“That one was a little easier,” Brie professed. “Not too many nice or good natured Efreeti out there and Abdul is the only one I know of.”

“Like finding a diamond on a beach?”

“You can say so … possible but not probable. I shall tell you, Eria,” Brie explained as she sat down on a log. They still had time, her brother had just left after all. When she was comfortable she began.

“Abdul never came to these parts but he had come to the Fae realm before. An oddity sort of sticks out in the memories of those that were involved with him but there was an incident where a renown Fae treasure was stolen. He fled to the Shadow of Ignan, the place where Fire Elementals and Efreeti dwell as well as their fabled city of brass resides. For most the Shadow is lethal unless you are protected by some means.

“As luck would have it he was brought here by an advanced student in the Elemental Arts of Water, a Nereid Priest by the name of Cain that he rescued … there were some magical theorems he wished to study and this came to his attention.

“Not needing to get any magic to protect himself he went to Ignan in pursuit and got our treasure back.” Brie explained to the pair. “He got our treasure back though I do not know how his magical experiments went. He was not here too long ...” of course not too long for a Fae could mean a century or two.

Somehow listening to Brie incited a thought from the not too distant past as Flame and Abdul came together for the first time upon suffering through the haze of that vile memory suppression spell, or enchantment, at this point she didn't even care what it was as long as it resided in her mind. She might never get rid of it, but fresher memories existed as clear as crystal and their conversation summoned one of them now. "I've heard this name before .."

She waited for the girl to pause before letting her gaze flicker to Roc, then back to the Fae while speaking up. "Abdul mentioned Cain to me when I first asked him about my creation. They were working together in key aspects of making me appear more human."

"Cain assisted my father on a regular basis and is responsible for several gifts my vessel and I are capable of experiencing first hand, emotions and the ability to bear children. Abdul didn't think too much into the matter aside from practical aspects and it was only thanks to advice from what might pass for my mother that he actually attempted to include these aspects in some fashion."

It was little more than the gist of things, aside from the fact that Flame had spent countless days in Cain's and his wife's presence, but those memories were long since suppressed and for the moment she had nothing more to report other than questions which came to mind throughout Brie's telling of the story. "Please excuse me for being a tad indecorous, but why did Abdul help you? What kind of treasure did he return to the Fae?"

“Cain isn't his real name but that is what he was called as a nickname by the King of Llyndoria of that Shadow. Oberron used it as reference to something I am guessing that I do not understand but can assume that it means something.

“Cain, as he is known now, is a Priest and Priests have access to all Divine spells as they gain in power more complex abilities are given to them but an Elementalist among them focuses their Divine gifts narrowing their access to the opposing element much like a Mage though they cannot use the other element and gain a greater affinity towards that element. Nereids have an affinity to water based magic too just as Sylph have affinity towards Air magic. What results is someone that can use Water based magic far greater than even someone specialized in the element.

“Water is the key to life, so he being consulted makes sense.” Brie gave it a bit of thought. “As a Priest he would have the skills of life too, not necessarily Necromantic effects but those that addressed them to a great degree like healing and the like. Priests are about the only Fae that can get away with Necromantic effects and having access to most Divine magic not focused on fire he would have known a great many of them or rather could channel such effects.”

“It is a little complicated,” Roc leans in. “Since the Fae only channels the Divine energy and can only use it if their Deity allows they cannot misuse it like an Arcane practitioner.”

Brie nods to that. One of the reasons why Necromancy was so reviled among them yet accepted from the Clergy even though it was rarely used save for perhaps obliterating the Undead or controlling them to flee an area or such.

“A Diamond Necklace was stolen … one that may have had interested your creator in a way. It may have even been used though you would have to consult him or Cain. The necklace allowed the wearer to press their mind into another vessel suppressing the will of the other. It was a powerful object, a Necromantic effect created by a Lich though it could not be destroyed we locked it up. The thief hired to steal it was trying to restore said Lich and needed the necklace to do it. But since his soul is stuck in that receptical I doubt it was used otherwise I theorize that there would be a Lich bouncing around inside you … I am not privy to these matters.”

“Do you wish to seek out Cain while we are here? We still have to wait for those scrolls and sending a message magically to the others after we conclude our business here would be a cinch. I know no real magic in that regard myself but it's easy to learn and cheap to get a scroll too save for things that provide two way telepathy over vast distances or some such.”

