Birchwood Isle Family Roleplay
Getting Started => Rules & Information => Topic started by: BWI Admin on June 12, 2026, 07:51:41 AM
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About Birchwood Isle
Every single file in this board is extremely important. Refusal to read any file in this board is at your own risk!
Birchwood Isle is a play-by-post roleplaying site with a focus on discipline. Storm and River have built a complex world in which the use of corporal punishment is the standard for caretakers of children and youth under the age of 26 years old. Be sure to read the Setting & Plot (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?topic=14.0) file for more specific information about this fictional island's background and how it came to be. That file contains important information that will help you discover how your character or inner kid got to be on the island and what life here looks like for them now that they are here.
We favor emotionally-real inner people on Birchwood Isle. For us, the "characters" we play have active and rich lives inside our heads. Throughout the first 5 years after Birchwood Isle first came to be, we discovered that many other people shared this experience, especially with their "inner kids" and they needed a place to express that. As the internet has changed, places like this have fallen out of favor, and it was up to us to bring this amazing site back to the public so that others could enjoy it the way we once did.
Some might say that families are the focus of Birchwood Isle. To a degree, that's true. But families look different in different settings and scenarios. Our families represent nuclear biological families, adoptive families, and families brought together in our Orphan Village. We promote (fictional) adoption of inner kids who arrive on the island without nuclear families, encourage our members to create adult characters who are willing to help these inner kids find the right family for them, and support our members in telling their favorite stories -- which are often about discipline in the form of corporal punishment.
It is, therefore, important for you to know that corporal punishment is our backbone. It's not a requirement, but if you introduce an inner kid who doesn't accept corporal punishment, or an adult character who doesn't use it, you will limit your roleplay opportunities significantly. Our color-coding system will allow you to quickly see how many existing characters align with your preferences so that you can decide whether or not the person you want to bring to Birchwood Isle will find their place here or if they are going to struggle to find a match. You can read about this in Member Groups (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?topic=13.0) to learn more. The majority of characters will find a comfortable place in the orange-violet color categories, and we hope to see most of our members creating both minors and adults who fit into this range.
In short, we are a group of spankophiles.
Disclaimer
The BWI Admins, Storm and River, do not advocate for corporal punishment in the real world. This is a fictional world and while our inner people may be emotionally real to us, they are not (typically) harmed by the use of corporal punishment in stories. We accept that corporal punishment is damaging to real children in a number of ways and do not wish to see real children harmed by its use. Please consider learning alternative parenting strategies that are more authoritative than authoritarian and build strong relationships and trust with your children.
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History of Birchwood Isle
Birchwood Isle was first founded in July of 2011. At the time of writing, it has been just shy of 15 years since the site's origination. However, there has been a 10-year period during which this site has been open only occasionally and by inviting members of the broader roleplay community to our shores. This made things complicated for our admins, as we felt we were constantly having to explain what Birchwood Isle was to people who wanted the experience it offered, but weren't familiar with sites of this nature. Most of our time in the past 10 years has been private and uncomfortable while we navigated the waters of a changing roleplay community as well as the loss of resources we once had.
The internet has changed, but as it turns out, we have not. While there have been some structural changes to the systems we employ, we are back on SMF, self-hosted, and using the very same theme we did 15 years ago. We might need to find new ways of helping people discover us, but we believe that a return to our roots and to the organization that worked for us in the past is exactly what we needed. We hope that, now that you've found us, you'll agree.
Storm and River have a long history together and have been life partners for 15 years. As such, we have a lot of families we've built together, literally hundreds of characters, and a ton of ideas we haven't even been able to explore yet. Our inner people are varied and provide a rich tapestry for Birchwood Isle to build on. At the same time, this means that we are attached to one another and have a trusting relationship. While we are happy to care for your inner children here on Birchwood Isle, we will not be creating adoptive parents for every orphan who comes through the Orphan Village. This means that you may see us adopt one another's inner children while your inner kid waits. Please understand that this is, in large part, due to our long history, deep attachment, and trust in one another.
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Understanding Ages & Aging
Ages and aging work differently on Birchwood Isle than they do in most places. You'll want to understand exactly how they work here so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your inner people.
The Basic Age Groups
There are three basic age groups on Birchwood Isle: Adult, Adolescent, and Child.
Adults are people who are 26 years old or older.
Adolescents are people who are ages 12-25.
Children are people who are ages 3-11.
Technically, there are also babies, but we do not permit members to play babies on Birchwood Isle, and therefore this age group has been discarded.
