Rafe, Autumn, Shea and Will arrived at Al Simhara early in the morning. It was a long flight with several transfers as they could not teleport with Will and Shea. Rafe had built a palace centuries ago near the river not too far from the village. The land around the palace is an oasis of green within the desert sand. It was a welcome site and the group was happy to arrive and enjoy the beauty and cool breeze of the oasis. (the palace is an EA vacation home. I've just renovated it)
Autumn falls in love with the palace and makes just a few changes to accommodate Will and Shea. Shea and Autumn update the kitchen cabinets and new appliances are purchased and installed. Autumn cooks very little but Shea loves cooking and will cook for Will as well as herself.
Entering the home you see an imposing set of stairs is in the center of the room guarded by two Egyptian statues. A conversation area to the right and a entertainment area to the left. They sit and discuss the plans for the day. Autumn wants to head out and take the pictures she has contracted to take so her job will be done and and she can enjoy the rest of their stay. Shea wants to go to the market and meet some locals and find some new recipes to learn. She may not be able to cook them yet, but, will be able to before long. Rafe will stay home and teach Will to walk. His job does not start until tomorrow. Shea fixes a meal for Will and herself and Rafe and Autumn have some plasma juice before they go their separate ways.
Autumn finds her way to Abu Simbel and takes several photographs for the owner of the spa to choose from. She plans to return at night to get a few night shots. She is too hot in her leathers and purchases tshirts and shorts from the market vendor and changes into more comfortable clothing. As she walks back to the palace she finds several spots to excavate and finds several broken relics and shards, but, nothing that she wants to keep.
Rafe starts teaching Will to walk and it was a bit slow going to start. Once he learned to keep his balance Will was soon racing to his Dad and loved getting the kisses and praises for walking. After Will learned to walk, Rafe and Will took a stroll. Rafe enjoyed showing Will the beautiful land of Al Simara near the oasis. (the pics of Rafe teaching Will to walk were taken before I finished making changes in the palace, but to be honest, I'm never done making changes in my houses. The floor has new color tones and the study had several things added to it, will show it next update)
Shea hurried to the market where she met several of the locals. One man was a special merchant who sold special merchandise to adventurers. She did not have any special coins to purchase merchandise with and he laughed at the idea of fairy dust as payment. She would bide her time and as her powers grew he would be sorry he laughed at her. She met the food merchant who shared some local gossip and told her the book merchant had the recipes of local dishes. She purchased several recipes from the book merchant and plans to keep working on her cooking skills until she can make these.
Later that evening after Shea and Will are in bed, Rafe and Autumn enjoy some private time in the hot tub.
Rafe works in his study making sure all is in readiness to search the first tomb. He checks his supplies, makes sure his contacts have the correct information. He plans to take Autumn with him so she can get some photographs for her portfolio. The entrance to the tomb is open according to his contacts, but there are traps that even his seasoned colleagues have not been able to get past. With his vampire powers and knowledge from centuries of exploration he hopes to find answers to many of the questions about this tomb as well as a few treasures to help pay for the trip.
Rafe picks up Will and snuggles him close. He enjoyed taking care of him yesterday and will miss him as he may be gone for a few days depending on the complexity of the tomb. Will babbles at him and Rafe tells him when he returns they will teach him to talk. He plays the 'claw' game with Will and hands him to Autumn so she can tell him bye. Autumn snuggles Will and tickles him wanting to hear that sweet giggle before she leaves. "Be a good boy for Shea, ok."
Shea loves being outdoors and Will loves playing in his sandpile. She set up an easel near his sandpile so she can watch him and paint enjoying the outdoors.
Rafe and Autumn arrive at the tomb. The entrance has been fenced and a small secured shed built over the opening to prevent looting. One last check of their packs and they are ready to go. Autumn has photographed tombs before in Shang Simla, but, never an undiscovered one. She is excited that she and Rafe will enter this undiscovered tomb and explore something that has been closed for centuries. Rafe sneaks a kiss and they enter the fenced area.
Rafe and Autumn enter the tomb by climbing down a small stairwell. A skeleton is on the floor. Autumn snaps a quick picture of the skeleton. It appears they are not the first to enter the tomb, but hopefully they will make their way out unlike this hapless explorer. Rafe finds a crescent shaped key that he uses to unlock the first door. Autumn takes a picture as the key snaps into place and lights flicker and flash as the connection is made to open the lock. "That will make an exciting photograph for my portfolio," she tells Rafe.
He comes over and hugs her and gives her a lingering kiss. "We will not get very far if I keep doing this every few feet. You are just so tempting my love." He gives her another kiss and they walk through the door to see what comes next. A stairway leads down and they continue making their way through the tomb. They find a room with several chests, but, no sarcophagi in this tomb. Apparently it was sealed without the owner being placed in it. They find a small hidden room with a chest and minor treasure. They made better use of the hidden room. The last staircase leads up to a door that leads back to the first room. "A very small tomb indeed and the path leads right back to the entrance. The treasure is minor, so the tomb was never meant for a king. No sarcophagus in the tomb as well. Long forgotten even by the people who built it."
