Tartosa Tales: Complete (6-Feb)

[Granny Lawlor]

My favorite part has to be Princess Cordelia collecting portraits of her boyfriends' parrots.
No notches on her belt or bedpost for Princess Cordelia!
Also, Rose looks gorgeous in her swimwear!

I have yet to play a sim until they have a midlife crisis...sounds pretty scary!

I think Rose has been exercising autonomously due to the NAP. I've only sent her on a few Jogs to Clear Mind because the route she takes is huge with no short-cuts back. Anyway, she's developed a great figure whereas Gabby is definitely developing middle-aged spread due to her working on the chef aspiration.

There is much online speculation over the existence/ identity of the 4th parrot and its pirate owner. I will be offering one theory but there's no conclusive evidence.

I love that Princess Cordelia designed a double bed and then added a single one for when she grew tired of her boyfriends. Lol

[Granny Lawlor]

Princess Cordelia’s Story: 1 – In The Town Where She Was Born

Princess Cordelia, niece to the ruling monarch, grew up on what is now known as The Crumbling Isle in Windenberg but it wasn’t quite so crumbly when she was there. Her parents were often away, fulfilling duties at court so Cordelia was free to run the family manor to suit herself.

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Matilda the cook and Bob the butler were appointed to oversee the staff which included a maid, a delivery girl, a gardener and, yes, the stair butler who faithfully carried Cordelia up and down the stairs whenever the need arose. He did wish sometimes that the Princess would stop using the fizzing machine in the attic, or that she would leave her easels in her ground floor studio rather than move them higher to capture better views but he never complained aloud.

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Matilda got up at 4am each morning, cleared away any dirty dishes, set the kettle to boil in case anyone wanted a hot drink and made breakfast. Later in the day, she would make luncheon or dinner according to the activities of the Princess and then get an early night.
Bob had a later start. At 6am he would harvest the fruit – wild and from the garden – to add to the larder for the Princess to use in her fizzing machine. She was particularly fond of making lemonade.

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Aside from lemonade, with all it’s fruity-goodness, Princess Cordelia loved tea and, if Matilda was too busy to serve her, would be delighted to brew and pour it herself.

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None of the staff were too sure what to do when Princess Cordelia invited three jazz musicians to move in, especially as they often stayed in their scandalous sleepwear until noon. Bob was particularly put out as they bunked down in the attic room he already had to share with the stairs butler. He and Matilda decided the situation was above their pay-grade and felt that her parents would sort the matter out when they had time to return. Matilda actually enjoyed the jazz notes that got better and better all the time. She even sneaked in some violin practise whenever her duties allowed it.

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The jazz band consisted of (L-to-R): Martin Maxwell double bass player but now on guitar; Jacob Goldentips - sax legend but currently on violin and a pianist. They spent their nights playing for the Princess and their days practicing and fishing.

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One way that her royal parents particularly indulged Cordelia was in encouraging her love of the ocean and they bought one of the new-fangled, steam-powered submersibles for her to tinker with.

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She hired a crew to manage the practicalities on board. They made themselves at home in their designated berths and very much enjoyed having root beer at the bar. The Princess resolved to create a supply of lemons so that her lemonade could be drunk instead, warding off any potential scurvy. She loved hearing their tales of ocean voyages and all the far-off places they had been.

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Although he allowed the crew to all wear captain’s hats while on shore, their Captain – Long John Buttercup kept order by bellowing instructions. He did insist that the llama he said the crew had “found” must be accommodated as they were trying to nurse it back to health before trading it.

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Long John also added to the submersible décor, namely a Don’t Wake The Llama table and a plate depicting his parrot. Princess Cordelia wasn’t sure when she had agreed to a parrot on board but its antics amused her so she let it be. Its squawking was distracting while she wrote plans in her diary but at least it never pooped in the drawing room.

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Life would seem idyllic for Princess Cordelia. With all her household needs taken care of and with her band for entertainment, she divided her life between riding her favourite horse, studying the stars and designing ever better furniture for her submersible. But, idyllic as it was, she was not free to go sailing off on the adventures of which she dreamed.

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Now the life of a royal has its downsides and one of those is being considered very eligible. Various Princes came to call and, polite as she was, she accepted every date invitation. She was quite happy to have the odd kiss and if several of them considered her their girlfriend, she didn’t disabuse them of the notion.

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One particular suitor turned up on the doorstep and invited himself to stay which the polite Princess allowed.

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Matilda had to step in though, especially considering that the Princess had adopted the jazz bands custom of sleepwear until noon. Cordelia being very fond of structural undergarments needed to have some lessons in protocol concerning her “unmentionables” and Matilda showed that particular suitor the door.

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Having been made fully aware of the risks in leading her suitors on, Princess Cordelia was in a pensive mood when she dropped off her regular lemonade donation for her crew’s well-being. As her hands touched those of Captain Long John Buttercup, a frisson of adventure passed between them. Not sure where it was leading her, she asked to join him at the local tavern to discuss her plans.

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As they played table football, Long John told her that Giant Sloths had been spotted on the horizon and that they were rumoured to be on an invasion course for the Isle. “At best, we only have a month” he said, “and then all will be lost”. Cordelia was shocked and dismayed until she realised that this could be her perfect opportunity.

