Thanks so much for the comments.
Will is usually so good natured I was surprised he acted up. I like your word cheeky!
It is really strange when controlling Seth the world really does look darker. Not sure what the dev's did, but it is pretty amazing seeing it.
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Rafe and Autumn's Story
The Ancient Library
Rafe and Seth arrive at the Madbouli residence and introduce themselves to Fahad Madbouli who is one of the Guardians of the Library. The library was built by his ancestors and other Guardian members ancestors. They take their responsibility for preserving the library seriously. Seth distracts Fahad with conversation while Rafe starts a search through the house to find an entrance to the library. Rafe finds the staircase after pulling a lever in the floor. He give Fahad a hypnotic suggestion that puts him to sleep. Seth follows him down the stairs.
The bookcases in the first room are all modern books. They spend a few moments and check the books for clues. They easily find the key to unlock the door to the next room.
The next room has two pressure plates, but only one statue to place on the plates. They will have to search one area at a time. Seth pushes the statue onto one of the plates and they hear a door unlock in the previous room.
The door opens a corridor and staircase that takes them to the ancient library. The room is small, much smaller than they had expected. It contains many scrolls, relics and books that will take some time to search through. The historian in Rafe wants to take these away with him to study and preserve them properly, but he knows they need to stay where they were found. He will send one of his teams in the future to archive the information into their computers as well as photograph and copy the originals. He puts those thoughts aside and begins to look through the scrolls and books to find the information needed to save Seth from the mummy's curse. Although Seth is unable to read the dialect he has picked up enough over his years working with Rafe to recognize certain words or phrases so he is able to help with the search. They find several scrolls that explain in detail how the curse is transmitted, the symptoms that the victim will experience and that death will occur within 7-14 days from the bite. Seth is experiencing several of the symptoms already, change in his vision, fatigue, loss of appetite, shuffling his feet and slurring his words.
Rafe finally finds another book which details several cures including sleeping in a kings sarcophagus for 24 hours and becoming a mummy rather than experiencing death from the curse. Seth declines that option. "Lets keep looking!"
"Ok, how about kissing a cobra?" Rafe reads him the information about taming a cobra and the risk of either a cure or cobra death. "I think we will save that for a last resort. Keep reading."
Rafe reads further in the book and finds it also recommends traveling to the sphinx and pleading with the sphinx for a cure. Several names are listed that were allegedly cured using this method. Rafe enters these names into his phone. "Perhaps we can find an ancestor that may know something of the cure legend." Rafe passes the book to Seth and shows him the passage and list of names. "The town elder has a family member listed so we should talk with him."
Seth looks at the names and tells Rafe. "I've met a member of the Kamel family in town at the market. I don't recognize the other names, but we can check with one of the town elders to see if any of the descendants are still living in this area."
With a plan in mind they head back to the house so Seth can have breakfast and rest. The book and scrolls also said to slow the progression the victim should eat, sleep and try to stay as strong as possible to withstand the effects of the curse. Rafe knows he will do whatever is necessary to keeping Seth as healthy as possible. If worse comes to worse he knows that he will turn Seth even though that is not Seth's will. The vampire curse would take over effectively killing the mummy curse. Becoming a fairy would not cure Seth. He cannot bear losing his best friend to a mummy's curse. He would rather have Seth alive and hating him, then dead and gone. He has lost so many friends over the centuries and Seth is closer to him than any blood brother could be. If it happens he hopes that Seth would forgive him someday.
@bekkasan Great shots of the boys exploring!
7-14 days isn't long to find a cure! I hope Seth has closer to the 14 than the 7!
I don't blame Seth not wanting to become a mummy!
Dang! The cobra kiss doesn't sound like the best option either!
I hope pleading with the Sphinx is doable!
Poor Rafe. Of course he doesn't want to lose such a close friend. If turning him is the only answer, I say do it!
@Mikezumi Thanks so much for commenting.
I was kinda conflicted about writing that, but, I think I know Rafe's character and he would turn him in a heartbeat if he has too.
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Rafe and Autumn's Story
An Errand
Shea and Autumn come in for their breakfast after getting the kids ready for the day. Rafe and Seth have cleaned up their dishes and sit back down to let them know what they found at the library. Rafe tells them he must run an errand and will be gone for a bit. He tells Shea and Autumn that Seth must eat and rest and keep his strength up to be able to withstand the curse until they find the cure. He slips a simple thought into Seth's mind that he is very tired so that he will sleep instead of worry. He helps Seth upstairs and tells Autumn to reinforce the sleep if he tries to get up before Rafe returns.
