Once the enslaved servants of Mindflayers, the Astral-dwelling Githzerai are now known for their closed off communities full of ascetics and philosophers.
Slaves of the Mindflayers
Githzerai and Githyanki were once united as one people. When they were one, the Mindflayers enslaved them and used them for cattle and prison labor. They were subjugated for centuries, treated like dirt beneath the Mindflayers' feet. Rebellion was seen as hopeless, and their spirits were completely crushed.
United Under Gith
An ancient thrall-turned-warrior, Gith helped lead the thrall rebellions against the Mindflayers and became the first leader of the Githyanki. Her willpower proved incredibly strong, able to defeat the Mindflayers subjugation and encourage a new spirit in her fellow gith. With this newfound strength and courage, the Mindflayers were defeated and the enslavement of the gith people was no more.
The Splitting Of One People
Unfortunately, nothing good can last forever. With their newfound freedom, Gith proposed taking over the cosmos and Astral Sea under a new gith empire. Zerthimon, the first leader of the Githzerai, called these ambitions as tyrannical and oppressive as the plans of their previous slavemasters. He proposed a new path of unity, living alongside the rest of the universe as they focused on improving their inner self. This irreconcilable difference caused a civil war between the Githzerai and Githyanki that still rages on to this day.
You know the mage hand cantrip, and the hand is invisible when you cast the cantrip with this trait.
Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the shield spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the detect thoughts spell with it. Once you cast shield or detect thoughts spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race). None of these spells require spell components when you cast them with this trait.
Your innate psychic defenses grant you advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed and frightened conditions on yourself.
You have resistance to psychic damage.
You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.