"He does not live here but close enough," Brie adds.

Abdul would have mentioned something about another entity within her body unless it didn't matter although containing something of the sort as Brie described certainly turned out to be a most discomforting thought.

Surely there was no Lich bouncing around inside her, as Brie ever so delicately put it, but the possibility still had Flame contemplate the matter temporarily. She would have probably been more afraid with the knowledge on what a Lich actually is, but by the sounds of it, it certainly wasn't anything you'd want to move about freely.

"I was unaware of the fact that he lives nearby .." It was tempting nevertheless, to dig up a few helpful pointers in the right direction with regards to her own capabilities, creation and a substantial chunk of her suppressed past while they had the opportunity to do so without hinderance. They served only one purpose while staying around the settlement anyway and once their business had been concluded, depending on whether the Sylph tricked them, messed up or succeeded, surely averting from the path for a short while wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Yes, I'd like to pay him a visit, if at all possible with our time constraints. I'm sure I'll have trouble recognizing Cain, but even Whitney remembered who I am so I doubt we won't be welcome in his home." Judging by what the towering Efreeti relayed to his daughter, they had spent a great deal of time in their household and mentioned how well behaved Flame had been back in the day. It was likely enough to make their way inside for a chat.

"I have quite a few questions and speaking to Abdul in these times will only distract him." Two immortal creatures who lived far longer than either Flame or Gale were essential to their current undertaking and claiming his time for such, at least in contrast, negligible matters seemed hardly worth the prize.

Scarlet eyes flickered to the girl once more, curious as to how they would even reach him from here. "Will you lead the way or show us how to get there once your brother returns and we've gotten what we came for?"

Short was relative to a Fae. Distances were just as far but with an abundance of magic at their disposal one could cover a hundred miles in the blink of an eye. Granted most lacked the ability to do so but enough had access to such magic. Others had created Teleportation Circles that allowed travel from one community to another essentially linking the two together.

Thus someone being in the Kingdom was easy to get at. The Fae also had these circles set up at major allies or near them so they could quickly access them though these circles tended to have exotic keys to activate them to safeguard from invasion should something go wrong and never did they give their allies access save for perhaps the ones that lead to neutral areas rather than into their Kingdom so that their diplomats could speak with one another in a timely fashion. Not all their allies were as long lived as the immortal Fae after all though it was often amusing trying to impress upon a Fae that something was urgent, save for a Faerie Dragon perhaps.

Roc was unsure if Flame knew what a Lich was. The knowledge of the name was common enough and cause to formulate dread itself though not many had such detailed information on them. For a Lich to be among the Fae, even an item entrapping one, was a huge deal and he figured he would elaborate on all that later as he doubted that she possessed specific knowledge on the matter any way.

Brie did perk up though at her request. “Yes! Of course!” She seemed excited at the prospect actually and smiled as she applauded the request.

Roc held up a finger until he had her attention. “Provided we have time. Time is in short order for us but … I need to speak to my Mistress briefly.” Taking Flame aside though he did not move far off from where they were so they could still see Brie Roc granted her a smile to ease her a little.

“Remember how I was saying the Fae are diverse? Brownies are fixated on humans. She may only be half Brownie and you may only be a fraction human but that does not matter. She will do more or less anything reasonable that you place forth but you must be careful that she does not milk her time with you. I doubt that she encounters too many Half Elves.

“Brownies are perhaps one of the oddest among the Fae. Most live near human communities and serve one human family but remain helpful to all others they encounter.”

Flame was pleased to find Brie beyond thrilled at the opportunity to lead the way for them although her delight remained short lived once Roc chimed in for a chance to speak with her in private. She could already sense an impending lecture and secretly wondered what exactly had gone wrong this time around, but throughout his explanation it became clear that it might have been wiser not to ask the girl for anything further.

She was hardly upset considering that her knowledge was fairly limited and with a charming lecturer like him, who would really mind getting corrected? "Hm .. Well .. What do you suggest? Are you saying I shouldn't ask her to do anything for me because she'd have a hard time denying my requests?" It happened to be what Flame took away from his brief elaboration on the matter. "I just thought she might be excited to spend a little time together and asked her to lead the way, nothing more. I really didn't mean to do anything wrong with something as simple as a friendly request, let alone having to hurt her feelings by just leaving Brie behind when she already knows where to find Cain."

