Githeid (5e Subrace)

Gith Subrace

The Pursuit

Before Gith vanished into the Lower Planes or Zerthimon denounced her leadership, the Gith were a united people against their once masters. Gith’s cause allowed only one acceptable outcome, the extermination of every Illithid.

There was no refuge. Every corner of the multiverse was scoured and purged. The race that had conquered time itself was broken, and they fled.

Most Illithid escaped as broken remnants hiding in colonies to small and remote to be quickly found. But a few devised a plan far more ambitious, and equally foolish.

A group of Illithid vessels cornered by a Gith fleet successfully opened a gateway into the Far Realm and fled through it. There was no limit or exception to the Gith’s cause, so the fleet followed.

By all rights, neither should have been seen again.

The Genesis

Every creature has an environment it belongs and can thrive within. Some are so specialized that the tiniest change in temperature, pressure or composition of the air, water or soil can doom them.

Other creatures are resilient and adaptable, able to spread to every corner of a planet or even beyond. But even these rely on the conditions they view as natural laws.

Positive entropy, given dimensions and physical reactions are all necessary for an existence they can recognize and comprehend. Anything else would be pure aberrant madness.

To those from the multiverse, the Far Realm is pure aberrant madness. To the entities of the Far Realm, the multiverse is pure aberrant madness.

It was not possible for Gith to exist in the Far Realm. The condition of being a Gith is contingent on traits the Far Realm lacks and antithetical to the traits it has. Existing as Gith was impossible. But existing was not impossible, only very unlikely.

Even the Githeid who experienced the events first hand cannot effectively explain what happened to those in the multiverse. To little correlation exists between the logic of the multiverse and the logic of the place the Githeid came to be.

It is known that the Gith fleet could only survive by altering their underlying nature and adapting to their new environment. Whether they exterminated the Illithid they pursued is unknown.

The Githeid insist that the Illithid did not survive, but cannot make multiversal natives understand the true events. The other three factions of the Gith often interpret this inability as cause for suspicion and distrust.

Some among the Githyanki insinuate that the aberrant nature and parasitic reproduction of the Githeid is sinisterly reminiscent of the Illithid their ancestors pursued. The most brazen go as far as suggesting that the Githeid hide a darker truth to their origins.

They speculate that the Githeid are tainted by the Illithid in some way, be it Illithid tampering or hybridization. Such rumors, no matter how removed from evidence or logic, contribute to the distance between the Githeid and other Gith factions.

The Return

It makes no more sense to ask when the Githeid returned from the Far Realm than it does to ask when the Illithid’s transtemporal empire ruled or was overthrown. Once the Illithid ruled from the beginning of the multiverse to its end, and now they never did, their origin in a future, past and present that never happened.

The Far Realm does not align with the timeline of the multiverse. The largest migration of Githeid into the multiverse occurred long after the Duthka'gith, Githyanki and Githzerai had divided into separate factions. Yet many still arrive, and some returned long before they left.

Returning to a people divided, many Githeid found themselves greeted by suspicion and hostility. Few had the interest or desire to serve Vlaakith, and even fewer would be trusted by the Githyanki.

It is rare to see a Githeid in the Astral Plane, let alone Tu'narath itself. The few who do live amongst the Githyanki are almost exclusively high ranking Githyanki who succumbed to githeid psychophage.

Vlaakith distrusts the Githeid for their inability to be consumed by her and their immortality that rivals her own. Githyanki who become Githeid are exiled from the Astral Plane or watched and kept at a careful distance.

It is far more common to find Githeid in Githzerai monasteries, since the Githzerai have no unified animosity towards the Githeid. This does not mean every individual Githzerai or specific monasteries welcome the Githeid.

The innate ability of Githeid to transverse the planes allows them to settle on any plane of existence. But the majority of the Githeid population is found on the Ethereal Plane.

Ethereal Travelers

The true scale of the Githeid civilization is hard to quantify, even for the Githeid themselves. Vast demi-planes forged by psionic power from quintessential ether contain strange environments of the Githeid’s fancy.

It is nearly impossible for outsiders to find a Githeid settlement within the Deep Ethereal. Even if an outsider chances upon one, few of their demi-planes are hospitable to creatures without the Githeid’s psionic constitution.

Most encounters with the Githeid are in the Border Ethereal or on a plane bordering the Ethereal Plane. Nomadic tribes and lone wanderers inhabit the Border Ethereal and cross over to neighboring planes when something catches their interest.

Having no need for material resources in the Ethereal, trips to other planes are often motivated by curiosity, whimsy or boredom. It is not uncommon for a Githeid or small group of Githeid to appear from the Border Ethereal for no better reason than novelty.

Ecology

Much like the Illithid that created the Gith race, Githeid can only reproduce parasitically. Combined with the seeming hermaphroditism that appears akin to Illithid biology, many Gith are lead to distrust the Githeid and question their true nature.

Githeid often retain their libido from their previous race, but these instincts are entirely vestigial. Pursuit of sexual acts with each other or members of other races are purely recreational and cannot result in offspring.

