Investiture Day Year 232

(Year 232, Winter) It's Investiture Day, aka Royal Court, which is the annual event taking place at the royal palace on 1st day of Winter. Half a year earlier the Monarch announced this year's investitures and new knights. The list has to be made public in advance, because anyone protesting must have enough time to react. Protests were more common a century ago, and is mainly interesting for new peers anyway. This year there were no new Peer, but a few prominent residents were knighted for some of the high orders. The 12 district orders are paused this year due to the Regional Reform Y233, and the fact that 4 of the orders will not see any future new knights.

Left to right: Grand Marshal Robert Calves, Mila Munch, and High Priest Ansgar Profedius.

The Royal Court attracts members of the aristocracy, and of course family of those awarded or knighted. And the following residents got awarded by King Tarriot:

Flock People Memorial Day

(Year 232, Fall) Imagine a group of green skinned gnomes, just slightly shorter than a sim, living their happy lives in the Willow forest. Then, the local timber industry cuts down the forest, turning the field into farm land, and these green creatures have nowhere to hide. Where could they escape?

This took place at Willow Field in Gloomville exactly 100 years ago. The mythical Flock People, also referred to as Glee, were chased from their natural habitat.

This year the Flock People Memorial Day is celebrated for the 100th time, and a festival takes place at Willow Field. Although the day is hosted annual by a group of local enthusiasts, a greater event finds place only every 25th year.

Simmerville Show - #7 (with a touch of Lovestruck)

(Year 232, Fall) Hey ho! Fritz Mervil is back with the 7th edition of The Simmerville Show, and this time all three guests are female. One with a memory from Ciudad Enamorada! Also, learn about the Flock People, and meet a fresh Knight!

The focus of the show in general is how I play my game, and all sims involved - including guests as well as the live audience - are actual sims from my game.

Mazaloom Basketball Cup Year 232

(Year 232, Fall) The popular Mazaloom Basketball Club arranges a club Cup every other year in Fall. The club has many members, but - as for many sports organizations - only the so-called elite members can enter the Mazaloom Basketball Cup. Contestants are aged 20-50, and Elite members have minimum 5 Fitness skills and 2 Handiness skills. The higher skills, the better chance to win anything, being this national contest or something international like the Simlympics, that is only every 6th year.

This year's national arrangement was a great event with perfect weather and a good cheering crowd. These cups are played outdoor, so bad weather will make it harder to everyone involved. Two years ago it was all cancelled - first delayed one week, but the rainstorm continued.

Current Head of the club is Stig Pratt-Anderson, and he says they really hope for a modern indoor arena soon.

Cut Ruby Donation for the Similius Cathedral

(Year 232, Fall) You might know that Church of Similius dedicates most of their belief to the green and red bars. One can not exist without the other, and we don't need to fill the green to stay happy - avoiding the red would be enough. A philosophy that transfers well to the modern ECO lifestyle - avoid consumption beyond what is strictly needed.

But did you also know that each of the 5 churches have a system of crystals, namely a red ruby and green emerald, that serves as a help to a new priest? When a Priest starts his mission, he will most often come directly from the Monastery, with empty pockets except maybe the Nestor of the Monastery offered him a couple eggs and some vegetables for him to eat or grow. When he starts his new life as a Priest, the ruby and emerald will be waiting for him. Selling those two gems makes for a better initial period.

Then - he will make sure to find new gems for those two displays in support of his successor.

It's been nearly 3 decades since Ansgar Profedius entered the top position of the High Priest. He serves the Windenburg parish, which includes the largest church, the Similius Cathedral. For 27 years the gem displays of the cathedral have been empty! But last night, right before the midnight mass, a beautiful plumbob cut red ruby could again be admired!

Orchid A Go Go - New Owner

(Year 232, Fall) Earlier this year the popular hot spot at Starlight Boulevard in Del Sol Valley was sold. Celebrities and fans alike have flocked to the lounge Orchid A Go Go for years, and perhaps a new ownership sounds scary to the regulars? Well, fear not, because the hot spot won't change ... a lot, uhm... quite yet!

Octavia Moon is the new owner to Orchid A Go Go in Del Sol Valley.

And who is the new owner? It's the global star Octavia Moon! She has not frequented Go-go Orchid as much as her husband and also a global star, Thorne Bailey, but she qualifies as a true insider anyway. She know what the place offers and why it is so popular. And now she wants to add more!

Windenburg Fox Battle

(Year 232, Fall) We were thrilled when we learned that Crown Princess Emireza would somehow contribute to the bi-annual dancing contest Windenburg Fox Battle this Fall! Some thought she would participate as contender, which could actually both make a sensation and sense, as she is currently residing at boarding school in Windenburg and we know she practices ballet dancing at school. However, it turned out she attended to open the contest!

And let's just agree that she won the opening! Despite this being her first bigger solo appearance, she seemed confident and happy. No sign of nerves at all. She even revealed a few dance relevant memories from her own childhood, where her father, His Royal Majesty King Tarriot, was the one who taught her to enjoy moving to music. She explained that they normally danced without music, though, because a session could take place quite unexpectedly and practically anywhere. She also shared an amusing memory when she aged 4, snuck into the Throne Room to dance - this time not joined by the King, but witnessed and cheered by the cleaning palace maids.

Baroness Amalia doing business with Cousin?

(Year 232, Fall) One of them lives at Porto Luminosa in Tartosa, the other one up north at Old Crest in Newcrest. The other day an observant journalist noticed the two cousins' little get together on a public bench in San Myshuno's Fashion District. The two women, Baronesse Amalia de Vert (31) and Miss Elsa Gobelin (68), both belong to the outer circles of Mazaloom's aristocracy. But that's pretty much all they got in common.

While Amalia (left) is known as the royal palace's trouble child who grew up, married and got herself a peerage created just for her, by her older half-brother, HRM King Tarriot, Elsa comes from a hard working family who over several generations built up a fashion house in Windenburg. Amalia still did not work a single day in her life, while Elsa is majority owner of Gobelin Fashion, Inc. While Amalia is Head of her new House of Hoffstar, Elsa is head of the much older House of Gobelin.

Rewind: Queen Evez Coronation

(Year 232, Fall) It's time for another rewind! This is a photo taken in Year 179 at Queen Evez' coronation. That is 53 years ago and mainly the children are still alive. The photo is currently on the wall in the Throne Room at the Royal Palace.

Let's see who were present, and also look for fun facts regarding their lives and connections, like two of the children are actually married today.

From the Throne Room at the Royal Palace Chateau Peak. Click image for a bigger version.

When Queen Evez got crowned, she had already married Lord Clempus Ross of House of Ross, son of the Duke of Rossie. They had two sons, Tarriot and Blaise. All four are centered on this photo. Crown Prince Tarriot got the Crown when Queen Evez died suddenly in Year 198.