Chronomancy Part 4: Poledra

Is it strange to document one's time as an infant? It does not seem so to me, but then there has never been - can never be - another quite like me.

I was a precocious child, it is true, but I was still an infant. I threw up, I made a mess of my nappies, I screamed for no reason. As did my siblings. As do we all.

What we have is called "the spark". It is the power to see and manipulate ambient magic. But I do not have the spark - I have a roaring bonfire. One such as me could crack the world - indeed, in a very real sense, that is my purpose. But I not merely destroyer - I am Shiva. In the evening I dance the dance of destruction; in the morning, my dance is one of rebirth.

It's been a while, so let's start with a recap.

I have 6 restrictions remaining (Alien Technology, Education - being worked on by Jeromy, Gamer, Journalist, Naturalist, Science). I have 3 toddlers that are 2 days away from being children, and 3 infants that are 2 days away from being toddlers. Hermione has over 200k in LTR points, more than enough to platinum tombstone, and the only thing that delayed her transition to elder was her pregnancy.

One of the toddlers should lift Science, and an infant can lift Naturalist. I'll get the other two toddlers to grab Journalist and Gamer. And Hermione will lift Alien Technology via the World Adventures method. It is week 23, day 6. Let's go.

After feeding all the toddlers and infants, I sent Hermione to China for 3 days. The tricky part of Alien Technology is going to be the nectars, so I want Pangu's Axe to get as many things from chests as possible. I can't actually use it until Naturalist is lifted, though, which means I need it to be the case that Naturalist is lifted before something else. Hmm. I rearrange my plans - toddlers will lift Science, Naturalist, and Moodlet Manager. Infants will lift Motive Mobile, Gamer, and Journalist. That's going to be rough.

As I left infancy and started school, Mother/Granddaughter began to spend more and more time abroad, seeking the secret magic I'd need for later. And even if you know that you are destined to succeed, I imagine encounters with the undead are no less disturbing.

Two trips to China got me the Axe; the first trip to Egypt nailed the mummy requirement.

My powers began to manifest in small ways as I grew older. Coincidences of timing became more common. Perhaps the most fortunate example was father finally convincing the community to open a high school, on the day before Sam, Saru, and I turned 13. He and Mum hadn't been getting on too well for a while, and when he was informed he'd need to be a live-in headmaster at the new school, they effectively separated. Mother/granddaughter wore her wedding ring until her dying day, but it was far more a marriage of convenience than love. I felt for Jeromy my father - he was swept up by forces he never understood.

Sam and I spent our time at boarding school; we had no particular desire to continue our education under Dad's watchful eyes, although Saru didn't seem to mind.

Week 25, Day 4 (plus 27 days travel time), Education is finally lifted. The last 3 points of Writing seemed to take an age.

Hermione (at 73 days old) has been feverishly training for Adonis points, but I suspect she's going to have to train a few in China to finish off the points.

I'm on track for Comforting Children for Saruman. Debating a bit, I decide to send the other two teens (they age up on the same day Education is cleared) to boarding school (school of Peace and Love).

Mother/Granddaughter Hermione returned from many trips to other lands, and presented me with the secrets of their magic. The bandages from a mummy taught me how to stop time; a diving well that had been constructed from internationally obtained parts showed me that time was like the ocean; ancient wines from France contained ingredients from before the Apocalypse - or after, depending on how you count these things - and were the final key I needed.

I now knew the spells. There were just a few things that still had to be accomplished, and I wouldn't be able to do it as a teenager.

Week 26, Day 2 (plus 51 days travel time), Alien Technology lifted. This is a reasonably fun way to make the lift, but it's terribly inefficient in terms of days required. Hermione is 78 days old and may die at any moment, but she has achieved everything it was necessary for her to do.

It is a shame I was still away at school when Mother/Granddaughter died, but she was quite old. My brothers managed to muddle through their teen years without an adult present - the town council didn't dare move against us.

Week 26, Day 6 (plus 51 days travel time), Hermione bites it - old age tombstone achieved.

After graduation, we returned home. Both Samantha and I wanted jobs at the local Science lab; Saruman had pursued a different path. There was a magic to be extracted from joy and art - and he was well on the way to unlocking it. I would take this power back with me, so that he could discover it again - or for the first time, as you like.

Perhaps fearing what would happen, the local laboratory consistently informed us there were no vacancies. I wasn't getting any younger; eventually I took a job at the hospital, hoping that I could transfer. Samantha hung on, and eventually got a job - her idea was that she could recommend me. A successful idea, if a somewhat convoluted plan.

Week 27, Day 4 (plus 51 days travel time) - the day of the elder triplets birthday, so just in time, but still on track for the Moodlet Manager lift (aka Comforting Children). The portrait (of Hermione, before she died) was done ages ago, but I had to keep Saruman home from school on this day in order to make it (or at least, I thought it was too risky not to).

With the graduation and return of Poledra and Samantha, I had Poledra check the paper, but no Science option was there. Poledra rolls 2, so no dice there either. Note that Poledra cannot actually start Naturalist until Science is lifted - but that doesn't really constitute a restriction, as long as Samantha lifts it simultaneously.

By week 28, day 5, I still hadn't managed to score Science (for either); when the die roll for Poledra came up Medical, I took it figuring she might get a chance to switch. It was week 29 day 1 before Samantha managed to roll a 3 and enter Science. Of course, that was also the day that the newspaper had Science when Poledra checked it.

