Creating a character on CotO is slightly different from other roleplaying sites. Our application is a letter in which your character seeks entrance into one of the four main professions. Incorporating information like your character's strengths will take creativity and some skill.

Character Names
Nobles (who want to be knights) generally do not have last names; they take as part of their title the area where they are ruling. Commonfolk have no last name, or a last name that is reflective of their father's or grandfather's trade.

Character Strengths
To obtain a balanced roleplay, your character can have only two major strengths, and up to three minor strengths. Most nobles have been tested and had some basic education before they acquire a sponsor.

Your character can only have two major strengths:
* offensive magic
* defensive magic
* healing magic
* enchantments/creation of magical objects
* arcane magic (creation of spells)
* physical strength
* physical endurance
* sword
* joust
* shield blocking/fighting
* other weapon

Sponsors
Everyone who joins Chamber of the Ordeal must seek a sponsor based on their character's intended profession. The sponsors are currently:
-Duke Tyreal of Benoithe [knights]
-Nilo, the ArchMage [mages]
-Jesup, the King of the Court of the Rogue [rogues/pirates]
-Pheolae,the head of the Corus merchants guild [merchants/Tortall citizens ]

You must start as a page or a novice in all groups before you can be accepted as a full member. Currently, all sponsors are NPCs, so everyone has a chance to attain the rank of head of each group. Staff members will not be given preference.

Those attempting knight or mage training must begin at age 11 or 12.

Canons
There are no canon characters in this story, as it takes place one hundred years after Kel entered knight training. You are allowed to play a descendant, however, this will grant you no special merit. In fact, it may hinder you because you must live up to expectations of your heritage, others may taunt you, and people may not want you to go the direction you want to take your character. Honor must be earned.

Becoming a Knight
Only nobles may become knights, so if you want your character to follow the path to knighthood, they must be a noble. Nobles are rulers of lands which can be small or rather large. Most nobles also have noble titles like Lord/Lady, Earl/Countess, or Duke/Duchess. Your noble title has no bearing on how you are treated during your knight's training, and by the other knights.

Ranks
For now, ranks are based on number of roleplaying posts, and happen automatically. Pages and mage novices become squires and adepts at 25 roleplaying posts which become knights and mages of full status at 75 roleplaying posts. Spam posting in the chat and pirate forums will not count toward the progression, and if most of your roleplaying posts are less than three paragraphs, your post count will be reduced by a staff member. We reserve the right to change this system in any way in the future.

Wild Magic
Wild magic is the ability to perform strong magic without learning how. It usually drives the person who has it mad since they have not learned to control it. It also is normally different in type, such as shape-shifting, controlling animals or the elements, as most magic in Tortall is of a traditional mage type through casting spells, normally called 'arcane'. Wild magic is very rare, and not available currently to characters on CotO, except as a contest prize.

Servants
Most nobles will bring a servant with them when they go to be a knight or a mage. You may roleplay this character as an NPC within your posts. Please include the name of your servant within your application letter.