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“We can finally set off”, she whispered to the Captain, “I’ll pack my unmentionables and a few other essentials and go find adventures, just like your crew describe!” “My crew are pirates, and so am I. ‘Tis no place for a young lady like yourself” confessed Long John. “I always suspected you were pirates – so romantic!”

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“Romance, is it?” the Captain replied. “I can show you romance!” “Oh yes!” breathed Cordelia as he danced her into the night. “Will you marry me?” asked Long John. “Oh, you brave, silly pirate,” laughed Cordelia “let’s just have some fun!”

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Back at the house, Cordelia sent her staff off to seek safety on the mainland, assuring them that she would be following soon. The cooking would be done by one of the crew and Bob the butler would never be satisfied looking after just the 48 rooms on the submersible. She thought she would miss him most of all. She tried not to notice that one of the crew, who’d come to help carry things, had swiped the kettle. Whiling away the weeks during the slow approach of the Giant Sloths, Cordelia painted memories of her home to take with her.

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The remaining task was to send the jazz band on to other gigs as they wouldn’t fit on the submersible. But they’d become enamoured of the idea of playing for royalty and were hesitant to leave. Jacob Goldentips left it much too late and was left tragically adrift during the eventual Giant Sloth Invasion despite it being such a slow one. The pianist was so determined to make a name for himself that he set up his piano on the submersible deck and played it until it sank. Sadly, we don’t have a record of his name.

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And so Princess Cordelia, Captain Long John Buttercup and his crew set off from the Isle for adventures unknown. To be continued…

L-to-R: Cordelia, Five Finger Fran, Dash, Barnacle Bob, Raider Rad, Two Eye Charlie, Long John Buttercup
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Notes
I have had such fun playing the first part of Princess Cordelia’s story. With Matilda taking care of the cooking and Bob doing the gardening and mixology, Cordelia really was free to have a ball.

You may not be surprised to know that she completed her Serial Romantic aspiration with that last “date” with Long John. He started off with the Soulmate Aspiration and his proposal to Cordelia was autonomous before she moved into the submersible. He also got himself a job in the Criminal career which makes sense but won’t suit a life under the ocean waves.

Windenberg is never confirmed as the home land of Princess Cordelia or what living relatives she had. Most of the other details and story come from the item build/buy descriptions plus the Grapevine Gossip and bottle messages in the Wedding Stories pack. There are so many that I’m not sure I’ve found them all but I found a lot!

Gallery Credits
All lots/households have been tweaked to better suit the story but I was so happy to find such wonderful creativity in the Gallery.
•   Princess Cordelia, Bob the butler, Matilda the cook and Long John Buttercup are tweaked versions of the household available in the gallery by Maxis
•   The 3 piece jazz band were the creation of DarkonPunk
•   The pirate crew were 5 from the household created by Maderbats
•   The incredible submersible and docks were created by Longshanks3995 and I am in awe of their skills. I really didn’t know where to start!
•   Parrot perch cc by Kaiso
•   Animated parrot mod by BakieGaming
The combination of the last 2 items is amazing. The parrot I’ve added will walk up and down its perch or anything else you put it on. An extra option is one that will fly in and fly out as well! Brilliant and my first ever mod…purely visual with no interactions, but a mod never-the-less! Some of the CC clothing was imported when I was doing my Tech Dynasty.

[oshizu]

Loved the parrot!
Still so many mysteries. Like, how come one of the jazz musicians (the redhead?) was never named?
Did his Gallery version have a name but the lore claims one of the three went unnamed?
There's Youtuber Plumbella who loves TS4 lore and she did a video a while back where she gathered all the Princess Cordelia lore.

Oh and how did the Princess manage to complete Serial Romantic while holed up in her digs on the Crumbled Isle?
Though he didn't appear but once, my fave was Bob the Butler!
And after all her philandering, did the Princess actually have a favorite or did she get bored with them all?

[GlazeyLady]

I just can't seem to stay caught-up!

I very much enjoyed Arnessa's story. You imagined it perfectly!
Congrats on unlocking the third Build/Buy item - well done!
I am quite curious about Temperance/Guidry/Bonehilda, but also about the 2 big historic figures with overlapping stories . . .
I do hope Rodrigo makes friends soon, he does look lonely with all those marbles and no one to play with.

[Granny Lawlor]

Loved the parrot!
Still so many mysteries. Like, how come one of the jazz musicians (the redhead?) was never named?
Did his Gallery version have a name but the lore claims one of the three went unnamed?
There's Youtuber Plumbella who loves TS4 lore and she did a video a while back where she gathered all the Princess Cordelia lore.

Oh and how did the Princess manage to complete Serial Romantic while holed up in her digs on the Crumbled Isle?
Though he didn't appear but once, my fave was Bob the Butler!
And after all her philandering, did the Princess actually have a favorite or did she get bored with them all?

