Article by Draegarius

Itharin - Gate Town to the Astral

CHARACTER: More a fortress than a town, a manifestation of githyanki/githzerai living with human morals - holding a stand against the danger beyond and preserving ancient traditions and a timeless hope for the reunification of a race. A quite, constantly shrouded in mist, half empty burg, this gate-town serves as a focal point for many different, even opposite, creatures and cultures -- primes, planars, githzerai and githyanki.

RULER: Warlock Sharaq'antir (planar / male githyanki / wizard 16, psionicist 5 / Free League / LN), a renegade githyanki, is the official ruler of the Island. Once of the greatest of githyanki warlocks and military strategists, Sharaq'antir went renegade as he gained power -- resisting the call of the Lich-Queen to devour his soul. The Order of Gith assigned him with the rule of the Citadel, and thus also the rule of the town due to his immense knowledge of warfare and Githyanki ways. Unlike previous rulers of the town, Sharaq'antir has declined the title of lordship when he ascended to the throne, and resides at the ruler's palace only at the insistence of the populace. A seasoned military leader, he concentrates mainly on the military aspects of defence of the Burg and the gate, leaving the day-to-day matters of the burg to his chamberlain, Farren Kurb (prime / male half-elf / bard 7 / NG). Farren tends to all matters of daily life in the town and also handles the permits to travel through the gate to the Astral.

BEHIND THE THRONE: The Order of Githimon holds the real power in this burg. Securing control of both the militia and economy, the Order uses its power to maintain a stable base of operations for their long-term goals. The Order, whose members make up most of the militia and office holders in the burg, decides on laws and policy for the burg. When it comes to military matters, they may decided on the what, but they leave things to Warlock Sharaq'antir to decided on the how.

Other major factions in the gate-town's politics are the Primewalker's Guild and Priesthood of Uaikonj (WAY-Konazh). The Primewalker's Guild controls most of the trade in the burg, its members being the primary traders importing goods from the prime, and the priesthood has been gaining power as they gain believers among the true gith.

DESCRIPTION: A floating rock Island orbiting the infinite Spire at cloud level, the gate town of Itharin is the strangest of all -- barely part of the outlands, similar in a way, to Sigil.

A large, roughly cone-shaped rock, its "top" is flat, thus enabling relatively easy construction -- usually stone quarried from the Rock Island itself.

Itharin is a town of many houses, most of which are uninhabited. It is unknown why it is such, but rumours state that the town was already there when the first True Gith settlers arrived.

The town is centred on the large Githyanki fortress that stands at the centre of the Island. Situated around the gate to the Astral, the fortress is there to protect the town from Invasion through the gate rather than to protect the gate itself.

Around the fortress are the town's main roads, very wide cobble-paved streets that lead straight on to the edges of the Island. The roads also divide Itharin to its various Quarters -- each looking the same, but housing a different population.

MILITIA: Despite its small size, Itharin has considerably large military assets at hand. Its regular defence and policing forces are made up of the members of the Githimon Order, in addition to various volunteers from amongst the town's inhabitants. In addition, the many prime adventurers of the Primewalker's Guild who residing or passing through the burg make up a strong force who assist the Order at times of strife. These adventurers make up in quality, what they lack in quantity.

A typical Order Patrol is made up of two (usually gith) Mulzha (planar / gith / fighter 1-4) and there are at least 12 moving throughout the gate-town at any given time. In addition, in every Quarter are a squad of Mulzha (planar / gith / fighter 3-6), lead by a Zhameck in training, numbering between seven and twelve men. The main defence force is stationed at the Astral Citadel, with reinforcements at the Order's Chapterhouse.

All policing is done by the Order, magistrate and judges, however, are elected by the populace.

SERVICES: Like any town on a planar border, Itharin has its share of merchants who ply their trades across the planar boundaries. However, the gate to the Astral provides a proximity to the prime material plane which none other than Sigil can claim. This proximity is what brings rare prime goods into the marketplace on Itharin, and stresses the economic strategic importance of the floating island.