Ruby eyes flickered between the two, curious as to how they could salvage the situation at hand although denying her now certainly wouldn't feel right unless her travelling companion figured that it was most prudent not to drag Brie along for too long. She flashed the girl a smile, then returned her focus to Roc, somewhat flustered by how many things she had to learn once more even though these memories might just be inaccessible for now.

"I haven't exactly thought it through, now have I?" She paused. "You have to understand that I'm barely aware of the gist of things in this world. Brownies, Pixies and all that either have or had very little meaning to me ever since my memories have been suppressed. Dwarf, Fae or Efreeti, someone could have told me all of these existed and I would not have had a smidgen of clarity with regards to what exactly they are without any visual representation or information to study them beforehand."

She inhaled deeply before letting it all out in a sigh, the tender smile upon her features unwavering in that instant as something else came to mind. "I believed Dwarfs didn't exist until you came along, either. I can't explain it to you, but prior to meeting one of your kind in person, you barely seemed to be more than fantasy. But I digress .. I'll try to be slightly more thoughtful from now on."

Rushing Fae apparantly was a thing since their lifetimes happened to be unlimited safe for a few exceptions and unfortunately Brie was among the former which had Flame nod in acknowledgement of that fact. "That makes sense, yes. I'll keep it in mind for when we get on our way." It was true, they didn't have the luxury of time on their side and would only see it wasted unless beckoning the girl to lead them along as fast as possible once they received what they came here for.

Flame smiled lightly at his encouragement nevertheless and a helping hand nowadays served to guide her through hardship upon hardship the young sorceress endured side by side with the others of their unusual assembly. To him, twenty years might be a moderate sacrifice, to an immortal a mere flash of life, but to the troubled woman they translated to every sliver of experience ever stored away in memory.

She nodded, letting her eyes scan the ground aimlessly for a moment before setting back onto his own. "Why thank you, Roc. I'm pleased to know that I can always depend on your help. I may be immortal, but what I've lost was everything I ever knew and it'd be troublesome to catch back up all by myself, even with a father as venerable as mine." A busy one at that with limited time to spare throughout his undertakings, but there were more than enough friends by now to make up for everything.

Studying under Whitney, traversing the Shadows with Spencer given his limited lifetime and spending a huge chunk of her life with Nicodemus and their desired children, there likely wasn't much left for them to tend to their own friendship with the occasional benefit in the future, but that didn't mean she wasn't thrilled to hear about still being welcome to join up with him one day. "Perhaps someday I'll come along to the Dwarven Halls, but only if you're going to show me every single detail you can think of."

Spending more time with him personally had always been a treat in the past, too, one Flame hoped not to pass up on anytime soon though she could not refrain from teasing him a little. "I've yet to see Dwarven architecture, but I trust it must be fairly impressive, if a little rough around the edges."

The Lich, however, was something worthy of their consideration. In essence Flame thought that it must have remained dormant or the item they spoke of was never used in her creation, hence there was no point in worrying any further, but while they had the time they might as well think about looking deeper into the matter. "I'm not too afraid of something I haven't ever felt while I was awake, but if you believe it'd be best, I trust your judgement. I just don't want to spend too much time away from the others either in case they need us back there and since we already plan on seeing Cain after dealing with Stratos, so it'd only serve to lenghten our stay."

“When you cannot be a mountain, find a mountain to lean on.” The proverb was Swahili though Earth was no more than a Shadow itself in all the cosmic mess and it influenced other Shadows. After all there had been sightings of the strange and unusual before this and some had even visited the Shadow, notably some Fae chief among them where Brownies and Leprechauns.

“Though I will be sure to give you the full tour of the halls when it is time.” Both patient and useful Roc did not mind the role of teacher either because of it. He just wanted to make it clear that her sense of time may differ, even though she was an immortal being it was hard looking at her and not applying a human perspective to the matter at hand.

