Liches : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 8:13 pm

Okay, I have a few questions (partially because I have an RP where the main villain is a Lich).

First off, were ther Liches before Mannimarco, or did he start the craze?

Do you really need anything special to kill them, or can you just hack at them 'till they're dust?

Are they capable of speech? I mean, without vocal chords or tongues... I imagine it would be dificult.

What is their general outlook on mortals? Playthings? Subjects?

Any help answering these questions will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 8:41 pm

First off, were ther Liches before Mannimarco, or did he start the craze?

It is said that Mannimarco was the first lich.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:07 pm

Do you really need anything special to kill them, or can you just hack at them 'till they're dust?

Eh, in DF you needed mithril or better to hurt them. Or magic.

Are they capable of speech? I mean, without vocal chords or tongues... I imagine it would be dificult.

The KoW can certainly speak, and liches in DF can howl/wail just like skeletons, so I would hazard a Yes they can speak.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:25 pm

I would expect them to be able to talk since the King of Worms can?

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:29 pm

Barilzar can talk too.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 4:15 pm

Okay, thanks for all teh answers. Now, I have one more question: How long has Mannimarco been a Lich? Just since Daggerfall? Thousands of years? What? This one is just because I'm curious

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:14 pm

Barilzar can talk too.

Aesliip too

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:37 pm

Moroni: In the time when Mannimarco became lich Galerion was still alive, so I suppose it was during second era.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:03 am

Keep in mind that they keep there souls in objects, and can re-form infinitely 'till you destroy the thing carrying their soul.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:24 pm

I was searching for the King of Worms and on UESP I found a page that was talking about that it is thought that Mannimarco's Staff of Worms is handed down to the next person in line etc...

Maybe thats why it's believed to be immortal?

Also he's only appeared twice. Once in Daggerfall and once in Oblivion.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:32 am

I was searching for the King of Worms and on UESP I found a page that was talking about that it is thought that Mannimarco's Staff of Worms is handed down to the next person in line etc...

Maybe thats why it's believed to be immortal?

Also he's only appeared twice. Once in Daggerfall and once in Oblivion.

Such as an Umbra/Gray Fox sort of deal?

» Sun Apr 11, 2010 1:03 am

Yeah.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:29 am

I have some questions too: What's the deal with the one boot? Where do the Liches in OB get their uniform?

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 12:05 pm

Keep in mind that they keep there souls in objects, and can re-form infinitely 'till you destroy the thing carrying their soul.

That's not true actually. In TES the object only holds their soul untill the transformation ritual is complete, after which it is useless as far as I know. Refer to http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:The_Path_of_Transcendence for more information (it's found during a Dark Brotherhood quest in Oblivion).

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:44 am

the ritual just transfers the soul, to kill the lich u must desroy the thing it put its soul in.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 8:19 pm

the ritual just transfers the soul, to kill the lich u must desroy the thing it put its soul in.

You could at the very least read the post above yours:

...The very notion is so absurd as to be comical. Yes, a Necromancer must transfer his soul into a physical vessel, but once that transference is complete, once the Necromancer has fully metamorphosed into his lich form, the vessel is inconsequential.

From the Oblivion book, The Path of Transcendence

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:46 pm

the ritual just transfers the soul, to kill the lich u must desroy the thing it put its soul in.

That's a difference between D&D liches and TES: in TES, once a lich has completed its transformation, its soul is united with its transformed body, and the phylactery is no longer necessary. Thus a lich can be killed by direct attack rather than finding and destroying its phylactery.

D&D liches (as well as Harry Potter's Lord Voldemort and the foundational legend of Koschei the Deathless) can regenerate into another body if their soul is not destroyed with the phylactery. This aspect of lichdom is not modeled in TES.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 12:17 pm

Thanks all of you, thank you very much. My questions have been more than adequetly answered.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:46 pm

Are they capable of speech? I mean, without vocal chords or tongues... I imagine it would be dificult.

There are sound spells, so a powerful lich should be able to bend illusion into words.

» Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:08 pm

That's not true actually. In TES the object only holds their soul untill the transformation ritual is complete, after which it is useless as far as I know. Refer to http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:The_Path_of_Transcendence for more information (it's found during a Dark Brotherhood quest in Oblivion).

Spoiler

if you want to do that quest it is your tenth mission