I'd like to add further comment to number six: thou shalt be consistent with lore. When creating a character, your character's history should be aligned with what is known about the universe. The reason for this is twofold. One, it keeps you from looking like an idiot; lore elitists will jump on your character and parade him around as being yet another example of a poor roleplayer. Two, it allows for a level playing field between characters. If you accept the world's history as it is and weave it into your character's history, it gives you a common ground with other individuals. Ever stayed up late sharing war stories with a fellow roleplayer? Or met a character that grew up in the same town as your own around the same exact time? I've used that opportunity to build on my characters' histories, letting them admit that, yes, maybe that guy I just met was the one that my dear sister had a crush on before he left to begin his training. That's awesome AND inclusive.

However, as much as you personally know as a player the lore, it's important to recognize that your character probably doesn't have the same depth of knowledge. Despite having magic to teleport and magical mounts that can take us from one side of the continent to the other in a matter of moments, Warcraft doesn't have any form of almost instantaneous communication that we might have in the internet. Don't be afraid to have your CHARCTER possess false assumptions or even incorrect knowledge. My dear perky priestess - while pretty smart - was a poor student. She found learning dull and didn't pay attention to most of her intruction. So she's got a lot of misconceptions about the world, doesn't know anything about politics, and will gleefully tell you her opinion on matters that she clearly doesn't understand. In this case, she doesn't know the lore though I can cringe, hem, and haw as much as I want in the background, laughing as people try to correct her without realizing that their characters probably shouldn't know either!

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