Chestnut

Chestnut was the beloved pet cat of Cormyrean adventurer Emilia Leveva. Residing in Lev's Keep in rural Cormyr from early 1477 DR, Chestnut was considered by Emilia to be her best friend throughout her childhood and adolescence. Chestnut's peaceful death in 1491 DR was the final factor informing Emilia's abscondence from Lev's Keep within the month.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Presumably born to a litter of feral cats in the wilderness near Lev's Keep, the estate of the minor noble Baron Sergey Levev, a juvenile Chestnut appeared at the walls of the residence in 1477 DR to seek shelter from a rainstorm. As Cormyrean culture greatly respects cats, viewing them as defenders against misfortune, Chestnut was welcomed into the estate and fed. Spending the night within the Keep, Chestnut would return to the estate several times in the following weeks before ultimately adopting it as his home.
Chestnut immediately won the affection of the Baron's precocious younger child, Emilia Leveva, who had only recently readched four years old. Isolated from any peers in her remote estate, and frequently ignored by her family, Emilia quickly came to consider the cat her closest friend and confidant. One would usually follow the other around, and Emilia would often discover the less travelled parts of the Keep by chasing Chestnut into them. Emilia made attempts to include Chestnut in her hobbies: she would often read aloud to the cat, and confide her secrets and emotions to him when she was sure no one else was around. Servants in the Keep would watch on in amusement as a young Emilia attempted to play chess with the cat and told him off when he knocked pieces over instead of 'moving correctly.' 
Always a rather mellow cat, Chestnut became lazier as he aged. He was quite content spending much of his time resting on or next to an adolescent Emilia, who spent much of her day reading (typically not aloud to the cat). Though usually strict regarding her own diet and exercise, Emilia had little willpower when resisting Chestnut's wishes, and often spoiled the cat with fancy food. His favourite food was roast chicken, and on more than one occasion he was successful in stealing a full drumstick from a prepared roast - though Emilia would then chase after him to make sure he didn't try eating any bones. For a former stray cat in one of the wildest parts of Cormyr, Chestnut's life was comfortable and perhaps even opulent.
Chestnut's health began to deteriorate in early 1491 DR. His hind legs began weakening until they became completely immobile, with him having to drag himself around on his front legs to move unassisted. Emilia could do little to help except to comfort him. Chestnut's heart stopped on the 20th of Flamerule, 1491 DR - seven days before Emilia's eighteenth birthday. He spent his last moments curled up in Emilia's lap, purring. Emilia was inconsolable upon his death, though eventually mustered up enough composure to give him a respectable burial in the Keep's courtyard. Without Chestnut for her to look after or to keep her company, and increasingly dissatisfied with her life in Lev's Keep, Emilia ultimately decided to abscond from her family estate and seek adventure.

Date of Birth

Unknown

Date of Death

20th of Flamerule

Life

1476 DR 1491 DR 15 years old

Place of Death

Lev's Keep, Cormyr

Hair

Long-haired, brown tabby

Aligned Organization

House Lev