Shea talks with Autumn after Rafe leaves and Seth is asleep. She voices her frustration and her worries to Autumn who tries to reassure her that Rafe will not let anything happen to Seth. "Shea, you have to trust me on this. Rafe will not let Seth die. I can promise you that!" Shea nods her head in silent understanding.
Autumn takes her upstairs. "I want to show you your wedding present. It is not quite finished yet, but I hope you will like it."
Shea is happy with her portrait and thanks Autumn for the gift.
She then takes her downstairs to see the portrait of Seth that she recently started. Autumn is a talented artist and portraits are her specialty. Shea is thrilled with the portraits and hugs Autumn and thanks her for being her friend and calming her down. Autumn hugs her back and sends her to relax in the hot tub. Autumn reads to Christina while Will plays with the blocks trying not to worry about Rafe. She knows her husband well and suspects that the errand he is on might be dangerous one.
Autumn's suspicions are correct that the errand could be dangerous. Rafe has fought mummy's in the past and understands the dangers. He is a high level athlete as well as experienced in several forms of martial arts and learned to box and sword fight during his pirating days. He is not overly worried about the mummy. The mummy attempts to sneak up on Rafe, but with Rafe's preternatural hearing he is aware of the mummy's movements. The attack is swift for a normally sluggish creature and Rafe defends himself and is able to turn the attack back on the mummy. The mummy is strong and cunning. Luckily, Rafe is stronger, smarter and well able to handle the attacks. Rafe defeats the mummy and watches as it dissolves into a pile of ash at his feet.
Rafe arrives back home and finds Autumn in the kitchen. She hugs him tightly. "Did you go back for the mummy." He nods, "It will not trouble anyone else."
"I was worried. I can't help but be worried when you are away from me and doing dangerous things."
"I've been doing this for a long time. I'm careful and I needed you here to watch over Seth. I do love that you worry about me though. It does make me feel very loved and almost normal."
Rafe peeks in on Seth and see's he is still sleeping. He had wondered if ridding the mummy from existence would remove the curse, but, he still can see the dark aura surrounding his friend. He turns and leaves the room letting Seth finish his rest.
@bekkasan Sleep is a good way to keep Seth's mind of his problem!
What a wonderful friend Autumn is and such a lovely wedding gift
The kids help to lighten an otherwise tense update
Great shot of the mummy turning to dust!
I am glad that Rafe got revenge on the mummy and stopped it from being a threat to future adventurers but what a pity that it didn't help Seth
I imagine it would be pretty funny seeing Seth kissing a cobra
It seems that Rafe is having no luck finding a cure yet. It's a race against time too so I don't think Seth will last much longer. This must be very distressing for Shea as they just got married. Ooh something just popped into my head. What if Shea got pregnant and her child had some of the mummy curse within him/her! .
If it comes down to it, Seth becoming a vampire wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. He would still have his friends and Shea obviously has nothing against Rafe and Autumn for being vampires. It sure sounds a lot better than him dying, which is how I'm sure Rafe is feeling
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Rafe and Autumn's Story
Kissing Cobra's
Shea showers and changes after her long soak in the hot tub. She heads upstairs to check on Seth. He is up and getting ready to sit down at his desk. She hugs him tightly and offers to fix him lunch. He is not hungry, but does manage to eat a light lunch to please her. He asks Shea to let Rafe know that he is going to town to see what he can find about the families from the list.
Seth starts at the market and chats with one of the merchants. This merchant seems to know everyone and all the gossip anytime he has been in her shop. She has told him many stories and rumors about the townsfolk. Some things he would have preferred not to know. He knows she will be the one to start with. He reads the names off to her and she recognizes two of the names. One is the town elder that was reluctant to help in the first instance and the other is the Kamel family name. Seth has met one of the sons of the Kamel house and will try to find him.
