Caleb Widogast

Caleb Widogast, born Bren Aldric Ermendrud, is a human wizard and a member of the adventuring party known as the Mighty Nein. He is played by Liam O'Brien.

Appearance
Caleb has blue eyes, a cleft chin, and reddish-brown hair. Caleb's long coat hides two holstered books (one a spellbook and the other a book of letters to his parents), one on either side. He has a series of scars on both of his forearms where crystals were embedded into his skin by Trent Ikithon; when he met the Mighty Nein he wore bandages on his arms and hands in order to conceal these scars. He first revealed the scars to the party in, and later permanently removed the bandages he used to conceal them. Caleb has a soft Zemnian (German) accent.

When Caleb first appeared on Critical Role, he was filthy, unshaven, and had messy hair. He had slept in his filthy travel clothes, including a long coat. After meeting the adventurers that would later become the Mighty Nein, Caleb visited an expensive bathhouse in Trostenwald, but he did not clean his clothes nor wash from the neck upward. After arriving in Zadash, Enchanter Pumat Sol cleaned Caleb with magic consistent with the spell Prestidigitation and it marked the first time the Mighty Nein witnessed a clean Caleb, which upset Nott. Caleb smeared mud on his face when Jester demeaned the amount of money his parents made.

Caleb has shifted towards being clean-shaven, tasking Yasha with aiding him in shaving in and switching to a razor when she cut him in. He purchased new, stylish clothes in, throwing away his old tattered ones.

After reading from Lucien's cursed tome, Caleb had a dream from the Somnovem and became marked with a red eye tattoo on his right shoulder, similar to Lucien's tattoos. After a second dream from the Somnovem, a second red eye tattoo appeared in the center of his shoulder blades on his back. The third eye appeared on the palm of his left hand, and the fourth over his heart. Upon Lucien's final defeat, the red eyes vanished, and his body was restored to its pre-Pattern state.

Personality
Caleb is reserved, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself or his companion Nott. He showed little interest in the secrets of people besides Nott, hoping to avoid answering questions about himself. Caleb's generally dour and isolated manner morphs into an open and jubilant mood upon purchasing new books. He does not consider himself to be remotely brave.

Caleb possesses a deep self-loathing due to the circumstances of his parents' death. He believed that he was fully responsible despite being magically beguiled and the reassurances of both Nott and Beauregard that he was not to blame; he neither wanted nor accepted their consolations. He originally appeared to want revenge against Trent Ikithon; however, his present goal seems to be to prevent any more children being recruited and trained as he was.

As a young boy Caleb was focused, persuasive, driven, and eloquent, though later in life he used his charismatic personality more to deceive people.

Caleb is methodical, sometimes to a fault. He has painstakingly counted objects on multiple occasions, once using the length of counting to cheat a merchant and even counting crossbow bolts as he removed them from his chest.

At the beginning of the story, Caleb had very "sticky fingers" when it came to magical objects and would try to take anything magical if he thought he could get away with it. He pursued magical knowledge and artifacts even if it meant risking his life.

Caleb has evolved from being withdrawn, untrusting, and on at least one occasion considering leaving the party, to the person who of them all perhaps cares most about keeping them together. His motivations were at first selfish, centered around what they could do for him (and Nott). Gradually, however, he began thinking of the Nein as his new family. His focus was frequently on allowing the others in the group to be with their own families as much as possible, and he took the time to understand each of their desires and memories. On Rumblecusp, he created a dome filled with memories for each party member, and when he built Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower, he provided individualized rooms for each party member based around their interests and their pasts.

Background
Born Bren Aldric Ermendrud, Caleb was from a small town named Blumenthal near Rexxentrum in the Zemni Fields. His father Leofric was a member of the Righteous Brand.

His mother and father were incredibly poor, to the point that he once said they hadn't made fifty gold in their entire lives, though this may have been an exaggeration.

Bren attended the Soltryce Academy at 15 (around 817 PD), and stated that for the first time he felt as though he belonged. He dreamed of becoming a teacher in the Academy. However, he came under the tutelage of the abusive Trent Ikithon a bit over a year later. Trent singled out three students from Bren's hometown (himself, Eadwulf Grieve, and Astrid Beck), and used them in human experimentation, embedding crystals into their skin in an attempt to increase their power. Caleb later learned that these crystals were refined residuum. All three of the students were also trained to interrogate and execute dissidents to the Empire as Volstrucker, or "Scourgers". In addition, at some point during this time, Bren fell in love with his fellow students, both Astrid and Eadwulf, and had a polyamourous relationship with them.

When Bren was around 17, as a test of his three students' loyalty, Trent modified their memories so they believed that their parents had betrayed the empire. The three killed their parents, but Bren "broke" when he heard his parents' screams from inside their burning house. Bren spent the next eleven years in the Vergesson Sanatorium until a woman whom he believed to be a fellow patient touched him, removing both his madness and his fake memories. After that, he killed one of the guards, took a necklace to hide from Ikithon, and escaped. He started going by multiple aliases and hid from Trent for the next five years. During this time, Caleb discovered that people did not pay attention to poor, dirty wanderers and maintained a disheveled appearance to escape notice. While he still has hopes not to let his parents down, Bren considers murdering them to be an unforgivable act on his part. Approximately five years after his escape from the asylum, Nott and Caleb met in a small jail (where he introduced himself to Nott as "Caleb Widogast"), which they escaped from together. Caleb came up with their escape plan, using Frumpkin to bring a piece of wire into their cell which Nott used to pick the lock. Caleb proceeded to set the jail on fire and scream for help. The guards promptly fled, and Caleb and Nott walked out of the jail together, staying together first out of convenience, but then for several months. They survived by petty theft, trickery, and con schemes, living from hand to mouth as wandering hobos.

Caleb stated that he does not currently have any children and that he did not have children in the past.

Pre-Stream
The day before they met the rest of the Mighty Nein, Nott and Caleb were attacked by a pack of gnolls hiding in grass, and Caleb was knocked unconscious. Nott fed him the health potion Caleb carried on his belt, saving his life. Nott blamed herself for their inability to stay in any place for long without getting into trouble. It was Caleb's idea to stay in Trostenwald to find new companions "to tag along with."

Early Adventures
 At breakfast. Caleb's general lack of hygiene attracted the attention of Jester. Caleb accidentally revealed Nott's goblin nature in a social misunderstanding. When it came out that Caleb was a wizard, Jester asked him if he was planning on attending the Soltryce Academy. Caleb avoided discussing his past, instead wishing Fjord luck on getting admitted to the Academy. Caleb and Nott eventually decided to spend the day with Jester, Beauregard, and Fjord before heading to the carnival that night.

 Unlike Jester's group and Molly, Caleb was not under house arrest for the duration of the investigation into the events of the carnival — thus, he was able to move freely around the town as himself. Caleb eventually discovered a story about Kylre's specific demonic powers in the book Fiends of Folklore. Armed with this knowledge, the group tracked Kylre to Crookedstone Island and killed him.

 In to protect the others, Caleb attempted to take sole responsibility for Kylre's death, but circumstances forced the truth to come out instead. He used Fiends of Folklore and Kylre's death to persuade Lawmaster Norda that the husk attacks were not the fault of his burgeoning group. She let them off without penalty.

Before leaving Trostenwald, Caleb went to a bathhouse with Nott, where he sadly contemplated a burnt spellbook he had purchased in town. On the way out of town, he and Fjord recognized a kindred adult nature that the other members of the group lacked.

 After finishing off the priest in the gnoll lair with a Fire Bolt, Caleb dissociated, dropping stunned to his knees in the first of his post-traumatic stress episodes to be witnessed by the rest of the party. After the fight, Mollymauk came over and slapped him to rouse him, kissed him on the forehead, and stated that there would be "time for that later."

Zadash
 The party expressed concern for Caleb's wellbeing, and after spending the evening drinking, Caleb summoned and cuddled with Frumpkin. The following morning, after a bit of workshopping, Caleb came up with the name "the Mighty Nein" for the party. When the party was attacked by bandits, Caleb was knocked unconscious, but not before incinerating the group's leader. Though Jester healed him, Caleb passed out from blood loss, shouting "take them out!" upon awakening.

At the Invulnerable Vagrant, Pumat Sol Prestidigitated the dirt off of Caleb. Caleb bought high quality paper and ink from the establishment.

 Caleb asked Nott to help him copy spells into his spellbook, and she agreed to help. Caleb let her copy the glyphs, only showing her where they went and guiding her hand on the tougher symbols.

When Jester attempted to get the Nein more public renown, Caleb disguised himself as- and did a poor impression of- Fjord to go collect her. Caleb thought gaining publicity should be discussed amongst the whole group, and he himself wanted to keep a low profile. Later, Beau showed Caleb to the Zadash Cobalt Soul Archive.

Jester and Caleb found the Tri-Spire and attempted to enter. The guards turned Caleb away after seeing the state of his clothes. He sent Frumpkin to follow after Jester, but the guard kicks the cat, killing him. When Jester returned, the two had an argument about whether 50 gold counted as a lot of money. Angrily, Caleb took some mud out of his pockets and slapped it on his face.

 While the Mighty Nein explored the sewers, Caleb repeatedly used Fire Bolt to clear spider webs blocking their path. Jester and Caleb reconciled after their fight the previous episode, and she apologized to him for her ignorance.