Perhaps one of the most important services Itharin offers, are experienced and reliable guides to the Astral plane. Various adventurers and renegade Githyanki offer their services for fair amounts of jink as guides, and will even hire as bodyguards for Astral ventures.

People looking for Astral Guides, or Guides to the Prime may find them at the Primewalker's Guild, or at the Greywisp Tavern where many hang out. The Greywisp Tavern itself is owned by a former primewalkers -- Scintaer Kryynor (prime / male human / fighter 9 / Free League / NG), a former Solmanic Knight from Krynn who had an unfortunate accident involving two dragons and a bad-tempered mage, an accident which sent him flying through the Astral plane. Scintaer, now retired, provides various prime dishes in his tavern, which is considered one of the best in the burg. A valuable source of information, Scintaer is an expert on illithids and Githyanki, as he spent 3 years as a illithid slave, and another 7 years as a Githyanki prisoner, after the latter "liberated" him from the Githyanki.

Last, for those in need of jink, the Order of Githimon pays generously to brave souls who will foray into Githyanki and Githzerai territory and smuggle out people, items and information. For such missions, one must contact a high-ranking member of the Order, either in the Astral Citadel or the Chapterhouse.

LOCAL NEWS: A failed raid on a Pirate of Gith stronghold in Wildspace has left the leadership of the Order of Githimon angry and they are now planning a widespread assault on 3 major pirate strongholds and ships. Rumour is that the Order plans to capture a couple of astral ships from the githyanki, and use those in the assault. While no one from the Order will confirm any such information, it is apparent that the Order is up to something, as many of its numbers have been using the Astral gate of late.

Another top-secret dark that has leaked out is that the Order's infiltrator knights are busy recruiting high-ups from among the githyanki, while preparing to assassinate the Lich-Queen. Hoping that by securing a friendly githyanki leadership, once the Lich-Queen is dead, the Order may begin the reunification of the gith race and stop the githyanki-githzerai war.

The Quarters of the Burg

I. Gith's Quarter This area is the largest part of the gate town housing the burg's vast True Gith population. Covering nearly half of the Island's surface, the quarter is made up of typical Itharian houses, few of which top the 2nd floor, and the narrow, curving paved alleys that snake between the buildings. Important sites within the quarter are the Wyvern Stables, the Mausoleum of Gith and the Chapterhouse of the Order of Githimon. II. Nevim Grove One of the two large areas on Itharin devoted to plantlife, Nevim Grove is made up of are a number of springs of varied sizes surrounded by a thick grove of thlk'ronne trees.

These springs, are not used for drinking water, instead being used to grow various water birds to be served on the tables of Itharian homes.

The grove, like all plantlife on Itharin is cared for by the Stchokoth of the Githimon Order.

III. Prime's Quarter

Not reaching even half the size of the Gith's Quarter, Prime's Quarter covers approximately a twelfth of Itharin's surface. In all outer appearances identical to the Gith's Quarter, Prime's Quarter differs greatly in its population of all other quarters. Maintaining the largest hub of prime population in the outer planes, it supports a colourful mixed community of prime humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and several other races as well.

Prime's Quarter centres around the Primewalkers Guild that controls most of the trade to and from the prime material plane, the Bazaar and also holds the large complex owned by Qwain Opul.

IV. Githyanki's Quarter

The smallest of part of the burg, Itharin supports a relatively large community of renegade githyanki who fled their people either for not conforming with their evil ways, or were prompted to do so by the Zhameck and Lish'tan infiltrators of the Githimon Order. Almost all of the githyanki are members of the militia, although those who were once Mlar, Hr'a'cknir, G"lathk or Varsh may still occupy in their former line of work. Varsh position has changed considerably in Itharin -- from menial caretakers of githyanki broods of eggs, they have gained status and serve all githyanki families in the local community -- a role similar to that of midwives in human society.

