BoG'r OOC.

The githyanki and githzerai should know as much about the Illithid as anyone in the multiverse. Most of the lore on the githyanki side would be steeped in hatred, brought to a rolling boil, and poared scalding hot onto their foes. The illithid, do retain quite a few secrets. The fact that the ilithid are from the future is probably known to only a few of the most dedicated seekers. What exactly Ilsensene is and where it came from remains a mistery even to the illithid themselves, though perhaps not to the elder brains.

The teachings of Gith herself are supposedly kept alive by the gish caste. As part of their training, gish learn more about their founder and her words than any other githyanki. They keep spellbooks individually known as "Gith's Sharp-edged Codex" which include both notable and subtle lessons. Of course, Gith's sayings and more famous lessons are ingrained into githyanki society. If you want some of her teachings, you'll have to be more specific. Wall hangings of quotes written in artisic caligraphy are available, as are entire volumes filled with sayings, biographies, histories, interpretations of crypic utterances, etc.

I figure Gith is a comman language, that has been broken up and picked up influences as the gith races separated. Basicly everyone speaks Gith, but has a 50/50 chance of misinterpreting or missing foreign words and phrases if eavesdroping on another gith race. Githyanki all seak draconic as well as gith, as it is part of their language training. Most githzerai speak Slaadi and/or Planar Trade. As you may realize from my willingness to give everybody an Amulet of Tounges, language is a bit of a hang-up for me. I strive for a more realistic fantasy experience, if you will, but I know too much about geography and lingustics. I use the 50/50 rule (even you understand, odd you don't) for related languages. Comman and Planar Trade (or the Clueless would never understand a blamin' thing), Elvin and Drow, Ogrish and Giant, etc. Even within a "language" will be nuances. Comman from Oerth and Comman from Krynn sound different, and a trained ear could recognize the origin of either. I use subsets of Planar Trade known as "Sigilspeak" and "Outlandish" that Sigilans would recognize on the spot, many even being able to distinguish between Bedlamites and Ribcagers by their accents.

Different occupations in githyanki society are known as 'Castes' though unlike castes in human socity they are not arranged vertically, with one caste the clear superiors of another. Instead all the castes are more or less equal in githyanki society, though some, like the knights, are more prestigious simply because they are martial elites. The largest caste is sheer numbers would be the Mlar caste, followed closely by the Fighter caste. Githyanki that belong to a small or elithe caste, such as the Rish-i Chal, tend to be very proud of the fact, but then again all githyanki are proud, arrogent, well-trained, and violent.

Rough Draft of first post in BoG'r : Quicksilver follows -->

A thick fog clung to the streets of Sigil well past Antipeak. There are only two streets in the 'Githyanki ghetto' of Git'riban worth the name, the rest being twisting alleys, stairs, ruins, and tunnels. The square where Gith Lane met Silver Void street, known as 'The Heart of The Void' to locals, was as crowded as it ever got. Half a dozen carts of wares, from the young Gith of wildspace pirate heritage selling newsrags to the brave old Night Hag who had a small tent filled with spell components and charms. Open doorways beckoned to those who knew which apartment to enter for other services, but no signs hung on the buildings. Overlooking The Heart of The Void, a balcony enclosed in a curtain of crystal and glass beads held by thin silver wires betrays some movement behind, as patrons of Haven Port Inn receive food and drink.

Fewer than a dozen patrons walk about the streets of The Heart. This, despite the recent increase in the population of the ghetto. Refugees from the prime world Incursions had filtered in, in increasing numbers as time went on. The last nine months were hard on The People.

Six months ago, Githzerai agents knew.

Three months ago, The King of The Crosstrade knew.

Two days ago the rumor started to hit the streets of Sigil.

Vlaakith CLVII had disappeared. Destroyed? Or just gone?

Nine months ago the survivors of the Incursions knew. The Gates to the Astral ripped open anew with the annihilating force of her ultimate weapon, the Void Bombs, wiping out whole cities where the Queen had sent her people through to conquer the Primes and search for the regalia and tomb of the great Gith herself. No word from Tuanarth, nor from the fortresses nearby. Every living being, and every item of magic power, blasted to ash, with the Psi/Arcane fallout preventing investigation of the area. Every Githyanki on the Incursion worlds, and all the Githyanki on the Astral, lost the power to shift between those planes. Entire armies of trapped Githyanki were forced to fight on, defending crippled empires. Many fled back to the Astral through hidden fortress-nurseries, many of which had color pools leading back to Astral forts. Still others fled to the planes however they might, such as through The City of Doors.

Yet despite this newest incursion, the streets of Git'riban were not crowded. The business of Git'riban went on behind closed doors and anonymous archways, in alleys and tunnels and vacant lots.

------

In a rubble-strewn lot yawns a dark hole. Out of the blackness of Undersigil emerges a lanky figure wrapped in a black cowl. Jank'kor is glad of the fog that enshrouds the alleyways and streets. Need has brought him forth, need of certain ... special ingredients for his latest potion. He heads through the maze of alleys towards The Heart of The Void.

Du'minh does not like to wait. Yet, waiting was just what he was doing. The warrior loitered in the open archway of a sharpener's shop, watching the square for his captain, K'dar.

