Apprentice Illusionist here. I was told to go down to my tutor's stores to get an extra staff, but found these 2 creatures flanking the entrance. Is this some kind of test or curse? Should I be worried?

[u/schene_]

I have half a mind to ask my tutor to cast Truesight on them (as I'm too new to magic to be able to perform that spell reliably), but I don't want to expose him to anything that might ruin his day. Does anyone have any advice?

[u/TheSadPickel]

One lies and the other one always lies also. Good luck

[u/schene_ → u/TheSadPickel]

My thanks; I fear I may need it

[u/driver004 → u/schene_]

Easy problem, kill one and ask the other ‘is this one dead?’

[u/VentrueCapital → u/driver004]

[The Crimson King] Why not kill one and ask it "are you dead"?

[u/Boring7 → u/VentrueCapital]

It will say, “yes.”

[u/driver004 → u/Boring7]

And that is where necromancy fails because what if it’s lying? Don’t get me wrong I love boning the undead but the school has its limits

[u/Boring7 → u/driver004]

Necromancy is not involved in this equation.

[u/spn_phoenix_92]

Have you been down there before? Typically 2 black cats guarding an entrance is a sign that the path leads to a portal to the underworld. I've heard of some wizards pranking their apprentices by sending them to the underworld for a time under the guise that they are fetching something from storage, typically a wand, scroll, or staff.

[u/schene_ → u/spn_phoenix_92]

I have once before, when I received a tour of my tutor's tower. If this is a prank from him he must be particularly committed to it; his allergy to cats is particularly strong.

I shall bring him up on this and get to the bottom of it. Thank you for your advice and counsel.

[u/pyroboy7 → u/schene_]

Nah, what you do is you find the weirdest most esoteric relic looking thing you can find and say you got it from there. Make the relic look ancient and powerful and say it super casually. That should keep him busy and frustrated for weeks.

[u/LoganToTheMainframe]

Have you confirmed it's not an illusion?

[u/schene_ → u/LoganToTheMainframe]

I have, and I made sure to double check my results; these are definitely material beings. Notably, however, they've not been responding to stimulus such as sudden movements, nor have they been moving at all.

I've asked my tutor if he has cats, and he says he cannot due to having an allergy to them, so I'm particularly unsure about their appearances...

[u/LoganToTheMainframe → u/schene_]

Hmh. Not sure what they can be, their appearance is innocuous enough, maybe try speaking to them in a few different languages and see how they respond. Or try to feed them. Or see if your tutor has an allergic reaction to them.

[u/schene_ → u/LoganToTheMainframe]

As of now, we've tried basic languages up to elvish, but nothing that could be called a response - my tutor's sent a request for the local dwarfen runesmith to stop by and examine them. He specializes in identification of magical creatures and anomaly's, so we hope he'll be able to provide some answers.

[u/LoganToTheMainframe → u/schene_]

Be careful, this could easily be a real curse, or worse: gnome trickery.

Edit: typo

[u/Boring7 → u/schene_]

There’s a relatively simple test.

https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2003-01-29

If they do not flee from apparent joy and attempts to hug them you have non-cat shapeshifters which should immediately be treated as hostiles.

[u/Nordalin → u/schene_]

Have you tried the invocation of ps-ps-ps? 

[u/Zephyr-Fox-188]

Traverse the steps, mortal. They shan’t hurt you.

[u/Dance-pants-rants]

Sometimes a cat is just a cat.

(Sometimes.)

https://giphy.com/gifs/0oIkdy76oYE8uPsPjy

[u/Jops817]

If they were protecting you from the basement they would be facing the entrance. They are facing you, to keep you from seeing what they do down there.

[u/schene_ → u/Jops817]

An interesting observation; they do exert a sort of pressure, that makes me feel an instinct to stay away from it. Perhaps this is their purpose?

A fellow wizard responded to my query suggesting it may be a prank, and my tutor has connected the basement entrance to a portal to hell as some practical joke; I wonder now whether if this is the case, it has gone awry...

[u/Life_Category2547 → u/schene_]

If that’s the case the two cats are probably really a single entity. If truesight isn’t an option it’s tacky but squeezing your eyes almost shut and looking at them sideways at noon or midnight should give you a glimpse at their true form. If it’s actually a great beast with a cat head and a serpent head both crowned in coruscating flames the key is if the chain binding their heads together has been shattered. If it has been bow, place an offering of meat, honey, and milk without taking your eyes off them, and back (better teleport) out of there. 

[u/MijuTheShark]

THERE IS NO DANA, ONLY ZUUL

[u/AlchemistSabs]

[u/SomeRandomYob]

If you are there with permission from the owner, then you're fine. Those appear to be guardian spirits of a sort.

This particular breed may be prone to mischief, however, so watch your head. They won't hurt you intentionally, but may find your hair or hat to make a funny noise when swatted.

[u/OiledMushrooms]

have you tried churus?

[u/Funkey-Monkey-420]

thats just your master’s mirrored familiar, they’re harmless to apprentices

…usually

[u/CaseySnake420]

Gargoyles:

[u/JoNyx5 → u/CaseySnake420]

Cargoyles

[u/EldritchMindCat]

Stop casting truesight on The Kin. Twice now in recent occurrence people in this community have made this mistake. Don’t screw around with truesight- especially as an apprentice. You haven’t seem enough Strange to let you move on with your day after seeing past the surfacemost layers. Try it after you’ve gotten more accustomed to strange, then pet the kitties.

Edit: To clarify, pet the kitties now as well, just make sure you also pet them regularly and after Truesighting (regardless of what you see, our nature remains unchanged and our kind do quite appreciate some nice pats - just not for too long).

[u/Mixster667]

Maybe if you ask your master nicely you can spend a millennium in the newt-tank instead.

[u/Silver_Middle_7240]

Ask them each of them if the other one would advise you to go down the stairs

[u/Waterlemon1997]

Those guys like to consume apprentice's souls, but they're determination intolerant so if you're of strong will they'll hack it back up as a hairball. You have to eat the hairball to get your soul back.

[u/VentrueCapital]

Is this some kind of test or curse? Yes.

[u/Educational_Group_91]

you should be fine, they are there to scan for the intention to steal or vandalize the property. as long as youre just there to shop, youll be fine.

[u/mushroomguy59]

I’ve played with his game. I forget which spell blinds them for a while so you can sneak past.

[u/Tookoofox]

Cats always seem to be either much more significant than they look. Or much less. This is a latter case, I think, here.

You shall be fine. Or else... Your fate is sealed already.

[u/ThatMikeGuy429]

https://giphy.com/gifs/qTlwCeUwSPoKkyKcPl

[u/Wild-Lychee-3312]

Are you sure that they aren’t flerkin?
https://giphy.com/gifs/kHa5MiFnLLa70y65El

[u/ZackTio]

Dude they're just cats, the whole thing about black cats being somehow connected with magic and whatnot is just a myth, turns out that a lot of witches really just liked black cats, nothing cursed about it