#the rowntrees 1360s

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1369 Summer & Fall

Sabina was a fussy toddler before everyone in her family died or left, but she was often upset in her first months living with the Rowntrees. Sabina missed her dad greatly and didn't like living in a new place. She was also hungry because of the famine. If that wasn't enough, in the summer she got the mumps.

The best part of Sabina's day was playing with Kymmie. Kymmie was worried about how sad Sabina seemed and spent all her free time trying to make her happy. Kymmie also worked hard to teach Sabina how to talk, walk, and learn about the farm.

Meanwhile, Finnian decided it was time to grow up. Seeing the constant tragedy around him taught Finnian a difficult truth: being a serf was murderous. His family was living in a reality where their lives and safety didn't matter. Finnian wanted to get married and start a family, a family of working hands he would use to buy their freedom, no matter what it took. So, he agreed to go with Kymmie to visit their neighbors, hoping to find a future wife.

Kymmie wanted to go visit the Elvins because she had a bit of a crush on one of the Elvin men, Philipus Auker. Kymmie was usually happy being the old spinster of the village, but she enjoyed flirting a little. She knew nothing would ever happen between them - Philipus was a married man, and too good to cheat - but she could dream.

Finnian meanwhile chatted with Marigold, a childhood friend, and they got on well. Marigold was about his age and grew up into a very attractive teen. If Finnian couldn't have Regina, he could have a new woman. Marigold seemed happy to talk to him with others around, unlike Regina.

Before they left, Finnian gave Marigold a rose. He was excited to go home and fantasize about his future wife. Little did he know, Marigold was engaged to someone else...

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1361

1361 was a busy year for the Rowntrees. The family experienced birthdays, illnesses, arguments, friendships, and finally romance!

The year started with a happy occasion: Ursula growing into a toddler! However, shortly after Ursula, Jacquette, and Finnian all caught the chickenpox and were sick and miserable for the rest of the year.

Being sick made Finnian cranky, because he couldn't see friends or run around the farm. This made Finnian get upset at the smallest things, and he started unnecessary arguments with Sarah. However, she didn't care much since she was focused on her beau Gilbert.

Jacquette and Ursula weren't happy to be sick, but they didn't mind staying home together. Jacquette was mostly on her own until now and was happy that her sister was big enough for them to play together. They became close friends. Kymmie and Sarah were always busy working, so the girls especially needed each other.

The Rowntrees have been behind on rent, so Sarah and Kymmie have had to work extra hard to make money. Their last harvest didn't earn much and while Kymmie is shaping up to be a good worker, her sculptures didn't make much money. They ended up paying rent a couple weeks late, which made their lord very angry. Since Arthur's death the Rowntrees weren't required to farm their strip of land since there wasn't a man in the house and after the plague everyone argued for better working conditions, but the lord said that starting next year one of them would have to work as a maid in the castle to fulfill their duties to the lord.

This difficult news did not affect Sarah, who continued to go on secret walks around the forest with Gilbert. They talked and flirted and held hands. She knew she wanted to marry him someday, but for now, it was nice to have a relationship that was all her own. Besides, even if they got engaged it would be years before they would have the money to get their own plot of land.

On one of their walks, Gilbert and Sarah came across Loreta and Eli, Sarah's cousins. Eli, the most annoying of all cousins, yelled at Sarah. Loreta was more sympathetic, but she'd been friends with Sarah their whole lives and worried about her cousin's reputation.

"If you want to get married, you should introduce him to Kymmie," said Loreta.

Sarah thought this was a good idea. She'd been seeing Gilbert for a few months now, and even though she wasn't very close to Kymmie she would be happy to introduce him. Gilbert reluctantly agreed, but he was scared. He told Sarah some things, but not the depth of his family's hatred towards each other. He wasn't sure he wanted her to meet his siblings.

Despite his worries, Gilbert invited Sarah to his house to meet his siblings Isaac and Clarice. Gilbert was worried about how his family would react to a new person since they were often unkind to him, but there was nothing to worry about. Sarah charmed Isaac and Clarice with her good manners and kind nature, and by the end of the visit they both approved of the marriage. Isaac agreed to come meet Kymmie so they could arrange a union.

Sarah came home after that meeting and went straight to sleep from the exhaustion of having to impress strangers for hours. After Sarah left for bed, her cousin Loreta showed up, and was invited to play cards with Kymmie and Finnian.

