Chapter 1 Nore

Chronicles of a Simki - Introduction 

It has been nine eras since the creation of the Chantry calendar, so called the Gilded Era for the unprecedented wealth the Neisaci saw. For us though, it was the era they came. I remember that day well, the sun was setting on the ocean horizon, the water an ebullient orange, mixed with flakes of gold and auburn. I sat on the beach, taking for granted the civilsation behind me, the one we knew. The brows of their ships were not visible against the giant lazy sun, not until they were close to the harbor. At first there seemed to be only a few, maybe a trading fleet. But the rest were cloaked by a force we did not know of until they showed us, spellcraft. 

I lived in, and I guess I yet do live in, Bridgeport, the capital of the U.S. The United Simdom was formed about 900 years ago, but I guess that really isn't important now. Down the country road a bit lie the suburbs, Sunset Valley, and to the east, a mountain range nestling a rural valley, Twinbrook. Bordering all our lands is the Simantic Ocean. That's where we first saw them. There are other cities and areas, but you aren't really here for a geography lesson. Fat lot of good it does us now, the Neisaci reshaped the land to their liking with their spellcraft. Even the air smells different, sweeter I suppose, but repression is repression. 

Not much is known about our subjugators. They came in force from their homeland, Neisacan, a name which has extended to and taken over the United Simdom. The citoyennes of the U.S., the Simki, never really stood a chance, not up against spellcraft, a force we didn't recognise. They call us natives now, except those that bent the knee. They call that lot fealtors, loyal to the crown. We still like to think of ourselves as the citoyennes, though never in front of the Neisaci. 

The Neisaci is divided into Neyreens, each headed by a Neyrn and his or her family. At the head of it all is the Empress, Ashelia Bal'Neisacan. The royal family normally resides in the new capital, Dalmasra, which is a bit inland from where we are now, the port city of Yonkori. Yonkori is split into three Neyreens. To the north, between the tall peaks of the Zenron Range lies the mountain Neyreen of House Zulan. They control most of the trade and commerce routes in and out of the city. The Zulans and their Neyreen are a stout and rigid folk, looking down on the city from atop their homes. By the port lies the Neyreen of House Lanark. A decadent lot, rich from their control of the area and eager to show it, their Neyrn controls the harbour lands. Richest of the Yonkorin Neyreens and closest to the inner city, the Lanarks control most of the commerce into and out of the city. And to the east, amidst the dense forest of Jenforn lies the rural Neyreen of House Rikarn. A close to nature folk, they are hardly seen outside the boundaries of the forest and control most of the farmland in Yonkori. 

And of course, in the centre of it all is the summer palace surrounded by the commerce district, The Reserve. Most of the fealtors live here along with many of the less wealthy Neisaci. And to the outskirts of that is where we are now, the … not-so-wealthy area, the Natrium, where most of the Simki were forced after the occupation. I would not call it a slum though, we Simki go to great lengths to maintain the area in a clean and developed state, somewhere where we can remember our culture, the life we once knew. 

My name is Nore, well… no it's not, but I guess we both knew that. Only a right moron would use their real name writing these. My story begins 5 years after the Neisaci came and our land was reformed and renamed to Neisacan, in the 144th year of the ninth Era of the Chantry. We are now restricted from calling ourselves by the name Simki, and are referred to simply as the natives. But when they aren't looking, and their ears are turned from us as they often are, we call each other by a different name, a name we once took for granted and now hold dear, citoyenne, which means comrade in the old tongue. The resistance movement, of which I am definitely not a member, took hold 2 years after the coming. They called themselves the Glorylost. The Neisaci had set themselves up in every corner of the land, establishing a new order as well as a new belief system under their Chantry. Their rules and ways are enforced by an elite guard under direct command of the royal family, the Judicars. 

It was a glorious summer that year, and even the Glorylost could not cull the lethargy risen from the warmth of the day. The royal family arrived at the summer palace early that summer, hosted by the eldest of the Lanarks, Edrion Bal'Lanark. Everywhere you looked was a feeling of resigned content. But soon enough things spiraled out of control. The Emperor who brought the Neisaci to our land vanished. After a month the news arrived even to the Natrium, and the Chantry was forced to crown the infant heir, Empress Ashelia. Almost immediately the noble Neyrns began competing for power and influence, eager to take advantage of the babe at the throne. 

