0xbt

The first way to go about is by using one of your old RuneScape accounts as a gold mule. Sure, it's an extra step, but it's a pretty harmless way of avoiding an unwanted charge. And the best way to get involved in actively raiding end-game content is to join a raiding guild. If the connectivity is important to you, go with all one faction (or maybe only one toon from the other faction so you get to see at least one time through of the other faction's content). That does also argue in favor of splitting my 10 toons between Alliance and Horde, because at least that way there are certain quests you'll only be repeating 5 times rather than 10. The downside of that approach is that you lose the ability to stay in touch with a single group of people throughout the process of leveling all 10 toons. I will at least make the push to 30 at some point in order to get the Air Totem quests and Windfury weapons and all that.