View source for Elder Lich

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{{Race
|image = [[File:Elder Lich Anime.png|300px]]
|Japanese = {{ruby|死者の大魔法使い|エルダーリッチ}}
|Romaji = Erudāritchi
|Type = Middle Tier Undead
|Race = [[File:Heteromorphic Logo.png|30px]] Heteromorphic Race
|Race-2 = [[File:Undead Logo.png|30px]] [[Undead]]
|Dominion = [[YGGDRASIL]] & [[New World]]
|Debut-novel = [[Overlord Volume 02|Overlord Volume 2]]
|Debut-manga = [[Overlord Manga Chapter 16|Overlord Chapter 16]]
|Debut-anime = [[Overlord II Episode 01|Overlord II Episode 1]]
}}
'''Elder Liches''' (死者の大魔法使い) are powerful undead [[Magic Caster|magic casters]], capable of commanding lesser [[undead]] with their necromancy and casting highly destructive magic.

== Background ==
An Elder Lich is a monster that spawns when the corpse of an evil magic caster gains unholy life through sacrificial rituals. Due to their fearsome reputation in the [[New World]], the inhabitants see Elder Liches as rulers of the undead and lords of the labyrinth.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 07]] Chapter 3: The Large Tomb''</ref> The objective of an Elder Lich's unnatural life was to master magic they couldn’t use when it first spawned and to attain different skills beyond magic as well.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 06]] Chapter 8: Six Arms''</ref>

In [[YGGDRASIL]], there are different types of monsters among the Elder Liches such as the White Counterfeiters. Monsters like these were level 30 and are ranked second within the Elder Lich family. There are also other, palette-swapped monsters in YGGDRASIL, colloquially known as the Red Counterfeiters and the Black Counterfeiters. Moreover, if a [[player]] who is a [[Skeleton Mage]] possesses a [[Book of the Dead]], then they can use it as a [[Skeleton Mage]] to ascend into an Elder Lich with specific conditions required to do so.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 08]] Side Story 2: A Day in Nazarick''</ref>

In the New World, certain individuals who have died prematurely would be able to spawn into an Elder Lich if their regrets are very high and deep such as was the case of [[Davernoch]]. An Elder Lich can, at some point in their lifetime after absorbing enough mana, transcend to the undead state of a [[Night Lich]]. <ref>''[[Overlord Bonus Volume]] Chapter 5: Five Years of Preparation''</ref>

On the other hand, there is an [[Greyrune|infamous Elder Lich]], who haunts the [[Katze Plains]] on a [[Ghost Ship]] that travels around the fog banks.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 12]] Chapter 2: Seeking Salvation''</ref> There is also another famous one which haunts and ruled over an abandoned Castle.

== Appearance ==
An Elder Lich wears an old and luxurious robe that covered its body of rotting skins and bones. It would also hold a twisted staff adorned with gems on its end. Beneath its rotting exterior lies a pair of evil eyes brimming with intelligence. An Elder Lich is shrouded in an aura of [[Negative Energy|negative energy]] that covers its body like a thin fog, giving off a menacing atmosphere. Some Elder Liches have no flesh and are completely skeletal, in which case they visually resemble [[Skeleton Mage]]s, though they tend to wear more opulent clothing.

== Abilities ==
Unlike normal undead, an Elder Lich retains its intelligence and is the type willing to negotiate and create ties with the living. Thus, it's capable of complex thought and far more dangerous than other undead. As magic users, they are far more suited to commanding lower-tier undead and attacking from afar then fighting face to face. The highest known ranking of undead they can call forth is the 4th tier.<ref>''[[Overlord Manga Volume 06]] Chapter 21: Elder Lich''</ref>

As a magic caster, the Elder Lich's source of mana comes from negative energy power. As Elder Liches level up, they gain a skill that when the undead touch someone, they deal negative energy damage.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 01]] Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning''</ref> However, due to lacking physical stats and abilities, they are considered as poorly suited for engaging close combat in melee battles.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 02]] Chapter 4: Twin Swords of Death''</ref>

