I seem to recall a ritualistic which <PERSON> was "reborn" a spirit without a body is for all intents and purposes dead. Reinhabiting a body... any body after being removed from your original body makes you undead. The use of powerful magics to bind the soul to an object before death seems (even in standard D&D Liches) to be a precursor to the Lichdom. If a wizard can't very well wait until they are already dead to create a Phylactary. We must ask ourselves, would <PERSON> EVER have died? If the answer is no, then he is clearly either divine, demonic, or undead. <PERSON> is how a Lich begins. An unnatural act to avoid death by a powerful Wizard. A d&d wizard who createds a Phylactary by whatever infernal magics puts their soul there. <PERSON> was not the first to do such a thing, he was the first to make multiple Phylacraries in the <PERSON> world. Nothing would stop a D&D Wizard from doing the same, provided he could find a way to divide his soul. Other clues that <PERSON> is undead are that he survives the destruction of his body. 773
A lich, once the body is destroyed, will reform after a time, just as <PERSON> did. Their soul will be protected (or trapped) by their Phylactery and they will experience exactly what <PERSON> describes. No death, especially not in the permanent sense, but also not really alive. <PERSON> is a Lich whose body was destroyed who reformed that Body (as Liches are want to do) and wasn't able to be defeated until his Phylacteries (Horcruxes) were destroyed... honestly it's a basic <PERSON> plot-line in D&D. The only debate here comes from <PERSON> fans who either want to idolize <PERSON>, saying she didn't have any inspiration or want to avoid admitting that <PERSON> is fantasy just like Lord of the Rings... btw, while we're at it, <PERSON> is where the fantasy genesis of the <PERSON> comes from his Phylactary is the One Ring. Remember in The Hobbit, he was merely called "<PERSON>."
It all comes from LoTR, the granddaddy of D&D, Wheel of Time, the modern fantasy concept of elves and dwarves, Star Wars, and Harry Potter. Yep potterites, I guarantee you'd love picking up a Polyhedron and building your own Wizard. You'll recognize all the spells that are used in Harry Potter. Although I'd probably recommend more fireballs than disarming telekinesis... but that's up to you. Hey <PERSON> is a great PowerWord Kill, don't you think? 773