"We have some more time since this tomb was so small. There are a few dig sites nearby and a very nice oasis we can rest at." They enjoy a nice rest at the oasis and have some fun as well. They find a few dig sites and excavate a few relics and gems they can sell. Before heading to the market to sell the relics they find a camel in the desert and wonder where the camel's owner is. Arriving at the market Rafe negotiates with the relic merchant to sell the relics and gems at a decent price. Autumn wanders through the market looking at the furniture and books. She sits inside the book stall to cool off, and reads some excerpts from The Price of Treasure detailing the lives of some of the famous archeologists that have searched around Al Simhara. Rafe takes her up to one of the roofs to see the pyramids at night. It is an awe inspiring site and she certainly understands why Rafe has chosen Al Simhara as his home away from home.
Will is playing in his favorite spot in the yard. Sandpile! He loves digging and maybe someday will be an explorer like his Dad. Rafe hurries over to him and picks him up and gives lots of hugs and tickles. Autumn calls them up to the deck and Rafe gives her another kiss even though he just left her moments before. She does not mind and returns the kiss enthusiastically. Autumn plans to finish her painting while Rafe teaches Will to talk. Autumn finishes her painting and sits down to sketch Will and Rafe as they chat with each other. Autumn loves the family time they have together and cherishes each moment with Will and Rafe. She wonders if it is time to try for a sister or brother for Will. After Will learns to talk she fixes him some lunch and then puts him in his crib for a nap. Rafe calls her to join him and they enjoy some adult time in the hot tub.
Rafe has reviewed his contracts and he and Autumn find the next tomb he is to explore. Burning Sands. An ominous name especially for a vampire. It is a good thing he is an ancient and has adapted to sunshine and let us hope he can adapt to any burning issues that may prevail. He finds the correct combination of glyphs and opens the door to the tomb. Autumn is happy that there are no moldering skeletons in the entry passage.
They quickly find a room full of treasures as well as an irate mummy who apparently is not happy with them taking the treasure. The mummy stalks through the room, bypassing Rafe and stumbles directly into Autumn who had just taken its picture. Perhaps, it also does not like having its picture made as it promptly attacks her and not Rafe who took all the treasure. Autumn valiantly fights the mummy, but at level 4 martial arts and level 7 athletics it still manages to best her. She does pass out as a result of the attack. Rafe rushes to her side as the mummy disappears into thin air. He calls her name and holds her hand as she starts to stir. She sits up and Rafe cautions her to lie still. "I'm fine, embarrassed but fine. Where did that mummy go?"
"It disappeared into thin air. It might be further into the tomb. We will have to stay on the lookout for it." Rafe helps her to stand up checking her to be sure she is not injured.
Autumn stands on her tip toes and kisses him softly. She tries to reassure him she is fine. He holds her tightly and checks her with his powers. He is finally convinced she has no lasting effects from the fight and did not get cursed. They walk towards the sarcophagus and Rafe checks it. The mummy is not in there. Rafe kisses her and grins, "Shall we?" Autumn gives and enthusiastic yes with her kiss.
After their exploration of the sarcophagus they return to the other side of the tomb and start searching this area. They find a room that is indeed burning, not only with flames, but flaming fruits. The room is quite hot, but they both manage to make it through. Rafe harvests several of the fruits. He plans to have Shea attempt to grow one in the garden to see if it will survive outside of the tomb. He also will take some samples to Gardenia for her to experiment with in her alchemy lab. Autumn gets some pictures for her portfolio as well as for Rafe's reports. They are both hot and sweaty and are ready to leave the tomb after their adventures.
Autumn heads home for a cool shower and takes Will for a stroll before it gets dark. She finds an excavation site and lets Will out to play as she checks out this site. Will plays with Bei his Panda, biting its neck in search of plasma. Rafe hurries to town to discuss his finding with one of his local contacts. He hurries home and the house is quiet and dark. Autumn calls to him and he joins her in bed for a night of loving.
@bekkasan Good Lord! Don't attack the pregnant lady!
I remember the first time I sent Eddie traveling when I first got LN and screaming in terror when he was attacked by a mummy! When he passed out I was terrified that he had the mummy's curse and I almost quit without saving, swearing I would never send a sim traveling again. Fortunately I got over it when I realized Eddie was fine
Great shots inside the tomb!
Oh yeah! Gotta have sarcophagus woohoo! LOL
I remember this tomb!
Awwww I love how vampire babies bite their teddies
Great update
@Mikezumi I was really ticked the mummy attacked her and not Rafe. He was level 9 MA and 10 athletics so I guess the mummy was too chicken to attack Rafe! Thanks for the comments and the awesome!
Autumn and Rafe take the day off from exploring to enjoy some time at home as a family. Will plays with his food and looks as if he is wondering just what is in the bowl this morning. Autumn talks with Shea about what her plans are. She wants to meet some of the locals and see a few of the sights, perhaps find a group to explore with. Shea hurries out to enjoy a full day exploring Al Simhara.
Shea's first stop is at a nearby local garden. She harvests a few of the plants to add to her supplies. She hops on the scooter and rides into the marketplace. She introduces herself to the relic dealer Farouk Rashid. He keeps smacking at her wanting to play tag. Shea decides a fairy trick would be more fun and gives him a tummy twister. He just laughs. Shea decides he must be childish and insane.
After getting directions to base camp she arrives and introduces herself to some of the explorers in the area. One of the explorers is telling a ghost story, in broad daylight. The leader introduces herself and invites her to go to Ship's Oasis with them. It is a long trek from base camp. They take scooters most of the way and finish up on foot. It seems to Shea that the explorers mostly talk. She wanders the oasis taking a few pictures and stumbles upon a dig site. She manages to unearth an antique vase and a canopic jar as well as a few gems. She wonders how in world did the ship wind up crashed in the oasis.