 Caleb, Beau, and Jester went to a bakery in the Tri-Spires and then stopped by Chastity's Nook, a shop specializing in smutty literature. Caleb asked the shop owner if she had any historical romances. She offered him a banned book, The Courting of the Crick, which Jester surreptitiously bought as a gift for him. When the gang picked up their baked goods, Caleb demonstrated a trick he learned while he was living on the streets: by ripping off the ends of the hot bread and sticking his hands inside, he could use the loaf as a muffler. Later that evening, Caleb attended a meeting of the Knights of Requital along with Beau and Fjord.

 Caleb, Fjord, Molly, and Nott attempted a heist at the Guided Hand Infirmary. They decided to disguise themselves as sick people to get in, create a distraction, find Ren Sutan's office and go through the papers there. For his part in the deception, Caleb disguised himself as a half-orc woman and carried Nott in like her baby. Molly and Fjord went in first, making a large ruckus, but Caleb and Nott were accosted by Ren. Frumpkin attacked Ren, clawing him, and Ren ran into his office. Mayhem ensued as the group tried to get out safely. Caleb and Nott were eventually thrown out, but they manage to escape getting captured by the Crownsguard.

Caleb participated in both the Sutan and Prucine heists that night. In Prucine's home, Caleb attempted to take a spell case, but Fjord saw him and held the falchion to his throat, threatening to kill both him and Nott, who had come to Caleb's defense. Caleb left the case, but Nott managed to steal it for him without Fjord noticing. When the party was discovered by the High Richter, Ulog entrusted the note his wife to Caleb before charging at Prucine with a magical bead and detonating a fireball that killed them both and knocked out Caleb. Fjord uses a potion to wake Caleb up, and the party quickly fled from the smoldering house. As the Mighty Nein made for the sewers, there was an implosion at the top of the Zauber Spire, distracting the Crownsguard. One of the mages who killed a Kryn infiltrator was Caleb's old teacher, Master Trent Ikithon.

Possibilities
 After the Mighty Nein's fight with Thuron in the sewers of Zadash, Caleb tried to Identify the dodecahedron-shaped object they recovered from him. However, he was unwilling to cross the ominous threshold of further understanding and did not fully identify it. After the group released Thuron, Caleb was instrumental in regaining possession of the beacon, using a disguise and Friends to take it from a guard. That night, as he slept in a cellar under the Leaky Tap and guarded the beacon, Caleb had a strange dream about possible future Calebs.

 Caleb avoided answering any questions when the group interrogated Molly about his amnesia under a Zone of Truth.

 Caleb used Maximilion's Earthen Grasp to immobilize the gelatinous cube. Later, Caleb discovered the partially-burnt journal of Siff Duthar.

 Beau discovered a half-burned spellbook in Siff Duthar's laboratory, which she gave to Caleb. Upon reuniting with the Gentleman, Caleb hid the spellbook from him. Whether the Gentleman saw this as a betrayal on Caleb's part is unclear.

When Caleb fully identified the beacon and embraced its power, he asked the Luxon if 'it'-meaning time travel- was achievable. He then said to his parents that he hoped he wouldn't let them down. When Jester addressed Nott as Caleb's mother shortly afterwards, this greatly confused Caleb.

 At the Harvest Close Festival, Caleb and Nott found an archery range, and posing as father and daughter, tried it out. Caleb failed embarrassingly, but Nott hit the bullseye on all three targets. Beau asked Caleb why he was interested in the Cobalt Soul. He told her he wanted entry to the library, and she showed him her Cobalt Soul belt, saying she could get him in.While competing in the Victory Pit, Caleb recognized Trent Ikithon in the audience. Caleb put his hood up, hoping to avoid being recognized.

Caleb's past
 Caleb asked Beau if she could get him into the Cobalt Soul library in Zadash, and she agreed under the condition he tell her why he is afraid of fire. Later that evening, he called Beau and Nott to his room and told them the story of how he murdered his mother and father. He was in the Soltryce Academy with Astrid and Eadwulf when they were selected by Trent Ikithon for special training to become Volstrucker. Immediately before graduation, they returned home to Blumenthal, where they each overheard their parents planning treason against the Dwendalian Empire. When they returned to school, they were told what was expected of them and returned to Blumenthal where Astrid and Eadwulf murdered their parents, but when Caleb set his parents' house on fire and heard their screams, he broke, and spent the next eleven years, mad, in the Vergesson Sanatorium. A fellow patient "laid hands" on him and took the clouds away, and he realized that the memories of his parents planning treason were false, implanted by Trent. He escaped and has spent the five years since on the run, protected from location by Empire authorities by his Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location.

Beau asked if he wanted to take down Trent, and Caleb said yes, among other things. He wanted to be able to bend reality to his will. Beau left, agreeing to take him to the library the next day but trying to convince him of the value of teamwork. Nott immediately hugged him, saying over and over that it wasn't his fault and that she would be at his side until he could forgive himself.

The next day, Caleb and Beau visited the library. Caleb was able to learn more about the furthest extent of transmutation, changing reality, and the manipulation of time. He also read up on the history and eight current members of the Cerberus Assembly.

 In the fight with the ogres and goblins, Caleb and Nott executed "Modern Literature." Nott fired a bolt at the book under Caleb's armpit and he played dead. Jester, not in on the loop, thought Nott really had killed Caleb and became very distressed. Later that night, Caleb told Nott that if she ever wanted to talk about her past, she could always come to him.

 Caleb recognized that Kiri was a kenku and gave her Frumpkin to comfort her. That evening, Caleb told Nott once again that she could talk to him, if she wanted. She replied that she just wanted him to be okay, and if that meant killing Trent Ikithon, she was fine taking care of that first. She felt he could get revenge, or even redemption, and do good to counteract the bad he'd done in his past.

 Caleb was alarmed when Nott introduced herself as "Bren" to Calianna, before realizing that the choice of pseudonym was pure coincidence.

Caleb and Beau disagreed about the best course of action when they found the bowl Calianna was searching for. Caleb thought they should interrogate Cali under some sort of guarantee that she would tell the truth, while Beau thought Caleb was being both rude and paranoid. Cali broke up the argument by positing that Caleb could simply use Suggestion to make her tell the truth. Caleb walked away, and Yasha destroyed the bowl with Magician's Judge.

 Caleb asked Yasha for advice on getting along with a group. She suggested good hygiene as a start. Caleb said he missed being clean-shaven. She offered to shave him with her greatsword, and he accepted. In the fight with the merrow the next day, Caleb was knocked unconscious by the shallow priest and failed a death save. Jester brought him back to consciousness.

Beau approached Caleb and apologized for the previous night. He awkwardly gave her a hug, saying, "I don't know what I'm doing. Just go with it." With coaching from Fjord, Beau hugged him back, equally awkwardly, and asked if they were friends. He agreed.  When Caleb killed the venom troll, he suffered a PTSD attack. Beau walked with him until it passed.

Back in Berleben, Caleb asked Nott and Kiri to help him find a good stone, hopefully one with a ring around it, and after about ten minutes they did. Nott gave Caleb a Scroll of Invisibility and shared a bit about her old life with him.

 Caleb was one of the Mighty Nein members to take part in the Hour of Honor drinking competition. Afterwards, Jester asked Caleb to waltz with her. After a few minutes of waltzing, Caleb drunkenly said to Jester, "You were always a better dancer than me, Astrid. You were always so good." He realized his mistake, apologized, and started to stumble away, but Jester reminded him that she promised to not let him sleep in the gutter. She then walked him upstairs and tucked him into bed.

The Iron Shepherds
 Caleb, Beau, Molly, and Nott woke up to find that Fjord, Jester, and Yasha had been kidnapped by the Iron Shepherds. Caleb changed Frumpkin into a hawk so that he could better search for signs of them but found nothing. Caleb took Jester's haversack while she was missing.

The second night on the road, Caleb took a watch alone with Frumpkin. He wondered out loud why he was still with the Mighty Nein. Caleb told himself it was time for him to go, but sat the rest of his watch, waited for everyone to wake up, and did not tell anyone what he had been thinking.

Caleb cast Suggestion on Keg to make her tell them the names of all the Iron Shepherds and admit she used to work with them. The group decided to set up an ambush for them the next day. In the middle of the ambush, Mollymauk was killed by Lorenzo.

 The remaining party members decided it was best to bury Molly. Caleb dug a grave with his cat's paw, removed Molly's coat, and wrapped him in his tapestry. He wrote a note and placed it in the folds of Molly's clothes, then hammered a branch into the ground above the grave like a post, and hung Molly's coat from it. As part of the group's eulogy to Molly, Caleb said, "shine bright, circus man."

 For the heist of the Sour Nest, Caleb sent Frumpkin in owl form to scout the exterior. He then changed Frumpkin into a spider to explore the inside.

 Caleb read from the Scroll of Invisibility and led the way through the Sour Nest. After a long, hard battle against the Iron Shepherds, Caleb got the How do you want to do this? on Lorenzo with a Fire Bolt to the head and succeeded on the resulting wisdom save. The party then rescued Jester, Fjord, and Yasha.

 Caleb cast Leomund's Tiny Hut for the first time. Caleb told the party that they could sleep safely inside the bubble and no one would be kidnapped again. On the way out of Shadycreek, Beau confided in Caleb about her rocky past with the Cobalt Soul.

Journeying South
 While in Zadash, Caleb bought three spell scrolls (Feather Fall, Expeditious Retreat, and Catapult) from the Invulnerable Vagrant and transcribed them into his spellbook. He also empowered his lucky rock as a Transmuter's Stone.