The adults around thought of Loreta as a goody-two-shoes, but she loved to spread gossip. Feigning concern for Sarah, she told Kymmie what she saw in the forest earlier. Seeing young Sarah falling for someone reminded Kymmie of her own youth, and how her marriage trapped her in a family she didn't want to live with. Kymmie wanted Sarah to have the freedom she never got. She didn't want to interfere with Sarah's choices like Arthur and the other Rowntree men interfered with hers for years, but she didn't want Sarah to get trapped in a marriage. When Sarah finally told Kymmie about Gilbert, she reluctantly agreed to have Gilbert over.

If Sarah did marry, Kymmie wanted to make sure she married a good man. Kymmie appreciated Gilbert's creativity but wasn't sure he'd make a good husband. On one hand, she didn't want to control Sarah, but as the closest thing to a parent Sarah had, wasn't it her job to stop her from making a terrible mistake? Isaac was even worse. At first, Kymmie thought he seemed interesting, but then he started insulting her, which made her angry. Did this man not want his brother to get married!?

Sarah thought Gilbert made a decent impression, and when they were chatting he promised to do whatever it took to get approval for their union, which made her very happy. Meanwhile, Isaac continued to be rude to Kymmie, and she refused to put up with it, so she argued right back. This worried Sarah, because she wanted to marry Gilbert, but now it seemed like neither of their families approved. Will Sarah be able to marry and start generation four?

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1369 Winter & Spring

Content warning for death yet again, also famine and war, I love this challenge

The rumored famine came quickly, and the fields were bare soon after the beginning of 1359. The chickens had to go and the Rowntrees started fretting for their financial situation. With the entire village penniless, spending all their money on food on the rare occasion it was available, their shop was losing traffic. The second floor of the house still needed to be rebuilt after the fire, and that seemed unlikely.

During the famine food was scarce, and the family resorted to eating gruel for almost every meal. The Hedgecocks were especially struggling, and Kymmie was grateful she didn't have any young children to care for. Everyone was always hungry and exhausted.

Soon, Gilbert's sister Clarice passed away. Although she was often rude, her passing greatly affected Gilbert, who was now left to take care of a toddler and an entire house by himself.

This event completely destroyed Gilbert, and Kymmie did her best to help him. In the past two years, Gilbert lost his wife, sister, and two children. Gilbert couldn't imagine living on as a serf, with no crops to farm and no food to feed to his daughter.

In May, news arrived at the village: war was coming. The war from their parents' childhoods against France had returned again, and English peasants were wanted to go fight for the king. Gilbert came knocking at Kymmie's door that night with big news: he wanted to go fight. There seemed to be no point in staying at the village anymore. But he needed to make sure Sabina was taken care of. Would Kymmie take her in?

Kymmie had gotten close to Gilbert since they were the only two alive adults in their families, and despite the dangers of war, she knew this was the best thing for him. Kymmie was scared to take care of a toddler during a famine, but knew that with the store still somewhat functioning, she was the best parent Sabina could have.

Sabina moved into the household that night, and Kymmie was excited to have a kid to take care of in the house again. Now that Finnian was a teen, the two of them were growing apart.

Finnian was busy helping out in the house since the fire, so when Regina sneaked him into her bedroom, they hadn't seen each other in a couple of months. Finnian had been feeling complicated about his relationship with Regina, and they only amplified when he went into her house for the first time. Regina lived in a castle, and people cooked and dressed her and made her bed. Her bedspread probably cost more than Finnian's house. But he tried to be polite.

"I'm sad you haven't been around," Regina told him. "Especially with the war going on, I really need this relationship as an escape right now."

This annoyed Finnian. He tried to be polite but sitting in this bedroom, hearing Regina complain, reminded him of how much easier her life was.

"My sister died and my house got burned, and I had to spend all my time working so we can fix it. Sorry I couldn't be your escape, but unlike you, my family can't afford to have someone else fix our problems," Finnian spat. "And the war? My brother-in-law is going there, and unlike your wealthy relatives he's probably going to die."

Regina rolled her eyes. "You take everything so seriously! My dad is at war too, and I'm not complaining about it all the time because I try to find happiness in things and have belief in God. If you weren't always focused on the things going wrong around you, you'd be happy too."

"You only care about your own happiness, and you've just been using me this whole time for yourself!" yelled Finnian. "You always put me in dangerous situations that you know you'd be able to wiggle out of! You don't care about me or anybody else! And you made me waste my youth on somebody I could never have a future with!"

