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 as yet unidentified), one on either side. He has a series of scars on both 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 while on night duty with Jester. 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 cursb as the leader whether they should cut through the forest or go around it. Caleb only responded by asking why she kept calling him the leader. Annoyed, Molly rode into the forest. The rest of the group followed him. He was initially suspicious of Jumnda when he saw her campfire. Caleb tried to cheer up Ombo by having Frumpkin (now in owl form) sit on the boy's shoulder and head.

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. Molly cannot help him. He is angry with himself that he told Beau everything to get into The Cobalt Soul library and he learned nothing useful there. Looking at Nott, he asked himself how he can expect Nott to help him with what he wants to do. Nott is as much as a liability as she is a help to him. Caleb told himself it is 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.

When the group caught up to a caravan that looked like it might be the Iron Shepherds, 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 pass the Shepherds' caravan, then set up an ambush for them the next day. In the middle of the ambush, Mollymauk was killed with Lorenzo's glaive and left for dead in the snowy hills. Caleb, shaken by the whole experience, wandered away from the group after burying Molly. Walking into the nearby forest, he saw a beautiful lone horse that shapeshifted into a firbolg named Nila. She apologized for watching them and gave her condolences for what happened.



Caleb, Beau, Caduceus, and Nott, along with Keg and Nila, raided the Sour Nest, discovering Shakäste was being held prisoner and releasing him to aid in their fight. After a long, hard battle against the Iron Shepherds, Caleb killed Lorenzo with a Fire Bolt to the head and succeeded on the resulting wisdom save. The party then rescued Jester, Fjord, and Yasha.



While in Zadash, Caleb and Beaureguard visited the Cobalt Soul archive, where he did research on mages in history that had been able to bend time and reality. Newer arcane experiments regarding time and reality are being fielded within the Soltryce Academy in Rexxentrum into a newer magical energy that can seemingly adjust such properties with ease. It is being referred to as "Dunamis."



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

Chapter 12


Caleb, along with the rest of the Mighty Nein, stole the ship the Mist from the docks in Nicodranas. He suggested renaming it 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 gave the name "Phillip" as his pirate alias to Captain Avantika.

Urukayxl


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.

The next morning the party decided to reach the temple of Uk'otoa by sneaking through the yuan-ti city disguised. Jester used her disguise kit to put makeup on Beau, Caleb, and Yasha. While they thought Avantika and Jamedi were out of earshot, the Mighty Nein discussed what to do about them. Caleb said if they came back from the island without Avantika the crew of the Squall Eater would probably kill them. It would be a better idea to kill them at a later time. Fjord agreed. Avantika agreed as well, revealing that she had been invisible and listening to the whole conversation.

The party snuck into the city. As they approached the pyramid in the center of the city, two yuan-ti noticed them. Jester successfully paralyzed them with Hold Person. The rest of the group pulled them into a nearby house and quickly killed them. However, the owner of the hut was inside asleep and woke up. He was able to shout before the group killed him. Now noticed by several yuan-ti, Fjord cast Major Image to create an illusion of a manticore in the middle of the street as cover for the party to run towards the temple. As they run up the side of the temple, Fjord and Caleb take out another sentry. At the top of the temple, Nott found a trapdoor and picked a lock to get the group inside. While searching for traps in the first room inside, Nott triggered a trap. The room turned into a stone slide further into the temple. As the group reached the bottom, they were in a room with four yuan-ti. 

Caleb and Nott saved the Mighty Nein, Avantika, and Jamedi Cosko from falling after being shot out the top of the temple by a geyser by both casting Feather Fall. Between both spells, they were able to target all nine members of the group. 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.



When the Mighty Nein joined the crew of the Squall-Eater, "Phillip" took on the role as apprentice navigator. Upon arriving at Darktow Isle, Caleb (along with the other members of the Mighty Nein) was automatically initiated into the ranks of the Revelry.



Caleb decided to forego sleep to create a cypher for reading Avantika's journal.