The next day, Caleb and Beau visited the Cobalt Soul archive, where he did research on mages in history that had been able to bend time and reality. He found that newer arcane experiments regarding time and reality were being fielded within the Soltryce Academy in Rexxentrum into a newer magical energy that could seemingly adjust such properties with ease. It was being referred to as "Dunamis."

 Caleb killed an ettin with Fireball, triggering a PTSD episode, and Beau carried him back to the cart so he could recover.

 Caleb got to experience the ocean for the first time, saying that it reminded him of his personal experiences with the beacon.

 Caleb assisted in intimidating Algar into leaving Nicodranas. Later that night, the Mighty Nein went to the Restless Wharf, in hopes of spying on and perhaps interrogating Marius LePual. They instead commandeered a ship, kidnapped Marius, and killed most of the crew. During their escape, Caleb set the ship and part of the dock on fire.

Adventure on the High Seas
 Caleb suggested renaming their stolen ship the "Shit" or the "Shittake," as mist in Zemnian is a word for "shit." He told Beau he did not feel guilty for the theft or killing the previous crew because the Mighty Nein did not attack first. However, he told Nott in private that he did not feel good about what just happened and was unsure about the direction the group was going. He suggested that they take it upon themselves to cheer the party up. In an attempt to raise group morale, Caleb faked a heart attack, and when he 'recovered', Nott loudly proclaimed that he had been saved by the power of friendship.

Caleb cast Find Familiar to change Frumpkin into a tiny owl and loaned him to Beau for a week as thanks for not telling anyone about his past. When the Mistake began sinking due to a puncture in the hull, Caleb cast Leomund's Tiny Hut to seal the breach.

 Caleb gave the name "Phillip" as his pirate alias to Captain Avantika. While Fjord and Avantika talked privately in her quarters, Caleb spied on their conversation through Frumpkin the tiny owl. He was suspicious of Fjord's brief lapse into a British accent.

 Avantika, Jamedi Cosko and the Mighty Nein went into the jungle on the island of Urukayxl. While he thought Avantika was sleeping, Caleb sent Frumpkin to sit on her dagger and tried to cast Identify on it through Frumpkin. Avantika stabbed Frumpkin with the dagger, destroying him. While finishing his watch, Caleb resummoned Frumpkin.

 While exploring the temple interior, the party discovered inscriptions on the walls that couldn't be deciphered, even with Comprehend Languages. In order to read the inscriptions, Caleb ate a psychedelic fruit. In the battle with the hydra, Caleb successfully Slowed it, limiting the creature to one head attack per round, rather than multiple.

 Caleb, attempting to warn Fjord about unknown abjuration magic in the chamber, delayed him in his race against Avantika. When the temple flooded, Caleb and Nott saved the party from falling after being shot out the top of the temple by a geyser by both casting Feather Fall. While being chased by yuan-ti, Caleb and Nott slowed them down by executing a combo moved called "Fluffernutter". Nott threw a keg of black powder then Caleb caused an explosion by casting Scorching Ray on it.

Back on the Squall-Eater, Caleb questioned Fjord about his intentions. Fjord agreed with the rest of the party that they should try to get away from Avantika as soon as possible, but Caleb doubted she would let them leave easily because she needed Fjord and his orb. He went further, saying that if Fjord became interested in releasing Uk'otoa, Caleb would not support him. Fjord insisted again that he did not want to free the leviathan.

Second Seal
 When the Mighty Nein joined the crew of the Squall-Eater, Caleb took on the role of apprentice navigator. During their journey to Darktow, Caleb gave Caduceus the Periapt of Wound Closure that had formerly belonged to Mollymauk Tealeaf, stating that it would do Caduceus much more good than it would himself. Caduceus asked Caleb if he believed in fate, saying that he believed Caleb was being shaped by the world into "something important," and that he wants to ensure that he helped Caleb get to that point.

Fjord asked Caleb to have a private conversation, over the course of which Caleb remarked that he learned a lot from his father about courage, that traveling with the group had emboldened him, and that he was enjoying the group's company and their adventures. Fjord asked Caleb to keep an eye on Avantika, and Caleb warned Fjord that he believed Avantika would try to kill him. Upon arriving at Darktow Isle, Caleb (along with the other members of the Mighty Nein) was automatically initiated into the ranks of the Revelry.

 In conversation at the Bloated Cup, Caleb and Jester agreed they were uncomfortable being at sea and sailing with Avantika. The two discussed Jester's feelings for Fjord, and Jester asked Caleb if he has ever liked someone who turned out to be a different person than he thought they were. She reminded Caleb he accidentally called her "Astrid" while drunk, and Caleb confirmed Astrid had been his girlfriend but did not tell Jester anything else about her. When Jester made a comment about how the Nein were basically murders, Caleb responded that he didn't think they were all murderers, implying that he considered himself one.Caleb assisted in the party's breaking and entering of Avantika's quarters by acting as part of a Message relay. Caleb decided to forego sleep to create a cypher for reading Avantika's journal. When Vera discovered that the journal was in the party's possession, Caleb initiated combat by casting Wall of Fire.

 During the fight with Avantika, Caleb attempted to flee but was knocked unconscious. After being revived by Fjord, Caleb turned and cast Fireball on the Squall-Eater, cremating most of the crew. Along with the rest of the Mighty Nein, Caleb was expelled from the Revelry after Avantika's execution.

 While exploring underwater, Caleb had Frumpkin in octopus form wrap around his head and saw through his familiar's vision. During the battle with Dashilla, Caleb was immediately knocked unconscious by her Death Glare. After defeating the sea fury, Fjord became curious about a magical pedestal in her lair. Caleb seemed hesitant and suspicious of Fjord's intentions. Caleb asked for an unspecified favor in return if he helps figure out this pedestal. Fjord agreed. Caleb and Fjord dropped large amounts of their blood onto the pedestal. Fjord realized it would take more blood than they were able to give and decided they should leave.

 Caleb was initially suspicious of Twiggy. He cast Suggestion on her, compelling her to show him all her magic items. The spell was successful, but he felt guilty afterward. Caleb let Twiggy play with Frumpkin (again in cat form) and told her she could be an honorary member of the Mighty Nein.

Caleb figured out to how open the Happy Fun Ball of Tricks and accidentally transported the party into Halas's manor. When Fjord got pulled into the stained glass window in the library, Caleb searched for a way to help him rather than explore or take books. Nott, however, began unlocking several books which she took, and Caleb stayed with her while urging that they needed to join the others who had already passed through the window to join Fjord.

 Through Frumpkin, Caleb witnessed Fjord speaking in his true accent before unlocking the second seal of Uk'otoa in the underwater temple beneath Gravid Archipelago.

Chapter 13
 While purchasing paper and ink in Nicodranas, Caleb was goaded into performing an impromptu verse of slam poetry by Jester and Nott.

When the party arrived in Felderwin, Nott's former home, Caleb was terrified to see Vess DeRogna and Ludinus Da'leth there and hid in the bottom of the party's cart to avoid being seen.

When the party reached the burned ruins of the Brenatto Apothecary and found the partially burned notes referencing dunamancy and the experiments of the Cerberus Assembly to begin to harness it, Nott realized that if it was not the Kryn Dynasty that might have her husband, it might be "[Caleb's] people," and became angry when he tried to keep her quiet about it because only Nott and Beau, at that point, knew his history. Seeing his oldest friend turn on him, and the potential crumbling of the wall of secrecy he had maintained, Caleb vomited in the middle of the floor. Recognizing Caleb's distress, Caduceus calmed and reassured him.

Caleb was stunned when Nott found Luc at Old Edith's and referred to him as her son.

 After Nott shared her history of being transformed into a goblin and hiding from her family, she asked Caleb to share his own story, saying that they might need his knowledge to help find her missing husband. In obvious terror, Caleb told everyone a partial version. He admitted for the first time that his real name was Bren Aldric Ermendrud. He shared that he had been trained by the Cerberus Assembly, that he went "a little crazy", and that he ran away, but did not mention that he had been maneuvered into killing his parents. His greatest concern was that if the party were to be seen with him, Trent Ikithon could use them to reach Caleb. He also revealed for the first time that he had been experimented on by having crystals placed into his arms, leaving the scars which he had kept hidden with bandages since the party met him. He seemed surprised that the party still saw him as their friend, and admitted that he liked them, too.

 While traversing the worm-tunnel beneath the Ashkeeper Peaks, Caleb began announcing the time every hour, to Nott's annoyance. When the party was surrounded by a group of Kobolds, Caleb tried to explain the situation. The apparent leader invited him to step forward, but when Caleb did so, a rope wrapped his ankles and hoisted him dangling upside-down three or four feet off the ground. Caleb summoned Frumpkin, with four globules of light floating around him, saying he was the "Fey King" who would curse them for decades. After further negotiation, Caleb was released.

 Caleb removed and put away the bandages on his arms, saying that there was no longer anything to hide. Jester and Caleb took a watch together and Jester told Caleb that she didn't really think he smelled bad anymore. Caleb told Jester it was okay if she wanted to keep the running joke going.

The following day, the Nein met a party of Dwendalian scouts, who were immediately ambushed by Kryn warriors. One member of the Kryn party was a mage with the ability to cast various gravitational spells. The Nein joined the fray; Caleb cast Wall of Fire, and the mage attempted to Counterspell, but Caleb successfully counter-counterspelled.

 Caleb bonded with his moorbounder, Jannik. Caleb went with Beau and Jester to meet with a disguised Dairon.

