"A Lich is a master of death who refused to die; an ancient spell-caster who sealed their soul into a phylactery to escape the grave. Its body may decay, but its mind sharpens with every passing year, driven by pursuit of knowledge and the lust for power. In its lair, often deep within tombs, it manipulates dark forces and plots far beyond the lifespan of any mortal man. Facing a lich is a war against death itself… for if his phylactery is not destroyed, a defeated lich will respawn near the phylactery's location..."

From the Wyrmbrand's Monstrous Archive entry "Magus Exanimus"