Themes: Patient autonomy, Diversity, Social and/or Religious Pressures
Content warnings: Disordered eating
Level: Advanced Beginner / Intermediate
Summary #
A young estrie refuses to consume meat, without which she develops anemia and could die. She and her family are in the closet as estries, and it does not appear in the medical records. Can the Rafas discover how to resolve her bodily and spiritual needs?
Key Characters #
Nitzah, 9 #
Political Alignment: Legalist
Nitzah is the patient. She is constantly fatigued now and looks pasty. She misses her father and does not understand why he replaced her with another family and treats them so much better. She is embarrassed that her mother is not married. She is ashamed of being an Estrie and the fact her parents divorced.
Nitzah is a precocious girl who takes her studies very seriously. She is a bit of a know it all and rule follower.
Zipporah, 29 #
Political Alignment: Moralist
Nitzah’s mother. Zipporah believes it is best to keep the fact that they are estries quiet. Nitzah’s father, Calev, divorced her when she was pregnant with their youngest, Yona. She does the best she can to care for her two children with the help of their father.
Zipporah was raised by her father Dovid and maternal grandmother Nitzah after her mother left Kahal when she was 2. She is an artist and some of her artwork adorns the House of Prayer. She also sells her work to merchants in both the Avodai and Lumdai community. She is a quiet and somewhat reclusive, but generally respected member of the community.
Calev, 32 #
Political Alignment: Agnostic Traditionalist
Nitzah’s father, who left Zipporah and their children because he is embarrassed about producing estries. As the son of Kahal Counselor Naftali, he is particularly conscious of public sentiment and appearances. While he helps support his children financially, he does not spend much time with them. People do not understand why such an upstanding member of their community abandoned his family. He remarried Golda after a few years.
Teacher Aviv, 27 #
Political Alignment: Modernist
Nitzah’s schoolteacher at the House of Study. Aviv is concerned about Nitzah’s absence from school and her morose attitude lately. Aviv is a rambler and has a tendency to go on tangents.
Optional Characters #
Yona, 4 #
Nitzah’s brother, a Timtum youth (he/they). Curious and playful, they enjoy exploring the garden, dancing, painting, and dressing up in dresses and patterned shawls.
Golda, 27 #
Political Alignment: Moralist
Calev’s second wife. She is mother to Adah and Gad. She has a standoffish empathy for Calev’s other children and pushes for their eventual reconciliation with Nitzah’s father. She met Calev during his trip to Tsiri and they married soon after. She moved with him back to Kahal, and Golda and Calev had Adah and Gad.
Reba Livia, 28 #
Political Alignment: Innovator
Junior Reba of Kahal. She is progressive, active in the local politics. and a key member of the New Avodai Society. She will heartily encourage Nitzah to eat meat based on the precept of the sanctity of life. She believes Estries can be Avodai. She is generally liked, but some think she’s too young, too liberal, and does not spend enough time studying; others find her to be a breath of fresh air and much needed change!
Rosh Reba Nakum, 78 #
Political Alignment: Legalist
Senior Reba of Kahal, believes in upholding the strict interpretation of the Word. He will encourage Nitzah to eat the least amount of meat possible or drink blood from a willing donor. He does not believe Estries should be Avodai. He is highly respected, though he scares some people and others believe he is too old fashioned.
Potential Solutions #
Most good endings will require Nitzah to eat meat as required by her physiology. As always, there is a chance that the patient dies from anemia. Do not let players keep giving Nitzah Energy Boost infusions as the long term solution. Sneaking blood/meat into the patient’s food is a moderate, but not long term, solution.
- Persuade Nitzah’s father to reconcile with his daughter, so that the patient can overcome her shame and stigma. He can apologize for hurting her and making her think her life is not sacred.
- Rope in a Reba to help spiritually persuade the patient. Remember Reba Livia and Reba Nakhum will have differing perspectives. Try to avoid playing all of the persuasion between Rebas and patient, so that some of the spiritual advice comes from players.
- Encourage the patient to out herself as an estrie amongst the broader community. In the light of day, the Avodai’s sanctity of life will entitle the daughter to life-saving blood.
- Players might want to bloodlet as willing donors, interpreting the patient’s commitment to vegetarianism from the perspective of killing/ending life.
