Shathash's page

Shathash was a powerful spellcaster in the age of Thassilon. Obsessed with the acquisition of knowledge and power he successfully researched and achieved Lichdom. Then - for some reason - he tried to kill Karzoug, Runelord of Greed.
He failed.
Karzoug assembled a special prison for his would-be assassin. Locked in a chamber with no ability to move while one of Karzoug’s experiments slowly ate the memories and knowledge has had sacrificed everything for.
The flaw was time. The creature was immortal, but after a thousand years had eaten almost everything. The only new memories were those formed by reading and contemplating the words. The creature would hibernate, carefully nibble those memories and try to eke out enough nourishment to survive. Eventually it slipped, ate too much and unkowingly ate Shathash’s knowledge of Thassilonian. With nothing to ponder the once-proud lich simply stared sightlessly at the wall past the thought-eater’s death and the rise and fall of civilisations.
Without magic, without movement, in the dry chamber’s air the lich’s body atrophied to match his mind. Only his eyes and voice were spared - Karzoug had been thoughtful enough to protect those with his own magic, for he wanted to make sure Shathash could see, hear and scream.
Eventually a rogue undead broke into the chamber. Assuming Shathash to be a simple skeleton he broke the wards and Commanded Shathash. With no reason not to, Shathash complied.
He accompanied the rogue for a little while, relearning the basics of language, until a battle with Duskwardens saw its demise. The duskwardens mistook Shathash for a Death’s Head Talisman controlled vassal, and when they issued orders holding the rogue’s amulet he compiled. Rather than be destroyed he was taken back to the surface and sold to Ankar-Te.
Recognising him as a superior skeleton a young necromancer bought Shathash. Shathash had by this point learned enough to pretend a mindlessness he did not have. He did show that he had some skill with calligraphy and corpsecraft though (reflexive skills the thought eater could not take) and was prized by his master.
Several decades later his master was destroyed by an apprentice golemcrafter who caused the master to bitterly regret not memorising feather fall, levitate, flight or teleportation in his long though rapid descent to the ground at the base of Kaer Maga’s cliff.
Shathash had long had a plan for what to do in the event of his master’s death. He took a few small items, his meatsuit, and fled.

You are Shathash, being punished for trying to kill Karzoug.
The first thing I remember is staring at the words. I don’t understand them, but I spent an indeterminate period staring at them and they are burned into my mind.

I spent a lot of time simply existing. When my last owner was alive I had the ability to surreptitiously read his books on philosophy. There I found the principle that every creature had a purpose. I pondered mine. Eventually I realised that when I still had my memories I had had a purpose that involved killing Karzoug. Presumably that me, complete with better information, had a reason to do so around a purpose. Therefore, lacking other information it was reasonable to assume that was still my purpose.

Knowing that it became possible to assemble a plan. First, I must not be destroyed. Secondly, I must learn all I can of Karzoug and myself. Thirdly I must find Karzoug. Fourthly I must be in a position to kill him.

Each of these expand out into more plans, goals and strategies. Until the death of my owner I was best served using his resources to acquire knowledge. With his destruction I have an opportunity to attempt to gather power and allies.

On three occasions I have had an effect used on me that has filled me with a powerful and illogical compulsion to do something or change my behaviour. While indisputably detrimental to optimally rational behaviour I found the experience was something I am inclined to re-experience. I believe this may be that which books term “emotion”.

I have no emotions. My reading leads me to believe that the Undead do not actually have emotions as such, merely echoes of emotions and learned behaviours based on memories from when they were alive. Lacking all memory of my time as a living man (skeletal evidence and voice pitch strongly supports a male gender) I do not appear to have emotions at all.

[ooc]Atrophied Lich is found in The Varnhold Vanishing
Atrophied Lich (Ex) A lich that remains immobile and insensible for extended periods of time... can grow atrophied. The exact effects of atrophy vary from lich to lich. ... until [the lich] achieves at least 11th level as a lich, his phylactery is unusable–if he is destroyed, he crumbles to dust, forever dead.

Custom Race
Type: Undead (16RP)
Size: Medium
Speed: Normal
Ability Scores: Human (0 RP)
Languages: Standard
Racial Traits: Emotionless; -4 to sense motive (-1RP) Light Blindness; blinded 1 round dazed for remainder in bright light (-2RP) Skeletal Damage Reduction; DR 5/Bludgeoning (2 RP)
Total: 15 RP

Favoured classes as per Dhampir from ARG.
The Atrophied Lich can take the Lich template as if a mortal spellcaster, representing “reforging” the connection with the phylactery

traits:
Social: Adopted
Racial: Almost Human
Magic Eldritch Delver
Combat Deft Dodger
Drawback: Meticulous

Feats: Spell Focus: Necromancy

Str: 10
Dex: 14 [5 att points]
Con: -
Int: 18 [10 att points][+2 racial]
Wis: 10

Cha: 16 [10 att points]
BAB: +0
Fort: NA
Ref: +3 [+2 dex 1 trait]
Will: +2 [+2 base]
HP: 9 [6 class, 3 cha]
Favoured: [+.25 necromancy CL)
Skills [6 pts]:
Disguise: +7 [3 cha, 3 class, 1 rank] +11 to look human
Craft: Corpsecrafting (Taxidermy? Leatherworking) +8 [4 int 3 class 1 rank]
Knowledge: Dungeoneering +9 [4 int 3 class 1 rank 1 trait]
Knowledge: History +9 [4 int 3 class 1 rank 1 trait]
Knowledge: Religion +8 [4 int 3 class 1 rank]
Spellcraft +8 [4 int 3 class 1 rank]
Languages: Taldane, Necril, Thassilonian, Draconic, Orcish

Arcane Bond
Arcane School
Cantrips
Scribe Scroll
Necromancy Undead School
Opposition School: Divination, Enchantment
Power Over Undead
Bolster Undead

Spells known
0: all but Divination and Enchantment
1: 7 (Chill Touch, Mage Armour, Shield, Silent Image, Infernal Healing, Magic Missile, Grease)

Spells memorised
0x3: Disrupt Undead, Acid Splash, Virtue.
1x3 [1 base 1 int 1 necro]: Infernal Healing, Mage Armour, Chill Touch

Equipment:
Wizard’s Kit 21
Disguise Kit 50
Quarterstaff
Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Vial of Holy Water