Githyanki

Unlike their meditative counterparts who waste their lives meditating, the Githyanki took their freedom and decided they wanted to make the most of it. Believing and priding themselves in being the true followers of Gith, they live in large citadels floating through the Astral Sea. The citadels are either built on masses of stone floating through the Astral Sea, or carved into the island sized corpses found within it. There, the Githyanki lead lives based on a warrior culture built around strength and cunning. The rulers of their societies wield an iron fist, and take slaves under a belief of superiority over the other races, because in their eyes, they stopped the Illithid race, and they keep away the horrors that lurk in the depths of the Astral Sea. To the Githyanki, it is a persons honor to become a servant to them, and give their lives for the greater good of the world. Somewhat contradictory, the Githyanki value personal freedom and self-determination for their work, hobbies and interests. They also have difficulties recognizing divinity as something all-powerful, as their cities are built in and on dead gods.

You think serving me is a curse, you are giving your life to a lord who helps keep the material plane safe, you should feel honored to be the one to give your life for my convenience.

-Githyanki Lord Farghart

Appearance:

Like all Gith, Githyanki are tall and slender humanoids with rough, leathery yellow skin and bright black eyes that are sunken deep in their orbits. They have long and angular skulls, with small and highly placed flat noses, and ears that are pointed. They typically grow either red or black hair, which they style in topknots. Their teeth are pointed.

Racial Abilities:

Due to the long time of their enslavement to the Mind-Flayers, the Githyanki have developed psionic abilities similar to Mystics. They are also especially prone to developing the powers of Mystics, though not as much as the Githzerai.

The Revolution of Gith:

For untold centuries, the race of the Gith were mindless slaves of the Mind-Flayers in the Mind-Flayer Empire. The massive empire spanned an unknowably large part of the Astral Sea and was filled with gigantic citadels built by starving slaves controlled by psionic powers. The empire of the mindflayers fell when the legendary Gith lead the race of the Gith against the mind-flayers, and gave his race individuality, and control over their own actions, breaking the mind-flayers control over them. In one impossibly powerful psychic scream, the millions and millions of slaves were released, and exacted their brutal revenge on their captors. In that collapse, most cities were destroyed, and Mind-flayers and Gith died in the emptiness of the Astral Sea.

However, some survived, and as the legendary Gith was lost in the war, they separated themselves into two paths, the Githyanki and the Githzerai. The former decided to take up arms and honor Gith, by maintaining guard over the Astral Sea, and showing him that they are capable and powerful warriors, who honored the freedom he gave them, and when they prove themselves to him, they believed he will return. The latter decided to delve into psionic mediation and the powers of Mystics, believing Gith to be lost in the Astral Sea, and themselves the only ones who can find him and bring him back to them. With passing generations and centuries, memories of Gith and the quest to find him were slowly eroded and lost, with both races focusing on their interests and goals. Still, all Gith know of Gith as a mythical legend who saved their races, and abhor Mind-Flayers and psychic enslavement, valuing freedom above all else, at least for themselves.

Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Gith

Lifespan

72-100

Average Height

1.7 - 2.1 meters

Average Weight

56 - 130

Geographic Distribution

• Astral Sea