At the same time, the Glorylost's eyes shot wide open. If you are reading this citoyenne, it is the time of a new tide, a time where the torrents of anguish and longing will be quelled and the waves of hope and glory arise, if you are reading this citoyenne ... now is our time.

Chapter 1 - Nore 

"Good morning, lazy" 

"Did I fall asleep…" 

The sun was warm, surprising for this time of year. The gentle embrace of light heated the sand to just the right temperature, like a grainy blanket. I looked up at Zorina, a feint blur around the edges while slumber slowly drifted away. I couldn't tell if it was the waning drum of sleep or the lazy afternoon glow, but Zorina looked almost beautiful today. Her dark hair covered half her face, and fell down in curled locks over her back and shoulders. Her grey eyes shone slightly aflame against the orange sunlight. She wore long jeweled earrings and a matching bangle on one wrist, a deep royal blue. Her skin was so white, it looked almost translucent, taking on the colour crimson now in the warmth of the afternoon. Her cheeks especially rouged during such times. She wore a light sundress, the soft material flowing gently in the wind. 

"Is it time to leave…" 

"No, the tide is just coming in, we were going to let it wake you, but Zor insisted." William smirked. He was tall for four and twenty. His handsome brown hair framed an angled face. Will's skin, in contrast to Zor's, was tanned a light golden hue. He was grinning a dazzling white, pointing at the sea, which edged suspiciously close to my feet. He wore a blue shirt, unbuttoned, and shorts, sitting against a giant chest we threw the afternoon's lunch into. I looked back at Zor who was now looking at Will disapprovingly. He just laughed, a warm, hearty sound to match the mood of the sun. 

The three of us had known each other since we were … well since forever. We grew up in the same neighbourhood, went to the same schools, I even had a feeling Will and Zor might one day mar… well, nevermind. 

"Alright, alright, I am moving." 

"We come all the way out here to celebrate my new job, and you just sit there and sleep," Will looked heartbroken. He wasn't… 

"Shut up and throw me a drink." 

"Only if you say pretty please." 

"Oh I can say a lot more than…" 

"Guys, what's that?" Zor was looking at the direction of the ocean, her hand over her forehead, shielding from the sun. 

There were feint outlines against the horizon, small at first, but growing larger by the minute. 

"Dunno, maybe a commerce fleet," Will shrugged and went back to rummaging through the chest. 

The ships glimmered slightly against the seawater, their brows were carved in a strange manner, figures… no, maybe animals, it was hard to tell from afar. 

"Yeah but why are they coming towards the beach, the harbour is down quite a bit." 

"Why do you always smell like oranges, why does that woman over there keep looking at us, why am I so ruggedly handsome, I will tell you why, who cares…" Will laughed again. 

"Oh come off it," Zor brushed hair out of her face. 

The ships drew closer, a handful, but too big to land on the beach surely. As they neared, a small crowd began gathering on the tide, curious. When the ships were close enough that you could smell the cool aroma of damp wood, a few ships suddenly became a score, and a score became two, and then four, and before I knew what was going on, a hundred ships stood before us, sails drawn, flags above every brow. Before anyone could say anything though, a bright white light grew from one of the ships near the middle and immediately covered the world.

I couldn't see, but I could hear and what I heard unnerved me… screams.

"Nore!"

Zorina's faint voice seemed to be coming from my right.

Someone brushed hurriedly by, almost knocking me over.

"Zor, Will! Where are you?!"

"Over here!"

The whiteness was slowly vanishing, I could see blurred outlines everywhere. It felt like I was drowning in a sea of light. I could almost taste the brightness.

"Zor, Will I can't see you."

A hand suddenly reached out and grabbed mine.

"We're here," Zor's voice sounded so far away.

"What's going on?" Will did not sound like his cool self, a touch of panic in his voice."

"I don't know," I told them, "but we should move, let's get back home."

We began going towards the car lot, moving awkwardly, a half-run, half-walk. I could hear more screams. Will's foot knocked against something and he fell, losing his balance. I reached down and offered a hand, but I froze seeing what he fell over. A body. Another scream, this time it was Zor's voice.

"Come on, we need to keep moving," Will was back on his feet and took Zorina's hand and we were moving again. The light was slowly waning and I began seeing colours and more shapes. We stopped abruptly again when I ran into a parked car.

