Spoilers! What if Joko's Phylactery...

Was his staff the whole time? Every time I've seen Joko, he had it. That was first thing he picked up when you pretty much broke him (although some can argue he was using that to help get himself back up.). I believe in one of his many moments of arrogance, he dropped the one thing that kept it all together: his staff. Once that staff was dropped, he was vulnerable and he knew it, but he probably wasn't anticipating being turned into dragon jerky. Sorry if this sounds weird, my brain needs caffeine or something.

Addendum! At one point he described his staff as one of his penultimate symbols, next to his emblem. Why would he focus so much on an inanimate object? I'm probably thinking too much, but I found it interesting that he was so adamant about pointing out what his staff stood for, almost as though he were using it as a proxy, in a way.

liches in gw2 don't have Phylacterys

@derd.6413 said:liches in gw2 don't have Phylacterys

They don't? Heh, probably should've done more research, then.

@derd.6413 said:liches in gw2 don't have Phylacterys

The vizier did, or at least it was a loot item in game. And “Palawan phylacteries” drop all over in Elona

@Fenom.9457 said:

@derd.6413 said:liches in gw2 don't have Phylacterys

you can hardly say they're important items to lichdom like in d&d if they drop so often

As an aside, phylacteries weren't always used to store one's essence; in a historical sense they were used to keep away dybbuk and what not. That being said, a phylactery is merely an object of power, a named source of power, but nonetheless power is involved. Whether it be words or intention, anything can be turned into a "phylactery" (Within reason, of course. I felt as though should elaborate: Most of the time they are either boxes, amulets, or charms. Sorry, I have a bad case of brain burps today.)

@Fenom.9457 said:

@derd.6413 said:liches in gw2 don't have PhylacterysThe vizier did, or at least it was a loot item in game. And “Palawan phylacteries” drop all over in Elona

Khilbron was killed without that randomly-added easter egg item being even hinted at in Prophecies. Similarly, the Palawan Phylacteries drop from any champion Awakened, and there isn't a singular lich among the Awakened beyond Joko.

Furthermore, we've met and killed other lich and lich-like beings, such as Mazdak the Accursed, Zoldark the Unholy, and Fendi Nin. None had phylacteries.

In the case of Khilbron and Fendi Nin, they were killed by forcibly separating body and soul. Mazdak was killed via Caladbolg's anti-risen magic, and Zoldark's immortality was apparently given to his minions rather than himself. Joko was killed by destroying the magic that bound body and soul.

That said, @"Tsakhi.8124", in GW1, Joko was imprisoned without his staff (we had to get it from one of his generals in a side quest). It's likely his captors would have tried breaking it were it so important. While Joko does seem to hold importance to the staff, it seems to be more a symbol of power thing, and not a "my soul is housed within it" thing.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phylactery

Maybe Anet uses the traditional definition and Palawan phylacteries contain scriptures and maybe tributes to Joko.

We know the Palawan phylacteries are another type of loot container, just like thorny bags from Nightmare/Mordrem or saddlebags from centaurs. I don't think they are any scriptures inside them, unless they grant karma (been a long time since I opened one). That said, they are only special in that the most powerful Awakened have them (or as a reward from that one story mission, I'm pretty sure).

As for Joko's fate, he's definitely dead-dead. Doubt he's in the land of the loss, as he was clearly suffering as he was eaten... while sentient I guess is the best phrasing. It'd be pretty hard to come back without a vessel to inhabit.