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Liches, Lords of Undeath
Faction/Affiliation	Scourge, some serve the Burning Legion
Character Classes	Mage, Sorcerer, Warlock, Necromancer, Shaman (RPG)
Racial Capital	Icecrown Glacier
Racial Leader(s)	The Lich King, Kel'thuzad and senior lieutenants
Racial Mount	Spell-powered flight
Homeworld	Various, primarily Azeroth and Draenor
Primary Language(s)	Various
Secondary Language(s)	Not applicable
Average Height	Varies according to species, decay, and rigor mortis

A lich is a powerful undead sorceror, possessing tremendous magical power. During his mortal life as the warchief of the orcish Horde of Draenor, Ner'zhul commanded a number of Orcish warlocks, shamans, and even some of Gul'dan's death knights. When these wicked sorcerers were captured by Kil'jaeden and the Burning Legion after the destruction of Draenor, they were transformed into twisted aberrations of their former selves. Ner'zhul became the Lich King at this time. The sorcerors' new, undead bodies, though immortal, were bound to the iron will of Ner'zhul. Since the liches showed unswerving loyalty to their master, Ner'zhul granted them control over the furious elements of the cold north. Now, the liches wield frost magic along with their own considerable necromantic spells.^{MG 95MoM 142} Other Lichs are raised important members of the Cult of the Damned (Kel'Thuzad is one such example).

Contents 1 Service to the Scourge 2 Human Lich 3 Famous Liches 3.1 Other Liches

[edit] Service to the Scourge

Liches are among the most powerful spellcasters and allies of the Scourge, serving their master with evil intent and great power. Often, they command armies as generals, surrogates for the Lich King himself. They are deeply entwined with the cold power of the grave. As a rule, these creatures are power-hungry, devious, and vicious. They utilize their great intellect and dark powers not only to serve the Lich King, but also to defeat each other in subtle political machinations, gaining strength and renown from each opponent's death. A lich resembles a skeleton with a chill blue glow emanating from within its bones. Liches often dress in flowing robes. These creatures are fond of pageantry and deception; they will often dress in the robes of a king or priest and expect their followers to call them by powerful-sounding names. Sometimes, they claim extraordinary powers granted directly from Ner'zhul himself, acting as though Ner'zhul were a god and they were his chosen priest or prophet. Instead of walking on the ground as mortals do, liches float above it on frosty mist. A lich floats from 6 to 12 inches above the ground. Liches cannot trigger pressure plates or similar traps, nor do they leave footprints. Most difficult terrain does not inhibit liches, and they can cross calm water and other liquids with this ability. This movement is otherwise similar to normal movement, so liches can still fall down pits, for instance.

Typically, the Lich King elevates only necromancers to lichdom, but rumors speak of the occasional mage or shaman who also attains this status. Some tales imply that a spellcaster with enough personal and magical strength can willingly turn himself into a lich, but these reports are unsubstaniated. Some powerful necromancers can temporarily transform themselves into a lich.^{MG 95-97 MM&M 69 MoM 142}

Following the defeat of the Burning Legion at Mount Hyjal and the weakening of the Lich King's hold over the Scourge, a few Liches, such as Ras Splinterspine and Morbent Fell, chose to serve the Burning Legion and sided with the dreadlord Balnazzar during the uprising of Sylvanas Windrunner.

Every lich has a physical object called a phylactery that contains its soul. As long as a lich's phylactery remains intact and undamaged, the lich will eventually regenerate its body and return to life. It's unclear if the mechanics of phylacteries are common knowledge; if they aren't, then liches thought dead may still return.

A lesser type of lich is known as a lichling. Many Highborne Lichlings can be found in Azshara.

[edit] Human Lich

Human necromancers are the most likely candidates for liches. Chilling mist billows from this skeletal figure. It floats in a cloud of mist, and black robes flow from its evil form. These liches are evil, cunning and loyal to the Lich King. They serve as generals of armies and as advisors to other powerful members of the Scourge. These liches are somewhat inexperienced and probably new to undead existence, but they are filled with power and arrogance. Liches prefer to have hordes of undead minions surrounding them. These lesser undead creatures protect the lich while he casts spells from a distance. Liches have no qualms about fleeing if the situation warrants.^{MG 97}

[edit] Famous Liches

Note that most of those on this table listed "Alive," are in fact bosses and minibosses, and therefore "Killable."

Name	Role	Condition	Magical Field
[??+]  Kel'Thuzad	Prime Servant of the Lich King and majordomo of King Arthas	Alive	Frost, Shadow, Death, Demonic
[??+]  Rage Winterchill	Legion loyalist, fought for Archimonde at Mount Hyjal	Dead	Frost, Death, Demonic
Ras Splinterspine	Legion loyalist, fought against Sylvanas, Varimathras and Garithos during the siege of Lordaeron.	Unknown	Frost, Death
Morbent Fell	Legion loyalist, fought the side of Balnazzar during the siege of Lordaeron	Dead	Frost, Death
[41+]  Amnennar the Coldbringer	Lich King loyalist, rules Razorfen Downs in the Barrens	Alive	Frost, Death
[61+]  Araj the Summoner	Lich King loyalist, commands Scourge forces in Andorhal; spreads the Plague of Undeath	Alive	Death
[62+]  Ras Frostwhisper	Lich King loyalist, overseer of the Scholomance	Alive	Frost
[60+]  Balzaphon	Lich King loyalist, found in Stratholme during the Scourge Invasion	Removed from game	Frost
[34+]  Scorn	Lich King loyalist, found in the Graveyard of the Scarlet Monastery during the Scourge Invasion	Removed from game	Frost, Shadow
[69+]  Naberius	Found in Kirin'Var Village Chapel Yard; only Lich not directly affiliated with the Scourge or Burning Legion	Alive	Frost

[edit] Other Liches

Abrakkar the Wretched, Archmage Timolain, Ordin Frostbane, Kali'naj Dethknell, Din Frostfire, Naze the Eternal, Calis Wraithson, Coldreaver, Cho'Nammoth, Kryptikk Soulslayer, Rak Coldskull, Venim Iceblade, Alandil Lieng, Ra'Sal, Gunther Arcanus

The undead
Scourge leadership	Lich King • Kel'Thuzad • Anub'arak • Amnennar the Coldbringer
Forsaken leadership	Sylvanas Windrunner • Varimathras
Notable undead	Teron Gorefiend
Types	Undead Forsaken • Abominations • Banshees • Bone golems • Crypt fiends • Crypt lords • Death knights • Flesh giants • Flesh titans • Frost wyrms • Fungal monsters • Gargoyles • Ghosts • Ghouls • Liches • Revenants • Shades • Skeletons • Undead beasts • Wights • Wraiths • Zombies • and many more...
Further reading	Arthas Menethil • Scourge Civil War • Category:Undead