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Hoarders Cove Round 1 - The Eastside

Quentin Douglas-Fischer, Remy Beauregard, Skylar Bruce Rathbone, and Shelby Anne Rathbone

Some might say the introduction of the Eastsiders to the peaceful valley of Hoarders Cove was more an invasion. Two siblings washed ashore found two best friends and all had big business dreams in mind.

With their ship destroyed in what her brother called a "Wild Sea Surge" Shelby Anne was concerned the locals would not be too keen or able to assist them. In scouring the shore, however, she ran into best friends, Remy Beauregard and Quentin-Douglas Fischer, and the two invited them for dinner.

Shelby shared their plight and Remy was delighted to meet one of the famed Rathbone merchant family. He shared his dream of turning the cove into a bustling business hub. Shelby agreed to help for assistance of her own and exclusive shipping rights. A deal was struck.

Unfortunately, not everything was going as smooth onboard the broken ship hull of the R.M.S. Tybalt. Skylar Bruce was up to his old ways and seeking company with anyone who would give it. Not even a month ashore, and rumors began swirling that he was the father of several children to be. Shelby Anne tried to reign in her brother but that only cause his rage to swell.

The other Eastsider men were content with the women already in their lives. Within the same week, Remy proposed to his childhood sweetheart, April, and Quentin offered a ring to his Highschool crush, Claire. Both quit their jobs to remove to the remote valley and be with their new finances. A few months later, they married.

Shelby Anne was the only one alone, until the day Remy introduced her to another High School friend, Joe London.

Joe was an executive on the board of the Dragon Coast Newspaper, headquartered in Dragon Harbor. He was a frugal and hardworking man and was excited to find the same qualities in Shelby Anne. He would drive to Hoarders Cove to meet Shelby every weekend. Within a few months, Shelby was already showing signs of carrying a child. A week later.

Joe long knew of Remy's plans to develop the valley, but it wasn't until he moved in with Shelby that he had a new dream of opening a branch of the Dragon Coast Newspaper there.

The Eastside was already gaining structure, with the opening of Beauregard's General Store and the hopes of a new newspaper. Would they soon reach recognition by the governor in Dragon Harbor?

You can watch their stories unfold live on Sundays at www.twitch.tv/standbyentrance.

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Hoarders Cove - Round 1 - The Westend

Georgia MacDonald, Greggory Macdonald, Luis DaSilva, and Daniel DaSilva

Historians of the realm recognize the Night of the Lights and the arrival of the DaSilva brothers in Hoarders Cove as the start of the 3rd Cycle. (With their time spent in Sims 3 as the Second Cycle, and their time in Sims 4 as the First Cycle).

After the Night of the Lights, the DaSilva twins quickly realized they were once again stuck in an unknown valley with a broken Time Machine. They had no idea their home was just over the mountain, or rather what there home was centuries after they were born.

They did spot a lone house atop the western mountain and met the MacDonald family who claimed the valley theirs.

The MacDonalds shared how their parents had left the valley after the Lights in the sky and Georgia's strange transformation. The DaSilvas were worried they were responsible and apologized, but Greggory and Georgia expressed that they believed there was more at work that night than just the DaSilva's time machine. The brothers offered to learn what they could of Georgia's condition , which they called PlantSim, and help the best they can.

The four of them became fast friends and would often have dinner at each others houses. They all agreed that Luis, the scientist, was the best cook.

The MacDonald's shared some knowledge of the area surrounding the valley- A Landgraab Science Lab was located on the other side of the mountain, and there was a vast cave network their parents had considered cursed.

Daniel spent his days researching at the Landgraab facility, hoping to find a cure to PlantSim, while Luis began to explore the caves for secrets.

Unfortunately, while they were asleep one night, a thief stole several items from their yard, including the Hot Tub Time Machine.

The DaSilva's were now stuck for the foreseeable future in the valley. They decided to expand the hovel they found and built a laboratory in the back yard.

After work, Daniel would work late into the night in his laboratory. He was determined to make another time machine and make their way home.

While he retrained himself on the circuity of mechanics, he made robots to assist both families in their homes.

One night over dinner, the MacDonalds spoke of a Grand Opening of a general store on the other side of the valley. They were upset other people were settling in the valley without their permission.

Daniel decided to visit and see if they had pieces he desperately needed for the time machine. Instead, he ran into a young woman trying to sell a historic vase that matched the description of one that was stolen from his property. Daniel waited by the door for the individual to leave the establishment and approached her.

The woman admitted to stealing his things, including the 'piece of junk mud puddle' in their back yard. This infuriated Daniel and he went on the attack. Daniel defeated the thief in a fistfight but found that she had already destroyed everything else.