Plumbella did a fantastic job. The only reason I felt brave enough to repeat the task is that she didn't have the Tartosan additions.
The jazz band only have 2 named members - the saxophonist and the double bass player. I thought it was funny that the pianist was prepared to risk drowning to make himself immortal that he played on top of the submersible as it went down but still isn't named in Princess Cordelias paintings of him on the gallery.
2 "princes" came in the welcome wagon, Sergio and Jacques. Although she lived on the not-as-crumbly Isle, Cordelia was free to explore the whole of Windenberg, especially the library and the taverns. She met Gunther, Marcus Flex, Faiz (don't tell Gabby) and a few others.
The lore on her bust (snigger) says she had many prince suitors but now we know she had a thing for pirates. I think it was Camille who said she left her home land with Long John. The lore on the big dining table says each pirate brought his own crew with him.
Bob was a wonderful snob, walking around with his nose in the air but never appearing in helpful shots! You'll be glad to know that he does get immortalised.

I just can't seem to stay caught-up!

I very much enjoyed Arnessa's story. You imagined it perfectly!
Congrats on unlocking the third Build/Buy item - well done!
I am quite curious about Temperance/Guidry/Bonehilda, but also about the 2 big historic figures with overlapping stories . . .
I do hope Rodrigo makes friends soon, he does look lonely with all those marbles and no one to play with.

Real life does get in the way doesn't it, lol.
Always happy to get comments at any point. Lady Matilda is the other figure with and after Cordelia.

[Granny Lawlor]

Princess Cordelia’s Story: 2 – So She Sailed

Previously, Cordelia became a Serial Romantic while fitting out her submersible with every convenience her agile mind could design. As rumours of an invasion of Windenburg Isle by Giant Sloths were circulated, she directed Matilda the cook, Bob the butler and her 3-piece jazz band to seek refuge on the mainland while she threw caution to the wind and got ready to sail (can you sail in a submersible?) into the great unknown with her pirate lover Captain Long John Buttercup.

L-to-R: Cordelia, Five Finger Fran, Dash, Barnacle Bob, Raider Rad, Two Eye Charlie, Long John Buttercup
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After months of watching and preparing for the oncoming invasion of Giant Sloths, their numbers seemingly overwhelming, Long John got his current llama ready for loading, cleaning him in a way he never did for himself.

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Life under the ocean waves came with it’s challenges but Princess Cordelia made the most of it, playing chess with Five Finger Fran and anyone else who’d oblige. There were plenty of books to read and Long John’s parrot kept everyone entertained with it’s antics.

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Painting flowers, birds and memories of her jazz band furnished the submersible with elegant décor along with Cordelia’s sculptures, notably one of Bob the butler who she missed terribly.

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Determined to combat any onset of scurvy, the Princess continued to make lemonade with her store of lemons but the crew always reverted to root beer and even nectar when she wasn’t around.

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One problem became apparent almost as soon as the submersible hatch was sealed and it dove beneath the surface, the lights flickering and the chandeliers swinging as it did so. A sealed environment is not a good place for poor hygiene and Long John just did not see the need for cleanliness, despite Cordelia designing a sink just for him.

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“I thought she’d be ‘appy with that gold chandelier I give ‘er. But no! A bath it is, wi’ bits o’ plants in. Tis a lot of kerfuffle just to see me darlin’ in her undergarments. Ooh but them undergarments…can make a poor man do crazy things!” sighed Long John.

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“What are all these infernal dressers doin’, cluttering up the gangways?” grumbled Long John. “I thought, if I put up lots of cologne stations along each corridor, you’d be able to cover up your stink make yourself smell nice at every opportunity” suggested Cordelia, evenly. “Woman! Are yer saying I still smell, after wallowing in all that po porridge?” “Beyond belief! It’s too much for anyone. I know pirates are uncultured, but you’re actually growing cultures on yourself. I can’t bear it anymore. We need to dock somewhere to fumigate this craft.” let out the exasperated Princess, trying not to breathe through her nose.

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“Ah! Fresh air” breathed nearly everyone. “I still don’t see the difference. Still, ‘ere we are in Brindleton Bay. Who’s for a pint o’ grog?” said Long John. “John, we need a word.” said Cordelia, holding him back from joining the other pirates, eagerly escaping to the Salty Paws Saloon, “It’s not me, it’s you, I’m afraid. We’ve reached a parting of our ways and I think we both know it.” “Ah, I always knew you were too good for the likes o’ me. I’ll find yer a new cap’n and I’ll bunk here until I do. He’ll want to choose his own crew of course but I’ll find yer a good’un. Ah but I’ll miss those undergarments of yours” On that note, the Princess let him go, giving him a corset vase of roses to remind him of her curves but also her thorns.

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As Cordelia set about fumigating the Eppsilon, she suddenly had a sneezing fit. “That’s not dust! That’s my cat allergy!” she cried. Dash was passing “Cat allergy?” she said, “This here dock is a cat hangout. They’ll be in and out of here like nobody’s business.” And with that news, the Princess decided to move inland and find somewhere suitable for a couple of weeks.

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Getting to know the local Lord Volpe, he arranged for her to stay at a secret cottage at the top of the waterfall on his estate in Henford-on-Bagley. He warned her that it was small with few amenities but she thought it sounded charming.

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Life was charming but it was hard. It took 4 attempts to milk the cow before it stopped kicking the bucket over.

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Lord Volpe gave Cordelia a topiary cow to help her stay positive and persevere. She was puzzled by Lord Volpe. People said he had a strong affinity to the local foxes and he did seem overly interested in her chickens. She’d never heard of a werefox but she kept her door locked whenever the moon was full, just in case.

