Gith

Ascetic warrior-monks

Gith are (c) Wizards of the Coast.

The story of the gith is rooted in a cruel twist of cosmic fate. Inspired by the great leader for whom the race is named, the gith rose up to overthrow the mind flayers that held them in servitude. But after they won their freedom, two factions among the gith disagreed on what kind of civilization they would forge. That disagreement quickly flared into open hostility, and the two groups distanced themselves from one another to pursue their separate agendas. They remain bitter enemies today, each side willing to fight to the death whenever they cross paths.
The gith believe that the path to an enlightened civilization lay in seclusion, not conflict. Their dedication to the principles of order is so strong that they can manipulate reality and use it to their benefit; thus, they have carved out a stronghold for themselves that is virtually impervious. Though the gith are pacifists by nature, their hatred for mind flayers is the exception to that belief, and from time to time they send out squads to destroy illithid outposts.
Gith are looked at as a benign oddity by most others, and often see other species in the same fashion as they are seen themselves.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Gith society is monastic and introspective. Many gith train as monks, while others choose to became wizards. Some multi-talented gith become 'zerths', blending magic, combat, and psionics into their fighting. The zerths also hold special significance as religious leaders in gith society.Gith often form hunting bands for the purpose of seeking out and destroying the hated illithids.
They are fiercely loyal to their leader Zaerith Menyar-Ag-Gith, who remains alive centuries after he had led the surviving gith to freedom following the battle between the gith and the illithids. Despite their strong sense of loyalty, the gith also place immense value on their personal freedom.

Facial characteristics

Their skulls are long and angular, with deep-set eyes, flattened noses, and long pointed ears. Typical hair colors include black, russet, and sometimes gray, which male gith either shave or wear in braids. Their facial hair is also carefully groomed. Female gith usually wear their hair in buns or braids.

Civilization and Culture

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Since their hard-won victory against the mind flayers, the gith became ascetics and philosophers, pursuing self-knowledge in the face of adversity. As an oppressed race, they are extremely distrustful of outsiders and are devoted to their self-preservation. An intense and sometimes fanatical people, the gith keet the memory of their origins always alive and carry out all their affairs with a burning sense of righteousness.

History

As the Elder Things were fleeing the surface world, they were followed by some Neanderthal warriors who harried the elder race in their final retreat. These tribesmen were never seen from or heard from again.
Fast forward more than 700,000 years. The Godswar is itself ancient history. Torar is slowly becoming what we see today in anthropological and political makeup. Stories begin to arise of nightmare creatures with squid faces and the ability to suck out a man's brains, and of the ochre-skinned warriors that seem to hunt these nightmares. These warriors are the gith.
According to gith's own tales, they are the descendants of those ancient lost neanderthals. Their strong, tall frames and similar codes of honor to that of most surface orcs seems to lend credence to this claim. According to the gith themselves they were at one point slaves of the mind flayers, who themselves were servants of the forgotten ancient enemy. For hundreds of thousands of years they remained slaves until finally one day they broke free of their bonds and turned on their masters.
Since then they have created an impregnable fortress using their mental powers that were infused into them by being exposed to such forces for so long, refined and honed their ideology, and become the warrior-monks we see today. Warrior-monks with a singular purpose: hunt down and exterminate illithids.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Orc

Scientific Name

Homo simplex sophos

Lifespan

Gith reach adulthood in their late teens and live for about a century.

Average Height

6 to 7 feet

Average Weight

100 to 150 lbs.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Gith are tall and emaciated-looking humanoids, but, thanks to their rigid training, have muscular bodies. They have pale yellow skin, sometimes with greenish or brownish tones. Most gith have patterns of darker spots that adorn their shoulders, backs, and scalps.

Gith Traits

Ability Score Increase Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Size Medium

Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

---

In their fortresses within Torar's underworld, the gith hone their minds to a razor’s edge.
Gith Martial Training. You are proficient with light and medium armor and with shortswords, longswords, and greatswords.
Mental Discipline. You have advantage on saving throws against the charmed and frightened conditions. Under the tutelage of monastic masters, gith learn to govern their own minds.
Gith Psionics. You know the mage hand cantrip, and the hand is invisible when you cast the cantrip with this trait. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the shield spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the detect thoughts spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells. When you cast them with this trait, they don’t require components

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Gith.