All people under the age of 26 must have a legal guardian. Children and teenagers who come to the island without a parent or legal guardian will be assigned to the Orphan Village. The Orphan Village takes adolescents up to the age of 26. Adolescents over the age of 18 are also permitted to volunteer in the Village in which they live. Birchwood Isle College can accept legal guardianship of individuals over age 18 until they turn 26, provided they maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA in their courses and remain enrolled at least part time. Adolescents remain subject to their guardian's disciplinary authority until they turn 26 and remain subject to the island's laws and the judicial review system. However, since people on the island do not age, these individuals will remain under the control of their guardian until they leave the island (at which point they will age).
Aging
Characters on Birchwood Isle don't age. They have a birthday, and birthdays can be celebrated in-character if you desire, but they will not get older on their birthday. Canonically, the reason for this is that the island's "magic" stops the aging process, trapping residents at the age they were when they first arrived on the island. Realistically and practically, we ignore this detail but created it so that there was an explanation for the reason why people didn't age. You don't actually need to worry too much about it.
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Discipline Policies
Birchwood Isle is, ultimately, a disciplinary roleplay. Chances are good there will be a lot of threads/stories that focus on discipline as a central theme. Most of our members are looking for spanking, which we generally refer to broadly as "corporal punishment" because this term encompasses a variety of applications from over-the-knee hand spanking to birching. Because this is such an important part of our roleplay environment and the setting of Birchwood Isle, we need to ensure that everyone understands how discipline works.
Setting Up for Success
First and foremost, you'll be asked to include a discipline sheet with your character's application. We have supplied a copy-able Google spreadsheet for you to use to translate information about your preferences for your character or inner kid, along with what works best for them. Instructions for its use are included in the applications area (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?board=2.0). Doing this gives other members a snapshot of your preferences and helps us interact appropriately with your character when discipline is needed. While our color codes go quite a distance to give an at-a-glance impression of your needs, every member and every inner person is an individual, and we like to know exactly what we're dealing with before we step on toes or make grave mistakes. Our admins ask that you please complete these thoroughly and thoughtfully and encourage you to understand that failure to do so will likely result in situations that make you uncomfortable.
Discipline at Home
At home, an inner kid's guardian is in charge of deciding how discipline will be administered. We encourage our members to match carefully with adults whose colors reflect the needs of the inner kid and your preferences as their "big." For example, if you're looking for mild discipline and your inner kid is coded as a "yellow," you won't want to match them with a red or purple adult. You can read more about the color coding system in our member groups (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?topic=13.0) file for more information on this.
We suggest that families have color ranges of no more than 3 colors. So, for example, a family might range from yellow to red, or from orange to purple. Get to know the other members of your family and their players before you sign up to join the family! This will keep everyone safe and happy.
Parents and guardians are in charge of deciding what discipline will be administered based on the parameters of the inner kid's application. It is not up to the player of the inner kid to determine how their inner kid should be punished or how harsh the punishment should be! This is always up to the parent, in part because we think everyone will enjoy that loss of control and the sense of inevitability more this way, and in part because players offering adult characters are often making sacrifices to make things better for people who bring their inner kids to Birchwood Isle. Let's keep control flowing in the right direction!
However, players offering adult characters are advised that they may only punish as harshly as the harshest option selected by the inner kid's "big." You may always go milder, but never harsher, than what your partner has selected on their discipline sheet.
Children and Adolescents living in the Orphan Village are subject to the authority of their caregivers there, and those playing caregivers must follow the same criteria as above. You may only ever use the harshest discipline selected by your partner, and may go as mild as you feel is appropriate for the given situation. Therefore, even if your adult character is an Indigo, they may not punish a Yellow child as harshly as they would a Violet child, for example.
Parents and guardians set the rules for their households and are permitted to punish for reasons that are not strictly outlined in the rules. Rules for Houses in the Orphan Village are created by the Head of each house and relate specifically to that house. You will find rules listed for each family or House in the Family Database (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php#c4).
Discipline at School
Rules at school are enforced by the instructors and the head teacher of each school. As everywhere else on the island, discipline is administered with corporal punishment.
For teachers, this means that punishment may be administered to the clothed buttocks and legs or to the palms of the hands using a rattan cane (across the palms) or a Scottish tawse (delivered to the fingers and palm)1. For headteachers, application of punishment on the bare buttocks and legs is permitted, but a witness must be present to supervise the discipline and this discipline may only be applied by an adult the same sex as the student being punished.
