mariemagical

[mariemagical]

Backstory: Alan Gold, Gen 1 Heir

Alan Gold was the youngest child of Geoffrey and Joan. As the only son of a prominent merchant his father groomed him to take over his business. He was taught math, Latin and all the skills of the smithy. He accompanied his father to guild meetings from a young age and was introduced to the other guild members. In the year of our Watcher twelve hundred and nighty-nine, his father wrote to one of his fellow guild members who had a daughter of the same age as Alan. The families lived far apart so they arranged to have the girl travel to the Gold family residence to stay for a month in hopes that the two young people would develop a fondness for each other and a union could be arranged between the two families. The plane worked better than anyone was prepared for. Early in the year of thirteen hundred, Miss Agnes Smyth arrived at the Gold residence. She had long dark hair and a lively personality. The fifteen year old couple spent every minute together, talking, joking, and making plans for the future. In fact they spent more time together than their parents wanted. As the end of the month drew near Geoffrey sat his son down to discuss Agnes.

“As you know Alan, Miss Agnes is your intended.” He began solemnly. “We do not expect you to marry for a few years yet but I think you should get engaged before she goes home. It would be good to have everything settled now so you can focus on the business.”

Alan fidgeted nervously as his father spoke and as soon as there was a lul in the conversation he pushed in.

“Father, we could not wait.”

The boy looked like he was about to cry as he watched his father put it together.

“...You bedded Agnes?” Geoffrey said after a moment. He showed no emotion but asked, “Is she with child?”

Alan sniffed.

“We think so…” he said quietly, then,

“Father, I don't know what to do!” he exclaimed. “Agnes is so scared and I don't know how to fix this!”

Geoffrey looked at his son. He remembered how inexperienced he had been at that age. And finally his stern expression softened.

“You will marry her now.” He said in a gentler voice. “It would have been better for you both to wait a while but it's to late now. If you marry her then this whole situation will be fixed.”

The wedding was arranged quickly and two weeks later the young couple were married on the steps of the church with only his parents in attendance. Her family could not make the journey in mid March. His eldest sister, Edith Bramblewood, was in confinement with her first baby and his second sister was unable to make the journey into town due to her own pregnancy. The Golds did own a pair of horses and a cart so they could have brought Alviva and her husband but due to the circumstances of her marriage no one brought it up.

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Backstory: Alviva Gold

Alviva Gold, second daughter of Geoffrey and Joan Gold was born in the year of the Watcher twelve hundred and eighty two. She was a quick-witted and fleet-footed girl, often wandering off on her own. At sixteen she met seventeen year old Peter Fisher and the two fell madly in love. The two began seeing each other in secret as Alviva knew her parents would not approve. Peter, you see, was a serf. his parents were serfs and so he inherited their surfdome when they died within a few weeks of each other. Alviva was the daughter of a free merchant and her parents would want her to marry someone of their own class or better. When her older sister married the Baron of Bramblewood the pressure grew even higher. 

Though they each had adult responsibilities, him to his land and her to find a good match, we know they were really only kids, teenagers in love, and so they made a fateful mistake. They slept together out of wedlock and without any thought of the risk. By early 1300 Alviva was sure that she was pregnant. Frightened of her family finding out, she ran to Peter.

“Oh Peter, we have made a horrible mistake!” She cried when she found him, fishing in the river. “We did the marital act without the blessing of marriage and now the Watcher is punishing me for it!”

“What is the matter, my love?” Peter asked, pulling up his line and turning his attention to her. He was quite worried as she seemed to be in great distress.

“My sister is with us for her confinement and I asked her today what having a baby in her fell like and oh! Peter, she described exactly what I have been feeling for the last few months! I am with child and I do not know what to do!”

Alviva barely finished speaking before bursting into tears.

Peter quickly gathered her up in his arms already sure of what to do.

“I can fix this.” He promised, stroking her hair. Her head only came up to his shoulder.

When she was calmer he pulled back and looked down at her seriously.

“Will you marry me, Alviva? I do not have much to offer you but I will make this right and I will work every day of my life to give you and our child everything you wish for.”