V. Githzerai's Quarter

Slightly larger than the Githyanki Quarter, this Quarter supports a fairly large githzerai community, almost all of which are renegade, and were prompted to leave their chaotic society by the Order of Githimon's infiltrators. Surprisingly, the githyanki and the githzerai, who have but a single street to separate their Quarters, get along very well. Curiosity on both sides is taking over as through their work in the burg, especially in the militia, githzerai and githyanki meet on peaceful terms.

At the edge of the quarter, right on the edge of the Island's surface, stand two large towers forming an arch between then which contains a permanent portal leading to the Hive Ward in Sigil.

VI. Gardens of Zerthimon

Another vast expanse of thlk'ronne, the gardens serve both as a place of recreation and as a source of food for Itharin's varied inhabitants. Within the groves, on the far side of the gardens, near Gith's Quarter lie the Itharin's Lord's palace and the Towers of Zerthimon, for which the gardens were named.

The Sites

I. Gate to the Astral Plane A great hole in the centre of Itharin, in the centre of the fortress, leading down into the floating island but disappearing in silvery mists, is the gate to the Astral plane, its other side leading to the floating body of the dead god Uaikonj. II. Astral Citadel A huge githyanki fortress, built by the original true gith who migrated to the Island away from their githyanki brethren. The fortress was built in order for the true gith defend themselves from the dangers of the Astral plane (namely, the githyanki) and was the first home for those first exiles.

The citadel is maintained by various town-dwellers, especially former Mlar among the renegade githyanki. Manned by Itharin's militia and by members of the Order of Githimon the citadel and its forces are commanded by the Warlock Saraq'antir, the current ruler of the gate town.

III. Wyvern Stables

One of the larger buildings in Itharin, the stables are the home and business of Shlistaep Ama-Uruine (Prime / male human / wizard 12 / CN) who founded them seven years back when he accidentally found the Astral side of the gate during one of his "plane-hops" (as he humorously calls them). Seeing the potential of a good business, he set on proving that while the Spire may be infinite, and the island is floating in orbit around the Spire, Itharin itself is at a finite height above the Outlands.

After several months of calculations and many fly spells, he managed to prove that it was possible to fly from the surface of the Outlands up to the island -- it just takes a while, that's all.

He then built the stables, and imported a pride of griffins he bought from a tribe of elves on a prime world. Unfortunately, the griffins were unsuitable for the heights of flying to and from the island, and consumed far too much for Shlistaep to afford and still make a living -- so he made the switch to wyverns. The wyverns however, couldn't survive the cold and humidity of Itharin's climate and once again he was forced to change his mounts -- this time to hippogriffs. A successful move, nearly broke Shlistaep has not only managed to house a small herd, but has already managed to breed them and three of the foals in the herd were born on Itharin.

The only change Shlistaep hasn't managed to make is for people to stop calling it the Wyvern Stables.

Shlistaep "hires" out hippogriffs to travel to and from the Outlands (on the Outlands to a small outpost he owns where the hippogriffs are cared for and are sent back with either a traveller to Itharin, or by one of the stable's workers.

Prices range around 50 gp to or from Itharin, although prices may change with accordance to the weather.

IV. Itharin's Lord's Palace

An ornate palace built in a typical githzerai style was constructed for the town's lords several centuries ago and serves to this day. Somewhat odd and irregular, the palace is an adaptation of githzerai architecture to "normal" surroundings, rather than the chaotic soup of Limbo.

V. Towers of Zerthimon

Constructed merely 300 years ago, these three towers serve as a place of magical study for the gith race. Containing an extensive library of both magical and mundane matters, vast laboratories and some of the finest experts on the magical nature of the Astral plane that are not members of the evil githyanki race.

The larger tower among the three, commonly called the tower of unity, houses the main library, student dorms and wizard's quarters. The smaller towers, the tower of Law and the tower of Chaos, are each devoted to various aspects of magic. (the tower of Law is mainly laboratories for the research of new magic, and the tower of Chaos holds the main experimental chambers, the auditorium and the teaching halls).

