Findocherty Myle | Episode One: Angelica's Story

 Meet Angelica Flowers.

Angelica is not from around here, and by 'here' I mean, Earth.

Her home planet is far, far away, and she misses her pointy-eared family desperately. Success, however, on Ange's world means exploration and the attainment of knowledge. Ange is working on her PhD.

One of the rites of passage required of Ms. Flowers is a lonely stint on an alien world, during which the student must learn all he/she can for as long as the society endures. Then the student, having kept careful logs, will present themselves and their findings before the Grande Council of Old Codgers to be duly judged.

Ange has chosen a feudal Age on a middling planet and settled into a tiny hamlet, called Findocherty Myle. She is hoping to observe its growth and plans to try many experiments.

She purchases a small serf's cottage near the crossroads, and notes that it borders on an oaken grove. There's an old man tending the grove.

Ange hopes he isn't one of those fanatic types; one of her school mates had had a hard time in Simlish Egypt in that period just after the crucifixion. Ange had no wish to be burned as a witch by ignorant locals.

She will have to mind her Ps and Qs.

Her cottage turns out to be a literal hovel; one tiny L-shaped room with a fireplace at one end and a toiletry alcove at the other. A pallet on the straw floor would be her bed for the foreseeable future.

And itchy underwear.

Angelica looked around the miniscule lot. She would have to find ways to make simoleons. There were a couple of trees and some bushes, and a quick forage turned up some nuts and fruits. There were even some leaves to be harvested. Excellent!

There was a nice plot of sunny ground on the west side and she quickly raked some compost over it and planted the tomato seeds she'd brought from the homeworld. There would be food!

Of course things were in severe disrepair. She supposed she should be grateful she had 'indoor plumbing' since she was smack-dab in the middle ages.

Now where was that book? She remembered unpacking it... and yes! The Universal Simlish Manual that had been a going-away gift from her mother. She opened it reverently and turned to the Mechanical Section.

Having skimmed a crash course in left-hand threads and the effect of gravity on liquid, Ange manages to get her 'shower' back into semi-working order.

For the time being, anyway.

However, there's not a lot to be said for medieval plumbing in general and as she was mopping up the privy for the umpteenth time [yes, she had already fixed the shower] she decided to trade the ol' barrel in for a wooden tub which was a bitch to clean but at least it held water.

And, she could have bubble baths.

This certainly was turning out to be a strange neighbourhood. Just after some guy knocked on the door and walked away, leaving a huge pink parcel on the ground which, quite frankly, Ange was afraid to touch, this old geezer wanders up and introduces himself.

The old dude shocked Ange by telling her he spotted her as an exotic foreigner right away, that it was child's play for him. Then he asked which Elven tribe she belonged to and she relaxed.

Turns out the guy is a retired warlock and makes potions in his spare time, would she like to try some?

Ange is thrilled and jumps at the chance; this could be a great way to further her personal education by learning how to make this stuff and maybe selling it for profit, as well. Win, win!

She and the warlock part ways and promise to keep in touch.

My goodness, but this was a busy little hamlet! Ange had been hoping for a quieter assignment but at least it would be good for any business ventures she might try.

One of the sims visiting the lot did not seem to be hanging with the others, who were off in the roadway gossiping about their host.

The gypsy introduced herself as Brittany Simpson and told Ange she was not like the others; that she could see it in her crystal ball. 

Ange thought it was probably her pointy ears that tipped the old woman off but was pleased to find she was talking to another potion-maker. She immediately purchased ten bottles and thanked the lady, promising to keep in touch.

A few days later the time came to adjust Angelica Flowers' Lifetime Want (LTW) to something that in this era. can be actually attainable.

Creator's Note: Since no one can have an actual job, they have to earn their living via professions and activities that would sustain a medieval community, such as farming, hunting, fishing, basically anything for which they can forage, make, and/or barter with other sims.

I had to wait until she had points enough to buy the machine AND get her golden, then I saved and had her run through Fortune and Knowledge over and over, resetting until one or the other came up with an attainable LTW. I was hoping for Maxing All Skills under Knowledge but ended up with Earn §100,000 under Fortune. So Ange has to settle for Knowledge as her Secondary Aspiration.

Finally it was Market day [Saturday in my game, I run a weekly schedule] and Ange applied for a business license on her invisible (she hoped) phone. She was selling nuts, sap, potions, and posies crafted on her herbal preparation apparatus, which is on loan from her university. She locks her doors so the neighbours can't spy on this piece of futuristic technology of which they would certainly label 'witchcraft'.

Ange finds she really likes selling stuff. It must be her new Aspiration because she is feeling decidedly money-hungry. This could be fun!

"Tiffany Zarubin is the rudest, snottiest, overbearing old harridan ever to grace the mud streets of Findocherty!" Ange rages to herself after being publicly snubbed for her 'sub-par' potions. The nerve!

Creator's Note: This little scene was total hilarious. I didn't actually catch exactly what happened but Ange's expression is priceless! Tiffany certainly said SOMETHING to her.

Ange decides the best revenge is to play it cool and ignore the old attention-seeker. She mans the cash-register and stares off into space.

Creator's Note: I am looking for default replacements for both the register and NPC clothing that actually work. So far, no success.

It works! Tiffany is noticing. Hmph! Ange thinks, there's a new bitch - I mean, witch - in town, you old hag!

Market Day finally comes to a close and Ange rings up the last customer. She actually made a few bucks and tomorrow, Sunday, she will tithe the Laird his due, §4000.

Such a nice ending to Market Day; this little dog named Tiffany (curse you, Tiffany Zarubin!) came by. Ange seemed to like her and needed some Social anyways.

Creator's Note: I never play dogs so I decided to try this one and did my best to befriend her but she ended up leaving. Hopefully, she will return and if she does I will have Ange try again.