The Great Hunger

A one-shot adventure for Crystal Heart

An investigation of a long-deserted island reveals a dangerous new shard.
Can our Agents collect it and the other shards before they lose themselves?

The Agents are sent to a long-deserted, effect, and it does not move or try to harm
withering island. It could be on their route, them.
or they could receive a request from a way An Academics or Healing roll can reveal
station bulletin board. that the slime is behaving in a normal man-
Locals from the neighboring island men- ner, by reaching out toward whatever nu-
tion that many years ago the island was a trients it can get; it's only the scale that’s
thriving, healthy place, but within the past unusual.
generation or so, the presence of living crea- The huge slime mold has webbed its way
tures there had slowly dwindled to nothing. throughout the island. When followed to its
Not long after, even the plants withered and center, the Agents discover evidence of a
petrified. Now all that was left—except for long-digested warehouse. At its heart are the
whatever caused this, that is—is an odd, remnants of an old, wooden boat, covered
petrified jungle, bereft of life. with still-living, horribly pulsing mold. This
Lately, though, a strange, pulsing growth “heart” pulses and seems to be the source
seems to have emerged at the edges of the for the rest of the veins on the island. Be-
island, having wound its way from the jun- low it are some dusty remains of bones (see
gle’s center. The veiny, sickly-yellow slime sidebar).
looks like a thin network of veins reaching The Agents will probably suspect that
towards the shore. Whatever it is, there is this is the source of a Crystal manifestation.
concern that it wants to reach the ocean… Have them make an Academics or Common
and what will happen then? Knowledge roll. On a success, remind them
of what they learned during training: that
The Starved Isle it’s dangerous to touch a feral Crystal with
As the Agents move close enough to inves- their bare hands. On a raise, the Agent re-
tigate, they discover that the veiny web is alizes this is not the manifestation of a fe-
similar to a slime mold. Touching the goo- ral Crystal, but an unusual case of a shard
ey substance has no perceivable, physical manifestation (which can be touched safely).

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 What Happened Here?
The following information can be gathered by examining the remains left by wildlife across the island,
along with a close analysis of the dust pile underneath the pulsing mold.
The previous owner of this shard came to this island some time ago, apparently consumed by
a single desire—hunger. The owner became little more than a puppet being tugged around by the
shard, finding their way to the deserted warehouse. One by one, the animals of the island were hunted
and eaten. When there was no more meat to be had, the shard, already having devoured its owner’s
personality, started in on eating the rest of them—their muscles atrophied, consumed by the shard’s
need to consume energy. When nothing was left but a pile of bones, the shard started feeding on the
energy of the plant life around it, essentially petrifying the island over many years.
With the island’s flora and fauna now spent, the shard manifested in a new way—that of a slime
mold, reaching out to find whatever last remnants of energy and nutrition it could.
The implications here are grim. The shard has unusual power over its owner and environment, but
unlike Crystals, it can’t be subdued for long. The only way to contain it is by combining all the shards
into a single Crystal, which can then be controlled as normal.

If touched without gloves, the pulsing The First Hunger: The shard can
mass doesn’t react, but the person making create a very limited version of the
contact gets a sudden urge to dig deeper, puppet power. The only command
in search of the source, just like how the it may issue is “Eat.” Reward clev-
pulsing growth itself is hungrily eating and er uses of the “Eat” command. A
needfully pressing forward. The same hap- person may be easily coerced to drop what
pens to any Agent who attempts to sense they’re doing and seek out their lunch; a tar-
the mass’s thoughts or feelings through a get can be dissuaded from paying attention
Crystal power. They must make a Smarts roll to their task because they just can’t stop eat-
to avoid pushing their hand into the mass, ing; or a starving stray dog can be forced
digging feverishly in search of something to chase what it thinks is its next big meal.
inside it (the shard).
Subduing this manifestation can happen
through meticulous burning of the mold, or
by simply grabbing the shard from within
the mass and pulling it out—which happens Written by Rachael Cruz
immediately if any Agent is taken by the Crystal Heart by Aviv Or and Eran Aviram
desire to push their hand inside. Once the Art by Aviv Or
shard is taken from deep within the heart Editing by Eran Aviram and Keith Garrett
of the slime mold, the rest of the slime will Layout based on designs by Manuel Serra Saez
detach itself, falling dead. and Ruben Smith-Zempel

Examining the shard: An Agent can make This game references the Savage Worlds game
an Academics roll to try and understand the system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment
shard’s properties and its strange ability to Group at www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds
manifest. An Agent can also try to activate and all associated logos and trademarks are
the shard (Crystal Channeling roll, see Crystal copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group.
Heart p.78), in which case they learn all of Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no
the following even if they fail the roll. The representation or warranty as to the quality, vi-
shard is one of three parts of a Crystal whose ability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
theme is hunger. The three shards remain © 2019 Eran Aviram and Aviv Or, Up to Four
connected somehow, longing for each other, Players www.uptofourplayers.com
and this connection gives each of them some
qualities of a full Crystal, such as the ability
to manifest. The slime mold was the outward
expression of this shard, the need to feed.

