Tu’Narath, the Capitol of all Githyanki Cities

HISTORY FOR C3

• Where Lykalada'ath was born
• Very different after the 1,000 years since he went missing
• Located within the Astral Sea
• Built upon the corpse of an ancient dead god.
• The githyanki were motivated by revenge and convinced that they deserved to take whatever they wanted from the worlds they traveled. Ranging out from the titanic city of Tu’narath on the Astral Plane, they send raiders out to plunder the Material Plane and other worlds, bringing treasures and slaves back to their ageless realm. At the same time, they hunt down and kill mind flayers whenever possible, as recompense for what the illithids did to them.

PRE-TIME-JUMP

• Height of Githyanki dominance, Mindflayers were on the retreat, and Githyanki swore to destroy every last one of them
• Lykalada'ath cresche was on Terus, at the time isolated with few inhabitants
• RUMOR has it that the Manjesi that terrorized Chalinos in C1 was one of the Dragons left behind when the Githyanki abandoned Terus

POST TIME-JUMP

• Githyanki have spent over a thousand years searching for Mindflayers
• Few remained, and were wiped out, leading to a millennia of Githyanki unable to complete their final trial, lots of them remained as pirates in the stars, unable to return to Tu'Narath
• Without a war to fight, and with the Githzerai retreating to their home in Limbo, Githyanki thirst for blood has led them to become pirates, mercenaries, and profiteers
• have become more and more cynical, warlike and corrupt under Lich Queen Vlaakith, her power growing enormous with the more Githyanki warriors she consumes
• Abandoned Terus as a cretch once it became more crowded and new Gods came to Domunz, protecting the inhabitants from the warlike Githyanki
• Tu'Narath is a dark shadow of its former self, recognizable to Lykalada'ath but even he noticed things are bleak and much darker

Tu’narath

"They call it the City of Death. I would mock such a tired excuse for a name, but if it fits, who am I to argue?" — Gimble, gnome bard

When the githyanki fled from the illithids, Vlaakith led them to safety on the Astral Plane inside the floating corpse of a six-armed deity. This being’s body long ago calcified into a great slab of rock, its lower half smashed by some ancient disaster. A trail of debris, some of the stones larger than a castle, extends from the corpse’s lower end.

• The city of Tu’narath is built on and in the corpse’s upper body, with a central district in the area corresponding to its chest and ancillary districts radiating outward along its six outstretched arms and toward its head. Despite the body’s partial destruction, the occasional tremor that echoes through its rocky mass suggests that some spark of life might still linger deep within.
• Anyone who visits the city does so either at the behest of the githyanki or in stealth. Fortunately for those who try to enter clandestinely, the place is immense enough that a small group can sneak in with relative ease.
• If uninvited visitors arrive openly, they can expect a sharp reception from githyanki patrol vessels. If that’s not enough to bring them to heel, the call goes out for a squad of dragon-mounted knights.

"I have been to Tu’narath. A heaven for the githyanki it is not. Their apathy and frustration manifest as a visible fog, which clears only when the githyanki ready for war." -- Mordenkeinen

The Streets of Tu’narath

Tu’narath is a jumble of crooked streets that run between buildings and other structures that are ripped from the worlds of other planes. Many githyanki raiders have a particular obsession for architecture, which they satisfy by seizing buildings from the Material Plane and other locales and relocating them in Tu’narath.

• Often, these prizes don’t remain intact for long. When residents become bored or find themselves in the mood for debauchery, the githyanki’s natural propensity for violence manifests in the form of a great brawl or wild celebration that causes serious damage to their surroundings. When a structure has served its purpose and is no longer useful (or even recognizable), the githyanki tear the debris from its resting place and throw it into a refuse pile or cast it adrift into the astral sea, to be eventually replaced by a new specimen.
• Nonetheless, the city does have a great number of permanent structures, and a system of districts in which particular functions or activities are concentrated.

TU'NARATH IN BRIEF

Here are some key details of Tu’narath.

• Population. Roughly one hundred thousand folk dwell in Tu’narath. The vast majority are githyanki, but visitors from other planes aren’t uncommon. Individuals who come to deal with the githyanki reside here. Residents also include captives that the githyanki have taken on raids.
• Law and Order. Warriors patrol above the streets in astral skiffs to keep the peace. Githyanki who cause unwarranted conflict are disciplined, but such punishment is rarely lethal. Any visitor who causes a ruckus, however, is likely to be slain on the spot, unless Vlaakith has specifically forbidden such action.
• Inns. Tu’narath has no taverns or inns in the traditional sense. The githyanki expect visitors to carve out their own accommodations; they can choose from among any number of abandoned structures. As an alternative, a small troupe of renegade modrons maintains a crumbling citadel called the Iron House that has rooms for rent. Visitors can pay with interesting trinkets from across the planes.
• Markets. There are no organized markets in Tu’narath. The githyanki don’t offer goods for sale to visitors, and they don’t purchase items offered to them — they simply take what they want.

Queen’s District.