School implements include American paddles, English-style canes, and Scottish tawse. Teachers are not permitted to strike students with the palm of their hand or with "personal" implements like their own leather belts or hairbrushes. The only implements that are permitted in the school setting are paddles of all types, rattan canes, and Scottish tawse.
1. If you play a teacher and want to use punishment on the hands, we suggest doing some research into how this works before administering one of these punishments.
Judicial Discipline
Children and adolescents who break the law are subject to Judicial Discipline. There is a process that determines what the punishment will be, but breaking the law almost always results in corporal punishment from a member of the Judicial Review Board.
Members are strongly advised to know the island's laws and avoid breaking them if they do not want their inner kid to receive a very severe corporal punishment from the judicial review board!1
Judicial punishments vary between children and adolescents. In most cases, children will be sent home to their parents or guardians to be punished at home, and the judicial review board will follow up with parents to ensure that punishment has been carried out in an appropriately severe manner. The official sentence will then be suspended and carried out if another incident follows the first, at which point the child will be subjected to the following:
Children subjected to judicial punishments will be stripped from the waist down and secured into a child-sized punishment frame located in Punishment Room 2. Judicial punishments for children always come from a variety of judicial paddles selected from options that are large enough to cover the entire bottom or both thighs at the same time. They range in length, weight, and design, with the most severe paddles having holes drilled into them. These holes are guaranteed to leave bruises and may leave blisters. This is a very severe paddling!
Adolescents subjected to judicial punishments will strip naked and then be secured into a punishment frame located in Punishment Room 1. Judicial punishments for adolescents are administered with a strap, a cane, or a combination of both. Straps and canes come in a number of weights and materials. Straps may be leather or rubber and canes may be rattan or bamboo. Straps may be constructed of a single strip of pliable leather or like a tawse, with multiple fingers (or tongues). Adolescents may receive punishment on their buttocks and thighs, on their shoulders, or a combination of these. A judicial punishment for an adolescent will likely result in deep bruises, welts, and sometimes cuts. The pain is lasting and intense. This is a very severe punishment!
A doctor is present to check on the miscreant's physical condition throughout the punishment. He or she will check vitals and the condition of the skin. The doctor is permitted to stop the punishment if the individual's distress becomes so great that they cannot safely continue. The "executioner" must stop punishment if the doctor declares punishment is to be stopped.
Once the punishment has ended, the miscreant will be released from their binding and permitted to stand up with support. At this point, the doctor is likely to put in an IV to administer fluids and, if necessary, pain medications. The miscreant will be offered a robe and the opportunity to go to the bathroom (located inside the punishment rooms), where they can clean up as necessary. (Many individuals punished in this way lose control of their bladder and may need to wash up afterward.) Help is available at this point if it is needed.
During the process, parents or guardians wait on the other side of a two-way mirror where they can watch and hear the process but not be seen by the child or adolescent experiencing the punishment. They enter this observation room from outside the punishment room, and will be released into the punishment room when the punishment is over. During their wait, a social worker stays with them to provide information on how to care for their child or ward when they are released into their custody.
School-aged children and adolescents who receive judicial punishments during the school term receive one week off school to recover. Parents and guardians are encouraged to keep them quiet during this time and to give them pain medication as prescribed if needed. Recovery time is permitted because these are extremely severe punishments that the judicial review board and the laws of the island take seriously. During the recovery period, the punished person's support team, including their social worker (if they have one), their therapist, their doctor or nurse, and the officer who performed their punishment, along with their "support officer" will come to visit them and check in. Judicial Review Board members often bring comfort in the form of food, comfort toys like stuffed animals (regardless of age), and in some cases (with parent or guardian permission) even a new pet (emotional support animal). The purpose of this is to prove that the punishment is over and that whatever act led to it has been forgiven.
1. This has been a problem in the past. Members allowed their inner kids to behave in extreme ways that violated the laws of the island, then became upset when the next step was to be brought before the Judicial Review Board for a "trial" and judgment. This behavior makes the site difficult for the admins to manage and members are advised to be aware that judicial punishments are not subject to their preferences. Once your inner kid has broken the law, the wheels are in motion and will not stop until the punishment is carried out.
