The unbreakable taboos

ripvanwormer's picture

The githzerai are a race with a radical individualism far exceeding that of humans, but also an extremely communal people, used to cooperating deeply in their mutual goals of survival and vengence. Githzerai always live in monastery-fortresses or fortress-cities and are almost never found alone unless they've gone rogue for some reason. This means they have to have a number of unbreakable taboos in order to function, such as:

  • A githzerai may never coerce another of the People to do something that is not his or her will.
  • A githzerai must always help another githzerai in mortal need, but must never ask for deliverance from a situation that he or she could remedy on their own. This is a matter of personal honor.
  • A githzerai's posessions belong to the People, and a githzerai must not begrudge another githzerai's use of something in his or her posession. Liberating objects of use to the People from non-githzerai is a sacred act.
  • Githzerai must not fight githzerai, either physically, magically, psionically, or emotionally.
  • Emotions are not something to be shared. A githzerai's grudges and passions are personal, and others should not be burdened by them. Emotions alone belong solely to the individual.
  • There is nothing more sacred than the bond between rrakkma-warriors.
  • Experience and wisdom are to be respected and deferred to. Living heroes are to be revered as much as dead ones. The inexperienced should be trained, if they desire it and prove themselves worthy. Those who cannot be trained must do as much as they can or, if this is not sufficient, be left behind.

Maya Rose's picture
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Re: The unbreakable taboos

I really appreciate this post and love what you have written. The taboos ring true but I am putting together background information for a GM who has never had a Githzerai PC and he prefers cannon material.

Where did you get the information for the taboos? Are they from some source material (cannon) or did you create them based on general knowledge of the Githzerai (created)?

Thanks for your help.

Samloyal23's picture
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Re: The unbreakable taboos

A free society can strictly enforce laws. A police state is not one with too many police, but one with too many laws. So having a short list of rules that cannot be broken makes sense for a really chaotic race...

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rosegust's picture
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Re: The unbreakable taboos

I love your article!!!

Specially the information and your knowledge on taboos

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Samloyal23's picture
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Re: The unbreakable taboos

Hmmm... So where do githyanki diverge from this? Just how different are the two societies?

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KirwanSusan's picture
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Re: The unbreakable taboos

Oh yes definitely two societies are different with each other. Little bit scary to talk or think about scary.

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