This curse carries the weight of a queenless eternity, sapping the victim's strength and vitality as their body begins a slow, inexorable decay.

When a creature is exposed to this curse, they must succeed on a target [Difficulty] Spirit (Will) defense roll or become afflicted by Tomb King's Blight. Upon failing the initial defense roll, the creature's Strength is immediately reduced by 1d4 and gains one stage of Exhaustion. For as long as the blight remains, the cursed creature cannot regain Health. At the end of every 24-hour period, the afflicted creature must repeat a Body (Endurance) defense roll. The outcome of this roll determines the curse's progression:

• On a failure: The blight intensifies. The creature gains one stage of Exhaustion, and it gains 1 step of the Strength status condition.

• On a success: The creature fights off the blight's advance. The creature reduces its Exhaustion stage by 1 and improves its Strength status condition by 1 step. Once there are no stages of Exhaustion or any steps of the Strength status condition, the creature makes a final defense roll to remove the initial effects.

The curse is cured if all of its effects—the initial Strength reduction, all Strength status conditions, and all stages of Exhaustion—are removed through successful defense rolls. Alternatively, the blight can be ended by magic powerful enough to remove such afflictions.