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Being mysterious made Lord Volpe very interesting to Princess Cordelia and she did her best to flirt with him. He wasn’t very responsive and it just led to her being Crumplebottomed. She left quickly to chat with the delivery boy Rahul because the mayor wanted to know what his dreams were. It seemed a little nosy until it became obvious that the boy, dreaming of worlds overseas, was the mayor’s son.

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Cordelia got on much better with Agatha Crumplebottom, helping her with her errands. When she enabled a big sale of lettuce seeds and watermelons, they both did celebration dances together which scandalized Agnes.

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It wouldn’t be telling the whole story if we didn’t mention the “help” that Princess Cordelia was getting with her garden. The singing birds were a constant delight, eating bugs and encouraging growth. The rabbits, prolific as their species are, provided plenty of fertilizer and ate all the weeds. There seemed to be lots of plants evolving every day under their ministrations. The rabbits did seem a little put off by their new outfits, provided by the Creature Keeper, but they suffered in silence as Cordelia lavished them with love.

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Finally Long John sent word that he’d found her a new captain, someone that washed more often than normal for a pirate. Raider Rad and Five Finger Fran would be staying on plus a new couple with a lad who’d serve as a cabin boy. He himself was off to the Caribbean with the others where he hoped to find himself another galleon.
Princess Cordelia met Captain Chaz MacFreely, surreptitiously sniffing as she did so, and thought he would do nicely. He apologized for his work clothes but he would normally be smarter. Cordelia thought he would do extremely nicely.

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The cabin boy, Garrett Turpin seemed a pleasant sort of boy and he introduced the Princess to Captain MacFreely’s scarlet parrot. “What is it with pirates and their parrots?” mused Cordelia. “This one’s a beauty and she squawks whenever a cat comes on board. We’ve finally got rid of all their fur. Are we to set off soon, ma’am?” Garrett asked. “I’ve just got a few loose ends to tie up and then, yes, we’ll be off!” replied Cordelia, excitedly. She’d been missing the ocean despite loving all the simple pleasures of cottage-living.

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Back at her secret cottage, Cordelia prepped some dough to make an Excellent apple pie and double-checked her oversized watermelon. Yes, they stood a good chance at the fair on Saturday.

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She invited Rahul around and persuaded him that, if he really wanted to see the world, he needed to age up and come with her. He wasn’t sure but the opportunity was too good to pass up. He added Rancher to his Active, Outdoor-Loving ways and said he’d meet her at the docks.

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The fair that Saturday was a great success although in a surprising way. Her Excellent apple pie was beaten either by a normal cottage pie or a normal fruit pie but her watermelon, seemingly dwarfed by a humongous pumpkin, stole first place. The mayor announced that Princess Cordelia truly was a Country Caretaker and Lord Volpe named the local falls after her in celebration. She forbore to mention that she was leaving that same night.

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To be continued…
L-to-R: Princess Cordelia, Carmilla Turpin, Five Finger Fran, Captain Chaz MacFreely, Raider Rad, Rahul Chopra, Joe Turpin, Garrett Turpin
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Notes

I’d meant to show more of the docks surrounding the Eppsilon berth at both Windenberg and Brindleton Bay but photo restrictions stopped me. Basically I’ve been saving the current lot of the Eppsilon and docks to my own gallery and then downloading it to the new worlds, changing the dock buildings and landscaping to reflect the new location. The Brindleton Bay lot was made a Cat Hangout to explain Cordelia moving off-board as lore says she had a cat allergy.

Lore states that Henford on Bagley was one of the first places that Princess Cordelia settled after the Great Sloth Invasion forced her to slowly flee her homeland. Chaz MacFreely is stated as her second pirate boyfriend and we shall get to know him a bit better in the next episode. The princess retained a great deal of affection for her first pirate love as we will find out soon enough.

Lord Volpe (“fox” in Italian) is a historical figure in Henford lore with clues both in house descriptions and during Henford heart-to-hearts. He does not appear to have any descendants. The modern day Watson family, on the other hand, are known to have owned a large portion of the village. Could there be a wrong-side-of-the-blanket connection there, I wonder? I was hoping the heart-to-heart interactions would reveal something but Cordelia didn’t have long enough there to find out.

Princess Cordelia is now a Countryside Caretaker as well as a Serial Romantic. Where will her adventures lead her next?

[oshizu]

You are doing such a great job of choosing custom content for the Princess Cordelia episodes!
Garret looks adorable in his cabin boy fit.  I was hoping Rahul would also appear in period garb in the closing household shot.
Maybe in the next update?

Is Lord Volpe the dark-haired gentleman in the blue suit?
And what is a "wrong-side-of-the-blanket" connection?  Is that like extramarital hanky panky?
Watcher, you are turning into quite the Seeker of Secrets yourself! LOL!

Oh! Is the butler statue that we see in the Goths' home a portrayal of Bob the Butler?

[Granny Lawlor]

You are doing such a great job of choosing custom content for the Princess Cordelia episodes!
Garret looks adorable in his cabin boy fit.  I was hoping Rahul would also appear in period garb in the closing household shot.
Maybe in the next update?