“You'll be impressed no doubt,” he grinned. “There are many who specialize in Earth magic though few rivals of my skill. Given where we live though that is a given. My people are artisans too so there are no simple structures that are not commanding in size and even art. After all we have centuries to live in our halls so we make them as grandiose as possible. There are no rough edges but you'll see all this for yourself one day.

“On a serious note I doubt there is a thing to worry about the Lich. If it could do something I would expect that 20 years would have been long enough though they too are immortal beings I don't expect one just to be content hanging out doing nothing for so long. They are callous and evil to the core.

“Any practitioner of magical arts can become one but it requires dying first. Becoming an Undead creature that binds it's life force to an object. It is said that to destroy a Lich you must destroy both the body and this object that houses it's life force. Without a body the consciousness is contained in this vessel where it can possess a body which quickly changes to resemble it's old body. If the vessel has a spirit it is destroyed essential when the Lich manages to win the battle of wills it wins the rights to the body.

“I am confident that this was not used in your creation though the fact that it could not be destroyed, if it truly was such a vessel remains a mystery. And the Fae hate Necromancy with a passion. Undead are the embodiment of Necromancy as it is the key component in infusing them …” He glance to Brie then back to Flame. “Sorry to explain that instead of Brie but she can offer us specific details.”

Theoretically Flame would never stand in his shadow thanks to their respective stature, not unless Roc enhanced his sturdy appearance to ascend to even greater heights of physical prowess as he had done in the privacy of their bedchamber the other night, revealing that not only could he be incredibly valiant and unyielding as his chosen element, but a true mountain of a man for the sorceress to lean on, or lie on depending on the nature of whichever situation the two of them wound up in.

It was not a shame to think along those lines due to past events although the marriage proposal coming from Nicodemus likely had her refrain from such carefree deeds in the near, possibly even distant future. Similarly impossible it was not to partake of the thought of actually indulging in the Dwarf once again considering that their architecture led her mind astray, to think of more carnal passions the two of them had shared although Flame happened to be quite excellent at hiding her concealed temptations.

"I should have figured that, with all your stunning tattoos, your people had a touch for truly pleasing aesthetics." She smiled warmly, nodding at an exposed portion of his marvelous body paint. "I cannot wait to see it someday, perhaps even something you have created yourself, but unfortunately there's always plenty of work to go around."

Flame remarked with somewhat sarcastic intonation, not quite as bothered by getting to see the world while striving to achieve a better world by completing step after step of their scheme. Aside from that, Roc probably spent a great deal of his life battling through the ranks of enemies and it showed in his muscles and admirable display in the few skirmishes the young woman had witnessed him in or fought alongside him. She cast the Dwarf another smile. "Over two centuries of age .. Surely our foes thus far must have been fairly lackluster for someone as used to warfare as you are."

But there were far more serious matters to attend and Roc spoke the truth in that regard. Twenty years must have felt like an eternity, even to Immortals in suffocating confinement and a Lich bound to a necklace must have been particularly bothersome. He or She would have shown up over the years purely out of boredom, especially with how many weak moments had occurred since her memories had been suppressed. "You're probably right about that, too."

"Besides, I know who I am, what I am and how I came to be. I trust that if my father feared for anything evil inside me to overcome myself over the years, or if something of that magnitude was used in my creation, he would have told me once I informed him of my memory loss or never bothered to construct me in the first place." Abdul simply appeared to lack that sliver of cruelty his fellow Efreeti seemed to flaunt throughout their lives. "I don't remember everything and what I do recall is beyond hazy, but I do believe that he's too good a man to use such a necklace even if it were the only means he found to complete me."

Crimson eyes drift past him to their Fae companion, wondering how much more there really was to tell about these creatures or if hearing anything else might incite an onrush of fear Flame had just managed to douse beneath reassurance from her alleged albeit charming servant. "If there's nothing else, shall we ask Brie for more details? Her brother might take some more time, after all."

“And the best part about tattoos and Dwarfs? We do not age like humans so they remain intact to our venerable years. As an immortal being you yourself would have no problems with them but there are few Fae that do so,” Roc explained. “Longevity makes them less likely to alter themselves at all.”

Roc grinned not that he was giving her any ideas. He was a simple man for the most part and thus he tended to make small talk to inform her about something or make ideal chit chat.

