The Arch Lich

History

Life and Rise to Power

Little is known of this period of the Arch Lich’s life, though it is certain that they must have come from somewhere. Unfortunately, their original name has been erased from all surviving written records of the known nations, and nothing is known of what deeds they may have committed prior to their rise to power.

The Curse of Mekk

What is known of this event is that the so-called “First Empire” (neither truly first, nor an empire) enacted a massive ritual against the Empire of Mekk. This ritual cursed the primary race of Mekk—the Orcs, who were largely peaceful agrarian people—with a sudden and uncontrollable bloodlust toward other races.

The effects were immediate and catastrophic across Vestar. Not only were the lands of Mekk affected, but merchants, bards, and travelers of Orcish blood began to succumb to uncontrollable violence within cities across the continent. Many civilians were killed, unprepared for such sudden and widespread brutality.

In the years that followed, the so-called First Empire swept in and claimed the shattered lands of Mekk with little resistance.

Escape of the Chromatic Dragons

The Chromatic Dragons were the first to rise up against their Lich masters and reclaim the open skies. The origins of the initial uprising are unknown and lost to time, but it is known that it was not a sudden event. The rebellion took many years to spread from the eastern fringes—where it first began—across to the western coast of Vestar and into the heart of the Lich Empire.

Metallic Dragons

The Metallic Dragons observed their chromatic kin organizing, rebelling, and fleeing the Lich Empire toward what appeared to be temporary freedom in the outer lands. Before they could join them, the Lich authorities drastically intensified the security and imprisonment of the Metallic Dragons through brutally effective means.

One particularly cruel method involved the seizure of the offspring of mature dragons. Should an adult dragon flee the Empire, their captured young would be publicly slaughtered in the Amphitheater of the Great Dragon Lairs. Early escapees learned of these consequences months after their flight, shattering their resolve and allowing Lich forces to retain draconic mounts during the early stages of the Chromatic rebellion.

Eventually, the Metallic Dragons found the courage and ingenuity to circumvent these controls and joined their cousins beyond the Empire’s borders. For decades, the dragon races lingered at the Empire’s edges, recovering and preparing, until they finally turned from survival to retribution. For some, this struggle became a desperate attempt to rescue their surviving offspring during the coming wars.

Dwarves

Resistance from the Dwarves continued unabated as they clung to existence within their subterranean strongholds, besieged by relentless undead assaults. Years passed with no reduction in the pressure within the Underdark, though the diversion of undead forces toward surface conflicts gradually weakened surface garrisons, enabling the Dragons’ initial escapes and resistance efforts.

Magma traps proved devastatingly effective during this time.

Even so, decades would pass before the pressure on the Dwarves eased at all. Throughout most of the war, Dwarven forces bore the brunt of the conflict, fighting over 80 percent of the total undead forces at nearly all times. The toll was immense, and the Dwarven race was left profoundly diminished for generations to come.

Current Activities

The Silver Order’s Activities

In the current age, the Silver Order was formed by the beings responsible for imprisoning the Arch Lich. Their purpose is to safeguard the integrity of the prison across the ages.

The present-day activities of the Silver Order are documented elsewhere and remain closely guarded.