VI. Qwain's Complex

Qwain Opul (Planar / male air genasi / wizard (diviner) / Athar / LN), is the proprietor of the large boarding house dominating the outer reaches of Prime's Quarter. Due to the many and varied visitors to the gate town, Qwain has expanded his Inn and fashioned its many sections to suit the different tastes of its patrons.

The largest section is the one devoted to mortal prime residents, decorated with various statues and tapestries from as far as Oerth, Krynn and Abeir-Toril, art-collecting being one of Qwain's long-time hobbies.

Other sections cater for such races as gith (all), planars, celestials and even a pair of rooms for the rare fiend who might come through (although these rooms are in the basement, and have special walls to prevent any sound from coming through). The place is clean, the food is good and prices are fair, although woe to anyone who damages one of Qwain's pieces of art!

VII. Primewalker's Guild

This building is the Guildhall of the Primewalker's Guild who support and sponsor adventurers travelling the prime. Most of the cutters there are primes, although several planars who have also "primewalked" for many years are members as well. The Guild sponsors and aids travellers to the prime, especially traders -- for it is they who keep the city financially alive by bringing in valuable commodities such as metals, woods, spices, foodstuffs and other materials found on the prime. Much of the merchandise from the prime only changes hands in Itharin and then heads to Sigil.

The Guild aids people through advice by experienced primes or primewalkers, books on the various worlds, and at times may even have several adventurers ready for hire to accompany travellers as guides in the Prime Material Plane.

VIII. Nevim Grove Springs

Four small springs of varied sizes are the heart of Nevim Grove. More like shallow ponds, the springs are only a yard and a half deep at their deepest sections. The water itself seeps into the springs through cracks in the rock in the upper lining of the springs, just near the surface, after water overflows in one of the floating island's underground cavern filling it until it reaches the surface through tiny cracks in the rock.

The springs are owned collectively by the town's inhabitants, and are managed by the Stchokoth of the Githimon Order. The Stchokoth raise birds such as duck, swan and other waterbirds, as well as a unique kind of fish thought to be native to Itharin. Both the birds and the fish are raised to serve as food for the islands populace.

IX. Chapterhouse of the Order of Githimon

A grey dull building hiding the inner beauty of the Chapterhouse of the Githimon order. Like the Towers of Zerthimon, the Chapterhouse is a monument of cultural synthesis combining the building ways and cultural architectural themes of both the githyanki and the githzerai as one. The Chapterhouse is divided into several sections -- each housing and training initiates to the paths of the Order: Zhameck, Brr'theen, Sonan Magi, M'Sokor, Lish'tan, Mulzha and Stchokoth.

X. Marketplace/Bazaar

A small marketplace, set among empty Itharian buildings (used by various merchants during the day, vacant by night) with wide alleys between them, serves the residents of Itharin and the merchants from the planes and the prime. Stands are erected in the morning and taken apart at night no permanent shops here. Merchants who settle on the island for good usually set up a shop in whatever quarter they live in.

XI. Mausoleum of Gith

Supposedly the mausoleum of the great Gith who led her people to freedom, the mausoleum is more of a monument to the race's accomplishment and a museum for its history. The building is built in galleries around a central hall where a large black boulder is set on a pedestal.

The Order of Githimon claims that it's knights had long ago ventured into the depth of Baator and stolen this rock from the clutches of Tiamat. Supporters of this tale say that the remains, or perhaps even the living body of the woman Gith are contained within the rock, sealed for a time yet to come.

Most consider it a mere tale, and the mausoleum is nothing more than a museum for gith history.

However some believe there is some truth to the tale -- but all attempts, magical or mundane, have failed in breaking the rock.

XII. Portal to Sigil

These arched towers are always in the direction of the centre of the Spire, and mark the orbit of the Island of Itharin with a special mechanical device provided long ago by an inventive gnome. This device, set in the arch of the portal to Sigil, calculates location of the Island around the Spire and marks each orbit -- thus enabling to tell time in Itharin.

The arch itself, should someone walk through it carrying a silver dagger, will cause a foggy mist to appear at random in the Hive Ward in Sigil and leave the person who walked through the portal, stranded in the chaotic ward.

