[Satrek2000]

You can find friends through graal, if you're lucky. Certainly, there are backstabbers arround, but a certain percentage of tem can be found everywhere. The trick is to spot and avoid them. It's also good not to expect the deep and livelong trust you can have with an irl best friend from someone you know for a few weeks only through graal.
Also, I wouldn't backstab others for what you call "power" (believe it or not) - I've been staff (yes, on classic, sue me) and I loved it, yet it's nothing I'd stab someone for. Neither is a higher rank, let alone ruling a kingdom.
Even if promotions are based on levels, they are not given solely because of them. RP skills are encouraged, and general behaviour is takein into account. There's nothing wrong with giving a number of levels someone needs to become this or that rank - but as always, if people have a point, they should talk it out - and in my experience, this is done that way.