A Steampunk Winterfest, Chapter 1

This is the third story starter kit released by Sims Community.

A Steampunk Winterfest posted 12/16/2021

A Kringle Legacy, Back Story

Up in the farthest, coldest reaches of the North Pole lives a very famous man you may have heard of. The people call him Father Winter and his wife is known as Mrs. Winter, but their real names are Kris and Gertrude Kringle. They have a very special job once a year but it’s a full-time occupation for them all year round. The Kringles are toy makers who spend the entire year carving, knitting, and cross-stitching toys for good children all over the world. On Winterfest Eve, Kris packs up all the toys they made that year on his sleigh pulled by his nine magical flying “reindeer” (nobody tell them they’re actually llamas! They think they’re reindeer!) and delivers toys to all the children of the world.

Of course, you know all this. Maybe not the llama part but you know the story. What most people don’t know is that Father Winter isn’t immortal. He grows old and eventually dies just like everybody else. That’s why being Father Winter is a family business that has been passed down from Kringle to Kringle since medieval times. When the previous Father (or Mother) Winter passes on or becomes too old to carry out their duties, the torch gets passed down to their oldest child. That was the plan for Kris. But plans have a habit of not going to plan.

Kris had been gearing up to retire and pass the reins to his only child, Nicholas, but Nicholas tragically lost his life during a training flight when he and the “reindeer” encountered bad weather and the sleigh crashed in the mountains. He left behind his young daughter, Giselle, whose mother left them when she found out who the Kringles really were and wanted no part of such childishness. With no one left to care for Giselle, Kris and Gertrude adopted their granddaughter.

Now Kris has another dilemma. Giselle is his only living descendant who can be Mother Winter, but he’s getting on in years and Giselle is still just a toddler. He can’t keep being Father Winter forever; the Grim Reaper comes for them all in the end but when that day comes, will Giselle be ready to continue the Kringle legacy?

Other Info

Kris Kringle

• Age: Elder
• Traits: Perfectionist, Good, Cheerful, Gregarious, Father Winter’s Baby
• Aspiration: Friend of the World
• Likes: Red, Winter Holiday Music, Handiness, Storybook Décor
• Dislikes: None
• Skills: Handiness (5), Charisma (4), Flower Arranging (3)
• Career: Unemployed (Toy Maker???)
• Packs Used: Seasons, Get Famous, Cottage Living, Fitness Stuff
• Misc. Notes:
  • Kris is a Proper Celebrity with some fame perks already!
  • Kris has a Pristine Reputation!

Gertrude Kringle

• Age: Elder
• Traits: Creative, Self-Assured, Animal Enthusiast, Muser
• Aspiration: Lady of the Knits
• Likes: Red, Winter Holiday Music, Knitting, Cross-Stitch, Queen Anne Décor
• Dislikes: None
• Skills: Knitting (5), Cross-Stitch (4), Cooking (3)
• Career: Unemployed (Toy Maker???)
• Packs Used: Seasons, Get Famous, Cottage Living, Nifty Knitting Stuff
• Misc. Notes:
  • Gertrude is a B-Lister with some fame perks already!
  • Gertrude has a Great Reputation!

Giselle Kringle

• Age: Toddler
• Traits: Wild, Father Winter’s Baby
• Skills: Imagination (5), Thinking (3), Movement (2), Communication (1)
• Packs Used: Seasons, Get Famous, Cottage Living

Tinker’s Trinkets

If Father Winter’s home and toy workshop looks a little… cobbled together, that’s because it is! Originally built as just a workshop in the medieval period, the home has gotten countless additions and upgrades over the centuries. Now, a waterwheel and a series of pipes power both the workshop and the Victorian-style home that was added much later. Some have suggested tearing down the entire thing and rebuilding it to modern standards; much of the technology is long outdated and possibly even dangerous but tradition is tradition! The Kringle family has no plans to start over. They’ll continue to add onto their historical home in haphazard bits and pieces just like they always have.

Lot Info

• Lot Type: Residential
• Price: §151,104
• Size: 50×50
• Beds: 2
• Baths: 2
• Lot Traits: Home Studio, Child’s Play
• Packs Used: Seasons, Get Famous, Cottage Living, Nifty Knitting Stuff
• Tips to Use This Lot:
  • The Kringles come with enough simoleons to purchase their home and have some savings left over.
  • This lot does not require Snowy Escape but if you own the Snowy Escape expansion, we recommend placing this lot on the 50×50 lot in the Yukimatsu district to get the full winter experience!
  • The “reindeer” stable is fully functional! The animal sheds are hidden inside the buckets so click on the sheds in the buckets to have your Sims maintain them.
  • Sims may look a bit silly walking through the water troughs and whatnot around the stable but this is normal. All the décor is placed from the basement level so they don’t block the path inside the sheds. This makes sure Sims can move around the area easily and take care of the “reindeer.”
  • Giselle is too young to climb the ladder to her play nook above her room but she will be able to access this area and play with her dollhouse when she becomes a child.

Kris and Gertrude move into the highest and largest lot in Mt Komorebi to take advantage of the full winter experience as recommended in the lot setup. There is a question on the table about whether Kris and or Gertrude can live long enough for Giselle to become old enough to live by herself. It will be close, but I believe she will have a two-day grace and then she will be on her own as a teen.

This is a challenge that I may play closer to the holidays, and winter. It is so damn hot in Texas right now that I can’t even imagine a cold location. You would think that I would be wanting to play in the winter just because of the Texas heat, but that isn’t how my brain is playing now. Not sure where the “reindeer” are hiding but I saw them initially.

Simmers!

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