Factions
Factions are organizations that are led by players, meant to drive both stories and economy on the server. They serve as a source of roleplay for players, providing interesting motivations and history for both its members and others to act upon.
Joining a faction can be done in-character, in most cases, and in some instances even through character creation.
The leaders of factions are highly scrutinized limited slots given to people with exceptional applications and a good grasp of the world's lore. These positions are meant to be incorruptible, and are also given a bit of a power boost to reflect their position.
The faction system will be an ever-evolving system that will only improve with time. While it does provide a good place for roleplay, it is not required for your character to be a part of one.