Archlich

Archliches were a type of lich that was good and noble, both in life and undeath. They could be of any type of spellcaster—including wizards, bards or clerics—and devoted their existence to whatever noble purpose motivated their transformation into lichdom.

Archliches appeared almost indistinguishable from normal liches. They had skeletal appearances and blank eye sockets containing only points of light, and their bodies showed no signs of life. They did not eat, sleep, or breath unless they wished to.

Unlike common liches, their bodies and minds did not continue to deteriorate with time. As such, they had a virtual eternity to hone their skills, and would inevitably become very powerful.

Personality

Archliches retained all of the memories, personality, and abilities that they possessed in life. They were driven by the noble goals that had led them to seek undeath, generally a strong desire to protect someone or something, but occasionally their motivations were loftier. They might exist to serve a particular individual or organization, or even to pursue revenge. They generally avoided interjecting themselves into mortal affairs directly, instead preferring to monitor situations from afar and offer aid to those in need or information to those fighting to make the world a better place. They tried to avoid compelling or controlling others, either by magic or with fear.

While archliches were known to make friends with the living, to engage in earthly pleasures like eating and smoking, and even to fall in love, they were irrevocably undead and ultimately these showings of humanity were fleeting.

Patience, cunning, and intelligence were defining features of an archlich, and they were known for their great depths of knowledge. This was at least in part because they had perfect memories, which was both a blessing and a curse. Many archliches felt that their ever-lengthening pasts were a burden, however they never spurned or disregarded their old friends. Most preferred to spend their eons in private study and contemplation.

Society

Archliches were so rarely encountered that some sages disbelieved that they existed. They were generally solitary, and sequestered themselves in secluded or extraplanar hideouts to allow the world to live its life without them. However, they always kept an eye on things—either via scrying or spies—and worked to manipulate affairs from behind the scenes. A notable exception was archlich bards, who would prowl desolate dungeons, ruins, and wildernesses playing their own compositions, which were often melancholy and haunting ballads about the past.

Relationships

Archliches existed for the sole purpose of achieving their noble goals, and would often seek to partner with goodly adventurers, particularly rangers, bards, and wizards (whom they would sometimes accept as pupils).

Most archliches concealed their true nature from the living in order to avoid confrontation or attack. Due to their goodly nature and activities, institutions normally dedicated to eradicating the undead—such as the church of Kelemvor—often sought to coax them into restful death rather than destroy them outright. This potentially included aiding an archlich in its pursuits if this would persuade it to pass on.

Creation

Archliches did not create phylacteries as did normal liches, and instead used practical magic items that could serve as more than just a repository for their souls, typically taking the form of a small spellbook. If this item was destroyed, so too was the archlich.

The first step in achieving archlichdom was to create the item that would house their soul. It then required them to brew a special potion, which had to be augmented with the spells animate dead, chill touch, contingency, pass without trace, permanency, teleport, trap the soul, and wraithform.

The prospective archlich then had to drink the potion while holding the created item—which was to be at least partially covered in the spellcaster's blood—while a secret spell was cast. This rite carried a small chance (less than one-in-ten) of possibly killing the prospective archlich and ruining the process. Otherwise, it put the drinker into a deathlike slumber for four to sixteen minutes. If the sleeper survived, they would wake up as an archlich. At that point, only divine intervention could reverse the transformation.

This process did not need to be completed wholly by the archlich on their own. They did need to have a direct hand in the creation of their magic item, but work on the item, the brewing of the potion, or the casting of the spell could all be performed by another. That said, the mark of an individual who was sufficiently noble and strong-willed to become an archlich—and not lose their sanity as did so many evil liches—was having the patience to recognize that the transformation should only be undertaken once they were ready to complete it themselves. Only a willing participant could undergo the transformation process and survive.

While the demilich type existed among liches, there was no equivalent type among archliches.

Activity cycle
Any
Diet
Nil
Intelligence
Supra-genius
Favored climate
Any
Favored terrain
Any

Lifespan

Immortal (Undead)