A famine rod is a magical item from the ancient Thassilonian realm of Gastash, the domain of greed, in what is now Varisia. When a command word is spoken, the rod emits a ray of limited range which drains the life force from its target, transferring it to the user. This increased vitality eventually drain away, although it is not returned to the one from whom it was taken. The rod has limited uses which renew themselves once a week.