Important Notes
The island has no law or rule that says that children and adolescents may not be punished by people who are not their teachers, parents, or the Judicial Review Board (JRB). This means that technically, any adult may discipline any child they find misbehaving. For example, a child or adolescent found misbehaving when in a store by themselves could be subject to the discipline of the shop's owner, often as an alternative to calling the police (which would result in a judicial review process. See above). Although uncommon, members should be aware of this potentiality, but should also be aware that those playing the adults in these situations should communicate directly with the person playing the child or adolescent to ensure they are comfortable with this outcome. From an out of character perspective, members should expect their inner kid's parents, guardians, or teachers to act as they see fit, but should be aware that the player has the right to say "no" to discipline from a stranger.
Our discipline sheets should cover this. If for any reason you find that they do not, please notify us. Please also be advised that a member's discipline sheet is not a hard and fast agreement to be disciplined by your adult and that you are obligated to discuss the matter with them beforehand, even if their discipline sheet allows discipline from strangers.
This being address, you should also be aware that your inner kid's friends' parents are likely to discipline your inner kid at some point if your inner kid is visiting their friends and misbehaves while there. This is considered standard. Adult players should still always check discipline sheets and respect color codes/member groups!
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Laws of the Island
The laws of Birchwood Isle are relatively simple for adults and reflect basic upright moral behavior. Players should note that, from an out of character perspective, adults are expected to follow these laws and not break them. Should adults break these laws, the player may be removed from the site following one warning (except in the case of sexual behavior with a minor, in which case the member will be banned immediately). It is anticipated that children and adolescents may break these laws, but players are once again warned that, should their inner kid break the listed laws, they will be subjected to a Judicial Review with the possibility of a judicial punishment. If it is not your aim to receive a Judicial Review and/or punishment, you should be mindful to avoid these laws. Notes are provided to help guide you on what will be dealt with by parents and what will be dealt with by the judicial review board.
Note that adults who break the laws of the island are either given a severe fine (where noted) or they are removed from the island for more serious offenses, as there is no permanent penal system on the island aside from the judicial review system intended for adolescents (and occasionally children).
Ignorance of these laws does not excuse inner kids or their bigs (players) from the consequences of breaking them. Some cases may result in the child or adolescent being removed from their parent or guardian's care, and others may result in Judicial Review and Punishment. If this is not what you want, there are a myriad of better ways to get in trouble!
Laws Governing Sexual Behavior- No person over the age of 18 is to have explicit sexual contact with any person under the age of 18.
- This law is strictly enforced across the board. Any individual, adult or adolescent, who is over the age of 18 and who is found to have sexual contact with a minor under the age of 18 will be removed from the island (and their player removed from our membership) forthwith.
- It is permissible, out of character, for people who are under the age of 18 to engage in sexual contact with one another, but all roleplay must "fade to black" on these threads.
- Sexual activities are restricted to private areas. There is to be no sexual activity in public places.
- Adults found breaking this law will receive a stiff fine.
- Adolescents breaking this law will be subject to a judicial review, with no exceptions and no suspended sentences.
Laws Governing Public Welfare- Firearms are legal on the island, but sidearms must be licensed to the person carrying them. No adolescent may own or carry a firearm.
- Adults breaking this law may be subject to removal from the island, depending on whether the sidearm has been fired.
- Adolescents breaking this law will receive a judicial review, likely resulting in a stiff judicial punishment.
- Theft of property is punishable by law.
- Adults found to have stolen property from their neighbors or commercial vendors on the island will receive a stiff fine for the first offense and be removed from the island for subsequent offenses.
- Adolescents found to have stolen property from their neighbors or commercial vendors on the island will receive a judicial review and punishment.
- Children found to have stolen property from their neighbors or commercial vendors on the island will be returned to their parents for punishment.
- Parents of children found to have stolen property from their neighbors or commercial vendors on the island will receive a stiff fine.
- Acts of vandalism are punishable by law.
- Acts of vandalism include any destruction of property, including demolition, graffiti, and other acts not listed.
- Adults found to have committed acts of vandalism will be required to replace the vandalized property and pay a stiff fine.
- Adolescents found to have committed acts of vandalism will be subjected to a judicial review and punishment.
- Children over 8 years old found to have committed acts of vandalism will be subjected to a judicial review and punishment.
- Parents of children or adolescents found to have committed an act of vandalism will be required to replace the vandalized property and pay a stiff fine.
- No independent citizen (including children) may set off fireworks within the area of the Central Island.
- Adults found to have violated this law will receive a stiff fine.
- Adolescents found to have violated this law will receive a judicial review with a suspended sentence provided there is an authority at home to carry out punishment.
- Children found to have violated this law will be sent home to their parents for punishment supervised by the judicial review board.
- No citizen may engage in acts of violence against another citizen or citizens.