"If you hate me that much, you don't have to see me," said Regina in disgust.

"Fine. I won't."

Finnian sneaked out the same way he came in.

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1368

Content warning for death again :)

I built a new house for the Rowntrees yay!

Regina and Finnian kept seeing each other, and their relationship blossomed. Finnian was inspired by Regina's daring spirit to try new things. Throughout the day, he was frustrated by the tedious grind of being a serf, but at night he could escape his pains through adventures with Regina. She also felt stuck in her life of etiquette and balls and wanted to explore the village. They often walked through the forest, but one day Regina wanted to do something more fun.

One night she took Finnian with her to the house of the Widow Boykin, an elderly, somewhat-blind woman. They snuck around the house, peering into the windows, and saw Mrs. Boykin was asleep in her bedroom. Regina was buzzing from the excitement of peering into the lives of others and wanted to go inside the house. Finnian wasn't sure this was a good idea. Walking around the forest at night, sure, but getting caught breaking into a home?

"Come on, stop being so scared!" Regina said. "It's just a little fun."

Finnian relented, but he still wanted to be careful. "Fine, but we have to go through this window into the empty bedroom. We can't explore the whole house."

It felt a bit strange to sit on a bed with Regina. Finnian blushed just thinking about the things they could get up to. He wanted to be a gentleman, but he and Regina couldn't resist getting closer.

Regina and Finnian spent some time together, then they heard a sound coming from the hallway of the house. It sounded like slow footsteps.

Regina giggled a little from the excitement. "Let's go! Quickly!" she whispered, pushing Finnian out the window. They parted ways after the exhilarating exploit, and Finnian returned home.

Meanwhile, back home Jacquette and Kymmie played cards. Kymmie has noticed Finnian disappearing sometimes in the last year. While she worried about him, she did want Finnian to have his own life and didn't want to completely alienate him. Kymmie knew that since her son came of age, she needed to stay on his good side. Soon he will control all their fortune, despite being much less experienced than her in running a household. So, she and Jacquette retired to bed. But in her hurry to get into bed, Jacquette dropped a candle on the wooden floors and didn't notice.

Finnian came home to see the entire second floor on fire.

While Kymmie managed to make it out, Jacquette was stuck in the quickly spreading fire. Kymmie and Finnian heard her but couldn't go back into the house because of the danger from the fire. Finnian tried only to get burned without even making it to the second floor. Jacquette died while Kymmie and Finnian sobbed outside.

"Where were you?" yelled Kymmie. "If you were here, you could have saved her!"

Finnian had nothing to say. He felt so guilty for his niece's death.

The fire happened in the summer of 1368, but it was hard to forget about. Finnian and Kymmie spent the fall working overtime to be able to repair the part of their house that was destroyed in the fire. They both missed Jacquette greatly.

Finnian was especially affected by Jacquette's death. She was his best friend, and they grew up together. The only way he thought he could right his wrongs was to work hard to build the family back. Finnian stayed away from Regina that fall, and instead worked hard to rebuild the house.

In December, more bad news arrived. A traveling merchant arrived in town and passed on rumors from London: the peace treaty between England and France was fickle, and war may start up again in the next few months.

As if the Rowntrees haven't gone through enough this decade.

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1366

Content warning for death mention

Toward the end of her pregnancy, Sarah was frequently tired and could barely get through a day of household chores. But even as she was heavily pregnant, Sarah continued to spend a lot of time with Gil. Sarah didn't get much attention from adults as a kid, and she wanted him to feel seen and spend a lot of time with him.

In the winter of 1366, Sarah gave birth. She had been waiting anxiously because the pregnancy was so difficult toward the end. Women around the village told Sarah the first kid was the hardest, but she was hungrier and more exhausted with this pregnancy.

The birth was also difficult, but Sarah finally understood why the pregnancy was so hard on her body - she gave birth to twin baby girls! But they were both born small and weak, and the experience left Sarah completely depleted. A day after being born, little Marie passed away. But that wasn't the end of the troubles.

A few weeks after giving birth, Sarah collapsed during a dinner with family and friends around. She never got up.

Sarah's life was cut short, but she died during a very happy time in her life, when she was married to a man who loved her and had children she adored. Sarah improved the lives of everyone around with her love. Even Clarice mourned Sarah.