Susurrus, the queen’s stronghold, is protected by thick, obsidian walls. Only one gate leads into it, located on a path that passes beneath the statue of Gith. Beyond the statue, the path becomes a labyrinthine maze designed to prevent attackers or visitors from gaining access to the queen. Vlaakith’s throne room, a gargantuan hall supported by obsidian pillars, sits at the center of the labyrinth. Guarded by two red dragons, Vlaakith sits upon her Throne of Bones and holds court over her supplicants.

Glathk District.

A muddy field that extends as far as the eye can see is the githyanki equivalent of a labor camp. The glathk district, named after the Gith word for “farmer” — a term of derision — is where githyanki are taken when they violate society’s rules. Punishments are nonlethal, and often don’t involve physical harm. Instead, offenders are forced to submit to the mind-numbing sameness of performing one task interminably — a fate that, for some, might feel worse than death. For instance, a warrior might be sequestered here after slacking off during weapons practice, sentenced to a prison term and charged with moving piles of mud from one end of the field to the other. Elsewhere, a squad of warriors stands at attention for an indeterminate time, after their failure to maintain proper formations during drills.

• Those incarcerated here are rarely supervised closely, but knights patrol the area regularly.

District of Discards.

The githyanki dispose of loot that they have no use for in a space on the outer surface of Tu’narath set aside for the purpose. Such items can range from trophies and treasure to prisoners of other races that have been set free and left to fend for themselves. The few githyanki who dwell here maintain a semblance of order amid the wreckage by categorizing the castaway items, making it easier for other githyanki to locate objects related to their personal interests.

• Creatures seeking to infiltrate Tu’narath have had success in using this place as a base, since the warriors and knights seldom patrol it, and several groups of freed captives — humans, elves, hobgoblins, and other sorts — make their homes here.

Military Districts.

Soldiers and officers occupy several areas around the city, most of which contain defensive works and armories. The githyanki also maintain barracks that serve as mustering points in advance of raids. All githyanki are required to report to one of these districts regularly for weapon practice. Non-githyanki that venture into these areas are attacked on sight unless accompanied by a knight who can vouch for them.

Mlar District.

This area passes for an artisan’s district. Githyanki engaged in distractions that involve artistry or creation gather here, both to share their skills and to show off their goods. Outsiders can pass through the district if appropriately disguised; the githyanki bring captured artisans here to provide insight and tutelage, but rarely keep a close watch on them. After all, they have little chance of escaping the city.

Shipyards.

The githyanki store and maintain their vessels at docks and outcrops that adjoin the military districts. Those who are assigned to ship maintenance enjoy a high status and are allowed to consider their work as part of their military service. Githyanki warriors provide labor as needed.

Dragon Caves.

The shattered lower body of the dead god contains an abundance of natural caves and fissures. Each of the red dragons that serve the githyanki has a lair deep within this region, jealously guarding its hoard until it is called for service. No one has ever successfully mapped out the strange passages and tunnels, and a variety of scavengers, astral predators, and other creatures lair here, some of them likely dating from the time before the githyanki came along. The residents of Tu’narath don’t typically spend time in the caves, except as necessary to tend to the dragons. On occasion, a githyanki craving a new experience might venture into this area for a respite from boredom. Those who don’t return, it can be assumed, found what they were after.

• Rumors persist of an enormous dungeon that lies beyond the caves, a hidden fortress occupied by a mighty demigod who claimed The One in the Void as its home before the githyanki occupied it. Coteries of Red Wizards from the land of Thay on Toril, accompanied by githyanki knights, have ventured into this area in recent years. Supposedly, the Thayans once emerged with a huge adamantine container that rumbled and shook, as if to the beat of a monstrous heart.

SURVIVOR COMMUNITIES

• As befits a society of conquerors, the githyanki have no regard for the victims of their raids. They take lives to assert their dominance, not out of anger or because they feel threatened. From time to time, instead of killing everyone they encounter on a raid, they bring captives back to Tu’narath for various reasons.

• The githyanki treat prisoners with the same detachment and disdain they show for those they slay. When captives are no longer useful, their masters might end their lives, or they might simply stop caring about their possessions and leave the creatures to fend for themselves.
• The hardiest and most elusive of these folk make their way to the District of Discards, where they can take refuge from the threats that face them in other parts of the city and live in relative obscurity. The githyanki care nothing for what goes on in these survivor communities, unless a disruption becomes serious enough to attract their attention. A group of would-be infiltrators might be able to get a foothold in Tu’narath by stealthily entering the district and blending in with a community of survivors.

The Revered Queen of Tu'Narath Since winning their freedom from the mind flayers, the githyanki have become corrupt raiders and destroyers under the rulership of their dread lich-queen, Vlaakith. They dwell on the Astral Plane in the city of Tu’narath, a metropolis built on and in the corpse of a deity.

