Cannot Leave Each Other (Playtest)

This is a two player story game.

One of you is a human parent. The other is their werewolf child.  When you are together the werewolf always magically maintains their human form.  While you are apart things have the potential to be complicated. 

There is a shared understanding that if you are separated for too long one of you will die. The exact details of this death are unclear, but you feel it in your bones to be true and looming.  

Safety

The resulting family dynamic for characters is not necessarily a healthy one. Please set lines and veils and use an x card or other safety tools while you play. If you need more information about safety tools check out the TTRPG Safety Toolkit by Kienna Shaw and Lauren Bryant-Monk.  

Game play also potentially involves sharp objects—be careful with them if you choose to use them.

You will need:

• a scrap of fabric or paper (about bandana or letter size works well)
• tool(s) to rend your scrap (your hands/scissors)
• tool(s) to mend your scrap (tape/staples/glue/needle and thread)

Inspiration

You do not need to be Jewish to play this game, but it is feels important for me to share how this game is inspired by Jewish mysticism.  In the Torah, Benjamin, son of Jacob and Rachel, is described as a "ravenous wolf." Most people read this metaphorically, but since at least the middle ages there has also been a Jewish tradition of a more literal werewolf interpretation. 

This is used as a potential explanation for a place in the Torah where there is grammatical ambiguity.  According to most English translations, Genesis 44:22 says something along the lines of "...The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die." This English assumption isn't grammatically certain in the original Hebrew. There is midrash that speculates that Benjamin could have died from being separated from the person who helped him control his werewolf powers rather than his father dying from the grief of losing another child.  

This game is built from considering the implications that an ambiguous concern about separation and death could have on a family relationship.

The rend mechanic is inspired by keriah, the custom of rending one's garments in grief after a family member has passed away. In this case, it serves both as a sort of anticipatory mourning and a representation of how little problems in a relationship can build up over time if they are not addressed.  

Playtest

This is the first game I've made a game to share beyond my personal gaming group.  I would love constructive criticism and feedback to help make it better.