3
 At any point, the Agent holding the shard chooses rooftops with straw roofs, assuming
has the option to allow its influence fully non-Islanders will find it hard to balance on
into themselves, but at great cost. They gain them. Run this as a Quick Encounter with
a powerful urge directing them toward the any number of Hazards.
other shards, but each day that they possess When he is cornered and allowed to
the shard they will lose some of their per- speak, it will become increasingly clear
sonality as the shard essentially “eats” them, that Munder is all but lost to the influence
inflicting a cumulative -1 penalty on their of his shard. Getting him to surrender his
Spirit attribute. When the penalty reaches shard will be hard, since he is so far gone.
their Spirit die type it resets, and their die A Healing or Notice roll can reveal that his
type is reduced by one. mental well-being and sense of self are so
shaky that if he is abandoned here, his death
The Second Shard is all but assured.
The second shard lies in the hands of a
It’s something of a cautionary tale, and
human host. Munder Piney is a nimble,
should drive home the urgency of finding
street-running pick-pocket (“courier with
the last shard, before the Agent carrying the
benefits” is the term he prefers) who makes
first shard becomes the same as Munder.
his home in one of the larger islands, living
He may be persuaded to join the cause and
off the unaware and unprepared.
help to find the third shard—he can sense a
Munder has spent so long under the influ- strong pull toward it—but he is deeply disin-
ence of the second shard that his long-term clined to just hand over his piece, especially
memory is patchy at best. He lives for the with nothing for him to gain.
now and barely considers the past. He has
The Second Hunger: The shard
become dependent on the power of his shard
has the speed power, affecting
to keep him fed—and likely, sane.
only the holder. It increases the
Tracking him down might be a challenge, holder’s metabolism; keeping the
considering that the only thing the Agents power active for more than a few
have to go on is a faint pull toward him. This minutes results in a level of Fatigue.
can point them at the island where he can
be found, but he lives in a busy town, home The Ruined Monastery
to a busting food industry, and is excellent The last shard is on a mountainous island,
at hiding in a crowd. home to a long-abandoned monastery. As
Note that if the Agents do not seek the Agents ascend the mountain, not only
Munder out, then he will eventually come does it get colder (because of the elevation),
to find them, as he has already succumbed but things also seem to slow down. Birdsong
to the will of his shard. If he finds them first, gets slower in its pattern. Snow rolls gently
he will likely shadow them before letting down. Snakes move in a languid fashion.
himself be known. He prefers to steal first At the apex of the mountain, at the tallest
and negotiate later. If a quick theft of the point of the monastery, sits a single monk,
first shard is not an option, Munder will try meditating peacefully. In front of him is the
to find a way to distract them or otherwise last shard. This shard’s manifestation slows
get an advantage over the Agents. all things around it, and the closer one gets
Munder is overconfident, with an almost to the shard, the harder it is to move. It must
Fjordstadian level of superiority, due in part have taken the monk a truly long time to
to the fact that his shard allows him to use get close and meditate. In fact, the monk,
the speed power. Munder is unafraid to run, Aru’tan, thinks that he has been meditating
and will use any obstacles he can to make life for only an hour or so, and will be shocked
difficult for his pursuers. He will deliberate- to see that the monastery which is his home
ly lead the Agents over rooftops and through is abandoned and in disrepair.
frightening leaps into ruined buildings, us- The power from the second shard may
ing the multi-terraced construction, typical come in handy here, to help speed an Agent
of Island urban centers, to his advantage. He around the third shard, so that they are able