Seth finds the elder chatting in the market and waits until he is done with his conversation and introduces himself. He explains what happened and what he would like to know. The elder is very sorry about what happened to Seth. He recommends that Seth tame a cobra. "It does not take long to tame a cobra. You must be patient and learn the music and the cobra will learn to trust you as the music tames him. The cobra will give you his special kiss and you will be cured. The success rate is fairly good if you are patient and tame the cobra well. If not, well the other kiss is deadly. I do have several cobra's for sell if you would like to follow me home."
"Thanks, but, no thanks." Seth declines his offer.
Seth gets directions to the Kamel home from the helpful merchant. He speaks with Abdul and reminds him of their previous conversation they had at the market. Abdul remembers Seth well and remarks to him. "I see a darkness in your soul that was not present when we talked before. Your time is fleeting and the curse is deadly. You must go to the Sphinx. The Great Sphinx will intervene."
"How do you know I was cursed?"
"I am a seer. One is born to each generation in my family, but, only in the male line. My ancestor was cursed just as you are now. He was cured by the Sphinx. You will have a seer in your family line if you are blessed by the sphinx. It will start in the next generation. You must hurry and solve the challenges before you will be given an audience and a chance for cleansing. You must prove your worth."
"What must I do?"
"Go to the Sphinx, meditate and ask for help and the way will be revealed to you. May you be blessed with success."
Seth arrives back at the house and finds Rafe in the gym. Rafe tells him to change clothes as the next hour will be spent on getting Seth stronger. He gets Seth started on the martial arts training dummy and surprisingly Seth quickly finishes the first exercises and becomes a level 1 novice. "I just applied logic and the laws of physics as to which way the dummy would turn. That was fun."
Rafe sets him up with some endurance training on the treadmill and strength training on the weight machine. Last comes the chin ups. He perseveres and eventually gets a 'good job' from Rafe.
Seth showers and changes and rests in the living room waiting for the others to finish up with their activities. Autumn calls Shea over to see the finished portrait of Seth. Rafe enjoys a stroll with Will and then plays toy box games with Christina. Will practices his biting techniques on the mummy doll.
They gather in the living room and Seth tells them what he learned in town from the elder and from Abdul Kamel. "Abdul's information certainly goes along with what we read in the books about the Sphinx. I think it is worth a trip out there."
Rafe agrees. "It sure beats what we have learned about the cobra kiss."
"I want you to have a good dinner and a good nights sleep. We will leave early in the morning."
"You are going with me? Shouldn't I go alone?"
"I didn't see anything in the books about you having to go alone. I'm going!"
"Works for me."
Seth and Shea enjoy the moonlight and chat softly before settling in bed to sleep. Rafe slips into Seth's mind to ensure that he does not worry and gets that good nights sleep.
@bekkasan There's always some little old biddy who knows all the local gossip
Kissing a cobra sounds like a scary proposition to me!
What a stroke of luck that the merchant was a seer! I think the Sphinx sounds less scary than kissing a snake!
Wow! Now that would be a wonderful bonus if the Sphinx does cure him!
Seth doesn't look like he's enjoying the exercise but I am sure he is getting desperate and will try almost anything at this stage
The portrait turned out great!
Will biting his teddy and the big smile after is tooo cute
Glad that Rafe will be going with him
Good luck Seth!
@bekkasan Shea must be so worried, and yet everyone is trying to keep their spirits up. ...LOL at that gossipy merchant sharing more info about folks than Seth cared to know! ...Kissing a cobra sounds risky! I've never had my sims try to kiss a cobra. I just looked it up and, it has to be a King Cobra to cure the curse. Wonder how high in the snake charming skill a sim has to get before he can buy a King? ...Being blessed by the Sphinx will create a seer each generation in the family? That sounds much better than kissing a cobra! ...Loved that Seth used his science knowledge to "outsmart" the martial arts dummy. ...Seth's painting looks great. ...Little vampire Will is so cute! ...So tomorrow's the big day. Time to face the Sphinx!
@bekkasan , My first thought was 'Rafe take the scrolls and books, if you leave them someone will steal them!' I agree with him, take them and run...but yes sending a crew down to catalogue them would be better.
**I get all nervous when a sim gets the curse...they are never my sims but I get all antsy regardless!
**good! they found the book that gives cures...now pick one and cure him! I'm going by shoddy memory here but I think lanlyn picked sleeping in the sarcophagus then went fron there, that was a few years ago though so I'm probably remembering wrong...not sure if she changed into a mummy though.
