literature

Guide Entry: Dracolichs

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One of the strongest creatures encountered on the physical plane, dracolichs have a very long, often sinister, history. To begin with, dracolichs are said to have originated during an accident involving an older dragon and an experiment in necromancy. There are no records of what the purpose was, but none dispute what happened next. The dragon, hale and hardy one minute, was little more than tattered flesh and dry bone, its eyes replaced by strange blue flames. Driven mad by the sudden changes and massive pain, the dracolich began terrorizing the countryside, slaughtering hundreds and leaving the land a scorched wasteland.

While dracolichs are often classified as undead, they vary enough in temperament and capabilities that they are practically a breed all their own. The necromantic arts that render a dragon into a dracolich push them to the very limits of their minds and bodies, killing many who choose to undergo the process, willingly or not. Those who are successful are in great danger of going mad, unable to comprehend the changes that have occurred, while all too easily falling for the temptations of the power they now wield. Masters of necromancy, dracolichs are more than able to command small armies of undead, even weak-willed vampires and spirits. There are stories telling of entire graveyards being emptied overnight by these creatures, but no records whatsoever to affirm such claims. Scattered throughout the continents are monuments in one form or another to one of the kind-hearted creatures, those who have given up their lives completely so that a beloved forest from their childhood may grow back, or risk everything to aid a village under siege by natural disaster or bandits.  

Don't be fooled, however, by claims of dracolichs being bigger than a house; not all of them are as large as legends and stories make them out to be. Just as dragons can be smaller than housecats, or large enough to carry off double decker buses, no two dracolichs are alike, having been found in a variety of physical forms and sizes. All wield various forms of magik, generally what they were adept at in life, along with necromancy. It is best to speak honestly with dracolichs...The last thing you want on your hands is one who thinks you're only out to deceive them. While they don't necessarily need to eat, many still partake of the occasional meal. Should you encounter one, exercise great care. If you are especially favored, you may come away with a gift from the dracolich's hoard, your life, and your sanity.
Here There Be Dragons...Or one of the few things much worse than dragons.
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