Adzerak

Adzerak was a book-obsessed lich who laired in the ruins of his home at Barrenstone in northern Cormyr. "One of my eyes fell out. Now I can only read books half as fast as I could when... when..."

- Adzerak

Description
As a lich, Adzerak wore tattered purple robes. His body was decrepit and rotted, with only a few strands of hair on his head and only one of his eyes remaining.

Personality
As a living man, Adzerak was singularly focused on expanding and preserving his collection of books. Fittingly, he was devoted to Deneir, the patron of books and knowledge.

Unlike most liches, Adzerak was not particularly cruel or malevolent, but was completely focused on protecting his books at all costs. The degeneration inflicted on him by his lichdom ritual made him absent-minded and forgetful, even to the point of making him forget his devotion to Deneir.

Abilities
Despite his condition, Adzerak remained lucid enough to keep a full array of combat-focused spells. Entirely devoted to the purpose of protecting his books, his spells were chosen to annihilate the target and not damage the surrounding environment. They included Bigby's crushing hand, Bigby's clenched fist, finger of death, flesh to stone, and prismatic wall.

Possessions
"... books... needed to save my books... who would see to them when I died? Had to not die... had to prolong life... must keep my books safe..."

- Adzerak

In his lifetime Adzerak accrued a vast fortune, which he mostly used to buy expensive and rare books. He didn't manage to spend it all before he became a lich, and a significant treasure hoard remained. In addition to approximately 44,000 gp in currency, 10,000 gp in diamonds, and a variety of lesser magical items, he also had possession of the sentient short sword Imp, and the dagger Deathsend of the Four from Cormyr

The books he gathered up included common fiction, arcane treatises, and powerful magical items.
 * Book of Exalted Deeds
 * Cheating Death by Spell and Incantation
 * A Dissertation of Law and Morality as Seen by Tyr's Church
 * Calimshan on Three Gold Pieces a Day
 * Elminster: An Unauthorized Biography
 * Libram of Gainful Conjuration
 * The Lifecycle Arcane
 * Manual of bodily health
 * Manual of gainful exercise
 * Manual of golems (stone)
 * Manual of puissant skill at arms
 * Manual of quickness of action
 * Manual of stealthy pilfering
 * Shocking Tales of Elven Desire
 * Tome of clear thought
 * Tome of understanding
 * Tome of leadership and influence

Relationships
Adzerak had an arch-rival in the form of Melkerech, another lich who also had a penchant for books. Melkerech regularly scryed on Barrenstone, and considered all the treasures within to be rightfully his. When Adzerak was destroyed and his lair looted, Melkerech became affronted and began to draw plans to reclaim "his" books from the adventurers.

History
During his life in the 11 century DR, Adzerak had his home Barrenstone built and took on four apprentices. As he grew older, he became convinced that the only way he could protect his beloved tomes was to become a lich and guard them eternally. Although he became a lich, the ritual also killed his apprentices and transformed them into wights, and degraded his mind such that he was reduced to obsessively lurking in his sanctum surrounded by his gathered books.

When adventurers gained entry into Barrenstone in 1367 DR, they reminded him of his devotion to Deneir, and suggested that he store his tomes in the sanctified shrine nearby. This prompted a joyful revelation in the lich, and Adzerak immediately began moving his collection to the shrine. Once completed, Deneir reached out and took Adzerak's spirit up into his bosom, along with most of his books. Adzerak was thus released from his obsession-wracked lichdom, and entered the afterlife as a whole and clear-sighted man.