**I'd totally pick becoming a vampire!!
**it would be nice to have Rafe around when you're worried about something, he would come in handy poofing those thoughts out of your mind.
**Totally understand Shea's worry...she must be a wreck!
**Lovely portrait.
**Kick his butt Rafe!!
**Sounds like if he is patient the cobra would be the way to go..or is he picking the Sphinx?
**Seth's activewear shirt...
**ironic Will chewing on the mummy teddy bear...
**Seth stop wasting time and get your butt out to the Sphinx!!
**Hey, no fooling around you two, he needs his strength!
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Rafe and Autumn's Story
The Sphinx
The sun begins to peek over the waters of the Nile River bringing a pink and gold glow to the world. The family is up making the final preparations for Seth's challenge at the Sphinx. Rafe drinks his morning plasma orange juice and Seth has a generous helping of french toast. The supplies are packed into the back of the vehicle and Seth and Rafe say their goodbyes to their mates. Shea gives Seth a bit of fairy dust to take with him. "It will be as if I am there with you."
"You are always with me in my heart and in my soul." Seth kisses her and tells her to be safe and try not to worry.
"Please be careful, keep Seth safe and if you or Seth need me I will be ready to teleport to you." Autumn always worries when Rafe goes off without her. Rafe reassures her that he will call her to him if she is needed. "I think you need to stay here with Shea and keep her from rushing to the Sphinx. She is not experienced enough to be in an unexplored tomb yet."
One last kiss and hug for each couple and it is time to go.
They climb into the Rover and set the coordinates for the Great Sphinx into the destination. After several hours of travel they see the Sphinx up ahead as they climb over the last mountain and head down into the valley.
Seth sits at the base of the Sphinx and meditates as suggested by Abdul. He empties his mind of all thoughts except for asking the Sphinx to help him with the curse. At first nothing happens, but, then he slowly starts to rise from the ground hovering over the sand. He keeps his mind clear and continues to plead asking for help. Suddenly a great light explodes from above the Sphinx. The Great Sphinx eyes begin to glow with a golden light that is blinding to look at.
He hears a voice loudly proclaim: "I hear your plea lowly one. You must prove yourself worthy of the cleansing. The way will be opened to you." The golden light flows from the eyes down the body exploding in front of the doorway. When the light disappears the doorway is opened.
Rafe approaches and they discuss what to expect and how to approach the tomb. Normally Rafe will lead a new tomb in unexplored territory because his vampire skills help to find traps and make the tomb safer to travel through. "This is your challenge Seth, so I cannot lead. I will follow. Tread slowly through each room. Inspect the way carefully. You are already able to find the hidden rooms with your knowledge of architecture. Use that as well to search for the traps, use your other senses, your eyes and ears, your sense of smell and touch, your instincts for something that is not quite right. You will do well.
Inside the entryway the traps are obvious. The fires flare as they enter the room. Seth must determine the safest way past the traps and how to disable them. He makes it safely past the fire traps and stands on a pressure plate that extinguishes most of them. The way is still barred though. Seth looks about the room and strips down to his briefs, jumps in the water and crosses to the other side. He pulls and pushes the statues across extinguishing the last area of flames. He searches holes in the ground and finds many bugs that have made a home in them and they scatter about the room as he pulls his arm out and shakes it. He reaches back in and finds a lever that opens a door when he pulls on it.
They have traveled through a few rooms now and Rafe senses that Seth is tiring. The curse is growing stronger each day. Rafe insists that Seth take a break before going further into the tomb. Seth is exhausted and reluctantly agrees with his assessment.
At home the kids are entertained by Autumn and Shea. As it grows later they put the kids to bed and sit downstairs to talk about how things might be going. Autumn tells her that Rafe sent her a mental image that all is well and they are resting and suggests they do the same. Shea is not sure if she can sleep and Autumn uses her powers and helps Shea get to sleep. She lays down and falls asleep herself as she wonders what the next day will bring.
@bekkasan I can imagine Shea is beside herself with worry. It's smart to keep her at home with Autumn so she doesn't do anything rash.
Great shot of them approaching the Sphinx!
Whoa! The glowing eyes are amazing! I don't think my sims have ever been close to the Sphinx.
What a huge task ahead of him. A rest is just what the doctor ordered!
Shea needs to rest too! Glad that Autumn is there to help her
How many days do they have to cure the curse and how many days has it been?