- Adults found committing acts of violence may have their children removed to the Orphan Village and/or will be removed from the island.
- Adolescents found committing acts of violence will be subjected to a judicial review and punishment.
- Children found committing acts of violence will be returned to their parents for punishment supervised by the judicial review board. Further incidents will see the child subjected to a judicial review and punishment.
- Corporal punishment is not viewed as an act of violence by the island's authorities and is not legally punishable.
- No citizen is permitted to light a fire in unauthorized areas.
- "Unauthorized areas" includes the interior or exterior of any island building except inside a fireplace, and any location in the central island without prior authorization from the fire department or police.
- Adults found to be setting unauthorized fires will receive a stiff fine and may be removed from the island should the fire be deemed arson by Montana Sheridan.
- Adolescents found to be setting unauthorized fires will be subjected to a judicial review and punishment.
- Children found to be setting unauthorized fires will be subjected to a judicial review and punishment.
- No citizen is permitted to harm an animal.
- Adults found to be causing harm to animals will have their animals removed and placed for adoption. They will also be subject to a fine.
- Repeat occurrences will result in removal from the island.
- Adolescents found to be causing harm to animals will have their animals removed and be subject to a judicial review and punishment.
- Children found to be causing harm to animals will be subject to a judicial review and punishment.
- No citizen is to make a false report of an emergency to authorities.
- Adults found to be making false emergency reports will receive a stiff fine.
- Adolescents found to be making false emergency reports will be subjected to a judicial review and punishment.
- Children found to be making false emergency reports will be returned to their parents for supervised punishment.
- Parents of children and adolescents found to be making false emergency reports will be subject to a stiff fine.
- No citizen is to infringe on another citizen's property.
- This law pertains specifically to trespassing and theft, although theft is previously mentioned.
- Adults found to have trespassed on another citizen's property will receive a stiff fine and may spend a night in the jail connected to the courthouse.
- Adolescents found to have trespassed on another citizen's property will be subject to a judicial review and punishment.
- Children found to have trespassed on another citizen's property will be returned to their parents for punishment.
- Damage inflicted on property during trespassing will result in stiffer penalties in the forms of fines or more severe sentencing for minors.
Laws Governing Sale of Substances & Substance Use- No vendor may sell tobacco products to any resident under the age of 16.
- This law pertains to the vendor and not to the purchaser.
- Vendors found to have sold tobacco products to residents under the age of 16 will be penalized with a stiff fine.
- A second offense will result in a greater fine.
- A third offense will result in the loss of the business license.
- No shoppe keeper or pub landlord is permitted to sell alcohol to residents under the age of 18.
- This law pertains to the vendor and not to the purchaser.
- Vendors found to have sold alcohol to residents under the age of 18 will be penalized with a stiff fine.
- A second offense will result in a greater fine.
- A third offense will result in the loss of the business license.
- No restauranteur is permitted to sell alcohol to residents under the age of 16.
- This law pertains to the vendor and not to the purchaser.
- Vendors found to have sold alcohol to residents under the age of 16 will be penalized with a stiff fine.
- A second offense will result in a greater fine.
- A third offense will result in the loss of the business license.
- Parents may allow minors between 13 and 18 access to alcohol at home only.
- Permitting a child under the age of 13 to consume alcohol at home may result in the child's removal and placement at the Orphan Village
- Marijuana is legal on Birchwood Isle.
- No distributor is to distribute marijuana to individuals under the age of 18. Those found to be doing so will lose their license to distribute.
- Illegal distribution of marijuana without a license will result in a stiff fine and potential removal from the island.
- Narcotic drugs, psychedelics, and central nervous system stimulants are illegal on Birchwood Isle without a prescription.
- Adults found to be distributing these substances will be removed from the island immediately and without warning
- Adults found to be using these substances will receive a stiff fine.
- Adolescents found to be distributing these substances will be subject to a judicial review and harsh judicial punishment.
- Adolescents found to be using these substances will be subject to a judicial review and punishment.
- Children found to be distributing or using these substances will be returned to their parents the first time. If caught a second time, they will be removed to the Orphan Village.
- Parents of children found to be distributing or using these substances will receive a stiff fine and a warning to improve household discipline.
Laws Governing Whereabouts of Youth- Curfew for children and adolescents is 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight Friday through Saturday.
- Adolescents found out after curfew will be returned to their parents for punishment the first time. After the second offense, they will receive a judicial review (suspended sentence) and after the third offense they will receive a judicial review and punishment.