 While investigating the cavern beneath the well in Asarius, Caleb was charmed by the succubus. Apparently alone, Nott told Caleb that she had a confession: a while back, she wrote a letter to Astrid. Caleb seemed taken aback, but told her they would discuss it later, and called to the others to join them. As the party entered, Caleb heard the voice of the succubus in the back of his head say, "Light them up, pretty." He immediately cast a Fireball on the entranceway where the party was standing, seriously wounding them. The party reluctantly attacked Caleb, realizing he'd been charmed, and he casts a Wall of Fire to defend himself. Yasha was eventually able to break the charm by wounding Caleb.

Over the course of the fight, The minotaur-armanite knock Caleb unconscious, but Caduceus brought him back with Healing Word. A charmed Yasha hit him again, knocking him unconscious and with a second strike, at two failed death saving throws. Nott fed him a healing potion, bringing him back. The minotaur immediately lightning attacked him, knocking him out a third time. Jester cast Cure Wounds on Caleb, bringing him back up, but the minotaur's lightning lance put him out for the fourth time in the encounter.  Caleb was uncomfortable with the prospect of seeing Empress Kryn. When the group was outed as having attacked Kryn skirmishers, Caleb convinced the guards to allow him access to the Haversack. He explained who he was as from the empire but no friend of the empire and he gave the beacon to Leylas Kryn, who began crying and said that he and the Nein had brought her dynasty hope.

 Caleb asked the Bright Queen what it would take to end the war, and she answered that she wanted retribution. Caleb, Beau, and Caduceus all urged her to consider acting only against those responsible for actions taken against the Dynasty, and not the common people of the Empire.

The Mighty Nein met Shadowhand Essek Thelyss for the first time, who led them to the prison where Yeza was being held. The rest of the party looked meaningfully at Caleb when Essek mentioned that time was one of his specialties.

Caleb proposeed to the group that they try to stop the war by "cutting the cancer" out of his homeland. Caleb asked Beau to trust him, saying that his desire to kill Trent Ikithon was in line with the things that Beau and Dairon want. She asked him to start trusting himself. They shared an awkward hug.

Chapter 14
 Caleb and Beau met with Professor Tuss Waccoh in the Marble Tomes Conservatory. She questioned them about their motives, as Empire kids, for being in the Kryn Dynasty, but nevertheless gave the Mighty Nein a job clearing an infestation of giants from Deepriver Mine. Back at the Dim's Inn, Caleb once again asked Yasha to shave his beard for him.

 Nott talked to Caleb about her insecurities about her reunion with Yeza, asking if she's a bad person for continuing adventuring and doubting if she wants to go back to being a housewife. Caleb reassured her that she was working toward something good by helping to make the Empire safe again for her family; he didn't judge her, but she was the one who had to find the answers to her questions herself.

 Caleb accidentally killed an NPC goblin that was hiding within the Braan. Later, Caleb polymorphed an undead giant into a giant snapping turtle, which promptly attacked Fjord.  Caleb assisted in the humiliation of Foreman Bodo by casting Seeming on the party, turning them all into Bodo or his mistress. Back in Rosohna, Caleb asked Yasha to order him a set of Kryn-style clothing, including a purple coat.

 While claiming rooms in the Xhorhaus, Caleb chose the only bedroom on the ground floor of the home. His room was adjacent to a study, to which he added an alchemical lab for the Brenattos. During his downtime, he copied the spell Teleportation Circle into his spellboook.

Caleb asked Nott and Jester about the letter they sent to Astrid. Since they used the name "Lavorre", Caleb is worried for Jester's mother. Caleb also talked to Beau, and urged her to let Dairon know what was going on.

Later in the week, Essek visited the Xhorhaus. After some polite conversation, Caleb asked after ways to learn dunamancy. Essek asked him to demonstrate his magical prowess, and Caleb cast Cat's Ire. Despite a low persuasion roll, Essek then decided to begin teaching him the basics of dunamancy, offering to let him transcribe two spells from his spellbook, Gift of Alacrity and Fortune's Favor.

Caleb cornered Fjord in his room, telling him that he knew Fjord had been using a fake accent. Fjord asked Caleb to give him time to tell him about his past, and Caleb agreed.

Chapter 15


After the trip to Uthodurn to reforge Dwueth'var, Caleb suggested returning to Rosohna so that he could interrogate the Scourger held in the Dungeon of Penance. Essek Thelyss escorted them there, and Caleb, Jester, and Caduceus entered the heavily guarded cell where the Scourger was chained. Caleb told her he was indeed Bren Aldric Ermendrud. She was still defiant, and when he asked her if it would make a difference to learn that some of her victims were blameless, responded that there are things bigger than innocence. She was sure Trent Ikithon would find Caleb, and confirmed Astrid and Eadwulf were still alive. Suddenly, she broke one of her chains and stabbed Caleb deeply with a pointed piece of metal before being overpowered by the guards, and Essek magically killed her at Caleb's nod. That afternoon, Essek taught Caleb the dunamancy spells Immovable Object and Resonant Echo. Jester told Caleb she knew that what he went through in the cell earlier was very hard and she was here for him if he wanted to talk. They went shopping for paper, ink, and spell components, with Jester paying the 300 gp for paper to transcribe the two new spells, since Caleb did not have enough money at the time. In the evening, in order to provide Jester information for potential Scrys, Caleb used Seeming to make himself look like Trent Ikithon, Beau look like Astrid, Fjord like Eadwulf, Nott like Vess DeRogna, and Caduceus like Jenna Iresor (another Assembly member). 

In the fight with the froghemoth, Caleb debuted a spell of his own creation: Widogast's Web of Fire.



While in the Happy Fun Ball searching for Yussa, Caleb and the rest of the Nein found blueprints in the Golem Workshop for making a golem servant. The party created it using materials found in the workshop, and Caleb bonded to it to become its master. He dubbed it William or Little Willi for short.



Caleb investigated Halas's laboratory for any magical items that could help them escape. While searching, he discovered some incomplete equations for a permanent transformation spell and Halas's old spellbook.

Chapter 16


After the Mighty Nein finished their meeting with King Dwendal, Trent Ikithon (who had not yet acknowledged that he recognized Caleb), walked past and said, "It's good to see you again, Bren." The party then retired to the Camarouth Cottage and discussed what had just transpired and their plans in regards to the peace talks. After they were finished, Fjord said to him, "If you want to finish this on a personal level, let me know."



Using the address given by the letter received by Nott and Jester in response to their letter seeking information about Astrid, Caleb was able to find her home. He asked her what had happened after he broke, since he has no memories after his home burned. She explained that he started lashing out violently at her and others as well, showing him the burn scars on her neck. He was taken to the Vergesson Sanatorium in hopes that he would get better, as he apparently now had. Astrid stated that she was impressed and proud of his recent activities. She was genuinely mournful for his pain, but with an underlying hardness. She touched Caleb several times during their conversation and told him she would like to see more of him. At the end of their conversation, Caleb thought about staying, but left to return to the party.



Using help from Essek and Nott, Caleb was able to complete the Transmogrification spell found in Halas's laboratory. In the middle of casting it, however, Nott and Caleb heard a loud cackling and realized that the curse placed on Nott prevented her from being turned back into a halfling.



The Mighty Nein traveled to Kamordah in order to find Isharnai and break the curse.



Frumpkin in the form of a monkey snuck onto the Wind of Aeons in order to hear the conversation between Lord Thain and Ludinus Da'leth going on below decks. After the Martinet cast a form of Dispel Magic, the illusory form of Lord Thain faded revealing a panicked-looking Essek. That afternoon, Caleb performed the Transmogrification ritual on Nott. As she said farewell and individually thanked each of the Nein, she told Caleb again that she loved him, and he replied, "I... love you too, Veth the Brave." In the evening, the party forced Essek to come with them to the Ball-Eater, and he admitted he was the traitor who had given the Luxon beacon to the Empire. Caleb saw the close parallels between his own situation and Essek's, and urged him to seize this one opportunity to change and save himself. Kissing him on the forehead, he told him that although they may both be damned, they "can choose to do something and leave it better than it was before."

 After Essek left, the party discussed what to do about him. Caleb suggested continuing to facilitate the peace negotiations and then afterwards, surgically removing the problem after the fact, saying he wanted the murderers removed from power in his country because he was tired of children being thrown on the pyre. Caduceus suggested that Caleb did not want to punish the people who made him, he wanted to make sure that no one else suffered similarly, but Caleb responded, "I don't know, Caduceus." Later, Caleb tinkered with the magic-silencing collar from the Happy Fun Ball and learned that the power source it required could likely only be acquired from the ruins of the Age of Arcanum city of Aeor in Eiselcross. While sailing to the peace negotiations, Caleb revealed to Fjord that he valued his new-found family with the Mighty Nein because he had killed his own for those in power in the Empire. Fjord told him he was a good friend, and although he had done terrible things, he still saw a good man.

Chapter 17


Caleb used Programmed Illusion to create a slideshow of all the adventures the Mighty Nein had had together in an attempt to prevent Vokodo's mind altering powers from affecting them. Caleb also told Veth how impressed he was at her creating a brand new spell.



In the morning of the fight against Vokodo, Caleb woke up forgetting why they were on the island. He stood taller and seemed in a good mood, which alerted the group to what had happened. Jester immediately cast Greater Restoration on him, restoring his memories, and brought back his slump and usual demeanor. He commented afterwards, in a voice suggesting he was not sure about it, that it was "better this way."