Setting #
This scenario takes place a few days before The Week of Returning & Becoming, a time of personal reflection and rectification for past wrongs. Adults fast from sunrise to sunset, eating only small meals while it is still dark. No one eats dairy or sweets, even in the evenings. Everyone writes letters of apology to one another for any wrongs in the past year.
Scene: Impetus #
Narration: It is early evening and the Rafas begin to filter into the House of Healing dining room after a day of rounds. Some of your colleagues sigh as they sit at the long tables and rub their eyes. You hear a counselor and physician engage in an all too common argument about whether a patient’s headache is due to medical, mental, or spirit causes.
Interaction Tip #
Ask the players: “What do you do after a long day of work?”
Narration: Teacher Aviv rushes into the House of Healing. He looks frazzled after a long day of teaching. His curly hair sticks out in all directions out of his cap.
Aviv: Oh good. I got here at a good time! There must not be a lot of emergencies. That’s very good. You know, I could not be a Rafa: I’d worry too much about everyone. Already worry enough about my students, and they leave before the afternoon is over!
Gestures towards the buffet table.
Hmm. That eggplant and stew looks divine. Heard you are really lucky with Chef Galit. You must have the best evening breakfasts for the Week of Returning and Becoming.
[Wait for the player action]
Aviv: Uh oh. Almost forgot why I came by. My student Nitzah. She’s always a good kid, and that hasn’t changed. She does what she is told, but she’s not playing with anyone anymore, just staring off into the distance. Despondent, I would say.
But she keeps missing school. And when she does come, she’s so pale and tired. She was absent again today. She didn’t even turn in her assignment for the Week of Returning and Becoming. That has never happened. She’s turned in her papers while battling the flu! I’m worried if they haven’t at least been reaching out to the House of Healing.
If asking Aviv whether he talked to parents
Aviv: Of course I spoke with her mother, but she says Nitzah is just going through a private issue and she’s there for her daughter. Odd phrase that, sometimes it’s not who’s there for us but sometimes who isn’t. Maybe Nitzah just needs someone more impartial to check in on her.
Scene: Visiting the Patient #
Narration: Zipporah, Nitzah’s mother, opens the door. Zipporah looks frazzled and unkept. There’s a black feather in her hair. As soon as she sees you, she starts pulling it up into a ponytail. Her youngest, Yona, twirls around next to her in a pretty dress. You see partially completed artworks and Zipporah’s large desk covered with paints.
Zipporah: Rafas, we didn’t call upon you, did we?
[Player’s response]
Zipporah: It’s for the best that you’re here, I suppose. Nitzah hasn’t been listening to me, please come in.
Narration: Nitzah lies on a small bed. She is pale and weak. Her breathing is shallow. There’s an untouched stew on the table next to the bed. Her long hair is tied back behind her head with a black ribbon.
You may notice a few more black feathers strewn around the house.
Interaction Tip #
Ask the players to make their first diagnosis or energy boost roll. Players may choose to roll up to 3 dice (or 4 if they have expertise in the skill.) The players will subtract the number of dice rolled from their own Energy Counter.
Diagnosis: Player rolling will need two successes to make a diagnosis. They may choose to roll 2 or 3 dice.
Energy Boost: The player rolling will give Nitzah energy equal to the number of successes + 1.
Major Malady #
ah has anemia because she is an estrie and refuses to eat meat.
Starting energy: 8
Max energy: 18
Symptoms
1) Headache (-1)
2) Shortness of breath (-2)
3) Fainting (-2)
4) Irregular heartbeats (-3)
Solution: Must consume blood to live
Zipporah: The Rafas are here because you didn’t go to school. Please eat, love. Zipporah looks at you. She is going through some things, very mother-daughter things. She’s not taking it well and isn’t eating.
Nitzah (defiant but breathily): I won’t eat that. No way. Don’t make me eat it.
Nitzah: I won’t be a bad Avodai!! I can’t eat that. It has meat and blood!!! Dad left you because you ate that stuff. He hates me because of what you make me do. He likes Bina so much better and she’s not even his REAL daughter. And he likes Gad best. And the baby.
Zipporah: [Rolls her eyes] Her scoundrel of a father only really sees Nitzah and Yona on the Week of Returning and Becoming to deliver his apology letter for leaving the kids. He only sends money, you know. Where’s the reflection in that when he apologizes for the same, damn thing every year and never changes… And she’s better off without him anyway.
