Halmadar the Cruel

Halmadar the Cruel came into possession of the Hand and Eye of Vecna. Already a powerful fighter, these artifacts have him the power to become the cruel matter of several counties in the North. Although he was already a vile spirit, the Hand and Eye corrupted him from merely cruel to sadistically evil.

His subjects, unable to bear anymore, and after many failed attempts, managed to drug him into a deep sleep. The power of the Eye and Hand miraculously failed at this moment, allowing the conspirators to imprison him in his own burial mound (they did not kill him for fear of being cursed for spilling noble blood). They sealed the mound with powerful enchantment to prevent the cruel Lord from escaping, assuming he would starve to death.

While he did starve, the Hand and Eye transformed his body into a quasi-lich state. He lacked the magical formulae to become a true lich, so while his flesh and bone have resisted decay, but his skin is withered and drawn tight. He looks like the walking dead -- pale gray and bony -- but he is not undead, instead hovering between life and death. Halmadar is completely dominated by the Hand and Eye, believing himself to be Vecna and only answering to that name.

Source: Vecna Lives! by David "Zeb" Cook copyright TSR 1990