Due to Sarah's death, the rest of the year was difficult for Jacquette, Finnian, and Kymmie. They went through their days as usual, running the store and keeping the house and garden in shape. But the shadow of Sarah's death hung above them, and they were unable to find the little joys in life they usually did.

The Rowntrees also tried to support the Hedgecocks after Sarah's death and went to their house often to help Gilbert and Clarice take care of the kids. The whole family was struggling, especially little Gil who was very affected by his mother's death.

Surprisingly Clarice stepped up in the Hedgecock house and took care of Sabina and Gil while Gilbert was working. The family wondered what happened to make her like that, but they didn't question her willingness to help.

In the summer of 1366, Finnian aged up to a teen. He started practicing archery in his spare time to one day be able to hunt for the family. He also started helping Gilbert and the other local peasants farm their land, so he could one day become a farmer himself.

Towards the end of the year, things were finally looking up. The extended family had a nice family dinner. Gilbert and Clarice both also aged to young adults this year.

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1360

content warning: mention of death (as always lol)

1359 was a difficult year for the Rowntrees due to the deaths of Arthur and Alexandria. However, for Kymmie there was one point of light in the darkness: she was now the head of the household. When Kymmie first married David Rowntree, Arthur and Sarah's father, she was ignored by the others in the house. Now, as the mother of future heir Finnian and the only adult, Kymmie saw a bright future for the first time: running her own farm and family. She started woodworking, which she always loved, and her little statues made most of the money for the family. She knew in order to keep this freedom she could never marry again, but that was okay. She could still have other close relationships, like with Touilda. Kymmie was starting to realize she wanted something different than a regular friendship with her, and she tried to get the courage to talk to her friend about it.

But then terrible news arrived: a fire started in the Bridgford home, and while the rest of the family was fine, Touilda was badly burned and died from the injuries. This death was very sudden, and especially affected Kymmie. She managed to push through Arthur and Alexandria's deaths, but now her only friend was gone? She kept imagining a future with Touilda, a future she could barely think of without waves of shame washing over her, a future that was now impossible. Kymmie spent the rest of the year dealing with the waves of anger and sadness constantly hitting her.

Meanwhile, the kids continued to grow. Ursula was a healthy baby and survived the first few months of life, aging up to an infant. Being the only adult around meant that caring for little Ursula and Jacquette fell to Kymmie. But she was happy to take care of these little angels. The children were the main points of happiness in her life, the only distraction from her sorrows.

Little Finnian also started helping out more with the farm. He enjoyed the work. As a hot-headed sim, Finnian often got frustrated easily by small problems, and getting to run around the farm doing various chores and switching up activities kept him happy. He was glad to grow up and have responsibilities rather than just staying home all day.

Jacquette was also happy. While she was sad to lose her mother, time moved fast for a little toddler. She quickly got used to being taken care of by Kymmie and Sarah, and was happy to play on her own and explore the house as long as there was an adult around.

Fifteen-year-old Sarah was not doing as well as her younger brother and nieces. She had to step up and help take care of the children. While she spent a lot of her childhood fishing to make ends meet, Sarah wasn't used to being in charge of taking care of kids or cleaning the house. Sarah found these tasks very frustrating and was completely miserable at the end of each day. But she kept being the good girl the family needed her to be, and never complained.

To relax, Sarah took to playing the lute that Alexandria loved to play. She started playing to feel closer to Alexandria, but then found she enjoyed it.

Sarah thought the lute would be her one refuge from the daily grind for the next few years, but during the fall of 1360, a miracle walked into her life. She went to visit the Hedgeford family along with Kymmie to trade, and was re-introduced to Gilbert, their son about her age who she used to play with when they were little. Gilbert had grown up to be a handsome and responsible young man, and Sarah was immediately attracted to him. They got along great and Sarah felt more comfortable talking to him than anyone else she knew. Gilbert was also an orphan, and the middle child in his family. They both knew what it was like to be forgotten, to feel lonely. Sarah missed him as soon as they went back home.

Soon after, they ran into each other while collecting berries in the forest. Things quickly turned romantic - he told her how beautiful she was and they held hands. Sarah was over the moon. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. Gilbert was more subdued, but Sarah could tell he was enjoying himself as well.

