Need help with a backstory/starting on an RP server

[Ëlfdragon]

First off: Sorry if this is the wrong place for this.

Secondly, I've grown very bored with WoW lately, so me and a friend decided to changing things up alittle and join an RP server. Now, I've read the FAQ and the page on RPing a Blood Elf (which is what I plan to be) on WoWWiki, but I still need help. One question I have are, are RP servers and people who play on them really as strict as they sound? Do we really have to RP in /s all the time, or can we just use /p like we thought? (We are both farely new to RP, and dont want to seem stupid.) Another question is, is there anyone here who RP's or has RPed on a Blood Elf, and who could help me when it comes to my back story? I have one made up for the most part, I just dont know if it will be ok...And, is there anyone here who RP's on The Scryers (the server me and my friend decided on) Horde-side that might be able to help us out alittle bit? And, lastly, anyone have any advice on things not covered by the FAQ?
Thanks for any and all advice you guys can give. Once again, sorry if this is the wrong place for this topic.

[Saturo]

RP servers typically aren't that strict. You can RP in /p just fine, actually, it's preferable if you only want to RP with a special group, and want to avoid random people jumping in. Most of my RP has been in /p, with occasional /ra RP. xD

I'm more or less a lore buff, so sure, ask away. Blood- and High Elf lore I'm pretty good at.

[Ket Shi]

Go ahead, post your backstory.

Scryers, from what little I've heard from it, seems like a pretty quiet community. Many RP servers feature very little public RP. Wyrmrest Accord and Moon Guard are definitely active, but they also attract some of the worst/creepiest along with the best.

RP servers are usually not terribly strict. Actually, the main populace is not interested in RP at all. The vast majority of people are just using the auction house, running dungeons, and killing quest mobs like it's a normal server.

Generally, the server has a few chosen places where RPers like to gather, and the vast majority of RPers meet there. Silvermoon tends to be a hot spot, Horde-side. Usually whispers, party chat, raid chat, guild chat, etc, are out of character (OOC), but it varies on the group you're interacting with. If you need to be sure that they understand that you are out of character, put these marks around your text like this: ((Hi!)) That usually denotes that you're out of character.

[Silivren]

And dont make yourself the daughter of Artha who is a dwarf yet was concieved while he was dead as a love-child by him and Sylvanas Windrunner and now you've returned to reclaim your Dads' throne using dual Thunderfury's cause your so uber BA nothing can kill you... Just saying - I have seen that happen... People will laugh at you..

[Ëlfdragon]

I'll keep that in mind Vulpixen

And here's what i have for my back story:

Menardi was 11 when Arthas and his scourge army invaded her home. Her mother, father, and brother went to fight off the scourge. She wanted to join the fight, but her father, knowing she was to young, told her to hide, and she wasnt one to disobey orders, so she did. An hour later, some ghouls found her and almost killed her. When she thought it was over, some of the Farstriders, who knew her father well sence he was a part of the group, found her and saved her. She was mostly scar-free after recovering, except for one on her back, which she keeps hidden. Soon after the scourge left, she meet a young Troll Druid named Juuzu. Though she was untrusting of him at first, trust grew over the 5 years that has past. Now she trusts the druid with her life, is rarely seen without him, and would give her life to protect him.

Quick notes:
1) From what I read, no matter how old you are the invasion was 5 years ago, please let me know if this has changed
2) I read that Blood Elves arent suppose to trust Trolls, and I knew this would cause a problem, sence my friend didnt want to RP on anything but a Troll, sence he loves them so much. Let me know if this explanation on why she trusts him so much dosnt work, or if I need to add or change stuff.
3) Do I need to add anything or make it longer?
$) Advice on how I can make it better is always welcome.

[Kira]

Aw...I got excited because I saw Scryers...but your horde. All of my toons there are Alliance. That's my main server too, so I'm full up.

From what I can tell most rp is in guild or in groups, there is no real world rp. And you will get teased sometimes for rping on that server, I've had it happen to me before when I was in an rp guild for a little while.