Natural Conditions

Itharin's Climate

The island of Itharin, benefits (or suffers) from a unique climate. Due to the rocky Isle's location orbiting the Spire at cloud level, it is constantly shrouded in fogs and mists.

The cloud level changing only according to temporary winds and such, most of the time the burg is immersed in the clouds.

As a result, humidity levels are incredibly high, and some creatures may find it quite uncomfortable to live there, still with all the humidity it doesn't rain as often as one would think due to the Isle being in the upper cloud layers. Only in winter, when the clouds are especially thick, does rain occur often.

Geology and Hydrography of the Floating Island

The rock which makes up almost the entire of the island is a type of tectonic rock, not dissimilar to Granite, but which doesn't exist anywhere else (except perhaps the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Minerals). Large caverns within the rock, of which some open up on the lower sides of the island, form massive aquifers and water reserves due to the extreme humidity within the cloud levels. Since Itharin is somewhat colder that the air surrounding it, water condenses all the time, especially within the underground caverns, thus creating the large water supply which supports the burg.

Some of these caverns also spew onto the surface forming the Nevim Grove Springs.

Plant and Animal Life

Itharin has only two living beings native to it. The Thlk'Ronne groves and a special fish called Ryzh.

Thlk'Ronne: The only plant native to Itharin, what may seem like vast numbers of trees is in fact merely half a dozen trees. Actually, each grove is one or two trees, which have spread branches and roots out, to form new trees, new roots and have spread out over a huge area.

Thlk'ronne, which feeds on the humidity in the air, uses its roots only to hold itself in the ground, and somehow extract the minerals it requires from the rocky floor of the island. An extremely useful tree, its wood is highly prized for furniture and handicrafts, and as such is not used as firewood. In addition, it produces 2 edible growths -- one, which appears year round, is a brown, sphere-shaped fruit with a red, thick, sweet flesh, and a single large pit in the centre (of which various items such as oil, soap, spices and other commodities may be produced). The fruit, called Quan, can be used in the making of wine, preserves, various dishes, and is a pillar in the diet of inhabitants of the isle.

But only in the winter does thlk'ronne produce the sasin nut, which grows in large quantities and is usually stored either whole in its shell, or after being pounded into flour. Sasin as well has many uses and is a very important commodity which supports the dwellers of Itharin.

The other island natives are rizh. A medium sized, flat fish which provides much of the protein of the isle's dwellers.

Both the fish and the trees are tended by the Stchokoth of the Githimon Order, a meager number of true gith druids who care for the plants and animals, sometimes even with spells (using plant growth on thlk'ronne, for instance).

The Under-Towers

Another one of the floating burg's mysteries, the Under-Towers are six crumbling towers, hanging from the "bottom" of the Island facing downwards. Most are in ruins, and only two of them are fully accessible, although even those are crumbling with large holes and weak structure. The Towers may be reached via six tunnels, each in a different corner of the town, which lead through the rock island into the towers. The towers are currently empty, and no one knows what they once contained, only that they were already there, crumbling ruins, when the first gith arrived on the island.

On the two towers that still retain most of their structure, the chamber at the tip of the tower (its lowest level) may still be accessed. These chambers have windows to all directions, from which one may see the Outlands, and peer into infinity.

Appendix A: The True Gith and the Order of Githimon

Gith, True

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Outlands or Special
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANISATION: Family or Monastic
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional to Genius (15-18)
TREASURE: R or Special
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good
NO. APPEARING: 1-4 (away from lair)
ARMOUR CLASS: 9 or by armour
MOVEMENT: 12, 96 on Limbo and the Astral
HIT DICE: Per class and level
THAC0: Per class and level
NO. OF ATTACKS: Per class and level
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Per class and level
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENCES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 10% + 2% per each level
SIZE: M (6' tall)
MORALE: Elite to Fearless (14-20)
XP VALUE: Per class and level

True Gith are the descendants of the original gith race that threw off the yoke of illithid slavery. A small group, they first migrated to the Astral plane as part of the Githyanki, but due to conflicts of ideology and morals they left their brethren and migrated on until they found the gate on a dead god and founded the gate town on the floating island of Itharin. One of the pillars of their belief is that their race will never again suffer totalitarian rule such as either the illithid slavery, or the kind of dictatorship held by the Lich-Queen and the Wizard-King of the githyanki and the githzerai.