Before TravelerCon, Caleb had a conversation with Veth, Yasha, and Beauregard about what their next move was. Caleb mentioned that he wanted to go back to the Empire since he was convinced that the peace negotiations did not end the problems within their homeland, although he was not sure exactly how to proceed to root them out. He proposed taking Vess DeRogna's job offer to explore Eiselcross.

Chapter 18


After the party's meeting with Vess DeRogna, Caleb received a letter from Trent Ikithon asking for him and the rest of the Mighty Nein to join him, Astrid, and Eadwulf for dinner at Trent's estate.



After reading the letter outside of Vess DeRogna's house, Caleb escorted the party to an inn to discuss his past relationship with Trent Ikithon and what had happened to his parents. Jester and Caduceus sugessted bringing his parents back from the dead, but Caleb was unsure of whether their remains were still in the ground or taken away by the Scourgers. Caleb decided to accept Ikithon's inivitation to dinner in order to see if Astrid and Eadwulf were redeemable people and what Ikithon's intentions were for inviting them.

While at dinner, Ikithon revealed that he wanted Caleb to eventually take his place as an Assembly member. He also revealed that he mentally broke Caleb because he thought it would help him grow into a powerful wizard. Ikithon presented to Caleb the crest of the Archeart, the same crest worn by the woman who restored his memories before he left the Vergesson Sanatorium, which Caleb took as meaning that Ikithon had orchestrated this from the very start.

Chapter 19


Caleb and the party met Astrid at the beer hall. She quietly told Caleb that Ludinus Da'leth had asked that they be tracked by the Volstrucker while in Eiselcross and that he knew the Nein were in town and that Vess DeRogna was dead. Caleb asked her for more Amulets of Proof against Detection and Location to fight the dangerous thing arising in the north. Later, Jester asked Caleb if he loved Astrid. He replied that he cared for her, but it had been a very long time. Veth urged Caleb to kill Trent Ikithon, but Caleb answered that there were things much bigger than Trent right now and they needed to take care of them first. He then cast Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower for Beau and Yasha's date.



Caleb met Astrid, who told him she had discovered that the bulk of the Volstrucker Amulets were kept in a small vault on the grounds of the Vergesson Sanatorium. She warned that Trent Ikithon was more likely to be there at night, and that it would be best to get in and out quickly and quietly. She provided several floor plan drawings showing wards and traps near the vault.

After Teleporting to the Sanitorium, Caleb, Veth, and Jester as "Team Firestorm" entered, killing the guards and finding the Amulets and some residuum shards in a vault beyond a torture chamber. Jester cast Word of Recall to make their escape, but it failed. They saw Trent Ikithon looking down at them from the top of the stairs.



After Caleb Counterspelled Trent's attempted Counterspell of Jester's second Word of Recall, Team Firestorm escaped to Nicodranas. Trent continued to contact Caleb telepathically, telling him he wanted only to talk to him, which Caleb rejected. Astrid and Eadwulf came to the Lavish Chateau in disguise to warn the party that the Mighty Nein and their families were being pursued by Trent. They escaped to Tidepeak Tower only to learn Yussa was in an unwakeable trance. As the pursuing Volstrucker and Trent broke in below, Caleb cast Plane Shift which Astrid chose not to Counterspell.



With Jester's help, Caleb was able to make the Collar of Silence functional. 

Trent Ikithon continued to contact Caleb telepathically. While in the Blooming Grove, Caleb told Frumpkin he planned to free him if they survived the coming battle, and changed him into a white cat.



The party Teleported back to Eiselcross where they reunited with Essek Thelyss, and suggested to Caleb that they ally with Trent Ikithon for the coming battle against Lucien. Essek refused, saying that he could not join them if Trent did, and the party decided to ally with him rather than Trent.



After descending into the ruins of Aeor in pursuit of Lucien and the Tombtakers, Caleb and Beau both received additional red eyes on their bodies. Caleb was enraptured by an Aeorian records room, filled with notes and blank paper, and decided to spend ten minutes casting his Vault of Amber. Yasha and Essek stayed behind with him while the rest of the party descended, and Essek told Caleb that he was concerned about the increasing eye markings on him and Beau. Essek was also worried that Caleb is being distracted by what's around him, and asked which was more important, Trent Ikithon's pursuit of Caleb or the party's pursuit of the Tombtakers. Caleb answered that if they don't stop the Somnovem they can't take care of the problems in the Dwendalian Empire.

Later on, the Mighty Nein came across the Rejuvenation Chamber, within which Essek and Caleb sensed dunamis energy. Essek inspected the purple gem on the cylinder marked "Terminal RE 02" and called Caleb over, pointing out that within it appeared elements of space and drifting possibilities, like a smaller, weaker Luxon beacon. Essek then used magic to destroy the damaged cylinder, releasing the diamond-shaped dark purple gem, which he gave to Caleb.

After encountering a canoloth and an Aeorian nullifier, the party fled downward through the crater, Fjord and Caleb casting Fly on themselves and shepherding the rest of the Nein, who are under the effect of Veth's Feather Fall. Caleb "showboated" as he Flew past Essek, prompting the latter to also cast Fly and showboat along with him.



Caleb and Beau discovered the eyes were giving them additional abilities, including darkvision and mild telepathy. The party found the "Temporal Dock Project" in the Genesis Ward, learning that the Aeorians were learning to travel backwards within their own timelines. Jester sharply asked Essek and Caleb whether they intended to use the T-Dock to travel back in time and change the past, and Essek responded that he would like to return to the chamber with Caleb and "exchange theories". Jester asked Caleb if that meant that Essek was "coming onto" him, to which Caleb telepathically replied, "It's complicated."



The party pursued Lucien and Cree to Cognouza. Caleb met and talked with Timorei and Ira, two of the Somnovem.



Caleb and Jester removed the Threshold crest that Cree had placed within Cognouza, and Caduceus sent it into the Elemental Plane of Fire. Caleb acquired a fourth red eye while connecting with the hive mind of the Somnovem. When Essek successfully attempted to utilize the crystal from the Rejuvenation Chamber to get a long rest for the party, Caleb assisted him. 

During the battle with Lucien in the Aether Crux, Caleb primarily used attacks manifested from his imagination, and attempted several times to reach out to Mollymauk. After Essek freed Caleb from the tower collapsed on top of him, Caleb took a moment to press their foreheads together. Caleb was killed by Lucien during the party's battle against him as the transformed composite of the Somnovem, but Jester was able to Revivify him. Caleb then sacrificed his Transmuter's Stone to cast Raise Dead on Lucien, and when it failed, Caduceus's Divine Intervention allowed it a second chance which succeeded, restoring Lucien's body to life. Before the party Plane Shifted back to the Blooming Grove, Caleb gave Veth and Essek a hug. 

Back at the Blooming Grove, Caleb freed Frumpkin, who wandered away. Trent Ikithon appeared with Astrid and Eadwulf, and after a battle during which Astrid joined the party in fighting Trent, he was defeated when Beau placed the Collar of Silence around his neck and Astrid activated it. They took him to Rexxentrum in shackles and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Martinet Da'leth offered Caleb the ensuing vacancy on the Cerberus Assembly, but Caleb declined and later learned Astrid had accepted it.

Caleb continued to work with the Cobalt Soul to deal with the Cerberus Assembly. He stayed in touch with Essek and eventually returned with him to the Temporal Dock chamber in the Genesis Ward, where he mentally reviewed the plan he had had to go into the past, disguised as his younger self, and convince his parents to leave with him for Tal'Dorei, leaving two bodies from his Vault of Amber behind. He planned to create a Programmed Illusion of his parents screaming, and watch invisibly as his younger self set the house on fire. He would then escort his parents to Tal'Dorei with enough gems to start a life there, and in about twenty years he would join them. Essek offered to help him do it, but Caleb Disintegrated everything in the room.

Caleb and Essek were together romantically "for a while" and remained lifelong friends. Shortly after returning from Eiselcross, Caleb visited his parents Una and Leofric's grave in Blumenthal for the first time. He revealed that his second holstered book was a series of letters written to them, and Teleported it into the earth between them. For the rest of his life, he taught, not only Luc Brenatto, but also at Veth's summer camp for young adventurers, and at the Soltryce Academy.

Una and Leofric Ermendrud
Una and Leofric were Caleb's parents. Leofric was a soldier in the Empire forces, and both Una and Leofric believed strongly in the Empire.

Caleb had a happy childhood in the farming community of Blumenthal, and was selected to attend the Soltryce Academy. When Trent Ikithon gave his students the final task of killing their parents who were supposedly traitors to the Dwendalian Empire, Caleb "broke" when he heard his parents screaming inside their flaming house.

Caleb believes that killing his parents was an irredeemably evil act, and his goal when he met the Mighty Nein was to change time to erase the event. He has since realized that the more patriotic thing to do, and a better way to honor his parents, would be to make sure that the corruption of children by the Empire is stopped.

After helping Beauregard expose the corruption of the Cerberus Assembly, Caleb visited his parent's gravesite and took out the second book from his coat. This book contained letters that he had written to them while traveling with the Mighty Nein. Caleb then cast Teleport to move the book between his parent's bodies.

Frumpkin
Caleb is fond of Frumpkin. Outside of times when he uses Frumpkin to advance his goals, Caleb treats Frumpkin like a domestic cat, frequently showing him physical affection and getting emotional support from him in stressful or sad moments. Caleb seems to know that Frumpkin prefers to be in cat form, but is willing to change him to other forms when necessary. Frumpkin is named after Liam’s childhood cat of the same name.