Nobody can know our plans. There is no way to keep these secrets without controlling the media - hence Tabitha's quest. She was very diligent, managing to achieve total media control before our work in the laboratory was complete.

Week 30, day 4 (plus 51 days travel), Journalism (!) lifted. Yes, the youngest triplet lifted before any of the others. Opening up the library is handy here. I had her go to the bookstore, and then head to the library to study Cooking - I need to finish some skill challenges.

Of course, "old media" is one thing - we needed to control "new media" too. Our experiments were restoring a nascent Internet; Belgarion was already in full control of everything we would later develop.

Gamer lifted (same day). I am now in the curious position of having lifted Gamer before Science. I assume there's some sort of board game version of The Sims. :)

Saruman had been left alone to study his own particular branch of magitek. The device he created is very useful; it is too bad that I cannot take it back with me.

Week 31, day 1 (plus 51 days travel time), Moodlet Manager lifted (via Comforting Children). It took forever to get the last best seller. But the good news is he got to 150k in the process.

There must never be another. His device could destabilise things. It is unfortunate, but the beauty is that I'll see him again.

Well it's not good news for him. Obviously. And the fun part is I can (and did) use the Moodlet Manager to clear away the mourning moodlets.

With Samantha's experiments complete, I began to gather various flora and fauna samples. I'll need to take that all back with me - otherwise, we may face a biodiversity problem in the present/future.

Week 31, day 2 (plus 51 days travel time), Science is lifted. This is quicker than I thought; she got the "breakthrough" event. Now Poledra is officially on the Naturalist track.

Belgarath extracted the power of children's joy, to create a powerful spell that cleansed body, mind, and soul. It took a lot of power, but he even figured a way to hook it up to a car engine to supply that power. Another trick I'll have to take back with me.

It took me some time to gather the necessary flora samples. But when you have a diary that tells you exactly what fertiliser to use, exactly when to plant, and so forth - it is only a matter of time.

Time it is. And time is my mastery. Though well into old age when I was ready to make the leap, I knew the rejuvenating effects would kick in immediately.

The Song of Time, a dirge for the world that is, a catastrophe for the world that was, and a beacon for the world that will be. I am in a devastated world. I hide the things that I will need later, I carefully preserve this, my diary.

And so my children, the end is the beginning. We will prevail - we have, endless numbers of times already.

Week 31, day 7 (plus 51 days travel time), Motive Mobile is unlocked. Man, Day Care takes ages.

I have all the fish that I need, it's just a case now of getting to level 3 in the graveyard job and cycling the plants through to Perfect status.

This takes an age and a half. But finally, on week 33 day 8 (plus 51 days travel time), I grow the last perfect plant.

My score is 300:

• All restrictions and Alien Technology (25)
• 22 books for Copious Librarian (2)
• 60 points worth of collectibles for Amazing Naturalist - actually, way more than that, but I stopped bothering to count once I hit 60 (60)
• Trained 10 Sims for 10 hours each, 19 household Sims got to Athletics 10, for Admirable Adonis (49)
• 29 unique skill challenges (29)
• 12 unique LTWs achieved (12)
• 5 different platinum ghosts (15)
• 2 gnomes - mysterious and Manchu (2)
• About $18 million for money, most of it from a carefully nurtured $16 million bar of Compendium (10)
• 1 point from Time in a Bottle, as I had to use 9 of them (1)
• Prestige Occult Witch (50)
• Get Off My Lawn (35)
• What Experience Do You Have (15)

The total time was 282 days, including travel time, which is the worst of my three attempts. It is ironic that shorter lifespans induce longer time requirements, but the real problem was that the methods of lifting I chose were far from optimal.

That concludes the third and last of my April/May 2016 tournament blogs. If you've been reading this far, thank you for your attention, good luck in your own games, and I'll see you all next time!

Chronomancy Part 3b: Hermione

My sister was trained for this.

It was always expected that Willow would be the survivor - the mother of the next generation of witches, taking us ever closer to the birth of Grannie. (My family is weird. We'll get to it).

Turns out, she was just a very clever little girl. And unfortunately for her - for me, too, really - I'm even more clever still. Her attempts to fool everyone, even the timeline, into thinking she was the one, were almost entirely successful. But I was close to Uncle Gandalf before he died, and he showed me the magic innate in music. I even followed him for a while, though I'm more a rock chick than a symphonic gal. We had talked often about how to recognise when a note is off key, and something about Willow just always struck me as off kilter.

It wasn't her powers. She was a witch alright, at least as talented as I was. It was more that she was always getting the worst of luck - as if providence had set itself against her personally. One night while she was snatching a Van Gogh for her criminal bosses, I engaged in a little theft of my own. I found the journals, and - well, she already told you. Long story short, I'm the real heir, which means I'm on the hook now for kids. I have a lot of reading to catch up on; Dad always spent more time with Willow, understandably enough, and while my treacherous sister is sufficiently contrite that she's relating what she knows, I am forced to subject all her information to a certain amount of scrutiny.

Last time I'd noted that because of the time frame, I was switching heirs. I very rarely do this - the heir is almost always the first born legal child - but it's important to be flexible.

The Art Appraisal careers cannot be recommended; the hours are short, and at least in my case, there are often no bosses around for the higher levels, so you can't Ask for Promotion. But in fairness, I am certainly still in "hard mode" here - witch lifespan, no Education, no Science/Gamer - so I have no Ambitious Sims and no Work from Home ability. In better conditions, they're probably fine.

Tara was a lot of help there, though. You can't con a con-woman, as they say, and she's the best of the best. A little subterfuge on her behalf and now the mob has lost our address - we can finally start to think about savings. It's true we've invested in several businesses around down, but there's nothing like money in the bank.

Week 21, Day 6, Criminal lifted. Err... "yay"? The money is largely irrelevant and I can't do anything significant with beds until I lift Paranormal. But I guess it had to get lifted some time. Tara has 21k to go until she's 150 (she got The Tinkerer earlier), with about 7500 locked - so we'll see how this goes.

We always thought Willow was intended to be the one that brought in the next generation, but since it's me, I didn't have a lot of time to waste. I wasn't getting any younger. The only thing I knew about Jeromy from Amy was that he was under 40 - and frankly, that was really all that I cared about. I'm sorry kids - it's not that I didn't come to care for your father, but the luxury of a long courtship just wasn't something we could afford.

Week 22, Day 1. Because even with Hermione, it's cutting things fine. She'll get the lift in 2 more days, leaving her with 8 days until she is an elder. Enough for two pregnancies, but not with a lot of spare time - I didn't want to be mucking around romancing the beau, I wanted to be able to get her pregnant the day before she lifts. Of course Jeromy already had a partner, but I've never considered that any sort of barrier in an Apocalypse Challenge (and you shouldn't either).

This pushes the time to 5 days for the clear, thanks to the day off, but the math still works - I get her pregnant on the Thursday, she clears on the Friday before the baby bump, has the kids on Sunday and gets pregnant again in time for another try.

Jerome is a bit of a prize- he has 2 days until he's an adult, and he's Clumsy, Excitable, Neurotic, Over-Emotional, Workaholic (so not that bad). He also has Athletics 2 (I trained him a few hours the previous day), Handiness 4, Painting 2, Writing 3. The LTW is Renaissance Sim, which he can surely get, but it won't count. As soon as he's officially missed work, I have him quit as per Master Thief rules and roll for a job: a 3! Jackpot! I get him Education and never look back. All he needs are the bookshop career, Athletics stuff (which I'd get anyway), and the Writing stuff. I get him a job in the bookshop career immediately and then hit the treadmill.

While I did appreciate Willow's attempts at redemption - her contacts with art fences allowed us to bring considerable pressure on the council, with the consequent of some much laxer labour laws - I just didn't feel I could ever really trust her. When she mentioned that her contacts had offered her some lucrative career opportunities elsewhere, I packed her bags for her and encouraged her to pursue them. She got the hint.

Amy's contribution was less important - it's nice that we get further relaxation in the building codes, and it's very nice that we can finally start to purchase luxury goods now that her art appraisals have given our community some possibly of exports - but those restrictions were not felt particularly heavily. On the other hand, she never falsified Grannie's journals either, so she can certainly stay for a while.

Week 22, Day 4, Master Thief and Architect both lifted. Willow immediately moves out. Amy, however, has 141k in LTR points and a decent chance at making 150k, so for the moment, she can stay.

Uncle Gandalf was right. There is magic in music, and while he figured out some of the tricks, in the hands of a true witch there is real power here. I feel much like Grannie did, when she spread the message of hope; I have reinforced that message now, and people are no longer solely focussed on survival. Within weeks, we have toys, fashions, and even hair styles.

And I am spending most of this exciting new time with my head over the toilet, because Jeromy and I are pregnant. We're using all the fertility magic that I know - which is considerable - as well as the tuning frequency that Grannie mentioned in her journals. Fortunately I'm in great shape because I'm not sure I would survive it otherwise. I wish Tara had stayed, but there was little left for her here - she'd always been close with Willow, and never really got over the fact that I took over, regardless of the circumstances.

Week 22, Day 6, Entertainment is lifted. Hermione is about 15 hours or so pregnant, with 5 days to go until she is an elder. Both she and Jeromy have Fertility Treatment; she will now be subject to the kids channel until she gives birth (since I can do that, with infinite workouts).

It's time to take stock again. I want triplets, and there are only 2 free slots. Amy is on 147k, Dumbledore is on 149k, and Tara is on 140k. So unfortunately, Tara has to move out here, and the other two really need to kick it into high gear too.

There are times I wish I'd never uncovered Willow's forgery. Grannie's journals were very clear, but that didn't make consigning my brother to a watery grave any easier.

Week 22, Day 7, drowning tombstone.

Nor did I find it easy to fool my sister into speaking the death spell, with the knowledge that the lack of ambient mana and her lack of innate ability would cause it to backfire.

But these events had to happen - in a sense, had already happened. Grannie's journals are very clear, and she would know.

Grannie is a closed loop. She is the serpent that eats its own tail - both ancestor and descendant. If things do not transpire as she directs, then she may never exist, and then we may never exist. We know this, because this is not the first version of the loop.

It makes little sense to talk of "before" and "after" with timelines, but I have no better words. There was a society that merged technology and magic. It flourished. And from the fusion emerged a new kind of technomagick called Chronomancy. Time travel.

There were attempts to build devices to allow this, but they only ever seemed to work in the presence of certain features of the environment; this environment, the gods decreed, did not contain those features. Magic was needed, and magic was used.

And the apocalypse was the result.

It could not simply be averted. It had happened. To avert it would cause a paradox. Only an elite team called the Timeless had an answer - to create their own paradox. Not to avert the apocalypse, but to lessen its severity and duration.

The ouroboros. Grannie. Poledra Sorcerous, the first and - in the new timeline - the only Chronomancer.

Would my siblings have died had she not decreed? Did her decree cause those deaths, or merely describe them? Is free will at all meaningful? I must dance to the orders of my forebear and my descendant, and I cannot escape the chains that bind me.