Shea decides to go back to the market as exploring with that group was just not exciting. She meets a local named Youssef Nagi and she has an immediate attraction to him and apparently he is also attracted to her. They get to know one another and find they have several things in common including cooking and art. He takes her on a tour of the market as they chat and laugh together. The night sky darkens and in a secluded spot Shea takes a chance and leans toward him kissing him and the return kiss is all she could have wished for. They walk on through town holding hands through the romantic streets enjoying the night sky stopping for an occasional kiss. They sit at the banks of the river and watch the stars twinkling over the Sphinx in the night sky.
@bekkasan Will's not the only one who wonders what's in the bowl where baby food in the game is concerned! LOL
He's adorable playing with his food
That's one way to deal with a troublesome tagger, Shea! LOL
Beautiful pic of the oasis!
I used to love Youssef! It's been years since I looked at him in my game!
Awwww Shea has found love!
Great update
Autumn works on increasing her athletics by practicing some yoga. She knows the techniques will help with her reaction time as well as keeping her muscles and joints in prime condition. Rafe works on his martial arts by breaking boards. It will not be long and he will master it.
Will has been playing in the sand pile. Autumn finishes up her session and checks on Will. She picks him up for a hug and he begs for a ride on the scooter. She places him on the spring rider and cheers him as he rides and sways. He gets off without fussing and runs right back to the sand pile.
Autumn is inspired by Will's enjoyment for his sand pile and immediately starts a new painting of Will playing in the sand pile. Rafe has finished with his session and finds her painting. He compliments her on the painting and she compliments his muscles. Newlywed hugs and kisses lead to a quick trip to check out the inside of the tent to be sure it is ready to be packed up for their next adventure.
Rafe and Autumn decide to go eat a meal in town for a change. They will occasionally eat a meal and Rafe does like his Falafel. Will even seems happier with his baby gruel eating it outside in the evening air. They stroll around the market and then go back home. Autumn is anxious to work on her painting and Rafe plays with Will on the spring rider.
@bekkasan Such a fit couple! I bet that translates well to their love life
I prefer it when the kids don't want to get off the spring riders because they look so cute when being naughty
Awwww a painting of Will! I need to get my artistic sims to do portraits!
That is one fancy tent! Checking on the packing, eh? LOL
How adorable that they took Will to eat with them! I used to love taking my son to dinner when he was small and feeding him choice bits from my plate
Will looks soooo happy
@Mikezumi Thanks for the comments. He did the naughty for Shea just once when she was taking him off and was not quick enough to hit the c button. He has been a very happy baby as well as a toddler. None of those sudden crying jags. He just finds his sand pile or other toys to play with, but, mostly the sand if in the yard. Do I sound like a proud sim grandma? "let me show you the pictures" hehe
Hey, 'checking the tent' and 'making the bed', 'taking showers'. We all know what is going on.
Shea awakens, hearing noises from Rafe and Autumn as they are up early preparing for their trek to another tomb. She has been wanting to learn to fish so she dresses and finds a rod and some bait. She doesn't have to go far as the pond on the estate is stocked with fish.
Rafe and Autumn's first stop is base camp. Rafe's contact said he would leave a message on the community board for Rafe. Even though it is the wee hours of the night base camp is quite active with the adventurers getting ready for the day. Rafe finds the message on the board with the location of the tomb. He warns Rafe that it is a long trek along the coast and then through the mountains to reach this tomb. Rafe has the location of several dig spots that he wants to check out on the way. They plan to take their time as Rafe has many places he wants to share with Autumn before they go back to Barnacle Bay. They find the first few dig spots and a few of the treasures are very valuable indeed. Rafe will be able to add a few things to his ancient collections. The sun is rising and is burning the fog off the water. Autumn takes a picture of the ancient shipwreck to add to her portfolio as Rafe walks to the dig site on the beach.
They race across the sands to the next dig site. It is a close race and they arrive and declare themselves both winners. Autumn gets a great picture of Rafe while he excavates the site. She takes several of the nearby dunes. It is getting warmer and Rafe calls a break. "Lets go get wet" and starts running to the water. Autumn catches up quickly and they again race neck to neck toward the waters, pausing long enough to shed down to their suits and swimming out into the warm but still refreshing waters.
Rafe surprises Autumn by magically producing two windsurf boards. They climb aboard and catch the wind for an exhilarating ride. The play dueling surf boards and are able to cross paths close enough to slap hands in a high five, but not crash.
Shea stopped fishing realizing she might need to learn a bit more about fishing since she didn't catch anything. She gets Will ready for the day and lets him play in the sand pile while she works on a painting. (Creator is worried that Shea may still be having nightmares from her kidnapping experience considering the weird painting Shea just produced!)
The sun continues to blare down unrelenting in its heat. Rafe and Autumn have some protection for the sun because of their long lives and have become immune to death by sun. The unusually high temperatures in the desert climate can still make them extremely uncomfortable when the sun is at its zenith. Rafe takes Autumn to a nearby oasis and they relax in the tent until the sun lowers in the sky and the high temperatures subside.
@bekkasan I love my sims fishing I'm sure Shea had lots of fun
I am a cheat and never use the board! I use MC to get my sims WA quests
I don't think I have ever seen that shipwreck!
Great pics of Rafe and Autumn running and at the dig sites
Wow! Windsurfer boards too!
Beautiful pics
Yep, that is a nightmarish pic!