A clothed Githeid could easily be mistaken for a very androgynous Githyanki or Githzerai. An examination of their uncovered body would lead an unaware observer to conclude they were a female Gith. The distinctive difference is a complete lack of mammary tissue or nipples, organs already vestigial on the oviparous Gith.

Despite seeming to have the female reproductive organs of a Gith, they lack the gametes necessary to be fertilized by a mate of any species. Magic comparable to that used for same-sex reproduction in other species is needed to allow a Githeid to reproduce sexually.

Githeid are instinctually protective of their eggs and experience a desire to produce them similar to the mating instincts of other species. But these are not reproductive instincts.

All Githeid are unbreakably linked by a subconscious psionic connection. No knowledge or emotions are shared over this link, and few Githeid know it exists.

This network is the true resting place of a Githeid’s consciousness. It is a single collective of psionic power that substitutes for a soul.

If the link was ever broken, the unfortunate Githeid’s body would drop dead and devoid of psionic energy. Akin to a lich whose link between body and phylactery is broken, the Githeid would be slain, but would remain dead no longer than usual.

Githeid eggs are empty dormant vessels linked to the Githeid’s psionic network. When a Githeid dies, their consciousness remains in the network and reconnects to a nearby empty vessel.

Laying eggs and protecting them ensures that new intact vessels are plentiful and available. This innate process is similar to a psionic version of the arcane spell Clone, except the Githeid’s consciousness is never truly within the body and any githeid egg can serve as a receptacle for any Githeid in the network.

Like most of their bodily functions, the true way Githeid reproduce is psionic in nature. When a Githeid uses the Mind Sliver cantrip, they directly attack a creature’s mind with the psionic network that houses their consciousness.

The contact leaves a fragment of the network within the creature’s mind. If not removed, the fragment will begin enhancing the psionic abilities of the infected creature and using the produced energy to form a link with the network.

Once the link is formed, the creature’s mind and soul is converted into a purely psychic structure and joins the network. The resulting energies flood the connected body and transfigure it into a Githeid.

Gith are far more compatible with the network, making it difficult for them to naturally resist githeid psychophage. This fact does little to ease tensions between factions.

Cultural Propagation: Githeid have very little need to increase their numbers. Neither time or death can touch them, and the Deep Ethereal provides a refuge from even the gods.

Without deaths or a need for military force, reproduction becomes unnecessary. The method of their reproduction is equally undemanding.

The psychic assault that transmits githeid psychophage is one of the most basic defenses available to every Githeid. It is most often used in unexpected combat, especially by Githeid without combat experience to fall back on.

For every Githeid who was purposely infected, there are half a dozen unwitting bandits who waylaid the wrong traveler. It is not uncommon for survivors of combat with a Githeid to wind up Githeid with no idea what they are.

Githeid often refer to these accidental conversions as strays. The more civically minded Githeid may take strays under their care and attempt to introduce them to Githeid culture.

Unfortunately, the aberrant nature of the Githeid mind leads many to see no problem leaving strays to fend for themselves. This is especially likely if the Githeid was targeted or victimized by the strays prior to infection.

Githeid can appear on a whim from the Border Ethereal across the Material and Elemental Planes. Planar natives may no nothing of the Githeid until local ruffians begin falling sick and transforming into unfamiliar humanoids.

Some Githeid will even infect local humanoids at random, for as little reason as entertainment. These Githeid enjoy watching the confusion, strive and drama created by townsfolk spontaneously transforming into unknown creatures.

Others do the same to increase the number of githeid eggs in a region. A single wandering Githeid can attempt to hide their own eggs nearby as insurance against death, but a Githeid population insures that death will not send the traveler far.

Strays inevitably find their way to the larger Githeid society. It may take centuries, but their innate ability to transverse planes will develop sooner or later.

Sometimes a stray will avoid laying eggs and destroy those they do lay, hoping to die once no eggs exist. This often results in the suicidal stray hatching in a Githeid settlement within the Deep Ethereal upon death.

However they find it, integration into Githeid culture is often slow and eye opening.

Thräk

Thräk is not a single group or even a coherent ideology. It is a concept within Githeid culture. When a Githeid or group of Githeid decides to confront other races directly, seeking conquest and infecting humanoids for that purpose, they have entered a state of Thräk.

The motivations and proclaimed incentive varies between individuals and organizations. But the Githeid know it is Thräk.

The term is rooted in a Deep Speech word meaning “to propagate” or “to create a legacy”. Advocates of Thräk assert that the Githeid have the potential to dominate the multiverse.

Expand, infect, indoctrinate and expand further, these are the tenants of Thräk. Very few Githeid truly follow Thräk, but even a small cult can quickly spiral out of hand.

The downfall of Thräk is most often the difficulty in guaranteeing the loyalty of those forcibly converted. Indoctrination and charismatic leaders can turn manny a forcibly infected villager into an impassioned practitioner of Thräk.

Unfortunately for such cults, the aberrant minds of Githeid are naturally resistant to social indoctrination. Organizations relying on these methods inevitably deteriorate as they expand faster than they can indoctrinate.