Later the same day, ranting tombstone.

And how do I know this, when my father did not?

I know because Morgana knows. Morgana - despite lacking any innate magical power - rediscovered alchemy. While of limited direct use - the toxic ash would not support the crops we'd need to make potions - she gave me just enough hints, and just enough stolen materials, that between us we were able to unlock the remaining safeguards on my ancestor's notes.

My magic powers were now at their peak. I ended the zombie plague with but a word.

I realise I keep calling Grannie my descendant. I guess it's because the better word is hard for me to accept.

Week 23, Day 1, Paranormal lifted. I still want her LTW, but she's going to have to hurry. She's got Writing 10, and about Painting 9.5.

With both Military and Paranormal lifted, I change the lunar cycle to be permanently at "first quarter". No more zombies.

But I had better start referring to her as my daughter.

Morgana had given me so much. But she was fated to give me one thing more.

And now the circle completes! I have 6 restrictions remaining including Alien Technology, and Jeromy is already working on Education. Meaning of course that he won't finish it in time for it to be useful, but there's always Midlife Crisis. With 1 days to go until she is an elder, Hermione is pregnant once more.

Both Saruman and Poledra are witches, but technically I don't actually need an heir here, since with fertility treatment + constant Kids channel I cannot really fail to get at least twins, and that will be all I need.

Destiny is a cruel mistress, and Morgana's death by starvation was perhaps the unkindest cut of all.

Week 23, Day 5, Starving ghost achieved.

And now that Poledra is born, all my future children have the spark. If ever there was a child of destiny, she is it - I will endeavour to love all of my children equally, of course, but Poledra - well, how many of us can say that they raised their own grandmother?

Week 23, Day 6, 3 more kiddies. That means I have a spare, so I might as well go for one of the optionals. All three of these are witches.

As this is now the last generation, this makes a good point to switch off. Tune in next time for the exciting - well, tolerable - conclusion!

Chronomancy Part 3: Willow

Daddies gone.

Mummie sayed he had to go to run the sittee. It is just my sisters now. Oh, and my bruther Dumbledore.

Uncle Gandalf is funnie. He drools all the time and forgets to go to the toylet.

When last we met, I'd just moved out Merlin and left everyone in the care of his wife Faith and uncle Gandalf (who, as an elder, is uncontrollable). There are 3 children and 3 toddlers (2 sets of triplets).

I'm, like, thirteen. The big one-three. And it's a Willow world, now and forevs.

I have the magic, so I'm the big girl on campus. Well, actuals, that's pretty wrong - since we ain't got no campus for me to be the big girl on. And Mumsey-o is always busting my balls over it, too - like, how are we s'posed to go school when there's no school to go to? Parentals, amiright?

Being a witch means you gotta have a kickin' bod. You gotta do all the cardio, especially since mostly we just eat the muffins that we made as kids and stored in our wicked cool freezer. You get that? Wicked cool? That's like a pun. I'll be here all week, please try the veal, don't forget to tip your waitress.

When we're not burning carbs, we're learning how to talk to boys. Well, girls too, I guess, but mostly boys. I mean, it's gross, but I have to get married and raise a new family after my sisters and Dumbie scat, so I have to know how to convince the cute boys to hit on me.

I should probably mention. Uncle Gandalf died, or whatever. I didn't really know him; he stayed in this little shed we have out the back, with the door boarded up from the outside. My witchey senses tell me he's dead now though. Blah blah, what a tragedy, etc.

Week 16, Day 1, the first set of triplets are now teens. I have had Gandalf "locked up" for some time now, feeding him occasionally, but there's no further need to keep him alive.

Amy is Absent-Minded, Athletic, Coward (a very annoying trait), and No Sense of Humour (this is not so bad; she can still tell jokes, she just doesn't like hearing them). She has Logic 2, Painting 2, Writing 6.

Tara is Angler (useless but harmless), Charismatic, Good, and Insane (also harmless). A lot of "bad" traits are actually fine with Free Will Off. She has Athletics 3, Logic 5, Painting 4, Writing 1.

Willow is Athletic, Easily Impressed, Inappropriate, Loner (not ideal, but tolerable). She has Logic 6, Painting 3.

Then Mum stole a whole bunch of stuff from the coroner's office. We had some notes that Aunty Eph made on how to make the old dudes and dudettes, like, normal. Ish. I mean, still old - ugh - but not drooley. We just didn't have the gear. Took Mumsey years to get close enough to the coroner to swipe it, but it's the absolute business. We all shot it up hard core, even I might be old someday and I want my noggin' working or whatevs, etc.

I got really tired of Mum though. always harshing my mellow with all this, "Why aren't you in school?" stuff. "Because they won't let us go, Mum," didn't seem to cut it. Total dragilicious.

Week 17, Day 3, Forensics lifted. (Apologies for the screen shot, I got a bit too quick with the close popup so I had to snap it with the job level in view). 1 day to go until she becomes an elder, so good timing. Brave is apparently a trait that really helps this job; despite her somewhat average metrics (especially the last few levels) she never took longer than 2 days to get promoted.

Of course, she's of absolutely no use to me now (50k LTR points, no way she's getting 100k more in 14 days), but unfortunately you can't move out and leave only teens. I don't really fancy another ghost, so I have to put up with her for another 5 days until my first lot of teens are YAs. I guess she can cook or something.

There's a trick that you may find useful. If you have a scolder, try putting them in a room just before 0900, and remove all the doors. They'll still stomp on everyone's queue, but they won't actually be able to reach the person they're trying to scold, so there is no relationship change or moodlet.

Annnddd finally they let us out of the house. Eighteen baby, the world's on fire and I'm totally holding the match.

There's all this bogus magic around, and it totally shonks your noggin. So, like, now Amy, a long time painter, can barely to stand to look at an easel. Tara, who rarely wears anything other than underwear, now wears that even in the shower. And speaking of, even the thought of water makes me queasy, and us with that big indoor pool. It's like random chaos magic altering our minds and our bodies. It's totally despicalicious.

So, the Anti-Apocalypse-Council ("Rebuilding A Better Tomorrow From The Ashes, Corpses, And Zombies of the Past") shoves us through graduation at City Hall. Since we all failed - morons think it's funny to fail us even though there's no school for teens - we get assigned menial tasks.

Both Amy and me get unpaid internships for the creepy mayor's art collector. I think he'd have a better appreciation for art if he could lift his eyes off my chest level once in a while - ugh. I poison his coffee just a little each day, and I've noticed Amy "improving" some of the art a bit with crayons.

Tara gets assigned to work with an "independent technological and sociological extrapolation expert", but we just call her a fortune teller. It's a huge scam, and she tells us that the mob is completely running the show. We totally want a piece of that sweet action. I told Mum to get a place closer to the scene, so she could keep us informed - but truths, I just was utterly sick of the sight of her. If there's any scolding teens to be done, I reckon I can totes handle it.

Here goes nothing, I suppose.

Amy is Absent-Minded, Athletic, Can't Stand Art, Coward, and No Sense of Humour. For the irony, I pick her LTW as Super Popular. She has Athletics 10, Charisma 1, Logic 6, Painting 6, Writing 6.

Tara is Angler, Charismatic, Insane, Good, and Never Nude (so, all up not too bad). She has the LTW The Tinkerer, with Athletics 10, Charisma 2, Handiness 5 (a lot of dishwasher and shower repairs), Logic 9, Painting 5, Writing 3.

Willow is Athletic, Easily Impressed, Hydrophobic, Inappropriate, and Loner. As the heir, I set her LTW to Surrounded by Family. She has Athletics 10, Charisma 2, Handiness 1, Logic 8, Painting 5, Writing 2.

It is immediately Graduation Day, which finally works in my favour, as the teens do not get scolded for a day off. As I've lifted Military, I opt to use the "roll and walk" method to get a job. For Amy, I roll 2 (ugh) and pick Architect. That's going to require some preparation first, so I get her started on the Kicky Bag.

Tara rolls and gets... a 2. She must therefore take Criminal, and takes a job in the Fortune Teller career.

Willow rolls and gets... 5. I've cleared Culinary, Forensics, and Symphonic, so I roll again. This time I get a 6, so I'm "forced" to take Master Thief. Now we're talking. That, too, will take some preparation via Kicky Bag.

During the course of this, Amy got an opportunity to teach a painting class at the school. This single opportunity netted her 27 friends and her LTW. Really!

So now the rug rats think they're cool cats. Not so much.

Dumbie decides to apply for journalism. The council decides that he can be a snitch for the local cops instead. I bet that's why I got in trouble from Mum for skipping school so much - I've always thought he looked shifty.

Hermaphro thinks she can make a difference as a scientist. Instead, they make her a groupie for a local band. Or, what, a fan, whatevs - ugh, is that what groupie means? Gross gross gross - she's, like my sister, how could you even go there?

Morgie decides that she's best placed as a communications expert - she's a published author and artist, after all. The council, in their infinite wisdom, decides that we can never have too many independent future predictors. Both Hermione and Morgana have to race to impress their respective employers, as the council lost their paperwork.

Or burned it, more like. Don't think I don't know what that smoke was. I'm watching you.

Week 18, Day 7, and now I'm teenless.

Dumbledore is Brave, Kleptomaniac, Loner, Mean Spirited, and Natural Cook with a LTW of Swimming in Cash. His skills are Athletics 10, Charisma 2, Logic 1, Painting 9. I roll 6, which is a reroll (I have cleared Business and Politics, and am clearing Master Thief). Next roll is 5, which is also a reroll (as would be a 2). The next two are 5 and then 4. I decide, after some thought, to go with Espionage - mainly because he's Brave and I've established with Faith that this makes a big difference in Law Enforcement progression.

Hermione is Coward, Easily Impressed, Hates the Outdoors, Heavy Sleeper, Insane, with LTW of Living in the Lap of Luxury. Her skills are Athletics 10, Charisma 1, Logic 9, Writing 4; her rolls are 6, 6, 5, 1, which means she takes Entertainment.via Rock Star. Fortunately she already has a wish locked to learn guitar (my policy is lock anything unless it's illegal - can always cancel it if I fill the wants up).

Morgana is Absent-Minded, Brave, Great Kisser, Insane, Slob, with a LTW of Illustrious Author. She has the skills Athletics 10, Charisma 2, Logic 2, Painting 8, Writing 7. She rolls 2 and then 4. Journalism is tempting, of course, but I already have pretty good control with my rolls, so I go for Paranormal via the Mystic path.

Of course, I get hit with an immediate graduation day. The plus side, it's a Sunday, so Dumbledore was fine, but Hermione and Morgana weren't. With Military lifted, though, I can invite over anyone; I have Morgana invite her boss over and make friends, and then have Hermione do the same.

