#cornelian

                                              ~ The Newlyweds ~

The charismatic and stalwart Gunther ‘Shrimpie’ Goth has been entrusted with a great responsibility since he is the only son of Victor and Gretle Goth. The future of the family company rests in the capable hands of Gunther, and his marriage to Cornelia is meant to seal the deal. He has shown that he has what it takes to tackle the challenges of a growing corporation, and his bravery in the matter is highly regarded among the Moonlight Falls society, and soon, beyond the Old Country. 

He has had his dalliances and past mistakes (like his previous marriage to the late Lolita Goth), but now he seems eager and ready to start anew and continue the family legacy. He understands now that he must follow his head more than his heart if he wants to prevail. As his father always said, ‘Duty, Gunther. Always duty!’ and sees this marriage as a new venture where he must cooperate to earn success. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elegant as ever, Cornelia ‘Nellie’ Goth (née Crumplebottom) was brought up to be a refined society lady, but she always knew that life was more than just debutante balls and perfect elocution—she knew her worth as a woman and that she had power, like a battering ram covered in a lace handkerchief. She is artistic and has many talents, and she is as good a hostess as Gunther is a good host. 

This sensibility was what led to her penultimate betrothal to the Goth family heir. Though a part of her felt insecure over the fact that she would be marrying a widower, she knew enough that she and Lolita are different people. Still, she sometimes fears that she cannot compete with a dead woman, and that her rather austere nature wouldn’t match with what she has heard about Gunther’s late young wife. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                            ~ The Goth Family ~ Minerva ‘Grandmama’ Goth knows the value of establishing oneself. She herself came from another place—Midnight Hollow—when her family decided to settle in Moonlight Falls. She is more than just the dowager matriarch of the Goths, she is a pioneer and a champion for both tradition and progress. Before she became the feeble grand lady of today, she was, in her time, an excellent horse-rider and horticulturist, with a type of cactus named after her.  She is a living example of how one must never forget one’s roots and that one’s value depends on what one sows. With her sharp wit and her extensive wisdom, she never forgets to remind the people around her (especially her family) when they fall short, and she seeks to counsel her new granddaughter-in-law Cornelia to help usher her in becoming a Goth family matriarch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     Victor ‘Father’ Goth, much like his own father, knew that the key to a successful enterprise is hard work. Though he has been affluent all his life, he taught his son to look out for himself because things might not be as easy as it was back in his day. Fortunately, Victor has always been true to his name--a victor in his ventures, which makes them both grateful and relaxed that there’s always a capital to fall back on.

Still, Victor is relentless in his labor, and it often worries his wife Gretle when he sleeps in the rocking chair in the hallway and not beside his loving lady. Though generally an amiable and dapper man, he can be a cold and careless person and perhaps his family could have benefited more from the attention that he instead gave to his career.

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Gretle ‘Mother’ Goth is one of those mousy ladies who inevitably become responsible for managing estates, families, as well as events and functions because of her position of birth, but is not actually equipped to be so. In fact, she often suffers from a fair share of criticisms from her mother-in-law in being the chatelaine of the Goth family home. She can be prone to fainting spells and her moody nature would be passed down among her descendants to be the ‘infamous Goth family foul mood’. 

She has a great many attempts at maintaining the family’s social position, and though these actions often succeed, they wouldn’t have been so if not for the hard work of the people around her (that she would often badger to a point of consternation). This often rubs her own family the wrong way, especially with her daughter Frida, whom she wishes would find a man to marry soon. She had always said that she will not die peacefully until Frida is properly betrothed. 

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Samuel ‘Uncle Sam’ Goth is quite different from his elder brother Victor. Though he is just as hard-working and ambitious as him, he is in fact one of the most eccentric members of the family (the so-called ‘weird uncle’) and would more often be seen in the background--courtesy of his own family. He often argues that as a Goth, he is a valuable member of the community and unlike Victor, he often offers a fresh and different perspective of things. 

Though Victor may be quick in building connections, Samuel is excellent at forging new friendships. Unfortunately, though, his friends are often of the most odd sort and would often clash with his family’s more conservative sensibilities. Still, without him, things would be a bore and would lack a great deal of jellybeans!

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Frida ‘Sharkie’ Goth is often saddled with a lot of pressure from both her family and her society since they see her as this bookish spinster who has little attention for what they value. She shrugs this off more often than not, and when she’s not she plays along filled with mirth and discomfort. She is more interested in what books may offer her in the fields of history, art, and nature. 

The nicknames Sharkie and Shrimpie came from a nursery game Frida and Gunther played as children, so since they were little, she has always been very close to her little brother Gunther, who would often be the person to convince her to go through whatever nonsense their mother would put them through just to get it all over with. But when none can convince her, rest assured, she would be happily shut off in her room or off somewhere quiet with her nose in a book. 

