❁  일화  ┆ ✧   announcement eight.

Dearest Ilhwazens, 

It feels like just yesterday that the Ton first returned to our beloved capital for the social season of 1868 . . . And how swiftly time flies, as we now find ourselves approaching the end of 1870 IC. Remarkably, it has been nearly fifteen months since our community came together, and what an extraordinary journey it has been! This past year and a half has been full of so much world-building and lore progression beyond what we considered possible for an AU roleplay on RPR. The love and support we have received since our inception continue to fill us with awe and gratitude. 

And because we care so deeply about the Ilhwa community, it is with mixed emotions that the cabinet shares an important announcement regarding a major transition. After months of intense discussion and careful deliberation, we have ultimately decided that Ilhwa’s storyline will draw to a close together with the civil rebellion event.   

From the very beginning, we envisioned a cohesive storyline with a definitive conclusion, and we believe that time has now come. Never could we have imagined that our little Joseon x Bridgerton brainrot would blossom into one of RPR’s longest-lasting AUs. The passion and enthusiasm with which you have embraced this concept have warmed our hearts beyond measure. However, we also hold dear the belief that all good things must come to an end, and we fear that continuing the storyline would risk redundancy and diminish the magic we have created together. Unfortunately, we do not feel like there is a way to continue the storyline without leaning into the pitfall of recycling plot points or using clichés. 

Rest assured, all of the previous lore and stories we have crafted together will remain intact and honored. However, we will no longer host large-scale, Ilhwa-wide, interactive events. We extend our deepest thanks to everyone who has participated so enthusiastically, for it is your dedication that has motivated us this far. Yet, we have heard your concerns that the requirements have become burdensome and that the experience has lost its joy. After much reflection, we believe it is in everyone’s best interest to conclude Ilhwa’s storyline on a high note rather than risk it becoming a shadow of its former self. 

Ilhwa has withstood many challenges, but after more than a year, we understand that many of us are entering new phases of our lives. It is bittersweet to see many of our original members stepping back, not wanting to hold onto and hog characters when life’s demands call them elsewhere. Yet, we hope you all know that it is those very characters and your unique presences all along that have shaped Ilhwa into the cherished haven it is today. We believe this is the perfect opportunity to move forward with a transition so that all of the characters and writers who contributed to Ilhwa’s success remain part of our legacy. 

Therefore, we are announcing that Ilhwa will be transitioning from a storyline-oriented public roleplay into a free-style friends-only roleplay set in Joseon.   

We want to ensure that this process is as smooth as possible for everyone involved. To facilitate this, effective immediately, we will now be entering a “transition period” before we officially close Ilhwa to the public. We will no longer accept new muns into the community after august 31st. Beyond this date, Ilhwa will become an invitation-based, friends-only roleplay, meaning that new members will be welcomed only if an existing community member personally vouches for them. 

With this change, the admin team will be stepping back from the intensive micro-management that was necessary while Ilhwa was public-facing. As a result, our guidelines will also become more relaxed. 

What does this mean? At its core and from the depths of our souls, we ask that all Ilhwazens continue to embody basic human decency and common sense. Treat everyone in the community with respect and strive to interact with as many fellow members as possible. While the majority of our previous guidelines will be nullified, please rest assured that the admin team will still step in to address any instances of hostile behavior or other concerning situations should they arise. However, do not forget that you are all also grown adults, and we hope that you can resolve your personal conflicts on your own before coming to us as a last resort.

The key changes you can expect are:

✢ TIME. Effective immediately, we will no longer be updating Cheonbugwan with time conversions. We will return back to the uniform standard of one day IC = one day OOC. Technically, this means that Ilhwa is ahead of time and will be for a few weeks, which should allow everyone time to catch up with their threads and storylines. We will go back to updating Cheonbugwan when IC and OOC dates align once more. The current year is still 1870.

✢ ACTIVITY REGULATIONS. We will be extending the inactivity period to thirty days, giving everyone more time to participate at their own pace. However, hiatus requirements and rules remain the same.

✢ POLITICAL POSITIONS & CLASSES. These will no longer be restricted, allowing for greater creative freedom in character development. This means we will no longer have an upper-class character limit and that you do not need to request permission to take up a higher role in court so long as your character meets the qualifications.

✢ FACECLAIMS. We will now allow Asian-only faceclaims with detailed and cohesive lore explaining their presence in Joseon. This expansion aims to enrich our community’s diversity while maintaining the setting’s integrity.

✢ NPC LIMITS. We will lift the limit on the number of NPCs one can create, although we reserve the right to approve or reject npc transitions based on their contribution to the lore and character development. NPC faceclaims will only be saved if there is a clear intention to return to them eventually to continue their storyline. If they remain unclaimed for six months, the faceclaims will become available again. 

However, that does not mean we are abandoning all of our rules. Major rules we will continue to enforce are:

✢ CHARACTER RULES. The limit remains at six characters per person and the CC cooldown period remains the same. This may change eventually, but not in the foreseeable future.

✢ PROFILES & THREADS. you must still create a profile for each character within 14 days and have an active thread within 30 days. As you might be able to tell, this is an extension from our original deadline at 10 and 21 days, respectively.

✢ ALT REQUIREMENTS. Although the previous lengthy requirements for obtaining alt characters will be voided, we ask that all existing characters have a complete profile and at least two unique threads before new characters can be requested.

✢ DUKE POSITIONS. the previous limitation on duke positions will be lifted and one mun can hold multiple duke positions if applicable to the character family lore. You may now petition the cabinet for approval to become a duke. However, we will assess the importance of this title for your character’s development and its impact on the broader community before granting such a promotion. Additionally, dukes will still be expected to hold high positions in office. 

As we prepare to enter this new chapter, we want to assure you that we do not ever plan on closing Ilhwa completely. Our goal with this transition is to provide a space where our community can continue to write, connect, and flourish within the Ilhwaverse. We believe this shift will allow us all to enjoy the world we’ve built together with more freedom. 

During this transition period, we kindly ask everyone to communicate with their writing partners to determine the next steps for your characters. Once you’ve made your decisions, please post in the transition room using the correct format. If we do not receive a response, we will assume that you have chosen not to continue and do not wish for your character(s) to be considered for transition into NPCs. As a result, those characters will be deleted. 

To keep things organized, we ask that you please do not comment on this announcement unless you have clarifying questions. If you have any concerns or questions but do not feel comfortable asking in public, feel free to send a direct message to queen min. 

Thank you once again, Ilhwazens, for these incredible past 15 months together. We had the time of our lives with you and will continue to hold Ilhwa close to our hearts. We look forward to seeing what stories you will continue to craft in this new era of Ilhwa. 

With deepest gratitude and warmest regards,
Ilhwa’s Cabinet
(exhales-, aspera, xianzhou, seungjjang, famulan, & larkspur)