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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 03:53:58
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After I heard that there would be a Githyanki riding a Large Red Dragon in Blood war (the next DDM set) Ive been thinking about how I can use the mini in my Waterdeep/Sword Coast campaign which is set during the Year of rogue Dragons.
Githyanki seem to be very rare in the FR I can think of only 3 FR products in the whole history of the FR line where they appear
1) As an encounter in Into the Dragons Lair
2) Gatchorof A Githyanki outpost in Torglor who use a trio of Red Dragons
3) Theres a Githyanki living in Skullport who used to work for the Zhentarim
The best Ive been able to come up with is that during the YoRD the Githyanki of Gatchorof approach the Cult of the Dragon about having their Red Dragons turned into Dracolichs to stop them succumbing to the rage. The Githyank would also get the added bonus (in addition to not being eaten by their raging Dragon mounts) of making their Dragons immune to Mind spells and effects which would be valuable in their war against the psionic wielding mind flayers.
Also I need a way of getting the Githyanki and their Red Dragons to Waterdeep from Gathcorof does anyone know of a portal in or below the Lands of Intrigue that would provide a link to Undermoutain?
If theres isnt a canon portal I might create a one linking the one of the Deep Shanatar dwarven Kingdoms to the Dwarven ruins in the Lost Level of Undermountain
Anyone else have any ideas or realmslore I might have missed?
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Emperor Sigismund
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 05:53:14
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Githyanki do exist in the Realms, thanks to a number of specific references.
The Ol' Grey Box referenced a githyanki corpse turn up in the Dalelands, indicative perhaps of a githyanki presence nearby. A more solid reference however, and one you've listed, can be found in Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark, which notes a githyanki enclave in the old dwarven sub-realm of Torglor - once part of Deep Shanatar.
Another reference... githyanki appear in the final "Marco Volo" adventure, serving the intelligent artifact The Dragonking's Eye.
Githyanki are especially noted as not being welcome in the Bazaar of Menzoberranzan, which could suggest they've appeared there to some degree.
Githyanki are noted also in Underdark, pg. 135, in 1250 DR during a githyanki attack on Ch'Chitl.
And lastly, this isn't as "official" as the references offered above, but githyanki were brought into "The North" during an old DUNGEON adventure, which detailed the discovery of a silver sword and the consequences that eventuated.
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 06:17:37
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Githyanki are noted also in Underdark, pg. 135, in 1250 DR during a githyanki attack on Ch'Chitl.
Hmm that one might more suitable geographicly its closer to where the campaign is based (Waterdeep) and the Underdark source book says the Githyanki have kept raiding Chi Chitl ever since they killed the Elder Brain.
The only problem is theres no reference to these Githyanki using Dragons which I need as a link to the Cult of the Dragon unless anyone else can think of a reason why Githyanki and the Cult of the Dragon would work together?
I am left wondering how Sangalor of the Secrets (A LN Mind Flayer) and Grimmbold (A CE Githzerai)havent come to blows in Skullport
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“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
729 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 08:49:25
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
And lastly, this isn't as "official" as the references offered above, but githyanki were brought into "The North" during an old DUNGEON adventure, which detailed the discovery of a silver sword and the consequences that eventuated.
The adventure was called "Into the Silver Realm", was published in Dungeon #43, and was authored by Steve Kurtz (who wrote several of (in my opinion) the best adventures published in Dungeon Magazine, and also worked quite extensively on the Al-Qadim line - see http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=1083 ). |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 13:47:10
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Campaign Idea
The Githyanki raiders have returned to Faerun and are looking to hit Ch'Chitl again. After arriving they look for some Red Dragons to help them take on the Mind Flayers but they cant find any of the Dragons they usually ally with.
After a bit of snooping around the Githyanki find out about the rage and the Cult of Dragon. The Cult has established one of there Dracolich creation sites inside Undermoutain. The Githyanki approach the Cult about lending them some of the "Sacred Ones" but the Cult knocks them back they dont care about Mind Flayers or Tiamats pact with the Githyanki race all they care about is Dracolichs, Dragons and the coming apocolypse.
