Simmer since the beginning. Mostly TS4 these days, but you might also know me as Morganna from Plumb Bob Keep or the author of the Chronicles of Albion.
I'm Morgaine, and I've been a Simmer (off and on) since the TS1 days. Twenty-five years later, I've decided to finally take the plunge and start a dedicated Simblr.
While this is my first Simblr, this isn't my first rodeo. I also was (am?) Morganna over at Plumb Bob Keep and the author of the Chronicles of Albion. I've also posted Sims-related content over at my main blog. These days, I am exclusively Simming in TS4, but TS1 and TS2 will always hold a special place in my heart.
If you're an old friend - welcome! It's wonderful to see you again. If you're a new friend - hi! How are you doing? Take a seat and tell me about yourself.
What You'll Find Here
I'm primarily a storyteller and a builder, which expresses itself in several ways:
Sims 4 Builds: I've been creating a ton of builds for a new save file, plus taking photos of old ones. If I can figure out how to safely share (and give credit for) builds using CC on the Gallery, then those will be shared. Until then, it's pictures-only.
Sims 4 Sims: CAS is not my favorite places to be, but I do enjoy styling my Sims. Expect me to post a lot of lookbooks and makeovers. Again, if I can figure out how to safely and simply share CC-enhanced Sims with credit, I'll be doing that.
Worldbuilding: I love worldbuilding, and I've thought a lot about the larger world of TS4 and SimNation might look like. Expect a lot of posts about the regions, politics, and religions of SimNation.
Stories: The save file I'm currently working on will be the setting for a story-focused neighborhood. But I can't start on that until I get the save file ready.
I've also created some mods with Mod Constructor. I'd need to get a lot more confident in their functionality and my ability to fix problems before I tried to share them. But you never know! I learned how to use Canva last week to make that title card. Maybe next month, I'll figure out how to hand-code and hand-update the mods I've made.
That's about it! If you actually read this far, thank you. I hope to see you around as I post more!
The Congregation of Non-Believers has set out to replace religion in its followersā lives - and in so doing, they have discovered that āritualā seems to be a load-bearing portion of most Simsā psyches. Any institution that seeks to supplant religion without including ritual is doomed to failure. Thus, over decades of trial and error,Ā the Congregation has come up with a number of rituals to help Non-Believers mark their lives. Here are the Congregationās rituals for birth and aging up.
Birth
Non-Believers reject the idea that the birth of a new Non-Believer needs to be marked with a ritual. First, babies are barely cognizant of what is going on around them and do not form stable memories until much later on - a ritual marking a birth would have very little effect on the āguest of honor.ā Second, there is no such thing as a ābornā Non-Believer (or Peteran, Jacoban, Cultist, or Treader). Only adults can make an informed decision about what religion they wish to belong to.
Speaking of adults, while any ritual to celebrate the birth (or adoption!) of a baby would be lost on the child, the childās parents are another story. So the Congregation of Non-Believers focuses its birth-rituals on the parents, not the child. They helped to pioneer the baby shower, and today, many Learning Centers will host periodic baby showers with donated gifts for parents and parents-to-be in need. Many Learning Centers will also organize practical assistance for new parents, ranging from meal trains and afternoons of chores to stayovers and babysitting. The objective is to make the new parents feel embraced and supported by their community as they embark upon this exciting (and exhausting) new chapter of life.
Aging Up
Non-Believers are very leery of bringing up a child in any religion, including their own, holding that inculcating a child into a belief system that cannot be fully proven is nothing more than indoctrination. Because of this, they donāt have rituals meant to guide young children through the stages of life. Learning Centers absolutely offer educational programs for young Sims, but these educational programs are fact- and skill-based and stay out of any potentially āreligiousā content.
Once Sims enter into adulthood, itās another story. Many Learning Centers will throw ālaunch partiesā for their young adults just leaving high school and embarking into the wider world. During the party, each Sim will have a chance to address the members and explain what their plans for their next chapter are. Often, these young adults will be given a free student or single Sim membership to the Learning Center for one year.
Non-Believers next mark the entry into middle age with āwisdom parties.ā Like launch parties, these typically honor an entire cohort rather than a single individual. During the party, each guest of honor is invited to name one thing they wish they had learned sooner as well as one thing theyāre looking forward to in this new stage of life. These observations are often meant to be humorous, though usually at least a few guests will lay out sincere regrets or aspirations. The idea, according to many Non-Believers, is to laugh, cry, and laugh until they cry.