Though Frumpkin has died on multiple occasions, this does not seem to bother Caleb or Frumpkin. Caleb has stated that Frumpkin has a good sense of humor about it. He has let Nott eat Frumpkin twice. Even though Frumpkin's deaths are temporary, Caleb takes it personally when someone other than Nott kills him.

Caleb decided to release Frumpkin after coming to terms with his past and his possible chance of death at the hands of Lucien.

Veth Brenatto

 * &rarr; Main article: Relationship between Caleb and Veth.

Caleb and Veth are best friends and love each other unconditionally, often referring to themselves as part of a family. They met when they were both going through very difficult times, and have supported each other throughout their journeys, helping each other overcome many obstacles. The two have been overly protective of each other since before they met the Mighty Nein.

Caleb cares a lot about Veth. He has taught her many magic tricks, and when she started creating her own spells, he was very impressed and proud of her. He tirelessly helped Veth find a way to be a halfling again, and was the one who finally transformed her back into her true self. He has also supported her and helped come up with solutions when Veth shared her doubts about staying with the Mighty Nein versus living with her husband and son. Veth has a lot of love for Caleb, often checking up on him and looking for ways to make him happy. Veth once described Caleb as being like a son to her. Later, she said she had been attracted to him when they first met, but no longer feels that way about him. Veth has told Caleb that he was the "second love of her life", to which Caleb responded, "I love you too, Veth the Brave."

Beauregard Lionett

 * &rarr; Main article: Relationship between Caleb and Beauregard.

Caleb and Beauregard are very good friends. Although their relationship had a rocky start, they quickly came to rely on each other and eventually grew very close. The two are also the dedicated researchers of the group and will team up when trying to solve a problem.

Being the only two Empire-born human citizens in the Mighty Nein, Caleb and Beau have a rather unique friendship among the group, and have a lot in common. Although Beau is much more expressive and confrontational, they share a similar awkwardness in social situations. They were both raised in the Dwendalian Empire, but think it is a flawed nation and want to actively make things better for the people of the Empire, especially if it means dismanteling the current power structure. They also share a sharp analytical mind and vast general knowledge, especially when it comes to history.

Beau was one of the first people to hear about Caleb's past, and never shared his secret until he was ready to do so himself. Caleb has shown trust in Beauregard numerous times by chosing to hang onto her shoulder while his senses were transfered into his companion, Frumpkin. Beauregard has called Caleb her best friend, and Beauregard is probably the person Caleb trusts most after Veth.

Jester Lavorre

 * &rarr; Main article: Relationship between Jester and Caleb.

Jester and Caleb are very close friends. Their relationship has evolved significantly since the beginning of the campaign. It had a rocky start, as Jester came from a sheltered, lavish upbringing and Caleb has a very troubled past and came from a poor household, which means their world views are very different. Initially, their interactions mostly involved teasing from Jester. However, it has since evolved. Caleb fell in love with Jester, which has heavily influenced his goals and view of the world, and Jester has in turn come to rely on him as the person in the group who perhaps best understands and supports her.

Caleb has been "a little in love" with Jester since their waltz in, although he regards his feelings as "useless" and "a problem" and feels that either Beau or Fjord would be better for her.. Caleb appreciates Jester's positive attitude and playfulness that remind him of the life he could have had, if things had gone differently for him, and during the time before he revealed his past to her enjoyed the fact that she saw him as he could or should have been. Although he hides his feelings, Caleb often goes out of his ways with gestures to please or help Jester, and she always thanks him sweetly. Jester, on her side, has never brought up romantic feelings towards Caleb, but cares a lot about him. She often asks him questions, teases him, and tries to cheer him up. She has several times admitted to him her doubts and fears that she hides from the rest of the party.

Fjord

 * &rarr; Main article: Relationship between Caleb and Fjord.

Upon joining forces, Fjord and Caleb quickly developed a collaborative working relationship. They both could magically change their appearance. As an aspiring magic-user himself, Fjord complimented Caleb on his spells and sought his advice on arcane matters. Caleb admired Fjord's mind and his ability to get things done.

Their relationship became more strained when the Mighty Nein infiltrated the High Richter's house in Zadash. Caleb tried to take a scroll case from the house, which Fjord believed would put the party at risk, and he held his falchion to Caleb's throat to try to force him to put it back. Their argument was interrupted by the High Richter's return and the subsequent destruction of the house by Ulog's Fireball.

During the Mighty Nein's time at sea, Caleb grew more suspicious of Fjord and his motives. Caleb also noticed that Fjord's accent sometimes changed. He questioned what they were doing at sea and what Fjord hoped to get out of working with Avantika. He told Fjord he would not help release Uk'otoa if that was the goal.

Caleb seemed to sympathize with Fjord's conflicted feelings finding out that his mentor Vandran turned out to be a different man than Fjord thought he was. He was very careful in his phrasing when reading about Vandran in Avantika's journal, aware that it was a topic Fjord would be sensitive about. Fjord was unaware they had this in common since Caleb had not shared the fact that he had killed his parents with Fjord.

At the Diver's Grave, Fjord was curious about the purpose and power of Dashilla's altar, and urged Caleb to explore it. Caleb offered to do so in return for unspecified favor at some point in the future, and they both cut themselves and used their blood to activate the altar, stopping just before completing the ritual. They later realized that if the ritual had been completed, it would have summoned a storm that could have destroyed their ship. Liam O'Brien later confirmed on Talks Machina that in going along with Fjord's desire to test the altar, Caleb was manipulating him the same way he had been manipulated by Trent Ikithon when he was younger, and that he hated himself for doing so..

Caleb showed concern and distrust over Fjord's accent. He commented on it to Beauregard — who told him she was not interested in prying — after hearing Fjord's accent slip when waking from a dream and also heard him use his other accent in the second temple to Uk'otoa while watching him through Frumpkin. After they were given the house in Xhorhas, Caleb waited in Fjord's room while he was out to confront him about it. Fjord was reluctant to discuss his past, saying he liked this version of himself and not who he had been. He assured Caleb there was nothing in his past that was a danger to the Mighty Nein, which was Caleb's chief concern. Fjord did not want to say anymore, and asked Caleb for time to find a way to talk about it on his terms so he did not feel like Caleb had taken something from him.

After Fjord lost his powers by throwing the falchion into the lava of Kravaraad, it was Caleb who stepped forward, gave him his Glove of Blasting, and asked the group for other magic items to help him out. He also mentioned to Fjord that his sense of diplomacy had nothing to do with any magical gifts, but rather his persuasive nature. After being gifted Melora's boon, Fjord asked Caleb if he wanted the Glove of Blasting back. Caleb told Fjord that he could keep it.

On the ship sailing to the peace negotiations, Fjord apologized to Caleb for holding the sword to his throat during the heist in the High-Richter's home in Zadash, admitting that it came out of his desire to control the situation. Caleb told him that Fjord had been justified in his actions, revealing that he had killed his parents for the Cerberus Assembly. Although he believed he himself was ruined, he wanted to do something to make up for it. Fjord said he knew that Caleb had done terrible things, but he saw a good man and a good friend, and that the party would look to Caleb for cues on how to deal with the Assembly.

Yasha Nydoorin

 * &rarr; Main article: Relationship between Caleb and Yasha

Caleb likes Yasha due to their similar personalities and mutual dislike of, and uncomfortableness with, close contact. After asking her for advice regarding social situations, Yasha listed off a few things that she believed would make people like Caleb more (which he wrote down) and shaved his face with her sword after Caleb mentioned that he missed being cleanly shaven. Caleb asked if this made them friends, and Yasha said that it did.

On Rumblecusp, Caleb told Yasha that she deserved her newfound happiness with Beau and that he was glad to be friends with her. Yasha then gave him a big hug.

Mollymauk Tealeaf

 * &rarr; Main article: Relationship between Caleb and Mollymauk

When Caleb dissociated after burning a man to death in a gnoll lair, Mollymauk doused the flames, slapped Caleb in the face and encouraged him to deal with those feelings later. Molly then asked if he was alright, and kissed Caleb on the forehead. When the party later pressed Caleb on his dissociation and he pointed out that it was a traumatizing experience, Molly suggested using alcohol to numb the pain.

Caduceus Clay

 * &rarr; Main article: Relationship between Caduceus and Caleb

Upon meeting Caduceus, Caleb whispered multiple times to Beau that he "like(s) this man." He appreciates Caduceus' calm demeanor. After Clay nearly drowned multiple times, Caleb gave him Mollymauk's Periapt of Wound Closure. Caduceus is also one of the few members of the Mighty Nein that does not mind Caleb's smell, and thinks he smells "fantastic."

Essek Thelyss

 * &rarr; Main article: Relationship between Caleb and Essek.

Caleb and Essek are lifelong friends, and are romantic partners after the end of the campaign. Their friendship began after the Mighty Nein were assigned to Essek’s stewardship, and Essek agreed to tutor a curious Caleb in dunamancy. A connection soon sparked between them thanks to their shared passion for magic.

Their relationship became complicated after the revelation that Essek had given the beacons to the Cerberus Assembly. However, Caleb saw deep similarities between their mistakes, and encouraged Essek to make amends for his crimes. When they reunited at Vurmas Outpost, Essek showed new regret for his actions, and couldn’t make eye contact with Caleb at all.

The two wizards rebuilt their bond during their time in Aeor, discussing their past sins and working together. Some months after Lucien and Trent were defeated, they returned to the Temporal Dock in Aeor. Essek said he didn’t want to change a thing about his past, since his mistakes had led him to be here with Caleb. Caleb destroyed the T-Dock, and the two later began a romantic relationship. While they eventually separated due to the differences in elven and human aging, they remained close friends for the rest of Caleb’s life.

