#townsend family

[townsenddecades]

All You Want To Know And More

Why, hello there! Glad you made it to my corner of the internet.

This blog is meant to chronicle my most recent playthrough of Morbid Gamer’s Ultimate Decades Challenge, following a family of sims for many generations from the 1300s onwards. I started my first playthrough sometime in the first half of 2023 and had got to the end of the 15th century before the urge struck me to start another one in a more medieval world.

This is the challenge you’ll be seeing on this blog. More infos under the cut.

A note on my posting habits: I have a queue that puts out one post per day. Initially, I wanted to refill that queue after every five years played, but I'll probably switch that to after every year played so it isn't so much work at once.

Current Households (spoilers if you aren't caught up, obviously)

Family Tree (even stronger spoiler warning because it's up to date with my playing, which is years ahead)

Navigation:

Introducing the Challenge

Gen 0: Benedict & Anne Townsend | 1300 | 1305 | Recap 1300 - 1309

Gen 1: Benjamin & Malika Townsend | 1312 | Recap 1310 - 1319 | 1325

Links:

Morbid Gamer’s Ultimate Decades Challenge

Plumbob’s and the Past’s UDC

My Mods and CC

If anyone is interested, I could upload my spread sheet as well, but I currently don't have it online.

Some technical details

I’ll be playing this challenge in The Sims 3, which means no Ye Olde Cookbook, Royalty Mod, Simple Living Lot Trait or the like, but I’ve heavily modded my game to achieve a more immersive gameplay.  This challenge will start – but likely not remain in -  the gorgeous custom world of Praaven, which is both medieval and completely roadless.

A link to a post with the mods I use can be found above.

This challenge will be more historically inspired than historically authentic, both because the game has its limitations and because my scant historical expertise lies more in the early 20th century.

For the most part, I’ll be following the rules defined by Morbid Gamer, with some deviations:

I’ll take some inspiration from Plumbobs and the Past’s ideas to make the challenge a bit more interesting. For example, when my sims go fishing, I’ll have them pay a fee, I’ll deduct 10% of the proceeds for whatever they harvest or sell from household funds, I will use PATP's dowry rules, and probably more.

Instead of starting with three teenagers, I decided to start with two young adults that have already been married for a bit and have two children and a toddler. I had a bit of a story in mind involving the proverbial lady of the house and the local Earl, so I wanted to jump right into the action.

As Sims 3 has no option to plead with the Grim Reaper (although you can play a match of chess with him or be saved by your pet, but you would have to have a pet that likes you for that to work, or both a chess table and enough skill points) I substitute that action with rolling a d4 when a Sim I’d like to live rolls to die. If it’s a 4, they survive.

Since I think it’s boring if most sims (barring historical events) die at exactly 6/13/20/30, I’ll sometimes roll a die to see how many years of life a sim has left. Those years can never be more than the sim would have to live until the next life stage. If, for example, a sim fails their young adult roll, I’ll roll a d10. 10 means the sim dies immediately, 5 means they live to be 25, etc. A teenager or a child, accordingly, can only roll a d7.

Illegitimate children are not automatically out of the running, they just rank after all their legitimate siblings in the succession. So it's legitimate sons, then legitimate daughters, then illegitimate sons, then illegitimate daughters, and after that the nearest-related side household. Rule may be taken liberty with as is dramatically convenient.

For the most part, no re-marriages for side households. The heir, however, can and will remarry as necessary.

I’ll be starting with a family of farmers, the Townsends, but just for the fun of it, I’ll also be rolling for the two resident noble families, that of the Earl of Petersmarch, who resides in the city of Praaven, and that of Baron Elbenhawke, whose family seat is in the hills just above the Townsend’s village. As they are not even proper side households, I’ll only mention the nobles’ fates on the side, mostly as a little info text at the end or mentioned in the story as relevant.

Honestly, I’m just curious about how long their lines will last.

I've taken some heavy inspiration for the layout of this info page from @lilabella12, whose wonderful Decades Challenge you should really go check out.

Trigger Warnings:

Death (even of children, toddlers and infants) due to a plethora of causes

War

Epi- and pandemics,

Maternal death

Stillbirths

Likely at least mentions of miscarriages

Mentions or depictions of various substance abuses

References to sexual assault/coercion

Religion

Adultery

The sims featured in this likely often just won’t have a good time

[grimbunnies]

Asia: “Go fetch! Leave Chop Suey alone!”

[dreamofstarlight]

Kathleen, Courtney, Kerry, Chris, and Rory Kennedy release a statement after RFK Jr’s endorsement of Trump

[queen-daya]

Every KC Cooper Outfit (9/?)

“Alright I'm just gonna say it. Does this little mama have an off switch?”

