Illithids & Giths in the context of FR, PS and SJ [Archive] - Wizards Community

Illithids & Giths in the context of FR, PS and SJ [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Calmar
04-15-07, 10:36 AM Hi. :)

I have just re-read the interesting history of the mind flayers in Lords of Madness and one thing is striking me odd: The gith revolution is dated about two thousand years ago (p. 71) and the division into githyanki and githzerai is said to have occurred after the revolution against the mind flayers. That is, well... not really good in my eyes. I'd put it twenty, or even two hundred thousand years in the past.
Two millennia just is too short. I don't have the table with the realm's history, but the drow, for example, had some ten thousand years *and* were cursed by deities in order to experience these major changes in their physiology.

Since githyanki and githzerai are very prominent in the Planescape setting, and illithids with their nautiloids seem to be one of the major powers in Spelljammer, I wonder what information, useful links, or whatever you experts have on this topic (and the three races in general).

:)
ripvanwormer
04-15-07, 12:22 PM Two millennia is too short because the Lich-Queen has reigned for a thousand years already, and she's the 157th in her unbroken line. And that's even stated in D&D 3.5.

In the Forgotten Realms illithids are said to have come to that world in 11,000 DR. Illithids captured Clan Duergar in the Forgotten Realms underdark some 8,000 years ago. In the Dark Sun campaign, there are hints that githzerai and githyanki came to that world 14,000 years ago (because that's the date psionics first became common on Athas, and it's suggested that a githzerai psionic bomb was what awakened psionic ability in the races of that world, though others suggest it was the dawn of the Green Age itself that caused it).

Also see the Rrakkma subsection (http://planewalker.com/rrakkma/index.php) on Planewalker.com, and its associated forum (http://planewalker.com/forums/index.php?intForumID=23). The githyanki sources (http://planewalker.com/forums/viewThread.php?intPostID=21281) thread might be especially useful if you're looking for official info.
Calmar
04-16-07, 08:53 AM Thanks.
ripvanwormer
04-23-07, 08:15 PM Dragon #355 gives a little detail on Vlaakith the 156th, the current lich-queen's immediate predecessor. Apparently she was a lich as well, and she ruled over five centuries before being apparently destroyed by the first of the devourers.

So that's over 1500 years accounted for right there, leaving the 2000 year mark from Lords of Madness even more unworkable.

My theory is that Vlaakith the 156th transformed all her daughters into liches at the same time she transformed herself, in order to gain greater control over them. Of course, they could also be sisters, or even cousins - maybe 157 was merely copycatting 156.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Calmar 04-15-07, 10:36 AM	Hi. :) I have just re-read the interesting history of the mind flayers in Lords of Madness and one thing is striking me odd: The gith revolution is dated about two thousand years ago (p. 71) and the division into githyanki and githzerai is said to have occurred after the revolution against the mind flayers. That is, well... not really good in my eyes. I'd put it twenty, or even two hundred thousand years in the past. Two millennia just is too short. I don't have the table with the realm's history, but the drow, for example, had some ten thousand years and were cursed by deities in order to experience these major changes in their physiology. Since githyanki and githzerai are very prominent in the Planescape setting, and illithids with their nautiloids seem to be one of the major powers in Spelljammer, I wonder what information, useful links, or whatever you experts have on this topic (and the three races in general). :)
ripvanwormer 04-15-07, 12:22 PM	Two millennia is too short because the Lich-Queen has reigned for a thousand years already, and she's the 157th in her unbroken line. And that's even stated in D&D 3.5. In the Forgotten Realms illithids are said to have come to that world in 11,000 DR. Illithids captured Clan Duergar in the Forgotten Realms underdark some 8,000 years ago. In the Dark Sun campaign, there are hints that githzerai and githyanki came to that world 14,000 years ago (because that's the date psionics first became common on Athas, and it's suggested that a githzerai psionic bomb was what awakened psionic ability in the races of that world, though others suggest it was the dawn of the Green Age itself that caused it). Also see the Rrakkma subsection (http://planewalker.com/rrakkma/index.php) on Planewalker.com, and its associated forum (http://planewalker.com/forums/index.php?intForumID=23). The githyanki sources (http://planewalker.com/forums/viewThread.php?intPostID=21281) thread might be especially useful if you're looking for official info.
Calmar 04-16-07, 08:53 AM	Thanks.
ripvanwormer 04-23-07, 08:15 PM	Dragon #355 gives a little detail on Vlaakith the 156th, the current lich-queen's immediate predecessor. Apparently she was a lich as well, and she ruled over five centuries before being apparently destroyed by the first of the devourers. So that's over 1500 years accounted for right there, leaving the 2000 year mark from Lords of Madness even more unworkable. My theory is that Vlaakith the 156th transformed all her daughters into liches at the same time she transformed herself, in order to gain greater control over them. Of course, they could also be sisters, or even cousins - maybe 157 was merely copycatting 156.