Alignment Shifting: A unique ability of the true gith, it enables them to cause their alignment to appear as if different. Thus, they may shift their alignment to evil in order to impersonate a githyanki or to CN when passing as a githzerai. This power may be employed twice a day, for an indefinite length of time. The ability encompasses more than a mere magical illusion, for it combines both magic and the gith's innate psionic affinity to create a plausible cover which neither magic nor psionics may penetrate.

The Order of Githimon

The history of the Order of Githimon is the history of the true gith themselves. The elite of the gith race, who separated from the githyanki after the latter's devolution into evil.

Originally the best and finest of the gith race, they were the first to heed the woman Gith's call, forming the basis of the underground freedom movement which started the revolution. The first and most loyal of all of Gith's followers, they were also the first to see her new path to evil -- a path she was ready to set her newly freed people on.

The rise of Zerthimon and his views only convinced this group of gith elite, of the truth of their beliefs, but the civil war that broke out quickly stopped their moves to a halt.

Too few and far between, they had to quit voicing their beliefs lest Gith and her githyanki attack them just as they attacked the followers of Zerthimon. Hoping they could stop the evil from within, they continued on with the githyanki to the Astral, but already there they began to see the society Gith was forming: a society that would give them freedom to live, but no freedom to leave. A Society in which they will not be able to raise their families and have the freedom of their own opinions, was what they saw in Gith's actions, and they knew they must migrate before they be assimilated.

Leaving their brethren, these gith, once the leaders of the great rebellion, led their families on until they came upon the gate to the Outlands, which opened to the floating Island of Itharin.

These gith (who later named themselves the true gith) settled the island and formed the Order of Githimon (named for both their first leader Gith, and the martyr Zerthimon) which set as a goal to someday reunite the Gith race and rebuild all that was lost and destroyed -- both by the illithids and by the githyanki-githzerai war.

Hiding the Astral side of the gate with a special invisibility spell, and holding the other side by controlling the citadel, the true gith prevent the githyanki from discovering the gate town and spilling into the Outer Planes. However, their main goal is to unite once again the entire Gith race and stop the war raging between the githyanki and the githzerai.

However, the true gith hate and despise their cousins the pirates of gith, seeing them as a decadent and corrupt branch of their race which cannot be redeemed and thus must be destroyed. They despise the pirates' evil ways and carnivorous, even cannibalistic, life.

Currently, not all true gith are members of the Order, but the order centres around itself most aspects of life on Itharin.

The ranks of the Order are as follows:

Zhameck (illithid hunters/Pirates of Gith hunters)

The Zhameck are fighters, fighter/mages and fighter/psionicists who specialise in the hunting of illithids and pirates of gith, specifically in the Astral plane and the Prime. Cunning and ruthless, the Zhameck are the elite of the Order's fighters, and most of them spend their time in the Astral or the Prime. The recent acquisition of a Hammership with a spelljamming helm, has strengthened the Zhameck in their hunting throughout Wildspace and the crystal spheres of the prime.

Brr'theen (Infiltrator Knights)

Another part of the order's elite, the Brr'theen are special knights who utilise special powers of shapechanging and masking their alignment which they utilise in order to infiltrate githyanki and githzerai communities, where they sow dissent and seek out those who wish to flee from their evil and/or confining societies. These Knights seek out in secret those who would join their cause and with the help of the Lish'tan, smuggle them out and send them on to Itharin.

Sonan Magi (mages)

Members of the Order who practice the various forms of magic are known generally as Sonan Magi. These magic-users, numbering both mages and specialists amongst their numbers, serve the order with their spells and magical items, strengthening the Order through their arcane arts. On special missions, the Order may even send Sonan Magi with Zhameck parties or with infiltrating Brr'theen or Lish'tan.