[george-the-good]

On a Sunday near Ebb and Flow, Cape Province, the King and his family had another of their rare ‘whole holidays’. Matins were held, with all of us sitting round a long table, in a shaded grove, (which had been previously cleared of a dozen deadly puff-adders). Afterwards, the King and his family embarked in a small boat; they were accompanied by the Minister of Transport and his wife, whose combined weight - no mean one - gave the royal boat a decided list as it navigated towards the place where a braaivleis (barbecue) had been arranged. The braaivleis over, the Royal Family and everyone else stretched out on the grass and dozed off.

Not long afterwards, a loud snoring woke me; it was the King, who lay on his back, dead to the world, affectionately watched by his elder daughter. He slept on another ten minutes, while, one by one, people around him stirred and sat up. Then he himself awoke, with that shy, boyish look he always had when slightly embarrassed. In a moment he was on his feet and striding off on a walk through the bush, leaving his youngest daughter, Margaret, still fast asleep.

PETER TOWNSEND - Time and Chance (1978)

[this incident took place during the 1947 tour of South Africa]

[kennedy-family-library]

Robert F. Kennedy's Funeral, June 8, 1968.

[queenpiranhadon]

Lmao just finished The Naturals

⚠️SPOILERS BELOW⚠️

Why in the world is my brain connecting certain elements of the story to other fandoms???

Like for example- Cassie’s little romance predicament.

In Kotlc, you’ve got Sophie, Keefe and Fitz right. Cassie is someone with the ability to get inside of people’s heads. Y’know who else can do that? Sophie Elizabeth Foster ladies and gentlemen.

And Sophie was in love with two others during the course of the story.

One of them being another person gifted with the talent to get inside other people’s heads. This being serious and experienced Dean Redding. Who else matches the description? Fitz Avery Vacker.

And last but not least, a boy gifted with the ability to read emotions. He’s sarcastic and witty, and is willing to wait for our darling female lead to love him back. Micheal Townsend and Keefe Sencen anyone?

It’s also hilariously ironic that the girl is the one with blue eyes and the boys both have brown in the Naturals.

My how the turns have tabled.

Moving right along to the Inheritance Games-

The descriptions for Locke and Toby’s handwriting are exactly the same like WHAT. Part cursive, part print hello??

Not to mention swimming therapy XD

And not to mention Locke- am I the only one who pictured her to look like Handler from Spy x Family??

Like:

In all seriousness through, I really like this series- finished it in less than 24 hours soooo yep

Thanks for reading my ramble hsbjkwlaksbwj

[unnoodles]

This is the first edit I made so beware it's probably not that good.

These characters are so dear to my heart. I need everyone who hasn't read the naturals to do it right now. <3

[hoyt-and-cavanaugh]

[streettealee]

We as TSC fans are all aware that Emma Carstairs... is not a descendant of Cordelia Katāyoun Carstairs, right? The Cordelia that is Emma Carstair's mother is a Townsend (don't ask why she is then named Cordelia, I don't know the ties there).

Cordelia is Jace's ancestor, his direct ancestor. We can still say Emma and Jace are connected via her through the family tree, because Cordelia's the sister of Zachary, who carries on the Carstairs line, but it feels rather inaccurate to say Emma is descended from Cordelia, if that makes sense. And Cortana easily could have still passed on through the Carstairs if the sword chose one of them over Cordelia's child and grandchildren.

I don't know, just, without Cordelia's descendants, that line of Herondales doesn't exist and I think her tie to them overrides the idea that any Carstairs are descended from her. I'm just voicing this because I've seen a few things that seem to imply Emma is Cordelia Katāyoun Herondale née Carstairs' descendent when I'm not sure it's very accurate. The definition I found of a descendent includes being of blood, and I suppose you could say Emma shares that with Cordelia, but do you see where I'm getting at? Zachary shares Cordelia's blood because they're of the same parents and family, but it's Zachary's line that Emma comes from, not Cordelia's. Emma and Cordelia are family, but not... in the way where she's descended from her. She's like a great great great aunt. Who has her own descendants, especially because she also married into another family.

Then again, I suck at family trees, I probably have this all wrong. Feel free to give your own takes or correct mine, I'm trying to make sense of where we're at with this.

Maybe the only difference is between descendants and direct descendants that I'm getting muddled up and it's not that big of a deal.

[roki-roki-roll]

YES!!! GIVE US THAT SICK MENDIE CONTENT!! (Love how you draw them tbw)

Thank you! I love them dearly and I’m glad others are liking how I draw them.

I am a sucker for families (as I too have one of those)

[townsenddecades]

1320 – Day 1 – Lüghaven Woods

It is a bit of a surprise when Elea not only conceives again but gives birth to a set of twin girls.

In the years he has lived and trained with Elea, Simon has learned not to question her marriage to Sir Silas. At first, he hadn’t known she was married at all; only when Mariora had mentioned a visit by her father had he even begun to think about his teacher’s spouse. It hadn’t seemed strange to him that a witch living hidden in the woods wouldn’t find anything amiss about having a child out of wedlock.