The Githyanki leader however has one more card to play, during his reconcience of Ch'Chitl he scyred a near by ruined gnome city and discovered Daurgothoth "The Creeping Doom" the Githyanki leader offers to trade Daurgothoth location in exchange for a loan of some of the Cults Dracolichs, the cult agrees.
What do you reckon is this a feasiable alliance between the Cult of the Dragon and the Githyanki? |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 22:50:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
And lastly, this isn't as "official" as the references offered above, but githyanki were brought into "The North" during an old DUNGEON adventure, which detailed the discovery of a silver sword and the consequences that eventuated.
The adventure was called "Into the Silver Realm", was published in Dungeon #43, and was authored by Steve Kurtz (who wrote several of (in my opinion) the best adventures published in Dungeon Magazine, and also worked quite extensively on the Al-Qadim line - see http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=1083 ).
My humble opinion is that Eric Boyd has written the best adventures ever published in Dungeon Magazine - just check out Eye of Myrkul and Sleep of Ages to see what I am talking about!  |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Mekorig
Acolyte
10 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2006 : 21:29:10
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| An alliance betewn the CotD and the Githyanki? Why not? The Githyanki had a long during alliance whit the red dragon ins the multi-universe. Just put a red dracolich that remembers and honor this alliance and voiala! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2006 : 01:42:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Mekorig
An alliance betewn the CotD and the Githyanki? Why not? The Githyanki had a long during alliance whit the red dragon ins the multi-universe. Just put a red dracolich that remembers and honor this alliance and voiala!
While red dragons anywhere on the Prime may be *required* to work with the Githyanki, I wouldn't think a great number of them would be entirely happy with the arrangement itself.
To spice things up a little for such a campaign, I would probably concentrate a little on the dracolich's resentment at having to work with such creatures... and what this would do to an alliance between the Cult and a group of githyanki operating in the Realms.
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2066 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2006 : 14:35:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Mekorig
An alliance betewn the CotD and the Githyanki? Why not? The Githyanki had a long during alliance whit the red dragon ins the multi-universe. Just put a red dracolich that remembers and honor this alliance and voiala!
Another way to go would be to have the githyanki fight the Cult of the Dragon. Imagine that during the Rage of Dragons, several red dragons nearly succumbed to the Rage, only to be rescued at the last minute and whisked to the Astral Plane by some githyanki. (Perhaps the githyanki were being opportunistic and saw the Rage as a good incentive to get some additional allies.)
Now the Rage is over and the githyanki and the red dragons have returned. They initiate a 2-front war, attacking both the Cult (who the red dragons want to attack in revenge for the Cult unleashing the Rage) and the mind flayers (who the githyanki want to destroy).
This could unfold in the campaign with the PCs first having adventures against the Cult and against the mind flayers. These seem unrelated until they realize the Cult and the mind flayers are exploring an alliance of convenience. Further investigation leads the PCs to the githyanki / red dragon plot to destroy both groups, with loads of bad consequences for the realms.
The PCs end up having to defeat all 3 groups, perhaps by manipulating their brewing war.
--Eric
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2006 : 15:18:07
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
While red dragons anywhere on the Prime may be *required* to work with the Githyanki, I wouldn't think a great number of them would be entirely happy with the arrangement itself.
and theres an obvious reason why the reds would resent it Tiamats a LE deity and Reds (Along with Blacks and white) cant even be granted spells from Tiamat due to the 1 step rule (They really should have made Tiamat NE in 3ed) adding insult to injury is the fact that Tiamat isnt even a real Dragon deity in the realms (Shes a member of Unther Pantheon and most of her worshipers are humanoid) |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2006 : 04:37:28
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I had thought about the relationship between the Githyanki and the dragons of Faerun a few years back when Dragon Magazine ran their outline for the "Invasion" storyline. At the time I envisioned the means by which the Githyanki compelled the red dragons to service was an artifact that Tiamat had given them (my way of circumventing the notion that in Faerun a lot of red dragons could care less what pacts Tiamat chooses to honor). Once a dragon has been exposed to the rod, they are either bound to obey the Githyanki from that time on, or the rod could never affect them.
Along with this thought process, I wanted to make Klauth a sort of patron for the PCs if I ever ran with some of the ideas in the Invasion storyline. Not only would it give me a chance to show the whole "sometimes he helps adventurers" side of Klauth, but it was a good way to introduce that once a dragon was exposed to the artifact, it was immune, and so Klauth had a major axe to grind with the githyanki for trying to enspell him in his youth.
