Gith
This page refers to the leader of the gith race. For information about the race, see also: Gith (race).
| Gith | |
|---|---|
| General info | |
| Occupation: | Cultural leader |
| Home: | Limbo |
| Gender: | Female |
| Species: | Gith |
| Ethnicity: | Githyanki[1] |
Gith was one of the leaders of the thrall rebellion that toppled the illithid empire thousands of years in the past and the first leader of the githyanki.[2]
"Live, but only if you live free."
—Gith, A Guide to the Astral Plane (1996)[3]
History
Gith was once a slave of the vast illithid empire, although she later led her followers to the Astral Plane after defeating their illithid masters.[4]
Gith's past as a slave was unclear. Some stories told that she was a high-ranking slave to a powerful mind flayer, acting as its bodyguard and as its champion, while others maintained that she was a young and unremarkable footsoldier.[5]
During the long centuries of the vast illithid empires, rebellions from gith slaves against the mind flayers were frequent, but never posed a significant threat. It was Gith who first united the different rebel groups against their masters, truly sundering the illithid empire and dealing it a crippling blow from which the illithid race never recovered.[5][4]
After the gith defeated the illithid empire, Gith, the leader of the rebellion, insisted that all remaining illithids in the multiverse be hunted down and destroyed; then, the People would be free to conquer all planes of existence. Many of the People's hearts shared this goal. However, another leader, Zerthimon, argued that the People were already free and should instead start mending the damage done to their race. He too expressed a goal that was in the hearts of many of the People.[4] Still, Gith insisted that hers was the only path and that they would be "under the same sky" in the matter.[6]
Zerthimon then told Gith that there "cannot be two skies." This became known as the Pronouncement of Two Skies, a declaration of war that splintered the People into the races of githyanki (those who followed the warrior-queen Gith) and githzerai (those who followed the prophet Zerthimon). Battle was waged on the Blasted Plains, and the githyanki retreated to the Astral Sea while the githzerai withdrew to the chaos of Limbo. The two races have remained enemies ever since.[4]
Gith was said to have gone to the Nine Hells to serve Tiamat, the queen of evil dragons, as part of a pact between the githyanki and red dragons which was brokered by her advisor, Vlaakith.[7][7][8]
After this pact was made, the red dragon consort of Tiamat, Ephelomon, went to Gith's followers to tell them of her sacrifice and convey Gith's final decree, making Vlaakith the first queen of all the githyanki and ordering them to continue their conquests[7] while they awaited Gith's prophesied return.[9]
Creative Origins
Gith was created by Charles Stross for his AD&D campaign.<ref>Interview with Charles Stross by Sevendead blog. She was first mentioned in the 1981 Fiend Folio.[1]
References
Citations
- ↑ a b Fiend Folio (1981), p.43.
- ↑ Monstrous Manual (1993), p.153-154.
- ↑ A Guide to the Astral Plane (1996), p.44.
- ↑ a b c d A Guide to the Astral Plane (1996), p.45-46.
- ↑ a b "6-7". Polyhedron #159 (Dungeon #100, Jul 2003), p.Incursion: Knights of the Lich-Queen.
- ↑ Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition
- ↑ a b c "97". Dungeon #100 (Jul 2003), p.The Lich-Queen's Beloved
- ↑ Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (2018), p.86.
- ↑ "73". Dragon #309 (Jul 2003), p.Incursion: A World Under Siege.
Bibliography
- Cook, Monte. A Guide to the Astral Plane. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1996. Item code TSR2625.
- Mearls, Mike and Jeremy Crawford. Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2018. Item code C4594.
- Monstrous Manual. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993. Item code TSR2140.
- Turnbull, Don. Fiend Folio. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981. Item code TSR2012.
- Wyatt, James. "Incursion: Knights of the Lich-Queen". Polyhedron #159. Bellvue, WA: Paizo Publishing, Jul 2003.
- Wyatt, James. "The Lich Queen's Beloved". Dungeon #100. Bellvue, WA: Paizo Publishing, Jul 2003.
- Wyatt, James. "Incursion: A World Under Siege". Dragon #309. Bellvue, WA: Paizo Publishing, Jul 2003.
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Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel of Gith {Floating City} (Limbo) | Settlement | Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e | 99 | |
| Citadel of Gith {Floating City} (Limbo) | Settlement | Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e | 99 | |
| Gith | Non-player character | TSR Jam 1999 | 20 | |
| Zaerith Menyar-Ag-Gith (The Great Githzerai) | Non-player character | Male, Githzerai, Ftr16/Mu23, | Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e | 99 |