Is Lord Volpe the dark-haired gentleman in the blue suit?
And what is a "wrong-side-of-the-blanket" connection?  Is that like extramarital hanky panky?
Watcher, you are turning into quite the Seeker of Secrets yourself! LOL!

Oh! Is the butler statue that we see in the Goths' home a portrayal of Bob the Butler?

I'll see to Rahul's outfit soon, I promise. Currently on board, he keeps getting stressed about his ranch and how its doing without him. I've not played a Rancher before.

Ah - I did wonder if it was just an British expression. Born "the wrong side of the blanket" is an old term for a child born outside of marriage usually to a lower class woman, fathered by "nobility". By old law, they would be unable to claim their fathers name or title but financial provision was often made by the father and sometimes a marriage of convenience was arranged for the mother to a local man who didn't mind the whispers.

Lord Volpe, historic owner of the lands around HoB, seemingly died without heirs but one of the heart-to-hearts indicate the Watson family have owned a large part...My theory holds a bit of water but I haven't found any in-game lore to confirm it.

Yes Lord Volpe is the rather gorgeous man in the blue suit, although i should have given him red hair to reflect his foxy tendencies.
I built him a castle on Old Mill Lane, not wanting to destroy Bramblewood - it's true location, as Cordelia needed access to it. I'd planned to have Cordelia visit and take tea with him - oh so very civilised - but he was always in the swimming pool and she just couldn't spare much time away from all the country life chores and errands. I do love doing the cottage living gameplay but they are time-consuming.

Yes, the butler statue build/Buy lore states that Cordelia created him because she was missing him. Its also where the lore about the 48 rooms on the submersible is. He was "let go" because he wouldn't have been content with only 48 to look after! Lol

I have placed both the Butler statue and the now 2 parrot plates and  gold candelabras (one from each pirate boyfriend) in the grand dining room but the household always take their meals back to the drawing room so I never get photos in there! Hmm, I either need to move them or have some sort of dinner party!

[oshizu]

I'll see to Rahul's outfit soon, I promise. Currently on board, he keeps getting stressed about his ranch and how its doing without him. I've not played a Rancher before.

Ah - I did wonder if it was just an British expression. Born "the wrong side of the blanket" is an old term for a child born outside of marriage usually to a lower class woman, fathered by "nobility". By old law, they would be unable to claim their fathers name or title but financial provision was often made by the father and sometimes a marriage of convenience was arranged for the mother to a local man who didn't mind the whispers.

Lord Volpe, historic owner of the lands around HoB, seemingly died without heirs but one of the heart-to-hearts indicate the Watson family have owned a large part...My theory holds a bit of water but I haven't found any in-game lore to confirm it.

Yes Lord Volpe is the rather gorgeous man in the blue suit, although i should have given him red hair to reflect his foxy tendencies.
I built him a castle on Old Mill Lane, not wanting to destroy Bramblewood - it's true location, as Cordelia needed access to it. I'd planned to have Cordelia visit and take tea with him - oh so very civilised - but he was always in the swimming pool and she just couldn't spare much time away from all the country life chores and errands. I do love doing the cottage living gameplay but they are time-consuming.

Yes, the butler statue build/Buy lore states that Cordelia created him because she was missing him. Its also where the lore about the 48 rooms on the submersible is. He was "let go" because he wouldn't have been content with only 48 to look after! Lol

I have placed both the Butler statue and the now 2 parrot plates and  gold candelabras (one from each pirate boyfriend) in the grand dining room but the household always take their meals back to the drawing room so I never get photos in there! Hmm, I either need to move them or have some sort of dinner party!

Haha, good to know about the Rancher trait. I've never played a sim with that trait, either.
I've heard negative things about For Rent's Child of the Village trait but I'm going to give one of the Mistura twins two of For Rent's new traits. 
We should try every trait at least once, right?

Yes, your Lord Volpe sim was very gorgeous but I refrained from mentioning his looks from sounding once again shallow and superficial. LOL!
Wait, what? You built a castle for Lord Volpe without sharing it with us? Shame on you! Will you get the latest Castle Estate pack?
It seems right up your alley (though somewhat distant from my alley)!

My sims are exceedingly uncooperative whenever I try to take screentshots of them sitting down to a meal.
I can only manage it by temporarily disbling autonomy. Sometime, I even have to save, spend my half hour trying to get a decent shot, then reload my save. *cries
Or they start eating at different times. Arrgggh.
Looking forward to your dinner party.  As long as one of your hosts or guests is milling around near the status/parrots/portraits, you'll be golden!

[Granny Lawlor]

Princess Cordelia’s Story: 3 – Our Friends Are All Aboard

Previously, Cordelia and her crew escaped the Giant Sloths invading the Isle and sailed Northward in her personal submersible Eppsilon. But Captain Long John Buttercup’s lack of personal hygiene became too much on the sealed submersible. They docked in Brindleton Bay to allow him to find a replacement to captain the submersible. Wanting to avoid the local cats, Princess Cordelia travelled inland to Henford-on-Bagley where she stayed long enough to become a Country Caretaker. With the Eppsilon finally fumigated of BO and cat dander, Captain Chaz MacFreely took the helm for the next installment of Princess Cordelia’s travels

L-to-R: Princess Cordelia, Carmilla Turpin, Five Finger Fran, Captain Chaz MacFreely, Raider Rad, Rahul Chopra, Joe Turpin, Garrett Turpin
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Fleeing the amorous advances of a fire-breathing kraken that had taken a shine to the Eppsilon, Captain Chaz docked upriver in the lowlands around Mt Komorebi on the cusp of Summer and Autumn. Princess Cordelia indulged her inner Child of the Ocean with a celebratory swim in the little bay. Adventurous Carmilla and her son Garrett joined her before the weather turned chilly.

