Gith

The gith are historically a warfaring species. They gained rulership of Nokawa by invading their neighbour's territory. Rather than massacring their enemies, they instead accepted them within their own ranks, growing their army to an unstoppable force. The gith's desire for conquest abated once they had control of the Nokawa landmass, choosing not to expand their reach across the water. Since then they have ruled Nokawa, maintaining a reputation of strict but fair rule.
Traditionally, gith are drafted into the Nokawan army at 18, where they are taught to hone their physical abilities and learn the theories of warfare. Those who do best go on to become the generals of the Nokawan army. Gith who are part of the army are referred to as githyanki.
Not all gith relish a life in the military. Some who object may instead choose to join one of the monasteries in Nokawa, where combat is replaced with mastery of the body and war theory replaced with mastery of the mind. Gith who join these monasteries are referred to as githzerai.
In the early days of their civilsation, history and literature was considered a waste of resources. As such, there is no documentation of the gith prior to their conquest of Nokawa. Due to this, theories abound of the gith not being native to Dunyalem, instead arriving to Nokawa from another world.