⁝ guidebook.

✢ Where does ‘Ilhwa’ take place in?
Ilhwa takes place in the Joseon Dynasty, and most notably in the capital of Hanseong. This was a particular special period in the Joseon Era, where it was ruled by the Queen in place of the King after his death in 1865.

✢ when does ‘Ilhwa’ take place?
Ilhwa uses a time conversion system that is approximately equal to three days ooc = one week ic. for exact time estimates, check out the < cheonbugwan > room.

✢ What was this period under Queen Min’s rule like?
During this period, there were a lot of changes made. Official social gatherings were a grandiose affair and held more often than the past. Everyone looked forward to them, especially during the social season where the queen and other yangban families would take turns to host the event, inviting everyone from different social families, bringing everyone together to witness the yearly matchmaking event.

✢ were there big wars in the past?

In Ilhwa’s setting, there has not been a large-scale war in Joseon for a long time, therefore, the war with Qing is a very significant one. The previous large-scale would have likely taken place about 200+ years ago. However, like any other up-and-coming empire, there have been small rebellions, uprisings, and border wars.

✢ What is a ‘social season’?
The social season is when prominent figures from the whole of Korea come to Hanseong for events at the royal court or social festivities. But mainly, the social event is held so that members of the upper class could find their potential partners of the same social class.

✢ When is the ‘social season’ held?
Social season is typically held during the Spring. The ‘season’ referred here however has no relation to the weather pattern but rather when high society aristocrats, prominent families, and other yangbans come back to hanseong for their yearly gathering. For the singles, this is when courting usually takes place, and for married couples, this is where the families blend.

✢ What is dukedom, family status, and where do families hail from?
Back in the days, titles were bestowed to families based on their contribution to the country. Families comes from all different part of the empire. you may use this map for reference when picking out the city/county your family is from.

✢ Are citizens of the same surname all related?
No, not all citizens with the same surname are related. Each family is distinguished by the clan they belong to. ( example; lee of jeonju clan and lee of damyang clan. )

✢ what happens to women when they get married in ilhwa?
married women will take on both the last name and social class symbol of their spouse. this is more for organizational purpose. however, please be advised that this does not take away the birthright given to them by their original class ranking. for example, a yangban woman marrying down does not take away the fact that they are of yangban blood, similar to how a cheonmin woman marrying up does not take away the fact that they are of cheonmin origin. this should be taken into account when developing your characters and their lovelines.

✢ why do women adopt the last name of their spouse in ilhwa?
While it is true that women in Korea do not traditionally take on the last names of their spouse, they do so in Ilhwa for the purpose of avoiding confusion especially in regards of familial overlap. By having every woman in the same family take on the same name, we are able to avoid confusion and any accidental uous relations.

✢ Where do the families stay when they arrive?
Most noble families ( yangbans ) have designated houses in the inner capital, the upper middle class families ( jungin ) would have houses at the out of the inner capital walls, commoners ( sangmin ) and lowly commoners ( cheonmin ) would have houses outside of the capital.

✢ Mode of transport/travel:
Back in the days, most citizens would go by foot or horse. only royalties, noble families ( yangbans ) would have palanquins.

✢ What jobs and what social status do they belong to?
Your character can take on any job that would make sense to the theme of the roleplay, you may find which category the jobs belong to in our lore. < GUIDEBOOK >/.

✢ Courting? Courtship? Ways of courtship and marriage.
Etiquettes and basic information on courtship can be found in our etiquette handbook. < GUIDEBOOK >.

✢ legal drinking age?
in ilhwa, the legal drinking age is 18 years old for citizens of joseon.

✢ are widows and divorcees excluded from participating in the social season?
no, they are not. as per queen min's amendments for women and the rules they are upheld to, they are allowed to be given a chance to participate in the social season and to be wed a second time.

✢ how were lgbtq+ people treated in joseon during queen min's rule?
identifying as or being queer will not result in capital punishment, however there would be judgment spared to those who do, and potential rifts in clans due to importance of the social season.

✢ what is the currency used during the time period of ilhwa?
the currency used during this time period was the mun (일문), also known as the sanpyeong tongbo which are cash coins. however in 1867, the use of qing dynasty's cash coins (寶) was legalized and would circulate in korea with the native coins during the trade season. this is despite the fact the qing dynasty cash coins were a third of the cost of the intrinsic value of the mun.

✢ How many Kisaeng houses (Kibang) are there in Hanseong and can I create my own Kisaeng establishment?
There are currently two kisaeng houses located in the capital of Hanseong, both in the outer city near the market place. 'Sook' is a government owned Kibang ran by their Madame, Seo Min. While '한반만' (HanbaMman) is privately owned by Jin Jaekyung and ran by their Madame, Kwon Nabi.

To suit the premises of the roleplay, the cabinet has decided that we will not be accepting any other newly kibangs aside from these two establishments due to amount of characters in the roleplay. Should you wish for your characters to join as a kisaeng, based on your character's lore, you may join either establishment as a kisaeng in sook or a privately employed kisaeng in Hanbamman.