@Mikezumi Thanks for the comments.
Its 14 days from what I understand. It has been about 7 or 8 cause I'm slow and wanted to see how things would progress within the game. When Seth is the active sim you can see the darkness edging his vision and in the first screenshot of the room with the firetraps the ceiling looks dark in it. That was Seth's view point. When seen from Rafe's view it was white. They did a great job.
@bekkasan When I did a mummy cure, I didn't choose the sphinx option, so it's neat to see your sim taking that route. ...Beautiful desert sunrise! ...Awesome screenshots of the glowing sphinx eyes and the door opening below. ...I'm glad Rafe is there with Seth, but perfect that he allowed Seth to lead since it was his challenge. ...Sweet pic of the women falling asleep as they await word of the quest.
Comments
Will is usually so good natured I was surprised he acted up. I like your word cheeky!
It is really strange when controlling Seth the world really does look darker.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Rafe and Autumn's Story
The Ancient Library
Rafe and Seth arrive at the Madbouli residence and introduce themselves to Fahad Madbouli who is one of the Guardians of the Library. The library was built by his ancestors and other Guardian members ancestors. They take their responsibility for preserving the library seriously. Seth distracts Fahad with conversation while Rafe starts a search through the house to find an entrance to the library. Rafe finds the staircase after pulling a lever in the floor. He give Fahad a hypnotic suggestion that puts him to sleep. Seth follows him down the stairs.
The bookcases in the first room are all modern books. They spend a few moments and check the books for clues. They easily find the key to unlock the door to the next room.
The next room has two pressure plates, but only one statue to place on the plates. They will have to search one area at a time. Seth pushes the statue onto one of the plates and they hear a door unlock in the previous room.
The door opens a corridor and staircase that takes them to the ancient library. The room is small, much smaller than they had expected. It contains many scrolls, relics and books that will take some time to search through. The historian in Rafe wants to take these away with him to study and preserve them properly, but he knows they need to stay where they were found. He will send one of his teams in the future to archive the information into their computers as well as photograph and copy the originals. He puts those thoughts aside and begins to look through the scrolls and books to find the information needed to save Seth from the mummy's curse. Although Seth is unable to read the dialect he has picked up enough over his years working with Rafe to recognize certain words or phrases so he is able to help with the search. They find several scrolls that explain in detail how the curse is transmitted, the symptoms that the victim will experience and that death will occur within 7-14 days from the bite. Seth is experiencing several of the symptoms already, change in his vision, fatigue, loss of appetite, shuffling his feet and slurring his words.
Rafe finally finds another book which details several cures including sleeping in a kings sarcophagus for 24 hours and becoming a mummy rather than experiencing death from the curse. Seth declines that option. "Lets keep looking!"
"Ok, how about kissing a cobra?" Rafe reads him the information about taming a cobra and the risk of either a cure or cobra death. "I think we will save that for a last resort. Keep reading."
Rafe reads further in the book and finds it also recommends traveling to the sphinx and pleading with the sphinx for a cure. Several names are listed that were allegedly cured using this method. Rafe enters these names into his phone. "Perhaps we can find an ancestor that may know something of the cure legend." Rafe passes the book to Seth and shows him the passage and list of names. "The town elder has a family member listed so we should talk with him."
Seth looks at the names and tells Rafe. "I've met a member of the Kamel family in town at the market. I don't recognize the other names, but we can check with one of the town elders to see if any of the descendants are still living in this area."
With a plan in mind they head back to the house so Seth can have breakfast and rest. The book and scrolls also said to slow the progression the victim should eat, sleep and try to stay as strong as possible to withstand the effects of the curse. Rafe knows he will do whatever is necessary to keeping Seth as healthy as possible. If worse comes to worse he knows that he will turn Seth even though that is not Seth's will. The vampire curse would take over effectively killing the mummy curse. Becoming a fairy would not cure Seth. He cannot bear losing his best friend to a mummy's curse. He would rather have Seth alive and hating him, then dead and gone. He has lost so many friends over the centuries and Seth is closer to him than any blood brother could be. If it happens he hopes that Seth would forgive him someday.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
7-14 days isn't long to find a cure!
I don't blame Seth not wanting to become a mummy!
Dang! The cobra kiss doesn't sound like the best option either!