“Lackluster? Well, the Demon was pretty intense in Sirocco and the so was Lilac.” He of course could not imagine her mind though he was known for patience his mind had been cast to the carnal as well. He had pondered the last time they were here, his role as her paramour had his mind at least thinking about it and while he was the epitome of patience he acted when it was obvious that time was of the essence.

Given things with Nicodemus he was aware that time could be short. If this was another human he could be patient but this was another immortal and there was no telling how this would play out. “But I never truly felt as if I would die. Memories or no you are still the Master or rather the Mistress of Flame.”

But on a more serious note there was the Lich to consider. It would have struck long ago he was sure, probably at the most inopportune time too. That was probably not an issue in her creation and so this object may have been nigh indestructible and safeguarded here until such a means of destroying it became possible.

“You're probably right,” he nodded as he reflected upon the object and what he knew of the former Master of Flame. Maybe in years past if there ever was a point where he was like his ilk. But Flame was a mere 20 years of age and that was well after the memory of Abdul becoming an Elemental Master.

“Sure thing. I do not believe it will hurt any. You already know their dislike of Necromancy and how Undead are strongly attached to that state so only particulars can be uncovered. They do not truly fear Necromancy, they just loathe it. Even though not all Necromancy is dark and evil, most of it is or can easily be misused but all things if taken to the extreme can be misused.” He then returned to Brie with Flame in tow.

Immortal the beaming sorceress was and whether out of curiosity or juvenile temptation, Flame simply could not understate the allure of unique and likewise exotic depictions of adventures or events they had lived through, but the most profound impact on her view on such matters had to be the magnificent examples of body art all over her male travelling companion, his tales regarding each and every one of them when they just happened to meet back in that hellish prison, and thus far Flame had the pleasure to study them all in depth throughout their time together, unravelling him from top to bottom although she had to stop herself there in order to not think too deeply into their lust driven activities in the same settlement they sought to return to.

"If you ever find the time to show me around the Dwarven Halls and I get to meet the same person who created your intriguing tattoos, I doubt I could resist the temptation to get one for myself." She smiled delightedly at that, letting him ponder on the prospect of where and what Flame might have in mind for her flawless body for a little while. "I can handle a smidgen of pain and I believe the end result will be well worth it."

Of course Nicodemus had to be consulted beforehand since he was the one who was likely to cherish Flame in her barren state more so than anyone else, if anyone even ever got the pleasure to have her in the same blessed closeness, but that was a thought for later to entertain.

It was little more than playful chatter for the lively young woman and the alleged dour type before her, the two of them made for a good enough team and while Flame hardly recalled anything, the nubile sorceress retained her incredible strength although she did not think their enemies would prove all that challenging to the venerable Dwarf. Not even he was invincible, Flame figured, and every day the living construct hoped they'd get through without losses until the very end. They really didn't need to add a Lich to the equation either when they had their cupped hands full to the brim already.

They turned back to Brie shortly after, once more returning within ear shot as they approached although Flame intended to reserve her request not to have Brie lead them to Cain rather than take her along only to find that she would be too eager to 'milk her time', as Roc put it. She smiled at the girl nevertheless, bowing slightly in an apologetic fashion. "My dearest apologies, Brie, but my caring servant thought it best to inform me of the rather delicate view the Fae have on Necromany, specifically Lichs now that you've mentioned them."

"I hope you don't take offense when I ask of you to elaborate on these matters, what a Fae has to say about them rather than a Dwarf. Anything that comes to mind I'm sure my servant will be happy to chime in when I've neglected to ask for particular details he hasn't told me yet."

“I will have to keep that in mind though there are those that can scribe magical tattoos as well. Some function as scrolls allowing you to activate the effect one time but the truly gifted can spin ones that have a magical effect of some sort like a magic ring might for instance. Whether or not these are magical,” he indicated his own tattoos with a sweeping gesture, “I'll let you wonder. They are permanent though and if they are they are not the scroll type that fade after being activated.”

Roc made it into a game of sorts leaving her to wonder about them. “I will even pay for your first one whether mundane or magical in nature.” He added.

