The character I've played the most so far is Gehk the Githyanki ranger.

[Linked Image]

As you can see he's quite handsome.

Gehk was born in a creche on some world in the Prime Material Plane like most of his kind. He endured the same brutal upbringing other Githyanki do. Rigorous daily training. Occasional duels to the death against his own peers. Tests of endurance against torture, burning, acid baths, etc. etc. And of course he was raised to all but worship Vlaakith and despise the mind flayers above all else. Despite the Hell training he managed to make strong bonds with a few of his fellow students and they made plans to find a job on the same astral skiff so they could continue benefiting from each other's strength (and company, not like they l-liked each other or anything, baka). Gehk's creche was located near a rocky shore along a river and he'd often spend time walking the beaches or swimming in the river to hone his physical ability (and to enjoy the sunshine and a good swim, not that he'd ever admit it).

He also picked up an incredible fondness for frogs and often spent time watching them when nobody was looking. He now insists frogs are the only good thing about the Prime Material Plane and will go out of his way to aid frogs and only frogs. All other living things but frogs and Githyanki may as well not even exist.

When the time came for his rite of passage his creche raided an Illithid stronghold and things took a turn for the worse. The stronghold had better defenses than was expected and a good chunk of the creche died, including Gehk's comrades. Gehk managed to secure a stealth kill on an already wounded mind flayer and took its head before him and the rest of the survivors were forced to flee.

Watching the few people in this world (or any other) that Gehk considered a friend get their minds devoured by mind flayers left him with an especially burning hatred for their kind even by the standards of most Githyanki.

Still, he was able to present the mind flayer's head to Vlaakith and become acknowledged as an adult. Carrying on the dreams of himself and his companions he got a job working on an astral skiff. It was a small crew of a dozen or so and they mostly sailed the Astral Sea hunting astral whales to bring food back to support the larger raiding vessels. A not-so-glorious but worthwhile life that allowed him to do good for the Githyanki all the same. Occasionally his Sarth would join up with other small skiffs to enter into the Prime Material Plane and conduct small scale raids for goods to bolster their income when hunting was poor which gave Gehk ample experience as a slave hunter and looter of goods.

(Mechanically I took the Sailor background. Seems fitting enough)

Eventually there was word of a much larger raid being organized and all the local skiffs and ships were being called in for it. His Sarth signed up for this glorious undertaking and Gehk would finally have his first real taste of glory!

.... And then he got a tadpole stuck in his head.