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Captain Chaz had been surprised to find the bar solely stocked with lemonade and put it to the Princess that the crew needed more variety. “The crew need to remain healthy.” She replied “Scurvy is easily rebuffed with plenty of lemonade. I have no idea what is in root beer but anything that takes varnish off the furniture can’t be good for you.” Chaz had to allow that root beer was the best way to shine up the gold coins they got and thought about how to get around the situation.

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“Look at me, such a fine fellow. I just need to turn on the charm and it’s no surprise that m’lady is putty in my arms. Is that a grey hair? Surely not, just the poor lighting…. Anyway, I’m sure that she’ll let me have root beer once she sees the beautiful gold candelabra I’ve got for her. It looks really nice next to the one she’s already got.”

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“It’s just not a good idea, ma’am, swanning around in they undergarments” cautioned Carmilla. “The Captain likes it, besides you are all wearing sleepwear as well” said the Princess. “But ours are less structural – more practical. Yours are…” Carmilla tailed off. “…very nice” muttered Rahul.

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“Isn’t she yar? You’ve fashioned my beautiful galleon but in miniature. I could stare at her all day long” crowed Cap’n Chaz. “Do you think I deserve her?” he said, Fishing For Compliments. “I’m glad you like her,” Cordelia said, ignoring the bait “but I was hoping to talk about all the mirrors that have been installed throughout the Eppsilon. Do we really need so many?” “Oh yes. It does so help to have them on the wall. It saves my poor tired arms from having to hold the hand mirror” simpered Chaz.

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Princess Cordelia wasn’t sure about Captain Chaz and how much she wanted to continue their dalliance. He smelled a lot better than Long John but he spent more time than she did wondering what to wear, plus all the time exercising his perfect body. She needed some advice so she and Carmilla went on a friendly walk, encountering some wood spirits as the wandered and chatted. It was nice for Cordelia to have a female friend and they bonded by sharing the same outfit in different hues. Carmilla pointed out that no-one was perfect, it was just a question of whether their imperfections worked well with your own. Cordelia wasn’t sure she’d got any imperfections but sort of understood.

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That night, Princess Cordelia arranged a dinner party for the crew. She cooked a Grand ham dinner herself. Raider Rad whisked up a Pasta Primavera and Five Finger Fran cleaned everywhere. Even young Garrett got involved putting out fancy place settings. Finally Cordelia called everyone into the dining room, blessed the food and everyone got stuck in while the hired chef make some extra food in case anyone had room for dessert. Isn’t this nice, she thought as the statue of Bob looked over the proceedings.

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“Yes! Root beer floats!” cheered Garrett. “Shh,” whispered his mother “the captain's stuck with lemonade”

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“I really want root beer” moaned Chaz. “And I’d like someone who paid me more attention than that dratted model ship. Or at least spent some time running my submersible instead of primping himself in all the mirrors.” The Princess replied. “I’m sorry Chaz but this really isn’t working out. I think you’d better find yourself another posting.” The rest of the crew decided that they also wanted a captain that cared more for pirating than primping and stayed with Cordelia.

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“Cordelia’s log, dated 19th October….: The Eppsilon is once again in need of a new captain, one who isn’t a Slob but also isn’t Self-Absorbed. I wonder if I’ll be able to attract a suitable applicant. I’m also concerned about Rahul. He wanted to travel but now all he wants to do is run a ranch and harvest prairie grass. Even harvesting from our fruit trees upsets him because it’s poor quality. I think we need to drop him off somewhere suitable.”

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And so Captain Rodrigo de Pablo applied for the post of captain for the Eppsilon. Cordelia was slightly concerned that he’d sunk his own ship, the Peggy Leg, but he assured her that the combination of some kelp, a Mersim and a dolphin was unlikely to reoccur. She was further reassured by him telling Rahul that he should take a bath rather than stink the place up. When Captain Rodrigo asked if some of the mirrors could be removed, she signed him up on the spot.

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The new captain was intrigued by Cordelia’s latest statue, which she’d made to replace that of MacFreely’s ship which she might have smashed in irritation. The new statue was a representation of the fire-breathing kraken that had taken a bit of a shine to the Eppsilon. Although the princess had managed to harness its fires to heat her porcelain kiln, she really hoped that their sojourn up the river had discouraged further attacks.

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With the new captain installed in his own cabin, the princess spun the globe to see where new adventures would lie. She hadn’t completed her explorations of Mt Komorebi but she vowed to return. Fortunately, the first spin took them near to Chestnut Ridge where Cordelia set Rahul up with a tiny ranch, covered with prairie grass. He immediately bought a rescue foal called Fancy and settled in.