If Daniel and his brother were to ever time travel again, they'd have to recreate the Hot Tub Time Machine.

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A New Realm -

Along the Dragon Coast, South of Dragon Harbor, there is a small cove where a river divides the valley in two. Legends in the area claimed this was where the dragons of the coast slept, and it became known as Hoarders Cove.

These legends and the remoteness of the valley led it to be overlooked for settlement for centuries, until several unlucky events coincided.

That day was called The Night of the Lights.

The Westlanders

Over ten generations of the MacDonald family had called the Hoarders Cove home. Their ancestors, hailing from Burdley, did not believe in such rumors as Dragons. However, no captain would sail near into the cove, so they traversed the mountains on their own. Once settled, they found the secrets of the valley and found ways to perpetuate the myth of the dragons by tricking other would-be settlers. These skills were passed down from generation to generation.

Gregory MacDonald and Georgia MacDonald continued that tradition with their parents until the Night of the Lights. Ever since a child though, Georgia became obsessed with nature, even for a farmer, and would become sickly without enough natural sunlight.

On that fateful night, Georgia woke up when the sky suddenly burst with light. She ran outside to investigate and bask in its rays. Gregory woke up to the door slamming. Noticing the strange tint in the sky and that his sister was missing, he went after her. He nearly tripped on her in the pumpkin field, as she was curled up against a pumpkin, suddenly leafy green.

The older MacDonald's were not far behind Gregory and when they saw his sister they started screaming about how they had failed their ancestors and the land was cursed. They begged Gregory to come with them and left for Dragon Harbor the next day. Gregory, however, decided to stay behind with his newly plant-sim sister.

When the DaSilva's arrived in Hoarders Cove, they had already lived numerous lives across history. Born in Dragon Harbor two centuries before, they invented not just a car, but the world's only time machine as teens. When their Hot Tub Machine took them back in time to ancient Sulani, it broke leaving them stranded there until it was fixed.

In Sulani, they met the merpeople and taught them of electricity. Empress D'Aqua, however, was a vicious woman who would mate with men and drown them after having their child. Daniel unfortunately fell for their charm. Thankfully, the young mermen of the Temple of the Moon went against their elder's orders and assisted the brothers in fixing their time machine, sending them back into the future just in time.

The men's calculations were slightly off however. They landed just south of their hometown, and two centuries in the future. Their time machine pierced the sky with a bright light and crashed into the hillside under an ancient castle. Once again it's capabilities were destroyed.

In the future, they quickly learned that their uncle stole credit for their invention of the car and destroyed any record of their time machine. To history, they officially died in a mountain slide while trying to hike to none-other-than the very valley they landed in.

The Westlanders

Beauregard, Douglas, and Fischer were all well-known names of the Dragon Coast. Remy Beauregard and Quentin Douglas-Fischer, however, were not. Their families preferred it that way.

The Beauregard name was synonymous with opulence and astute business acumen. Their merchant empire owned general stores across the New World.

Remy, however, forever lived in the shadow of his older brother who enjoyed painting him as an eccentric snake-oil salesman. Yes, he enjoyed life as a traveling salesman, but his business was legit and he was bound to prove it. Remy had an eye on Hoarders Valley: he knew settling there was his way to make a name for himself- Remyland, Remyton, Remyopolis.. he hadn't chosen a name yet, but the possibilities were endless. Well, they'd be endless once Remytopia was accessible.

Just out of high school, he hired his best friend Quentin Douglas-Fischer to carve tunnels in the mountain for a railroad. To avoid detection and prying eyes they started on the Cove's side of the mountain. Quentin Douglas-Fischer was a strong and popular young man in high school. To many, however, his attachment to Remy Beauregard would be his downfall. The Douglas-Fischer had long ago purchased the Dragon Harbor Quary after decades of infighting amongst the DaSilva family. They used it as a base of operations for their construction company, where Quentin worked after school.

After graduation, he followed his best friend - as he always did- to help him achieve his dream. To him, Remy was misunderstood and with his help, the two could build a truly astounding city.

Both of them were surprised when, as their explosions light the mountain in bright reds and orange, the sky suddenly became as bright as day for a brief moment. "Lo, a sign from the heavens! Excavate that tunnel faster!" Remy exclaimed.

Rathbone was an ancient family of merchants dating all the way back to the founding Patron's of Tartosa. Captain Shelby Anne was an accomplished sailor well on the way to garnering more fame than her grandfather. Skylar Bruce, on the other hand, was a bit of a Don Juan less interested in anything other than making love. Family reputation and brotherly love compelled Shelby Anne to agree to take her brother as first mate.