• Vlaakith commands the loyalty of the githyanki from her personal stronghold, Susurrus, also called the Palace of Whispers, which is located deep inside the floating city. She sits on her Throne of Bones, a mighty artifact fueled by the intellects of mind flayers and elder brains that were defeated by her minions. It is crafted from mind flayer skulls and extremities, and the cushion she sits on is made of leather produced from the cured remains of an elder brain. A grand statue of Gith, an obsidian monument over 100 feet tall, stands beside the palace

"To slay in her name is our greatest service. To die in her name is our last act of reverence." — Meldavh, githyanki knight

Vlaakith sits at the center of everything concerning the githyanki. She is their ruler in every sphere of activity and, as such, demands and receives utter obedience. During the war with the illithids, Vlaakith urged Gith to seek out allies from among the planes and in particular advised her to seek counsel with Tiamat. Gith agreed to venture into the Nine Hells to forge an alliance with the Queen of Dragons. She didn’t return. Instead, the great red dragon Ephelomon brought news to the gith: Tiamat had pledged many of her red dragon servants to the gith cause. They would refrain from attacking gith and would provide support against the illithids and protection for the gith’s outposts on the Material Plane. In return, a few select young dragons would serve alongside the gith for a time, for purposes known only to Tiamat. Ephelomon also proclaimed that Vlaakith was to rule in Gith’s place until she returned.

• After the gith overthrew the mind flayers and Zerthimon’s followers began to emerge as a threat to Gith’s preeminence, Vlaakith played a critical role in ensuring that the githyanki under her rule were protected from an immediate, direct assault by their kin. Using her mastery of arcane magic, she helped the githyanki establish a permanent stronghold on the Astral Plane. From there, she began making plans to strike back at both the hated mind flayers and the traitorous githzerai.

The Grand Proclamation

Vlaakith cemented her position as the supreme ruler of the githyanki with a grand proclamation that defined the githyanki’s all-encompassing mission. They had been bred and trained for war by their one-time masters and had never known anything other than a martial existence. They needed a clear purpose and a forceful commander to spur them on, and Vlaakith provided both.

• Vlaakith decreed that, having defeated the mind flayers, the githyanki would take the place of the illithids as sovereigns of the Material Plane. The many worlds of the Material Plane would be the githyanki’s gardens, prime for harvesting as they saw fit. The Astral Plane would be their home domain, because in that timeless realm they could ignore the need for food, water, and other mundane concerns that plague lesser races.
• Vlaakith also proclaimed that githyanki who proved themselves skilled in battle would ascend to an even greater paradise. A long lifetime of service would earn any githyanki a journey to the boundless delights of her innermost court — the wondrous realm that Gith discovered in her journeys, and where she awaits those who have proven themselves worthy.

"Imagine you lack any concept of family. You’re constantly told that other races are inferior and that only faith in the Revered Queen preserves your people from the traitorous githzerai and the brain-eating illithids. You undergo years of hard labor and study and then embark on a perilous illithid hunt. Failure means death, but if you succeed, you’re brought to the Astral, where you are welcomed into a society of people just like yourself. I’ll say this for Vlaakith: she knows how to build fanatics. But alas, fanatics are good for nothing of lasting consequence." - Mordenkainen

The Bitter Truth

In the time since Vlaakith made this promise to her people, she has called many of the most formidable githyanki warriors to their reward. At the culmination of a grand ceremony that supposedly readies them for their journey to where Gith awaits, the supplicants enter her inner sanctum and are never seen again.

• In truth, instead of sending them to paradise, Vlaakith drains their souls and absorbs their strength, gaining more power with every “ascension.” Her knowledge of arcane magic equals that of a conclave of archmages, while her combat skill matches the combined talents of hundreds of sword masters.

• Perhaps the lich-queen’s promise isn’t a complete fabrication, but no others can say for sure. If Vlaakith knows anything more, she has taken drastic measures to keep it secret. A few sages and spellcasters have sought to learn the truth about Gith’s fate using arcane magic, only to fall victim to a bizarre curse that transforms them into the formless creatures known as allips.

• All attempts to learn about Gith through divine magic return utter silence. Those who try experience a strange sensation, as if their minds were teetering on the edge of a great abyss, one that spans time, space, and memory.

Githyanki-and-their-endless-war - DNDBeyond

On Eberron

The githyanki city of Tu’narath lies in the Astral Plane, while the githzerai have established their stronghold in the chaos of Kythri. If you wish to have traffic between Eberron and the wider multiverse, Tu’narath can lie between Eberron and the planes that lie beyond; an incursion by the githyanki could be the first sign of contact with the outer multiverse. On the other hand, it’s just as easy to say that the gith of Eberron are tied to the setting and have no traffic with the broader multiverse. The gith are a race enslaved by the mind flayers, who overthrew these cruel masters and raised fortresses in the planes. This story holds true in Eberron, with one twist. It was the daelkyr who invaded the world of the gith. The daelkyr created the first mind flayers from gith stock and turned these monsters against their own people. So it was the mind flayers who destroyed the gith—but worse still, the mind flayers are themselves a twisted reflection of the gith.

• To date, the githyanki and githzerai have played no significant role in the history of Eberron, and only the wisest sage would recognize one. If you play a gith character, consider what brings you to Eberron. Are you a githyanki scout gathering information for a future incursion… or a rebel who wants to protect the world from such a fate? Are you here to hunt mind flayers or to oppose the schemes of the daelkyr? Or are you just a curious explorer?