Gith

[Amanojyaku]

The Gith were created in the aftermath of the War of the Monster's Fall, to serve as a race of slaves and livestock for the Mind Flayers. As with all empires, though, the Mind Flayers grew complacent, allowing their creations more and more autonomy, until finally a slave-warrior named Gith took up the blade against them. Gith united the slaves, leading them in guerilla combat and pirate actions across a hundred worlds.

This, though, was not to last. Gith had determined that, so as to never be enslaved again, the slaves would become the slavers, conquering all until none remained to crush them underfoot. Gith's lieutenant, Zerthimon, had other ideas. This betrayal cut a rift among the former slaves; now Gith's followers are known as the Githyanki, "those loyal to Gith," and continue to raid and pillage across the Wheel.

Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 1.2-1.4m
Average Weight: 50-65kg
Languages: Trade, Gith
Common Personality Traits: Brilliant, paranoid, impulsive, intolerant, ambitious
Common Physical Traits: Frail build, grey skin, monochromatic eyes, large head, bionic implants
Example Names: Zim, Tak, Skooge, Gish, Horf

Racial Statistics
Characteristics Bonus: +1 to Intelligence or Willpower
Skill Bonus: +1 to Tech-Use and Pilot
Power: Xenoheretek: Begin play with the Hatred (Mind Flayers) and Mechadendrite Use feats, as well as a set of Mobility Mechadendrites. Mobility Mechadendrites do not count toward the normal limit of how many mechadendrites you can have attached.
Size: 3

Racial Feats

Wolf Among the Sheep [Githyanki]
Githyanki infiltrators are chosen for a less pronounced xenophobic streak and provided with special holo-implants that allow them to pass as a member of another race... or they're just really lucky when it comes to finding berks who'll believe they just have a skin condition. Gain +1k1 on Disguise tests, and you're always treated as the race you're trying to pass as for the purpose of determining the TN.

Space CQC [Gith]
The time-honored art of Space CQC is a secret known only to the Gith, an ancient and noble... oh, who do the greybeards think they're kidding, it's just a trick for getting in close and murdering the living daylights out of someone. You can spend a Hero Point to negate an enemy's attempt to Dodge or Parry your attack in Melee or at Point Blank Range.

Tallest-In-Training [Githyanki, Paragon]
You were strangely cramped before your decanting, and now... now, you could be next in line for Vlaakith's throne! But let's face it, Vlaakith's already dead, and it's not like it's going to step down anytime soon. Gain +1 Size, and for your meritorious height you've been implanted with transmutation rings, allowing you to treat any weapon you hold in your hands as if it were made of silver.

Spider-Gith [Githyanki]
You're quite adept at using the mechadendrite pod you were implanted with. Gain +2k0 on Athletics and Acrobatics tests to climb when using your Mobility Mechadendrites, and you can even use them to flip switches and pick up simple items! A single leg can can be used to press buttons or to hook levers, but can't do much for knobs. You need at least two legs to pick up an item between them... but at least three to move.

Physical Qualities

The Githyanki are an artificially designed race, with very little variation across individuals. They are universally small and lean, with perfect body symmetry. Their skin is unusually smooth, and generally appears in shades of grey, green, and blue. A Githyanki's waifish proportions mean it has an almost disproportionately large head, with equally large eyes (typically a shade of red or purple all the way across), and a pair of long antennae sweeping back from the forehead.

A Githyanki's eyes are incredibly acute, seeing much further and with greater detail than other races on the Wheel. Bulbous eyes can't rotate within their sockets, though; a Githyanki must turn its head in order to keep something in sight, but its greater field of view means it has wider peripheral vision anyway. Githyanki have been known to turn their heads almost 270 degrees in order to keep their eyes on something.

Finally, as an artificial race, the Githyanki are biologically neuter, incapable of breeding. For all their ideals of freedom, they still use the breeding tanks of their former masters, reverse-engineered and now jealously guarded in the few crystal spheres they've laid down roots. Githyanki newts are decanted from the tanks fully developed after six months incubating, and programmed with whatever knowledge they will need for their initial tasks as they're implanted with the pod containing the Mobility Mechadendrites they're so famous for.

Playing a Githyanki

Githyanki are, on the whole, spastic, mad geniuses... they would have to be, to operate, maintain, and reverse-engineer the ships, weapons, and breeding tanks they'd stolen from their former masters. They have a strong tendency to act on their ideas without stopping to think of whether it's a good idea, to assume the cold knowledge programmed into them on decanting is a substitute for hard experience. Which is... not the best idea, when your race's birth rate amounts to once daily.

