Role-playing is what the name implies; playing a role. At Chronicles of Azeroth, your character is you, or at least, a part of you; whichever part you wish to use for the character. What this means is simple; there are no stats, there are no levels, and there are no experience points. Your character is more or less capable of what you are, and this surrounds virtually all aspects of your character's life. Intelligence, charisma, politesse, and skill are all determined by what you can do. There are other factors, such as resilience and strength, that must be determined based on what would be logical abilities for your character. As an example, if you play a 5'8 human male who is 155 pounds, you will not be able to lift as heavy of objects or be as strong as a 6'5, 280 pound orc male; by simple laws of biology, the orc is stronger than you, physically.

This 'common sense' attitude, mixed with real life limitations, is the guiding principal of virtually every aspect of Chronicles of Azeroth. Armour, weapons, armies, economics, and so forth are all determined by these relatively simple factors, with the only stats being for the units within armies to determine the quality of the unit vs foes. The wiser leaders will realize these stats are mostly superficial, though.

You can fill virtually any niche in Chronicles of Azeroth, provided you have the back story for it. You can start out as a lowly beggar, a soldier, an assassin or a thief. There really are no limitations; it is up to you, and whatever you find fun you can do. If you wish to write down lore for Chronicles of Azeroth, as a historian or scholar, you may do so. If you wish to till lands and be a simple farmer who simply interacts with other characters, so be it.

On the same note, anyone can have an impact on the course of history at Chronicles of Azeroth, from the lowliest pauper to, obviously, the highest of Kings. It can be a direct or indirect impact; something as blunt as forging an army and forcing your way into the annals of history, or as simple as saying something that inadvertently inspires someone else to do so. Something as simple as hitting someone with a rock in the RP can, indeed, cause a rippling affect through its entire course!

The history of the RP and its conflicts do not revolve around the management or their friends. We do not just say that this is an open game where you can do what you like (so long as it abides by the principles of common sense and reality [ie: no jumping 40 feet over a wall or something]) and cause shifts in virtually any factor of the RP. If there is a war going on, you could very well be the one who determines who wins it, or who loses. You could also be the determining factor in whether or not peace is made. It's all up to you, what you do, and even why you do it.

Like with any RP, there are certain rules to adhere to. The rules for general Role-playing are as follows:

1) Make sure you make quality posts. Do not use short-hand speak (ie: n thn he wuz like "hu r u?"). Be at least somewhat descriptive without being repetitive, but not so much that people get bored of your post. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your post breaks at least the 10 - 20 word mark before you post it, that it is informative, and that you are responding to your environment as much as you are to other characters. It sounds difficult, but it isn't, and it's good practice for developing your writing skills!
2) This is not a G-rated RP. Indeed, it isn't even PG, despite how seemingly innocent it may seem now. Chronicles of Azeroth is every bit as dark, morbid, and cruel as the middle ages. Gore, violence, and sexual acts are common place within this realm. While you may kill anyone you desire without remorse, be they NPC or RPer, you may also do cruel, vile acts such as rape, molest, or torture other RPers and NPCs. However, on the note of the former two, we ask that you get the permission of the person you plan to do such to. Some people have had traumatic experiences, others are extremely offended by such conduct, so make sure it is okay with the person that you do such. And for those of you who are asked, please keep an open mind; if you have no real reason to avoid these acts beyond you want to be the "untarnished hero," then be a sport, be professional, and accept the cruelty of fate. It will allow a bit more depth in the RP and to your character in the long term, and make things a little more exciting.
3) No God Modding. This means no 'cheating,' basically, and that covers a wide array of things you cannot do. You cannot hit someone in the same post that you attack them, nor can you dodge, attack, and hit them. You cannot force them to do things, you cannot make an army that wasn't behind your enemy appear for your own personal advantage unless you have discussed the strategy with managers who decree whether or not it would be logical or possible for such a tactic to be done, etc.
4) No trying to play admin or moderator if you aren't one. This basically means if someone screws up or if they post in a manner that obstructs any of the above rules, do not take it upon yourself to try to yell at them; it will invariably spark a flame war that accomplishes nothing. Simply PM officers/masters. Any fights started because of people wanting to play the know-it-all or vigilante will see BOTH parties punished equally.