A lich is a powerful undead sorcerer who has effectively achieved immortality by binding his spirit to some long-lasting object. This he or she must protect in order to survive. With it, a lich can live as long as they like, though their body will continue through the normal processes of decay and desiccation. Typically, lichs control hordes of lesser undead creatures - ghouls, ghosts, and zombies. While those are all depicted as mindless monsters, the lich retains independent thought making it more dangerous than any of the other undead.