If players try to get Nitzah to eat
Nitzah: If you insist, I will eat. But only if you make it yourselves and don’t leave my mother alone with it, or she might sneak something in.
If players want to examine Calev’s apology from last year’s Week of Becoming and Returning
Nitzah,
The Heart Moon annually exposes my sins against you. I recount them in my daily prayers, admonishing myself. Should your heart permit it, please forgive me, your absent father.
Your mother assures me you that you stand tall where I stumble; my wife reports your reputation is worthy of your paternal grandfather, the Counselor. As your coming of age approaches, I look forward to the day when your character overcomes your heritage. Make the most of your life, and find that partner who brings out your best, for then you shall be blessed.
Be strong where I cannot,
Calev bet Shifra v’ Naftali
If the players can’t figure out the family are Estries
Yona starts singing in the middle of the room. Suddenly their arm turns into a black wing. Then their whole body. They start hopping around as a bird.
Nitzah: “What are you doing Yona! You know you can’t do that in front of anyone. You shouldn’t do that ever!!”
[Nitzah tries to get out of bed but is too weak. Zipporah grabs her Yona and they turn back into a human child.]
Zipporah: We’re estries. You can’t tell anyone.
Optional Scene: Visiting Nitzah’s father #
Narration: You reach Calev’s two story home. A woman with curly blond hair answers the door.
Golda: Rafas, what are you doing here?
[Wait for player response.]
Golda: Calev, the Rafas are here about Nitzah!
Calev comes out.
Calev is indignant about being implicated for his daughter’s well-being. After all, he isn’t part of their day-to-day lives on purpose.
Calev: What are you doing here? [break] If she’s sick, talk to Zipporah.
Calev: I provide for Nitzah and Yona. Their mother takes care of them. Her mother should just remarry so they aren’t living on a salary and a half!
Calev: What can I do? They don’t need my approval, they’re their own people.
Calev: What do her eating habits have to do with me? She needs to eat, just tell her to eat.
Calev: Nitzah was only 5 when I left. It tore me up to leave her, but I couldn’t stay anymore after Zipporah got pregnant again. Their mother and I just don’t work, and I had to leave before I made any more mistakes. I was just lucky that my wife pulled me out of my despair and gave me a second chance at fatherhood.
Story Pacing note: Calev does not understand what he’s doing wrong not caring for his children’s emotional needs. Make it challenging to convince him to visit his daughter.
Possible Epilogues #
Calev writes a letter to Nitzah and Calev apologizes for leaving them. He introduces them to his other children and they spend an evening break fast with them.
Ask the Rafas to add to Nitzah’s medical records. See whether they are going to include that she is an estrie or obfuscate it.
Epilogue Tips #
Give the players time to experience their chosen solution, but as Storyteller you have an epilogue to gently guide them through. Pick one character to directly inquire how players will address the case in Nitzah’s permanent medical record. This drives home the impact their choices can have on future sessions and build out the world.
Storytellers can choose this instigating character on the fly, respecting the player solution and the character arcs developed through play. Raising the concern of marking the family as estries publicly will sound very different coming from Nitzah, Zipporah, Calev, or Rosh Rafa Shai. Express concerns such as completeness of information (whether to label as anemia or nutrition, with or without disclosing the nature of estrie), whether the medical records are safe enough already to avoid public leaks, and/or how such information should impact medical records of relatives like young Yona
Community Play #
There are no safe bets as to how players will vote in this scenario, but most often they will lean towards collective action to ensure that blood needs are met, community messaging on non-human Avodai, or therapy.
Loving Kindness Committee #
As relates to the active involvement of the community, Rafa probably can’t do better than approaching the Loving Kindness Committee for sympathetic meeting of needs.
Terida Public Library or Avodai Forward Press #
If players are inclined towards not exposing the non-humans but want answers to non-humans living amongst humans in the past, books are likely the best source. Either Librarian Mazal or the Head Editor of the Press can easily point to publications without interrogating or outing Nitzah.
The Old Guard or New Avodai Society #
Religiously oriented players may be tempted to involve Rebas, either leaning towards conservative (Reba Nakum) or progressive (Reba Livia). In those cases, make sure that the moral resolution syncs with how the Rebas would respond, or just have them redirect to the appropriate counselor.