Githeid do not view Thräk as a conscious entity or force in itself. Yet there is reason to doubt its lack of animacy.

Dedicated practitioners of Thräk can develop divine magic. Attempts to worship Thräk as a deity through prayer, sacrifice or erection of monuments have no results.

Only true dedication to the ideology of Thräk and active pursuit of its cause can grant and improve divine powers from it. This does not prevent Thräk cults from fabricating higher beings to legitimate their cause.

Paladins of Thräk usually follow the Oath of Conquest, and Clerics gain the Domain of War. Neither receive instructions or experience communion with their supposed deity.

Warlocks of Thräk always have the Great Old One patron and are less common. No contact with their patron or deal is even made. They simply no that they will serve the cause of Thräk in exchange for the power it brings.

Psionic Divinity: Thräk is neither a god or conscious entity. In truth, divine magic users of Thräk are drawing power from the psionic network that connects all Githeid and houses their consciousness.

It is possible for similar dedication to a concept or desire held by the network to imbue divinity into a Githeid. However, few concepts hold the same innate and fundamental potency as Thräk.

Defeating Githeid

If a party of players are in conflict with an enemy Githeid, causing the Githeid to not be alive is not an option. However, death is far from the only way to deal with a hostile creature.

The easiest solution to a Githeid opponent is to deal with the reason behind the conflict or make fighting impractical. If the Githeid enemy is trying to accomplish something the players want to stop, the party can make the goal impossible.

Doing this varies by the goal, but trapping a Githeid or destroying all the Githeid eggs nearby can stop a Githeid for long enough to interfere with their plans. Even if they eventually break free or return from a distant egg, many of their schemes can be thwarted.

Alternatively, there are ways of dealing with Githeid more permanently that do not require death. Destroying all githeid eggs in the multiverse is nearly impossible, and there may be more existing in the Far Realm.

But Githeid are not innately immune to mind magic or debilitating curses. An enemy Githeid can have their memories altered and senses deceive to make them believe they have won or forget their goals.

A paralysis curse can render a Githeid harmless for millennia. The Imprisonment spell can trap them as easily as any other creature.

At the root, defeating immortals adds additional complexity, but has countless solutions.

Githeid Players: A Githeid player risks all the same fates players may inflict on enemy Githeid, plus all the fates worse than death player characters will not have access to.

Githeid Racial Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Aberrant. Your creature type is humanoid, yet you register as an aberration to spells and other effects that detect the presence of the aberration creature type.
Aberrant Mentality. Your mind can't be read or detected, creatures can't telepathically communicate with you unless you allow it, and you have advantage on saving throws against any effect that would determine whether you are telling the truth.
Githeid Psionics. You know the Mind Sliver cantrip, and any non-Githeid humanoid that fails its saving throw against that cantrip cast with this trait contracts githeid psychophage (see below).

When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Suggestion spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

When you reach 15th level, you can cast the Plane Shift spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

You can also cast any of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. When you cast them with this trait, they don't require components.
Githeid Psychophage. If a non-Githeid humanoid fails its Intelligence saving throw against your Mind Sliver cantrip, it is infected with a disease called githeid psychophage. While infected, the target must make an Intelligence saving throw against your spell DC for Mind Sliver every 24 hours. Gith have disadvantage on this saving throw.

If it fails, its hit point maximum is reduced by 3d6. If the disease reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, its hit point maximum returns to normal, its race changes to Githeid and it is no longer infected with githeid psychophage. It recalls its former life and experiences. It retains the capabilities it had in its original form, except it exchanges its racial traits for those of the Githeid race.
Psionic Nature. Your body metabolizes psionic energy to sustain itself, a fact represented by the following benefits:

• You don’t need to eat, drink or breathe.

• You don't age, and effects that would cause you to age don't work on you.

• You are immune to effects that target or require the existence of your soul, including those that return a creature to life and require an available soul.

• You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.
Rejuvenation. You may lay an egg voluntarily. Doing so takes 1 minute, during which you have the Prone condition. After laying an egg, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

A Githeid egg is a Tiny object, and has 5 hit points, a damage threshold of 3 and immunity to acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison and radiant damage. It is unaffected by the passing of time.

When you die, you hatch 24 hours later from the nearest Githeid egg. You hatch with size Tiny and a -4 penalty to your Strength and Constitution (minimum 1).

After taking a long rest, your size increases by one category and the penalty to your Strength and Constitution is reduced by 2, until you return to Medium after two long rests.

You cannot die permanently, unless no Githeid eggs exist (from any Githeid anywhere). If you do not lay an egg for six weeks, you will lay an egg involuntarily.

Note: For more exact numbers, a Githeid egg weighs 1 lb., measures 5 inches in height and has a 10 inch circumference around it’s girth. For a visual reference, this is slightly smaller than an emu egg. Consuming a Githeid egg provides approximately 600 calories: divided into 3 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of protein and 40 grams of fat.
Extra Languages. You can speak Deep Speech and speak, read and write any other languages you know from your previous race.

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