- Heavy exertion (defined as: spending extra Rations to boost a roll such as Athletics)
- Emotionally intense experiences (defined as: failing any Self Control check)
- Physical trauma (defined as: taking Kill damage)
- Close proximity to Blight infection (for example: grappling a Casualty, failing an exposure roll)
Absent any of these things, a Latent looks like everyone else. But for each of these things that the Latent experiences, they increment a 10-charge Hunger counter.
Triggering experiences that produce multiple points of effect (e.g., a Latent burns four extra charges of Rations, not just one; or loses three points of humanity to a failed Self Control check rather than just one) also increment Hunger by the same number of points.
At 0 Hunger, Latents can pass for a normal, uninfected person. At 5 points of Hunger, they have clear signs of infection - localized black sinews and veins, sunken black eyes, and so on. At 10 points, they are indistinguishable from a Casualty. Most Latents who are not Takers or living in relative wealth in the Recession permanently hover at around 5 points of Hunger, and as such cannot pass for uninfected.
Hunger can be reset with Bounty. To a limited and variable extent this can involve the use of various home remedies, such as alcohol and drugs to blunt emotional affect, and so on: but primarily, it involves the consumption of raw red meat to assuage the enormous hunger that the Latent experiences as their Blight tissues stir.
Various rare substances are rumored to be even more effective than red meat at resetting Hunger.
Using Hunger
A Latent can burn Hunger before rolling to add points to most rolls involving raw physical or social action, e.g. Resistance rolls to lift heavy weights, Intimidation rolls to unsettle people, and so on. This represents consciously activating Blight-infected tissues for some desired effect.
Other uses for Hunger may be possible, but are not widely known.
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