And then Monday rolls around and it becomes clear that Dumbledore is getting a day off too, but it's a Monday - a little war dialling and he's fine.

Dumbie brought home a whole pile of dirt on the council. Literally - he dragged the council home and put a pile of dirt on them. He's not, like, the brightest - but it totally did the trick, and they dished all the goss on the town. We set up some index cards, and we know who are the hotties and who are the notties. There's even some talk about getting us passes to the one remaining air strip.

This was totally cool, but being a sneaky art thief was totally harsh. I got too close too many times to getting iced, so I had to have lots of time lying low. And they started to get more and more suss, since from one day to the next I never knew who my boss was, and for a year or more now I haven't even seen a boss - I just get told the jobs to do.

It's bogus. Dad and Grannie wanted me to be the one that continued the line, but I caught Hermione reading Gran's journals last night. Busted!

And then she showed me what she'd found.

"The third heir shall be Willow" seemed unambiguous enough, right? It's just too bad, then, that she found it out.

I guess it's time to fess up.

"Into every generation, an heir is born. All other children of this generation shall follow their lead, and obey them without question." That's how it is with us witches. It's how it has always been.

And I thought, at a pretty early age, that you could bugger that for a game of soldiers, it had knobs on.

I stole some paper, and I stole some magic ink. I have a guy, it's how I got the art thief job later. Always handy to know people.

Even as a child I was an expert forger, and nobody ever noticed that I'd written over the journal. Except Hermione did.

"The third, Hermione, shall be followed."

I guess I'm busted, but Hermit was surprisingly cool with it. I'd better let her take it from here.

Week 21, Day 3 - and I closed the pop up - but Dumbledore has just lifted Espionage.

It is at this point we take stock.

• Amy is at level 8 of Art Appraiser (for Architect), with 9 days until she is an elder.
• Willow is at level 7 of Act Acquisition (for Master Thief), with 9 days to go. She is the heir, and this is a nasty position to be in. I need at least 4 days to have any chance of two sets of triplets, and my most optimistic estimate is that she will take 8 days to clear.
• Tara is at level 9 of Scam Artist (for Criminal), with 9 days to go until she is an elder.
• Dumbledore has just cleared. He is at 15 days to elder, with 122k LTR points and 5500 locked; there's a decent chance of platinum here.
• Hermione is at level 8 Rock Star (for Entertainment), with 15 days until she is an elder.I might clear this in 5 days, or it might take 7. She is also a witch.
• Morgana is at level 7 in Mystic (for Paranormal); the lack of any ability to raise Alchemy other than at work will make this a bit slower than ideal, but it does raise fairly quickly at work. Say, 7 days or maybe 9 at the outside.

There's basically no chance that Willow will ever make it in time to have more than 1 pregnancy, and I could easily fail to even get that many. I could abandon her career, but Master Thief is not the sort of thing you abandon lightly. Instead, I declare Hermione the heir instead - it will be close, but she can almost certainly breed multiple times to fill the household.

Chronomancy, Part 2: Merlin

My namme is Merlin. I am sevan yeers old.

Mumy sed that I had to keep a dieree. I am not good at writink yet but Mumy left me her jernals.

Mumy is sic and cant write anymore.

When last we met, Poledra (the founder) had just become an elder, and hence uncontrollable. Therefore, Merlin - the sole witch of her offspring - is the heir. Blair (Poledra's husband) has 14 more days to lift Culinary, and he's currently at level 4 - I noted that this lift was unlikely, but there's nothing to be gained by abandoning it. Other than Athletics nothing is lifted yet.

I do have Blair use "Call Household to Meal" where appropriate, because keeping Poledra around means he can still go to work while there's a toddler in the house, plus he can Woo-Hoo Poledra for a Fun boost.

My big sisters are thirteen years old now. I am still only eleven, but I'm a big boy. I am sorry for my spelling mistakes; my teacher says that I am a great speller now, but I wasn't very good a few years ago.

Mum is still very sick. She stands around the house and collapses every now and then; if Dad didn't remind her, she'd never even eat. I made a school project about Mum's journals, but Dad said I had to keep it a secret, so I just did a stupid volcano thing instead. I still got an A.

My sisters don't have to go to school anymore. Mum gets confused, and often tells them off, even though they're not allowed to go. I don't think they like Mum much anymore.

Week 6, day 5, the eldest twins are now teens.

Glenda has Athletics 1, Logic 3, Painting 2, and Writing 3. Polgara has Athletics 3, Logic 4, Paintin 3, and Writing 3. Weirdly the two have done pretty much the same things, but their traits are different of course. (Glenda is Brave Disciplined Grumpy Mooch, Polgara is Brave Hopeless Romantic Neurotic Snob).

Blair has 6 days to get 3 promotions, and won't make it. As soon as Merlin becomes a teen I'm going to turn aging off for the other 5 days I have, as having come this far (Blair is at level 7) I might as well clear Culinary.

Thirteen years old. A turning point, I suppose, in more ways than one.

I have read Mum's notes many times, but it is as if I never understood them until today. I wouldn't put it past her - her knowledge of magic is unparalleled - perhaps there was a spell lock of some kind keyed to my birthday. She lives, still - if you can call it living; a wealth of information tied up in her mind, just for the asking. But she might as well be dead already, nothing in her mind is accessible to her, let alone me, any more.

All I have is her notes. I can now see that parts of them are obscured to me; I can sense that I'm not yet ready for them. That's OK. One spell I can cast, and do, is the spell of stasis. Of course it caused nasty side effects when Mum did it, but the damage is done - I can't make it any worse. Dad needs the time; I can already see the signs of senility beginning to creep up.