Non-Believers do not have a specific ritual to mark the entry into elderhood (many Non-Believers are not exactly thrilled about their senescence). But retirement parties are very popular among Non-Believers, especially those who have had long and successful careers. These parties are meant to honor individuals, not a cohort, and usually the guest of honor will give a speech about all they learned during their career - as well as all they hope to learn in retirement. Learning Centers will not go out of their way to host these, but those Learning Centers that offer event space for rent are often very popular destinations for retirement parties.
To learn more about the religions of SimNation, click here!
And thanks to his lovely wife Miranda and their four beautiful children - now he has that someone.
Everyday and Formal looks.
Of course, from the outside, it didn't always look like that. As the eldest child of Gran Belomisia's First Director, Cipac was born in the spotlight. And he relished it. Lavish, a Lovebug, and a Party Animal, Cipac was a tabloid staple before he even graduated from high school. His luxurious parties, larger-than-life persona, and turbulent romances (including a whirlwind affair with and extremely messy divorce from the one and only Judith Ward) made him a household name and helped him win the favor he needed to become Gran Belomisia's Lead Actor.
But all that changed when he met Miranda.
Athletic and PJs.
Most people take one look at him and Miranda and see an age-old story: older man marries younger woman so he can access beauty, youth, and liveliness; meanwhile, she gets wealth and fame. But that's not what their story is about.
You see, Cipac has always been Domestic at heart. He wanted a Big Happy Family. (That's part of why he and Judith divorced so messily: he wanted lots of kids; Judith wanted none.) And Miranda? She came from a big family. But it was never a happy one.
Together, they could forge a better future.
Party and Swim.
And so they married and had their family: first Miztli, then Tonalli, then Ameyalli, and finally (surprise!) Zolin. They created a warm home for their brood. And of course, they continued their work: Cipac as Lead Actor, and Miranda as a public relations specialist.
Cipac has his amazing wife. His beautiful children. He's building the Big Happy Family he always wanted. And yes, he and his family have wealth and fame and some measure of power - and all the downsides that come with all three.
But he's content. Because at the end of the day, what more could he ask for?
I've always thought that National Parks were kind of useless as a lot type. (No shade to real national parks.) And, well, if there's any world outside of Chestnut Ridge that's excellent for horsey fun, it has to be Henford-on-Bagley, right? There are few things the English love more than their dogs and their horses.
So the Isle of Volpe Stables was born! This will be a custom venue with plenty of horse activities and stuff for Sims to do.
ā ļøĀ Death Trigger: ćĀ š¬Ā ć
Work on the Robotics Workstation to risk electrocution
ā„Ā Pack required:Ā Base Game
š»Ā Ghost Quirks:
ā¦ Performs Hand Buzzer prank when angry
ā¦ Possesses electronics to break them
More Death TypesĀ Ā [Ā xĀ ]
šĀ Biji
Ā»Ā He switches from deadly serious to complete nonsense faster than most people blink.Ā Ā«Ā āĀ Mr. Mortis
ā¦Ā Genetics
ā±Ā Hair ā¢Ā šĀ 1Ā +Ā 2 ā¢ Skeletal Hands ā¢ Markings
ā¦Ā Clothes
ā±Net Top ā¢ Pants ā¢ Boots
ā¦Ā Accessories
ā± Hand ā¢ Mask ā¢ Robot ā¢ Tattoo ā¢ Plugs
Is a religion without rituals really a religion at all? The Peteran faith doesnāt think so. It does its best to fill its followersā lives with rituals of all kinds, from major touchstones during the lifecycle to smaller, everyday acts of faith. Here are the Peteran rituals for birth and aging up.
Birth
Peterans are always thrilled to welcome a new little Peteran into the world! While Peterans donāt initiate believers into the fold until they become young adults, they do stake their claim to young ones as soon as the parents will let them - itās literally called claiming.Ā
The ritual looks very similar to the Jacoban ritual on a surface level: parents bring their little one (infant) to a mission as soon as possible; a clergy member will say a blessing over the little one and talk to the parents about how to raise the child according to Peteran principles; and then the babyās name will be entered into the mission register. However, the theological implications are a bit different. Instead of the child being claimed as a Peteran, theyāre instead claimed as part of their particular family. In times of much higher child and infant mortality, this ceremony was believed to ensure the soul of the child would be reborn to this family should they happen to die before they could start their Soulās Journey. The Peteran Church has never officially repudiated that belief, but this day, itās thankfully much less necessary.
Aging Up
Until very recently, the Peteran faith only had major religious rituals around two age transitions: child-to-teen and teen-to-young-adult (more on that in Religious Initiation). However, since the Industrial Era, theyāve also started celebrating the toddler-to-child transition.