Alviva didn't even hesitate, she hadn't expected him to risk her parents wrath or the marriage fine from his lord for her but she was happy that he would.

“Of course I'll marry you, you are the only thing I'll ever wish for!” She exclaimed and promptly burst into tears again.

The two spent the night in his hut as man and wife and just like that they were married. The next day the temperature dropped suddenly and the young couple woke to a layer of snow. As though the Watcher itself had covered them in a blanket of white to protect them from the consequences of their actions, if only for a while. Two days later the snow had melted and Alvivas parents where on their doorstep.

Geoffrey and Joan, who had spent the last two days worrying about their missing daughter and asking anyone they could reach in the snow if they knew where she was, had finally received the news of Alvivas' whereabouts first thing that morning and quickly made their way over to retrieve her.

Joan, who was always the more strict of the two, began screaming at her daughter as soon as she saw her, and Peter talking in front of his house.

“How dare you disappear like that Alviva! And to find you here, at a man's house, and a serf at that! You are a disgrace! You've ruined your good name! It will be a miracle if anyone wants you after this, let alone a decent man! Come here, we are going home this instant!”

But Alviva looked her mother dead in the eyes, placed her hand on her slightly swollen belly, and said,

“No, mother. I won't come with you. This is my home now. I love Peter. We are married, and we are going to have a child.”

Joan was too stunned to do anything but open and shut her mouth, occasionally uttering random words.

Geoffrey spoke over her.

“I'm very disappointed in you Alviva. You could have had a good life with a good man but you have chosen this…” here he passed clearly wanting to call his new son-in-law something nasty but deciding against it. “...serf. He will not be able to provide for you and I will not help you. You have made your decision and now you have to live with it.” He turned to leave but his wife pulled him back.

“Did you at least marry before… the baby?” She looked like she was holding on to her last hope for her daughter. Marrying below her station and without her parents approval was bad enough but surely they hadn't fornicated. No daughter of Joan's would do that… right?

Alviva wouldn't look her mother in the eyes.

“He married me as soon as I told him I was with child.” She said.

Better than having the baby be born out of wedlock but still, they had technically committed a crime. Geoffrey and Joan left without another word.

Alviva gave birth three months later with no one but the midwife to assist her and, though they eventually accepted Alvivas new life and welcomed her and her new family back into their home, the relationship was never very warm.

[mariemagical]

Backstory: Edith Gold

Edith Gold was born some time in the year of our Watcher twelve hundred and eighty (the precise date is not recorded). She was the first child of Geoffrey and Joan Gold and grew up in the city of Henford-on-Bagley, England.

When she was nineteen Simon Bramblewood, Baron of the Bramblewood, saw her when he visited her fathers smithy and was struck with her grace, piety, and beauty. He returned the very next day to ask her father for her hand in marriage. Geoffrey of course said yes. What father would not be thrilled to have his daughter marry into the nobility! When Geoffrey told her the good news Edith was very happy. She very much liked the idea of being a noble lady, with a Manor and servants of her own. Her younger sister and brother spent the night before her wedding pestering her with questions. Alviva (who was sixteen and, unbeknownst to her family, already had a sweetheart) wanted to know if Edith was afraid she wouldn't grow to like the Baron. To which Edith declared that she would try very hard to like him and even if he was a horrible man she would be a Lady and a dutiful servant of the Watcher and that was enough happiness for her. 

“But what if he only talks of his old wife?” Questioned Alviva. The Baron was a widower, you see, and Alviva simply could not comprehend that he might not have been in love with his first wife or that love may fail over time. Her own passion for her sweetheart was so strong that she couldn't imagine it gone.

“Then I shall make many babies and talk to them.” Said Edith, thoroughly unperturbed. She was not in love with Baron Simon and didn't mind that. Either she would fall in love with him over time or she would find other things to do. She was quite content with her choice of groom.

Fourteen year old Alan had his own questions. After all, their mother was an orphan and their father an only child so this was the first wedding in the family. 

“What will you talk about?” He demanded. “He is ten years your senior and barely speaks English. And you don't speak French. How will you survive all the way out in Bramblewood?”

