25.6 Mentors and their apprentices.

The early stages of a new Avalonians are usually the most difficult - coming to terms with the new medium, striking out unsure of what to do next after graduation, and learning enough of the vast land to plot an enjoyable and purposeful course through it. To aid this, all 'experienced' Avalonians are able to offer themselves as mentors to their younger companions. Mentors are responsible for the integration and tuition of their apprentices, to ensure their apprentices' questions are answered and that the new blood is given a role, a purpose and, most importantly, the ability to see a future for themselves within the hurly-burly of the Avalonian landscape.

To take a new youngster under your wing, type MENTOR <youngster> and if they are agreeable, you will be responsible for their well-being. You may type APPRENTICES at any time to gain a list of your up and coming apprentices. Do not waste this position and do not take on more apprentices than you can handle. It is a great responsibility and a youngster may have only one mentor.

There is also the facility to go one step further than mentorship - adoption - useful primarily when one is taking a sabbatical or wishes to hand over certain responsibilities to a young player; or to give him/her a taste of the full range of productive abilities to aid their fledgling Avalon careers. Adoption effectively hands over your Farming and Labours skills to the adopted individual, while the adoptee takes on theirs. In the case of an elder adopting a neophyte this will mean the elder's high skills are subsequently usable by the younger, for the duration of the Avalon year. At the end of the Avalon year the skills return to their former settings. To use this type ADOPT followed by the name of the individual you wish to adopt.