In addition to this, we would like to reiterate that kisaengs are entertainers and not workers, we would like for all muns who have the intention of joining as kisaeng to respect this occupation and not over ualise this form of art.

✢ Do I need a full profile?
Yes, you are required to have a complete profile by the 10th day of your arrival to ilhwa. a full profile consists of an overview of your character, the origins of your family, your social status, and a background. a timeline and personality section are also encouraged.

✢ what if i need to go on hiatus?
you may read more about semi/hiatus eligibility and request for one in the request room.

✢ what if i want to change my fc?
you are allowed one change per month. you can drop your request in the request room.

✢ what is counted as a thread?
an active thread would be:

1. more than 300 words exchanged by each party in the thread, with a reply sent in the last three weeks.

2. A letter sent within the last three weeks with more than 300 words penned. ongoing letter threads are to be 300 words  at minimum in each letter to be counted.

3. monologues more than 400 words published within the past three weeks.

✢ what DO I NEED TO PUT ON MY BLOG AD to get my second accepted?
in the body of your blog, some short summaries of your character(S), CONNECTIONS you are looking to fill, and reasons as to why someone should join this rp should suffice.

✢ Do I need to contribute to the gossip padlet?
Yes, each mun must contribute to the gossip padlet at least once each time a "big" event occurs. the admin team will always let you know when it is time to submit a gossip piece. to contribute, please head on to our tabloid page < society papers >.

✢ How to hold an event?
If anyone would like to host a mini event (ie. balls, house parties, etc.), please drop a dm to her majesty, queen min, in this following format:

"the [x family], [family seal], would like to hold an event. here are the details:
- Date (ic + ooc):
- Venue (a room in the rp):
- brief description of event & any aesthetics (to post in the bulletin board)."

we ask that you send us a request at least 1 week before you plan to host it due to planning purposes. 

✢ How to hold a wedding?
If anyone would like to host a wedding, please drop a dm to her majesty, queen min, in this following format:

"[groom name] of [groom's family seal] would like to wed [bride name] of [bride's family seal]. we ask for your permission to hold a wedding, your majesty. please see below for details.

- Date (ic + ooc):
- Venue (a room in the rp):
- brief description of event & any aesthetics (to post in the bulletin board)."

we ask that you send us a request at least 2 weeks before you plan to host it due to planning purposes.

however, keep in mind that the characters to be wed need to have the following requirements completed before a marriage is to be approved:
- must have joined ilhwa at least three weeks ago.
- must have three active threads with people aside from their future spouse.

✢ how long is an ic pregnancy?
just like real life, a pregnancy is expected to last 40 weeks. this converts to 120 days (4 months) ooc. if you wish to have an ic pregnancy, please dm queen min with your date of conception and ic due date for approval.

✢ are there any requirements to have my character be turned into an npc if i ever to decide to leave hanseong?
there are a couple of prerequisites, such as the mun being in ilhwa for two months before leaving and a justification for your character to be an npc (such as their importance to ilhwa's history and impact on storylines presented in the society papers). just note that the justification is under the queen's jurisdiction, meaning it is up to her to approve and see if it's fit. you can choose only one of your characters to be an npc, for those who have multiple muses.

✢ what is the difference between a headcanon and a monologue?
a headcanon refers to a quick blurb or fact about your character(s) or something part of their background that adds depth to their story and/or contributes to overall ilhwa lore. however, please make sure to check in with the admin team via a pm to queen min for any ideas that may directly infringe on ilhwa's timeline or history for prior approval before posting.

a monologue, on the other hand, is a storytelling device in which your character's inner thoughts and feelings can be explored. usually this takes place in the form of a post similar to a thread reply, except that your character is most likely addressing an audience (the ilhwa community) rather than a writing partner.

✢ If there is a plot i have with another mun concerning age gaps, is there a limit for the discrepancy in age?
due to concerns brought up to the cabinet in the past, we have implemented a max of 10 years in character, between the characters of the respective couples, for those who are under the age of 35. for those surpassing the age of 35 in character, a 15 year age gap will be permitted, given both characters in the pairing are of that age.

✢ If there are any, are there symbols for family seals that are off limits for nobles and commoners in ilhwa?
phoenixes or any wording resembling as such (vermillion bird, fire dragon) and dragons at all cannot be used in this roleplay, since symbolism concerning phoenixes and dragons were reserved for the Joseon royalty at the time.

✢ What are the requirements for participation in the royal assembly?
in order for participation to be counted, it is separated on the basis of your character's title. for dukes, you have to have three posts up regardless of the word count. it’s entirely up to your discretion.

For marquesses and members of the court, you will need to participate in at least one out of every 2 court sessions. if you’ve participated in one, but did not fulfill the three-post requirement, you are given an opportunity to complete the remainder of your requirement in the next assembly. however, this will only be given to you once.

feel free to drop us a question should you have one and we'll reply and add onto our faq!