The Pestilence King's Crown

Centuries ago, way back when the world was whole, there were the 6 kings of the first age. The king of the mountains ruled a wealthy kingdom, a capital of gems and precious metals. Tunnels dug deep into the mountain had not reached such depths as they did the day the plague was released. A crack in the wall of one of these deep mines released a sickness onto the people of the mountain kingdom. The sickness quickly spread and killed many of those living in the mountains. When the king himself fell ill, he bargained with the gods themselves to spare his life. He offered all of the gems in the kingdom, the precious metals, and the lives of his people in exchange for his own. The old gods were not benevolent but did delight in striking bargains with mortals. They agreed to his terms, taking not one but all of the king's offerings, leaving him with nothing but an empty castle and the crown on his head. And while he was no longer dying from the plague, the plague did not leave his body. A rotting corpse of a man, covered in boils and blisters, the king had become a monstrous creature lurking in his castle alone. The king lived out the rest of his days feeling all the pains of the plague, without ever knowing a moment's peace. Years passed and the king finally died, having lived a long and tortured life. His crown was found by someone exploring the haunted castle and when they put the crown on their head they were overtaken by unbelievable pain. The plague took their body in a number of minutes and unable to remove the crown the explorer took their own life to escape the terrible pain. Many since have tried to wear the crown of the ancient king, meeting the same terrible fate.