One of the first things a Mentor should teach his student is the basic workings of Temuairian Society. It is my view that this knowledge should be passed to the young Aisling before that Aisling has even chosen their path.
Introduce your students to the law of the land, perhaps most importantly to the laws against heresy. Let them know that heretical speech and postings on message boards are forbidden. Introduce them to the concepts of whispering, and of the double-brackets.
((It is important for all players to know that talking about work, school, family, and so on, is not appropriate in public. If one wishes to speak Out-Of-Character, there are several ways to accomplish this without violating the law: talking via whispers, going to a room in one of the inns, et cetera.))
It is also, unfortunately, necessary to discuss theft with your student. Let them know that it is inappropriate to pick up something that another Aisling has dropped, without first asking their permission, and it is never appropriate to pick up something that another Aisling is standing on.
I think it is also appropriate, indeed, even important to instill into your student a sense of self-reliance in two ways: first, by warning them that begging is illegal; and two, by pointing out that they have gifts that they can offer other Aislings. When seeking a particular item it is better to offer an exchange, rather than merely begging for the item needed. Potions, for instance, require both Wine to brew the elixir, and Labor to gather and mix the herbs; by offering these two things to an Aisling herbalist, he is more likely to get a postive reponse than if he were to merely beg for a needed potion. Additionally, each Path has special gifts they can offer other Aislings, even in their first circle. Monks can brew potions needed by other classes, particularly personaca deum, greatly prized among Rogues plundering the chests of the Crypt, and hydele deum, desired by Warriors of all insights. Even first-circle Priests can brew vast amounts of the life-giving elixir beothaich deum, a necessary part of any hunter's pack. Rogues, through higgling, have access to more goods, and more wealth, than the other Paths do at early insights. Wizards can offer other Aislings some Arcane Scrolls, or other results of their Research; one of my Wizard students quickly learned how prized the Blessed and Abundance Leather Gauntlets he enchanted were worth to second-cirlce Warriors. Warriors, meanwhile, have a great deal of Labor each moon, but generally have no skills on which to use it until they reach the second circle; some Aislings, particularyly Rogues and Monks, are willing to provide goods, services, or even cash payments in exchange for this Labor.
Introduce your student to the Law Board of Mileth, and make sure they familiarize themselves with all the laws. Continue into the Mileth Civic area, and show them the Political and Law Enforcement boards, as well. Let them know that should they be a victim of a crime, they can call on a Guard or Guard Captain to assist them. Remind them that law enforcers rely upon them to gather evidence in order to effectively do thier job. ((Teach them to take screenshots.))
Remember that your students' behaviour reflects on your teaching, and remind them of that fact as well. I try to instill in my students a sense of honor, and let them know that any dishonorable behaviour on their part dishonors me as well.
No Aisling is an island... everyone is reliant on someone else at one point or another. Whether it's asking for Assistance in performing a skill, partnering with others for a hunt, or just a desire to share one's latest exploits with another, everybody needs somebody sometime. Nearly anything that can be done alone can be done better with someone else.
Some Aislings, especially when their new to Temuair, are extremely shy, and tend to stick to themselves, even while hunting ... a prospect that is not only antisocial, but dangerous. It may be difficult to tell at first if your student is the shy type; they may be extrememly comfortable around you, but freeze up around people they don't know. Just in case they are the shy type, I recommend that you introduce your student around to your friends, your other students, even to your own mentor. You don't have to parade them around Temuair ... that could be both embarassing and time consuming. But as the two of you walk along, when you run into people that you know, introduce them to your student. Perhaps friends of yours have students of similar insight that would be willing to hunt with your student. In fact, some of my friends and I have something of an understanding: any student of mine will be treated as a student of theirs, and vice versa.
