i have noticed several race-hate relationships between various species in BG2. Illithids and Githyanki, Elves and Dwarves, Sahaguin and Kuo-Toa, etc. does anyone know why? what is the origin of their hatred for each other, and what's the point?

Information is always appreciated. Always.

Dwarves mine and destroy the things nature created and turn them into new forms, elves cultivate them and prefer their natural beauty(one fairly basic observation)

<font color="gold">Hmm, a typical Memnoch-question. He probably knows this, so let's hope he finds the topic soon, cause it'll be fun to know! [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>

*cracks knuckles in preparation of lots of typing*

ok, the dwarf elf relationship is due to dwarves longstanding view that beauty resides in stonework, shaping things to fit their needs, also their innate distrust of magic, whereas elves are highly magical by nature, and dislike the dwarves attitude of clearing trees to power their forges, or their reworking of everything natural into a form more pleasing to them, whereas the elves subtly alter nature to enhance it's beauty without damaging or destroying it.

Illithids once enslaved a subrace of humankind who many millenia later broke free in a great revolt that left several prime material worlds destroyed, the leader of teh revolt was a warrior by the name of Gith, the Githyanki took her name as their own, and an offshoot of the Githyanki broke away from the teachings of Gith to form the githzerai, the two races of gith hate each other, IIRC the githyanki are the instigators, as they disapprove of the Githzerai removing themselves from the goals and ambitions of the main race, the Githzerai return the favor by battling the githyanki wherever they find them, and both races regularly hunt the Illithids trying to eventually exterminate the ones who once held their races as slaves and cattle.

Sahaguin don't hate kuo-toa more than anyone else per se, the Sahaguin are an underwater race at war with everyone else, besides their shark allies, and kuo-toa are similar but live in the underdark, thier main rivals being the drow and the mind flayers, they form a hugee rivalry that prevents each race from actually becoming powerful enough to conquer the underdark and eventually attack the surface en masse.

[ 05-09-2002, 02:37 PM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

I've searched, but where is a good site with a history of the Githyanki?

well in short all the races named have always disliked each other since the formation of D&D, and the brain storming of their particular races. the illithid/githyanki struggle has something to do with battleing in the different planes as well as psionics. the specifics i am not too clear on the specifics I just know that the two races dont like each other none too much.
EDIT: now that i read morgeraut's post that information on the gith is absolutely 100% correct. now that i read it i remember that that is what i heard also. so i just wanted to tell you all that

[ 05-09-2002, 07:37 PM: Message edited by: AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe ]

A good source for the story of the Gith´s slavery and subsequent revolt against the Illithids, as well as the split between Githyanki and Githzerai, that is also a great game in its own right, is Planescape: Torment. Dakkon, one of the coolest NPCs, will tell you about it if you speak with him at length on the subject.

<font color=silver>Nice to meet you, Tanoch.

Here is a link to an online 2nd edition monster manual. There are separate litsings for both the githyanki and the githzeri with an overview of the origins of these races:

http://mmadnd.chat.ru/MM00000.htm#6baa378f

I hope this is helpful.</font>