Supposed to be all cosmopoltan, even jaded. Tolerant and open minded enough to serve and sell wands to a honest and non-smelly clean lich?
Or atleast to purchase that very first hat of disguise to eliminate future problems with narrowminded provincials :p
My overall impression is that for the most part, a very large part of Golarion reacts badly to the undead. Unless the lich is disgused in some way, odds are people will run screaming, call for a paladin and/or cleric and smite the 'evil undead horror'.
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Despite that, Absalom would be the obvious place for a Lich to make a secure, hidden base of operations if he is at all interested in The Spire of Nex.
All he's gotta do is stay well disguised and he can do his up close and personal research on the MegaDungeon.
As an added bonus, he could have minions -- living ones who don't know what he is -- keep on eye on the City at the Center of the World.
. . . . Thinking about it, his actual base may be just outside of Absalom, somewhere else on Aroden's Isle but still very close to the Spire and the City.
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Another reason a lich might make Absalom his base of operations: It's old. Thousands and thousands of years old, in fact. Probably older than most of lich-kind. So a lich who sets up shop in Absalom isn't going to worry about the city falling to another nation or fading away into the sands of time, for it'll be as much a hub of power and manupliation in the next eon as the current one.
I've got an idea now for a lich who sponsors Pathfinder agents in defense of Absalom. After all, he might be plotting his world takeover scheme, but he's gotta live her until then, right?
And by the way the most effective living minions are those who know exactly what their boss is and couldn't care less. After all working for a lich can't be that much different than say... serving Grandmaster Torch.
I had an idea for a campaign based on the border of Cheliax and Andoran. A lich (former chellish spellcaster) and a succubus team up to try and topple Cheliax. the lich simply dislikes the House of Thrune and became a lich because of wounds sustained during the Chellish civil war (last scion of a destroyed Chellish noble house) and the succubus is...well...a feminist. it wants to see women free to do as they will within an otherwise oppressive patriarchy run by devils.
the campaign would start off with the party being hired for various jobs. as the game progressed, they'd eventually figure out they were being hired by a lich and a demon to take down powerful devils, hellknights, and the cruch of asmodeus. would they keep working for bosses who were evil (but ultimately serving 'good' ends)? or would they quit and let the church of asmodeus win?
at any rate, someday I'll get around to finishing my write up.
I think average people in Absalom may be disturbed by a Lich that is obviously Undead, so the Lich may not run around flaunting it´s Undead-ness everywhere, but I don´t think the typical Lich really has any need or desire to do that, they will live the life of an ultra-rich and powerful wizard, using minions to take care of basic chores. Osirioni IS a major language of Absalom, so they are much more likely to be semi-familiar with Geb, and thus even normal people would react more calmly than in other locales... They may not LIKE Undead or Lichs, but if they become aware that some Undead Lord is hanging around and getting by, without any threats to anybody else, they will be able to deal with that better than average folk in Ustalav, for example. High level caster types in Absalom will certainly have some experiences with Lich-folk, and similarly be able to deal.
If people figure out they are a Lich (or merely Undead), or that a Lich is residing nearby, most people aren´t going to do much because they would be scared to. Perhaps the government or the church of Pharasma may investigate a bit if they become aware, but I don´t think they´re going to do much if they realize it is a Lich and not just some generic Undead. Maybe they would have prejudices which would cause them to put the Lich on their ´watch list´ (probably amongst other ´dubious high level caster types´ e.g. Diabolists), but if the Lich just says ´excuse me for my uber-powers over the cosmos and forgetting about those irritating limitations that came with ´life´, I have my business to do researching arcane theorems, and if I´m not breaking any laws... please leave me be.´ They will probably do just that. I don´t think there´s a surfeit of NPCs floating around Absalom who are of high enough level to consider taking on an uber-high level Wizard not to mention a Lich.
The Church of Pharasma is probably going to be the most strongly interested in them (in a negative way), but since they are Undead by their own choice, not to mention being a powerful Wizard able to hold their own, I think they will ultimately be left alone... Excepting specific reasons to the contrary, of course.
[I think you misunderstand. Having a lich as a hidden manipulator within ABsalam is perfectly fine and dandy. It's the idea of having one go openly down and order bagels at the corner store is where I'd draw the line.
Store clerk: 'good morning sir, what can I...[draws breath] AAAAAAAAA! LIIIIIIIICH! [flees store]
lich: 'dammit. 400 years and I still can't get decent service anywhere in this city.'
vampire: 'hey, at least people don't run up to you and demand to see you sparkle for them'.
Well if the lich doesn't disturb the trade (like using gentle repose etc.), he would be ignored by the authorities
I suggest you read Guide to Absalom.