Week 7, day 1, the heir (and his twin) are now teens. At midnight (Monday), I turn off aging; I must turn it back on after midnight on Saturday at the latest as I only have 5 days left.

Merlin is Clumsy, Flirty, Frugal, and Grumpy. (It could have been worse, I suppose). He has Athletics 3, Logic 3, Painting 3, and Writing 3. Elphaba is Absent-Minded, Artistic, Computer Whiz, and Mooch; she has Athletics 3, Logic 4, Painting 3, and Writing 3.

Blair gets to a point where he is level 9 with three work days in a row; this is on Week 7, Day 6, so I turn aging back on (I have 1 day left); he has 4 days till he is an elder, so we're set - he will make it in 3, or he will not make it at all.

With the extra time from stasis, I uncovered one of Mum's spells. It was fairly simple, and would not only work in the current low magic environment, but even someone with no magical abilities at all ought to be able to cast it. Dad was such a famous chef that everybody read his recipe books; we snuck the spell into his recipe for Veggie Rolls, and within days the Spell of Plenty took effect. Basic ingredients were now virtually limitless; rationing was over.

Week 7, day 7, Culinary is lifted. A bit quicker than anticipated, because of an opportunity at level 9. A shame I burned too many aging off days, but hindsight is a perfect science.

Athletics and Culinary is not a good start, but we can't choose in the Apocalypse Challenge. It's not terrible; I can essentially re-arrange the house as needed, and I no longer have to care about eating spoiled food. But honestly, the next generation can only be better.

It was time for Mum and Dad to go. I mean that literally - Mum's journals said that on this day, they both had to go. There was a key phrase that Dad had to say to Mum; it triggered a long dormant spell that instantly set her alight. Not the way I would have chosen to die personally, but I cannot help but obey her wishes.

As far Dad, he used Mum's wand to call forth a surge of magical energy. Grounded through him, I will be able to use this later - but it was, of course, fatal to Dad.

We mourned, of course, but in a sense it's like it is happening to someone else. It's hard to truly grieve for a mother who seems to have known down to the hour everything that would happen in my life. Where did she come from? Why the secrecy? I extract fragments from her journal, and trust that it will be enough. It is becoming clear that not all of her messages are for me. My children, perhaps? Not the sort of thoughts the average 15 year old boy wants to be burdened with, but there's very little average about the world right now.

Divide by zero on Poledra, and Rant About Death for Blair. I did have Blair make lots of Veggie Rolls before this, but honestly he has nothing more to contribute.

My elder sisters were now eligible to work. We possibly made some sort of filing error; even two years later, when Elphaba and I had our own 18th birthday, they still had not been assigned work.

Week 9, Day 3, I finally have (young) adults again. And of course the very first thing Glenda does on aging up is to scold all the teens for skipping school.

Because of Generations I wait until graduation day before getting them jobs. Polgara is Brave, Dislikes Children, Hopeless Romantic, Neurotic, Snob; she has Athletics 10, Charisma 3, Handiness 2, Logic 7, Painting 5, Writing 6; her LTW is Illustrious Author. Glen is Brave, Disciplined, Grumpy, Mooch, Technophobe; she has Athletics 10, Charisma 2, Handiness 1, Logic 8, Painting 4, Writing 6; her LTW is Perfect Mind Perfect Body.

Not exactly enviable traits.

We refiled their paperwork, and filed ours. Polgara was sent to make coffee for some of the local shop owners, Glenda was made to scrub military latrines, and Elphaba was sent to donate non-essential organs. They misplaced my own paperwork, but the year after I managed to get placed myself close to the councillors - polishing their podium. (That's not a euphemism. And ugh, thanks for the image).

Not exactly prestigious, and you may be sure we caught the implied insult. But we were bigger than they, and we knew we could turn these lowly roles to our advantage.

&(^&*^*& graduation day. When you want it, it doesn't happen; when you don't, it happens immediately. The immediate temptation is to get all four of them jobs ASAP and just forget about it. However, it is currently a Saturday, and the chances have to be considered pretty high that the graduation day is going to hit Monday - Gandalf still has 3 days. so he doesn't age up until Tuesday.

It wouldn't be out of the running for the ()*&*(&*(& algorithm to decide, "Oh, you have another one in just a day, we'll wait."

Bugger it. If there is a graduation day on Monday, at least it will be a war dialling day. I can't wait forever; none of my sims is Ambitious and they might need the time. Polgara gets Business, Glenda gets Military (at this point Murphy's Law pretty much guarantees I'm going to lose it...)

Polgara (who is Absent-Minded, Artistic, Computer Whiz, Grumpy, Mooch - with Athletics 10, Charisma 2, Handiness 2, Logic 9, Painting 5, Writing 6 - LTW Renaissance Sim) gets Medical.

As soon as Saturday 0600 hits, so does Graduation Day. I wasn't aware they could happen on the weekend - that's convenient, no missed days, no job on the line. (Although I'll have to be careful when Gandalf graduates).

 I wait until after this graduation to get Merlin (who is Clumsy, Flirty, Frugal, Gumpy, Snob - with Athletics 10, Charisma 2, Handiness 4, Logic 6, Painting 7, Writing 4 - LTW The Tinkerer). He ends up with Political.

Even Gandalf is grown now. We expected another paperwork delay, perhaps petty vengeance for the rapid progress the other four of us were making in our respective careers, but it seemed some of the corrupt councillors had a practical bent, and wanted Gandalf employed as soon as possible.