For the first time in years, Sarah was blissful. The usual wall she locked her feelings behind, the voice in her head that told her to be good and agreeable, the expectation to work tirelessly for the family just to be ignored -- these were all gone. There was just her and the trees and a gorgeous boy. So she planted a kiss on Gilbert's lips.

Gilbert smiled afterwards, but he was a bit awkward, and quickly ran away. Sarah didn't care though. This was the best day of her life. She now had hope for a future she'd never imagined for herself before: one where she would be taken care of.

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1360s Recap

I started posting this challenge in 1357, so this also includes some major late 1350s events. This decade saw 8 deaths, 3 births, and 1 marriage for the Rowntree family. I've been trying to get back to a large family since the famine, but it has not been working. Hopefully, once Finnian is married a large family will be possible. Everyone died left and right this decade, here's hoping fewer sims will in the next one.

Births

Ursula Rowntree (1359)

Ursula Rowntree was born in 1359 to Alexandria Butterfield Rowntree and Arthur Rowntree. Her father died shortly before she was born and her mother died at the birth, but she was raised by Kymmie Betts Rowntree, her step-grandmother.

Gilbert Hedgecock Jr. (1364)

Gil was born in 1364 to Gilbert Hedgecock and Sarah Rowntree Hedgecock. He was loved by both his parents who wanted him to have a happier childhood than they did.

Sabina & Marie Hedgecock (1366)

Twins Sabina and Marie were born to Gilbert and Sarah Hedgecock in 1366. Unfortunately, Marie and Sarah died soon after the birth, but the family was glad to welcome more children into the world.

Deaths:

Arthur Rowntree (1339-1359)

In 1359, the Rowntree heir Arthur was mauled by a bear. Arthur was a kind father to his young daughter Jacquette and a loving husband to his wife Alexandria. He was also a protective older brother to his younger sister Sarah. Arthur was a farmer but made most of the family's money by woodworking, which he was talented at. He died at the young age of 20.

Alexandria Butterfield Rowntree (1338-1359)

Alexandria Butterfield Rowntree was a loving wife and mother. She loved caring for her own daughter Jacquette as well as Finnian, another child in the house. She was also a talented lute player. Alexandria died in 1359, shortly after her husband Arthur, while giving birth to her third daughter Ursula. She died at the young age of 21.

Ursula Rowntree (1359-1362)

Ursula (left) was a friendly and happy toddler, despite growing up an orphan. She was especially an affectionate sister to Jacquette. She died of chickenpox at the age of 3.

Sarah Rowntree Hedgecock (1345-1366)

Sarah had a difficult childhood and lost many relatives, but she never let it wear down her spirit. Sarah always worked hard to provide and care for her family. She was a great big sister to Finnian, and always helped Kymmie care for Jacquette and Ursula. Sarah created the life she always wanted and guaranteed her own happiness by marrying her sweetheart, Gilbert Hedgecock. As a wife and mother, Sarah loved and cared for her children. She thought it was important to spend a lot of time with them and for them to always be happy. Sarah died shortly after giving birth to twin girls Sabina and Marie, but her big heart will live on with her family. She died at age 21.

Marie Hedgecock (1366)

Marie Hedgecock was born with her twin Sabina Hedgecock in 1366, but they were both very weak and Marie died soon after. However, she was loved by her family.

Gilbert Hedgecock Jr. (1364-1367)

Gilbert Hedgecock Jr. was a curious toddler who enjoyed exploring the house and loved learning from his mom. He died from the mumps at the age of 3.

Jacquette Rowntree (1357-1368)

Jacquette was a warm-hearted toddler, but after the death of her sister, she became more of a loner child. Although she wasn't the friendliest, she loved spending time with her chickens and always worked hard around the farm. She was also very close with Finnian. Jacquette died tragically in a fire at the age of 11, leaving her family heartbroken.

Clarice Hedgecock (1346-1369)

Clarice was a mean-spirited older sister to Gilbert, because of their stressful childhood. However, after their older brother Isaac died and Gilbert got married, she became nicer and helped care for GIlbert's kids after his wife Sarah's death. Clarice died from the 1369 famine at age 23.

Marriages

Sarah Rowntree & Gilbert Hedgecock (1364)

In 1364, Gilbert and Sarah got married. They were 18 and 19. Gilbert and Sarah met a couple years before and fell in love, but couldn't get married because their families didn't have the money. However, after Gilbert's older brother Isaac died, he became the heir of their farm and finally was able to marry his love. Gilbert and Sarah went on to be very happy for the next two years and had three children, but their marriage did not last long due to Sarah's death.

