The Curse of Rah'tik
The players, sitting around in the guild hall, hear a smash at the door. When they open it, a dying adventurer collapses into their arms. He is delirious and covered in purple bruises and boils, which are transmitted to any player whose exposed skin he touches as he collapses.
Examining his body reveals a satchel containing the mummified head of a lizardman. A golden ceremonial dagger, encrusted with a rainbow of precious gems, penetrates the soft palate and is lodged in the brain. Players may notice that the bruising patterns on the arms of the dead adventurer form Draconic runes. Stripping away his tunic reveals that bruised patterns across the victim's chest form a map, showing the location of the Temple of Rah'tik.
The plague-curse the players have contracted is an ancient ward placed upon the Head of Rah'tik to compel anyone in possession of it to return him to the Temple where he was imprisoned. The bruises spread out from the point of initial contact, slowly overtaking the character's body as the days pass.
Rah'tik's power is mostly suppressed by the dagger lodged in his skull, but he is still able to cast Suggestion (DC11) 1/day on the bearer of his head.
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