Meraki Introductions

[sufficeittosims]

Founders' profiles + "The Founding of Meraki, Or, How Six Couples from All Over Some of SimCreation Happened to Find Each Other and Decide to Start A New Society Together

(Or, Yeah, It’s Pretty Much as Contrived as You’d Expect.)

Simblr version here.


In the beginning, everyone lived far, far apart. So far apart that they would count as Bon Voyage vacation locations for each other, if “vacation” had been invented yet. All wandered - some, further and longer than others - but all eventually arrived together in the fertile, unoccupied river valley they dubbed “Meraki.”

The first to meet were the Green Eyes and the Brown Eyes. Although they had already met many, many Sims already on their travels, Rubati and Tammuz felt for the first time a kindredness of spirit immediately upon stumbling across Nadii’ya and Tobiah’s makeshift campsite, late in the afternoon one day months after leaving their childhood homes. Rubati was particularly pleased that, unlike the other men they’d crossed paths with thus far, Tobiah seemed completely disinterested in acquiring her as a romantic partner. Nadii’ya and Tobiah, naturally affable, gregarious Sims, were glad to have the company and were overjoyed when Tammuz proposed that they band together, at least for a while, for strength in numbers.

Around the same time, Noel and Kimba met Saphir and Lehabim when they used the same mountain pass to cross a daunting range of snow-capped peaks. They became fast friends, practically inventing the concept of “double date” the first time they shared a rotisserie goose Saphir expertly caught and Kimba expertly prepared.

Stachia and Pallu joined up with Nadii’ya, Tobiah, Rubati, and Tammuz in a small village called Hamba, just as the first frost fell the winter before they found the Meraki valley. In the midst of a blizzard a month later, Junia and Gandu joined them when Gandu refused to travel any further until spring, no matter what Junia said.

When the last snows melted and it was safe to travel again, the four couples thanked the Hambans for their hospitality and set off towards the west, still in search of a perfect place for them to found a settlement of their own. Within a few weeks, they crossed paths with Noel, Kimba, Saphir, and Lehabim at a river ford, and the very next day, they could not believe their luck when they stepped over a the crest of a hillock and saw before them the very view you see above. After passing a large meadow with wild berries and evidence of recent animal activity, when the group found six caves at the foot of the next hillock, they knew this was the place they should stop and settle. Noel and Rubati agreed that the spirits smiled on their location, blessing it with a sacred bloodleaf tree and an enormous misty waterfall, and that was that. They spent the next few weeks chopping down trees, settling into their new cave homes, and working together to create some common amenities at the fishin’ hole.

When our challenge opens, it is Spring 5th, and everyone is ready to get to work cultivating their first crops to store for the winter and step into their roles in this new community. From this humble origin, will they build a civilization that will stand the test of time?




Stachia and Pallu are an amibitious, hardworking couple whose dreams outgrew their childhood village, Kulden. As they wandered southward in search of better opportunities, Pallu began building the skills to trade food, stories, and tools for safe shelter, and just as importantly, began to see how much better life can be if he trades things for other things so that he doesn’t have to worry about making everything himself. Stachia, meanwhile, took note of all the different ways the Sims in the villages they passed through had adapted to live together in relative harmony, and has formulated many ideas of her own of what an ideal village can be like.

Stachia is significantly more family-oriented than Pallu, and had a much harder time leaving home behind for good. From time to time, this resentment may bleed through into otherwise minor daily disputes. Pallu, a talented schmoozer, is usually able to diffuse Stachia’s histrionics by reminding her of the undefinable charm and allure that drew her to him in the first place, all those years ago in the frigid north.

Now that they have chosen to settle down once and for all in Meraki, Stachia is as eager to start a family of their own as she is to put some of her novel ideas for village management into practice. Pallu will do what he can to help, but may find himself taking longer and longer trips from home as he builds a fledgling trade network. Can they hold it all together? Only time will tell…



Pallu

Fortune/Knowledge (LTW: Earn $100k)

Career: Trader

Traits: Schmoozer, Workaholic, Star Quality, Natural Cook

TS2 Personality: Neat - 7 / Outgoing - 8 / Active - 5 / Playful - 0 / Nice 2

Genetics: Eyes - Chill / Hair: Brown / Skin - 0.17 HoneyHoney Warmth / Height - 5′8″ (Stretch 0.985)



Stachia

Family/Knowledge (LTW: Become Cleopatra)

Career: Politics

Traits: Ambitious, Disciplined, Dramatic, Family-Oriented

TS2 Personality: Neat - 4 / Outgoing - 6 / Active - 5 / Playful - 0 / Nice 6

Genetics: Eyes - Chill / Hair: Blonde / Skin - 0.12 Feathers Midday Kiss / Height - 5′5″ (Stretch 0.94)




Nadii’ya and Tobiah’s childhood home, Suma, is a village full of fierce warriors, always skirmishing and raiding with their neighbors. To preserve their might, the village elders (what few of them there are) enforce a strict code of discipline on all its residents and ensure that all are trained in the warrior ways from a young age.