Astrid and Eadwulf
Astrid, Eadwulf, and Caleb were all from the small farming community of Blumenthal in the Zemni Fields of the Dwendalian Empire, although it is unclear whether they knew each other before being selected to attend the Soltryce Academy in Rexxentrum. There, they were close friends, and at some point Caleb entered into a serious romantic relationship with Astrid when they were both in their late teens. The three were selected to undergo Trent Ikithon's Volstrucker training together and were used in his human experimentation of embedding refined residuum crystals into their skin. All three of them were also trained to interrogate and execute dissidents to the Empire. In addition, at some point during this time, Bren fell in love and had a relationship with his fellow students Astrid and Eadwulf.

When Bren was 17 and Astrid was 18, as a test of his three students' loyalty, Trent modified their memories so they believed that their parents had betrayed the empire. The three killed their parents, but Bren "broke" when he heard his parents' screams from inside their burning house. Astrid and Eadwulf became successful Scourgers working under Ikithon.

Caleb saw Eadwulf at the Vergesson Sanatorium when the Mighty Nein were checking on the Luxon beacon held there. Caleb greeted him as they were leaving, saying it was good to see him again. Eadwulf returned the greeting, saying that Bren/Caleb looked good, but remaining impassive.

When Caleb arrived again in Rexxentrum with the Mighty Nein, he went privately to see Astrid at her home. She welcomed him, was seemingly honest in her responses to his questions, and invited him to stay longer. When he left, she told him he was welcome back any time and she would like to see more of him. When the Mighty Nein returned to Rexxentrum after TravelerCon, Caleb and the group received an invitation from Trent Ikithon to have dinner with him, Astrid, and Eadwulf at Trent's home in The Candles. The dinner was tense, culminating in Trent's revealing that he believed Bren had the potential to replace him as a member of the Cerberus Assembly. Eadwulf and Astrid told Caleb that if that happened, they would follow him and do as he commanded. Caleb brought up his prior conversation with Astrid where he had the impression that she was being groomed for Trent's seat, and she nervously shut down the inquiry. After the dinner when Eadwulf and Astrid walked the party outside to the gate, Astrid asked Caleb if he meant what he said inside, that he meant to stop Trent, and Caleb confirmed. Her response: "Race you to the top."

Luc Brenatto
Luc is the son of Caleb's best friend, Veth, and Caleb has made multiple efforts to comfort and connect with Luc. In one instance, Caleb invited Luc to help him work on his teleportation sigil. Later, Caleb told Luc that he had potential and, in the future, if Luc wanted to learn magic, he should come see Caleb.

Quests
At the start of the campaign, Caleb had unspecified plans for when he became powerful enough to "bend reality" to his will, which have evolved as the campaign has progressed. One of the first indications of his goals was his hope that he would not let his parents down. While spending downtime in the Archive of the Cobalt Soul in Zadash, Caleb researched methods of controlling time. He also objected vociferously when Beau mentioned this, since he had never mentioned it to her. Gradually, it was revealed that his long term goal when he met the Mighty Nein had been to change time to erase his murder of his parents. He has since realized that the more patriotic thing to do, and a better way to honor his parents, would be to make sure that the corruption of children by the Empire is stopped.

Caleb hoped to kill specific members of the Cerberus Assembly, including Trent Ikithon, out of both a desire for revenge and a hope to end the recruitment and corruption of children in the service of the Dwendalian Empire. However, after they encountered Ikithon in their audience before King Dwendal, he stated that although he had imagined choking the life from Ikithon, he now thought they needed to work with him. Caleb accepted Ikithon's invitation to dinner with the Mighty Nein, Ikithon, Astrid, and Eadwulf present, and Ikithon insinuated that Caleb's mental healing and escape from the Vergesson Sanatorium had been orchestrated by Ikithon to strengthen Caleb's potential as an eventual Cerberus Assembly member, even if that meant he would attempt to kill Ikithon. After an abrupt battle between Trent, Astrid, Eadwulf, and the members of the Mighty Nein, Trent Ikithon was subdued and brought before a court to expose his corruptive involvement in the Cerberus Assembly.

At Caleb's urging, in the Mighty Nein met with Vess DeRogna in her residence and accepted her job offer to explore Eiselcross.

As a boy, Bren dreamed of being a teacher at the Soltryce Academy. In Caleb's epilogue, he fulfilled this dream.

Notable Items

 * Spellbook: With a picture of a "dick-butt" drawn by Jester on the page containing the Friends spell.
 * Dagger
 * A burnt spellbook
 * Siff Duthar's burnt spellbook
 * Component pouch
 * A symbol of Corellon
 * Small clay cat's paw
 * Pearl obtained from Nott's polished brass ring (used as a material component for casting the Identify spell)
 * This ring was obtained from Kylre's corpse, which Jester then wore and coyly allowed Nott to steal from her finger
 * Sending stone (obtained from the Sutan's place).
 * Spellbook with the name burned out taken from Halas's library
 * Jar of beads (taken from Halas's library)
 * Caleb later revealed that these are Beads of Nourishment, thereafter referred to by the party as "boba".
 * Book on the ice fields of Eiselcross (taken from Halas's library)
 * Stone of Good Luck (Requires Attunement, currently attuned)
 * Driftglobe
 * Ring of Evasion (Requires Attunement, currently attuned)
 * Removed in order to attune to an Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location
 * Re-worn by replacing the Stone of Good Luck
 * Elven Chain (retrieved from the lair of Gelidon)
 * Wand carved from a burned tree (gift from Calianna)
 * Antimagic collar
 * Power source
 * Stormrider Boots
 * Pieces of stained glass from the Chantry of the Dawn
 * Handmade wooden cat sculpture
 * A small turtle statue sculpted by Jester as a child.
 * A pair of Yeza's thong underwear (to be used as a focus for Teleports to Veth's home).
 * Scroll of Protection from Aberrations
 * A small piece of a threshold crest
 * Intuit charge
 * Staff of Power (on loan from Allura) (Requires Attunement, currently attuned)
 * Three pieces of amber
 * Tuning fork for the Elemental Plane of Fire
 * Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location (Requires Attunement)
 * Obtained by Caleb after killing Ikithon’s guard in the Vergesson Sanatorium
 * Given to Vokodo
 * Retrieved by Veth and returned to Caleb. Pocketed by him but not worn.
 * Given to Fjord
 * Returned to Caleb by Jester, who had been given it by Fjord
 * Covered in residuum by Caleb and used to cast Mind Blank

Former Items

 * The beacon (inside of a lead-lined box) (entrusted to Jester) (given to the The Bright Queen)
 * The beacon was found to contain a nearly incomprehensible amount of power when Caleb used Identify on it. It is in the shape of a dodecahedron.
 * Periapt of Wound Closure (Beau looted from Molly's corpse and tossed it to Caleb) (transferred ownership to Caduceus after a series of near-death experiences) (Requires Attunement)
 * Jester's haversack (Caleb carried Jester's haversack while she was being held by the Iron Shepherds.)
 * During this time it contained the beacon and Jester's sketchbook.
 * "Happy Fun Ball of Tricks" (given to him by Twiggy) (Given to Yussa Errenis)
 * Glove of Blasting (given to Fjord)
 * A diamond that Caleb used when casting Chromatic Orb
 * Given to Jester as a component for Incite Greed.
 * Ioun Stone of Fortitude (gifted to him by Fjord) (Requires Attunement)
 * Removed to free an attunement slot for the Staff of Power
 * Transmuter's Stone
 * Destroyed casting Raise Dead on Lucien's body in an attempt to bring back Mollymauk Tealeaf.
 * A book of letters to Una and Leofric Ermendrud.
 * Teleported into Una and Leofric's grave.

Copied Spells

 * 500 gp-worth of high quality ink (used to transcribe spells into his spell book)
 * 200 gp-worth of high quality parchment and ink (unused)
 * 1250 gp-worth of high quality parchment and ink (used to transcribe spells into his spell book)
 * Spell scrolls containing: Invisibility (obtained from Nott), Shocking Grasp, Hold Person (retconned from Shocking Grasp at the start of ), Catapult , Expeditious Retreat , Feather Fall (transcribed and destroyed), Shield  (transcribed and destroyed),, Protection from Energy , Levitate , Major Image (transcribed and destroyed) , Greater Invisibility  (transcribed and destroyed)

Variant Human Abilities

 * Bonus Skill
 * Feat: Keen Mind

Feats

 * Keen Mind
 * Skilled (Perception, Intimidation, Persuasion)
 * War Caster

From the Eyes of Nine
During the Nein's involvement with the Tombtakers, Caleb was exposed to the "Pattern" of the Somnovem through the fractals in Lucien's journal. Over time, he ended up with unnatural boons bestowed by the red eyes. It is unknown if he still retains these boons upon the eyes vanishing after Lucien's final defeat.


 * Darkvision
 * Truesight
 * Ability to communicate telepathically

Wizard Abilities

 * Arcane Recovery (8 slot levels)
 * Arcane Tradition (Transmutation)
 * Transmutation Savant
 * Minor Alchemy
 * Transmuter's Stone
 * Shapechanger
 * Master Transmuter
 * Ritual Casting
 * Spellcasting (Intelligence-based ability)

Wizard Spells
As a 16th-level wizard, Caleb knows five cantrips, and his spellbook contains at least 36 spells. He can prepare up to 21 of these spells per day.

