, artistic, and compassionate culture that is rarely seen outside of their roosts.
If you want a character who is loyal yet enigmatic, fierce yet artistic, and who yearns to soar above the world, you should play a strix.
You Might...
- Dedicate and endear yourself to your family, friends, or community.
- Find yourself uncomfortable in closed spaces.
- Have difficulty relating to non-flying people.
Others Probably...
- Appreciate your dedicated friendship, even if they don’t grasp the cultural history behind it.
- Treat you on occasion like a carrier pigeon, asking you to deliver letters or other similar favors.
- Find your appearance frightening due to complete inexperience with strix.
Physical Description
Strix are avian-influenced humanoids with intimidating talons and feathered wings sprouting from their backs. With an average height of 6 feet, strix are taller than most humans but are very light for their size. Strix are considered mature at 14 years of age and have an average life span of 80 years. They have pointed ears and large eyes that are typically black from sclera to pupil, but occasionally appear as a piercing golden color. Strix lack the ability to move their eyes independently of their head, resulting in distinctive jerky movements as their gaze snaps between targets. Their bodies are usually taut with defined musculature—a result of the strength necessary to flex their wings.Society
Strix are rare and reclusive people who seldom stray from the great heights of their homes.They live in modest-sized tribes, but some reside in smaller bands of tight-knit individuals. Due to the dangers of living on cliffsides and treetops, strix culture focuses on the important of defending their communities. The youngest strix are incapable of flight, and protecting these children from falls or flying predators like giant bats and rocs instills a sense of nurturing that remains constant in a strix’s life. Strix prioritize the needs of their community over their individual desires, and their bands and tribes benefit from an easy yet expertly organized division of labor. Strix tribes are led by a rokoa, a female tribal leader.
Due to the size of their communities, the loss of even a single strix can be a devastating development. Strix have a ceremony they call itaren, which roughly translates to “the Remembrance,” that they use to honor the fallen member. An itaren consists of two components: vengeance and grieving. The vengeance is used to deal with the source of the loss, be it a predator or simply a lapse in vigilance. Not all vengeance is violent, but strix aren’t satisfied until the source of the loss has been sufficiently “slaughtered” in their eyes. During this period, strix work together to slay the predator or to find a way to prevent the problem from occurring in the future. The grieving that comes afterward is similar to traditions in many other cultures, with a celebration of the lost strix via a somber feast and sharing of stories.
Names
Strix names consist of sounds that are reminiscent of chirping, screeches, or trilling by various birds, and their naming conventions are influenced primarily by tradition and spirituality. Strix in small communities might share a common syllable among all their names to express their unity. Due to their deep affection for their family members, naming children after other loved ones is very common, occasionally with an additional syllable or slight change to the pronunciation.Sample Names
Chiit-iir, Cicreeti, Ikatarii, Irkoata, Kaata, Kiilo, Kirii, Rahka, Roatatwiil, Turiilo, Turuk, TwiliiOther Information
Rokoas
Strix tribes are led by a spiritual, social, and military leader called a rokoa. Rokoas are elder female leaders who consult a council of other warriors and spiritualists to make decisions for the entirety of the community. Young female strix are selected early as potential successors to the tribe's current rokoa. Often the rokoa herself chooses her favorite protégé to pass along her storytelling recitations, battle stratagems, and spiritual understanding.Strix Adventurers
Adventuring strix most commonly take the emissary, hermit, nomad, scout, or street urchin backgrounds. Strix are agile combatants and prudent adventurers who excel as druids, fighters, monks, rangers, or rogues.Strix Settlements
Strix settlements, called roosts, are lofty dwellings at the highest point of the local landscape. Mountains are a particular favorite, especially if they provide tall spires that make foot traffic impossible. Strix living in forests build their communities around the largest trees available, and seaside dwellers prefer to nestle their dwellings along perilous cliffs. By far, the largest strix community resides at Ciricskree, which translates from the Strix language to “the Shrieking Spire.” This tribe of over 500 individuals is the cultural epicenter for the Devil’s Perch and the entire Avistani strix population. Additional settlements include the Ikaraka in the Barrowood forest at the base of the Menador Mountains, and the small Blackcove tribe along the shore, who have established a tolerant trading relationship with a nearby fishing village.Strix Storytelling
Strix utilize storytelling to convey a verbal history of their people and perform poetic tales that sound like songs when sung in their native tongue. Nestling strix grow up hearing their histories sung to them as lullabies and serenades of daily life. Powerful moments are punctuated with screeches, and mournful recounts float in the air like soft cooing. One common story tells of a vengeful strix whose wings turned gloriously red, but who hid his face with a mask, ashamed of the actions that led to his glory. Another crooned to nestlings warns of a mysterious parasite that hides in filthy feathers.Strix Mechanics
Hit Points
8Size
MediumSpeed
25 feetAttribute Boosts
DexterityFree
Languages
CommonStrix
Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if positive). Choose from Diabolic, Draconic, Giant, Gnome, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Low-Light Vision
You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.Wings
All strix possess powerful wings. While not all strix focus on honing their flying skills, a strong flap of their wings allows strix to travel longer distances when jumping. When Leaping horizontally, you move an additional 5 feet. You don't automatically fail your checks to High Jump or Long Jump if you don't Stride at least 10 feet first. In addition, when you make a Long Jump, you can jump a distance up to 10 feet further than your Athletics check result, though still with the normal maximum of your Speed. Additionally, you take no damage from falling, no matter what distance you fall.Shelyn's Corner
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