I hope pleading with the Sphinx is doable!
Poor Rafe. Of course he doesn't want to lose such a close friend. If turning him is the only answer, I say do it!
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
I was kinda conflicted about writing that, but, I think I know Rafe's character and he would turn him in a heartbeat if he has too.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Rafe and Autumn's Story
An Errand
Shea and Autumn come in for their breakfast after getting the kids ready for the day. Rafe and Seth have cleaned up their dishes and sit back down to let them know what they found at the library. Rafe tells them he must run an errand and will be gone for a bit. He tells Shea and Autumn that Seth must eat and rest and keep his strength up to be able to withstand the curse until they find the cure. He slips a simple thought into Seth's mind that he is very tired so that he will sleep instead of worry. He helps Seth upstairs and tells Autumn to reinforce the sleep if he tries to get up before Rafe returns.
Shea talks with Autumn after Rafe leaves and Seth is asleep. She voices her frustration and her worries to Autumn who tries to reassure her that Rafe will not let anything happen to Seth. "Shea, you have to trust me on this. Rafe will not let Seth die. I can promise you that!" Shea nods her head in silent understanding.
Autumn takes her upstairs. "I want to show you your wedding present. It is not quite finished yet, but I hope you will like it."
Shea is happy with her portrait and thanks Autumn for the gift.
She then takes her downstairs to see the portrait of Seth that she recently started. Autumn is a talented artist and portraits are her specialty. Shea is thrilled with the portraits and hugs Autumn and thanks her for being her friend and calming her down. Autumn hugs her back and sends her to relax in the hot tub. Autumn reads to Christina while Will plays with the blocks trying not to worry about Rafe. She knows her husband well and suspects that the errand he is on might be dangerous one.
Autumn's suspicions are correct that the errand could be dangerous. Rafe has fought mummy's in the past and understands the dangers. He is a high level athlete as well as experienced in several forms of martial arts and learned to box and sword fight during his pirating days. He is not overly worried about the mummy. The mummy attempts to sneak up on Rafe, but with Rafe's preternatural hearing he is aware of the mummy's movements. The attack is swift for a normally sluggish creature and Rafe defends himself and is able to turn the attack back on the mummy. The mummy is strong and cunning. Luckily, Rafe is stronger, smarter and well able to handle the attacks. Rafe defeats the mummy and watches as it dissolves into a pile of ash at his feet.
Rafe arrives back home and finds Autumn in the kitchen. She hugs him tightly. "Did you go back for the mummy." He nods, "It will not trouble anyone else."
"I was worried. I can't help but be worried when you are away from me and doing dangerous things."
"I've been doing this for a long time. I'm careful and I needed you here to watch over Seth. I do love that you worry about me though. It does make me feel very loved and almost normal."
Rafe peeks in on Seth and see's he is still sleeping. He had wondered if ridding the mummy from existence would remove the curse, but, he still can see the dark aura surrounding his friend. He turns and leaves the room letting Seth finish his rest.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
What a wonderful friend Autumn is and such a lovely wedding gift
The kids help to lighten an otherwise tense update
Great shot of the mummy turning to dust!
I am glad that Rafe got revenge on the mummy and stopped it from being a threat to future adventurers but what a pity that it didn't help Seth
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
*Fairy Jared and Vampire Connor*
It seems that Rafe is having no luck finding a cure yet. It's a race against time too so I don't think Seth will last much longer. This must be very distressing for Shea as they just got married. Ooh something just popped into my head. What if Shea got pregnant and her child had some of the mummy curse within him/her!
If it comes down to it, Seth becoming a vampire wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. He would still have his friends and Shea obviously has nothing against Rafe and Autumn for being vampires. It sure sounds a lot better than him dying, which is how I'm sure Rafe is feeling
@coco Thanks for the comments.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Rafe and Autumn's Story
Kissing Cobra's
Shea showers and changes after her long soak in the hot tub. She heads upstairs to check on Seth. He is up and getting ready to sit down at his desk. She hugs him tightly and offers to fix him lunch. He is not hungry, but does manage to eat a light lunch to please her. He asks Shea to let Rafe know that he is going to town to see what he can find about the families from the list.