From the open doorway of the Haven Port Inn emerges a tall, armored Githyanki warrior with a great sword strapped to his back. Xar'Sauken looks up and down the square, smiling in self-satisfaction. Free from hunger. Free from thirst. A free being in the city they called The Cage. Sigil greeted him with a thick mist that remained on the very cusp of drizzle.

Ar'dru glides out of the fog to a landing among the sellers' carts. He glances around, but does not see the one he has come for. Something, however, catches his eye. A young Gith of wildspace pirate heritage is selling newsrags and periodicals. Many of the papers bear the same headline: "Editor-In-Chief of The Tempus Sigilan Found Murdered."

This was bad. This was great! This was unbelievable! This was going to be more trouble than inviting a Death Slaad over for tea. The whispers of the Sharpshadows were of a Rrakkma, successful beyond belief. Someone managed to kill the Ulitharid 'Knowledge', one of the three Uber-Illithid that ran Illithid House in Sigil. The nine-foot monstrosity was a prominent figure in Sigilan society, the editor-in-chief of the largest, oldest, most expensive, and most important (to planar nobility, golden lords, factols, and other 'important people' anyway) weekly publication in the City of Doors. So, not only did the Rrakkma bypass every Hamonium patrol, Son of Mercy, private guard, and watch-beast in the Lady's Ward, but also every magical trap, Psionic precaution, and minion. Then to take out a Ulitharid and leave its head impaled on an iron fence several blocks away! What's more, there were no witnesses. None! Of course, everyone in Sigil knew it was Githzerai, despite the lack of any concrete evidence. The courts were treating it as a high profile murder, and Githzerai were being snatched up for questioning throughout Sigil. Daraz walked towards the Heart of The Void in the guise of Ech'Tev, a Githyanki Emissary. He was looking for Grazz. If anyone knew the real dark of what was going on, it would be Grazz.

------

A tight knot of grey cloaks walk down Gith Lane, surrounding a Githzerai that stands head and shoulders above the next tallest of his companions. Just as the group reaches the Heart of The Void, the subtle pop-fizzle of an opening portal causes the rear guard to turn. Out of an archway charges a horde of Hobgoblins and Bugbears, armed with rusty blades and mining tools. Out of the mist, dozens of Orcs and Grimlocks fill the square, attacking everything they can find with savage fury. The mob of humanoids is dressed in filthy, tattered rags. The look in their eyes, both feral and vacant at once, is quickly recognized by every veteran of a Rrakkma.

Thralls!

The paper boy tries to flee, but does not get far. The Hag dives into her tent which disappears in a puff of smoke. Every Gith on the street draws a weapon and charges into the fray. The Githyanki have a system of short orders and communication for use in battle. The Githyanki forced to fight in proximity quickly shout their names and battle skills to each other.

Daraz (who in the spur of the moment shouts his real name, not his alias) fights back-to back with Psion Xar'Sauken and Du'minh of the Rish-i Chal. Warlock Jank'Kor, seeing a clearing in the horde of hostiles, quickly joins the warriors. Duthka'gith Ar'dru fights close at hand. One thought occurs to each of these combatants; these are obviously thralls, but where are their Ilithid masters?

So, rough draft is up. You have a little time to make suggestions for modificaton, comments, etc. before I post it as the start of the new game.

'Armoury99' wrote:

Indeed, I do identify myself as "Gish" and throw myself into the fight with great enthusiasm!

Gish, or some other word? you are a psion and a warrior (of sorts), I use a variation on "Gish" for those with Psi instead of arcane powers, "Giph"

Hope everyoneis enjoying themselves so far. I also hope you don't mind my style of DMing. I don't want to force anything on the players, but I thought it imoprtant, for example, to show the party working well together. I also wanted to take the opportunity (though I assure you it was based on the dice) to have Daraz save Du'minh's arse, partially because those two characters have the most potential for inter-party conflict.

A couple of other things ... Du'minh did see a very strong magical aura coming from the Ulitharid. The other illithid have magic auras on various amulets and items, but no spell-casters as you can see. As for the rest of the party...

Daraz radiates strong magic, from his gear as well as from himself.

Ar'dru, as a half-dragon radiates faint magic. Otherwise only his gear seems magical. He carries a silver sword, a fact not lost on any of the party members.

Xar'Sauken (still a 12' Gith) radiates strong magic from his body and his gear.

Jank'kor the Dark's aura screams of sorcery. Very strong magic in every fibre of his being.

OK, but you should still be able to tell who's a spellcaster, and who has magical gear. I also think you should be able to tell a true spellcaster from a being with spell-like abilities, but hey, whatever.

That's right. I'll give him another half a day to respond, thenI will roll for him in the interest of moving along.

:cry:

Well that sucks. I liked your character alot too. Tell you what, he'll stay with the party and become an NPC for the time being. If you find the time to come back in , he'll be waiting for you (unless he dies). Alternately, he could leave the party but still be around Git'riban as an NPC contact.

In any case, best of luck in all your real-world endevors, and we'll catch you on the flip-side!

-Azure

O.K. 3d6 then ... the illithid is still dead.

Yes, currently threatening the undamaged illithid.

What I think I will do with Xar'Sauken is have him "guard the rear" as the others pursue the ulitharid. You guys will meet up with him later (maybe). I don't really want him to leave the party, as he is the only healer, but I'm not sure I feel comfortable playing someone else's character. Of course if A99 really isn't coming back and I have his OK, I might be able to ...