"We're here." Will clicked his car keys and we heard a quiet double tone accompanied by a quick flash of lights. After what seemed like hours, we located the car and got in.

"What's wrong?"

"The car won't turn on."

Will jammed the key in and out, turning furiously. "It won't even turn on the lights."

We got out and I tried opening the hood, but it wouldn't budge. There were noises all around us. At first a giant blur, but as William slammed his fists into the hood of the car, I began listening closer. It seemed no one's car was working. And suddenly, out of nowhere, the light was gone.

What stood before us silenced everything. The ships were now on shore. Hundreds of men and women were before us, all in the same grey and blue uniform. But it was not them that we locked onto. The beach was now full of bodies, some crawling, most… not. A woman ran towards us, but before she could reach the car lot, some kind of lightning flew out from the hands of one of the uniformed women. The woman fell, her hands outstretched towards us in a grotesque manner.

"RUN!" Someone called out. I turned and looked at Zor and Will. Zorina had tears streaming down her cheers and William looked horrorstruck. I grabbed them both and we were off.

"What's going on?!"

"I don't know."

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know!"

"Nore slow down."

"Did you not just see that, we need to get out of here."

I dragged them down an alleyway, towards the city market square, but when we reached it, I halted in my tracks. The uniformed soldiers were here too. One held a giant staff in her hands and stood in the middle of the other, looking like she was murmuring something to herself. A sphere of light began to grow out from here, growing quickly, and everyone it touched was knocked back. I could see officers run in from the north. A few fired at them, but the bullets hung in the air, not moving more than a yard before they dropped to the ground.

I felt something drag me towards Main Street. I looked ahead and Will was now dragging us, where I couldn't say. We turned left and then right, then left again. I could hear Zor's heavy breath by me, but I couldn't see anything around me, my mind lingering on the scene at the beach.

We turned again, but this time Will stopped and I ran into his back. In front of us was a soldier, his grey and blue cloak hung around one shoulder. A giant orange crystal floated around his hand, in a random circular motion. He lifted his hand at us. And before I knew what I was doing, I rushed at the man. I didn't know what I intended to do, but I knew I had to do something.

Suddenly a searing hot sensation took over my body. I fell to my knees, unable to move.

"Nore!!!" The voice seemed like a dream. When I woke, I was leaning against Will's shoulder. Zorina was to my right. We were in some kind of line it seemed.

"What's… going on?" I mumbled.

"You're awake!" Zor threw her hands around me.

"I don't know, they herded us all here, into these lines," Will explained. I looked around again, it seemed like everyone in Bridgeport was gathered at the city square. Thousands of men, women and children were lined up, everyone slowly making their way to a group of people richly dressed in blue and grey silks, surrounded by soldiers carrying odd looking weapons. A giant tent had been erected behind them. Down the way a bit were a few smaller ones. As people neared the head of the line, the silken figures inspected each of them and then directed most to the giant tent.

We were growing closer to the inspectors. Finally their cold eyes fell on us.

"You three come here."

As we drew closer to them, a man extended his arm to us and a pale blue light enveloped us for a second.

"Ok go on to the large tent and wait for instructions."

We began to move. "Not you," he pointed at Will. "You are coming with me."

"What?"

"Were are you taking him?" Zor asked the man.

"Keep moving."

"What, no, Will! Where are you taking him?!" Another man came forward and abruptly slapped a hand across Zorina's face. The other man was dragging a reluctant Will away. I shoved the man who knocked Zor back and ran towards Will. It felt like deja-vu. I didn't know what I was doing.

"Will!"

My hand reached out for his, he grabbed my hand. But even as he did, I felt a strong grip on my shoulders, dragging me back. His fingers slipped slowly from mine and as the last finger slipped loose, I felt something heavy knock against my head. That would be the last time I saw Will for a long while.

So I finally got around to making some actual sims hah. So far just Zor, Will and Nore. Will make more as the story unfolds. I am usually quite terrible at create a sim, but I think these three came out quite nice  So let me know what you think of them! They are CC free, I like to use as little CC as I can in everything I create hah.
Here they are at their house before the Neisaci came. Since it is Christmas time now, I threw them into a holiday mood 

And here they are on the beach before the coming of the Neisaci
Edit - I realised I didn't even show who is who hah. That is Zorina on the left, Will in the middle and Nore on the right  )

More story to come!