Gith

**Gith** are unique in that they did not evolve naturally like many of the other races on Ygdren. Instead they were created through decades of torture and experimentation by Illithid scientists, who created them for the sole purposes of servitude, slavery, and as breeding pods for their spawn. After centuries of struggle, they claimed their freedom and now forge their own path, one born from the ashes of cruelty.

## Description

Gith are vaguely similar to humans in appearance, but taller and much gaunter. Their features are sharper, their faces are longer, and their eyes range from grey to a catlike yellow colour. They have leathery, pale yellow skin, and red or black hair, although males commonly shave their heads or retain only a single braid in back, with carefully controlled facial hair. Females often keep their hair in tight buns or braids. Their ears are pointed backward and serrated at the tips.

## Culture & Society

Gith society in Zorathki is based around a system of two castes: the military caste and the intellectual caste, known by their proper names as *yanki* and *zerai*. Gith are not born to families, instead they are hatched from their birth pods in clusters and raised alongside those of their cluster. Each newborn enters the world alongside other eggs deliberately laid so that all hatch at the same time.

Every once in a while, when the current queen is ready to choose a successor, she will personally select a single female pod from the hatcheries. The newborn is given special instruction in the skills and ways of both castes, raised to rule just as any other gith is raised for their specific function.

## Subraces

### Githyanki

Gith of the *yanki* military caste are conditioned from birth to fight and die for their queen. Children endure a brutal upbringing that constantly preaches devotion to the throne. Each of the fortified settlements where young githyanki are raised and trained is a combination of military academy and cult headquarters. The instruction that young githyanki undergo is unrelenting and unforgiving. As a crop of youngsters grows older, more and more is demanded from each student, and the penalties for failing to keep up become more and more severe.

Githyanki are often not considered adults until they have claimed a life in service of their nation. Once they reach adulthood, they are required by law to continue to attend weapon and combat drills until their service comes to an end, which is often upon death as very few githyanki retire of old age.

Githyanki average on the tall side for gith, more heavily muscled and less gaunt than those of the intellectual caste. They are fast, fearless, and ruthless; perfect soldiers designed for an endless war.

### Githzerai

Gith of the *zerai* intellectual caste are birth to pursue lives of rigid order. Their lives focuson enhancing the potential of the mind through meditation, education, and physical tests. The most accomplished among them stand as exemplars of the gith's psionic and arcane power, but even those who perform mundane duties in the caste have a significant measure of the same mental fortitude.

Githyanki rarely venture out of the cities of Zorathki, preferring to remain within the well-ordered civilisation that the military castes work to defend. In such an environment, they devote their time to freely developing and manipulating their minds.

Githzerai average on the shorter side for gith, skinnier and more physically fragile then those of the military caste. While still agile and fierce, their power lies instead on manipulation and psionic ability.

## Properties

### Githyanki

* ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Strength score increases by 2.
* ***Size.*** Your size is Medium.
* ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Decadent Mastery.*** You learn one language of your choice, and you are proficient with one skill or tool of your choice.
* ***Martial Prodigy.*** You are proficient with light and medium armor and with shortswords, longswords, and greatswords.
* ***Psychic Resilience.*** You have resistance to psychic damage.
* ***Githyanki Psionics.*** You know the *mage hand* cantrip, and the hand is invisible when you cast the cantrip with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the *jump* spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast *misty step* with it. Once you cast *jump* or *misty step* with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait. None of these spells require spell components when you cast them with this trait.

### Githzerai

* ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Wisdom score increases by 2.
* ***Size.*** Your size is Medium.
* ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Mental Discipline.*** Your innate psychic defences grant you advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed and frightened conditions on yourself.
* ***Githzerai Psionics.*** You know the *mage hand* cantrip, and the hand is invisible when you cast the cantrip with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the *shield* spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the *detect thoughts* spell with it. Once you cast *shield* or *detect thoughts* spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait. None of these spells require spell components when you cast them with this trait.