After your student has learned about the Gods of Temuair, they should begin thinking about which Fellowship they wish to join. This is one area where I believe a Mentor should say little or nothing: the choice of one's god is an extremely personal one, and should be made by the Aisling alone. Answer questions they may have about the gods to the best of your ability, but try to do so without bias. Don't encourage your student to join your religion; don't discourage them from joining any particular religion. Let them make the choice, and support them in it, even if their choice of god is one of your god's enemies. Recommend to your student that they attend one of their chosen Fellowship's masses ... this is the best way to learn more, not just about the god, but about the attitudes and beliefs of the priests and of the other followers of the religion. Is the mass quiet and respectful? Is the priest's sermon inspiring? Or is it a loud and raucous affair, with the priest saying little or nothing before casting mass? Don't make a judgement about which is right and which is wrong: some people like mass to be loud and raucous. Generally, following each mass, priests of the Fellowship are willing to admit new worshippers, and your student can join at that time. It is not recommended that your student seek out a priest to admit them at any time other than just after mass; eagerness aside, they should be respectful of the rules of the Fellowship, and most Fellowships want new worshippers to be initiated after mass. And I wholeheartedly recommend against you seeking out a priest of a particular religion to initiate your student; they should do it themselves.
Finally, I will say this on religion: Faith is important, and can bring great boons, but no one should join a Fellowship with the expectation of reward; one should worship a particular god because their heart tells them to do so.
Depending on how disoriented they become upon receiving Deoch's touch, a new Aisling may have very little recollection of their prior Mundane existence in Temuair. They may not even be from Mileth, and may have difficulty finding their way around town, let alone between towns. It may be a good idea to ask your prospective Student if they need a tour, and show them around to the various sites in Mileth. Afterwards, you may wish to show them how to travel between the various towns of Temuair. This is knowledge that is often sorely lacking among new Aislings; I am often surprised by the number of young ones that cannot find their way through the Pravat Pass to Piet, or didn't know that they can charter sailing vessels in Abel and Rucesion.
It is important, at the same time, to warn your students of the dangers of Temuair ... especially those of Mehadi Swamp and Astrid; warn them to stay away from those places until they have gained more insight. Too many young Aislings have innocently wandered into those places out of curiosity, only to find that they cannot decipher the secrets of the exits, and quickly find themselves face-to-face with Sgrios.
Shortly after being Guided onto their Path, your student should speak with the various Mundanes throughout Mileth, as these wise souls can provide much needed information about Temuairian society, religion, and even combat. Some of you may have already learned some of these Lectures from the Mundanes yourselves, so this would be a good time to give them to your student. Whatever lectures you aren't able to give can be heard from the Mundanes themselves.
Young Aislings can speak to Callough the Weapon Smith of Mileth to undertake their first quest. 'Tis a simple one: Callough merely wishes them to gather six sturdy branches, and in exchange, he will give them a Stick and a Wooden Shield. Still, it is an easy way for Aislings to learn the basics of interacting with Mundanes, and to provide basic arms for himself in the meantime. Occasionally, an Aisling will remind Callough of a relative or a lost love, and he will bestow upon them a special gift: a sturdy Oak Stick. The value of this weapon is not to be underestimated, as it is at least as good as a Dirk, and better than most metal weapons for those Paths that use mana, as it will drain none of theirs.
Dar, the Dark Wizard of Mileth, has a strange need that young Aislings can fulfill: he wants some of the various body parts left behind when a creature of the Crypt is dispatched. Specifically, he seeks Spider's Eyes and Silk, Bat's Wings, and Scorpion's Stings. He needs them every Temuairian week, and usually wants a different one each week. While first-circle Aislings may have trouble finding Bat's Wings and Scorpion's Stings (and should probably be discouraged from seeking them), a patient hunter can usually find an Eye or a piece of Silk, given enough time.
Like Dar, Cian, the Mileth Alchemist, seeks things that the rest of us would find repulsive. Cian wants some of the mold or bits of rotten food dropped by creatures of the Crypt, for use in his alchemical experiments. As with Dar, he seeks them every week, and a different one each week. Fortunately, these items are relatively easy to find on the first or second level of the Crypt.
Devlin, the Fae Priestess of Mileth, seeks various items dropped by creatures, as well, but her's are a bit more understandable: she has something of a sweet tooth, and desires Raw Honey or even a bit of Raw Wax dropped by the wasps of the Wasteland and the Enchanted Garden. As with Dar and Cian, she seeks them once per week; ask her each week, and she will tell you which one she desires. By just agreeing to get it for her, she will bless an Aisling with a bit of minor healing.