It doesn't look like they were relaxing in the tent! LOL
@Mikezumi Thanks for the comments. I actually started the quest line with MC to get the most tombs using the Business Abroad line of quests. That shot was just for story. I love using MC cause you can get the one you want and not have it messed up by the EA side of things. Good eye for tent watching!
@bekkasan , I'm going to stay mostly off the main thread until after the holidays (too dang busy) will leave you feedback here..
**I love Autumn and Rafe's adventures, they are really taking advantage of Shea being able to watch Will, I kinda hope she sticks around awhile until Will hits childhood and he can run around with his adventurous parents. Beautiful windsurfing shots, I've tried it IRL, harder than it looks! Yeah that painting doe look a bit nightmarish!
@Charlottesmom Thanks for the comments. I think Shea will be around for a bit. I've never windsurfed but would have loved to in my younger days. I did ski some and loved driving a boat.
Rafe and Autumn resume their journey leaving the shade of the oasis and the fun in the tent behind. As they leave the river behind and start the climb into the mountains Rafe stops suddenly and takes a quick selfie of Autumn and himself. They look ahead and see the immense pillars that stand as sentinels guarding the path through the mountains into the valley that houses the Pyramid of the Sky. They climb the path and stand under the pillars marveling at the ancient technology that is still standing to this day.
The pillars are behind them and they find one last dig spot as the sun begins to set. The follow the path through the mountains and suddenly as they climb one last rise a massive pyramid is in the valley below them. The Pyramid of the Sky is an imposing structure that is set into the surrounding mountains. It is an awe inspiring site. They quickly run down the path and marvel at the workmanship of the pillars and pools in front of the pyramid. Rafe inspects the statues in front of the pyramid. He finds one that can be moved and once moved it opens a stairwell leading beneath the tomb. He and Autumn follow the stairs into a chamber with several rock piles. He bashes those with his pickax and collects treasures that were hidden beneath. A chest still contains some gold coins and a few gems. The sarcophagus does not contain a mummy but Rafe and Autumn found another use for it.
They leave the chamber after emptying it of treasure. Rafe reads the glyphs on the pyramid entrance and quickly opens the door using the proper combination of stones. The rooms are beautiful and filled with statues that are as vibrant as they day they were placed in the pyramid. They have to swim to enter the first doorway so they both strip down to their suits. Rafe takes a moment to compliment Autumn and Autumn returns the compliment. They follow the paths and avoid traps and dangers placed in ancient times. They work together and pass through many beautiful rooms with painted floors. They finally reach the end and sit in the chairs on the dais as if they are the King and Queen. They are happy to have completed this exploration and Rafe will send a report to the officials detailing the beauty in this pyramid.
Back at home Shea and Will have been enjoying cartoons on tv. It is bed time and after a bath and rocking in the chair Will is put to bed. He doesn't want to fall asleep, but, his tired little body quickly dozes off.
@bekkasan You got the take photo together to work! YAY!
Stunning photos! I think some of my favourite photos have been when my sims have traveled to Al Simhara!
I bet they did find a good use for the sarcophagus
How perfect that they sat on the chairs! I would never have thought of that!
Awwww little Will fighting sleep is adorable
@Mikezumi Thanks for the comments. The interaction is finally showing up on occasion. Still not consistent. I notice it there if they don't have a wish to take picture with a friend. As soon as they get the wish....the interaction is gone. Probably an EA thing.
Rafe and Autumn arrive at the final tomb on the list for this trip. Abu Simbel is an ancient temple carved into the mountainside on the edges of the river. Legend tells of two priests who protect the temple from intruders with traps and trickery. Rafe and Autumn arrive in the dark of night. The moonlight shines on the huge statues and Rafe and Autumn feel dwarfed standing at the entrance. Legend records a toll must be paid and Rafe provides the offering. It must have been accepted as dust and small rocks fall as the door noisily slides open.
Rafe reads the inscription on the plaque on the wall warning intruders of the perils within. Autumn looks at yet another skeleton in the entryway and thinks it is good that she trusts Rafe to get them safely through the temple. There is no visible exit from this room, but a dive well is against the wall. Rafe changes into trunks and Autumn gets her camera out and takes a few shots of her handsome, muscular husband as he prepares to dive into the well. Autumn follows him through the well as it leads to the next section of the temple.
The rooms are full of traps and puzzles that must be avoided or solved in order to make it safely to the next room. Rafe successfully solves the puzzles and navigates through the rooms avoiding the traps. Autumn was then able to teleport to him easily avoiding the pitfalls in the room. He found many wall levers hidden in torches as well as holes in the walls and floors that either opened the flame traps or turned them off. Autumn practiced her meditation in one room that was engulfed in flames so she could zenport to Rafe as the traps were set off as he left the room.
The red priest does not appreciate Rafe peeking into his sarcophagus and quickly displays his displeasure. Rafe quickly ends the fight and the red priest is engulfed in a whirlwind and all that is left is some sand on the floor.
Rafe encounters the blue priest who is not very happy about the intrusion into the temple. The mummy attacks and Rafe defends himself using his skills in sim fu and vampire quickness. The mummy is strong, but is soon defeated by Rafe and he disappears in a whirlwind of dust and a pile of sand is left on the floor. Rafe and Autumn enjoy a short break investigating the blue priests sarcophagus.