[aviandtheseals]

Screenshot dump Rowntrees UDC 1357-1369

I couldn't figure out how to get the teens to marry until after Sarah got pregnant... oops

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1367

Content warning death mention per usual :(

In the year 1367 different members of the family became more independent.

Now that Finnian was 14, he could start becoming a full-time farmer like other peasant men in the village. Since Finnian didn't have any older male relatives, Gilbert took his late wife's brother under his wing. The Hedgecock and Rowntree families stayed close even after Sarah's death because there wasn't anyone else in the village for them to rely on. Finnian enjoyed being outside, but caring for crops felt repetitive and he was bored easily.

However, he did enjoy learning to hunt with Gilbert. He loved the high-stakes feeling of tracking animals, and always practiced shooting arrows in his limited free time.

Even though Finnian was easily frustrated with farming, Gilbert wasn't worried. He assumed Finnian would grow out of his childish impatience, and he was glad to mentor a young man. Gilbert knew how important Sarah's family was to her, and he wanted to help them as much as possible.

Mentoring Finnian in farming also helped Gilbert keep his mind off the troubles of his own family. In the winter of 1367 GIlbert "Gil" Jr. became ill and died. So soon after the death of his wife and baby daughter, this death depressed Gilbert.

Gilbert also worried about his one surviving daughter Sabina, who aged up to a toddler. Sabina and her twin Marie were born small and weak, and Sabina was expected to die soon after her sister. Although Sabina surprisingly survived the first few years of her life, she was still sickly. Gilbert couldn't bear the thought of his only surviving family member besides his sister dying.

Meanwhile, Jacquette still missed her dead sister Ursula and kept getting up at night to talk to her ghost. During the day Jacquette was a quiet kid who was usually alone while Finnian and Kymmie were working.

She still talked to her family but was becoming more isolated. Her main conversation partners were the chickens. Kymmie and Finnian were too busy with their own lives and work to worry about what little Jacquette was up to.

Finnian became busier in the spring of 1367 when he helped Gilbert deliver goods to the nobles' castle. Finnian spotted a beautiful flower on the castle's grounds and even though he knew it was not allowed, he sneaked to go pick it for Jacquette and Kymmie.

Unfortunately, Finnian wasn't alone. He was caught by a girl about his age dressed in expensive clothing. Finnian assumed she was one of the nobles, but he'd never seen her before. Regardless, he was terrified of getting in trouble and tried to make up some excuse. The girl was unbothered. She introduced herself as Regina Keating, a cousin of the local nobles, and she thought it would be cool to get up to some flower-stealing mischief.

Finnian and Regina quickly got to talking. She was permanently living with her cousins, turns out, because her father and brothers went to fight in the war. At first Finnian was weirded out by her joking and mischievous nature, but he quickly fell for her charm and humor.

One thing led to another and soon Finnian was making up excuses to go and visit Regina. Finnian liked talking to her. She was witty and knowledgeable, telling him tales of wars and heroes and far-away seas. He also enjoyed the thrill of stolen moments alone, the excitement of this wealthy girl being all his.

Finnian also started sneaking out at night to talk to her. They were both young and imaginative and passionate. When they were together, time stopped. They were in their own joyful bubble. Finnian and Regina were very aware of the class differences between them and that they could never get married. They started talking about running away together. They knew in the back of their minds that wasn't possible, but it was still nice to imagine.

These nightly adventures made Finnian happy, but they also weighed heavy on his heart. Maybe it was silly, but Finnian really wanted to find true love. He was torn between his dreams of a fairytale love story and the very real society that would never let him marry Regina. How long could he keep living like this?

--

Sorry this post was somewhat late, I'm taking an online class so I will probably start posting less frequently, but I do have some cool storylines brewing up that I'm super excited for!

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1365

This year was fortunately uneventful.

Jacquette and Finnian got used to being on their own and continued to improve at gardening and fishing.

Finnian and Jacquette are getting older, so they can go visit places around the village when Kymmie is at work. They went to visit Jacquette's cousins the Bridgfords, and hanging out with other kids helped them be less lonely.

Sarah's home was a very nice place to be because of all the love around. While Gilbert was hesitant about having a baby at first, he immidiately fell in love with Gilbert Jr. (or Gil, as the family called him). Sarah and Gilbert loved each other and their son, and even Gilbert's sister Clarice was becoming nicer. This had a positive influence on Jacquette and Finnian, and they both wanted one day to have the happy family Sarah had.

