Here is the fourth of the NPC mentors, Hanamelk, a male kalashtar who serves as the resident scholar and sage of The Gathering Light, a large hall in the Overlook district of Upper Dura that serves as a school for kalashtar martial arts and meditation techniques. Hanamelk is the mentor for Alise, played by [MENTION=33]DarwinofMind[/MENTION]. When Alise struck out on her own, she was seeking guidance on developing her psionic abilities, and unfortunately, the Cyran community in High Walls where she had the most social ties lacked a substantial number of psychics. So she sought it out the only place she knew where, The Gathering Light. She is enrolled for the Spring semester in a meditation class that is being taught by Hanamelk and is restricted to those who have demonstrated psionic powers. She is there on a scholarship funded by the Path of Light Foundation, which she knows very little about, but seems to be a kalashtar religious foundation that seeks to broaden the horizons of gifted psychics of limited means. Her interview for the scholarship was conducted by Hanamelk himself and he has served as a kind of guide for life since this recent event. When classes begin the second week of Zarantyr, Alise will be required to attend class three days a week for three hours each day. For the most part we will gloss over the details of exactly WHEN this is going on so as not to conflict with adventuring, but Alise will not have the luxury of disappearing from the city for a week without missing classes, which would forfeit her scholarship. Bear in mind the idea behind this is to tie your character to the city and build up relationships with it to encourage role-playing tied to the city, not to needlessly constrain your character. When and if Alise decides she has outgrown the school and what it can teach, she can feel free to leave. However, if she continues to study, she will progressively gain better bonuses to some skill checks in certain situations and will eventually obtain a degree in Psionic Meditation.
As a mentor, Hanamelk will be able to help Alise train when she is ready to level up or re-train when she decides she would like to learn new abilities. Hanamelk is also willing to advise Dorius on personal matters and use his contacts within the kalashtar and psychic community to provide Alise with information and services. As a gifted seer himself, Hanamelk may also occasionally offer to use his own powers to assist Alise with truly troubling questions and problems.
Alise has no particular job at the moment aside from being a student. Her living expenses are not covered by the scholarship however, so she is forced to do odd jobs from time to time. Often, this has meant serving as a student worker at the Gathering of Light, helping to set up or break down in between the conversion of the hall from a martial arts training room to a meditation center, which happens on a daily basis. She may roll Profession (laborer) checks to earn money on a daily or weekly basis at the Gathering of Light, but is expected to work at least two days a week to keep her job. The position is flexible in the hours she may work however.
Additionally, Alise has friends and family in the High Walls community where many Cyran refugees live. Any of them are willing to pay her a fair wage via the Profession (laborer) skill, but only on a daily basis. While her help and assistance is appreciated there, the High Walls community recognizes that Alise has grander things planned for her life than helping fix up apartments or fill in as a clerk for a dry goods shop.
Vigil will be last to receive a mentor and then we will have the foundation for our characters. I guess we'll be starting with five. I am okay with that, especially since there is always the possibility someone will have to drop.
