If we are happy to get back to this, I think we need @Phil to join the conversation about how you deal with Reginald
*Hubert appears to be in a state of suspended animation. A hastily-scrawled note balanced on his nose reads āBack soon.ā For some reason you take this to mean by the weekend if not beforeā¦*
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"Perhaps we donāt need to talk with Reginald at allā¦
"Heās never seen us before, and so has no reason to imagine we know anything of him and what he keeps in his nest. If we were to happen to have a loud conversation about the amazing treasure being guarded by the bats on the other side of the ravine as weāre passing below his nest, he will surely be too curious to ignore the information.
"Then we need only watch to see when he heads for the ravine, and take our opportunity to try to find the ink?
āI wonder if we should try to mask our scent with something.ā
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āNow that sounds like a Plan!ā
Letās have a look round for plants or other things that might do that.
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Finding something pungent (either way!) may be a job for Hubert and his extraordinary sense of smell? Hubert what do you think?
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"Letās use your sense of smell as a benchmark, Mortimer. I donāt imagine owls need an especially strong sense of smell, so I figure if it works on you itāll work on Reginald too.
"If you wouldnāt mind taking a really good sniff of me, and trying to memorise that, then Iāll head out and find something nice and fragrant (but I think also something weāll be able to wash off). Hopefully we wonāt need anything too unpleasant!
āIf you canāt recognise me by smell, I think weāll have a winner.ā
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āI mostly use sight, but maybe he does too. All right, Iāll give it a tryā¦ā
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Mortimer takes a sniff to try to identify the Eau dāHubert! Hubert then toddles off to the peat moss and tries to immerse himself in the most pungent odour he can find, taking along a swab of stenchy, moist spaghnum with which to douse Mortimer if he passes the sniff test.
Mortimer - what does Hubert smell of normally?
Hubert - what do you now smell of?
And lastly Hubert should make a d10 roll to see if it is a properly ponging patch he had found ..
Mould and earth and small wriggling things. A good honest smell.
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@Phil asked for a die roll:
Hubert comes back carrying a large bundle of rosemary and sage sprigs.
āI found just the thing!ā he announces happily.
āI rolled around in the rest of it before heading back, and it certainly smells extraordinary to me! What do you think?ā
d10: 8
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Hubert has successfully disguised his scent. He now smells more like a chicken prepared for roasting.
What does Mortimer think he now smells like? Does Mortimer submit to a daubing of the new scent?
And now you have (or havenāt) done that, what next?
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āGiven a few weeks lying around, that might be a good seasoning. Nothing personal. But in any case, thatās not anything like us. I donāt much like it, but I suppose itāll wash offā¦ā
Weāll give some thought to the sort of casual conversation that would mention the batsā treasure (where it is, how shiny it is); perhaps weāre going to have to get the rest of āthe ladsā to take them on, so itāll be a day or two before we attack them, thus encouraging Reginald to move in quickly. With some talking points in mind, perhaps we sneak over there, make sure heās there, and then pass through chattingā¦
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He is indeed there. As you begin chatting loudly and acting casual you sense one of his eyes slowly opening.
The scent certainly sets you apart as different. It is either that, or the words, that means you feel that newly opened beady eye on the back of your necks.
Do you have any particular skills at deception you want to bring to bear, or specific and compelling arguments to deploy?
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(Nothing comes to mind for Mortimer. Heās wary of sounding too artificial. Hubert?)
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