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Where did the next spin of the globe take them?
To be continued…

Notes

Cordelia Lore states that she explored the Arctic waters after living in Tartosa but her own bottle message suggests she is considering returning to see the Northern Lights.

I thought Rahul’s dreams of travelling would be perfect for the pirate life but his Rancher trait really makes him tense a lot. It was only fair to settle him down, especially as his mother has been in touch, denouncing his thieving ways. You’ve probably guessed already that I’m using money cheats to keep the gold flowing. The pirates are mostly Kleptomaniacs in a club with swiping as a club activity but they usually get caught. Garrett, the ship’s cabin boy, has proved the most successful at it!

Apologies for no new crew photo. For some reason my screenshot capture system has decided not to work. Hopefully it will rectify itself soon

The next episode of Princess Cordelia’s adventures will take her to Tartosa.

[oshizu]

Poor Rahul, taking to sea with the Rancher trait.  Couldn't he have used a re-traiting potion?
And his mother is one to talk! She had an affair with Mrs. Rahmi Watson then dumped her, lol!

I laughed that the failed pirates keep getting caught swiping. Maybe they could visit museums and libraries at night or something?
Could they grow money trees on board the Eppsilon?
And finally a screenshot with Bob the Butler's statue in it. Thank you!

Best of luck sorting out your screen capture system!
Looking forward to Cordelia's further adventures!

[Granny Lawlor]

The ridiculous thing is that the pirates catch each other swiping unless I micromanage them all and send them off to different rooms. You'd think they wouldn't mind swiping in front of themselves 

I mainly use the club to let them occupy themselves while I enable Cirdelia and her current beau. Other activities include cleaning and animal care.

[oshizu]

The ridiculous thing is that the pirates catch each other swiping unless I micromanage them all and send them off to different rooms. You'd think they wouldn't mind swiping in front of themselves 

I mainly use the club to let them occupy themselves while I enable Cirdelia and her current beau. Other activities include cleaning and animal care.

That is too funny that the pirates catch each other swiping rather than operating as a team!
Haha, the poor pirates! They're practically domestic servants when they're not at sea!
Keeping sims occupied reminds me how much I like Don't Wake the Llama as a way to keep sims out of my hair!

I thought I was ready to play without my No Autonomous Make a Mess mod yesterday and removed it.
I lasted only a little while before I had to save/exit my game and re-install it.
The only reason the messes hadn't bothered me was because I hadn't played any grade-school kids for a while.,,

[Granny Lawlor]

Keeping sims occupied reminds me how much I like Don't Wake the Llama as a way to keep sims out of my hair!

I thought I was ready to play without my No Autonomous Make a Mess mod yesterday and removed it.
I lasted only a little while before I had to save/exit my game and re-install it.
The only reason the messes hadn't bothered me was because I hadn't played any grade-school kids for a while.,,

The pirates, being llama obsessed, play Don't Wake the Llama all the time although their whims frequently indicate a preference for playing cards.

I like the Make a Mess activity up to a point. When the kids are trying to earn one of the scout badges, cleaning up the messes at community playgrounds often completes in it one visit, lol.

Non-parent adults not being able to stop kids making a mess probably reflects modern restrictions on interactions accurately. I grew up in a village & any adult seeing a child misbehaving would feel free to call them on it, not that I ever did misbehave,  you understand 

[Granny Lawlor]

Princess Cordelia’s Story Part 4: Sky Of Blue And Sea Of Green

Previously, as Princess Cordelia set off to explore northern waters with her second pirate boyfriend Chaz MacFreely, she became aware that he had other things on his mind, notably himself. Docking upriver at Mt Komorebi to avoid an over-amorous fire-breathing kraken, Cordelia bonded with Carmilla – an adventurous soul – as they hiked and climbed around the area. The princess also became aware that, whilst Rahul Chopra had wanted to travel beyond Henford-on-Bagley, constant travel was not in his nature. Sadly saying farewell to Captain Chaz and finding a replacement Captain – Rodrigo de Pablo – the Eppsilon dropped Rahul off in Chestnut Ridge and set off for more adventures

Rodrigo: I see we mainly have lemonade at the bar?
Fran: Yeah, the princess is really particular about it. She lets us get away with the odd root beer but if you want to get on her right side, you’ll stick to lemonade.
Rodrigo (to self): I’d like to get on her right and left side! (out loud) Set me up with a double dose of lemonade!
Joe: That’s spirit, Cap’n. Or rather, it’s not…

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Rodrigo: Thank you so much for creating these padded chairs for me.
Cordelia: I was so worried when you burned both your feet stepping over the steam vent. You really must learn not to be so clumsy – not a good trait while we’re at sea.
Rodrigo: You’re right. But I’m grateful all the same. These leave a lot more room for dining than those armed chairs.
Cordelia (smiling at him): Yes, we don’t need arms any more!
Garrett: Mum, why don’t you wear sleepwear like that?
Carmilla: Come along, son. Let’s leave the cap’n and milady to themselves.

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Cordelia (to self): Oh Rodrigo, you clumsy sweetheart. You know how those hatches slam shut. I know the kraken was attacking again and only left when I threw that useless clock at it, everything was confused but you do need to be more careful. I wonder if you know how much I love you. You’ve never said, even though all my furniture designs are for you. Ah well, I wonder if we’ll share romance in Tartosa. It’s time to open the hatches.

