I'm very bored and ruminating on lich beauty standards.
Like. In a story with only one lich they can look however they like. Typically they make sure to highlight the fact they're undead because self idolisation, god complex, ease of antagonist identification Yadda Yadda. As long as they look kinda skeletal and wizardy it's a win.
But maybe there's a setting with multiple liches. Tens, possibly a society approaching 100+ members. Liches are still people. And people create hierarchy. And how do people subtly indicate position within hierarchy?
Appearance.
On a scale of 'died yesterday, 1000% dedicated to preserving the flesh vessel, #irefusetorot' to 'Pure bones, the sins of the flesh will never touch my form again, channels magic constantly to float instead of break my withered ankles walking everywhere' - where does lich attractiveness lie? Where does power coincide with physical display?
Do liches undergo treatments to dissolve flesh and bleach bones? Is there a Halloween haute couture tailor guild? Which part of decaying flesh is seen as alluring Vs unkempt?
wanted to put this in the tags but apparently theres a limit
alright so, lichdom is something you actively have to attain and to do it you gotta do some sick af rituals that deal with necrotic energies and death. that's usually how the lore goes so that's what i'm going with personally i think that the ritual itself turns them skeletal, the death energy of the ritual sears off the flesh since undeath is antithesis to life so it'd get rid of most of it. sure there can be bits and pieces left but most would be gone lichdom is sought after for power - in its many forms - so appearance would reflect that if there were multiple liches that met regularly, i think holding a humanoid form would be seen as a flaw. they just overcame the human condition, why cling to it? sure it's fine as a tool, but when you're with your fellow undead it's kinda cringe to bring your humansona to the meeting so the beauty standards would probably showcase power/arcane might with visible enhancements, artifacts, riches, etc. as the main bulk that makes them appealing to others. transcending humanity would probably be another major factor, modifying their form, levitating, telepathy, etc. another one would be how well maintained their skeletal vessel is. they're all nerds on some level so before major meetings some probably take time to freshen up their bones, cleaning up any unneeded residue, changing the robes that got tattered from the last experiment/fight/fire etc. specific tailors and such probably wouldn't make sense - liches aren't that common and surviving on commissions once every 100 years or so sounds like bad business - but some might 'acquire' the services of a tailor when needed. sure there still would be the vain ones that cling to human beauty standards but over time that'd decay as well :)
