I just got killed by Smaug at -300ft in the orc caves. I guess this is how the RNG says: "You've been playing for waaaay too long, now log off, or I'll set you back to level 1"
There was a bug a few years ago where if your opponent was invisible during a blood bond and you lost, it was a real death. I lost a rather high lvl char to that. Thanks Sandman.