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                                   ~ The Crumplebottom Family ~

Simon ‘Daddy’ Crumplebottom came from a long line of men who knew the value in a Simoleon and made sure that this was something every family member understood, especially in the prune caning business. They may have been old money just like the Goths, but the Crumplebottoms always favored a more down-to-earth and sensible life. Simon himself is a very sweet and agreeable man, and believed that there is goodness in everything.  Still, his frugality often gets the best of him, and it’s up to his wife to set him straight about the necessity for his daughters to have new dresses or more allowance as they grew older. Though he often relents for his girls, he has always been stingy with himself, and would often only eat toffee for his meals, despite warnings from his wife that he would lose his teeth if he keeps this habit up. 

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Prudence ‘Mummy’ Crumplebottom is known all around as a proper matron with the best-behaved girls. She raised them well and provided them with lessons in everything that made them into proper ladies ready to be released into a vicious world where they may lead life with their strong elocution and their genteel refinement. Though she is a prominent society lady, she is no fool and can be as smart as any man with her knowledge and diction.

Because of her keen, intelligent eyes, she would often teach the people around her that she doesn’t let anything pass her by. In her walks around town, she would ‘maintain’ her community by letting other people know that she knows and she cares. This nosy yet sympathetic nature is something she wants to pass on to her daughters, but she’s never quite sure if they would have what it takes to be someone like her. 

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Agnes Crumplebottom is Cornelia’s little sister and the maid of honor, prone to passing fancies and giddiness induced by the gentleman callers that would often come by the Crumplebottom house. Though this is often a source of headache for the Crumplebottom family, her parents made sure that she would at least be equipped with the right demeanor to face these men. Still, she causes more problems with her flighty nature and her tendency to take things personally. 

Despite her many suitors, Agnes is not a sociable person and only interacts with people that would give her the attention she desires. She is a through-and-through daddy’s little girl, not just because of how much he was doted on by his father, but because of how much she resembles him in their ignorance. 

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Robert Crumplebottom is a cousin of Cornelia and Agnes’, and Gunther’s old school chum as well as his best man. A dashing, lanky man, Robert has always been his aunt and uncle’s favorite nephew. Robert is a talented artist and entertainer, and is well-known for his advances in puppetry. Indeed, the guignols of SimCity benefited a lot from his artistry, but greatest of all is that his work is for charitable purposes. Many widows, orphans, disabled, and displaced pirates have benefited from his causes and SimCity always anticipates his annual winter charity performances. 

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Elmira Clamp practically grew up with Cornelia and Agnes and was very close to her Auntie Prudence, who taught her that ‘...the best mouth is a shut mouth!’. Indeed, this was a fine respite from her own family’s house--located between an airport and a construction site that never seemed to finish. It was unfortunate for her because her father was the lead drummer of an experimental rock band called ‘Nothin’ But Drums’ and her mother raised howler monkeys. 

Growing up with Cornelia and Agnes, she shares a similar demeanor with them but is probably the most conservative and fussy because of her personal traumas. Though Cornelia and Agnes was hoping that Elmira would be a bridesmaid for the wedding, Elmira declined because of her preoccupation in raising her ward and nephew Ian Arneson, and they came to the wedding a bit late and not even in the correct dress code.

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Ian Arneson was placed as a ward of his Aunt Elmira because of several unfortunate circumstances in his life. Elmira isn’t much of a parent, but she raised Ian the best way she knew how--based on how she was taught by her Auntie Prudence and from the books she has on childraising. Unfortunately, she often pushes these things aside because of her own inhibitions and shortcomings, which resulted in a very shy and bookish child. 

Ian often feels uncomfortable in how much Elmira pushes him to strive (or telling him to be quiet when he’s working on his little mechanical projects), but feels that there isn’t anything that can be done about things now or ever, and despite everything, he loves his Aunt Elmira dearly and just wants to help her dreams in having and managing a library.

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Beatrice ‘Bee’ Crumplebottom is the eldest of the three sisters who came from the magical branch of the Crumplebottom family. Bossy, temperamental, and bookish, it is quite clear that she is a Crumplebottom. Though she’s entrusted to care for her sisters, she’s more interested in having them following her way most of the time. Still, they had to buckle up their act for their Cousin Cornelia’s wedding, especially since they were the bridesmaids! 

Belinda ‘Linda’ Crumplebottom is the middle of the three magical sisters, and though she is often the one to keep her sisters in line from their antics, she often wonders if there’s more to life than to be with her sisters. Still, her concern for others is something the Crumplebottom family values, and that’s why she was to be the bridesmaid along with her sister Beatrice.