The toddler-to-child transition is linked to the official start of school. On the Sunday before the First Day of School, all children Sims and older toddlers about to start their first proper schooling are invited to the altar of the mission during services. There, the officiant gives a sermon about how important it is for them to take their education seriously and enjoy it as much as possible. The children are then all individually asked what theyāre looking forward to most and given a blessing, then sent back to their parents. The following Sunday, any children who are now in school start their religious education.
The child-to-teen transition is celebrated in much the same way that the Jacobans do it. Once a year, all teens who have aged up in the past year are encouraged to approach the altar and state the aspiration and bonus trait they have chosen to the congregation. After the teens have spoken, the officiant gives a sermon on the importance of all aspirations and how each can be used to learn important lessons and continue on the Soulās Journey. Teens also have their first āadultā lessoning at this stage.Ā
Every so often, some mission thinks it would be a grand idea to have a toddler-age ritual for those toddlers who are starting preschool, run along similar lines as the toddler-to-child transition. This flight of fancy usually lasts as long as it takes for someone to remember how hard it is to corral a bunch of toddlers for any length of time (or until everyone involved learns this the hard way), and then it is swiftly abandoned.
To learn more about the religions of SimNation, click here!
ClĆmaco Aguilar was born to be a disruptor. The only question that faced him as he grew up was this: what was he going to disrupt?
Everyday and Formal looks.
For a young man in Gran Belomisia with a Disruptive streak a mile long, a career tech would seem like a natural fit. Unfortunately for the tech world, ClĆmaco is also a High-Maintenance Music Lover. The tech world simply wouldn't have the patience for a prima donna who hadn't proved his jobs, and ClĆmaco was never into coding anyway.
So he went into music. There was just one small problem: he didn't have the talent to be behind the mic.
Athletic and PJs.
No matter! ClĆmaco had plenty of aptitude to be behind the scenes. He always was a Quick Learner, after all, and his entire life's ambition was to be Career-Focused. He found work as a Music Producer shortly after graduating college and was looking forward to a lucrative career of remaking the music industry as Sims know it.
And that's where ClĆmaco is now: happily married, making bank in the music industry, the proud father of a successful son. One might say that his disrupting days are done.
1 Palacio del JardĆn: On Ley Line, Natural Light, Regal Residence
2 Palacio del JardĆn: On Ley Line, Natural Light, Family Friendly
3 Palacio del JardĆn: On Ley Line, Natural Light, Party Place
4 Palacio del JardĆn: On Ley Line, Natural Light, Chef's Kitchen
Lot Challenges: Quake Zone (identical for all units)
Download? No, has all the CC.
More pics and info under the cut!
First things first: if you want to see this lot in ALL its glory, go check out the Palacio del JardĆn WIP tag on my blog. In it, I talk extensively about how I created this lot and what I was going for.
This is just going to be the highlight reel.
So let's get to it!
Shared Spaces: Gardens, ballroom, throne room, pool, gym, yoga studio.
Is a religion without rituals really a religion at all? The Jacoban Church doesnāt think so. It does its best to fill its followersā lives with rituals of all kinds, from major touchstones during the lifecycle to smaller, everyday acts of faith. Here are the Jacoban rituals for birth and aging up.
Birth
The birth of a new Jacoban is always a joyous occasion! While only adults can be properly initiated into the faith, Jacobans do stake their claim on the littlest Sims - literally, they call it claiming. Jacoban parents are encouraged to bring their new child to the nearest Jacoban church as soon as the child can safely leave the house (i.e. is an infant freed from the bassinet). There, the shepherd will enter the childās name into the parish register, give a blessing to the child and parents, and give the parents a lecture on how to raise the child to be a proper Jacoban.
Aging Up
For the most part, Jacobans do not have religious rituals around aging up - though individuals and families are welcome to celebrate age-ups however they choose. The exception to this is the teen transition, when young Sims choose their first āadultā aspiration (i.e., one that comes with a bonus trait).Ā
In times past, on the Sunday after their transition, teens would go to the front of the church, announce their aspiration, and listen to the shepherd give a lecture on how they could use their newfound aspiration and bonus trait to better serve the Watcher and the church. However, the population has grown far too much for that to be practical. Now, all the children in a given parish are grouped together by age for religious education. As they near their teen transition, they are treated to lectures about the different aspirations and which ones are the easiest to use to serve the Watcher. Then, once a year, all the teens who have aged up over the past year are featured in a special service during which they announce their aspirations to the congregation. The shepherd then gives a sermon explaining how all the aspirations and bonus traits can be used to serve the Watcher and the church.
The teen transition is also when Sims have their first āadultā confession.