4
to collect the last shard and subdue its man- Feral Great Hunger
ifestation. To subdue it, one simply needs to Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8,
hold it—as was the case with the first shard. Strength d12+1, Vigor d10
Aru’tan explains that the monastery was Skills: Athletics d10, Fighting d6, Notice d8
built here, around this shard, because it Pace: 3; Parry: 5; Toughness: 9 (2)
created an atmosphere of stillness and se- Edges: —
renity. He will not stand in the way of the Special Abilities:
shard being collected, realizing that, left • Armor +2: Squishy, elastic goo.
unchecked, the shard’s power brought ru- • Breath Weapon: The manifestation re-
ination on the monastery and on his own leases a noxious gas that deals 3d6 damage.
life. He was born more than a hundred years • Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimida-
ago, and no longer has any friends or family tion.
among the living.
• Sate Hunger: When the manifestation
The Third Hunger: The shard takes one Wound or more, instead of
can create a very limited ver- rolling for soak, it can immediately pre-
sion of the puppet power. The vent the damage by sucking the life out
only command it may issue is of people it holds in its tentacles, effec-
“Wait.” It effectively halts the tively transferring the Wounds to them.
metabolism of its target, preventing them It releases any held target once they’re
from being able to expend energy in order Incapacitated.
to move or even think.
• Size 4 (Large): The manifestation is a
Rise of the Great Hunger bulky mass of pulsing tentacles.
When the last shard is subdued and col- • Tentacles: Str damage. The manifestation
lected, the three pieces of Great Hunger has four tentacles with Reach 3, and can
are pulling toward each other. If allowed to attack with all of them without a multi-ac-
touch, the three shards reform into a single tion penalty. On a raise, instead of an extra
Crystal with a sickening, slurping sound. No 1d6 damage die, the tentacle makes a grap-
sooner is this done than it belches forth a ple roll (at +2). An Entangled victim can
sickening, noxious gas and bleeds out puls- only make one action on their turn. They
ing tendrils of sickly, sticky mold. If Munder are semi-controlled by the manifestation,
and/or Aru’tan are present, tendrils whip out which uses them during its own turns; it
hungrily to close around them before they can use an action to force each victim to
can react (The tendrils avoid Agents because attack to the best of their abilities, using
of their Crystals). Crystal powers if they’re Agents.
With a horrible, sucking sound, their eyes
go blank, and they howl hungrily in half-sen-
tences, talking with unsettling tones, ex-
pressing simple, basic needs: “Need…more!
All…Hungry!” Bound together by pulsing,
sickly, yellow tentacles, these victims now
act as the will of Great Hunger as it mani-
fests its feral needs.
Taming the Crystal: The Great Hunger
can be tamed by destroying its manifesta-
tion. Grabbing it is possible, but only barely,
as it’s deep within the manifestation’s body.

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 Great Hunger (Veteran) activate it at normal range against
Description: Sickly yellow and bulbous, a target that’s already affected
like a star made of spores. Sticky to the by your Incite Hunger power.
touch, yet with a fascinating texture that Available Modifier: Damage.
makes one want to keep holding onto it. Consume plants (unique pow-
Theme: Hunger, the need to consume for er, -2). You must stay stationary for
nourishment, but without ever being filled. several hours, as invisible tendrils of hun-
Making yourself eat something yucky or unap- ger reach out from you and up to a Large
petising. Blast Template centered on you. All plant
life in the area either withers or petrifies,
Benefit: Everything you eat is nutritional your choice.
for you. You don’t gain any special ability Consume self (arcane protection, Ongo-
to chew unusual materials, so eating big ing, -1). Self only. You allow your Crystal to
rocks will still break your teeth, but you’re eat at your mind, losing your sense of self.
even able to subsist on your own hair if Your Spirit die is reduced by one step, your
needed. Foul things still smell foul, and senses dull (Notice -2) and your thoughts
nothing tastes particularly good, not even are hazy, but you become completely im-
regular food. mune to all attempts to control or change
Disposition: You are constantly hungry, your mind. Arcane protection’s regular ef-
with no relation to how much you eat. If fects also apply, regarding all non-mental
you keep this Crystal slotted for a week, you Crystal powers activated against you—the
become Obese until you replace it (at which unleashed hunger automatically tries to
point another week passes until your me- consume incoming effects before they hit.
tabolism stabilizes). You can try to fight the Incite Hunger (puppet, Ongoing, -1). You
constant hunger by making a Vigor roll ev- shift some of your own unending hunger
ery few hours, but if you fail and still choose into someone you can see. If they fail their
not to eat, you take a level of Fatigue. check, they’re filled with a desire to eat,
and will do whatever’s in their power to
Consume Enemy (bolt, -1). You touch sate their hunger. On a raise, they’re so
someone and sate your hunger on their hungry, they’re even able to harm them-
life force. This power works only at range selves or those they care about in their
of Touch, but if it deals a Wound, the tar- effort to reach food. Available Modifier:
get also takes a level of Fatigue. You can Strong.