- Children found out after curfew will be returned to their parents the first and second times. After the third offense, they will be removed to the Orphan Village.
- Children and Adolescents must remain "in bounds" at all times.
- The Pipers are excepted from this law.
- This law means that children and adolescents should remain in safe, supervised areas of the island and not wander off into dense natural areas where they could be lost, hurt, or drown.
- If you don't understand this rule, contact an administrator. We can help!
- Adolescents found to be "out of bounds" will first be questioned. If it is deemed necessary, they will be subjected to a judicial review. Most sentences are suspended pending a second offense.
- Children found to be "out of bounds" will be questioned, then returned to their parents. If a second or third offense occurs, they will be subjected to a judicial review. Most sentences are suspended pending a fourth offense.
- No child or adolescent is permitted to run from the police or any member of the judicial review board.
- Adolescents or children who run from the police or members of the judicial review board will receive stricter penalties upon sentencing, if a judicial review is indicated.
- No minor is to "run away from home."
- Any minor who runs away from home will first be questioned by a social worker, then by their "support officer."
- If it is determined that the minor is not safe at home, the minor will be removed to the Orphan Village.
- This includes minors over the age of 18. The Orphan Village will find room for them!
- If it is determined that the minor is safe at home, the minor may be subject to a judicial review and punishment.
- If the minor is not subjected to a judicial review, the minor will be sent home for supervised punishment by their parents.
- After a minor has run away, they will be assigned a permanent social worker to monitor the home indefinitely.
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The Orphan Village
The Orphan Village is a special part of Birchwood Isle, located in the Northern Isle quadrant, devoted to caring for children and adolescents who came to the island without families. Most often, they were referred to Birchwood Isle by social workers who had reached their wit's end and been unable to find foster families willing to take them (often due to behavioral issues, sometimes related to trauma). For these children and adolescents, the Orphan Village represents a refuge, a home where they are given room to grow and be themselves within the consistent structure and discipline of each house. With its own school and a wide range of available activities, the Orphan Village can be a wonderful place to live, with dedicated caregivers, full-time staff, and a lot of friends to make. It is, however, not the final stop for most of these children and adolescents. Instead, the purpose of the village is to find permanent families for each of them. (Please see below.)
Purpose
The purpose of the Orphan Village is to provide structure, stability, and discipline for children and adolescents who have previously lacked these things. It serves children who do not have families because they were referred to the Orphan Village from off-island, they lost their parents since arriving on the island, or they came to the island without parents on their own (rare, but acceptable with approval).
In every case, the hope is that children and adolescents who live in the Village will be adopted by parents living on the island. Adoption is the ultimate goal! Because of this, prospective adoptive parents may visit the Village, usually during one of its adoption festivals but also at points in-between. During visits, prospective adoptive parents have opportunities to meet children and adolescents who live there. Most of the time, these adults arrive as volunteers looking for opportunities to interact with children and adolescents in one of the activities, such as at the Stables & Animal Center, or at the Art & Music Center. This is to help prevent youngsters from feeling like they're exhibits in a zoo. Later visits will be scheduled. See Adoption Information below.
Eligibility
Children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 25 may apply to be cared for at the Orphan Village if they do not have available families. Please note that once your inner kid has been placed at the Orphan Village, you have made a commitment to see through the process of adoption. You also accept that while adoption is the goal, there is a possibility that no family will become available for your inner kid. This means that your inner kid could remain at the Orphan Village permanently. Not to worry! There are plenty of available caregivers to help take care of them! Simply put, you cannot apply for your inner kid to live at the Village and then change your mind and later slot them in as the biological child of another family.
Structure
There is room at the Orphan Village for up to 60 children and adolescents aged 3 to 25.
Five homes, each with a unique theme surrounding it, provide comfortable living arrangements and a family atmosphere. Each home has its own full-time staff of caregivers who do not rotate from one house to another. This provides children and adolescents with the stability they need and helps to build trust and attachment. You can find more information about each house in the sticky topics in the Non-Kin Families Directory (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?board=16.0).
Each of the five themed houses can house up to 12 residents. There are no restrictions on the ages of the residents nor their genders. In short, there are no ratios and we are not seeking to keep things "even steven." However, while house assignments are generally first come, first served, BWI Admins reserve the right to redirect new residents to another house if necessary to support roleplay, balance activity, or address exceptional circumstances. You have the right to request your first, second, and third choice, but the admins reserve the right to make adjustments if the balance has tipped too far in one direction.