To learn more about the religions of SimNation, click here!
There are some royals who are magnets for scandal. And then there are royals who are bloodhounds for it. Scandal may not find its way to them, but if there are any secrets or scandals about them, they will find it.
Zeltzin has always been one of the latter sorts of royals.
Everyday and Formal looks.
As the only daughter of the First Director of Gran Belomisia, Zeltzin was born in the center of it all. From her earliest childhood, she was surrounded by whispers, gossip, and rumors. "Did you hear about so-and-so? Can you believe he did that?"
Zeltzin was never particularly interested in being the center of scandals on her own. But if something was going on, she had to know all about it.
That's probably why she became a Seeker of Secrets with a mile-long Dastardly streak.
Athletic and PJs.
Most Sims don't suspect her of it. Creative, Self-Assured, and Worldly, Zeltzin knows how to put others at their ease. She's made sure to keep her own reputation impeccable - she has no desire to become a family disappointment like her Aunt Citlalli. Even her husband, ClĆmaco, and son, Manuel, don't know the half of it.
Party and Swim.
But Zeltzin knows - or aims to know - all of it. Every last underhanded deal Uncle Julio tries to sneak through. Every last bit of backstage gossip from Manuel's set. If Cousin Brytani's dog starts pooping rainbows or Cousin Elia accidentally mixes up the salt and the sugar, Zeltzin wants to know!
Hot Weather and Cold Weather.
But what does she do with this knowledge, you ask?
That depends. Sometimes Zeltzin keeps it to herself, content that she knows (or at least, knew first).
And sometimes ... well.
Zeltzin is a noble herself (a Supporting Actor of Gran Belomisia). She knows that royalty must protect themselves, for no one else will do it for them. So sometimes, when the timing is right ... Zeltzin will let others know as well. And then sit back and watch the chaos unfold.
It's the least she can do for herself, her family, and her region, after all.
I surprised myself with how much I added to this neighborhood! I threw in a swing set just outside the park as well as some street art and a neighborhood voting board. I added some water emitters all around the fountain. Throw in some hopscotch, marbles, and birdies, and now there are OPTIONS in this neighborhood!
I am excited to introduce to you the Ankara Collection (volume 1)
There are a total of 28 items (3 of which are merged in one file). All pieces are standalone and I believe you can consider these maxis match.
This top:
is a recolor of thisĀ crop top by synthsims. So youāll need that mesh in order for the recolor to appear.Ā
I hope you guys enjoy the pieces. I had so much fun doing this and I will definitely continue. If there are any issues with any piece please let me know so that I can fix it ASAP.
DOWNLOAD
I now have a TOU which can be found here .. my main request is not to claim them as your own.
Comments and Suggestions are welcomed and appreciated!
Is a religion without rituals really a religion at all? The Treaders of the Occult donāt think so. They do their best to fill their followersā lives with rituals of all kinds, from major touchstones during the lifecycle to smaller, everyday acts of faith. Here are the Treadersā rituals for appeasing Watcher-beings, temple visits, and restoring harmony
Appeasing the Watcher-Beings
Treaders believe that Watcher-beings (which they sometimes call āspirits,ā āCelestials,ā or even just āWatchersā) are everywhere, constantly guiding Creation and keeping it on an even keel. Any reasonable Sim would and should feel gratitude when they reflect on all the Watcher-beings do. And even if gratitude isnāt in the cards, any halfway sensible Sim should realize itās much better to have the favor of the Watcher-beings than not.
With this in mind, itās no surprise that Treaders put plenty of time and effort into keeping the various spirits sweet. Many Treaders, especially in the Shih Shores, put up spirit houses so they have a place to leave offerings. Home altars dedicated to specific Watcher-beings are also popular. Plenty of Treaders will also honor the ancestors as part of their mission of appeasing the spirits, burning incense or leaving offerings in flames or running water.
Treader authorities say itās important to appease the Watcher-beings and/or ancestors regularly - though what āregularlyā means is open to interpretation. Most Treaders will take some time to honor the spirits and ancestors multiple times per week. Devout Treaders will send forth prayers and offerings once a day. And Sims who are very devout - or very in need of divine assistance - might make multiple offerings a day.
Temple Visits
By and large, Treaders do not believe itās necessary to āregularlyā visit a temple. Temples are under the control of priesthoods who (as some more cynical Treaders will put it) do the work of constantly appeasing the Great Watcher-beings so the rest of the believers donāt have to. Routine gatherings to worship are just not a thing among Treaders.