Seth starts at the market and chats with one of the merchants. This merchant seems to know everyone and all the gossip anytime he has been in her shop. She has told him many stories and rumors about the townsfolk. Some things he would have preferred not to know. He knows she will be the one to start with. He reads the names off to her and she recognizes two of the names. One is the town elder that was reluctant to help in the first instance and the other is the Kamel family name. Seth has met one of the sons of the Kamel house and will try to find him.
Seth finds the elder chatting in the market and waits until he is done with his conversation and introduces himself. He explains what happened and what he would like to know. The elder is very sorry about what happened to Seth. He recommends that Seth tame a cobra. "It does not take long to tame a cobra. You must be patient and learn the music and the cobra will learn to trust you as the music tames him. The cobra will give you his special kiss and you will be cured. The success rate is fairly good if you are patient and tame the cobra well. If not, well the other kiss is deadly. I do have several cobra's for sell if you would like to follow me home."
"Thanks, but, no thanks." Seth declines his offer.
Seth gets directions to the Kamel home from the helpful merchant. He speaks with Abdul and reminds him of their previous conversation they had at the market. Abdul remembers Seth well and remarks to him. "I see a darkness in your soul that was not present when we talked before. Your time is fleeting and the curse is deadly. You must go to the Sphinx. The Great Sphinx will intervene."
"How do you know I was cursed?"
"I am a seer. One is born to each generation in my family, but, only in the male line. My ancestor was cursed just as you are now. He was cured by the Sphinx. You will have a seer in your family line if you are blessed by the sphinx. It will start in the next generation. You must hurry and solve the challenges before you will be given an audience and a chance for cleansing. You must prove your worth."
"What must I do?"
"Go to the Sphinx, meditate and ask for help and the way will be revealed to you. May you be blessed with success."
Seth arrives back at the house and finds Rafe in the gym. Rafe tells him to change clothes as the next hour will be spent on getting Seth stronger. He gets Seth started on the martial arts training dummy and surprisingly Seth quickly finishes the first exercises and becomes a level 1 novice. "I just applied logic and the laws of physics as to which way the dummy would turn. That was fun."
Rafe sets him up with some endurance training on the treadmill and strength training on the weight machine. Last comes the chin ups. He perseveres and eventually gets a 'good job' from Rafe.
Seth showers and changes and rests in the living room waiting for the others to finish up with their activities. Autumn calls Shea over to see the finished portrait of Seth. Rafe enjoys a stroll with Will and then plays toy box games with Christina. Will practices his biting techniques on the mummy doll.
They gather in the living room and Seth tells them what he learned in town from the elder and from Abdul Kamel. "Abdul's information certainly goes along with what we read in the books about the Sphinx. I think it is worth a trip out there."
Rafe agrees. "It sure beats what we have learned about the cobra kiss."
"I want you to have a good dinner and a good nights sleep. We will leave early in the morning."
"You are going with me? Shouldn't I go alone?"
"I didn't see anything in the books about you having to go alone. I'm going!"
"Works for me."
Seth and Shea enjoy the moonlight and chat softly before settling in bed to sleep. Rafe slips into Seth's mind to ensure that he does not worry and gets that good nights sleep.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Kissing a cobra sounds like a scary proposition to me!
What a stroke of luck that the merchant was a seer! I think the Sphinx sounds less scary than kissing a snake!
Wow! Now that would be a wonderful bonus if the Sphinx does cure him!
Seth doesn't look like he's enjoying the exercise but I am sure he is getting desperate and will try almost anything at this stage
The portrait turned out great!
Will biting his teddy and the big smile after is tooo cute
Glad that Rafe will be going with him
Good luck Seth!
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
@meerkattime, @Mikezumi @lanlyn Thanks so much for reading the story and for the comments.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
**I get all nervous when a sim gets the curse...they are never my sims but I get all antsy regardless!
**good! they found the book that gives cures...now pick one and cure him! I'm going by shoddy memory here but I think lanlyn picked sleeping in the sarcophagus then went fron there, that was a few years ago though so I'm probably remembering wrong...not sure if she changed into a mummy though.
**I'd totally pick becoming a vampire!!
**it would be nice to have Rafe around when you're worried about something, he would come in handy poofing those thoughts out of your mind.