She knew that was a decision she would rue when she woke up to her brother shouting about lights in the middle of the night. The ship, she found, was neither on water nor in one piece. The RS Tartosa Dream had crashed.

Skylar Bruce told a story of lights of all colors drawing him to the cove. The crew, sputtering nonsense about dragons, had all jumped overboard. Then a bright green light shined over the ship. Scared, Skylar Bruce ran to hide in the ship's hull. The next thing he knew, the ship cracked in two and landed on this mysterious shore.

Stay tuned to find out how these 8 unfortunate sims will come to fare in settling down in the unlucky Hoarders Cove. (Thank you Gummi for the name!) Also tune in live @ www.twitch.tv/standbyentrance

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The Grimoire of Egranor Dominion

Portario - Gate Portal Summonings

Awasa poa Oh feebe lay Nash-Na-Poof Choo wagga choo choo Dag Sul Dag Sul Dag

Pray to the Glimmer Tree the Portario opens. Beyond the Glimmer Roots I must travel on my quest to document all living beings. I have left a note for the elders on my bed. Tomorrow my destiny begins.

Spring, Cycle 9

By the Glimmer, the gamble paid, and I have safely traveled anew. The opposing portal is perched atop a cliff along a glimmering brook. The sky here is moist, and there's a chill in the air- very unlike the steady air amongst the Glimmer Roots. I shall push further up the mountain.

I am lucky to have my familiar with me. Not only has it kept good company, but has set about pointing out the most wonderous of plants and insects. The flora here is not as vibrant as around the Glimmertree, but it smells much earthlier and feels more lively.

Cleaning Ritual

Scruberoo

I came upon a place where land met water. The ground was neither wet nor dry, but soaked, and it claims all that touches it. A simple cleaning ritual learned from Elder Merlin afterwards remedies the plight.

On the end of the first day, I sit to write my Grimoire now. An Elven Dedication rock sicks amongst a flowering thicket, my familiar found. "Elves have never left the Glimmer Roots" the elders always proclaimed. I shall stay here longer to see what I may learn.

Nutriment

Delicioso

In the morning, I conjured my fastbreaker and went for a stroll after eating. Here the glimmering brook was feisty with fish, but it was a large glimmer in the water that sought my attention. I decided to fish it out.

Egg shaped, Azul, marine, and white- a stone from the water. I know not what compelled me, but I took it to the clearing near the thicket and planted it within the ground. To seal the deal, I casted Charm of the Greenthumb.

Charm of the Greenthumb

Floralorial

Within moments, it started to grow. In this sparkly reflective sapling, I saw myself, alone, in a vast wilderness. The cold-hearted stone begging me to realize it nor the other creatures and plants would fill the void I've been ignoring. It was then I've realized, I'd been missing my best friend, Sherry. This adventure filled my head, I never even told her goodbye.

Gardeniate

Herbio

A wrong only I could fix. Sherry loved flowers. I would turn the clearing next to the thicket into a garden to rival the Glimmer Roots, and bring her to see it. After 7 tiring days of spells and carving stone, it is ready.

I began my return trip to the portal, worried of what the elders might do or say. Would they allow me to return here? Would they allow Sherry to visit? Or would they restrain me in the Roots? I shuddered to think of what punishment I might receive, but pressed on by my familiar, I knew I must see Sherry.

The closer we got to the portal, however, the more distracted my familiar became. Once we reached the place, it pushed and tugged me away. I acquiesced and it let me further along a different path.

There, my friend Sherry sat crying under a small pavilion made of stone. As soon as she saw me, she stumbled to get up and I raced towards her. My familiar zipped about, around her, and then around my feet. The cursed thing tripped me. I fell right into Sherry. Right into her lips. Shocked, I leaped back as soon as I regained my footing and apologized, but to my surprise she pushed her lips right back onto mine.

Starcrossed Lovers

Infatuate

Some say the elder spell is more a curse than a blessing. The elders would choose who you were to marry and love 'for the betterment of the Elves' they claimed. Legends told of few who fell in love outside of these elder dealings, and how this wild love excelled in every way imaginable. I may never know whether the elders chose Sherry for me and cast the spell, but no better love could I imagine than what we experienced that night.

Magic Realm Return

Homewardial

I brought Sherry to her gardens. She adored the lush landscape. She told me the Elders were not angry at my departure, but had expected it. They had sent her to find me so that she may relay this message and offer a spell to assist when I wish to return home to visit.

She added that she wished to stay with me in her garden, while I completed my research on this world. Joy and an outlook of countless blissful years filled my hear.

The rest of the pages have been torn from the book.

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The Inaugural Merlympics

By rising of the heralding sun, The trials have begun, Mourn not the weak, Celebrate the heir we seek. By fin and tail, Toil, wit, and fervor, The next heir will prevail.

Heralding Call of the Merlympics

In the 8th cycle of the sea, Kai L'Aqua announced the Merlympics- a weeklong competition to determine her heir amongst her daughters.

The contestants would spend 7 days locked in the Temple of the Sun and compete in various challenges to test their strength, endurance, and wit.

From left to right: Keola - the oldest and temple favorite Aimata - historians debate the gender of Aimata. Many believe Aimata was born male but learned quickly to portray as female to not be exiled. Nuboo - the youngest and twin of Nuboy, an exiled merman. It was noted at the time that she had not yet grown fins or a tail Kerry - the middle child, and confident of all her sister's but Aimata. Staci - daughter of Lois DaSilva before the brothers time traveled to escape the Siren's Wraith. Texts indicate she also was not considered a true Mer, do to lack of fin and tail.

Day 1 The festivities started out with a competition of patience and beauty, for a ruler must remain calm and have a clear vision. They were tasked to paint the most expensive painting. Kerry won this task.

Day 2 All Mer must know their way around water, and so on Day Two, the daughters were tasked with swimming to the other side of the island. Nuboo knew she could not make it, so she hid from the challenge. Meanwhile, Aimata proved the fittest of them all, and Staci was the first causality of the week. Being human, she made the return swim but died upon reaching the golden sands of home.

Day 3 On the third day, the daughters were asked to pit their wits against each other in a tournament of Chess. Nuboo prevailed.

Day 4 A storm drenched the island on Day Four, but a game called Hoops was created to test the daughter's strength. Aimata won this day, but later in the evening Keola mysteriously drowned in the pool

Day 5 The rain continued, but that did not stop a game of darts to test the daughter's precision. Kerry defeated the others with ease.

Day 6 With the storm still raging, and only three daughters left, they were asked to display their self-reflection and mediation by sitting in the rain. Aimata was the last to leave.

Day 7 The ancient texts are not clear what the event for the final day was. Historians speculate it was a planned fight between the two frontrunners. However, Nuboo was found dead early in the morning and there is no record of an event this day besides the crowning of Kerry as the new Siren Queen of Sulani and the exile of Aimata, further backing historian theories that she was born male.

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Coral Island - A Timelapse

A timelapse of Summer Y1-Summer Y2

Summer Y1 - Humble Beginnings

Fall Y1 - Slow Clearing

Winter Y1 - Farm is nearly cleared. Greenhouse built. Critter Country Started

Spring Year 2 - Ranch is taking form

Summer Year 2 - Lower Farm is taking form. First Mill Built. Critter Country Expanded

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Sims 2 - DuShoque Hall

DuShoque Hall, established by Lady DuShoque is one of the most prestigious dorms at the University. Sims 2 Requires All Expansions No CC You may wish to replace the interior stairs with modulars. Per Gummi. Download Links Provided Below.

Residents are greeted by our gracious founder, Lady DuShoque. The dazzling socialite was known for her generosity and contributions to academia.

The storied corridors proudly display the achievements of past residents of this elite dorm. DuShoque Hall's Alumni include many renowned artists and athletes alike. Perhaps one day your achievements will be displayed beside them.

Residents have exclusive access to state of the art exercise equipment and a cozy sound studio for practicing what your heart leads you to.

A comfortable study space overlooks the campus. When your hunger for knowledge is satisfied, the on-site kitchen will fill your stomach.

The elite students that walk our halls require a prestigious place to unwind. Two different lounge areas keep our residents entertained.

Finally, after a long day of practice, studying, and lounging, a spacious dorm to call your own.

Thank You to Gummi for the pictures and the inspiration to bring this dorm to life. As you can tell, she really enjoys it facing a CC hood deco sports field. There's also a back entrance that would complete this aesthetic or be perfect against a quad.

Downloads

Residential Version

Dorm Version

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Sims 2 20th Anniversary Faire

I had a blast at today's 20th Anniversary Raid Train. I hope everyone else enjoyed themselves. By Popular Demand, click here to download the 20th Anniversary Fair from Sims File Share! Thank you to all the streamers who participated and especially to Ranabluu and ChocolateCitySim for planning the event.

In case you missed any streams, check out their VODs and give them a follow: Ranabluu - Twitch StandbyEntrance - Twitch lauraloosimss - Twitch StrangeSimsFiction - Twitch StarDeLaVega - Twitch WaterPixels - Twitch teaaddictyt - Twitch ChocolateCitySim - Twitch Rachums - Twitch

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Realms of Whitmore - Generational Shift Pt 1 (Cycle 7)

At the crossroads of eras two paths lie, One of uncertainty where all old die, Take instead the path of confidence That you have done your part. Although different they may be, Your children are a work of art.

"Generational Shift", Mattias Fischer, Circa Cycle 7

During the 7th Cycle, the differences between the first generation and the second became the forefront of the conversation. Marcus Welborne, the adopted son of King Alistar of Henford, did not return after his disappearance during the first bandit raid. The king blamed himself and grew more solemn as time went on.

His son Basileus worked hard to filled that void in his father's heart and grew even more determined to rise to the crown. He joined the Royal Knights to repel future bandit attacks, and introduced Archery as a sport and form of defense. His father welcomed involvement of his son and delighted in his inovations.

Yet rumors spurred around the kingdom that the prince was becoming quite the ladies' man, with insinuating he was a ladies man. He was often seen at the Gnome Market with one of the Eastman Daughters- who themselves were growing quite an outgoing reputation.

Still the king held his oldest with highest regard and paid no heed to the whispers in the court as his son walked by.

Not all cultures were as welcome to changes in the 7th Cycle. Across the sea, Sho Miyamoto, Father of the Temple of the Moon, was growing further apart from the boys he had rescued from the deadly Temple of the Sun.

Before the disappearance of the DaSilva Brothers, Keanu had developed a strong bond with them as well as an interest in their solar powered electricity- which the islanders called Sun Magic. After their disappearance, Keanu snuck into the Temple of the Sun several times to look for evidence of their fate; he also continued working in their workshop.

Sho, sensing danger, grew angry after catching his son several times in these forbidden locations. Keanu wished to honor his father, but knew in his heart that the Sun Magic could help their temple thrive.

Tensions grew as Keanu's younger half-brother, Cod'e, came of age to get his fins. Cod'e had his insecurities about becoming a merman, especially with regards to sleeping in the water. He was terrified of drowning- but seeing how Sho treated his brother for not following tradition, he knew he couldn't let his father catch him still in a bed. Keanu showed him to the DaSilva home, where their beds were still intact. He would continue to cover for his brother each night as they waited for their father to fall asleep before going to the hut. Keanu would wake up early each morning to catch some fish. When the two returned, once Cod'e awoke, they explained to their father that they both rose early to teach Cod'e Fishing.

Eventually the two brothers worked on Cod'e's fear and he was able to overcome; however, a slight resentment of their father remained in each- and Cod'e began to spend more time with Keanu at the DaSilva hut as well. The two became determined to understand not just the Mana of the Moon, but Sun Magic as well.

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Join us on twitch on the 14th, *6AM-12AM CST

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Realms of Whitmore - Of Love & War (Cycle 6)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, It all depends what city you were in. In the Republic of Tartosa, love flourished. The eastern empire, left unnurished. And in the Duchy of Henford, unrest skirmished.

~ Cycle 6 in the History of The Times, unknown historian and poet.

Tartosa

Through hard work and frequent trips to Henford, Tybalt Rathbone amassed enough wealth to expand his jewelry making business. The fledgling jeweler even managed to find time to meet a man, Chance Sparague and the two got engaged.

Unfortunately, unrest developed in Henford towards the end of the year. Tybalt took this time to expand his company's presence in Tartosa. Opening a storefront and constructing a rental home near his workshop.

Love was also flourishing across town, where Doge Miranda's son, Arthur, found enough free time between apprenticing for his father to woo another handsome lad, Victor Laws.

Unbeknownst to him, however, his sister Rossana had his eyes on the same boy. Victor would have to make a choice, but would he do it before or after the siblings discover his secret?

Komorebi

Meanwhile, rumors were abound in Komorebi that Ayumi Midori was abducted by the lights through the leaves. She returned the following day. Her concerned husband Ichiro requested a response from the twin Emperors regarding the incident. They declined his petition, and the quietly left their farm in the middle of the night.

The village was thrown into upheaval as the rumors spread that both the farmer and his wife were abducted by the lights through the leaves. Empress Kamira turned to meditation to find a response to the unrest.

Meanwhile, her son began training for his rule in peace keeping for the empire.

Henford

In late Cycle 6, the Bramblewood Bandits, led by Furghus Darkmoor, planned an attack on Castle Hopewell. They celebrated the whole before as a rallying cry.

The raid of Castle Hopewell lasted only six hours. Despite the use of explosives, the bandits never breached the first wall of the castle. It seems the partying the night before impaired the bandits' abilities. The explosives however, did set one of the exterior buildings on fire.

The Founding House sustained considerable damage. Luckily, despite being told to hide during the battle, young Prince Basileus, bravely rescued the many masterpieces located in the building from the flames. Some of the paintings, however, went missing during the battle, along with Marcus Wellborne, the adopted son of Lady Hopewell.

