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[Nivim]

A book appears on the table in front of the Lich's chair and Dictator with the sound of tiny crystals breaking. The book is has an interesting green and white tone and the mottled look of leather. When one opens the book, it appears empty, till one reaches the back of the book, where there is a photo of some island. Dictator glances at the book, and notes
"Don't touch that."
Dictator then addresses Vlynndar on the topic of his stay,
"So, you've become enchanted by this place. Think you'll stay till the end of your days?"
It says right before the Lich begins his response. Dictator listens intently.
"Interesting, all of it. But how would you not have noticed your skin falling off? That would have taken a few days. And the time when there was just flesh and ligaments must have been more awkward than now and before. Did you take the step of removing all the flesh and cleaning your bones?"
Dictator jerks a bit like he remembered something, then yet again looks like he has another question.

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

"Well, at the time I was doing an extremely demanding ritual in one of the lower planes. Feeling like your skin is falling off is part of the general mood of those places. That, and the ritual took several months and involved fire, and left me extremely disoriented. The ritual was an ancient, near-forgotten one that had the effect of making a gigantic, permanent planar gate."

[Vlynndar]

"To the end of my days? Only if this magic kills me! No, I fully intend to return. What is that book?"

[Nivim]

Nodding
"I see, I am not going to ask why you did this, but instead switch the topic to something else involving liches you will probably know. Why do some of them place gems in their eyes? Right in the same place as the lights. Does it creep them out that they don't have eyes anymore?"
Dictator's shadow takes on its usual slimy, liquid look. A few bubbles come out and if one was listening carefully, a faint yelp could be heard from them.
The mud cube turns to glass, and a mocking face hologram appears in it, saying something condescending without sound.
Dictator turns to Vlynndar and says
"Heh, in these places it is easy to forget time, you might be here far longer than you intend. Ignore the book, touching the picture within will send you on an adventure you don't need. And it's better not to touch it at all, considering where it came from."

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

"No. You see, a demilich is a really, really old lich. I mean an order of magnitude older then myself. They're nigh-impossible to defeat and can suck your soul out with a glance. The gems are symbolic of how powerful they are. When they have 9 it signifies that they have become a demilich. Demiliches are called so because they are only a gem-incrusted skull. Destroy the gems and BAM no more demilich. But the things are almost impossible to destroy with brute force, and there is only one spell known to destroy them, and it's piss-week.

Also, Vlynndar, you said you were part of an expedition, care to elaborate?"

[Nivim]

"You sound like you should have a couple gems yourself, although I haven't seen any liches with more than the two gems in the eyes. Do you mean the spell is very weak, or that it takes a week to cast?"
Dictator places the mask on the arm of the chair, and gets up.
"I also wish to know about that, to have someone other than the Lich dishing out history."
Another imp vanishes (bringing the total to what? How many did we start with?) inconspicuously.
The mocking face fades into a salamander, the magic, fire kind. It moves out of the cube and splats on the stone floor.

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

"I can't. The gems require separating ones soul into even more pieces, and the way that becoming an archlich works does not allow for that. I mean that it is weak, it's called shatter and it's made to destroy tough but brittle things like gems. But it's still not really effective on these ones."

[Vlynndar]

"Sure. There still are white spots on the map. People have been exploring before, but there were more rumours than normal about treasures. The top-hatted men can't risk the other top-hatted men getting it for themselves, so despite that they are rumours, they're spending a lot of money to get there first.
That's why I'm in a plane. Do you have any idea how much it costs to keep a plane running in rainforests or deserts?
When I came here, I was told to see if I could find a good way through the forest and maybe find some interesting spots. They meant of course, to see if I could find the camps of other expeditions.
I don't remember when it was, but I was somehow flying over that plane outside. You don't know this, yet, Dictator, but it's a battlefield out there. The defences shot me down and now I'm here."

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

"Why are the defeses on anyway? There isn't anything out there anymore. Also, what do you mean by 'white spots'?"

[Vlynndar]

"Just in case something pops up, I suppose. White spots on the map. Uncharted territories. Places still left to explore. Obviously, full of treasure and mystical creatures. "

[Nivim]

Dictator picks back into the conversation as a few more bubbles rise and pop on the surface of its shadow.
"Yeah, if this keep, on its own plane of existence was already attacked somehow, there is no telling if it will be attacked again. Soon."
Dictator walks over to the salamander on the floor, then to the glass cube in a globe holder. Dictator taps the cube, then the holder, then tries stepping on the salamander. The salamander escapes, but the cube n' rack vanish.
"The purpose of those gems is a lot nastier than I thought it would be. I expected them to be used as additional power channels or stores, or as a focus stone. Because I'm to lazy to look," While it tries to catch the salamander and fails because it isn't bothering to run. "what structure do you have in there? I know it has preserved your soul appropriately, thus why it will not allow dissection, but how would you describe what binds you?"

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

"Hmm.... if you want me to, I can stabilize the portal effect that brought you here, to elaborate: if you take me in the direction you came from, I can build an anchor point for the thing what brought you here, allowing much easier transport between this place and there.

I did something unique to my soul, something that cannot be replicated. I went back in time to view the beginning of everything, it's been attempted, but it's been long thought impossible, due to the strange things that happen as you go further and further back. But somehow I made it, and I took the opportunity to do something not even I thought would work: I bound my soul to everything."

[Nivim]

Dictator's expression reflects that of one who has been electrocuted after listening to the Lich's last words. It stops going after the salamander.
"The heck..."
A moment later, leaving shock, it responds
"But wouldn't that mean everyone would be capable of messing with you? Your soul would be almost completely out of you, strewn about the cosmos. You can't be killed, but if someone who cares learns about this, they own you. Also, what everything do you mean? You wouldn't be sentient anymore if you had done it with all of the universes."

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

"No, it's quite impossible to do anything with my soul. trying to influence it is like trying to filter very last grain of gold from the sea: impossible, and souls are not infinite, they are divisible. every universe, every multiverse, presumably, and why would that make me nonsentient? It's not really different from moving my soul into a box."

[Vlynndar]

"A very big box. Filled with a LOT more."