Kymmie also came to visit, and enjoyed helping Sarah take care of Gil.

In the spring of 1365 Sarah found out she was pregnant with another child. GIlbert was very excited, and so was Sarah.

Meanwhile Isaac's ghost was breaking all the Hedgecocks' furniture at night.

In the fall of 1365, Gil aged up to a toddler. Sarah continued to dote over him and loved teaching her son different skills.

As the Rowntrees' community was growing, they also met a new friend named Marigold Elvin. The kids have never had friends their own age other than their cousins, so they were happy to hang out with someone new.

Sorry this and the last post were shorter than usual, there isn't a ton going on right now but there will be next year, Finnian is almost a teen and will finally start his own family.

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1363 & 1364

1363 was a very eventful year for the Rowntrees. After deaths dwindling the family size for years, new members are finally joining our story!

In the winter of 1363, Jacquette aged up into a healthy child.

While Jacquette was a very social toddler and always wanted to be around her family, she preferred to spend time alone after her sister's death. To contribute to the family, she learned how to fish from Finnian and Sarah. Her reserved and focused nature made her very good at fishing, and her catches made a lot of money for the family store.

During 1363, the business did very well. They paid a fee to the lord so their shack was now an official shop! Little Finnian was getting older and started helping out by running the store sometimes. There was barely enough time in a day to make enough items to keep the store running, but everyone worked hard.

Finnian was also having a hard time. Ursula's death made him very angry. Finnian was mad that his family members kept dying, and Kymmie and Sarah had to work very hard to keep them afloat while the lord had a giant castle and lived happily.

Sarah tried to explain to Finnian that's just how life was, but he wasn't interested in listening. Finnian asked Sarah how they could be rich like the lord, and Sarah said they could buy their freedom, but it would cost a lot of money and even then they would still be peasants. Finnian didn't listen to the second half. He now had a new goal: buy the family's freedom. Sarah laughed at her brother's silliness, but she still had hope for her own future.

In the summer of 1363, the Hedgeford family experienced a great tragedy: Isaac, Gilbert's older brother, suddenly died from a disease. This was a hard time for Gilbert and Sarah tried her best to comfort him. Gilbert had complicated feelings, because he'd always had a strained relationship with Isaac.

But in the back of her mind Sarah knew that now Gilbert was the heir to his family's farm. They didn't need to save up money anymore, he could marry her tomorrow!

And he did! Shortly after, Gilbert proposed to Sarah, and they married that fall.

They married with their families not there because I couldn't figure out how to marry teens so they just held hands in a church, but their families were there in spirit.

Kiss!

Then they consummated their marriage. Hoorah!

Sarah enjoyed married life. Her entire life in the Rowntree household, Sarah knew that if she failed at her duties of gardening or fishing, her family could lose their home. Now she still had to run her own household, but she had a husband who promised to always take care of her and tried to shield her from hard situations. Sarah was so happy not to have to worry about everyone else and instead have someone worry about her.

Sarah got comfortable with her new family, and then found out it will soon grow. She became pregnant soon after getting married. Sarah was excited to give a new person the happy childhood she did not get to have, but Gilbert didn't feel the same way.

Gilbert was worried about having kids because of his own negative childhood experiences. He didn't want to bring people into the world just for them to suffer. He also worried they didn't make enough money to have a child. Although he wanted children eventually, Gilbert didn't think he was ready.

Regardless of the worries, Sarah gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Gilbert Jr. She hoped her husband would come to love him as much as she did.

Jacquette and Finnian both missed Sarah a lot once she moved out but losing their older sister/aunt brought them closer together. They fished all day and kept the house clean while Kymmie was working for the lord. By the end of 1364 Jacquette and Finnian became best friends. Hopefully, they will both survive long enough to stay that way.

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1362

Content warning: child death (fake children it's the sims)

In 1362, the Rowntrees were mostly focused on making money and keeping up with their rent and taxes. However, lucky (and unlucky) birthdays still managed to strike.

The chickenpox was still hitting Jacquette and Ursula hard in the winter of 1362, and they were both agonized. As the weeks went on Jacquette began slowly recovering, but Ursula just seemed to get sicker and sicker.