Will the cold hearted Tybalt Rathbone actually get married? Will the Miranda siblings find out Victor Laws's secret? Who will Victor choose? How will the Twin Emperors deal with the sudden lack of a farmer? Where did the old farmer and Marcus Wellborne disappear to?

Catch up to date gameplay of the Realms of Whitmore on Twitch @ StandbyEntrance - Twitch

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Realms of Whitmore - Glimmerbrook

The leaves of glimmer do simmer Upon the Glimmer Tree, In the dark soil of Brook Did all powers come to be The lives of glimmer that simmer Honor thy bark and steed, In the dark soil of Brook Must they complete their deed. The motes of glimmer shine simmer The initiate does search In the dark soil Brook Where the elders to birch. - GlimmerElven Coming of Age Poem

The earliest information about the elves of Glimmer Brook, more commonly known as GlimmerElves, comes from Cycle 6 from a detailed account of events from a young initiate, Egranor, though it's clear their history extends for many cycles before.

The young Egranor details his coming of age passage and Rite of Magica by starting with his mediation the night before. Mediation was an important part of the elven society, and a chamber located within their underground village was dedicated for this purpose.

Egranor, like many other initiates, spent the entire night in chamber before their Rite of Passage. Eganor noted it was both a solemn and exciting times as the elves are not accustomed to being alone for so long, but they were well aware they would return more apart of the community than they left.

His notes also indicate, however, that he also had some fears about spending so long in the chamber.

Like my brothers, I'm well practiced in the meditation. Still, so many fallen into insanity on their night ritual; I must steed myself from these wories. - Egranor's Notes, translated.

Early in the morning, before the sun rose, the elder Merlin came to retrieve Egranor and gave him the Sight of Mote ability. The motes were believed to be the spirits of the past that lingered above the ground. It was believed that the motes still had some of the power of the fallen spirits, and by returning them to the Brook soil and Glimmer Tree roots the initiate would be bestowed some of that power.

Egranor sought out and collected 7 motes. He carried them back to the base of the tree and buried them.

With each one I carried, I felt their energy surge through me. They each called to me, offering more and more power. To have kept all of their power to myself- it felt like I'd be unstoppable. I only recalled the failure of Erkaques and knew I must push through their call. - Egranor's Notes, translated.

Upon returning to the Glimmer Tree, Egranor found his childhood friend, Samir, under a rock. The Grim Reaper lurked near by.

Egranor begged for his friend's life. The Reaper told him only the power of an all-powerful Elf could stop him from collecting his toll.

The motes called to me once more. I knew if I used all of their power I could defeat the Reaper. Erkaques's fate once again kept me steady. I knew that by using their power my fate would be sealed. Yet the Reaper made not mention that power must be used against him. I withdrew the motes and presented them. To my astonishment he accepted. - Egranor's Notes, translated.

The Grim Reaper brought Samir back to life. Both Samir and Egranor were grateful, but now as the sun crested over the horizon, he had would not be able to collect more motes in time. He had failed his ritual and would be banished from the Glimmer.

Word of Erganor's deeds had reached the elders however.

By the time Egranor returned to the roots of the tree, the village was already celebrating. Rumors quickly spread amongst the village that the Winds had chosen Egranor for something much greater.

The leaves have foretold a great light in Egranor. - Ritual Speech, Merlin, translated.

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Realms of Whitmore - Hensford

"Henceforth shall these knights be known throughout the land as guardians of the peace and prosperity, hand in hand." - Proclamation of King Alistar the First

To respond to the growing threat of Bandits during the 6th Cycle, King Alistar invited some of the realms most respectable sims to discuss the matter.

Together they devised a plan to become knights of the realm.

Alistar tasked the local tailor and blacksmith to create gambesons and weapons for the newly formed knights. Later that year, the Knights of Hensford met officially for the first time to train. They continued to train throughout the year preparing for a battle with the bandits.

Word must have gotten out, because the bandit activity suddenly became less brazen and bold.

Meanwhile, the king commissioned for the castle to be expanded. Construction began almost immediately, but a project of such size was expected to take several cycles to complete.

On the outside, things were looking great for the Royal Family of Hopewell, but the poor heir, Basileus, dared not share a secret with his parents. His older adoptive brother, Marcus Wellborne, had started to coerce him into abdicating his birthright and convincing his father to pick Marcus as the heir.

Basileus was certain he could handle the pestering and knew his father would be proud at his strength to handle the issue on his own. Only time would tell however, if he truly could handle his older brother's plans.

You can watch the Realms of Whitmore in real time on twitch every Sunday at StandbyEntrance - Twitch.