That being said it depends on the part of the city the lich is in. Also if he has been cleared by the grand council and more importantly Lord Gyr then just about no one can say otherwise or has the power to strong arm him. Absalom may not be Geb but they deal with everyone and even allow evil gods to be openly worshiped. So long as it does not threaten or interfere with Absalom they are open to it.
Liches while powerful undead do not feed on people or anything. So the real question is what makes a Lich so bad besides being undead.
Because for various reasons they tend to be evil and/or insane as well as undead. Odds are the various steps towards becoming a Lich are probably quite evil in and of themselves involving more than a few deaths along the way.
Evil is allowed, they even have a few churches and shops just for evil people. Being evil does not close Absalom's doors to you, so long as you behave in the city by following its laws.
FWIU, the local law enforcement may not care, but people on an individual basis might still be afraid.
There might not be a law against walking tigers on leashes in public*, but that does not mean I am going shopping when the tiger is out, nor does it mean I am telling anything if the tiger gets to close to my shop. I might decide to call it an early day, as a shopkeeper.
PS:I know tigers are not liches, but the point is that in both cases I can easily be killed, and I have a legitimate reason to be afraid.
PS:I don't have any books on Absolom, but selling to evil people in general, does not translate to liches walking around openly in public to me.
Sense you don't have the book its kinda hard to explain. Absalom allows evil churches, slavery, and even open thieves guilds. There is a very good reason why it has a neutral alignment as a city. So while a lich would be given healthy caution it would not be feared just for what it is. Any old man in a robe could be a spellcaster with the power to turn you to ash without breaking a sweat. In such a city you can't let every little thing get in the way of business or trade.
Sense you don't have the book its kinda hard to explain. Absalom allows evil churches, slavery, and even open thieves guilds. There is a very good reason why it has a neutral alignment as a city. So while a lich would be given healthy caution it would not be feared just for what it is. Any old man in a robe could be a spellcaster with the power to turn you to ash without breaking a sweat. In such a city you can't let every little thing get in the way of business or trade.
The government not cracking down on an issue, and someone not being worried about it are not synonymous. I don't need a book to know that. Reference my tiger example.
Any old man could be a spellcaster, but a lich is inherently more dangerous than some random old guy, and random old guys are not inherently dangerous either so that is not a valid comparison.
I would also assume, that allowing all of the things you mentioned does not automatically mean everyone/everything gets a free pass.
It's not that they have signs saying "EVIL PEOPLE SHOP HERE. GREAT DISCOUNTS FOR EXTRA NASTY" Absalam doesn't have Paladin patrols doing detect evil scans on everyone in the street. It's more of a matter of absalam being cosmopolitan and tolerant as long as business of trade flows. Anything that disrupts it is going to be come down on hard. So I'd qualify that "openly evil" just a tad.Evil is allowed, they even have a few churches and shops just for evil people. Being evil does not close Absalom's doors to you, so long as you behave in the city by following its laws.
Because for various reasons they tend to be evil and/or insane as well as undead. Odds are the various steps towards becoming a Lich are probably quite evil in and of themselves involving more than a few deaths along the way.
This is how I see it too. If the shopkeepers are not affected by monster X appearing in the street then it is a non-issue, but if it does cause people to shut down shops then it won't be allowed.
This is not to be taken as proof/evidence that people won't be afraid of anything that is evil just because the government is willing to sit back and wait to see what happens before any action is taken.
PS:I am not saying for a fact that the government is reactive, but if they were that does not mean people are not afraid.
PS:I also don't think monster X will appear openly in the streets and expect people to not exit the area, if it is intelligent, to test the theory either.
edit:just building off of your post, not disagreeing with you.
Liches while powerful undead do not feed on people or anything. So the real question is what makes a Lich so bad besides being undead.
well...for starters you have to do some pretty vile things to become a lich. the particulars can vary...but basically someone had to break a couple/few laws to rip their soul out and stick it into a metal box for eternity.
then you have to consider if someone who does that would make a good neighbor. the entire process of lichdom changes the perceptions of the lich. odds are they are at least a little unbalanced to start with and undeath tends to bring out the worst in people. I suspect that 'townhall meetings' would take on an entirely different tone if there was a lich in the room.
so you've got a more than slightly unbalanced undead THING in the room. that's bad enough. But the final nail in the coffin (so to speak) is that this unbalanced undead horror has to be fairly freaking powerful just to become a lich in the first place. magically powerful mentally unbalanced undead things don't react well to the stresses of city life. they could level a block party for interrupting their studies. and what can you really threaten a lich with? it decides to blow of paying taxes and...how do you threaten it? kill it and it'll respawn near its hidden phylactery. give it a fine? it'll kill the mailman and reanimate him as a zombie slave.
liches make for bad neighbors. stick with the living...they might be annoying but at least they still have their souls attached.
Ok I wanted to be lazy but here.