Ursula became so tired she would randomly pass out. The family took Ursula to one of the wise elders in the village, who said what they already knew in the back of their minds: Ursula's little body was not strong enough to survive this disease. The family concentrated on making Ursula's last months of life as happy as possible.

Sarah played with her, and she got to spend a lot of time with her sister Jacquette.

One night at the beginning of spring, Ursula peacefully passed away during her sleep. The entire family mourned. Of course, young kids dying was common, but after Alexandria died during Ursula's birth, little Ursula was one of the only signs of hope in the Rowntrees' lives.

Jacquette was especially affected by the death. After that day, she became much quieter than she was before, and preferred to be by herself. She greatly missed her best friend. The family hoped her grief would heal as time went on.

One of Sarah's greatest comforts during this difficult time was Gilbert. Together they discussed their future, and they both decided to work hard and make as much money as possible. Perhaps if they were both bringing more money to a marriage, their families would agree to let them wed. This inspired Sarah to work hard on the farm.

Running the household became harder, since Kymmie spent most of her days in the lord's castle, cleaning and cooking. When Kymmie was home she made woodworks and tended to the garden. Sarah was left to take care of Jacquette and Finnian. To help the family make money, she took on candle-making. Even Finnian helped by taking care of his beloved chickens.

Everyone's hard work paid off, and the family was able to open a small store in the fall. They sold their eggs, fish, wood sculptures, and candles. It finally seemed like they were on a good path financially for the first time since Arthur's death.

Considering the success of the business, Sarah decided to have a serious sit-down conversation with Kymmie about her future with Gilbert. With the store's profits and her existing dowry, Sarah could soon marry if she wished.

When she first met Gilbert, Kymmie was unhappy about Sarah potentially marrying someone, because of her negative experience being married to Sarah's father David. However, Kymmie became an adult that spring, and being 30 gave her a new perspective. All her life the people she loved constantly died. How did she survive that? Concentrating on her own happiness. And if marrying would make Sarah happy, she should. Kymmie relayed this wisdom to her stepdaughter.

Kymmie and Sarah agreed that for the next year, they would work on getting Isaac to agree to the marriage. Sarah would get a dowry of $1000, about 1/2 of the money saved up, and the rest would go to Jacquette and Finnian if they reached adulthood. And Kymmie would be glad to support whatever life decision made Sarah happy. Sarah was ecstatic, because $1000 and Gilbert's inheritance would allow them to get their own plot of land. The future looked bright.

[aviandtheseals]

Introducing the Hedgefords! (Rowntree UDC 1360s)

Gilbert Hedgeford (teen) - Sarah's love interest

Shy, creative

Gilbert is a quiet young man. Like Sarah, his parents died from the plague when he was little. Gilbert was left to be raised by his older half-brother Isaac. Isaac was unhappy to be a parent, and often clashed with Gilbert's sister Clarice. Gilbert had to help a lot around their farm from a young age. All Gilbert wanted was to escape his stressful home life, which he did by imagining himself in stories. Gilbert spent his childhood dreaming of a life as a prince, knight or magician. He was never close to either of his siblings and they had no extended family so he didn't have any close relationships. Gilbert doesn't have much practice with loving others and communicating clearly due to his neglectful family.

Isaac Butterfield (young adult) - Gilbert's brother

Hot-headed, mean, loves outdoors

Isaac had a tumultuous childhood. He was born to a couple who didn't love each other and only married for convenience. His father then died, leaving him heartbroken. Isaac's mother remarried Mr. Bridgeford, who did not care about Isaac, only his own kids. Then both parents died during the plague, leaving Isaac to care for his younger half-siblings. Isaac always held a grudge against Clarice and Gilbert for getting attention from Isaac's mother and stepfather. Because of these experiences, Isaac grew up to be a cruel and angry young man. He frequently uses his power in the household to demean Clarice and Gilbert, and especially argues with Clarice.

Clarice Bridgeford (teen) - Gilbert's sister

Snob, outgoing

Clarice got through a difficult childhood by always considering herself superior to others. Her positive self-image allowed her to stand up to the bullying of Isaac, but not to have a good relationship with Gilbert. Clarice now wants to find a husband so she can move up in the world, but that is proving difficult due to her meager dowry.

[aviandtheseals]

The Rowntrees Ultimate Decades Challenge Masterpost

All challenge posts

1370s

1360s

1350s

Character introductions

Decade recaps