Away on the wind~
Any chance he can make a dal with the spirit?
There are too many toasters in my chimney!
She's loyal to the good guys. He might be able to win her over, but it'll take most of the book.
If I'm asking for advice on a story idea, don't tell me it can't be done.
Ahr river
Make a subplot in the middle of the story where they get a chekhov's gun.
Read my stories!
Short Hair
It could hinge on the "spirit being." Is it a sort of angel, infallible enough that if she promises he'll be good, they'll take her word for it?
Maybe the guardian wizard is killed by a different evil force who wants to rescue the lich. The lich can't or won't go along, and the force doesn't have the power to compel him.
Maybe the lich and the spirit receive a portent, and they teleport to the countryside. You get a bonus plot line with the wizard trying to recapture him.
Maybe some ally of the wizard (say, a priest) takes pity on the lich, talks to him, believes he's repented, and releases him.
edited 2nd Dec '10 3:00:58 PM by RalphCrown
Under World. It rocks!
I'm sort of fond of a goofy poke-fun of a trope/cliche:
The prisoner pretends to be sick and calls for help.
The guard opens the cell to help the prisoner.
And the prisoner beats up the guard.
Afterwards, though, the prisoner tells the guard, "Ah ha ha ha! I can't believe you actually fell for that! It's the oldest trick in the book! Heck, even a monkey could've seen that coming! I mean, seriously, how stupid are you?!"
For a serious approach, I think you'll just have to create a character with a motive to free him and then have that character free him.
edited 6th Dec '10 4:05:00 PM by colbertimposter
OK, the Villain Protagonist of my story was the Big Bad, a lich Evil Overlord leading an undead army. The Chosen One has defeated him, and he's possessed by a spirit being who's sealed away his powers. Now, he's being held prisoner by an undead mage who did a Heel–Face Turn early on in the fight and became the chosen one's magic trainer. And I need him to be wandering the countryside by himself, but there's no way they'll willingly let him go considering how much danger he'd pose if he manages to get rid of his possession.
So, how can I have him escape without the good guys looking like idiots?
edited 2nd Dec '10 10:37:55 AM by Ettina
If I'm asking for advice on a story idea, don't tell me it can't be done.