“Oh, there is no need to apologize. Our hatred of Necromancy is no surprise and commonly known to the point that anyone who even collects knowledge of it and is discovered can face exile or even death.” She explained. “Undead draw upon negative Necromantic energy to sustain them which can be severed by skilled clergy in many cases though there are things like Liches that can never be destroyed by it though a temporary loss in that connection can unnerve the most fearless of them to flee until this connection is restored. A clergy man or woman may server this connection for a minute or so, hardly worth it for the most part though the ones with greater experience might obliterate lesser Undead like animated Skeletons or Zombies, flesh eating Ghouls and the like. If used strategically a minute can spell the difference between success and failure.”

She rubbed her chin as if thinking what the Dwarf may not have mentioned. “Liches are the greatest of the Undead. In life each was an accomplished spell caster and each has become immortal by a ritual that ends in the poisoning and death of themselves. Within a week they rise as a Lich. I do not know the particulars of the ritual -”

“Crafting a phylactery to house the soul, the imbuing of a magical potion that kills them but seals their soul to the object in question among others I am told.”

Brie nodded taking this in stride. Roc knew more than her in this regard anyway.

“A Lich is an evil creature that studies magic crafting powerful unique spells and items. When a Lich attains a huge grasp on knowledge it transcends our reality, it becoming even stronger as it's soul is displaced to other Shadows where the phylactery is emptied and the physical remains become inert.” She knew a great deal it seemed though what she shared could have been a smattering of common knowledge that she had picked up rather than anything she had truly studied.

“I was unaware that they evolved so to speak.”

Brie grinned. “We Fae despise the Undead. They are abmoninations who are are opposite in many ways. While we may not know much about Necromantic effects we have amassed much knowledge on our Undead foes throughout the years.”

"Oh?" Flame, too, had a more or less favorable hand to play in his game and figured that outside of aimlessly deducing their respective function, the voluptuous sorceress turned his marvelous body paintings into a weapon not even the embodiment of patience himself could deflect all too easily. A lone hand fell to her shapely hips as the weight of her body had been balanced on one and the same foot, pronouncing her heavenly curves from the waist down as her clothes strained to conceal the outstanding prominence of her charms. "I haven't thought about that yet. I suppose for the sake of studying them I'll have to persuade you into letting me have a better look at them once more." She smiled deviously, wondering how the Dwarf fared with the prospect of living through further fantasies with the busty lady before him. "If time and fortune permit it, I'll have to give your tattoos a thorough once over."

It was only a glimpse of what Flame could offer though the tease was beyond real her activites might turn out to be limited to tossing guesses his way whenever something jumped to mind although the invitation to have him pay for her first was quite tempting. Amongst motives, coloration, function and the individual to weave such beautiful works of art, countless matters to consider beforehand, but for the moment they had far more pressing matters to attend even if they entailed waiting for the next vital step.

So Flame tagged along and listened to their mutual response to her question, one adding details where the other could not and vice versa. Surely no Lich would be satisfied with staying inside her for twenty years, at least not in the actual scenario they spoke of, but that fear had long since passed and it was all about studying them. As an immortal Flame thought it likely that someday a creature of that magnitude might cross her path and it was best to learn in her early days as curiosity drove the sorceress onward.

They did sound beyond powerful, certainly far more menacing than demons in one way or another considering that Roc and Flame struck two of them down while obtaining an angel's feather but had yet to encounter one of the Undead.

Crimson eyes flickered to Roc. "Among others? Can they bind their soul to more than one object?"

She might not have gotten their explanation right, but Flame could not view their talk as little more than the opportunity to study and shame for asking even reasonably self explanatory questions did not quite exist in her mind. It did remind her of the necklace Abdul returned to the Fae, however, thinking that while Liches tied their soul to an object, perhaps they could also be trapped by one. She remained uncertain in that regard. "Have the Fae ever discovered how to successfully destroy any of these aforementioned objects or does every single item require an entirely different approach?"

It would prove tough to fight them effectively, perhaps nearly impossible to find the item their soul was bound to without anyone of great magical prowess that was capable of embarking on a search for an object without having any idea where it was, only what kind of object they had been looking for in the first place. A strange phenomenon they were, but Flame considered herself lucky never to have met one just yet.

Another thought occured to her, not that it even remotely surpassed child like complexity although the whole concept of the Undead and joining their ranks sounded strangely alien to the sorceress. "Um .. I have a question .. Why does the soul matter to any of the Undead? Would a Lich not function without one, as in, not having it tied to an object would never allow a spellcaster to become one of the Undead?"