If "employed" is the right word. He was now a professional music fan. The pay was crap, but at least the hours were long.

Week 10, day 3, and now I'm teenless. Gandalf is Athletic, Friendly, Good, Light Sleeper, Snob (probably the most helpful traits of this brood); he has Athletics 10, Charisma 2, Handiness 2, Logic 7, Painting 4, Writing 5 - LTW Professional Author. Since it's a Tuesday, I decide to wait a day before getting him a job; if he gets a job on Wednesday, then if Thursday is graduation day he'll have all day to war dial his boss.

At least, that was the plan. Then, I saw that all my other Sims had the day off - Wednesday was graduation day. So I got him a job as soon as he had graduated - in Music, as it turned out, so that's Symphonic.

From a latrine cleaner, Glenda rose to command all the combined military forces of the community. While it was still dangerous to travel alone outside the Safe Zone, it was at least possible for two or more of us to travel, now that her superior tactics and strategy kept the bulk of the threats at bay. Of course this was a full time occupation, so she now lived in her barracks. She was perhaps not my favourite sibling, but she did well for the family. Mother's journals have nothing to say about Glenda after this date, so I can only imagine things are progressing as she wished.

Week 12, Day 6, Military is lifted. Military is, depending on your perspective, either the best restriction to lift or the second best (Master Thief is the only possible competitor), so this is great news for this attempt. Having fulfilled her LTW, I have her accompany Merlin to the Business building so he can do his interview job opportunity, and then once that's complete, she moves out.

If you can't beat them, join them. I was now in charge - at least, as far as the corrupt political system would let me be in charge. My political power was extremely limited, due to the largely independent law enforcement community, rampant corruption and black markets, and many more supernatural problems.

Which is not to say I was powerless. I managed to have our lot rezoned, so that we could build a much larger house.

Week 13, day 2, Merlin lifts Politics. With 8 days to go until he is an elder, he's going to have to move on his LTW and the next generation.

And Polgara's assistance with setting up new suppliers was of tremendous help here.

Business lifted too.

And we could use the space, as I'd married a young woman named Faith, with whom I planned to have many children.

Faith joins the family with 13 days to go until she's an Adult - I had been stalking her as a teen. She is Absent-Minded, Avant Garde, Brave, Couch Potato, and Family-Oriented. I get her pregnant immediately.

It was safer now, with Elphaba's ground breaking medical advances, including para-bacteria that cleansed toxins from the water. Mother mentions "showers" in her journals; I had never known the luxury before, and it seems cruel to discover it so late in life. My sisters agree even more vehemently.

Medical lifted. These Sims are now unemployed so they can work full time on their LTWs.

At last I can translate the portion of the journal that pertains to my own children - though only the titles, really. "To my grand daughter Willow..." - at least I knew what to name the first one. Willow clearly has the spark of magic passed down from Mother to me - let us hope she will learn to do more with it.

Polgara finally decided she'd had enough. Never great with children, she decided to move to a new apartment up town near the business district; we wished her the best, as frankly the space will be handy. Elphaba followed shortly thereafter, citing a need to make sure her new medical breakthroughs were being used responsibly, and being unable to do that in such a noisy environment.

In fact, I could see her point. It was tricky to be in charge of the local council and still look after triplets, and Faith seemed capable. Gandalf said he would help, even. I took an apartment near City Hall, but I sent my journals to you Willow. I trust Mummy has read them to you. You understand why I cannot visit you, or you will, when you're older. Look after your siblings. Listen to Uncle Gandalf.

Week 13, Day 6. Willow is a witch, so I already have an heir. But I might be able to squeeze out two more, if Polgara and Elphaba can get their acts together.

The next day, Polgara was due to age up. She had Painting 10 but only Writing 8, so there was no way she was getting 2 more points of Writing in a day to lift her LTW. I moved her out.

Week 14, Day 2, Elphaba finally got to Street Art 10 (having previously hit Logic 10 and Athletics 10) to clear Renaissance Sim. Sadly I noted that Merlin, still 2 whole bars away from the Logic 10 he needed to lift The Tinkerer, was not going to make it with only 1 day left until he became uncontrollable. I moved him out too.

Uncle Gandalf, the one who found the magic in music? The one that can make the sun shine with a strum of his guitar? Yes, Willow - listen carefully to Uncle Gandalf, for he has his own magic, different to but no less impressive than our own.

On the same day, Symphonic is lifted. I plan on keeping Gandalf around; he has 5 days to go until he's an elder, and as an elder he'll be handy to make sure no babysitters are needed.

I leave the fate of Hermione, Dumbledore, and Morgana in your care. Should you falter, look to Hermione for support, for she understands what we understand - that the world we see is but a facade for the magical world beneath.

Week 14, Day 5, three more. Of Dumbledore, Morgana, and Hermione, only Hermione is a witch - but still, that's two this generation, which is better than last time.

Faith then gets employed in Law Enforcement; Forensics here I come!

But maybe don't pay too much attention to Uncle Gandalf when he is spouting gibberish.

Week 14, Day 7. This was a terrible showing for LTWs; I missed Tinkerer, Illustrative Author, and now Professional Author. Gandalf gets to live because he'll still count as looking after the kids for the purposes of baby sitting.

With the first set of triplets as children, and the second set as toddlers, this is a good point to switch off. Faith has 18 days to get 8 promotions before she's an elder too - to be honest, that doesn't look that promising either. But it's not clearly broken, so we'll give it a bash.