Lich

Introduction

It is unknown from where Liches come, though it is known that all of them - at one time - were prototypal Liches, masters of Necromancy, yet somehow unburdened by the Black Sigil. Defiant of all possibilities, Liches appear to have achieved immortality without the direct intervention of Gods, and as such are vulnerable to no outside forces. Their core fully embalmed by the Essence Calcifier, they appear to have generated a powerful ward lining their soul that resists even divine curses. Liches are often unknown to and unseen by even incredibly powerful beings, and represent what mages might truly be able to become.

All Liches previously documented have been among the world's most powerful mages in history, most of whom were Ascendant. Scholars estimate that the eldest of Liches likely came to be around the middle of the Third Age, making the longest surviving ones around two thousand years old. If this is true, many often wonder where they may have seeped into society; what they may be doing, what plans they may seek to unfold. Liches are treated with deep suspicion and fear in the folklore of nearly every culture, if only because the depth of the danger they pose appears to be unprecedented by any other than Kaitos himself.

Changes

The first change inflicted upon a Lich is a psychological one, and it is vast and extreme. It is harrowing, painful and destructive, counter to anything they may have imagined upon first realizing their new form. The Lich learns that their body is no longer a representation of their self; that their embalmed essence, appearing now like a gnarled series of frayed roots branching out from the core of their chest, is who they really are. The loss of identification with their physical visage is sudden, total and absolutely existential to most, as they peer out from what they view as little more than a puppet of meat.

What follows is another round of sorrow, driven by nostalgia; they remember past experiences vividly as if they were recalling their life, now lost to them. While Liches are not truly undead, many of them identify with the word, as they feel they have died and lost the person they previously were. All friends, lovers, and family become reminiscent things they feel strikingly detached from, and while they may reconnect in time there comes a great hollowing in the personality of the Lich.

After the first few rounds of shock, pain and memory, the majority of Liches eventually become cold towards others, and uncaring towards themselves. No longer mortals, Liches find a purpose to identify with instead, as the value of interpersonal connections diminishes. While they can still fulfill the biological functions of their race, they feel no need to engage in exhilarating practices, to procreate or forge emotional connections, and tend to regard even other Liches as parallel wanderers. This does not mean they find life meaningless; in fact, many Liches are quite taken by ideologies and ironically, in spite of all myths surrounding them, many of them seek to pursue what they view as the common good, as they tend to lose their selfish desires for power and prestige.

Psychologically, they vary. Some of them do stubbornly hold onto self-aggrandizing ideals towards Godhood and legacy. Most of these Liches tend to leave horrible marks upon the world, though they often die. Strangely, for many new Liches, life tends to be incredibly short.

After psychological changes come physiological ones. Obviously, Liches are truly immortal and can never die of old age or disease. In fact, they tend to be difficult to kill even by conventional methods, as their essence can seep into other materials and scatter in order to preserve their life. But these new powers of theirs will all be expanded upon below.

Abilities

Lichdom is, as a rule, the state of being incredibly hard to kill. This goes beyond defying the norms of age and the withering of the mind; their bodies tend to be highly reinforced by Necromantic alterations and their soul, physically interactable as calcified essence, is extremely hard to damage or shatter even by magical weapons or attacks. It is surrounded by a first layer of arcane wards, and once that layer is cracked any aspiring Lich-killer must quickly break the soul of the immortal. While it may appear prudent to kill the Liches physical form first, their soul is - as mentioned earlier - capable of escape, particularly considering their soul can cast magic without any physical body necessary.

Deriving from the calcified essence of the Lich are four aethereal limbs, two arms and two shorter talons wielding aethereal Necromantic tools. These limbs are visible only when they are used, and can often appear rather unsettling when drawn from an annihilated husk, freely wandering their surroundings. They are often an arcane, transparent blue in color.

The limbs are not only capable of performing gestures necessary for magic, but producing any Necromantic tool in an aethereal form, including the essence calcifier. These tools tend to appear physical and organic, differing from the traditionally metallic tools of a Necromancer. They are personal to each individual Lich but tend to be fairly abominable in appearance, and more effective than traditional tools. This trait allows the Lich to completely reforge themselves from total obliteration, even recovering damage dealt to the external hull of their essence. Liches are capable of, from the brink of total destruction, crafting themselves entirely as they please: into anything.

Sinew by sinew and ligament by ligament, there have been Liches who crafted themselves with the visage of dragons, animals, great beasts, just as well as any mortal form they may have sought. As Liches are immune to death as a result of physical injury, they are capable of destroying their body and reshaping it at-will, and can even mimic other races, though their racial ability is always the one they were born with.

Interestingly, Liches bodies do tend to age and die over time, but they are capable of restoring them by saving their body as a blueprint and reconstructing it. Most Liches tend to keep their original form as a fond memento, though often only as one particular - if central - part of their overall wardrobe.

A final note, a Lich is capable of perfectly concealing their Lichdom to any but an Ascendant Semblance mage. They can mask their physiology and essence with ease, appearing like any other powerful mage.

Limitations

Liches are not held to the same limitations as other 'Blights', as they are not restrained by any supposed links to divinity. Lichdom is a simple addendum: an addition to what one is, without restraining them in any way. Of course, this has led many mages to desire Lichdom throughout time, though only a select few throughout the Ages have ever transitioned into this state.