But Mariora isn’t out of wedlock. Technically, Elea, as wife of a knight, is Lady Ellesmere, but she doesn’t use the title, because no one knows about her marriage.

It would draw too much attention to her, she says. Sir Silas visits every few weeks, that is enough.

It’s strange, to him, for the marriage to be this much of a secret, but he doesn’t ask. That does not mean, that he is happy about the two noisy infants in the small house, especially when he wants to practice, or spend time with Mariora, who helps her mother in taking care of her little sisters.

He is practicing his magic in the relative quiet outside one evening when Mariora walks out, looking strangely dejected. He immediately drops his hands, and the shapes in sparks he had drawn unto the air dissipate after a moment. He has learned years ago that looking at his magic makes Mariora wistful. Despite being a witch’s daughter, she has no magical talent herself, although she is proficient in making potions. But that is practice, not an ability one is born with.

“What’s wrong, Ora?” he asks, when she has spotted and walked over to him. By the way she had just stood there for a moment, breathing deeply, before spotting him by happenstance, it is clear she has just wanted to get out of the house and hasn’t been looking for him at all.

She shakes her head. “Nothing important. I just can’t take Mother doting over my sisters anymore.”

Both of them are witches. Unlike her. It has to sting.

“I’m not too fond of the screaming either”, he says, in an effort to guide her thoughts elsewhere. “I’m happy for your mother of course, but did it have to be two?”

He had intended to make her smile. She doesn’t. Instead, she looks out into the forst. “I might as well just leave”, she says quietly. “She has what she always wanted. Witch daughters that she can pass her knowledge on to. I’m not necessary anymore.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” He hates seeing her so despondent. She should be happy. He wants her to be happy. More than anything.

“But it is. My whole life, she’s talked about how much she wishes I had been born a witch. And now, she has two of them.” She shakes her head. “You won’t get much of her time either, in the future. You’ll see.”

“Surely, once your sisters are older…”

“Maybe she’ll teach you”, Mariora concedes. “Or maybe now that she can teach your own flesh and blood, you’ll be unimportant, like me. I, for one, don’t want to stay hidden away in the forest forever.”

It’s suddenly hard to breathe. “You wouldn’t really leave.”

“What is there for me here, Simon? Honestly.”

“Me”, he answers, without thinking. “I’m here. And I don’t want you to leave. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

She looks away. “I like you, Simon. I really do. More than I thought I would. I even thought…But I can’t stay, not even for you.”

“Then let me go with you.” There is no other thing for him to say. Because she’s right: at least for a few years, her mother will be preoccupied with her twins, and if she wants to continue his training after that is anyone’s guess. More than that, however, he knows that he can’t let Mariora go.

She stares at him. “Go with me?”, she repeats. “And what about your training?”

“We needn’t go far”, he says. “There are houses in Lüghaven that could be fixed up. We could live there, just the two of us. No screaming babies. I could even walk over to your mother to continue my training, if she is willing to do it.”

“And why would you wish to do that?”

“Because I can’t imagine being without you. I may have come here to train, but meeting you has been the best part about it so far. I can’t bear the thought of you going away and never seeing you again. Please. We need not stay in Lüghaven forever. Just for the beginning.”

A slow smile spreads over her face, and her hands find his. “Why, Master Simon, that almost sounds as if you had plans for us to stick together for a long time.”

“I do”, he assures her. “I want to spend my life with you, Ora. Magic or not. I want you to be my wife.”

And just like that, their decision is made. She gives him a ring she had been given by her father as a token of her affection, they make promises to each other, and start immeditately making plans of going over to the ruined village in the morning to look for a suitable house.

Prev: 1320, Day 1, Part 1/2 <--> Next: 1320, Day 2, Part 1/2

[grimbunnies]

Porter: It’s over, Joshua. I have the high ground. My ears are no longer your chew toy.

Richard: “I’m sorry. You’re right, I have been different. I think this election, my ex-wife turning it into an extension of our divorce, is stressing me. You mean so much to me, Amber.”

Amber: “Then I need you to try a little harder. I have a job, too. She comes in from time to time. She’s friends with my boss. I know things can be stressful, and I know it’s that much worse for you. But I’m not a maid or a chef or a child, I’m your partner. At home, let’s act like partners.”

Richard: “Agreed. Partners. Till death do us part, just as we vowed.”

Amber: “Now, let’s make up the right way.”

[dreamofstarlight]

RFK Family Portrait at Hickory Hill - 1957

[queen-daya]

Every KC Cooper Outfit (16/?)

“What kind of pep talk was that? I'm assuming you were never a cheerleader.”

[rinadragomir]

𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘

𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦

𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦

𝐿𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦

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