Rafe and Autumn successfully complete the exploration of Abu Simbel. The priests were defeated and the treasures were safely recovered. They teleport back home and before heading inside they sit together in the yard enjoying the stars, holding hands and whispering to each other. They are happy to be going home, but also sad as this is their last night in Al Simhara. They will travel home in the morning.
@bekkasan I would have been screaming in fear for my sims! I don't think I ever fully recovered from my Eddie being attacked by a mummy when I first got Late Night! I am such a wuss!
Gorgeous pics of the temple inside and out. EA did a really good job on Al Simhara!
Great update! Now I am looking forward to them going home and having another baby
@Mikezumi Thanks for the comments. When I first got WA I was scared something bad would happen. But, I learned quickly if their athletics and MA is up they should win the fight. I still don't know why Autumn lost, but, she was only 4 or so on MA and athletics was probably 7. I'm getting ready to send them to the airport now. Had to reboot the game so they wouldn't get stuck traveling as I'd been playing for awhile.
Comments
Trip to Egypt
Rafe, Autumn, Shea and Will arrived at Al Simhara early in the morning. It was a long flight with several transfers as they could not teleport with Will and Shea. Rafe had built a palace centuries ago near the river not too far from the village. The land around the palace is an oasis of green within the desert sand. It was a welcome site and the group was happy to arrive and enjoy the beauty and cool breeze of the oasis. (the palace is an EA vacation home. I've just renovated it)
Autumn falls in love with the palace and makes just a few changes to accommodate Will and Shea. Shea and Autumn update the kitchen cabinets and new appliances are purchased and installed. Autumn cooks very little but Shea loves cooking and will cook for Will as well as herself.
Entering the home you see an imposing set of stairs is in the center of the room guarded by two Egyptian statues. A conversation area to the right and a entertainment area to the left. They sit and discuss the plans for the day. Autumn wants to head out and take the pictures she has contracted to take so her job will be done and and she can enjoy the rest of their stay. Shea wants to go to the market and meet some locals and find some new recipes to learn. She may not be able to cook them yet, but, will be able to before long. Rafe will stay home and teach Will to walk. His job does not start until tomorrow. Shea fixes a meal for Will and herself and Rafe and Autumn have some plasma juice before they go their separate ways.
Autumn finds her way to Abu Simbel and takes several photographs for the owner of the spa to choose from. She plans to return at night to get a few night shots. She is too hot in her leathers and purchases tshirts and shorts from the market vendor and changes into more comfortable clothing. As she walks back to the palace she finds several spots to excavate and finds several broken relics and shards, but, nothing that she wants to keep.
Rafe starts teaching Will to walk and it was a bit slow going to start. Once he learned to keep his balance Will was soon racing to his Dad and loved getting the kisses and praises for walking. After Will learned to walk, Rafe and Will took a stroll. Rafe enjoyed showing Will the beautiful land of Al Simara near the oasis. (the pics of Rafe teaching Will to walk were taken before I finished making changes in the palace, but to be honest, I'm never done making changes in my houses. The floor has new color tones and the study had several things added to it, will show it next update)
Shea hurried to the market where she met several of the locals. One man was a special merchant who sold special merchandise to adventurers. She did not have any special coins to purchase merchandise with and he laughed at the idea of fairy dust as payment. She would bide her time and as her powers grew he would be sorry he laughed at her. She met the food merchant who shared some local gossip and told her the book merchant had the recipes of local dishes. She purchased several recipes from the book merchant and plans to keep working on her cooking skills until she can make these.
Later that evening after Shea and Will are in bed, Rafe and Autumn enjoy some private time in the hot tub.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Tomb Exploration
Rafe works in his study making sure all is in readiness to search the first tomb. He checks his supplies, makes sure his contacts have the correct information. He plans to take Autumn with him so she can get some photographs for her portfolio. The entrance to the tomb is open according to his contacts, but there are traps that even his seasoned colleagues have not been able to get past. With his vampire powers and knowledge from centuries of exploration he hopes to find answers to many of the questions about this tomb as well as a few treasures to help pay for the trip.
Rafe picks up Will and snuggles him close. He enjoyed taking care of him yesterday and will miss him as he may be gone for a few days depending on the complexity of the tomb. Will babbles at him and Rafe tells him when he returns they will teach him to talk. He plays the 'claw' game with Will and hands him to Autumn so she can tell him bye. Autumn snuggles Will and tickles him wanting to hear that sweet giggle before she leaves. "Be a good boy for Shea, ok."
Shea loves being outdoors and Will loves playing in his sandpile. She set up an easel near his sandpile so she can watch him and paint enjoying the outdoors.
Rafe and Autumn arrive at the tomb. The entrance has been fenced and a small secured shed built over the opening to prevent looting. One last check of their packs and they are ready to go. Autumn has photographed tombs before in Shang Simla, but, never an undiscovered one. She is excited that she and Rafe will enter this undiscovered tomb and explore something that has been closed for centuries. Rafe sneaks a kiss and they enter the fenced area.
Rafe and Autumn enter the tomb by climbing down a small stairwell. A skeleton is on the floor. Autumn snaps a quick picture of the skeleton. It appears they are not the first to enter the tomb, but hopefully they will make their way out unlike this hapless explorer. Rafe finds a crescent shaped key that he uses to unlock the first door. Autumn takes a picture as the key snaps into place and lights flicker and flash as the connection is made to open the lock. "That will make an exciting photograph for my portfolio," she tells Rafe.
