Scarab of Death

Wondrous item, very rare

If this small scarab brooch is held for more than 1 round or carried in a living creature’s possessions for 1 minute, it changes into a horrible burrowing beetle-like creature. The thing tears through any leather or cloth, into flesh, and crawls through organs and tissue doing 27 (5d10) piercing damage each round. A DC 18 Dexterity saving throw allows the victim to tear the beetle out, but they still take 10 (3d6) points of slashing damage. A DC 18 Intelligence (medicine) skill check can remove the beetle, dealing 10 (3d6) slashing damage in the process. The beetle continues until the victim is dead, then returns to its scarab form. Placing the scarab in a container of wood, ceramic, bone, ivory, or metal prevents it from coming to life and allows for long-term storage of the item.