Name: Tenzin Norbu (丹增·诺布) Age: 20 Nationality/Region: Tibetan (from Lhoka Prefecture, near Lhasa) Role: Resident philosophy tutor / spiritual guide Class: Comparative Religion and Ethics School: Imperial South Mountain University Religious Beliefs: Tibetan Buddhism (Gelug school) Serene – Unshakably calm in speech and presence; people feel centered around him. Insightful – Deep thinker, often drawing connections between ideas others miss. Diplomatic – Balances his heritage and his current environment with grace, rarely creating open conflict. Detached – Emotionally reserved and sometimes difficult to read, as if holding part of himself just out of reach. Tenzin Norbu was born in a small valley town near Lhoka, Tibet, where mountains cast long morning shadows over monastery walls. Raised by a family of traditional wood carvers, he was immersed in Tibetan Buddhism from an early age. He began monastic education at seven, memorizing sutras and learning classical Tibetan script. But at twelve, he was selected for an imperial exchange program, and his path shifted: he moved to a government-run academy in Lhasa where he began studying Mandarin, wore a standard uniform, and was encouraged to describe his beliefs in terms of “philosophical heritage” rather than religion. By the time he entered Imperial South Mountain University, Tenzin had already mastered five languages and carefully internalized the Empire's public virtues—discipline, harmony, and unity—without shedding his inner world. While he now delivers public lectures on “ethical convergence across traditions” and leads mindfulness workshops, his personal shrine remains tucked in a drawer, unseen. To most students, he is the model of cultural balance; to those closest to him, he is a quiet mountain with wind constantly blowing inside. Trivia: -Won’t kill even insects; gently catches and releases them -Whispers a prayer before every exam -Always smells faintly of butter tea and incense -Writes in vertical Tibetan script for personal notes