Story feedback requested

[Demnok]

Just hoping to get some ideas on a story I am developing.

Basic premise is that a lich has passively possessed a lvl 1 gnome wizard that wandered into his lair. This has no combat/ skill impact. The gnome doesn't know he's possessed and the lich just sways his thoughts in a general direction. So for example he would go into a room that his personal caution would normally keep him from entering. The main idea that this lich has given him, is the drive to seek arcane knowledge and artifacts.

While I like my story, I am asking myself why. Why would a very powerful caster take possession of a low level caster. To what end? So I had a few ideas. It has to be something that the lich couldn't accomplish on his own, which being a 18th lvl caster means that he needs a caster of 19th+ level for the task. Or potentially it's just that the artifact he's looking for is somewhere that his lich form wouldn't/ couldn't go.

I thought that maybe the lich is looking to become a god and needs a human servant for that. Potentially opening a portal to the astral plane and attacking a Demi god, the lich joins in the fight and takes his power. This part of the story would never happen, but this would be why he wants the gnome to seek power and knowledge.

I thought maybe he wants to be brought back to life. But I read what a pain it is to become a lich and I don't think he would have done that just to become human again. Unless he needed to live 2000 years for an event that he foresaw in the future and now is the time for him to act.

The general idea is the character is searching for some spell or artifact that will directly help the lich achieve its goal. This spell or artifact probably doesn't exist, and it need not exist in the game it's just a story goal to keep the character adventuring.

I am trying to decide on what wizard specialization to pick and if the lich would have influence. If he wanted to return to life transmutation has some high level raise dead spells. Necromancy obviously deals with death so maybe a lost necromancy spell has the ability to suck the power from a god and imbue it in another creature. Etc.

So what I am looking for is just ideas and opinions. What do you think a lich would be after? How can a live caster help? Is there any current spell or artifact that actually exists that would help with the liches goal so that the story actually has a tie to the dnd world? Or should we just never know what the goal is. Should I, the player, just adventure and let the story unfold making whatever decision seem to increase the mages power and lore, this would also give the DM much more freedom in the campaign.

Thanks for your thoughts I look forward to seeing what everyone thinks.

[Devistation]

Im new to the game in general so full disclosure I do not know much about Lich's. But my thought the Lich could be looking for something like you said above so possessing people might just be a means to a end and it is possessing anyone that wanders into it's cave. 2nd idea is maybe it just enjoys the experience and longs for the freedoms of a mortal life so it just lives through the experience of those it possesses. So low level or high it would just want to see and influence others. Like a big social experiment. To see how it can manipulate a good hearted person to become aggressive, or just to mess with the local villages, area out of bordem? I like the idea, and I think you can take the psychological approach for motivation more then the treasure hunter as to why.

[Demnok]

Nice idea! Liches once were human but go through a terrible process to turn themselves into a lich. Usually to gain extended life. So it's possible that it longs to be living once more. That thought was kind of my initial idea that he wants to be brought back to life. Thanks!