On the other hand, there were many many different kinds of Elder Liches. This includes the Elder Lich [[Iguva=41]] that Ainz managed to summon who was only level 22.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 04]] Chapter 3: Army of Death''</ref> While the Elder Liches working in [[Ashurbanipal]] were nicknamed White Counterfeiters, they were only level 30 and are ranked second in the Elder Lich family. There were other, palette-swapped monsters like these in YGGDRASIL, colloquially known as the Red Counterfeiters and the Black Counterfeiters. The many types of Elder Liches make them a dangerous foe and hard to predict when encountered.

In the Web Novel, it was revealed that with the combined firepower of six Elder Liches, their existences altogether would be enough to topple a small city directly.<ref>''[[Overlord Web Novel|Overlord First Half]] Chapter 57: Invaders Part 5''</ref>

=== Active ===
* '''Fireball'''
* '''Lightning'''
* '''4th tier Summon Undead'''

== Known Elder Liches ==
* [[Ainz Ooal Gown]] (''Formerly'')
* [[Greyrune]]
* [[Davernoch]]
* [[Iguva=41]]
* [[Librarian J]]
* [[Librarian B]]
* [[Librarian C]]

== Trivia ==
* In both the Light Novel and Web Novel, the prerequisite of becoming an Overlord was to be an Elder Lich.
* Apparently, there is a [[ritual]] called [[Death Spiral]] in the New World that allows one to become an Elder Lich, but the power to ascend (or descend, depending on one's point of view) to a lich requires the sacrifice of at least the entire population of a city.
** [[Khajiit Dale Badantel|Khajiit]] was attempting to turn himself into an Elder Lich by sacrificing the entire population of [[E-Rantel]] using this ritual.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 02]] Chapter 3: Wise King of the Forest''</ref>
* An Elder Lich would be a challenging foe to defeat for a platinum-ranked [[adventurer]] team, but relatively winnable for a mithril-ranked adventurer team.
* An Elder Lich is ranked middle within the hierarchy of the Elder Lich type monsters, with Skeleton Mage being the lowest and [[Overlord]] being the highest.
* According to [[Hejinmal]], when enough elder liches gather together, they begin to form a mage cabal.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 11]] Chapter 5: Frost Dragon Lord''</ref>
* Momonga utilized the Book of the Dead to ascend into an Elder Lich.
* Albedo has trained Elder Liches to be public servants in the Sorcerer Kingdom.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 10]] Chapter 1: The Sorcerer Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown''</ref>
* Due to being unfamiliar with the term Overlord as a race, many New World inhabitants initially mistake Ainz for an Elder Lich when they first meet him face to face.<ref>''[[Overlord Volume 13]] Chapter 4: The Siege''</ref>
* In the Web Novel, Ainz had a racial class of level 5 for Demilich.<ref>''[[Overlord Web Novel|Overlord First Half]] Chapter 60: Settings''</ref>
* When Solution was given a task by Albedo to create an undead theatre troupe to produce a positive image of the undead to the world, it led her to use [[Rakugo Script Collection]] to create an undead rakugo show with an elder lich.<ref>[[Overlord: The Undead Oh! Chapter 79|''Overlord: The Undead Oh! Chapter 79'']]</ref>

== References ==
{{References|content={{reflist|1}}}}

== Gallery ==
<center><tabber>Anime={{Gallery Box|<gallery captionalign="center" widths="180" position="center">
Overlord II EP01 076.png
Overlord II EP01 077.png
Overlord II EP02 100.png
Overlord III EP07 087.png
Iguva.png|Iguva=41
Davernoch.png|Davernoch
</gallery>}}
|-|Manga={{Gallery Box|<gallery captionalign="center" widths="180" position="center">
Elder Lich.png
</gallery>}}
</tabber></center>

[[pl:Starszy Licz]]
[[Category:Monsters]]
[[Category:Spawn NPCs]]
[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Undead]]
[[Category:Legendary Undead]]
[[Category:Racial Classes]]