Category:Lich

''The following text is just a guideline for Role-playing a Lesser Lich. Note these are not the large floating Liches such as Kel'thuzad''



Overview
A lich converts itself into an undead creature by means of necromancy, storing its soul in a magical receptacle called a phylactery. Unlike most other forms of undead creatures, the lich retains all of the memories, personality, and abilities that it possessed in life but it has a virtual eternity to hone its skills and inevitably becomes very powerful.

Like other powerful forms of undead a lich has unnatural powers owing to it's state. Liches can radiate an aura of horror which can send weak-willed would-be foes to flight. However, despite all his undead "gifts", a liches most valuable resources are his vast intellect, his supreme mastery of frost and Necromantic magicks and limitless time to research, plot and scheme.

A lich can be of any evil evil alignment, retaining whatever alignment it had in life.

Attaining Lichdom
A lich converts itself into a skeletal undead creature by means of necromancy, storing its soul in a magical receptacle called a phylactery. Occasionally, this metamorphosis occurs by accident as a result of life-prolonging magic.

One method of becoming a lich is referred to as the Ritual of Endless Night. This lich creation process is often described as requiring the creation and consumption of a deadly potion which is to be drunk on a full moon. The potion invariably kills the drinker but if the process is successful the drinker rises again some days later as a lich.

Another method of Lichdom is to place the corpse within a powerful source of magic (A Moonwell for example) and then to use the appropriate incantation to transform the target into a Lich. Note that these Incantations’s would be rare and the scrolls would be hard to locate.

Notable Abilities
Liches radiate an aura of horror which can send weak-willed would-be foes to flight. The lich is capable of sustaining tremendous physical damage, and is almost fully immune to disease, poison and fatigue. (note: A normal Forsaken has the same resistances only to a lesser extent). Liches are surrounded by an air of cold. Anything that touches one will rapidly freeze. All Liches can exert their will over lesser undead given some effort. Liches have a slight resitence to Arcane and Frost magicks. If destroyed a Lich is not trully dead. Rather, its soul will return to the phylactery, and its body will be recreated by the power keeping it immortal, although the regeneration can take a full moon cycle.

Weaknesses
Since a lich's soul is mystically tied to its phylactery, destroying its body will not kill it. Rather, its soul will return to the phylactery, and its body will be recreated by the power keeping it immortal. Thus the only way to permanently destroy a lich is to destroy the phylactery as well. Once a Liches phylactery is destroyed the said Lich will become greatly weakened and once defeated, gone for ever.

Phylactery
Every Lich has a physical object called a phylactery that contains its soul. As long as a lich's phylactery remains intact and undamaged, the lich will eventually regenerate its body and return to life. A Liches phylactery can be any small object, although usually an amulet or weapon, thus meaning locating one would be extremely difficult. A phylactery radiates a strong evil presence, detectable by Priests, Paladins e.t.c. Phylacteries do not have to be kept on the Lich and can a great distance away from them. Be wary that a phylactery would most likely be heavily guarded both magically and possibly by physical guardians. If a Liches phylactery is destroyed his physical form is greatly weakened and once destroyed is permanently lost.