“I'm sure he speaks Latin.” Said Edith with a laugh. “And father has been helping me practice a bit more since the engagement.”

Aviva and Alan both laughed aloud at this. Edith was the best of the three at Latin. There father had been teaching them since they were little as it was the language of business and he wanted his children to have every advantage but while the younger two had only learned as much as they had to Edith, the Watchers most devoted servant, had revealed in the knowledge. You see, Edith was a dedicated worshiper of the Watcher and as she learned Latin, she could understand the weekly mass more and more. She quietly revealed in this knowledge and practiced her Latin diligently.

Indeed, Edith was dutiful and committed to her family, the embodiment of the perfect wife, though she had a taste for expensive things that made the position of Baroness even more inviting.

Edith Gold married Baron Simon Bramblewood In September of 1299 and before long it was evident that their union had born fruit. In January of 1300 she sent a messenger to her family with the news that she was expecting her first child.

[mariemagical]

Backstory: The Gold Family.

Our tale begins with three siblings, Edith, Aviva, and Alan Gold. Their Father, Geoffrey Gold, was a goldsmith which is how the family got their name. Their mother, Joan Gold, helped her husband in his business and carried for the house and her three children. They lived in a handsome two story house in the center of Henford-on-Bagley and were rather well off. The house and lands had belonged to the family since anyone could remember and the jewelry and metalwork from the Gold Smithy was the best for miles around so they were never short on customers. All in all they were a prosperous, well respected and happy little family. (Though Joan had not born a living child since Alan.) Geoffrey seemed quite happy with her and never complained about the lack of a spare. For her part, Joan was an excellent cook and a loving mother as well as a match for her husband in the smithy. When placed side by side, many an expert could not tell the difference between her work and that of her husband's. 

As for the children, well, I'll save that for another time, after all, each would go on to found a great family that continued on for generations.

[mariemagical]

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Welcome good people of Tumblr, to the realm of Marie Magical, simmer, fantasy nerd, and amiture historian. Let me tell you a tale of an ancient family.

I am using the Ultimate Decades Overhaul (UDO) rules by Several. I have used the Ultimate Decades Challenge (UDC) rules in the past and am very familiar with Morbid Gamers rules and her own gameplay but since she has not finished her rules and has been inactive for quite a while now, I recommend the UDO. Additional Several is a qualified historian and has put quite a bit of effort into making the rules more historically accurate and applicable for more parts of the world.

I also have a few custom rolls that I have made for myself to add more randomness to my gamely. I may post them at some point.

Please! Ask any questions that you have! I love answering questions and I especially love talking about my characters and the behind the scenes of my story! As for WCIF, my mods folder is a mess so I probably won't be able to tell you where to find things but go ahead and ask! It might just be one of the few things I do know!

Now, onto the context of the Gold Legacy. I originally began this challenge for my own private gameplay but over time, as I read other people's Simblrs (shout out Thestressessimer, Soffiisims, 300yearschallange, and Aheathen_conceivably) I got the urge to share my own gameplay and the stories of my sims. At this point however I was already in 1335 and on my second gen so I have decided to start with a prologue section to catch any readers up to speed on what has happened in the story thus far. I didn't take a lot of screenshots for the first few decades so the prologue is going to be mostly writing and face cards so you know what the characters look like. I am a fantasy writer and amiture historian so hopefully this will still be very enjoyable. Just keep in mind that the style of my writing will change somewhat when I reach my current times.

Also, I am an amiture historian so I will be covering history as accurately as I can, bearing in mind that this is a video game.

This story will NOT be appropriate for everyone. I will tag posts with specific trigger warnings but keep in mind that this challenge will depict many challenging topics. In addition, people in different time periods have regarded certain topics differently than we do today and this will be reflected in my gameplay. Feel free to comment with any questions about why my sims say and do the things they do and I will try to address them. Bearing all of that in mind, this story will depict or discuss period accurate, parenting, gender roles, marriage, sex, nudity, gender, sexualiy, racism, class divides, religion, animal welfare, death, war, and more. (I will update this list if I notice anything I've left out.)

Gold Family Legacy

Gold Family Tree (under construction) | Prologue | 1330s