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Lady Matilda: Welcome to our shores.
Princess Cordelia: It’s good to see the blue skies again. Captain Rodrigo told me about your glowing seas and he said we could get a good deal for the llamas here.
Lady Matilda: All the pastries you can eat. But I think you know these two already…
Princess Cordelia: Bob and Matilda! How wonderful to see you safe!
Matilda: Ma’am. You look very well.
Bob: Ma’am, thanks to your letter of recommendation, Lady Matilda here was kind enough to give us positions.
Lady Matilda: It’s a little confusing with the names but no-one wants to eat my cooking and Matilda is very kind. We were worried that the Giant Sloths might invade here too, but they never did.
Princess Cordelia: Come in, come in! We’ve got lots of lemonade and tea. And Raider Rad has been baking.

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Bob: Hm – I’m not sure how I feel about being immortalized in a subservient pose…

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Matilda: These cream tarts are amazing.
Cordelia: Raider Rad persuaded me to install a cupcake factory on the submersible. There was just enough room with a bit of rearranging and he can make these in it. When he gets a bit better he’ll be able to make the fruit tarts you love so much.
Matilda: Oh, you know me so well. I’m so glad you came to our shores. I hope you’ll stay a long time.
Cordelia: We’ll definitely be here for a while to let Rodrigo recuperate from that pressurized hatch slamming on his foot.
Matilda: Is it true that he’ll need a peg leg?
Cordelia: Yes but it’s like a badge of honour for a pirate. Of course they usually get them from battle injuries but poor Rodrigo is just so accident-prone.

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Rodrigo: More furniture for me. You know what people are saying?
Cordelia: That we are an item. Do you mind?
Rodrigo: The thing is, your majesty, you have a bit of a reputation and well, I’m after a Soulmate.
Cordelia: What a novel idea. Could I be your Soulmate?
Rodrigo: Only if I’m yours as well. It’s kind of a partnership.
Cordelia: Well I’ve been a Serial Romantic. Maybe being a Soulmate would be a new kind of adventure.

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And so, as with every part of her life, the princess threw herself into her new adventure with abandon. There were dates galore and she found that intimacy with someone she truly cared about as a friend as well as a lover was even sweeter than less meaningful kisses.

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Lady Matilda, being Unflirty as she was, did not appreciate Cordelia’s romance. She decided to keep her distance until the princess came to her senses.

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Then, one day, a letter came that changed everything.
Cordelia: Long John? Dead? I can’t believe it. He was so vibrant.
She took some time to think about it and eventually came to a decision. She even wrote it in a message in a bottle and threw it into the outgoing tide:
"I'm not leaving due to sorrow. Rather, John's sudden death has reminded me how precious life is. A life of adventure would be most fulfilling, and I intend to make the most of every day. Perhaps I will return to the arctic waters and see the lights in the sky once again."

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Matilda: Don’t leave. Send your silly pirates off to get more llamas and stay here with me.
Cordelia: How could I send Rodrigo away? He’s my husband!
Matilda: No! He can’t be!
Cordelia: We eloped. It was just a perfect part of our romance. He truly is my Soulmate.
Matilda: I have nothing more to say.

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Watcher: Rodrigo! You’re getting awfully close to that fire.
Rodrigo: It’s fine. Cordelia said she was upgrading it with a safety feature.
Watcher: But I don’t think she’s done it yet. You know how clumsy you are and your peg leg is very combustible!
Rodrigo: Oh…I see what you m…..

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Grim: Can anyone tell me how to get on board this thing? I’ve never been on a submersible before.
Watcher: Well, you could go up the stairs on to the deck and then down the stairs, but don’t you normally just glide through obstacles?
Grim: It’s the water thing. It always confuses me.
Watcher: I thought that was vampires.
Grim: No - not in this game anyway.

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Matilda: I’ve come to offer my condolences.
Cordelia: Thank you.
Matilda: You’ll come and stay with me at my home, of course, with Bob and Matilda. They’re very concerned about you.
Cordelia: That’s very kind but I don’t think so, Matilda. We’ll set off as planned. I can’t stay where everything I see reminds me of how short a time I had with Rodrigo.
Matilda: Where will you go?
Cordelia: I guess I’ll just spin the globe again. I’ve just finished the best adventure that life can hold but somewhere different will have to serve.

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And so Cordelia left Tartosa without a captain for the Eppsilon or for her heart. Will she return to arctic waters or will she find somewhere new? To be continued…

L-to-R: Princess Cordelia, Carmilla Turpin, Raider Rad, Five Finger Fran, Joe Turpin, Garrett Turpin
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Notes

Maxis did a great job of reverse engineering Bob the butler – if you remember, he’s a download from the gallery. He looks very like his statue.

Of course Cordelia and Rodrigo had to get married to complete Soulmate. It's not part of official lore but they both wanted to propose/get married so much it was always first in the options. Knowing their tragic future, how could I deny them?

Rodrigo would not catch fire! 2 open fires at which he warmed himself plus a campfire on the beach to which he added multiple logs, sat close and roasted marshmallows. In the end I’m afraid I drowned him. I felt awful!