4.15.4 Roleplaying a Monk

The Sentaari Monastery houses a sect of Duirani monks dedicated to the defense of Dia'ruis. Trained in martial arts and harnessing Kai, energy born from violence, they are merciless when facing any that threaten the wilds or Duiran.

What is Kai?
Kai is a type of energy created when there is combat, more specifically defined as the clash of Shadow and Spirit, opposed elements that affect much of the world of Aetolia. It gathers up as a monk fights and can be unleashed in many ways, to break bones, to heal allies, or to stun enemies. 

What is Dia'ruis?
Dia'ruis is a Lirathyar, a - or rather the - Plane of Life, a fledgling plane born from the efforts of Duiran in the Year 504. Its forerunner, Dendara, served as the chief focus of Duiran for countless years as it decayed, was overrun and slowly died from the influence of shadow's rapacious consumption. During this time, the Sentaari could banish away the rotspawn using Kai, as otherwise, they'd have sunk back into the plane and reformed. In a daring ritual led by Esrytesh Sibatti Dur Naya, the Council, aided and abetted by the Hunter and the Underking, wrenched the moon from the sky, allowing Varian, the Celestine, a break from His perpetual duel with the Albedi Eschaton to trim away the healthy parts of Dendara and create a new Plane free of rot and corruption.

Thus was Dia'ruis born, and life goes on within this primordial land of unending dawn and eternal dusk. From this font of life come the spirits of all beasts, fauna, and fowl alike, awaiting their birth into the Cycle. At the heart of the plane stands a burgeoning World Tree, its nascent eaves stretching into the twilit heavens. It is a wild and untamed place, unmarred by civilization or the tread of industry; nature in all its glory flourishes therein, from the gentle babbling of freshwater streams to the predators lurking in the dark hunting for prey.

Recently, the Sentaari have gained a connection to the Void, with pieces of Dendara visible there, floating and rotting to nothingness.

How your skills generally work:
- Tekura is mixed martial arts with punches, kicks, throws and stances. It has a 
  system of ranks by belt color, ending in black belts.
- Telepathy is mental manipulation, invading the mind of another and, seeing as they see,
  implanting fears and afflictions in their head and destroying them by unlacing
  their psyche.
- Kaido is the manipulation of Kai and the body's internal energies. Making yourself
  more resilient by sheer will or breaking an opponent's bones with a blast of energy are
  both things that fall under Kaido.

Sentaari monks have a balance of body, mind and spirit in their three skills, all of which have a component of discipline and deep focus to master.

Visual style of the class:
The skills of the monk class are very focused on the body and martial arts, making for an aesthetic of high physical prowess and clothes and accessories that allow for extensive movement. 

Side effects of the class skills:
Practitioners of Tekura spend their entire lifetimes in training, hardening their bones and growing more and more proficient. Unfortunately, this may result in calloused or scarred skin, gnarled limbs from repeated breaks, and a generally muscular frame. In addition, the wielding of Kai may have harmful effects, requiring ultimate focus, and may cause scars and burns on the extremities if misused.

Roleplaying the class:
The Sentaari demand extreme discipline, focus, and total commitment to their assigned task. While the Sentinel and the Shaman, the other guilds of Duiran, have a spiritual aspect in ancestors and direct connections to spirits, the Sentaari have only their community and skills made from their training, making them very attuned to the Council of Duiran and its immediate needs. A Sentaari monk will spend most of their time training their abilities and what is left of it assisting the others, be it by gathering herbs for a ritual or by fighting alongside their allies. Being so physically focused, they tend to be high energy, for better or worse.