Within this rigid society, Nadii’ya and Tobiah were drawn to each other’s joie de vivre and were able to nurture the softer aspects of their personalities as they grew older and closer. Their friendship eventually blossomed into a romantic love, and they began to whisper to each other at night about their shared dream of finding a better way to live. One day, when Nadii’ya’s mother did not return home from a raid with the rest of the warriors, Nadii’ya ran in tears to Tobiah’s hut and convinced him that the time had come for them to finally leave it all behind. They packed light, traveled fast and far, and eventually joined up with the group of wanderers that became their neighbors in the Meraki valley.

Nadii’ya and Tobiah truly believe that Meraki is the perfect place for them to chart their own course in life. Although both will serve as defenders of their new home, they are optimistic that they will also live long enough to actually enjoy it…



Nadii’ya

Family/Fortune (LTW: Have 6 Grandchildren)

Career: Warrior

Traits: Charismatic, Perfectionist, Natural Cook, Family-Oriented

TS2 Personality: Neat - 5 / Outgoing - 8 / Active - 4 / Playful - 7 / Nice - 9

Genetics: Eyes - Chocolat / Hair - Dark Brown / Skin - 0.78 HoneyAdd Sunset Rose / Height - 5′0″ (Stretch 0.87)



Tobiah

Pleasure/Knowledge (LTW: Have 50 Dream Dates)

Career: Warrior

Traits: Friendly, Absent-Minded, Irresistible, Slob

TS2 Personality: Neat - 0 / Outgoing - 7 / Active - 3 / Playful - 6 / Nice 9

Genetics: Eyes - Chocolate / Hair: Dark Brown / Skin - 0.22 Watermelon Warmth / Height - 5′11″ (Stretch 1.03)




Gandu and Junia were cast out of their village, Vostok, because their outlandish dreams - which they both take very seriously - were creating too much ruckus, distracting the other Sims from their hunting and gathering. Since neither of them ever fit in too well to begin with, they were all too happy to set out together to find a new home where they can strive for their impossible dreams without judgment.

In Meraki, they hope they have found that place. Luckily, while they pursue the impossible in the relative comfort and safety of their own cave, they have found acceptance in this rag-tag group with the valuable skills they bring to the village. Gandu, a gifted carpenter and builder, is excited for the opportunity to leave his mark on the world, guiding this village’s progress from the literal ground up. Junia, who would succeed at anything she sets her mind to, has decided to scratch a living out of trading the goods others scratch from the surface of the earth between them.

Junia and Gandu were not close as children, marching as each of them did to the beats of their own drums. As they walked the length of a continent in search of the perfect new home, they learned how much they have in common, and each became the other’s trusted sounding board for their ridiculous dreams. The love that has grown between them is a mature one, born more out of necessity and opportunity than fiery passion. Should some other Sim in the village strike that match for either of them, they’ll likely be eager to pursue it - especially since both of them are actually more physically attracted to their own sex than the other. Nonetheless, during the long hours of their trek, they firmly agreed that come what may, they would see this thing called life through together, including by birthing a family and starting a legacy that, like Gandu’s buildings, will hopefully stand the test of time…



Gandu

Knowledge/Popularity (LTW: Become Mad Scientist)

Career: Carpenter

Traits: Genius, Handy, Artistic, Friendly

TS2 Personality: Neat - 7 / Outgoing - 7 / Active - 4 / Playful - 4 / Nice - 10

Genetics: Eyes - Starry / Hair - Dark Red / Skin - 0.015 HoneyHoney Pale Dust Freckles / Height - 6′1″ (Stretch 1.06)



Junia

Fortune/Family (LTW: Become Rock God)

Career: Trader

Traits: Adventurous, Ambitious, Disciplined, Loves the Cold

TS2 Personality: Neat - 4 / Outgoing - 7 / Active - 8 / Playful - 0 / Nice 6

Genetics: Eyes - Starry / Hair: Light Brown / Skin - 0.09 Honey Add-on Midday / Height - 5′2″ (Stretch 0.9)



Saphir and Lehabim are the tale as old as time: star-crossed lovers from neighboring villages that have long been in violent conflict with each other. Instead of putting pride aside and reconciling to celebrate the lovers, the village elders on both sides expressly forbade the match and refused to let the couple settle together in their homeland. Luckily, because Saphir and Lehabim are not idiots, instead of faking their deaths to teach their families a lesson, they decided to just leave it all behind and seek out a fresh start in a village with no baggage. Meraki, of course, fits the bill perfectly.