Absalom Mindset
The people of Absalom have a strong respect for dedication and devotion, even devotion to ideals they find personally abhorrent. The very act of being loyal to an ideal is a virtue in their eyes, and as a result they often tolerate ideas and cultures that are strictly banned elsewhere. They are slow to judge, preferring to give people, cultures, and even ideas a fair consideration before forming a firm opinion, and they often reconsider their opinions in the face of new information. While outsiders might see this as being indecisive and mercurial, the people of Absalom believe their open-mindedness allows them to accept new ideas and build strength from diversity. Most locals love diversity and surprises. They yearn to enjoy new experiences, and some go so far as to seek out new unpleasant experiences as well. Anything that hasn’t been seen before is sure to garner extensive interest, and new fads in fashion, dining, entertainment, and even speech can tear through Absalom in a matter of days. Most such ideas enjoy their popularity only until the next “new” craze comes along, but some prove to have staying power (at least within Absalom). By the same token, the people and laws of Absalom are fairly forgiving of strange customs and actions. Even when something is outlawed as unacceptable (such as slavery in the upper-class sections of the city), enforcement of such laws is often restricted to f lagrant violations. If someone is breaking the law, but not causing trouble for the city or the Grand Council in the process, their “crimes” may be entirely ignored. Of paramount importance to those who control the city is trade. Anything that encourages trade is seen as good for the city, while laws and activities that reduce the presence of foreign merchants are quickly struck down. Of course, since the city is controlled by an ever-changing Grand Council, and even the primarch can’t declare an heir to succeed him, exactly what’s considered good for trade can change quite suddenly. While the people of Absalom are used to laws and their enforcement shifting frequently, the lack of a defined set of consistent laws often confuses or angers foreigners. As a general rule, if an action doesn’t upset a member of the Grand Council or put commerce at risk, there’s a good chance it’ll be allowed (or at least ignored) by the government.
When I say openly evil I mean a local can point you to the temple of the lord of hell or if your from cheliax you can be pointed to their embassy. Its no secret their evil and everyone knows it. Thats openly evil to me. ;)
Ok I wanted to be lazy but here.
** spoiler omitted **...
then let me put it this way - liches are bad for neighborhood property values.
Ok what if a lich agreed to have his phylactery put in a city vault or kept by Lord Gyr. I remember a setting that had a undead city where they had a massive vault to house all the resident liches phylactery's. If the lich got out of hand he was destroyed then thru spells prevented from respawning or in hard cases just destroyed once and for all.
Edit- Where does it say that every lich is a nutcase blasting anyone that annoys it. Seems a bit silly to me that a reasonably smart lich would do things so very ill advised.
Ok what if a lich agreed to have his phylactery put in a city vault or kept by Lord Gyr. I remember a setting that had a undead city where they had a massive vault to house all the resident liches phylactery's. If the lich got out of hand he was destroyed then thru spells prevented from respawning or in hard cases just destroyed once and for all.
Because liches are paranoid about their phylactaries. they're not going to just hand it over to some city official and hope that none of their enemies nuke that vault from orbit (just to be sure). there is simply no way that the city and government of Absalom can control a lich. they are quite simply beyond the reach of the law.
Edit- Where does it say that every lich is a nutcase blasting anyone that annoys it. Seems a bit silly to me that a reasonably smart lich would do things so very ill advised.
I didn't say every lich was insane. I said undeath tends to bring out the worst in people who make that transition. that and the process itself requires you to do some pretty vile things. Ripping your soul out of your body and putting it into a metal box for eternity is going to have some lasting aftereffects, both mental and spiritual. its going to be difficult for a lich to fit in with the puny mortals around it.
Absalom already has liches walking around, two spells let them walk around as a member of their race before lichdom. Restore Corpse and Gentle Repose, so unless they start breaking laws or don't die when someone tries to kill them for whatever reason, no one knows or cares. Really Absalom has nothing to stop a lich from getting into the city so unless it does something to gain attention their is also nothing to stop it from staying in the city and blending in thru its spells.
I doubt a being that went thru the trouble of getting so close to immortality is going to do anything that threaten's that, and while yes as long as his little box is safe he can come back. Its down right foolish to think a city with one of the oldest magical schools in the world can't find that box. Not to mention the other ways to trap a lich.
Absalom has liches you just don't know it, thats why their still there ;)
A merchant prince lich visiting Absalom, would any paladin dare
equally silly ofcourse to assume any such illusions annot be easily pierced. Way better to be open about it and walk in, buy your bagel and eat it (alnd all falls down on the floor thru th naked bones..)
If anyone has a problem, theres always the arena.. always kinda neat to challenge if you cannot die permanently :p
But ofcourse equally much a danger for the neighbourhood is anyone knowing fireball. Its all a question on whether its legal to carry anything as dangerous as a nailclipper (let alone worse!).