i didn’t know Gith other than BG3, so this is for other folks that might miss the humor here. I dodnt know if Yanki was a racial or social pejorative, turns out neither.

The content — about “gith,” “githzerai,” and “yankis” — riffs on the lore of Gith / Githzerai vs. Githyanki, but it’s phrased in a meme / parody style, with modern slang.

Here’s what is real:

• In D&D lore, there is a race (originally called “Gith”) which split into two factions: the Githyanki and Githzerai.
• Githzerai are those who reject (or “spurn”) the legacy of “Gith” as embodied by the more militant Githyanki.
• “Yankis” isn’t an official term; in the BG3 / Gith-related fan lexicon “yank” (or “yanki”) is used as a shorthand for Githyanki or children of Gith.

Given that, the image is a fan creation / internet meme that mixes official D&D lore with modern slang for comedic effect. It quotes a fictional bard named “Crisrok, githzerai bard,” which is almost certainly invented for the meme rather than drawn from a module.

githzerai vs Githyanki

The Gith were once enslaved by the illithids (mind flayers). Their leader, Gith, led a rebellion and freed them. But after liberation, Gith herself became a militarist zealot bent on endless conquest. A faction led by Zerthimon rejected her tyranny and broke away — that schism created the two peoples:

• Githyanki: follow Gith’s warlike creed. Proud, imperialistic, and often cruel.
• Githzerai: follow Zerthimon’s path of asceticism, discipline, and rejection of violence.

So to a Githzerai, calling someone a “Githyanki” might carry the sting of insult — not because the word itself is taboo, but because it symbolizes everything they reject: domination, arrogance, and bloodlust.

In-universe, “Githyanki” roughly means “Children of Gith” (or “Followers of Gith”) in their tongue. It’s not pejorative by definition, but derogatory by association, depending on who’s speaking and to whom.

It’s like calling someone a “Spartan” — neutral historically, but in some contexts, it can imply brutality or fanaticism.

Do the githzerai reject violence? They have a whole order of psionic warriors called the zerth. I got the impression they think violence should be used responsibly when it is necessary to defend the freedom of sapient beings against tyranny—they certainly don’t regret the rebellion against the illithids, for example.

The writeup this person made below the break reads to me like they gave the meme to ChatGPT to explain. I don’t think they know what they’re talking about.

The writeup this person made below the break reads to me like they gave the meme to ChatGPT to explain. I don’t think they know what they’re talking about.

CORRECT!

i had no frame of reference to understand the meme. i even said so…

i didn’t know Gith other than BG3, so this is for other folks that might miss the humor here. I dodnt know if Yanki was a racial or social pejorative, turns out neither.

The content — about “gith,” “githzerai,” and “yankis” — riffs on the lore of Gith / Githzerai vs. Githyanki, but it’s phrased in a meme / parody style, with modern slang.

Here’s what is real:

• In D&D lore, there is a race (originally called “Gith”) which split into two factions: the Githyanki and Githzerai.
• Githzerai are those who reject (or “spurn”) the legacy of “Gith” as embodied by the more militant Githyanki.
• “Yankis” isn’t an official term; in the BG3 / Gith-related fan lexicon “yank” (or “yanki”) is used as a shorthand for Githyanki or children of Gith.

Given that, the image is a fan creation / internet meme that mixes official D&D lore with modern slang for comedic effect. It quotes a fictional bard named “Crisrok, githzerai bard,” which is almost certainly invented for the meme rather than drawn from a module.

githzerai vs Githyanki

The Gith were once enslaved by the illithids (mind flayers). Their leader, Gith, led a rebellion and freed them. But after liberation, Gith herself became a militarist zealot bent on endless conquest. A faction led by Zerthimon rejected her tyranny and broke away — that schism created the two peoples:

• Githyanki: follow Gith’s warlike creed. Proud, imperialistic, and often cruel.
• Githzerai: follow Zerthimon’s path of asceticism, discipline, and rejection of violence.

So to a Githzerai, calling someone a “Githyanki” might carry the sting of insult — not because the word itself is taboo, but because it symbolizes everything they reject: domination, arrogance, and bloodlust.

In-universe, “Githyanki” roughly means “Children of Gith” (or “Followers of Gith”) in their tongue. It’s not pejorative by definition, but derogatory by association, depending on who’s speaking and to whom.

It’s like calling someone a “Spartan” — neutral historically, but in some contexts, it can imply brutality or fanaticism.