Why 'Demi'-Lich?

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Okay, I realise that people hate me when I argue semantics, but still.
Why is he/it called the DEMI-Lich? 'Demi' means 'half' (or something approximating that)...so a mage who was a Demi-Lich would probably be only a wimpling lich.
It did occur to me that it might mean 'Demi-god Lich', but that's now what it actually SAYS...
Or am I just being stupid? Any thoughts?

 

Maybe he's half-lich and half-Indian and they don't want to offend anyone.

 

Another definition for Demi is:

2 : one that partly belongs to (a specified type or class) <demigod>

Therefore, I would hazzard a guess that a Demilich, while partly belonging to the lich class, is even more rare or perhaps unique.

For another example: A King of Kings. There is one King in a kingdom. A King of Kings (or perhaps DemiKing) reigns over all kingdoms and is even more rare or perhaps unique.

Does that make sense, or am I off base here?

 

Demi-Lich - I interpret it sorta like he only has half a body. Because the DL in the game starts as a Lich and whn you destroy his physical form is released as just his head and his magnified powers.

Perhaps by shedding a physical form a Lich is capable of unlocking the magic once used to animate his body making it half the body twice the mind. Mind of matter, perhaps Kangaax is a Bhuddist?

 

Demi-lich means that the creature has not entirely embraced lichdom. Which means there are several major differences - that might be weaknesses or strengths, depending on how you view them or on the situation.

Demi doesn't necessarily mean half although it does suggests two roughly equal parts. Anyway, it's a fraction and such thing as demi-king would mean partially king, below the normal king, not above the normal one like king of kings should be. What's more it implies that there's a second, different part that doesn't fit the first one. Similarly being a demi-god doesn't rely on the fact that someone is a god in 50%, but on that he's a god in 50% and in the other 50% he's something else.

 

I have a difinitive answer to all of your speculations. My dad used to play D&D with Gary Gygax and he asked the game's creator the same question.

The reason the word "Demi" is used, is because a Demilich is a Lich that has gone to extreme and insane lengths to further it's quest for knowlage of the arcane. In order to do this, the Lich must sunder his own body and spirit so that he/she can travel from astral plane to astral plane of his/her own free will. Now only a shred of the Lich's former self remains in this world. "Demi" is used because only part of the Lich (now Demilich) remains behind to guard its tomb/treasurs/belongings.

Normally the only part left of a Demilich is a skull or hand. These reanimate whenever their domain is threatened, and are absurdly powerful. A Demilich is MUCH more powerful than an ordinary lich, because it has gone beyond what any living (or undead) being can accomplish. Since the Demilich is phasing somewhere between astral planes, the skull or hand is very hard to hit... but being so old, it is very brittle and usually has very low endurance. This is why the Demilich sheilds itself with numerous protection spells.


Here's a picture of a Demilich I made myself using Photoshop:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=1234887&id=1456850152

Hope this answered everyone's questions!

Karl Smink

 

Wow! Where did that post come from? 7 years later and 14 year old 8people's answer is confirmed!

 

By the gods my typing sucked back then

And if you want to link a Facebook image you have to right click on the picture itself and copy the image location, not copy the link at the top of the page.

 

Finally!

I joined SP around the time when this thread was first started. The lack of a definitive answer has been bothering me so much that I haven't been able to sleep since. What a relief. This reminds me of the time...
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Better late than never.



I am glad the topic got explained to such detail.

Though I wouldn't have asked how demiliches register as having low endurance when they only take 1 point of damage per weapon enchantment plus and little else from many hits.