OOC: Thariv is coming from the shores south west of Selpt. He met Luther on the road leading to the village and decided to follow along to get supplies.

The village of Selpt looks normal, there are a cople dozen houses, an inn advertising cheap food and lodging, a tavern with a sign showing a basilisk sitting over a bucket, a couple small stores offering mostly farming equipment, a blacksmith working on making nails and a wooden chapel that Ryota recognizes is dedicated to Chauntea, goddess of life and agriculture.

Everywhere you look at the are cats. Cats lying in the sun, cats wandering over the rooftops, cats getting their bellies rubbed by children. Every person that you see has a cat accompanying them. There is a cat by the blacksmith's forge, and another eating from the same plate as a tired looking dwarf at the inn.

A well dressed man wearing a red hat and a gold chain around his neck approaches you "welcome to Selpt, Thaddee is my name and I've been nominated as a leader of sorts among us. What brings you to our beautiful town?" A fat orange cat rests on Thaddee's left shoulder, but the human doesn't seem to be bothered by this.

Thariv looks at all the cats with curiousity. He has nothing against the animals, but having spent most of his youth and adult life on ships, he has not been around them much, except for the few he might see slinking around docks looking for fish and seafood remnants. 

"Greetings, Thaddee," Thariv says to the well-dressed community leader. "We're looking to pick up some supplies, perhaps rest our tired feet. I see you certainly have a lot of cats in these parts. Interesting..."

Luther takes in the sight with detached curiosity and then nods to the man.

"Greetings Thaddee, I am Luther.  I seek honest work for a sharp eye - and like my companion here, a place to rest".

Holding Thaddee's gaze a moment to display honest intent, but being mindful not to glare, Luther makes a show of taking in the town "This is a lovely home you have here"

The mayor smiles at you "supplies and a place to rest are easy to find. You can ask Erst at the Tattercloacks Inn or Berkle at the Bucket and Basilisk tavern. The Tattercloacks has the best wine."

The mayor smiles at Thariv's comment about the city cats "oh, there have always been cats around these parts. I got acquainted with Nugget not long ago and he has brought so much happiness to my life already. No mice for him though, he eats from my own plate most of the time." He pauses for a while to scratch the feline's ear and continues "you should probably get a cat of your own, I know for sure that there are a few of them still in need of adoption. Would you like me to introduce you?"

Luther is tempted to coax a cat over; he has always admired their poise and control in the hunt.  But knowing they are unlikely to be drawn to hard tack and dried beef, he decides to wait until he can secure some more tempting nibbles. 

"Thank you Thaddee, I shall take up your kind offer when I can offer one of these hunters a more relaxed lap"

He turns to Thariv, feeling that it might be best to keep company with his new acquaintance at least until they each find what has brought them to Selpt: "I've never been much of a wine drinker, but I can blend in most places; if you pick the establishment, I'll get the first round"

Thariv nods at Thaddee's offer. "Perhaps soon," he replies. "I would like to rest up and perhaps get a bite to eat so that I may present myself to the local cats well-rested and well-behavied."

To Luther he says, "I myself like the sound of the Bucket and Basilisk. More of an ale and spirits man myself. I'll take you up on that offer."

He says a quick thanks to Thaddee so they can be on their way to the tavern.

The mayor dismisses you with a flourish and goes to greet another citizen that's walking with a brown kitty. You walk to the tavern "The Bucket and Basilisk" reads the sign over the door. The tavernkeep is Berkle Foambeard, a gray haired dwarf that sports a neatly braided beard. He is currently in the tavern yard outside, constructing an elaborate cat tree for Hammer, his beige cat. A few patrons are quietly eating inside.

A hand painted sign that's at least three days old shows what he has to offer:

Thariv turns and speaks quietly to Luther. "Looks like 'Today's Menu' wasn't exactly set today," he says. "I suppose we can see about a drink."

He calls over to the cat tree-building dwarf. "Good sir! We've been long on the road and are hoping for a drink."

Luther grins at Thariv's suggestion and says "I'm not sure a sergeant from Neverwinter should be eating that stuff anyway - best to stay hydrated though, I agree"

As Thariv hails Berkle, Luther nods to the ongoing construction with a look of appreciation. "Those are good joints sir, look like they would hold a tiger's weight after ten season changes.  I've seen siege engines built with less care"

Edit: (Was writing when DC posted so have tweaked Luther's comments!)

Thariv nods and smiles at the dwarf's good service. "Thank you, sir," he says.

He takes a mug and raises it to Luther. "To comrades well met at sea...well actually on the road, but the sentiment's the same."

After a toast and a drink from his mug, he turns his attention back to the dwarf. "I'm sure that structure will be a delight for your friend. He appears to be a very fine cat. Tell me, how did this town come to have so many of these adorable creatures?"

Berkle strokes his beard and answers "we've always had a few cats around. Hammer started living with me a tenday ago, I think, and a great companion she has proven to be. She had a litter too and I think a kitty would gladly go with you should you enjoy their company."

Luther returns Thariv's toast with his own mug "I'm not accustomed to working alone; your company has been welcome, my new friend"

Taking a swig of ale, he grunts appreciatively to Berkle "It seems the rumours are true and city inns water their ale for the masses; this is fine stuff. Do the cats just find themselves a companion or are they...assigned?"

Thariv gives a tight-lipped smile at Luther's words. "It was not long ago that I lost many friends at sea," he says. "It is good to find company on land."

As they speak to the dwarven proprietor, Thariv looks about the place and the people eating and drinking, as well as the cats, looking for any signs of strange behavior or anything else that feels "off."

Perception 10

Berkle puffs his chest hearing a stranger compliment his drink "thank you, good sir. In a small town like this you either serve good drinks or people don't come again." Then to que question about the cats he replies "I wouldn't know about a cat being assigned, but I know that some of them are picky and would not go with anyone."

To Thariv's eyes, the only thing that seems weird is that every pet here is a cat. But the people don't seem to mind this. Berkle in particular seems completely honest about what he says.

Luther takes another swig of ale and is silent for a moment before confiding quietly in Thariv: "I don't want to just do what everyone else is doing.  I also really like cats, but something just doesn't seem right here.  What do you think - quirky quaint village or sinister dynamic?"

Luther tries to determine if anything is untoward about Hammer or any other cats in the area: Animal Handling or Insight 12 (both are the same score).

The cats are acting normally, but are more frequent than in any other town that Luther has visited.

Thariv continues to enjoy his drink while observing the cats. He looks for one that may not be fully occupied and tries to spy a small pebble or something along those lines nearby. He murmurs words in the alien tongue that he recently somehow began to intuitively understand. He can feel the piece of coral in his pocket pulsing slightly as it serves to connect him with his source of power.

Arcane energy forms the vague image of a hand, which stirs the pebble, slowly moving it back and forth across the cat's field of vision in slow, jerky motions. Thariv is looking to play with the cat, to see if it continues to behave normally when presented with a chance to play. 

OOC: Using Mage Hand cantrip to attempt to entertain the cat. 

Thariv sees a black and grey cat sitting alone in a shadowy spot by the sidewall. As he starts moving the pebble, the cat pounces at it. Realizing that it's not edible, she swats it with a paw and keeps playing with the moving rock as long as it keeps moving.

Luther watches, amused, as the cat plays with the animated stone.  He remembers watching his mother practise simple magic when he was a small child, and feels a small amount of shame when he remembers his own failed experiments with the arcane.

Raising his gaze to Berkle he addresses his more immediate concerns: "Do you know of any work available for...skilled individuals?  Or any matters concerning the townfolk that we might be able to assist with?"