They are, thankfully, surprisingly tough, with the natural willpower that led to Gith's rebellion aiding in their focus... nothing short of death will stop a Githyanki from achieving its goal, whether that goal is conquering a city or playing chicken with a sea train. They are not, however, complete idiots; the Githyanki are masters of lightning warfare, preferring to fight only as necessary to achieve an objective and then - quite intelligently - bugging the hell out. When only children are smaller than you, you make a point of remembering not to rile up the adults too much.

This is not to say that the Githyank are cowards. Far from it, in fact: For all that a Githyanki might rant and rave about a "rival" (that is, someone who accidentally cut it off in traffic), it takes a coldly logical approach to combat. Guns and armor support are preferable to melee, and it's only logical to cut losses and run when faced with a stronger enemy. Githyank prefer to gang up on key targets, or use artillery strikes as cover while they go for the real objective.

And, of course, a discussion of the Githyanki mindset would not be complete without mention of their... strange criteria for leadership. After thousands of years, the Githyanki still fear their former masters' ire; to that end, when things go south, they instinctively look toward the tallest humanoid present for instruction. Yeah, that's right, berk: The Githyanki choose their leaders based on height. Sodding barmy, the lot of 'em.

However, that courtesy doesn't extend to their estranged cousins, the Githzerai. While a given Githzerai may be taller, a Githyanki would sooner walk into a dragon's maw than take orders from one. If circumstances conspire them to work together, be sure to have popcorn and a pict-recorder at the ready, because the only foe that will prompt them to stop insulting each other is a Mind Flayer.

Githyanki Heroes

Gith was the ideal hero, taller than any of its followers and quite an imposing figure with the phase sword in one hand and a needle gun in the other. Skooge... isn't. A tiny, less than impressive specimen, it was a runt coming out of the tank, and swiftly culled from the main fleet on make-work missions. Not that it minds, anymore... not since the golden presence awoke in the back of its head, advising it to ignore its taller brethren in favor of searching out information about the Syrne.

Long ago, before Vlaakith transcended into lich-hood, it made a pact with an ancient dragon of flame, intending to introduce more strength into the Githyanki genome. Now, centuries later, Ven is the first success of that experiment, decanted with mustard yellow skin and burning orange eyes... and vicious red claws, the first sign of dragon genetics successfully introduced to the breeding tanks.

Horf is... well... according to the medicae, it just shouldn't be. Some remarkably poor sanitization procedures during the vat tending resulted in a newt that was clinically dead on decanting... for about five minutes, anyway. Horf roused and was submitted to programming as normal, but showed a morbid fascination with germ warfare forever after, the sickly, ashen githyanki passing out for long periods at its terminal only to wake hours later mumbling about ninety-nine monks dying of plague. And very recently, Horf vanished, taking with it a Voot Cruiser and some astrographical files related to known Duergar space...

[Amanojyaku]

When Gith led its people in revolt against the Mind Flayers, it was thought that all would be well. The slaves threw down their masters, and in so doing, became free... but for what happened afterward. On hearing Gith's intentions, its friend and advisor Zerthimon counselled against it, stating that Gith would have their people become slaves to their fear, when it would be wiser to become strong, so as not to be chained again. Gith... didn't like that.

A second reckoning followed, sweeping across the stolen fleet as the former slaves divided themselves, some opting to follow wise Zerthimon, while most maintained that Gith was correct. Their leaders dueled, and Zerthimon lost. Ever magnanimous, Gith allowed Zerthimon's followers to take one ship and do as they would, taking the traitor's body and its counsel with them. They became known as the Githzerai, "heretics of Gith," and have long since settled down on worlds fringeing the Abyss.

Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 1.7-2.1m
Average Weight: 70-80kg
Languages: Trade, Gith
Common Personality Traits: Patient, observant, cynical, pragmatic, austere
Common Physical Traits: Sinewy build, grey skin, monochromatic eyes, nimble, surprisingly strong
Example Names: Piccolo, Nail, Dende, Zerth, Radula

Racial Statistics
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Dexterity or Willpower
Skill Bonus: +1 to Acrobatics and Crafts
Power: Regenerative: Begin play with the Hardy and Hatred (Mind Flayers) feats, and you can regenerate lost limbs as if under a constant Regenerate spell.
Size: 4

Racial Feats

Fist of Zuoken [Githzerai, Paragon]
Zerthimon once said, "Steel marks flesh, but flesh cannot mark steel." Well, that's a damned lie. Gain Armor 4 on all body locations as long as you are not wearing armor, or the benefits of darksteel armor if you have the Wholeness of Body feat. Your weaponless unarmed attacks gain Penetration 4, or are treated as darksteel melee weapons if you have the Iron Fist feat.

Gum-Gum Technique [Githzerai]
The Gith as a whole are supported by fluid sacs rather than skeletons, but only the Githzerai have actually made use of it, developing techniques that allow their limbs to stretch at a whim. Your Melee attacks gain the Reach quality.

Space CQC [Gith]
The time-honored art of Space CQC is a secret known only to the Gith, an ancient and noble... oh, who do the greybeards think they're kidding, it's just a trick for getting in close and murdering the living daylights out of someone. You can spend a Hero Point to negate an enemy's attempt to Dodge or Parry your attack in Melee or at Point Blank Range.

Physical Qualities

With only one set of breeding tanks, the Githzerai set to work modifying themselves for their inevitable failure before choosing a world to call home. Like their cousins the Githyanki, they have strangely smooth skin that usually tends to grey, green, or blue shades, with eyes of a single, solid color... but that's where the similarity ends. The first Githzerai to set foot on a civilized world - and all Githzerai since - only superficially resembled Gith's followers. They had increased their muscle mass, no longer bound to the ideal form of cattle for their former masters, and - more importantly - engineered a way to continue on when the breeding tanks broke down.

Raised on good planet-grown fare rather than synthesized tube meat, Githzerai have gained some length of bone over their estranged cousins, comparable to well-built humans in size. A Githzerai's color is more vivid than a Githyanki's, and a vestigial pair of antennae sprout from its forehead, reduced in importance now that they've given themselves ears and a nose to better resemble their new neighbors.

Githzerai tend toward simple, serviceable clothing, usually preferring long tunics tied at the waist to more complex shirts and trousers... not that they actually need it. While Githzerai are still biologically neuter, among the tweaks made to their genome is a form of asexual reproduction, similar to parthenogenesis. What that means in non-greybeard is that once or twice in its lifetime, a Githzerai will puke up an egg that hatches into, well, a clone of the parent.

This, unfortunately, has the drawback of not coming with the accelerated development that Githyanki employ; Githzerai take years to mature after hatching, almost as long as humans do. The newts can live off sunlight and water until their teeth start coming in, at which point they're just too big to not take solid food.

Playing a Githzerai

Githzerai rarely use two words when one will do. They tend to be cynical and suspicious, generally expecting 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. Unlike the Githyanki, who see other races as slaves to be taken, the Githzerai simply see others as irrelevant... they offer the respect due to strength and discipline, but little else. Githzerai settlements are self-sufficient and have little need for trade, though some have been known to extend Zerthimon's philosophies to those who show interest.

Githyanki, however, can take the rope, all of it. Their stunted cousins are mired in fear, unable to let go of their past. And, more importantly, they killed Zerthimon, who was martyred for its people... that just won't be forgiven. A Githzerai forced to cooperate with a Githyanki is a storm of barely-concealed contempt and a vicious font of sarcasm... unless confronted with a Mind Flayer, which they'll both attack with equal gusto.

Githzerai Heroes

Cargo was always a bright newt, with an affinity for healing magic that the sparring monks rarely looked askance at. That is, until a fire caught in the village, trapping a newt inside its home. Brave Cargo ran headlong into the flames... and to everyone's surprise, they turned green to match Cargo's skin, whirling up into a column above the astonished newts and finally flaring out into the visage of a great bird before disappearing, revealing Cargo carrying out the frightened newt... with wings of fire flickering on its back.

Fife is - or rather, was - a rather promising young adept, a veritable prodigy in the dojo and the classroom. All of that promise, though, was cut short when the Kythons attacked. Who brought them, Fife doesn't know, but it fully intends to find them and end them. For the murder of its clan... and itself.

X

[Amanojyaku]

Did some quick editing. No need to list the two races separately for feats they're both supposed to have access to. Fist of Zuoken now clearly toggles for the individual feats, instead of implicitly requiring both.