So I took some kind of deal with the devil and now I can't die. I can conduct most business but I can't open my privileges, dynasty, or inventory menus. It just says "You are about to die" at the top of the screen. This has been going on for a good 8 years or so. Will I ever die? I'm ready to shuffle off this mortal coil and leave my empire to my heirs.

Never mind. At long last, my character laid down for a well deserved dirt nap. I quit the game to post my question. For the heck of it, I set compatibility mode to XP SP3. The instant I loaded my game, I was taken to the death scene. I don't know if this is coincidence or if I got around a bug.

In the future if you have a character that you want to end playing to move on to the next you have the option to kill them off. Go into your study and hover your mouse over the window to your left. You have an option to commit suicide.

This is a BUG. It has only happened to me after taking the Necromancers 5 year contract, or possibly from a Faust Potion. During this time you will not be able to access you inventory, dynasty page, personal options list, or family page. As well as being unable to actually "Jump out the Window" as it will let you click it, and then do nothing. You'll be sitting in your Study as you were before clicking the window.

To Fix: Save, reload, done. :)

Ha! I never knew you could jump out the window. That's hilarious.
As long as I know it's a bug and I know how to get around it I am satisfied. Oddly enough (or is it by design?) this immortality bug is passed on to my descendants as well. The great-grandson of my first character is also immortal until I reload. It's kinda handy in a way because you can still conduct most business.