Lich with her fetish. Image by Toma Feizo Gas
A lich is an undead whose body and soul have been separated by a ritual of necromancy.
the limits of magic
Even the most powerful wizards and necromancers, be they humans, elves, or other beings, cannot escape the passage of time and death. Their mortal bodies and their biological needs are a drag that prevents them from reaching the fullness of their power.
Some of the wisest have managed to solve this problem by turning themselves into the living dead. In this way, neither hunger, nor sleep, nor disease, distract the necromancer from his studies of magic and death, thus becoming even stronger and deadlier.
how a lich is born
The magician, once willing to take the step of becoming undead, has to prepare his own death through a poison potion, but first, he must create a fetish object in which he will deposit his soul once the ritual begins. In this way he will separate the body from his soul.
The body, raised as a «living» corpse, will be animated by the energy of the ritual, which will also allow the newly created lich to maintain the intelligence and abilities it had in life. The lich’s body can receive deadly attacks, but it will rise again as its «essence» resides in the item used in the ritual.
Her soul, now stored in the fetish item, is the source of her energy and power, so this item must be kept safe and secure. This is very important since only by destroying this object can the lich be destroyed.
Stories about fetishes
The fetish is a really wonderful and special container for the function it performs, and any object that the magician considers safe can be used for this purpose. The most sensible thing is that it is an object that goes unnoticed, such as a purse or a leather bag, but it can be more luxurious and dazzling, such as a medallion, a precious gem or a chest.
There are ancient stories that already suggest the existence of liches and their valuable items. In Slavic mythology the story of Koschei «The Immortal», of whom it was said, was an evil and terrifying being whose soul was deposited in the tiny eyelet of a needle, which was inside an egg, inside a duckling, which in turn was in a hare, and this one inside of a metallic chest that was buried under an ash tree on the mythical island of Buyán, an island that capriciously submerged and emerged in the sea. According to legend, the only way to kill Koschei was to break the duck’s egg and release the magic of the needle.
Lich Characteristics
The word lich comes from the German Leiche, which means corpse. This term truly honors its appearance; a scrawny, bony corpse with empty eye sockets that are usually illuminated with flames of different colors depending on the magic used in the conversion ritual.
Liches were once powerful magicians and ritualists, so their clothing recalls the majesty of times past; Ostentatious capes, medallions of gold and precious stones, amulets of strength and carved crowns decorate the body of this terrifying being.
lich. Image by Nik Hagialas
In addition to power, they emanate an aura of death and evil that strikes true terror in anyone facing a lich, even another undead, so fleeing is usually a smart way out if this hideous being appears on the scene.
Like living wizards, the lich can use and enhance its powers using a staff. It is very common for his energy attacks to come from this staff, creating huge balls of fire or ice cones to attack his enemies. The staff also allows him to paralyze his victims with a single touch.
Needless to say, they are highly intelligent and Machiavellian beings. Since death is no longer a problem for them, they can hatch very long-term plans. In addition, they are excellent strategists and this, together with their enormous power, means that they tend to lead armies of the undead.
the dracolichs
There is a type of lich that does not come from a humanoid mage but from a dragon. This creature is called a dracolich and has characteristics very similar to those already described.
The dragon has to meet two requirements; be evil and possess magic powerful enough to carry out the conversion ritual, since not all dragons are equally magically wise and strong.
The dracolich ritual was created by an archmage belonging to an order that worships evil dragons. The teaching of this cult has been transmitted from generation to generation to the members of this order, so the conversion of a dragon into the living dead is a secret that is within the reach of very few.
The fetish object of these dragons is usually reduced to pearls, jet and rubies, and may be away from the dragon at the time of the ritual, making it easier to hide. The dragon spirit can remain indefinitely within the fetish.
dracolich. Image belonging to ZeniMax Media
The dracolich retains the abilities and abilities it had in life, but like liches, it becomes skeletal in appearance, like a bone dragon, with its eye sockets illuminated.
Your creation is immensely useful; in addition to innate magic, she relies on her enormous size and strength, and the fact that she is invulnerable except if her fetish is destroyed. But it is that in addition, it has the advantages of a living dead; He is immune to diseases, poisons, mind control magic, etc.
Commanding true respect and terror, it is also very useful for controlling masses of the undead and, like the liches, leading their armies.
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