Crystal Skull of the Hot Spring King

Crystal Skull of the Hot Spring King
Wondrous item, very rare

This crimson monkey skull is carved entirely from blood garnet and weighs 4 pounds. An aura of feral sentience draws your gaze.

Curse. If you stare into the eye sockets of the crystal skull for 1 minute it will transform itself to match the appearance of your own skull. Your race and appearance will change to that of a humanoid snow monkey. You have the bright red face of a macaque, and a body covered with shaggy brownish-gray fur. All of your racial traits, except for your size, alignment and languages, are replaced by those of a snow monkey. These include:

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and your Constitution score each increase by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age. You age at twice the rate of your previous form.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed of 30 feet.

Humanoid. Your creature type is humanoid.

Bite. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Deep Sleeper. It takes you 10 hours to finish a long rest and you regain all spent hit dice when you complete one.

Kleptomaniacal. You have proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill. Once per long rest, when you see an item of value make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or you must attempt to steal the object regardless of the consequences. The DM determines which objects attract your attention.

Mistrustful. You are quick to assume ill-intent and have disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks.

Thermal Tolerance. You have resistance to cold and fire damage.

The remove curse spell is unable to reverse this effect. The only way is to stare into the eye sockets of the skull for 1 minute, after which you may attempt a DC 18 Wisdom check. If you succeed, both yourself and the skull revert back to their usual forms. If you fail the check, nothing happens and this check can’t be attempted again until the next dawn. The effect can also be ended by a wish spell.

When the lord of bathing was laid to rest, all the monks sang out and beat their chests.
In the steaming pools where he held his court, the noblemen bickered over his hot spring resort.
The wealth he’d amassed was splendid and vast. A sarcophagus of gold for his crystal bones cast.
Beneath the snow-blown hills of his kingly domain, they carved a tomb and chiseled his name.
Deep down he waits for an inquisitive pawn, his flesh has gone rotten, but his greed lingers on.
If you stare too deep into his crimson eye holes, a new shape you’ll take to fit in his mold.
Best beware and take care not to lose your head, lest you spend your life living his life instead!