The Rite of Eternal Undeath

History

Historically, it’s always been a very complicated process. It used to take a whole month to perform the ceremony, but modern necromancers were able to whittle it down to three days.
The ritual is highly illegal, both because of the use of necromancy and the use of sacrifices.

Execution

Preparation Phase

1. The ritual takes roughly three days and requires the help of highly skilled necromancers and an unwilling priest or servant of God.
2. A crucial potion, made from rare and hard-to-find ingredients such as the DNA of a lich and pure essence from a God, must be created and consumed by the wizard. Extreme precision in measurements is essential, and two powerful magic users are needed to prepare the potion.
3. The wizard dresses in sacred burial clothes, depending on the God they once served, and lays on a traditional deathbed after cleansing their body with purified water.
4. One of the helpers sets up the deathbed with naturally grown purple roses, dirt from the wizard’s homeland, butterfly wings, and black stardust collected from Hell.
5. A rose crown is placed on the wizard by a helper, ensuring the wizard remains still throughout the process using paralysis spells if necessary.
6. The priest begins the ceremony following the wizard’s cultural practices, speaking vows of loyalty to the undead and dismissing the soul tethered to the body.

Process of the Ritual

1. A second powerful helper feeds the potion to the wizard and closes their eyes while chanting in an old tongue.
2. The wizard’s veins turn purple and varicose, signaling the start of the transformation.
Nail Insertion: A third helper drives long rusted silver nails into the wizard’s body along the veins of their dominant hand.
3. The wizard’s eyes turn completely black as they die a painful death.
Phylactery Binding: Tendrils of oozing smoke and slime bind the wizard's hands to the phylactery, and the priest places it on the deathbed.
4. If sacrifices are involved, a helper lays out the sacrificial bodies, spreads dirt on them, and gives each a rose. Hearts are carved out, and the priest chants while placing the hearts in a row behind the phylactery and driving a silver nail into each one.
5. Excess blood from the lich is used to draw a magic triangle around the deathbed. Leftover blood is drunk by the helpers and smeared over the priest’s robes.
6. As the sun sets, the priest mourns and prays but must not disrupt the triangle. They can leave after moonrise, but any sacrifices will not be saved in the afterlife.

Aftermath the Ritual

1. On the second day, helpers summon bugs to feast on the lich’s corpse or the sacrificial bodies, aiding in preserving the lich’s body.
2. On the third day, the bugs die after feasting, and the phylactery glows and levitates.
3. If the lich awakens, they grab the phylactery, which will spiritually tie to them. If the phylactery is wearable, they put it on; otherwise, they carry it.
4. The helpers assist the lich in adjusting to their new form, and if they have leftover flesh to eat, they become soulless demigods themselves.
5. If the lich does not wake up, everyone directly involved in the ritual implodes and is dragged down to Hell.

Important Locations

• Maefyzer <continent>
• Shiza <island>