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Realms of Whitmore - Komorebi

During the 5th Cycle, the village of Wakaba was growing but quickly running into a food shortage. The Komorebi Twins were wise enough to foretell this and began to search for a skilled farmer to settle in the area.

Luckily for the village, a young man by the name of Ichiro Midori was passing through town. Coming from a nomadic family, he was intrigued by the Temple of the Tiger and the village around it. Kamira convinced him to plant his roots there.

The Komorebi's build a small home for Ichiro and he set about planting some of the seeds they gifted him. According to their agreement, Ichiro and his family would pay tribute to the temple weekly and once he saved enough Simoleans he would open a new store in the village.

Shortly after settling, Ichiro met a young lady named Ayumi Tamura and the two fell in love. Ichiro proposed one day while she visited the garden.

Visit my stream at StandbyEntrance - Twitch on Sundays to watch the histories of Whitmore as they unfold.

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Realms of Whitmore - Patrons of Tartosa

In the 5th round, a small hamlet on the southern edge of the Terra Amorosa had developed into a small town. Seeing the advantages of incorporating the town, but having seen the pitfalls of monarchy in other kingdoms, the merchants of the town came together plan a form of government.

Tailor Vaughn Miranda, musician Francesca DeLaRosa, and jeweler Tybalt Rathbone- the most prosperous and influential merchants at the time- were chosen to lead the newly established Merchant Republic. Collectively, they were called the Patrons of Tartosa.

The three convened their first meeting in the DeLaRosa household. Faced with new taxes, they knew the towns people would immediately expect an improvement for the town. The three were had very different opinions on what the town needed most and how to raise funds for it.

Vaughn Miranda considered a community center for meetings and to educate the children the highest priority.

Tybalt Rathbone saw many businesses, including his own, lacking employees, and called for more housing.

Francesca DeLaRosa thought of Tartosa as Pillar of Culture. She desired a Cathedral to display the wealth and creativity of Tartosa.

At the time though, the newly founded Republic had no money to construct any of these things, and it was obvious the merchants could not agree. That was until Tybalt had an idea.

The First Great Doge-Off

The title of Doge of Tartosa would be created to be the leader of the Patrons of Tartosa. The first doge would determine what improvement to make to the town. A challenge of the trades, agreed upon by the patrons, would pick the winner.

Each would have four days to make as much money through their business as they could. 75% of their earnings would be given to the new government and the individual who raised the most would become the first doge.

Franchesca, convinced of her creative passions ended the meeting with a private performance for the other patrons. She was ready to set out the next morning to busk on the streets.

The gods did not look favorably upon her first day, as the clouds opened and a storm rushed the shores of Tartosa.

On the second day she went to the main square but found it to be mostly empty. She returned home dejected.

Her husband, Guillermo, spoke with her that night. "My songbird, there is nothing to fear. If the people won't come to you, go to them."

On the third and fourth days, Franchesca found crowds of people on the beach. She played for them and took many donations. After her cut, she earned $1,656 for the improvement funds.

Tybalt suggested the challenge as he was sure it was an easy win. However, he wanted to put the other merchants to shame, so he woke up very early each morning to create his most dazzling designs yet.

Once word got out, crowds would line up on the streets outside his workshop eager to catch a glimpse of the day's creation. Rathbone Jewelers earned more money in four days than it had any previous month.

Tybalt submitted $11,156 to the town treasury.

Vaughn had just expanded his tailoring business to include a florist. The plan was for his wife to supply the new addition, but with the competition looming, they decided to invest more and import a better variety of plants.

The Mirandas knew that Vaughn would need to focus on the business, so his wife, Lara, took the kids to their cabin in the mountains that they originally built when moving to the area.

The locals loved the new exotic plants and many, having developed friendships with the Mirandas, were decided to come together to support the business more than ever.

At the end of the fourth day, Vaughn turned in $13,253 to the treasury.

Tybalt was shocked at Vaughns success, but was true to his word and acquiesced.

That summer, the people of Tartosa set about constructing the new community center on a small island near the coast. The building, nicknamed the Piccola Luce opened later that year. Its interior was meager, given the lack of funds, but the citizenry were delighted to finally have a place to meet and send their children to school.

You can catch developments in Whitmore live on twitch at: StandbyEntrance - Twitch on Sundays 1:30pm Central US Time.

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Realms of Whitmore - Forgotten Hollow

To The Esteemed Mattias Fischer, Word of your masterful artistry has reached my fair valley. Having seen your enchanting work for myself, I have endeavored to charter your expertise to enshrine my portrait upon my castle. I believe you'll find the funds enclosed more than needed to appropriate travel. Your payment shall be tenfold once three likenesses adorn my wall. Earnestly Yours, Count Vladimir

The famed painter from Henford on Bagley was surprised to receive the letter stuffed with golden coins. He had just proposed to his fiancée, Gretchen Wolf and was looking forward to planning a modest wedding. He felt aggrieved that the man who wrote the letter was so assured he'd drop everything for the travel.