M'Sokor (psionicists)

Just as important as the Sonan Magi, the Order has found that Psionic proficient Gith can be a powerful tool in their aims to reunify the gith race. Undetectable by magic, M'Sokor use their psionics where Sonan Magi dare not tread. In addition, the Order has found that using psionically empowered items can be a boon as they cannot be magically detected. Thus, the M'Sokor create many empowered items to arm the other branches of the Order, In addition to their active tours of service.

Lish'tan (Infiltrator Thieves)

The Lish'tan provide the bulk of the Order's infiltrator forces who seek out enlightened githyanki and githzerai. The Lish'tan use their special alignment and face masking to appear as githyanki and Githzerai, and may even go undercover for years before acting. Specially trained in the arts of stealth, the Lish'tan also provide the true gith with an extensive intelligence grid throughout the gith world, and some even whisper that a few have managed to infiltrate a pirate of gith crew on a spelljamming ship in the Prime.

Mulzha (Fighters for the Itharin Militia)

Mulzha are the simple fighters of the true gith who serve as the main policing force and defence guard of the floating island. This is also the only group which is not fully part of the Order. Many of the Mulzha are members of the Order, but also non-members may join, and the Mulzha follow the orders of the Town Lord, currently -- Sharaq'antir.

Stchokoth (Druids)

Few gith ever have this calling but some rare individuals do, and they serve the Order and the town by caring for the plant and animal life on the island through knowledge and spells, providing much of the gate-town's food.

Even more rare are occurrences when a Stchokoth advances to a higher level and receives a special role in the Order, something in the way of a "secret weapon" used on various missions (such as sabotaging githyanki fungi farms, accompanying groups of Zhameck on a hunt or even aiding infiltrating Lish'tan or Brr'theen).

Appendix B: Uaikonj and his Priesthood

Uaikonj

AoC: Survival
AL: NG
WAL: Any N or G
Symbol: A hemp rope interlined with silver
Home P/L/R: Astral Plane -- Dead God-Body
Known Proxies: High Priest Bvon Terr'c (Planar / female gith / priest 15 / LN), Salvireen (Planar / male gith / fighter 12 / priest 10 / NG)

Uaikonj was the only god on a prime material world to which he devoted his entire attention. The world, plagued with an unstable geology and climate caused its inhabitants to need Uaiknoj and his priests. For thousands of years, Uaikonj's priests sustained his followers and enabled them to survive the terrible conditions on the world, until a spelljamming ship entered the system and a new way of life was introduced.

With spelljamming came powerful wizards who could stabilise parts of the world with their magic, and within a hundred years, a populace surviving in harmony with nature was altered by "civilisation" -- living in towns and cities in those havens created by the mages.

Such a fundamental change caused a steady decline in belief -- and Uaikonj's status was demoted from greater deity, to intermediate, to lesser. Before long Uaikonj had lost all his priests, and was a demigod roaming the wild parts of his world.

Just recently (in cosmic planar time), was he cast out into the Astral plane, slowly loosing consciousness and then a gate formed on his god-body floating in the Astral plane. Shortly after that, the renegade gith found the gate and moved on through it, finding the Island of Itharin.

Before losing his consciousness his essence of survival took control and he found a way to preserve himself -- the gith.

Revealing himself to the gith in dreams, he found followers among them, and later cut a deal with the Order: he would make his realm on the Astral, and make his God-body invisible from prying githyanki eyes, and in tern he would become the god of the gith. With the rise of the gith on Itharin, and being free to find followers and priests among their numbers, even becoming the "official" god of the entire Gith race perhaps (once it's unified), Uaikonj found a way to preserve himself.

Uaikonj is slowly gaining followers among the gith, especially among members of the Order, and has a number of priests as well. His first priest Bvon Terr'c, has since become his proxy, thus gaining the ability to rise to high levels.

His other proxy Salvireen, a more recent "recruit", is an infiltrator knight who hides among the Githyanki seeking out potential followers for his god.