DarcieBeeSims

Having communicated behind the scenes, the Larsens invite the Millers to a family dinner one summer evening. Conversation flows over homemade tomato soup, cheeses and freshly baked bread, and though the hour grows later, an unsuspecting Grace is encouraged to walk alone with Gabriel in the farm outside.

The family cow and chickens are quietly sleeping, but atop the barn, they innocently trade childhood stories of Esther Larsen schooling them both in the basement of this very same house. Grace remembers escaping to the barn to avoid holy book study, to which Gabriel chuckles that he once did the same. The forced conversation soon grows awkward though as they both struggle for topics to share, and a restless Grace wonders what her parents might be discussing as the moon climbs higher above the ocean view.

All is finally revealed as they return to the main house, where Amos Larsen happily announces that the two families shall soon be joined by marriage. With the Millers blessing secured, he gifts a blessing upon the newly betrothed couple and a prayer to the Watcher.

As the two families applaud, a flustered Grace looks to Gabriel and asks… "Did you know?" "No," he nervously laughs in return.

He doesn't have the heart to admit that he's know all evening, nor that he wanted so desperately to say something to her in the barn, but couldn't find the words…

The Larsens have lived on the Watcher's Island for four generations. The late Amos Senior in fact founded The Village, and though the family do not reside in The Village central, their modest home is only a stone-throw away. Named after his grandfather, Amos (junior) is now the de facto 'leader' of The Village and main preacher. His wife, Esther, meanwhile home schools the village teenagers, preparing them for their young adult life as model villagers. Between them, they have four children, of which Gabriel is the second born and only unmarried son.

Unlike his older brother, who walks in his father's footsteps and intends to win over The Village council's approval; Gabriel is quieter and prefers the company of animals and nature rather than people. Villagers describe him as a friendly face, strong and reliable, but he lacks the charisma of his father and brother. Until now, he's been overshadowed by his older brother, whose marriage to a councilman's daughter and the subsequent birth of their first child, has lessened the pressure on Gabriel to be wed. At twenty-two though, he's deemed a ready candidate for marriage either to a fellow villager or a recruited outsider. However, due to his quieter nature, his father has always been reluctant to send him away as an important 'missionary' tasked to recruit new blood into the cult. So the Larsen's must look towards The Village itself to grow the next branch of their family tree.

Grace is the main protagonist of my new 'Cult Legacy Challenge' save file, written by MyLittlePonyOh.

She's a newly aged-up young adult (just celebrated her nineteenth birthday) who was born into a cult community/commune known simply as 'The Watcher's Village' or 'The Village'. The cult are worshippers of the Watcher but follow a more extreme regime away from the rest of society, which they view as 'poisonous to the soul'. More about that later… :wink:

Her parents (Abram and Clara Miller) joined the cult in their mid-forties, having worked as a doctor and nurse respectively out in the 'real world' of Brindleton Bay. For years they tried for a child of their own, going through three rounds of unsuccessful IVF treatments, and more or less giving up hope. One Sunday, they were handed a pamphlet outside their church by the late Marshall Larsen, and several months later had packed up their lives, sold their unnecessary belongings and moved to The Village. Several months later, after celebrating their first harvest festival with the village, they discovered by the clemency of the Watcher that they were pregnant.

Grace is therefore known as a 'miracle' child - her entire identity within the Village is centred around the joy she brought to her parents. The Village is all she has ever known, and now that she's a young adult, it's her duty to marry a fellow villager chosen for her by Amos Larsen - the village guide and preacher. Due to their medical background, her parents are highly valued within the community, gaining her father a position on the Village Council. It's for this reason that she's been matched with the preacher's middle son, with a wedding planned before the pivotal Harvest Festival.

Hi simmers! I've been craving more seasons/holidays inspired gameplay for the cosy autumn/winter vibes, so I've made my own very first legacy challenge called 'Holiday Bouquet'!

There are 6 generations to play through in chronological order, but you can start with any gen as #6 will loop back into #1. So if you want to start with Harvestfest (gen 2) then you absolutely can.

I might make an extra notion tracker as the challenge is very word heavy with lots of objectives, but for now you can make your own googledocs copy and use the tickboxes as a basic tracker.