Together, the two talked it over and decided he would ignore the letter.

Ignoring the letter quickly became impossible however, as that night the Count appeared to Mattias in his dreams and beckoned him to paint his likeness.

Mattias was oddly enthralled by his likeness and compelled to paint his beautiful face. "A face like his.. I must paint it." He told his wife the next morning. "It will only be a week, and then I will return and we can be wed in a most grand marriage."

Gretchen helped him make travel plans and Mattias left the following morning.

Mattias arrived at the Count's Castle that evening and was greeted by the count himself.

The count invited Mattias into the Grand Hall where a bowl of the regions fruit had been prepared for him. Mattias had wondered why the count did not also eat, but his hunger spoke louder to him.

After Dinner, the count lead Mattias to his bedroom, and the artist drifted off to sleep.

Later that night however, Mattias awoke to sounds of a pipe organ echoing through the halls. He followed the sound to the Main hall again where the count was playing furiously. Mattias tried to interrupt, but the man was so engulfed in the music nothing garnered his attention.

Unable to sleep, Mattias wandered the castle. It was then that he realized there were no staff, no other inhabitants of the castle. It was just the two of them in the entire estate.

The only locked door he discovered was in the basement, where a chilling draft nearly froze him to death.

Worried the organ music wouldn't be the only thing keeping him awake now, he decided to turn back to guest suite and find a book to read. He however passed out before choosing upon a title.

The next morning, the two began the work of painting the Count's portrait. During the painting sessions, the count chatted with Mattias. His calming voice set Mattias at ease, but every now and then the man would hiss and it truly creeped Mattias out.

The next few days followed this pattern- organ music at night, painting all day. Mattias was amazed at how quickly the time was passing. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that there were periods of time where he was simply drained and blacked out.

After three more days of painting and restless nights of organ music, Mattias was shocked on the fifth night when the organ was silent. His sleep schedule was already skewed however, so when the Count invited him to accompany him on an evening walk, he agreed. When they returned the two laid upon the ground to watch the stars.

It was then that the Count made began flirting with Mattias. Mattias reminded the Count that he had a fiancée waiting for him at home. The Count began to lay it on thick, but Mattias did not budge.

Defeated, the Count mesmerized Mattias to forget the evening and left him to regain his thoughts.

When Mattias awoke the organ music was playing once more. He figured he must have been wandering aimlessly once more and made his way back to the guest suite to read once again.

After the seven days was complete, the count had chosen three masterpieces and allowed Mattias to keep the rest. "Keep them, gift them, sell them," the count told him as he ran his hand smoothly across Mattias's chin, "use them to show the people what a kind Prince the Hollow has." He kissed Mattias on the cheeks and bid him adieu.

Enchanted, Mattias would go on to do just that, and the Forgotten Hollow would have new blood within no time.

Check out the Realms of Whitmore in Real Time at: StandbyEntrance's Schedule - Twitch

[shoque]

Realms of Whitmore - Appaloosa

The Randicus Neadersimicus is the earliest know ancestor of Sims in the Appoloosan plains. The cave dweller is believed to survive mostly on the diet of fish, discovered fire, and learn the use simplistic tools. His tribe also displayed a surprising mature use of colorful chalk as a means of communication.

- Exert from the Whitmore Historical Society's Compendium on the Western Realms

While some might contest Randicus is a shoe-in for a sad challenge known as Breed Out The Unique*, he easily caught the attention of one of the female Neadersimicuses in the area. Cave art indicates she was known as Ponderosa Pine. The two of them spent many hours together, and their later cave paintings suggested they even tamed a horse together.

Ponderosa moved into Randicus's Cave where the two slept in bushes and bathed in a slow waterfall during rain storms. After several months of cohabitation, they welcomed a baby into the world. Though not much is known about the child at this time.

Above is an artist's recreation of a worn out cave painting. Through historical context and placement on the wall, its believed the scene was very important to Ponderosa.

It is through this depiction that we know Randicus and Ponderosa had a tamed horse as pet. The second man in the art is a mystery. His head turned away from Randicus may represent his subservient nature or that he was caught in a nefarious act.

The man does not appear in any other drawings so historians disagree whether this image depicts one of Randicus's first followers boosting Ponderosa into the equivalent of Appaloosa's first queen, or if Randicus had defended her against an intruder. Editors Notes: *Because it is a Breed Out the Unique Challenge Catch more of the realms of Whitmore every Sunday on Twitch: StandbyEntrance's Schedule - Twitch