Residents are generally expected to remain in the same house for the duration of their stay, as maintaining stable relationships and routines is considered an important part of the Village's philosophy.
Staffing
Each of the five houses employs 11 members of staff: 2 "House Parents" and 9 care workers. House parents live in the house full time. They are the primary source of support for the children and adolescents who live there. Most children and adolescents will form their strongest attachments to this pair. In the Orphan Village (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?board=25.0) board, you'll see the words "Run By" under the name of each house. The names after that are the two House Parents for that house. You can find the care workers for each house listed in the house's family profile (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?board=16.0).
Caregivers supervise and provide standard care for the children and adolescents living in the homes. They cook, supervise chores, and provide activities. They are also responsible for discipline, or discipline may be referred to the House Parents.
Staff members work in shifts. There are three shifts per day:
- Morning Shift runs from 0500 to 1300 (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.). This shift serves breakfast and lunch.
- Afternoon Shift runs from 1300 to 2100 (1 p.m. to 9 p.m.). This shift helps with homework, afternoon activities and chores, and serves supper.
- Night Shift runs from 2100 to 0500 (9 p.m. to 5 a.m.). This shift remains awake to handle any issues that arise during the night.
In addition, the Orphan Village Academy employs teachers, the Health Center employs doctors and nurses, and each house has its own dedicated therapist/counselor. Volunteers are needed in unskilled roles as well.
Daily Life
Children and adolescents living at the Orphan Village live their lives as though they were part of a regular family. They are fed three meals plus snacks every day (lunch is served at school on school days) and in most houses they eat together at a large table with the staff on duty at the time when the meal takes place. They attend school at the Orphan Village Academy and participate in age-appropriate activities. Activities vary depending on the house, but the school also has sports teams and other extracurriculars. In addition, the Orphan Village campus also has a range of activities for youngsters to participate in. All residents have age-appropriate chores assigned to them and are expected to keep up with their chores, complete their school work, and keep their bedrooms clean.
Moving In and Out
Youngsters living in the Orphan Village may:
- transfer houses if necessary
- be adopted by families in the community
- be adopted by Orphan Village staff
In addition, you may start your inner kid's journey with an arrival thread provided there is an adult available to handle your request.
Additional Information
Homes in the Orphan Village are meant to feel like families, not an institutional environment. Children and adolescents should be free to make friends and establish relationships with members of the staff, including their house parents. Attachment is expected and players should work to find relationships for their inner kid(s) and treat the house in which they live as a family and home rather than an institution.
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Adoption Information
Adoption from the Orphan Village -- and occasionally from St. Jude's Academy -- is encouraged on Birchwood Isle.
Any adult on the island is considered "pre-approved" to adopt due to the rigorous application they must pass in order to be permitted residence on the island in the first place. Children and adolescents who do not have parents are all considered available for adoption. The primary difference between the Orphan Village and St. Jude's Academy is the opportunities for adults from town to meet children and adolescents who are available for adoption.
In order to adopt, the adopting adult must submit an adoption application. This can be done through the Help Desk Discord channel by taking out an adoption application ticket. An administrator will process the adoption by changing the child or adolescent's surname (unless it is requested not to be changed) and removing them from the list of residents in the Orphan Village.
Strictly speaking, adoptions do not require administrator approval. We do not police them. We want them to happen. We are not going to stand in your way.
However, we encourage members to remember that adoption is a commitment on the part of all parties involved and that children and adolescents may only be "returned" to the Orphan Village (or St. Jude's Academy) one time per year. If they are adopted a second time and their adoptive parent's player leaves the site, then it becomes canon that the family left the island and took the child or adolescent with them. Should you feel that an exception is warranted, please take out a ticket and the staff will help you resolve the matter. Note that every adolescent or child has one free pass. You can return to the Orphan Village or St. Jude's Academy one time per year after a failed adoption. The issue, then, is with repeated failures. For this reason, we advise members not to jump into an adoption without taking time to establish a relationship with the adult's player. Adoptions are best when they take place between two committed players!
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I create my own family, or do I have to adopt?
- You may absolutely create your own family. However, we insist that all families start out with adult characters so that there are no parentless children or adolescents outside of the Orphan Village, St. Jude's Academy, or Birchwood Isle College. If you want to start out with a child, they must start at the Orphan Village, and adolescents may start at the Orphan Village, St. Jude's Academy, or Birchwood Isle College, depending on their age.
- Can I start with children already in my character's household?
