It was easy for her to follow the sounds of boasting to where the brave young fools were preparing themselves for their trek. She simply started down by the taverns, listening for the loudest braggarts. Anyone who spoke of going out to do battle with the resident of Skull Loch was either brave or stupid, and judging from the laughter and boasting coming from the Skeeter Inn, she would have to put them in the latter catagory.
The old woman gathered her shawl about her and stepped into the common room, the sights and smells bringing back memories, and summoning a smile to her wrinkled face. Keeping a tight grip on her shawl, she moved back to the table where six young adventures laughed about something one of them had said, their merriment making her shake her anchient head sadly.
She waited, standing in a puddle of ale, for them to notice her, which they did, one by one setting down their drinks and turning to stare at her. One young elven woman caught her eye, and she stared into those golden eyes for long moments, regretting her own lost beauty.
"Yes, Grandmother?" one asked, the oldest of them, a mage she gathered
from her robes and stained fingers. The other womans plump body and wrinkled
face, wrinkled from smiling, not age, belied the fact she was a competant
spell caster.
"I hear you are planning to defeat the Skull of the Loch." the old
woman told them, her voice old and wheezing. "If you are, then you are going
to your deaths."
The group looked silently for a moment, the elven woman the most thoughtfull of all of them, until one them, still encased in platemail with holy symbols decorating it, leaned forward slightly to look closely at her.
"Come now, Grandmother, what would someone such as you know about the dread Skull of the Loch?" he asked, a note of slight derision in his vioce.
"Know ye, who would brave the Dread Skull of the Wizard Shiraz," the old woman said, pointing an accusing finger at the group, her vioce taking on a hypnotic quality.....
Liches fall, Death Knights are defeated, nothing stands before you, and all battles seem to pale before you. Then you hear the whispers, of a lich who has gone beyond known existance, who has become even more formidable than it was in life, who has gathered knowledge that even the Gods do not know.
The Demi Lich. A skull on a pile of dust in a lich's lair somewhere, it's teeth and eyes replaced by gems, and loot that would satisfy the most greedy theif simply mouldering around it. It's arsenal includes the scream of death, the devouring of a soul, or a curse so hideous, all quake before in it's shadow.
Very little effects it, and even the strongest sword cannot cut it, not the strongest mace dent it. It must be chipped at, slowly weakened, and then attacked in strange and bizzarre ways.
All know of the Lich of Oearth, the Demi-Lich of Greyhawk, who was defeated deep in his Tomb of Horrors, and who's name has been lost to legend. He was but one, the only one defeated, and thus, the only one who's powers are known.
Demi-Liches are as unique as their previous incarnation, all having different powers, attacks, and vulnerabilities. While many are affected by a Paladin wielding a Holy Sword, a Clerical Lich would not be. Perhaps only a virgin anioting the skull with lambs fat could shatter the skull, or, as in the case of our very own Skull of the Loch, a net created from the hair of shrews can cause it to become inert, although it would still be indestructable.
Do not think that it can merely shriek and devour souls, for some can call forth undead legions to defend it, or simply gate their attackers away to another plane of existance, not caring where or WHEN the intruders end up.
Many are the bones and lost souls of those who prepared for the known attacks of Demi-Lich, only to fall to the powers that the Skull had within, and no one knew that the Skull they faced could call upon those powers.
Some can tap upon the powers of the mind, or bring forth mystic spells that they have learned on their travels through the planes, or call upon allies that they have enlisted during their sojurn through planes yet unheard of by sage or God. Some bring forth effects from their gem replaced eyes, while others cause life to appear from the very air around the intruders.
If you dare to enter the lair, be prepared for mighty traps that can snuff the life from the hardiest soul, or gates to other planes, or false trails that will lead you away from where the Skull truly lies.
The soul of the Skull may not be alerted by your simple presence in it's sanctuary, but do not count upon it, and do not think that you will only have to face the skull, and it's limited powers. A Skull can bring forth and inhabit the body it owned in life from the very air, and when that form is destroyed, it will simply create another. It can bring forth allies from its past in a second, leaving you to face warriors from antiquity, drain the magic from your very mystical baubles you plan on assaulting it with. The Skull has worked with the Gods, and explored realms unknown by even them, and you plan to assault this powerful being in it's own lair."
The old woman looked upon the suddenly pale youths, noticing the tremor in the mages face as she contemplated her spells no longer helping her. The Paladin was praying silently, as the elven woman stared at her with piercing eyes.
"Who are you, Revered One, and how do you know such about the Skull?" the elven woman asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
"I was as you are, before the Skull cursed me to live out my elven life in the body of a human woman." the old woman replied, turning away and venturing back out into the chill of the night, leaving silence, but wisdom in her wake.......
A Demi-Lich is what happens when a Lich leaves behind it's undead existance and goes forth to explore further mysteries that were unfathomable or unexplorable to it while it still retained a grip upon a mortal form.
Rather than go back over what was presented in Van Richten's Guide to the Lich, I am putting forth new materail on the Demi-Lich.
The Demi-Lich will have gone on to examine the planes, and their reasons for existing directly, and will be deep into the mysteries of life, death and existance. They will also have delved deeply into time, and while they will not have gained mastery of it, they will be well versed in parts that not even Chronomancers will be aware of.
Demi-Lich's can and will call forth allies from the past, the present, the future, and other planes. A Pit Fiend should be the least of their worries. Imagine a party facing a mutant clad in Powered Assault Armor, Ala Gamma World, using the conversions in the 1st Ed. DMG. That is a simple start for them to face.
The powers will not be limited to the ones in the Compendium entry either. A Demi-Lich has a deep understanding of magic itself, and may even be able to call forth quest spells, or 10th level spells from Dragon Kings DS book.
A demi-Liches abilities are limited to your imagination, and are far to diverse to list here.
If a party does assault a Demi-Lich and both parties survive, if the Skull decides to seek revenge for the assualt upon it, then even a high level party would be hard pressed to survive the wrath of the Skull. Earthquakes, plaques and all sorts of calamities will follow the PC's, with many poeple beginning to believe, rightly, that the PC's are the cause of their woes.
The Demi-Lich will have explored the inner planes by the time the
party locates it, and will busy with the outer planes, or even other dimensions
that are not covered in the planes. The assault by the PC's will be seen
as an unwelcome interruption, a nuisance that distracts from the pursiut
of pure knowledge. The demi-lich may simply dispose of them by death or by
simply moving them to another plane. Remember, time, space and magic are
no obstacle for these being, who are next to the gods in power.
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