Lich

Summary: When the drawbacks of necromancy go beyond just resurrecting memories from past lives, you get a lich. These creatures are twisted versions of Earthly creatures that have used far too much necromancy. For example, those that have attempted to raise full armies at once without practice. They end up in a half-dead state, of which can take upon many forms. Their soul is tied to an object known as a “phylactery”, which holds it. They cannot be slain unless this object is destroyed.

Diet: Lich are a purely magical species, and can be considered “mana-vampires”. They keep the dentition of what they were when alive, but do not need to process food. They can eat it just for the hell of it, and to derive joy from eating too. However, it provides no energy for them.

Skeletal Variant: The skeletal variant of a lich is one in which all flesh has been stripped from it. There can be missing bits and pieces of the skeleton as well, but strangely there will be solid mana-maintained areas that fill in the gaps. For example, if the lich wishes to have a lower jaw that was missing, they can conjure one via mana, in which the jaw will be a glowing blue solid substance made of hardened mana.

Zombified Variant: The zombified variant of a lich is in a constant state of decay. Flesh rots and sloughs off, but is constantly restored by mana. These variants do have the scent of decay upon them and are likely the ones you would want to be around the least.

Frozen Variant: The most ‘alive’ of the liches, these are bodies frozen in time. They keep the features of what they were when living and do not decay. These variants are very similar to undead vampires. 

Immune system and aging: This is a magical species that cannot die unless its phylactery is destroyed. A lich cannot reproduce, though the frozen variant can turn on its organs via and copulate should it desire. It also can feel emotion much more strongly than the rest, and perhaps seeks to do living activities the most. Frozen variants sleep, breathe, and eat, though do not need to do so. Some say it actually does help them remain stable, however.

In contrast, the skeletal and zombified variants do not feel as strong emotions, however there can be exceptions to this. These variants rarely sleep and do not bother to eat the food they could when alive. 

Lich are weak to fire magic and can burn more easily than living counterparts. This doesn’t apply to their OWN magic, merely magical fire used against them.

Notable features: All lich have the ability to float, though this requires a lot of mana when going too high or trying to fly through the air at long distances. Lich have either a black or blue aura, there isn’t really a variation in color for them. Typically, Frozen variants have blue auras, and the other two have black. 

All liches have socketless eyes. Some of them have a blue glow to them, but that depends upon the lich. 

Phylacteries can vary from things like tea cups to weapons. Anything can serve as a phylactery, though ironically the more ‘strong’ an object is, the easier it is to destroy. For example, if your phylactery is a tank, it can shatter like glass rather easily. The soul is INFUSED into the object, so the larger the object is, the harder it is to maintain it.

Magical Proficiency: It should come to no one’s surprise that a lich is well-versed in necromancy. They cannot easily pull souls from the underworld to implant into their victims, however, as living necromancers that have honed their craft can do so easily. They can, however, raise and empower zombie armies that are mindless and bound to them. This magic is channeled, and therefore should the lich need to restore mana, its army falls until it can be brought back again. 

Powerful liches can keep their undead up passively, however it still drains their mana, and they need to drain it from a living Earthly creature. 

Liches also can use telepathy, something especially prominent if they’d practiced and honed it in life. 

Creature list that can become liches: 

1. Humans

2. Elves

3. Living Vampires

4. Shifters

5. Lycans

6. Dragons (yes really.)

Common Misconceptions: 

1. Not all liches are evil, much like any creature. Zombie or Skeletal liches, however, are more prone to evil acts simply because they feel less emotion (again, there’s always exceptions.) 

2. Undead vampires and Frozen liches are extremely similar and often get along well.

3. No, your phylactery cannot be a living person.

4. There’s much debate on who the ‘lich KING’ is, and many lich claim to be THE king when in reality….there’s none really that defined yet.