[Saturo]

Your timeline is a bit messy. First off, whatever you've read it's outdated, the Scourge assault on Silvermoon was more than ten years ago as of Cata. In addition, your elf, being 22 years old, wouldn't be very old for an elf. Unless you intend her to be the equivalent of eight years, in which case, go for it.

[Ket Shi]

I'll keep that in mind Vulpixen

And here's what i have for my back story:

Menardi was 11 when Arthas and his scourge army invaded her home. Her mother, father, and brother went to fight off the scourge. She wanted to join the fight, but her father, knowing she was to young, told her to hide, and she wasnt one to disobey orders, so she did. An hour later, some ghouls found her and almost killed her. When she thought it was over, some of the Farstriders, who knew her father well sence he was a part of the group, found her and saved her. She was mostly scar-free after recovering, except for one on her back, which she keeps hidden. Soon after the scourge left, she meet a young Troll Druid named Juuzu. Though she was untrusting of him at first, trust grew over the 5 years that has past. Now she trusts the druid with her life, is rarely seen without him, and would give her life to protect him.

Quick notes:
1) From what I read, no matter how old you are the invasion was 5 years ago, please let me know if this has changed
2) I read that Blood Elves arent suppose to trust Trolls, and I knew this would cause a problem, sence my friend didnt want to RP on anything but a Troll, sence he loves them so much. Let me know if this explanation on why she trusts him so much dosnt work, or if I need to add or change stuff.
3) Do I need to add anything or make it longer?
$) Advice on how I can make it better is always welcome.

Three nitpicks with it:

It's only ever confirmed in some obscure books, but blood/high elves are said to reach adulthood at 60 or 110, depending on the source you ask. That age is awfully young for an elf.

I think the timeline is actually 10-11 years after the Third War, which is when the Scourge swept through that region. Here's an unofficial timeline for you to look over if you need reference: Timeline

Troll druids are also a very recent development -- I would estimate they've been around for a year or two at best. I also hope your friend intends to play a Darkspear troll -- other tribes, like the Amani found up in blood elf territory, are extremely hostile, or have radically different practices. S/he's got to think about why a Darkspear would be up in blood elf territory, if they met before the blood elves joined the Horde.

Otherwise, it seems appropriate, not too limiting. Don't be ashamed of making mistakes... WoW's lore and history is incredibly complex, some gained from obscure sources, and lots of things are straight-up not confirmed. Mistakes are extremely easy to make, and I did it too at first.

Are you planning to install and use an RP addon? I can help direct you to some.

[Ëlfdragon]

Ah, thanks Sat. I was wondering if it was, sence I think the thing I read was made back when LK first hit. (Sence it had DKs but not the relationship info involving Worgen or Goblins.) I dont want her to be that young. I was thinking of having her around 16, what would that be in Human years if shes 16 in elven years? (I'll take her to the early 20's if it'll make more sence/makes it easier) And I believe my friend is planing on being a Darkspear, sence Vol'jin is his fave racial leader. And so, Troll druids havnt been around long enough for my explanation about why she trusts him so much...Anyone have an idea of how I could still explain that with how new they are? I really dont want to RP her as not trusting him, even though Im starting to wonder if it'll be easier on me to have her build up trust during it.

Addon's would probably help, any suggestions on what a new-RPer should get addon wise?

And damn, thats to bad Kira, I'm normally alliance, but I miss my Blood Elf and have no room on my main server (I no longer play on The Underbog because all of my friends left that server )

[Saturo]

I'd say somewhere between fifty and sixty years. :)

[Ëlfdragon]

Eek, thats old, but then again, not really...Sence elves live a very long time....But thanks Sat. Kinda wish i could start practicing here with you guys, but i wouldnt want to join a RP half-way through and know nothing about whats going on, sence i read so slowly and post to slowly. (Going off of my exp from back during the beginning of RotS, which i still havent finished reading...)

[Ket Shi]

Your troll friend could maybe come later, when the Horde united with blood elves, and struck up a strong friendship. Maybe he was originally a hunter, or shaman, or priest, or maybe even not strongly attracted to one established class, that later was drawn into practicing the druidic arts as of recently.