Caleb has copied at least twenty-four additional spells into his spellbook. Caleb currently has an ancient spellbook from Halas's library containing Magic Jar, Trap the Soul, and Clone.

Caleb has cast or is known to have copied the following spells into his spellbook:

Cantrips

 * Caleb's Produce Flame
 * Control Flames
 * Dancing Lights
 * Fire Bolt
 * Friends
 * Message

16th-level wizards typically only know 5 cantrips. It is unknown why Caleb knows six, though he may have been given an additional one as in the case of Caduceus Clay's Decompose.

1st-level

 * Alarm
 * Burning Hands
 * Catapult
 * Chromatic Orb
 * Comprehend Languages
 * Detect Magic
 * Disguise Self
 * Expeditious Retreat
 * Feather Fall
 * Find Familiar
 * Gift of Alacrity
 * Identify
 * Mage Armor
 * Magic Missile
 * Shield
 * Sleep
 * Unseen Servant (dubbed Schmidt)
 * Witch Bolt
 * At least one other transmutation spell

2nd-level

 * Arcane Lock
 * Blur
 * Enlarge/Reduce
 * Flaming Sphere
 * Fortune's Favor
 * Hold Person
 * Invisibility
 * Immovable Object
 * Knock
 * Levitate
 * Maximilian's Earthen Grasp (takes the form of a cat's paw)
 * Melf's Acid Arrow
 * Mirror Image
 * Scorching Ray
 * Suggestion

3rd-level

 * Counterspell
 * Dispel Magic
 * Fear
 * Fireball
 * Fly
 * Haste
 * Leomund's Tiny Hut
 * Major Image
 * Protection from Energy
 * Slow
 * Tongues
 * Vampiric Touch



4th-level

 * Banishment
 * Fabricate
 * Gravity Sinkhole
 * Greater Invisibility
 * Polymorph
 * Resonant Echo
 * Wall of Fire
 * Widogast's Vault of Amber
 * Widogast's Web of Fire

5th-level

 * Cat's Ire (functions identically to Bigby's Hand)
 * Seeming
 * Telekinesis
 * Teleportation Circle

6th-level

 * Disintegrate
 * Globe of Invulnerability
 * Gravity Fissure
 * Magic Jar
 * Programmed Illusion
 * Widogast's Transmogrification

7th-level

 * Teleport
 * Widogast's Nascent Nine-Sided Tower (functions identically to Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion)

8th-level

 * Mind Blank

Quotations
Caleb: "Yeah I'm not a happy guy." Beau: "Was."
 * "It's on the table though, so on the table it will stay." (Caleb telling Nott when not to steal)
 * "Leave me alone, I'm reading." (Caleb telling Jester not to bother him while he reads his new book)
 * "I'm a dirty hobo and I reek of yesterday's garbage." (Caleb describing himself.)
 * "I'm either a clown or a toad-killer. Let's see what it is."
 * "Well, my social anxiety is getting the best of me; I'm taking a walk. Goodbye."
 * "I am going to tell you the story of how I murdered my mother and father."
 * "Anybody can make lights. Anybody could send a message through a wire. I want to bend reality to my will."
 * "You were always a better dancer than me, Astrid." (Drunkenly told to Jester during their waltz)
 * "Shine bright, circus man." (Caleb's last words to Molly)
 * "Brave, dead... it's semantics, really." (Caleb taking the lead on the infiltration of Sour Nest)
 * "They. Are. Going. To. Die." (Caleb upon Frumpkin being killed in the Sour Nest)
 * "You shouldn't have killed my cat." (Caleb's words when he killed Lorenzo in the Sour Nest)
 * (to Nott, discussing hijacking The Mist) "I know that did that it didn't go very well, but this is our new family, right? So we want the family to stick together."
 * Twiggy: (after Caleb succeeds on the saving throw against Tasha's Hideous Laughter) "Funny, right?"
 * "My name was... Bren Aldric Ermendrud."
 * (to the Bright Queen) "I am of the Empire. But I am no friend to the Empire."
 * "Yes, I was trained to be a terrible person. Yes, I was a student of the Cerberus Assembly. Yes, I murdered those most dear to me, yes. And yes I want to see specific people dead. And if that lines up with something that can save where you and I are from, where Veth and Yeza are from, where our friends live...then all is one!"
 * "I don't know how my brothers and sisters could stomach wearing a mantle of loyalty, knowing that it was woven so throughly from sin. And I am very sorry for you."
 * (during Essek's interrogation) "You were not born with venom in your veins. You learned it."
 * "A long time ago you asked me about myself and I just never answered. I value this family, Fjord, because I killed my own, for these people that we are going to deal with."
 * "Yasha, let yourself a little happiness."
 * "Astrid and Eadwulf were willing to do anything that... Ikithon asked of them. And their final test was to kill their own flesh and blood. And they did so. And I am like them. W--was... Am. Am like them."
 * (after admitting he killed his parents to the full party) "I suppose I enjoyed being seen as I should have been. Or could have been. [ ... ] Whatever we’re doing here, I have come home in the hopes of atoning. And that idea has evolved quite a bit over time, and I’m not sure what the exact answer is. But I mean to atone."
 * (to Ikithon) "I often feel like a failure and a success within the same hour."
 * “Ja, I want [Trent] dead. He ruined my life. He look my life away from me. And I fucking helped! But I'm not going to risk all of you right now.”

Trivia

 * Caleb's intelligence is one of the highest for any player character, tied with Percy, Lyra, and Lillith.
 * The name Caleb is Hebrew for "dog" ("kelev") and "whole-hearted" ("collev").
 * The name Widogast is an Old German name composed of the elements "witu" ("wood") and "gast" ("stranger, guest").
 * From Old and Middle, gast (also spelled ghast due to associations with ghost) means "to frighten", or "soul", "spirit", or "breath."
 * From a Proto-Indo-European origin, it can also mean "anger, agitation."
 * From Old French, it can mean "destruction" or "destroyed; ravaged; decimated", and is an alternate form of wast, which the word waste is related to or originates from.
 * Brian Wayne Foster described Caleb as "Homeless Troy Baker". After Caleb was cleaned by Pumat Sol, Brian began calling him "Basic Cable Troy Baker".
 * During the early campaign, a common fan theory speculated Caleb was a werewolf because of the meaning of his name (see above) and because he was introduced in exhausted, ragged, and dirty. After the campaign ended, Liam teasingly acknowledged the theory on Twitter, joking that Caleb was a werewolf and reiterating an hour later that he was not.
 * When Liam joked about Caleb "being all about" the Mold Earth cantrip, Laura responded that Caleb smells like "moldy earth".
 * When Liam speaks the Zemnian language as Caleb, he actually speaks German. Because of this, Matt now uses a German accent for Zemnian characters.
 * Caleb came up with the adventuring party's name the Mighty Nein, when Watchmaster Bryce Feelid needed the group's name for paperwork.
 * When Caleb cast Knock in "Within the Nest" the spell did not create a loud booming sound as described by the spell. It's likely this was an oversight by Matt.
 * Before Caleb spent a decade in an asylum, he was an evocation wizard.
 * The woman that healed Caleb in the asylum was a former cleric, whose lucidity came and went; she saw Caleb and decided to use her remaining power to heal his mind (pressumably with a spell like Calm Emotions, Lesser Restoration or Greater Restoration). When Trent Ikithon found out about this, he took her holy symbol and later showed it to Caleb, wanting him to believe that it was him who organized his recovery, and not that woman's kindness.
 * On previous episodes of the campaign this woman was said to be a cleric of Corellon. However, in the Campaign 2 Wrap Up Matt said that she had a connection with the Moonweaver. It's unclear if this was a mistake or if the cleric had, indeed, a bond with both Corellon and Sehanine.
 * The name Bren Aldric Ermendrud has a few different roots in German.
 * The name Bren comes from the German verb brennen meaning "burn"
 * Aldric comes from a Germanic name, derived from the elements ald "old" and ric "ruler, power"
 * Ermendrud is Germanic as well, derived from the elements ermen "whole, universal" and thrud "strength"
 * Caleb once claimed to have invented the club-and-ball sport known as "golf".
 * Caleb is the first player character on Critical Role to roll a Natural 20 while attacking himself.
 * As of Episode 125, Caleb now knows Teleportation Circles in Asarius, Rosohna, Nicodranas (Yussa's Tidepeak Tower), Uthodurn, Zadash, Rexxentrum, Port Damali and Emon (Allura's Ivory Tower).
 * The word Caleb uses to complete the Widogast's Vault of Amber spell is "Una", his mother's name.
 * When describing the material components for the spell Fly, Liam specifies that Caleb uses a raven's feather, possibly a reference to Vax'ildan and his connection to The Raven Queen.
 * In the fourth episode of Narrative Telephone (Widogast's Web of Words), Liam told a gothic tale of three children who became cursed by a "Waldhexe" (forest witch). The first child was cursed by having part of his brain removed so that his thoughts were no longer his own, the second had an eye removed so she could no longer see true, and the third's heart was removed so he never knew love again, metaphorically representing Eadwulf, Astrid, and Caleb himself, respectively.
 * Caleb is attracted to both men and women. Liam has confirmed that Caleb was in love with Jester Lavorre,, that he had a prior relationship with Astrid and Eadwulf, and that he is attracted to and forms a post-campaign relationship with Essek Thelyss.
 * The smell that makes Caleb the happiest is that of his mother's apple tarts.