Gith

Thousands of years ago, the Gith - Githyanki and Githzerai - were one and the same, a single race of mysterious origins enslaved by the Illithids. However, once they toppled their mind flayer masters with a rebellion of unprecedented proportions, a civil war broke out between the followers of their most important leaders, Gith and Zerthimon. The epic struggle gave birth to the two peoples as they are known today: the warlike and overzealous Githyanki, and the ascetic and mindful Githzerai.

Githyanki

Introduction

Githyanki are an ancient race of martial humanoids residing on the Astral Plane. From their astral citadels, they launch countless raids against unfortunate Material Plane lands, carrying off booty and slaves to serve them in their extraplanar castles. Widely known as planar travelers and marauders, githyanki venture to all corners of the multiverse in search of power and wealth.

Githyanki are tall, gaunt humanoids averaging a little over 6 feet tall and typically weighing around 170 pounds. They have rough, yellow skin and russet hair, which they often pull back into a pair of topknots. Their noses are almost flat, their eyes have a sinister gleam, and their ears are sharply pointed. Githyanki favor ornate and complex clothing and weapons.

Outlook

Most githyanki are cruel, rapacious marauders who revel in warfare and conquest. They are extraordinarily arrogant, and view other humanoids native to the Material Plane with nothing less than utter contempt. Even the most open-minded githyanki is smugly convinced of his own ability to handle any kind of trouble that might arise on whatever backwater plane he happens to be traveling through, and many are bitingly sarcastic and rude to those they perceive as their inferiors. While others may find them caustic and condescending, githyanki are often ambitious, clever, and uncomplaining in adversity - qualities that make them well suited to the vicissitudes of the adventurer's life. They are not particularly loyal allies and make few friends, but they are fearsome and tireless foes who don't know when to quit.

Characters

Githyanki are natives of the Astral Plane. They live in great drifting citadels and trade outposts clinging to odd bits of astral matter, like rocky islands in a silver sea. Githyanki must use psionic plane shift or similar dimension-crossing effects to come to the Material Plane (it is assumed that any githyanki player character has already done so at the beginning of his career).

The githyanki respect power, and for many of them the path to power lies in the pursuit of magical and psionic abilities, wealth, and knowledge. Many githyanki strike out on their own to comb the planes for the power they need to gain station and prestige among their own kind. More rarely, githyanki who become disenchanted with their race's cruelty and callousness choose to leave and make their own way in the world. In a remote corner of the Material Plane, a githyanki expatriate might be simply an odd-looking traveler judged by his own deeds or misdeeds, not the depredations of his malicious kind.

Deities

Githyanki have little use for deities, but all must pay homage to the terrible lich-queen who rules their race. The lich-queen is not a deity and grants no spells to her followers, but she jealously destroys any githyanki who openly venerates a god. A few githyanki clerics exist, worshiping deities who reward ambition and power, but they must conceal their practices while among their fellows.

Relations with Other Races

Most githyanki regard Material Plane denizens as ignorant bumpkins at best - or, at worst, slaves that haven't been captured yet. A few githyanki rise above these conceits and come to value the skills and knowledge of those they encounter in their travels - but these individuals are uncommon, to say the least. Regardless of what they think of Material Plane inhabitants, githyanki burn with hatred for the ancient enemies of their race - the mind flayers, who once enslaved them, and the githzerai, who betrayed the teachings of the great leader Gith (as the githyanki see it). No githyanki will pass up a chance to work harm against either of these foes. In the presence of both, they are inclined to first join with the githzerai to dispose of the mind flayers, and then turn on their alienated kinfolk once the illithids are no more.

Githzerai

Introduction

Thousands of years ago, the githyanki and the githzerai comprised a single humanoid race held in thrall by the dreaded mind flayers. After the mythic hero Gith led the race to freedom from their illithid masters, the ancient gith divided into the two rival races they have been ever since. While the githyanki pursued a path of cruel aggression, martial power, and arcane might, the githzerai turned their attention to the mysteries of the inner self and became a race of ascetics who harness the power of the mind and the spirit. They travel far and wide across the planes, opposing the sinister plots of both mind flayers and their own githyanki kin.

Githzerai closely resemble githyanki. Like their kin, they are tall, gaunt humanoids averaging a little over 6 feet tall and typically weighing around 160 pounds. They have rough, yellow skin and russet hair, although they habitually shave their heads. Their noses are almost flat, their eyes are dull yellow or gray, and their ears are pointed. Githzerai favor drab robes and avoid ostentatious dress.

Outlook

Githzerai rarely use two words when one will do. They tend to be cynical and suspicious, and they generally expect the worst in people. Githzerai don't waste time on fools, and are rarely moved to help those unprepared to help themselves. They are pragmatic to a fault, slow to give trust, and cautious in their dealings with others. Many githzerai disdain creature comforts and live their lives in ascetic discipline. Their settlements and strongholds resemble monasteries more than villages.

Characters

Githzerai are native to the plane of Limbo, where they dwell in drifting cities and monasteries amid the swirling protomatter. Like githyanki, they must use psionic plane shift or similar dimension-crossing effects to come to the Material Plane (it is assumed that any gith zerai player character has already done so at the beginning of his career).

Githzerai are self-sufficient and form few attachments to home or family. As a result, many are noted wanderers who need little reason to set off on journeys across the planes. To a githzerai, the physical journey is a metaphor for the inner one, and many adventurers are content to pass year after year in remote Material Plane lands.

Deities

Githzerai are not particularly religious and rarely venerate any deity. Instead, they seek enlightenment within their own minds. They revere the immortal wizard-king of their race, but they do not worship him and do not gain divine spells from their reverence.

Relations with Other Races

Unlike githyanki, githzerai are not particularly contemptuous of Material Plane races and rarely trouble Material Plane inhabitants. They simply view Material Plane folk as irrelevant and don't waste much time on them. Those Material Plane natives who demonstrate discipline, resolve, and an understanding of the planes are given the respect their abilities merit. While githzerai are usually calm and disciplined in their conduct, they feel nothing but cold, purposeful hatred for githyanki and mind flayers. They also have a bitter rivalry with the slaadi; despite that, the two races cooperate sometimes when faced with a common danger.

Creating new character on Arelith

Prerequisites & Notes:

• Requires Major Award
• Half-Elf (loses all half-elf bonuses on Gith-race selection)

• Githyanki: any non-good
• Githzerai: any neutral

• ECL +1
• Starting City: Andunor
• Bonus Languages: Undercommon, Gith
• Default Deity: Vlaakith (for githyanki), Zaerith Menyar-Ag-Gith (for githzerai)

Githyanki

Abilities

• +2 STR
• Spell Resistance 11 + level (up to 26)
• +2 Intimidate
• Darkvision
• Improved Combat Casting
• Bonus Weapon Proficiency: Martial

Githzerai

Abilities

• +2 WIS
• Spell Resistance 11 + level (up to 26)
• +2 Concentration
• Still Mind (stacks with monk)
• Bonus Weapon Proficiency: Monk
• Innate Ability: Shield (5-minute cooldown)