There must be something about being a Grocer's daughter that is particularly hazardous, for throughout Temuair these girls are suffering from various afflictions nearly every week. By speaking to a Grocer in Mileth, Piet, Suomi, or Undine, an Aisling can learn of which particular affliction that Grocer's daughter suffers, and offer a potion to remedy the situation. If your student is a Monk, they can probably concoct the remedy themselves, otherwise they will have to seek out an Aisling herbalist to make one for them.
Like the Grocers' daughters, the mother of Seskia, the innkeeper of Piet, has trouble staying healthy. It seems that in her old age, the poor woman has grown absent-minded, or clumsy, or both. Frankly, she cannot be trusted around an open flame, and despite Seskia's attempts to keep her mother away from candles, fireplaces, even the stove, she manages to burn herself nearly weekly. By speaking to Seskia, your student can offer something to relive her mother's suffering.
This is perhaps a young Aisling's first true "quest", as opposed to a mere exchange of items with Mundanes. Teague, long-time permanent resident of the Mileth Tavern, is truly frightened ... he's certain that something that's been stalking him in his dreams has come to life, and is ready to wreak havoc somewhere in Temuair. This quest cannot be undertaken by a lone Aisling ... it requires three individuals of similar insight ((4th-9th)), and it is highly recommended that one of these three be a priest skilled in healing and with beothaich deum at the ready.
As Aislings gain insight, other tasks will be set before them ... as their Mentor, you can provide your student with valuable information about what tasks are available, and how to complete them.
While each Path has an individual, and unique, approach to combat, at some time or another, your student will likely have to engage in hand-to-hand combat with a creature in the Crypt or the Woodlands. This does not mean, however, that the most effective means of doing so is to walk up and bash it on the head with a stick. Teach your student that there's no need for them to toe-to-toe with a centipede to defeat it. Remind them that they are Aislings, touched by light, and blessed with intelligence ... certainly with greater intelligence than the average 'pede. (One would hope, anyway.)
It is important for them to know that it is easier for them to hit a creature if they strike from behind or along its side, and that they inflict more damage when they hit those vital areas. More importantly, the creatures your student will be likely to encounter early on are rather simple, and can be tricked into exposing their flank, even in the heat of battle.
The ideal scenario goes like this:
The combatant sneaks up and attacks a creature from behind.
Continue attacking until the creature turns to face you.
When it does so, quickly take a step, a single step, to your left or right. Be careful to avoid getting cornered or boxed in by other hostile creatures. Note here, the combatant steps to his right, away from the approaching Centipede.
The creature will follow you, exposing it's flank, allowing you to attack it's weak side again. Eventually it will turn to face you again, at which point you can repeat the process. It is important not to step back away from a creature, even when fleeing; the creature will still follow you, and if it catches up, it will be able to attack you from behind, allowing it to do even greater damage than it would normally.
To be honest, I've always found it difficult to describe this procedure adequately, which is why I'm relying on illustrations here, and why I provide a demonstration for my students. In using this technique, a combatant can maximize the damage done to the creature, while minimizing the damage done to himself. The only drawback to this method is that it takes more time to execute than the simple bash-between-the-eyes method ... but better a slow and methodical hunter than a quick and soon dead one.
Unfortunately, while this technique is effective against the simple creatures of the upper Crypt and Woodlands, as your Student gains insight, he will have to learn new tactics, especially when facing Kobolds and Goblins. These crafty foes not only are able to lay traps and cast spells on your Student, they are also able to work together to lead him into an ambush. The more insight your Student gains, the more important it becomes for him to avoid hunting alone. Further, with the exception of Warriors, these tactics often bcome inefficient once your student is able to use some of his Skills and Secrets more effectively. For instance, it makes perfect sense for a Rogue to retreat directly away from a creature, in order to lure it into a trap; Wizards, meanwhile, will probably have little need for hand-to-hand combat at all, once they become proficient with their spells.