He comes over and hugs her and gives her a lingering kiss. "We will not get very far if I keep doing this every few feet. You are just so tempting my love." He gives her another kiss and they walk through the door to see what comes next. A stairway leads down and they continue making their way through the tomb. They find a room with several chests, but, no sarcophagi in this tomb. Apparently it was sealed without the owner being placed in it. They find a small hidden room with a chest and minor treasure. They made better use of the hidden room. The last staircase leads up to a door that leads back to the first room. "A very small tomb indeed and the path leads right back to the entrance. The treasure is minor, so the tomb was never meant for a king. No sarcophagus in the tomb as well. Long forgotten even by the people who built it."
"We have some more time since this tomb was so small. There are a few dig sites nearby and a very nice oasis we can rest at." They enjoy a nice rest at the oasis and have some fun as well. They find a few dig sites and excavate a few relics and gems they can sell. Before heading to the market to sell the relics they find a camel in the desert and wonder where the camel's owner is. Arriving at the market Rafe negotiates with the relic merchant to sell the relics and gems at a decent price. Autumn wanders through the market looking at the furniture and books. She sits inside the book stall to cool off, and reads some excerpts from The Price of Treasure detailing the lives of some of the famous archeologists that have searched around Al Simhara. Rafe takes her up to one of the roofs to see the pyramids at night. It is an awe inspiring site and she certainly understands why Rafe has chosen Al Simhara as his home away from home.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Family Time
Will is playing in his favorite spot in the yard. Sandpile! He loves digging and maybe someday will be an explorer like his Dad. Rafe hurries over to him and picks him up and gives lots of hugs and tickles. Autumn calls them up to the deck and Rafe gives her another kiss even though he just left her moments before. She does not mind and returns the kiss enthusiastically. Autumn plans to finish her painting while Rafe teaches Will to talk. Autumn finishes her painting and sits down to sketch Will and Rafe as they chat with each other. Autumn loves the family time they have together and cherishes each moment with Will and Rafe. She wonders if it is time to try for a sister or brother for Will. After Will learns to talk she fixes him some lunch and then puts him in his crib for a nap. Rafe calls her to join him and they enjoy some adult time in the hot tub.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Burning Sands
Rafe has reviewed his contracts and he and Autumn find the next tomb he is to explore. Burning Sands. An ominous name especially for a vampire. It is a good thing he is an ancient and has adapted to sunshine and let us hope he can adapt to any burning issues that may prevail. He finds the correct combination of glyphs and opens the door to the tomb. Autumn is happy that there are no moldering skeletons in the entry passage.
They quickly find a room full of treasures as well as an irate mummy who apparently is not happy with them taking the treasure. The mummy stalks through the room, bypassing Rafe and stumbles directly into Autumn who had just taken its picture. Perhaps, it also does not like having its picture made as it promptly attacks her and not Rafe who took all the treasure. Autumn valiantly fights the mummy, but at level 4 martial arts and level 7 athletics it still manages to best her. She does pass out as a result of the attack. Rafe rushes to her side as the mummy disappears into thin air. He calls her name and holds her hand as she starts to stir. She sits up and Rafe cautions her to lie still. "I'm fine, embarrassed but fine. Where did that mummy go?"
"It disappeared into thin air. It might be further into the tomb. We will have to stay on the lookout for it." Rafe helps her to stand up checking her to be sure she is not injured.
Autumn stands on her tip toes and kisses him softly. She tries to reassure him she is fine. He holds her tightly and checks her with his powers. He is finally convinced she has no lasting effects from the fight and did not get cursed. They walk towards the sarcophagus and Rafe checks it. The mummy is not in there. Rafe kisses her and grins, "Shall we?" Autumn gives and enthusiastic yes with her kiss.
After their exploration of the sarcophagus they return to the other side of the tomb and start searching this area. They find a room that is indeed burning, not only with flames, but flaming fruits. The room is quite hot, but they both manage to make it through. Rafe harvests several of the fruits. He plans to have Shea attempt to grow one in the garden to see if it will survive outside of the tomb. He also will take some samples to Gardenia for her to experiment with in her alchemy lab. Autumn gets some pictures for her portfolio as well as for Rafe's reports. They are both hot and sweaty and are ready to leave the tomb after their adventures.
Autumn heads home for a cool shower and takes Will for a stroll before it gets dark. She finds an excavation site and lets Will out to play as she checks out this site. Will plays with Bei his Panda, biting its neck in search of plasma. Rafe hurries to town to discuss his finding with one of his local contacts. He hurries home and the house is quiet and dark. Autumn calls to him and he joins her in bed for a night of loving.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
I remember the first time I sent Eddie traveling when I first got LN and screaming in terror when he was attacked by a mummy! When he passed out I was terrified that he had the mummy's curse and I almost quit without saving, swearing I would never send a sim traveling again. Fortunately I got over it when I realized Eddie was fine
Great shots inside the tomb!
Oh yeah! Gotta have sarcophagus woohoo! LOL
I remember this tomb!
Awwww I love how vampire babies bite their teddies
Great update
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Shea's Day Out
Autumn and Rafe take the day off from exploring to enjoy some time at home as a family. Will plays with his food and looks as if he is wondering just what is in the bowl this morning. Autumn talks with Shea about what her plans are. She wants to meet some of the locals and see a few of the sights, perhaps find a group to explore with. Shea hurries out to enjoy a full day exploring Al Simhara.
Shea's first stop is at a nearby local garden. She harvests a few of the plants to add to her supplies. She hops on the scooter and rides into the marketplace. She introduces herself to the relic dealer Farouk Rashid. He keeps smacking at her wanting to play tag. Shea decides a fairy trick would be more fun and gives him a tummy twister. He just laughs. Shea decides he must be childish and insane.
After getting directions to base camp she arrives and introduces herself to some of the explorers in the area. One of the explorers is telling a ghost story, in broad daylight. The leader introduces herself and invites her to go to Ship's Oasis with them. It is a long trek from base camp. They take scooters most of the way and finish up on foot. It seems to Shea that the explorers mostly talk. She wanders the oasis taking a few pictures and stumbles upon a dig site. She manages to unearth an antique vase and a canopic jar as well as a few gems. She wonders how in world did the ship wind up crashed in the oasis.
Shea decides to go back to the market as exploring with that group was just not exciting. She meets a local named Youssef Nagi and she has an immediate attraction to him and apparently he is also attracted to her. They get to know one another and find they have several things in common including cooking and art. He takes her on a tour of the market as they chat and laugh together. The night sky darkens and in a secluded spot Shea takes a chance and leans toward him kissing him and the return kiss is all she could have wished for. They walk on through town holding hands through the romantic streets enjoying the night sky stopping for an occasional kiss. They sit at the banks of the river and watch the stars twinkling over the Sphinx in the night sky.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
He's adorable playing with his food
That's one way to deal with a troublesome tagger, Shea! LOL
Beautiful pic of the oasis!
I used to love Youssef! It's been years since I looked at him in my game!
Awwww Shea has found love!
Great update
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Family Time
Autumn works on increasing her athletics by practicing some yoga. She knows the techniques will help with her reaction time as well as keeping her muscles and joints in prime condition. Rafe works on his martial arts by breaking boards. It will not be long and he will master it.
Will has been playing in the sand pile. Autumn finishes up her session and checks on Will. She picks him up for a hug and he begs for a ride on the scooter. She places him on the spring rider and cheers him as he rides and sways. He gets off without fussing and runs right back to the sand pile.
Autumn is inspired by Will's enjoyment for his sand pile and immediately starts a new painting of Will playing in the sand pile. Rafe has finished with his session and finds her painting. He compliments her on the painting and she compliments his muscles. Newlywed hugs and kisses lead to a quick trip to check out the inside of the tent to be sure it is ready to be packed up for their next adventure.
Rafe and Autumn decide to go eat a meal in town for a change. They will occasionally eat a meal and Rafe does like his Falafel. Will even seems happier with his baby gruel eating it outside in the evening air. They stroll around the market and then go back home. Autumn is anxious to work on her painting and Rafe plays with Will on the spring rider.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
I prefer it when the kids don't want to get off the spring riders because they look so cute when being naughty
Awwww a painting of Will! I need to get my artistic sims to do portraits!
That is one fancy tent! Checking on the packing, eh? LOL
How adorable that they took Will to eat with them! I used to love taking my son to dinner when he was small and feeding him choice bits from my plate
Will looks soooo happy
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
Hey, 'checking the tent' and 'making the bed', 'taking showers'. We all know what is going on.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Fun in the Sun
Shea awakens, hearing noises from Rafe and Autumn as they are up early preparing for their trek to another tomb. She has been wanting to learn to fish so she dresses and finds a rod and some bait. She doesn't have to go far as the pond on the estate is stocked with fish.
Rafe and Autumn's first stop is base camp. Rafe's contact said he would leave a message on the community board for Rafe. Even though it is the wee hours of the night base camp is quite active with the adventurers getting ready for the day. Rafe finds the message on the board with the location of the tomb. He warns Rafe that it is a long trek along the coast and then through the mountains to reach this tomb. Rafe has the location of several dig spots that he wants to check out on the way. They plan to take their time as Rafe has many places he wants to share with Autumn before they go back to Barnacle Bay. They find the first few dig spots and a few of the treasures are very valuable indeed. Rafe will be able to add a few things to his ancient collections. The sun is rising and is burning the fog off the water. Autumn takes a picture of the ancient shipwreck to add to her portfolio as Rafe walks to the dig site on the beach.
They race across the sands to the next dig site. It is a close race and they arrive and declare themselves both winners. Autumn gets a great picture of Rafe while he excavates the site. She takes several of the nearby dunes. It is getting warmer and Rafe calls a break. "Lets go get wet" and starts running to the water. Autumn catches up quickly and they again race neck to neck toward the waters, pausing long enough to shed down to their suits and swimming out into the warm but still refreshing waters.
Rafe surprises Autumn by magically producing two windsurf boards. They climb aboard and catch the wind for an exhilarating ride. The play dueling surf boards and are able to cross paths close enough to slap hands in a high five, but not crash.
Shea stopped fishing realizing she might need to learn a bit more about fishing since she didn't catch anything. She gets Will ready for the day and lets him play in the sand pile while she works on a painting. (Creator is worried that Shea may still be having nightmares from her kidnapping experience considering the weird painting Shea just produced!)
The sun continues to blare down unrelenting in its heat. Rafe and Autumn have some protection for the sun because of their long lives and have become immune to death by sun. The unusually high temperatures in the desert climate can still make them extremely uncomfortable when the sun is at its zenith. Rafe takes Autumn to a nearby oasis and they relax in the tent until the sun lowers in the sky and the high temperatures subside.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
I am a cheat and never use the board! I use MC to get my sims WA quests
I don't think I have ever seen that shipwreck!
Great pics of Rafe and Autumn running and at the dig sites
Wow! Windsurfer boards too!
Beautiful pics
Yep, that is a nightmarish pic!
It doesn't look like they were relaxing in the tent! LOL
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
**I love Autumn and Rafe's adventures, they are really taking advantage of Shea being able to watch Will, I kinda hope she sticks around awhile until Will hits childhood and he can run around with his adventurous parents. Beautiful windsurfing shots, I've tried it IRL, harder than it looks! Yeah that painting doe look a bit nightmarish!
Very nice update!!
*Fairy Jared and Vampire Connor*
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Fun in the Sun
Part 2
Rafe and Autumn resume their journey leaving the shade of the oasis and the fun in the tent behind. As they leave the river behind and start the climb into the mountains Rafe stops suddenly and takes a quick selfie of Autumn and himself. They look ahead and see the immense pillars that stand as sentinels guarding the path through the mountains into the valley that houses the Pyramid of the Sky. They climb the path and stand under the pillars marveling at the ancient technology that is still standing to this day.
The pillars are behind them and they find one last dig spot as the sun begins to set. The follow the path through the mountains and suddenly as they climb one last rise a massive pyramid is in the valley below them. The Pyramid of the Sky is an imposing structure that is set into the surrounding mountains. It is an awe inspiring site. They quickly run down the path and marvel at the workmanship of the pillars and pools in front of the pyramid. Rafe inspects the statues in front of the pyramid. He finds one that can be moved and once moved it opens a stairwell leading beneath the tomb. He and Autumn follow the stairs into a chamber with several rock piles. He bashes those with his pickax and collects treasures that were hidden beneath. A chest still contains some gold coins and a few gems. The sarcophagus does not contain a mummy but Rafe and Autumn found another use for it.
They leave the chamber after emptying it of treasure. Rafe reads the glyphs on the pyramid entrance and quickly opens the door using the proper combination of stones. The rooms are beautiful and filled with statues that are as vibrant as they day they were placed in the pyramid. They have to swim to enter the first doorway so they both strip down to their suits. Rafe takes a moment to compliment Autumn and Autumn returns the compliment. They follow the paths and avoid traps and dangers placed in ancient times. They work together and pass through many beautiful rooms with painted floors. They finally reach the end and sit in the chairs on the dais as if they are the King and Queen. They are happy to have completed this exploration and Rafe will send a report to the officials detailing the beauty in this pyramid.
Back at home Shea and Will have been enjoying cartoons on tv. It is bed time and after a bath and rocking in the chair Will is put to bed. He doesn't want to fall asleep, but, his tired little body quickly dozes off.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Stunning photos! I think some of my favourite photos have been when my sims have traveled to Al Simhara!
I bet they did find a good use for the sarcophagus
How perfect that they sat on the chairs! I would never have thought of that!
Awwww little Will fighting sleep is adorable
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Abu Simbel
Rafe and Autumn arrive at the final tomb on the list for this trip. Abu Simbel is an ancient temple carved into the mountainside on the edges of the river. Legend tells of two priests who protect the temple from intruders with traps and trickery. Rafe and Autumn arrive in the dark of night. The moonlight shines on the huge statues and Rafe and Autumn feel dwarfed standing at the entrance. Legend records a toll must be paid and Rafe provides the offering. It must have been accepted as dust and small rocks fall as the door noisily slides open.
Rafe reads the inscription on the plaque on the wall warning intruders of the perils within. Autumn looks at yet another skeleton in the entryway and thinks it is good that she trusts Rafe to get them safely through the temple. There is no visible exit from this room, but a dive well is against the wall. Rafe changes into trunks and Autumn gets her camera out and takes a few shots of her handsome, muscular husband as he prepares to dive into the well. Autumn follows him through the well as it leads to the next section of the temple.
The rooms are full of traps and puzzles that must be avoided or solved in order to make it safely to the next room. Rafe successfully solves the puzzles and navigates through the rooms avoiding the traps. Autumn was then able to teleport to him easily avoiding the pitfalls in the room. He found many wall levers hidden in torches as well as holes in the walls and floors that either opened the flame traps or turned them off. Autumn practiced her meditation in one room that was engulfed in flames so she could zenport to Rafe as the traps were set off as he left the room.
The red priest does not appreciate Rafe peeking into his sarcophagus and quickly displays his displeasure. Rafe quickly ends the fight and the red priest is engulfed in a whirlwind and all that is left is some sand on the floor.
Rafe encounters the blue priest who is not very happy about the intrusion into the temple. The mummy attacks and Rafe defends himself using his skills in sim fu and vampire quickness. The mummy is strong, but is soon defeated by Rafe and he disappears in a whirlwind of dust and a pile of sand is left on the floor. Rafe and Autumn enjoy a short break investigating the blue priests sarcophagus.
Rafe and Autumn successfully complete the exploration of Abu Simbel. The priests were defeated and the treasures were safely recovered. They teleport back home and before heading inside they sit together in the yard enjoying the stars, holding hands and whispering to each other. They are happy to be going home, but also sad as this is their last night in Al Simhara. They will travel home in the morning.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Gorgeous pics of the temple inside and out. EA did a really good job on Al Simhara!
Great update! Now I am looking forward to them going home and having another baby
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
@Mikezumi Thanks for the comments.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
*Fairy Jared and Vampire Connor*