Post by Trippy Hare on May 20, 2006 17:10:29 GMT -5
He Waits Behind The Wall, in a palace of tortured viscera, served by legions forged from the the sleepless dead and clad in armor carved from the suffering of flesh. In his right hand he holds a dead star, and in his left hand he holds the Candle Whose Light Is Shadow. He sings the song that ends the earth. The hivemind that confounds the living, and perpetuates the torture of the damned. He takes the eyes, the window of the soul, removes the ability to feel anything at all. Once the eyes have been removed, the soul is removed. The living husk is testament to cruelty and everlasting doom. He cannot be stopped, as fear cannot be stopped. He is inseparable from reality, as he exists beyond the veil- waiting.
Name: His mortal name is lost to time. He is known only as the Lich, or Lich Lord.
Race: No one knows what race the Lich was born as, though there is a great deal of speculation about it. The general consensus is that he is.. or was... Elven. There are none alive who have seen his face- or at least, none alive who will speak of it.
Gender: To one who is ageless and immortal, gender is meaningless. The Lich is referred to by Necrids as "him", so presumably, he is male, though it is possible the male pronoun is used for simplicity's sake.
Place of Birth: Again, this is not known for certain, though Erchaea seems likeliest.
Arcane or Secular: Arcane. The Lich possesses spells that are not known to the rest of the world, and are thus not written down in the Grimoirum.
Physical Description: The Lich is as pale as death, and as thin as the blade of a scythe. Clad in armor the color of weathered silver from head to toe, he has no skin visible. Even the open front of his helmet reveals only a featureless void, as cold and dark as the depths of space. From within this blackest of chasms, two pinpricks of pale yellow light burn like dying suns. A faceplate formed from the teeth of his minions covers that maw of eternal darkness, giving the impression that his face is like that of a weathered skeleton.
He stands about seven feet tall, though it is rare that he ever stands upright. There is no need for it, as his throne rests atop the highest point left in Erchaea- a massive pile of detritus, collected from the once-living city. The dead have no need of cookware, hearthstones, or even houses- and all these things lay broken and rotting beneath the Lich's feet. Even atop the remnants of the living, the Lich is elevated further still by a mighty throne, made entirely of the finger-bones of his Undead minions. As such, the Throne itself acts as an eldritch imitation of life, and pulses with a malevolent spirit that exists to serve the Lich's will. This throne also serves as a Guardian, and will form itself into a horrific creature to protect him.
Personality: The Lich has none, and needs none. As remorseless as death itself and as relentless as the ocean tides, mention of the word 'lich' alone strikes fear into the hearts of Eshathar. No one, not even his own personal cadre of Necromancers, knows what thoughts are lurking within his skull, not even through the Link. He has never displayed any outward emotions, never reacts to startling information, and were it not for the continued presence of the mental link, he could easily be mistaken for dead.
Much of what is known about the Lich comes from Calasi and other Necrids. For the most part, the Lich is seen as a father-figure, almost like a deity. Scholars studying the Horde believe that they see him as a savior-figure, freeing all who he deems worthy of their ills and suffering, in exchange for their loyalty. None of these claims can be substantiated, as the Lich has never revealed anything about himself.
Background: The Lich alone knows his origins, though current theories suggest that his ascendancy from mortality, the rise of the Undead Horde, and the arrival of the Stygians are all interrelated. Some races believe him to be nothing more than a myth, a story told to frighten youngsters into keeping their distance from Erchaea's ruins.
Though there are some merits to these claims, there is little empirical evidence of any of it. A few captured Necrids have mentioned that the Lich and the Stygians are not allies, nor are they related, but most scholars agree that anything a Necrid discloses about their master should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are not likely to say anything unless the Lich wants them to.
Skills/Talents: The Lich can command an enormous number of Undead directly, and can execute complex plans and tactics, ordering his troops en masse, or individually controlling each Undead, with just a thought. Necrids and Necromancers, on the other hand, cannot be managed so easily, and require direct, personalized instructions.
He alone can imbue the fallen with Unlife, and it is he alone who strips the freshly Unborn of both flesh and pain- once they have exceeded their usefulness as Necrids. Thus does a Necrid- an unliving imitation of life- become little more than animated bone, and another addition to the Horde.
He also has the ability to twist the lines of life and death. He can drain a victim's essence to within inches of dying, and use it to heal his minions. He can cause a victim to age rapidly, cause his enemies to hallucinate or become psychotic. He shares a direct mental link to all the Necrid, all the Undead, and all Necromancers throughout Eshathar, regardless of where they are. This allows him to see whatever they see, and know whatever they know. This connection only travels in one direction- the Lich's minions cannot see into his mind, only he into theirs.
The Lich is also a highly skilled mage, and possesses spells and enchantments so powerful and devastating that they are unheard of even in Failewyn, nor are they recorded in the Grimoirum. Though he cannot directly kill any living thing, not even with any of the wide array of powerful spells at his disposal, the enormous numbers of mindless Undead soldiers and even his very throne room are more than a match for any intruder.
The binding spell which keeps him and most of his Horde in Erchaea also has the effect of nullifying any outside magic. Unless the Lich himself casts it, any spell cast within Erchaea is absorbed and reflected upon the caster. Some of the Lich's horde are former mages who were killed by their own spells. In addition to the magical immunity within Erchaea, most Undead are highly resistant to both spells and the effects of the elements...heat, cold, sun, storms, and wind have no effect on the Lich, and little effect if any on any of his minions.
Weaknesses: The Lich is imprisoned within the ruined city of Erchaea by a powerful magic spell, possibly of his own devising. Most of the Undead are similarly bound, though those who posses enough of their own mind and memories are immune to the binding spell. The five pillars of rotting flesh act as a focus of Undeath- both binding the Lich in place and also augmenting his skills. It is these festering beacons that neutralize any foreign magic cast within their range.
Mary Sue Rationale: Spells outside the Grimoirum and a vague bio throughout. Also, in case it wasn't obvious, the Lich is obscenely powerful. Don't ever make a character like this. Seriously.