Confirmed, Githyanki are Elves

[Holy Athena]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3027540893

Edit: I'm gonna put this here, that this was simply a joke, as I think the picture was just mis labeled by the devs... Unless the devs are giving us some easter egg lore.

Either way. It was just a joke to illustrate an oddly labeled picture.

[Zef]

Nobody knows what race Githyanki where originally but if you only focus on the ears there is a certain plausability that it was some type of elves.

Personally i think it was neither elves nor humans before the ilithid corrupted them, but some other form of "humanoid".

[victorvnv]

I thought they are orcs/ half orcs when I first met Laezel, just a skinnier version

[Kabreras]

Originally posted by Zef:

Nobody knows what race Githyanki where originally but if you only focus on the ears there is a certain plausability that it was some type of elves.

Prety much every non humans races have pointy ears.

[Holy Athena]

Originally posted by Zef:

Nobody knows what race Githyanki where originally but if you only focus on the ears there is a certain plausability that it was some type of elves.

Personally i think it was neither elves nor humans before the ilithid corrupted them, but some other form of "humanoid".

Yea no idea really. I just found it funny that a picture of a githyanki was labeled as Elven.

Dev Oversight? Or easter egg lore? hmmm...

[Ghost]

IIRC, despite their current appearance they were originally humans.

The painting in question may be a case of unreliable narrator (or artist in this case) or the devs not actually knowing.

They are sometimes mistaken for elves and you can even say you're a swamp elf to one of the tiefling kids.

[Estevan Valladares]

Gith are not elves, that is a given.
The text that you can consider "trustworthy" says some sages state that Gith (which are not only githyanki) were a race of humans enslaved by the mindflayers. Some go forth to say that they tried to use their power, and therefore made themselves easier to be enslaved as a race.
Gith scholars state that their original race was not related to any other.
Elves exist time enough so they would know if Gith were related to them or not.

In AD&D however they are definitely originated from Humans.

Fiend Folio 1st edition states:
"Millenia ago the mind flayers (see ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MONSTER MANUAL - Mind flayer) conquered a race of evil humans and bound them to service, usually employing them as slaves but from time to time selecting particularly choice victims for food. The humans harboured deep resentment for centuries but could not summon up sufficient strength to free themselves from the mind flayer yoke. Gradually, in secret, they developed their powers and strength. Then under the leadership of the supreme leader Gith, they rebelled against their captors and, after a long and vicious struggle, succeeded in gaining their autonomy. From that moment, the race became known as the githyanki and they quickly gained a reputation as powerful psionicists and deadly fighters with an instinct for violence."

[Zef]

Originally posted by Ghost:

IIRC, despite their current appearance they were originally humans.

The painting in question may be a case of unreliable narrator (or artist in this case) or the devs not actually knowing.

They are sometimes mistaken for elves and you can even say you're a swamp elf to one of the tiefling kids.

It's quite ambiguous tbh.

Some sources say they were definitly humans before the ilithid changed them, other sources say it's unknown but was some type of humanoid. Depends on the D&D version and which material you're referencing to.

[Ghost]

Here we go: AD&D Fiend Folio, 1981, page 43. (First official appearance)

"Millennia ago the mind flayers (see ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS MONSTER MANUAL - Mind Flayer) conquered a race of evil humans and bound them to service..."

[Sikamikanico]

they are half goblin half man

[cire87]

i was told they were humans who changed a super long time ago in the astral as slaves

[zpc]

What did you just say? Noblemen? Were there 2 dozen? And was there any insubordination?

[アンジェル]

Grinch