Work Text:
Ritual of Endless Night
"There are formulas for Lichdom out there, hidden away in Fell Tomes and Lost Scrolls. Some are traps left behind for the unwary, resulting in nothing but a horrible death for the fortunate. The less fortunate may find themselves transformed into a deathless slave of some earlier Lich, or bound in eternal agony within a helpless scattering of bone chips.
The truth is that none of these discovered formulas will work as written, even if they were left behind by a True Lich. The process works differently for each person who attempts this path, with rituals and talismans that must be researched and developed uniquely for each one.
More mortals begin this process than successfully reach the end of it, and the studies of those who succeed leave behind a trail of horrific experiments into the nature of life, the nature of death, and the means to corrupting one's existence to exist beyond death. Horrific crimes against the natural order are required, and worse, and it may take a lifetime of such studies to succeed."
To begin the process of Lichdom one must be a Spellcaster/Artificer of some power and skill they must also be a living being
The process of becoming a Lich has five steps
1. The Phylactery
- A Phylactery is an object that has been prepared by a Spellcaster/Artificer to hold their Soul, this object most of the time is something the Lich owned in life or treasured greatly due to its Fame or Infamy.
- "This object seems to be central to the process of Lichdom. It acts as a vessel for the Soul during, and after the Ritual. The principles involved seem to be similar to that of a soul gem, but more complex and arcane. The Dark Tome has already supplied me with the knowledge to 'unbind' my own Soul for this Ritual, but without a proper vessel I will surely perish."
- A Phylactery is never something mundane it is typically something valuable or has been specifically prepared by the Lich with Runes, Writings or Glyphs written in silver to house their Soul.
- it is also typically no smaller than what can be held in one's own hand or larger than an Inn.
Some Liches have used Tree's, Golems, Weapons, Armor, Jewelry, Tomes, or even innocuous things like a spoon… "Yes it happened a very fancy Spoon but a Spoon non the less"
2. The Potion
Elixir of Defilation
- "From the ingredients this concoction demands, it appears to be an incredibly fatal poison. I suppose that my 'death' will be necessary for my Soul to be unbound and enter the Phylactery, but the drinking of a deadly toxin does not fill me with excitement..."
- The ingredients are valuable or extremely rare and to properly prepare the potion takes the greater sum of a year to complete... "and that's not counting the time it takes to gather the ingredients in the first place.."
3. The Ritual Circle
Circle of Apotheosis
- A very precise and intricate ritual circle will need to be crafted and prepared for the Ritual ahead of time. The procedure itself will need to be conducted inside the circle, or the Ritual will fail. "Finding a secure and remote place to do this will not be easy..."
- The ingredients needed for the circle are expensive and the circle itself needs to be absolutely perfect. There can be no room for error if there is… "Well let's just say there are Fates worse than Death…"
4. Invocations of Power
- (First verse)
First the flesh, fragile and fleeting,
The Mortal frame and Soul's prison,
It ruptures and Tears as fine silk,
And Withers with time like the spoilt fruit.
- (Second verse)
Bone of cold unyielding death,
Frame of the Willing servant tool of the resourceful master, hard as steel- malleable as clay.
- (Third verse)
Blood, mortal sustenance, in drops of crimson spilled forth, forgotten Powers call up once more, and relinquish life's tenuous hold
- (Fourth verse)
Soul, Essence of life and will, entombed within a withering husk, but to unbind the mortal shackles,
and Transcend the flawed design.
5. Sacrifice
-The Ritual requires the sacrifice of an intelligent humanoid... It does not matter their age, sex, species or beliefs...
Now for the Ritual itself
The Spellcaster/Artificer will stand in the circle with the sacrifice close by and the Phylactery mounted on some pseudo altar with the potion in hand.
First the aspiring Lich must cast a spell to weaken the connection between the body and his soul afterwards speak the incantations on the third verse kill the sacrifice where upon finishing the fourth verse he will consume the potion and Die.... immediately his soul will be drawn into the phylactery and be resurrected as a Lich some time afterwards for some it can take days others… merely hours.
-From the Libraries of Lord Nezerak
Edited and proofread
by Lord Warke a humble Scholar and Mage