Were I to rework this idea now, I think I might actually have the means of the githyanki enacting the dragon pact is by virtue of an incantation (the type detailed as an optional rule in Unearthed Arcana). This lets you set up a special cabal within the githyanki that know how to enact the incantation, and thus enforce the red dragon pact. The incantation still only works once in a dragon's life, and if they resist, they are free for life from it, and obviously, the younger the dragon is when they are ensnared, the easier it is to get the incantation to work on them.
The incantation could even serve as a carrot to dangle in front of the Cult of the Dragon, with the githyanki promising to let them learn it if only they will help with this or that. Of course, eventually, when the githyanki never follow through, the cult could try to kidnap some of the members of the cabal that knows the incantation. Or, they may never have allied, but the Cult has heard of the incantation (or the artifact, if you want to go that route) and they want the item themselves.
my original though is that once a dragon is bound, they are always bound, so if a dragon later becomes a dracolich, it is still bound by the pact, but if the dragon becomes a dracolich before they are ensnared by the pact, they cannot be affected by it.
Just some random thoughts I had on the subject. |
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YRM
Acolyte
17 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2006 : 04:59:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
After I heard that there would be a Githyanki riding a Large Red Dragon in Blood war (the next DDM set) Ive been thinking about how I can use the mini in my Waterdeep/Sword Coast campaign which is set during the Year of rogue Dragons.
I'm running a campaign in the same year, and, I've tried to have as much real world events and real history going on around my PCs as possible.
Here is a way that a Githyanki might have been recruited as a cultist... ready?
During the Return of the Archwizards, you probably know there were three factions competing.
Faction 1 - The elves, chosen of Mystra, good nations. (good guys)
Faction 2 - The Shadevar, Princes of Shade, and they did ally with (but later betrayed) the Cult of the Dragon. The Shades did rescue a Waterdeep army with a flight of blue dragons at one point in the books. (evil, but rational, guys)
Faction 3 - The Phaerimm, enslaved beholders & mindflayers, enslaved armies of humanoids, some enslaved-coerced Zhents, etc.
In the year 1372, the Cult of the Dragon was actually taking the battlefield against Mindflayers. Even though BOTH groups were secondary players to the Princes of Shade and Phaerimm, respectively. In truth, it was more the dragons themselves that were killing Mindflayers, but, there was a Shade/Cult cooperation that made it possible to bring flights of dragons into play.
(perhaps one of the Princes of Shade bargained with Sammaster, giving him key leads into how the elves created the rage, so Sammaster could try to exploit it the following year)
The Githyanki HATE Mindflayers, but they have no problem with being ruled by a Lich.
quote:
In the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the githyanki, the Children of Gith, are a humanoid race living in the astral plane descended from the escaped thralls that overthrew the planes-spanning empire of the Illithids thousands of years ago under the leadership of a female rebel named Gith. The Githyanki have been ruled by the lich-queen Vlaakith CLVII (named for the adviser of Gith), a corrupt and paranoid undead wizard, for over a thousand years.
Isn't it actually quite likely that the Cult of the Dragon, ruled by a lich, dedicated to creating Dracoliches, could point to battlefield victories and hundreds of dead Mindflayers, to recruit Githyanki to their cause?
Perhaps Githyanki that join the Cult, ultimately do so because they feel that Sammaster will eventually fail, but that the Gith can install a puppet ruler to keep the Cult of the Dragon moving along for the Gith Lich leader's own purposes?
The Gith would also have the mental power to master some form of the spell that Sammaster can use to calm the growing rage in dragons.
Perhaps the Gith would simply see the Cult's hostility with the Phaerimm as an opportunity to strike down Mindflayers working with the Phaerimm.
Finally, perhaps the Gith would LIKE to see Faerun overrun with Dracoliches. Gith wouldn't be so terribly affected, but Faerun based Mindflayers would be powerless vs undead dragons. That's a genocidal situation for any Mindflayer society that a Dracolich could reach.
What do you think? |
Edited by - YRM on 27 Jul 2006 05:07:06 |
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Githyanki and the Cult of the Dragon