The couple is eager to build a sense of community in the village as much as they are ready to find their fortune and start a family in this brave new world. Knowing the damage village elders can inflict on others’ lives, Lehabim will attempt to become a leader from the outset and wield that power, best as he can, for the good of all. Saphir will serve as a warrior to help protect their new way of life - and, if she can help it, enrich her family while she’s at it…



Saphir

Fortune/Popularity (LTW: Earn $100k)

Career: Warrior

Traits: Brave, Athletic, Flirty, Perceptive

TS2 Personality: Neat - 4 / Outgoing - 6 / Active - 10 / Playful - 5 / Nice - 5

Genetics: Eyes - Golden / Hair - Dark Brown / Skin - 0.13 Sunshine Peaches / Height - 5′9″ (Stretch 1.0)



Lehabim

Popularity/Pleasure (LTW: Become Rock God)

Career: Politics

Traits: Charismatic, Dramatic, Excitable, Ambitious

TS2 Personality: Neat - 3 / Outgoing - 10 / Active - 7 / Playful - 8 / Nice - 7

Genetics: Eyes - Golden / Hair - Black / Skin - 0.75 Watermelon Sunset / Height - 5′11″ (Stretch 1.03)



Ever since he was a child, Noel has been the rebel with the heart of gold, the life of the party, the class clown - if such things as “classes” or “clowns” were invented yet. So when Kimba’s family migrated to his village, Serenum, it was no surprise that this good-natured bad boy caught her eye and won her eternal love.

Ever since she was a child, Kimba has been the sharpest, brightest presence in every cave, hut, and meadow she’s entered. So when her family migrated to a new village, Serenum, it was no surprise that Noel was drawn to her energy, like a moth to the flame, and they have been inseparable ever since.

As they grew into adults, Noel began developing some radical ideas about the meaning of life, the origins of the universe, and what we owe to each other - in short, going a step too far questioning the authority he had always rubbed the wrong way. Noel was given an ultimatum: stop spewing nonsense into everyone’s heads, or get out. For both of them, the choice was easy. Kimba agreed to go with Noel into the great unknown, to find a place where he would be free to explore these ideas to his heart’s content…



Kimba

Knowledge/Popularity (LTW: Become Metrodora)

Career: Medicine

Traits: Social Butterfly, Perceptive, Nurturing, Natural Cook

TS2 Personality: Neat - 4 / Outgoing - 10 / Active - 5 / Playful - 7 / Nice - 10

Genetics: Eyes - Stardust / Hair - Black / Skin - 0.92 HoneyGold Dreamland / Height - 5′10″ (Stretch 1.015)



Noel

Popularity/Pleasure (LTW: Become Rock God)

Career: Shaman

Traits: Good Sense of Humor, Rebellious, Avant Garde, Party Animal

TS2 Personality: Neat - 2 / Outgoing - 10 / Active - 5 / Playful - 10 / Nice - 5

Genetics: Eyes - Stardust / Hair - Black / Skin - 0.06 Venice Ashes / Height - 5′11″ (Stretch 1.03)



Rubati and Tammuz are both the youngest children of the youngest children of the youngest children of the founders of the village of Waheh, a long-established but overcrowded settlement. Their parents arranged their pairing and offered to help them build a tiny mud starter hut. However, seeing no opportunities ahead of them in Waheh but praying for rain enough to keep a kitchen garden alive, they grabbed each other’s hands and took off for literal greener pastures.

Along the trek, Rubati became very shy and withdrawn as in each new village they passed through, men leered at her irresistible face and threatened to take Tammuz’s life and steal her for themselves. She was also passionate about learning as much as possible about each new environment they encountered, and began to tell herself stories about all the various spirits of the world that must be constantly battling for dominion, to create such variety. She entertained Tammuz with these stories as they walked, and suspects that if she shares them with others, they may start to believe them, too! If only she can summon the confidence to do so, that is.

Tammuz cares deeply for Rubati, and his nurturing, creative nature acts as a soothing balm for her sad psyche. Incidentally, he also learned to make some real soothing balms from his mother and aunts, and has decided to devote his entire life to the art of healing.

Now that they have settled in Meraki - a place where everyone is new, just like them, these two kind souls may finally be able to flourish. Each is keeping a secret from the other, though, a secret each fears could destroy their new life: both are attracted to Sims of their own sex much more than Sims of the other, a lust that was strictly forbidden in their homeland and thus, never spoken of…



Rubati

Knowledge/Family (LTW: Max 7 Skills)

Career: Shaman

Traits: Shy, Bookworm, Perfectionist, Irresistible

TS2 Personality: Neat - 3 / Outgoing - 0 / Active - 4 / Playful - 0 / Nice - 8

Genetics: Eyes - Forest / Hair - Brown / Skin - 0.55 Sunshine Beach / Height - 5′10″ (Stretch 1.015)



Tammuz

Knowledge/Fortune (LTW: Become Hippocrates)

Career: Medicine

Traits: Nurturing, Good Sense of Humor, Artistic, Workaholic

TS2 Personality: Neat - 6 / Outgoing - 6 / Active - 6 / Playful - 5 / Nice - 8

Genetics: Eyes - Forest / Hair - Black / Skin - 0.66 Watermelon Olive / Height - 5′8″ (Stretch 0.985)