But Treaders will visit temples on special occasions. Holidays are a prime example of this, with most Treaders paying a visit to specific temples on Love Day, the Festival of the Sea, the Day of the Dead, and Winterfest Eve. Treaders will also visit temples for certain lifecycle rituals, like aging up or coming into their powers as an occult. And of course, Treaders will also visit a temple if they feel they need the assistance of a specific Watcher-being.
Whatever the purpose, a temple visit typically follows a set routine. First, the Treader pays their respect to the Watcher-being to whom the temple is dedicated. They will often pray or make an offering (or both!) at the Watcher-beingās altar. If they need a favor from a Watcher-being, they will speak with a priest to learn how they can best honor and appease that Watcher-being in the hopes of winning their assistance. Finally, they will perform some devotional act to show their dedication to that Watcher-being. The act depends on the Watcher-being in question. For instance, a visit to a temple of the Grim Reaper might involve cleaning some graves, while a visit to a temple of the Flower Bunny might involve feeding or caring for animals. Donations can also be offered in addition to or in lieu of devotional acts.
Restoring Harmony
Harmony, of course, is the chief Treader virtue. All of a faithful Treaderās acts should be aimed toward increasing harmony in the world. But Treaders are only Sims, and they will mess up sometimes - causing discord, indulging in prejudice, ignoring empathy. When that happens, itās up to the wayward Treader to do what they can to restore harmony to their own life and the world in general.
Treaders believe that in order to be valid, the impulse to restore harmony must come from within. So a Treader who is cognizant of having done wrong is encouraged to reflect and meditate on their wrongdoing (often literally). The Treader should examine not just what they did wrong but why they did it. Then, after they have spent some time in self-reflection, they should consider what might be done to put the harm right again.
Actions that restore the lost harmony should be practical and directly tied to the wrong that was done. Sincere apologies, promises to do better, and even restitution are all appropriate ways to attempt to restore harmony with another Sim. āOpposite actionsā are also a favorite way to restore harmony; if a Sim caused hurt to another with insults and cruel words, they should seek to restore harmony with sincere compliments and disinterested kindness. Many devout Treaders believe that the harmonious actions one performs should be āworthā twice as much as the discordant ones. For example, the discord caused by one insult can be amended with two sincere compliments - assuming, of course, that the Sim one insulted actually feels better after these compliments.
Treaders believe harmony-restoring actions that are likely to be most sincere must be the brainchildren of the Sim who did wrong in the first place. But they also understand that even Sims who are trying their best can get stuck and not be sure how to right the wrong they did. In this case, itās permissible to talk to a priest or elder to try to gain some perspective or ideas. Neither priests nor elders can grant any kind of cosmic forgiveness - their role in the exercise is to be a sounding board and brainstorming partner, not a stand-in for the divine. Only the Sims who were wronged and Creation itself can offer forgiveness.
To learn more about the religions of SimNation, click here!
SimNation has decided, for better or worse, that its heads of state should be completely divorced from politics. That makes a certain amount of sense in a nation that purports to be a democracy. Yet while a head of state cannot and should not be directly politically involved, they still have a great deal of wealth and power. And like all Sims, they have friends, relatives, and in-laws.
So the question arises: how closely related can a politician be to a head of state before it becomes a problem?
Julio Cruz is hoping the answer to that isn't "brother-in-law," because if it is ... it might be a problem.
Everyday and Formal looks.
A born Insider and a bit of a Health Nut, Julio has long believed that Practice Makes Perfect. That's why he went into politics young. His intent was to rise to the top of Simoleons for Everyone, or at least get far enough to fulfill his main aspiration: using his Business Savvy to become a Mansion Baron.
Athletic and PJs.
Then he met Citlalli. Sister of Ocelotl, Gran Belomisia's (then) new, young First Director. Julio was smitten. Citlalli was smitten. They fell in love. They married. They had a wonderful child, Elia, and raised them well.
In theory, that should have been the end of Julio's political aspirations. If he insisted on still being involved in policy work, he should have gone into nonprofits or advocacy.
Party and Swim.
But Julio has always believed that rules are things that happen to other Sims. And Citlalli agreed.
So Julio stayed in politics.
And has it worked out for him?
Well ...
Hot Weather and Cold Weather.
He's not going to mince words: he's stalled out as a Public Official for Ciudad Enamorada. Though he'd like to run for higher office, party officials are well aware that many voters see SFE as the party of the elite. Putting the brother-in-law of the region's head of government too high on the ticket would not be good PR.
But it's not all bad. Julio is easily the biggest political player in Ciudad Enamorada. And being married to a member of a royal family means his dreams of a big, fancy house are achievable no matter what he does for a living.
So overall, Julio is pretty happy with how things turned out. Is anyone else happy?
