The githzerai are a people native to the plane of Limbo.
Physical characteristics[]
The githzerai have a humanoid appearance, albeit slightly taller and thinner than humans. They have pointed ears and their skin is typically a shade of yellow.
Psychology and philosophy[]
Though mindsets can vary widely from one individual to another, alignments varying from lawful to chaotic, the githzerai are shaped by their environment and share some common views.
Their emphasis on the word *knowing* is not simply a quirk of speech. It is a manifestation of the way they think. In Limbo, where everything down to the very matter is chaos, where matter can only be held together through concentration, it is literally a case of mind over matter. The githzerai shape the matter around them into entire fortresses and maintain them with nothing more than their minds, thus the importance of truly knowing things inside and out.
Once enslaved, they value personal freedom above all else.
History[]
The githzerai believe their race was born from thoughts in chaos. Once these First People, made only of thoughts came to *know* themselves, they became flesh.
The githzerai and their rival cousins the githyanki used to be part of a single race simply called the People. For generations upon generations, the People served as completely subservient slaves to a mind-controlling race, the illithids (mind flayers).
Zerthimon was the first of the People to realize his people were enslaved and to discover that their masters weren't invincible. He covertly organized a rebellion, which was discovered by the illithids thanks to Vilquar, another of the People who saw no freedom in the rebellion, but opportunity to raise his station in the eyes of his masters. Zerthimon quickly hushed the rebellion, tricking Vilquar and the illithids into thinking it was over. Instead of being given the promised reward, Vilquar was devoured by his master.
Gith, a soldier for the illithids later known as the Warrior-Queen, later joined the rebellion. She was also of the People, and was so strong willed, charismatic and *knew* herself and others so well that she swayed even Zerthimon into following her. The rebellion was bloody, but at last, the People freed themselves.
Gith was not content with freeing her People. She insisted that the illithid race should be eradicated from the multiverse and People should establish their own empire by conquering other species. Zerthimon strongly believed that it was now time for the People to rest, rebuild, and learn to *know* themselves again. Thus, the Pronouncement of Two Skies was uttered, and a civil war ensued. The People were split in two, the followers of Zerthimon becoming the githzerai, and the followers of Gith being the githyanki, both eternally hostile to each other.
Notable githzerai[]
References[]
Forgotten Realms Wiki: Mind flayer