**Totally understand Shea's worry...she must be a wreck!
**Lovely portrait.
**Kick his butt Rafe!!
**Sounds like if he is patient the cobra would be the way to go..or is he picking the Sphinx?
**Seth's activewear shirt...
**ironic Will chewing on the mummy teddy bear...
**Seth stop wasting time and get your butt out to the Sphinx!!
**Hey, no fooling around you two, he needs his strength!
*Fairy Jared and Vampire Connor*
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Midnight Hollow, The Ballan Family
Rafe and Autumn's Story
The Sphinx
The sun begins to peek over the waters of the Nile River bringing a pink and gold glow to the world. The family is up making the final preparations for Seth's challenge at the Sphinx. Rafe drinks his morning plasma orange juice and Seth has a generous helping of french toast. The supplies are packed into the back of the vehicle and Seth and Rafe say their goodbyes to their mates. Shea gives Seth a bit of fairy dust to take with him. "It will be as if I am there with you."
"You are always with me in my heart and in my soul." Seth kisses her and tells her to be safe and try not to worry.
"Please be careful, keep Seth safe and if you or Seth need me I will be ready to teleport to you." Autumn always worries when Rafe goes off without her. Rafe reassures her that he will call her to him if she is needed. "I think you need to stay here with Shea and keep her from rushing to the Sphinx. She is not experienced enough to be in an unexplored tomb yet."
One last kiss and hug for each couple and it is time to go.
They climb into the Rover and set the coordinates for the Great Sphinx into the destination. After several hours of travel they see the Sphinx up ahead as they climb over the last mountain and head down into the valley.
Seth sits at the base of the Sphinx and meditates as suggested by Abdul. He empties his mind of all thoughts except for asking the Sphinx to help him with the curse. At first nothing happens, but, then he slowly starts to rise from the ground hovering over the sand. He keeps his mind clear and continues to plead asking for help. Suddenly a great light explodes from above the Sphinx. The Great Sphinx eyes begin to glow with a golden light that is blinding to look at.
He hears a voice loudly proclaim: "I hear your plea lowly one. You must prove yourself worthy of the cleansing. The way will be opened to you." The golden light flows from the eyes down the body exploding in front of the doorway. When the light disappears the doorway is opened.
Rafe approaches and they discuss what to expect and how to approach the tomb. Normally Rafe will lead a new tomb in unexplored territory because his vampire skills help to find traps and make the tomb safer to travel through. "This is your challenge Seth, so I cannot lead. I will follow. Tread slowly through each room. Inspect the way carefully. You are already able to find the hidden rooms with your knowledge of architecture. Use that as well to search for the traps, use your other senses, your eyes and ears, your sense of smell and touch, your instincts for something that is not quite right. You will do well.
Inside the entryway the traps are obvious. The fires flare as they enter the room. Seth must determine the safest way past the traps and how to disable them. He makes it safely past the fire traps and stands on a pressure plate that extinguishes most of them. The way is still barred though. Seth looks about the room and strips down to his briefs, jumps in the water and crosses to the other side. He pulls and pushes the statues across extinguishing the last area of flames. He searches holes in the ground and finds many bugs that have made a home in them and they scatter about the room as he pulls his arm out and shakes it. He reaches back in and finds a lever that opens a door when he pulls on it.
They have traveled through a few rooms now and Rafe senses that Seth is tiring. The curse is growing stronger each day. Rafe insists that Seth take a break before going further into the tomb. Seth is exhausted and reluctantly agrees with his assessment.
At home the kids are entertained by Autumn and Shea. As it grows later they put the kids to bed and sit downstairs to talk about how things might be going. Autumn tells her that Rafe sent her a mental image that all is well and they are resting and suggests they do the same. Shea is not sure if she can sleep and Autumn uses her powers and helps Shea get to sleep. She lays down and falls asleep herself as she wonders what the next day will bring.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Great shot of them approaching the Sphinx!
Whoa! The glowing eyes are amazing! I don't think my sims have ever been close to the Sphinx.
What a huge task ahead of him. A rest is just what the doctor ordered!
Shea needs to rest too! Glad that Autumn is there to help her
How many days do they have to cure the curse and how many days has it been?
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
Its 14 days from what I understand. It has been about 7 or 8 cause I'm slow and wanted to see how things would progress within the game. When Seth is the active sim you can see the darkness edging his vision and in the first screenshot of the room with the firetraps the ceiling looks dark in it. That was Seth's view point. When seen from Rafe's view it was white. They did a great job.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid