Throughout the series of The Sims 2 and its expansions, I looked out with eagerness for the somewhat supernatural elements that I just describe as "weirdness". True to form, there is a new variant lifeform in World Adventures and that is the mummy. I was therefore keen to find out about the curse of the mummy and Egypt seems to be the logical place to check it out and talk about it.

Let's get back to Tim Beckett and his family.

The years have passed me by and my family is growing up around me. My marriage to Miranda had resulted in us having two daughters who are now growing up around us. I am also doing quite well in my career. As well as that, I have become a seasoned traveller and have visited Al Simhara four times and I am close to getting my Level 3 Visa for Egypt in the process. On several of my adventures, some of which have been "off script", I have encountered mummies.

On my last encounter, I was faced with two of them but they had a quick demise. I stood on a floor switch and they were torched. The bandages that they are wrapped in causes them to burn very easily. It was my first encounter where I felt to be most at risk. I ended up in a fight with him - or it - and he won. Instead of locking my gaze and cursing me, he just turned around, shambled off and got back into his sarcophagus.

My current expedition is to get proof of the existence of mummies for the Al Simhara Tourist Board but I could not find any of them in all of the tombs that I explored or checked back on. That might be one of the other problems with going "Off Script" as any sarcophagus where I have found them does not seem to want to open up anymore.

However, perhaps unknowingly I brought the curse of the mummy home with me from my Egyptian expeditions. During my tomb raiding, I picked up various fragments of different objects. When an adventurer has a complete set, they piece them together for the perfect reconstruction. I was able to reconstruct a dive well, a plain sarcophagus and a Sarcophagus of the Kings, which had a gold face on a black mounting. I even collected enough for a second of those more impressive sarcophagi, but this one was all gold.

Almost all of the family felt the urge to sleep in one of the sarcophagi. I admit that I did and that I felt quite strange after sleeping in the black sarcophagus. However, one of us preferred sleeping in there more than the others. After her first night, Miranda claimed to be well rested and felt a lot fitter. It was when she slept in there for a second night that she came out looking different. To put it mildly, she was in need of an extreme makeover. Samantha, who is our younger daughter and the only one not to sleep in any of the sarcophagi, was horrified and shocked but did have the nerve to ask "Are you my mummy?"

Miranda said that she no longer felt tired, nor did she feel the urge to go to the bathroom. It seemed that she wanted to check out her emails, though. She did say that it would give her the perfect opportunity to catch up on her skills as she had more time on her hands. Looking from this perspective, it did not look too bad. However, as they say it is the curse of the mummy, there has to be a flipside to all of this.

For now, it posed two questions. How long would Miranda want to remain as a mummy and how can it be reversed?

Although it requires some exploring and collecting of relics, this is the only way that I have been able to follow through in order for a sim to become a mummy. Despite fighting various mummies in my adventures, I am led to believe that only mummies who live in a cursed sarcophagus of the kings like the one illustrated are able to curse other sims into becoming mummies themselves. The hard work is finding one of those sarcophagi and getting on the right adventure to make it so. For those who do get cursed, according to the official release, it appears something like this.

There are the advantages of feeling fully rested and having no need to sleep. For the career-minded mummy, it means that they can catch up on any needed skills or even get ahead of the game in that department. Also, with not needing to go to the toilet, there are no diversions by having to take a "call of nature".

There are a few drawbacks. If your mummy needs to get there in a hurry, drive there in the car or get a taxi. Mummies cannot run and walk very slowly, moaning and grunting as they go, frightening whoever is on their way. People's first impression of mummies is seldom a good one.

When your mummy has a bath or shower, they become soaked and are dripping water everywhere for hours. They are also very sensitive to fire. Keep your mummy away from any fireplaces or unskilled cooks otherwise mummy will go "WOOF!" Also, despite indication to the contrary, from what I am lead to believe, their lifespan is not as long as people think.

There may come a time when Miranda Beckett would like to return back to how she was. Fortunately for her, it is an easy thing to do. Timothy has also reconstructed a Blessed Sarcophagus of the Kings. If she sleeps in there for 8 hours, the job is done and she is returned to human form. However, not everyone has all of the pieces for one of these.

Another means is becoming very good as a snake charmer, which takes time and perseverence, and being able to kiss the snake when it pops up.

The third way involves visiting the Sphinx, entering its tomb and finding the Soul Peace Statue to appeal to.

All in all, your sim should start to feel more normal again very soon indeed.

Having had a close look at Egypt, although without mentioning the small crocodiles that can be found on the end of a fishing hook or scarab beetles that are worth a pretty penny at the science labs, we have to leave something for you to discover.

In the next report, we will be travelling to Champs Les Sims in France, trying to find exactly where it is and also looking into Nectar Making and the sinister Landgraab connection to this town.