Did Constructs have souls? Flame had to wonder about that for a little while as her question might seem slightly indicative of any dark intentions although the young woman certainly never planned on succumbing to the urge of joining forces fighting under the banner of evil.

Oh he seemed quite receptive to further study as he gazed at her as she struck her poise. He may not have come undone but there was no mistaking the want in his eyes. He was longer lived than a human and was the Master of Earth knowing patience but even after a great many years stone eroded to the elements. There was no denying his thoughts and while a younger more impulsive man might have pounced her then and there (for the Fae often witnessed sexual acts without beating an eye at them).

He had to remind her though that she was immortal. “Oh, there will be time. Today, tomorrow, next year. I can think of no better way to spend it.” Yes, they were somewhat pressed for time here though not to the point that they had to rush through matters. He grinned at her as he disclosed this fact to her as if making that point. Uncharacteristic it may have been for him Roc did not resist her charms fully and to emphasis this point he stepped closer to her side caressing her ass with an unseen hand. He had little doubt that Brie was older than she though still young as far as Fae were concerned.

He guided her back to Brie and they spoke about Liches in general. Her question was a valid one and Roc considered the answer, not that he did not know it, it was more the fact that he was thinking how best to explain it not that it was complicated.

“No. Only one object. The soul cannot be divided, at least not in beings of less than a Deity's status. In such a case with a powerful Demon Lord or God the life force might be contained in several objects though this is done to prevent a resurrection for the most part. Each object serves as a key and unless at least one is broken a resurrection is impossible and even if one is broken the power of the being is scattered across a number of objects meaning that they can only resurrect to a fraction of the power level. If two objects, half strength, three a third and so on … though a being must be truly powerful to split it's life force into more than two or three pieces. Of course if other objects are destroyed after returning then their power increases as well until they attain their old power levels.

“But for most creatures it's all or nothing. A Lich has to gather it's life force in one place to resurrect after the body is destroyed, well resurrect in a sense. To give you an idea … Nicodemus at full strength may be sealed away into two objects if hi origins are as I suspect.”

“Oh, we have destroyed many of the devices in the past. Each has a rather unique means of destruction and no doubt as a Lich grows in strength the methods become all but impossible to discover or carry out. In the end when a powerful Lich has their body destroyed and the phylactery recovered before it generates enough power to resurrect the item is stored away. Research is performed as to how to destroy it. Sometimes the answers are quick, sometimes taking centuries to research with all the vast cryptic clues the clergy receive from their Divinations.”

Flame hit upon the problems of Lich hunting in her own thoughts. Magical Divinations had to be used to discover the phylactery before hand. What it was and where it was since it could be anything though since it had to survive the test of time the device was often durable such as a ring or necklace. Infused with magic to safeguard it from the effects of time and better preserve it the device could be discovered if one chanced upon such magic of preservation on a device since an immortal being might see a magic staff as replaceable but a phylactery not. Of course any well made object could be one though given how stone and metal held up against damage, floods and burning the two were common objects though a cloak, wand or even a book could serve as one. In the case of a book it could be something priceless too like a spell book to deter it's immediate destruction. In all cases though such an object was protected. Normal folk could not be Lich hunters and either had to do the research or hire someone to do it for them making the road ahead difficult at best.

Roc could answer her question that had not been voice though as to the one that she voiced Brie fielded that one.

“In most cases dark magic animates the Undead, that is Necromancy and a tie with negative energy is formed which corrodes them damning the vacated soul back to it's body. It resents the living as they remind them of an existence now denied to them. Yet, many mindless Undead just obey the commands given to them.

“A Lich was a creature that could be slain. They have to die to become a Lich by means your companion has explained. Their souls give them free will and it is the strength of that soul that reanimates the body. Many Undead still have souls corroded through Necromancy and their ties to negative energy. Hence why you will never find a good free willed Undead creature. Only those that are animated as guardians such as Mummies are neither good nor evil but simply carry out the orders given to them. The connection to negative energy pushes the free willed ones to feed off the living or destroy them. Ghouls wish to consume them, Vampires desire the blood of the living and so forth so even if they wished to be good instinct prevents them from becoming good.”