- Yes. If you join the site with a partner, you may create a family together. Or, if you don't have a partner but have a family in mind, you may create the adults and request (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?board=15.0) the children.
- Can I play only a child or adolescent without playing an adult?
- Yes. However, if you plan to play more than five children or adolescents, we strongly encourage you to make an adult. This helps us balance the energy of the site and playing an adult who actively engages with children and adolescents makes other players who play adults more likely to want to play with your children or adolescents.
- Can I have multiple characters?
- Is there a limit to how many characters I can have?
- No. However, if you have created 10 children or adolescents, the staff asks that you create a disciplinary adult at level Yellow or higher to help manage other children and adolescents on the site. This is exceedingly generous.
- Can my character move to Birchwood Isle after the roleplay has already started?
- Can my character leave the island?
- Temporarily, yes. Adolescents and children must be accompanied by an adult to leave the island for any reason. If your character leaves the island permanently, they are considered to have moved on. They may not be permitted back, depending on the circumstances.
- Can my character visit the mainland?
- Yes, but children and adolescents must be accompanied by an adult.
- Can I create characters who are related to another player's characters?
- With their permission, yes.
- How do adoptions work?
- Adoptions are legally binding. The adult(s) who adopt the children or adolescents are considered their legal parents and are subject to all laws that pertain to parents. See above "Adoption Information" and "Laws of the Island."
- Can an adoption fail?
- Unfortunately, yes. Players with child or adolescent characters are permitted to return their characters to the Orphan Village, St. Jude's, or Birchwood Isle College once per year in the case of a failed adoption, but no more often than that. It's sad when this happens and these are emotional storylines. We prefer the issue to not be ignored and to address things in character.
- What happens if the player of an adoptive parent disappears?
- The child or adolescent character will return to the Orphan Village, St. Jude's Academy, or Birchwood Isle College (for young adults).
- Can children or adolescents be transferred between the Orphan Village and St. Jude's Academy?
- Do I have to roleplay every punishment that occurs?
- We assume you want to. But no.
- Can punishments happen off-screen?
- Yes. You can take punishments private if you want to.
- Can my character disagree with or criticize the island's laws?
- Yes, but people who moved here voluntarily aren't likely to. Most adults move to the island because they agree with the island's laws.
- Can my character break the law?
- We don't recommend that adults break the law because the eventual consequences are banishment. Children and adolescents may break the law if you want a judicial review. If you are not interested in interacting with the judicial program, we do not recommend breaking the law.
- What happens if my character commits a crime?
- See "Laws of the Island" and the "Judicial Discipline" section of the "Discipline Policies" file above.
- Can my character refuse a punishment?
- No. It's natural that children and adolescents may try to refuse punishment, but the adults are ultimately the ones in charge and this site intends for punishment to be "inevitable" once it has been decided. Resistance is, in short, futile. However, you, as the player, may refuse a punishment out of character and stop the thread before it reaches that point. If you need help, take out a ticket on Discord.
- Are there any topics that are prohibited in roleplay?
- We do not permit sexual contact between individuals over the age of 18 and individuals under the age of 18. Everything else is fair game. Please see the Rules & Guidelines (https://birchwoodisle.net/roleplay/index.php?topic=15.0) file.
- Can I create my own businesses, schools, churches, or organizations?
- Yes. Please take out a ticket. You may also take over any role where the owner of a business or the leader of an organization is listed as OPEN.
- Can I invent new locations on the island?
- Take out a ticket on Discord and discuss it with us first. Probably.
- Can I play government officials or members of law enforcement?
- You may choose to play members of law enforcement, including the fire department. However, roles for government officials were filled at the time Birchwood Isle was created.
- How much control do I have over NPCs?
- NPCs are generally "owned" by someone. Some are owned by the site. Others are owned by specific players. You may create your own NPCs, and you may have total control over site-owned NPCs provided you stay within the boundaries of their stated personalities and disciplinary colors.
- Can my character become pregnant or have biological children?
- How does aging work on Birchwood Isle?
- See "Understanding Ages and Aging" above.
- Do I need permission to kill off or permanently remove one of my own characters?
- Yes. Take out a ticket on Discord.
- Can I make major changes to another player's character with their permission?
- What happens if two players disagree about the outcome of a scene?
- Take out a ticket on Discord.
- Is Discord required to participate?
- No, but it's incredibly helpful, as you might have guessed.
- Where should I ask questions if I'm confused about a rule or policy?
- Take out a ticket on Discord.
- What should I do if none of the existing information answers my question?
- Take out a ticket on Discord.