Role-Play

What's with this tutorial?
The only tool you need to RP is an imagination, and that is something every cognizant mind is blessed with. Some would go so far as to say it is the hallmark of cognizance. Anybody can RP, but it's only through passion, intelligence and perseverance that one can become recognized as a great RP'er. It's not about boasting-rights though -- the better an RP'er people think you are, the more likely they are to want to RP with you. Hone your RP to perfection and you're not only doing yourself a favour, you're helping the RP community as a whole.
The Basics
It is vital that you're able to differentiate between IC [In Character] and OOC [Out of Character].
IC is the imaginary world which you are helping to create. Your character is IC. The tavern your character visits is IC. The conversations between your character and another are IC. Everything make-believe is IC.

OOC is the real world that you're sitting in now. You are OOC. Your computer is OOC. The words on this screen are OOC. Anything that exists in the real world is OOC.
Character = IC [ In Character ]
Player = OOC [ Out of Character ]
Creating your first Character
Your character is your contribution to the IC world. Any effect you make upon the IC storyline is through the actions you have your character perform, therefore it is important to make your character as interesting and vibrant a presence as you can.

For their first character, many people take influence from their own OOC personality and inject it into the IC character. Not only does this provide you with an interesting and believable character, but one you can relate to, and know exactly how to play.

A good idea is to create a basic character-sheet for your character, which is a document that records certain details about your character for future reference. It only takes a pencil and paper to jot down the specifics, and you should try to categorize them for easy reading later on. Some categories you might choose are as follows:
Name: Try to choose an interesting and memorable name for your character. You want other players to remember your character, so that they come back for more RP.
Sex: Male/Female/Something else?
Appearance: Hair/eye/skin colour, build, height, distinguishing marks/tattoo's, clothes, etc. You don't really need to go into foot sizes or anything.
Occupation: Most characters have to earn a living, either through hard work or some sort of 'status' - like 'queen' or 'gentleman' - which entitles them to an acceptable lifestyle.
Species: In this world of wonders you needn't play a human. They could be Elven, vampire, zombie or any number of fantasy beings. Just remember that some character types [or 'character classes' as they're often called] have specific rules that the player must adhere to.
History: Our past experiences make us what we are, and it should be the same for your character. Think up a compelling backstory for your character and their future will be compelling as well. Include information about family, jobs, friends, loves, enemies, injuries -- anything that effects the personality of your character.
Inventory: Most characters carry some specific items on them at all times. This might include a precious heirloom, a set of throwing knives or a lucky charm of some sort. Go wild, but remember that everything has to fit somewhere. The average
character would be unable to lug around an entire armory.

Once you've finished designing your character they're ready to be introduced to the wider world of Aenied. Go in to chat or on to the IC forum and make-believe that your character is interacting with the characters designed by other players. In the interest of coherency, you'll want to refer to the details you wrote on the character sheet from time to time, just to make sure your character is acting appropriately to its specifications.
The longer you play, the more experiences your character will have and the more interesting and diverse they will become. You could try keeping a diary of your character's life, or simply update the character sheet when necessary!
Exercise your imagination
The first thing you must learn to do as an RP'er, is see past the veneer of reality and witness the vibrant imaginary world you're helping to create. To some people, this comes naturally and to others it's a chore; a problem that must be overcome. Always bare the following in mind:
The IC world does not consist of text on a screen. None of the characters in the story see each other as fonts, colours, screen-names or emoticons, and they don't have a handy list of all the other people in the area [as the player does in a chat room]. We as OOC [out of character] players do see that text - it is the raw data which we process in order to understand the make believe world, just like when you're reading a book - but the characters in the story see only that which we imagine for them.

By building a mental picture of the scene, you can look upon the imaginary world through your character's eyes. This allows you to be fully immersed in the storyline. The more deeply immersed you are, the better you will be able to contribute to the story and the more fun you will have with it.
The best way to allow yourself to be sucked into the IC world is to completely relax your OOC self. Some people listen to calming or evocative music, whilst others burn incense or do whatever makes them most relaxed. When you're relaxed, you're much more susceptible to the make-believe, because your mind isn't constantly dwelling on the stressful realities of work/school/finance/etc.
Working with others
Work with other players -- not against them.
This RPG is not a game to be won, beaten or defeated. It is simply a game to be experienced and an experience to be shared.

If your character is in a conflict with another character, it does not follow that you are in conflict with the player of the other character. Quite to the contrary, you are working with that player to enhance the story of the IC world.

It is in your best interest to be on good terms with other players, because if you get a reputation as an unfair/mean/unsporting player, nobody will want to play with you anymore and you'll be terribly lonely. Players who are repeatedly abusive of Aenied's rules and players may even be permanently disqualified from the game.
Combat Rules
Because it can mean the 'end' of a player's beloved character, combat situations in RP are often fraught with OOC anguish, which in turn can lead to arguments over the fairness or validity of the combat RP. This is why the strictest set of rules in the game are designed specifically to make combat situations as fair as possible. Aenied has two different 'types' of combat rules for the players to choose from [the defending player chooses], Type 1 and Type 2. T1 is a turn-based system with an onus on logistical thinking, whilst the outcome of a T2 fight is dictated largely by the typing speed of the players.
If even after following these simple rules the players still cannot agree upon the outcome of the fight, a transcript should be saved and posted on the "-Insert forum thread here-" section of our forum for Aenied's designated combat judges to cast final judgment upon.

Finally
There is no End to this game. It will last for as long as your interest in it does, which will hopefully be a long time. Go out and play with what you know. Take a while to familiarize yourself with Yahoo! Chat, members of the community, and of course the rest of this website.