Along with the rest of the Mighty Nein, Caleb was expelled from the Revelry after the fight with Avantika.



After defeating Dashilla, 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.

Chapter 13


When the party traveled from Nicodranas to 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 it was not the Kryn Dynasty that might have her husband, it was Caleb's former 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.

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 for the first time that he liked them, too.



Caleb removed and put away the bandages on his arms, saying that there was no longer anything to hide. 

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.

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).



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.

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.

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.

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
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
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
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
After their arrival in Rosohna and being declared Heroes of the Dynasty for their return of one of the missing beacons, the Mighty Nein came under Essek Thelyss’s supervision. After his den gifted the Nein with the Xhorhaus, Essek came by to see how they were settling in. Caleb inquired about the avenues of learning dunamancy and after he impressed Essek with his Cat’s Ire, Essek offered to give him a few lessons. This was the beginning of a meaningful intellectual relationship between the two wizards through which Caleb learned dunamantic spells and the Transmogrification spell was developed.

Caleb asked Essek to try to delay the execution of a captured scourger, and Essek managed to stay the execution for some time. He accompanied Caleb and the rest of the Nein when they went to interrogate her. After the scourger attacked Caleb, Essek quickly used his magic to suspend her in midair before dispatching her on Caleb’s signal.

Essek aided the Mighty Nein by teleporting them to many hard-to-reach locations. On one of these occasions there was a miscommunication about their precise destination. Caleb helped convince Essek to teleport them a second time by apologizing and placing a hand on Essek’s forearm. Essek's reaction seemed to be confusion and irritation.

The two wizards have acknowledged each other as kindred spirits. During dinner at the Xhorhaus, Essek said that Caleb understands his intellectual curiosity and that he sees “a similar spark” in him. After Essek’s confession to stealing the beacons, Caleb said “the difference between you and I is thinner than a razor” in reference to their past wrongs, after which he kissed Essek on the forehead.

Liam O'Brien has stated that outside of the Mighty Nein, Essek’s "probably the only person that Caleb would see as a friend that he’s made. Which makes him a rarity in all the NPCs." Liam has also said that "Caleb's relationship to Essek was many things, is many things," confirming both care for Essek and attraction to Essek, but that at the moment of the forehead kiss, "it wasn't just 'I'm really attracted to you and I want to be with you'... there [was] a lot at stake", and that the speech and kiss were intended to keep Essek "on the rails". While everything he said to Essek was true, in that moment Caleb was drawing on past experience and past training to make sure things went the way they needed to go. He also said that Essek was not high on the list of things that Caleb needs to work on. He has said that "Essek is not like the Nein; Essek is brilliant and gets it in the way that Caleb gets it, and that was great [for Caleb] to be around," but that Essek is "fucking toxic" and dangerous. Caleb seems to worry that he and Essek are too much alike.

While talking to the Mighty Nein at Vurmas Outpost, Essek struggled to hold eye contact with all of them, but could not make eye contact with Caleb at all. He at last looked at Caleb while hinting that he hoped reverse time and fix his mistakes. As Caleb left Essek's quarters, he caught Essek by the arm and told him to breathe, saying "Not weeks, not years. It takes time." Essek replied, "Indeed."

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.

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

Notable Items

 * Spellbook: With a picture of a "dick-butt" drawn by Jester on the page containing the Friends spell.
 * A different book, possibly a journal of some sort
 * Dagger
 * A burnt spellbook
 * Siff Duthar's burnt spellbook
 * Component pouch
 * 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.

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 15th-level wizard, Caleb knows five cantrips, and his spellbook contains at least 34 spells. He can prepare up to 20 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

15th-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."
 * "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."
 * "I often feel like a failure and a success within the same hour."

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".
 * 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 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 is in love with Jester Lavorre,, that he had a prior relationship with Astrid and Eadwulf, and that he is attracted to Essek Thelyss.
 * The smell that makes Caleb the happiest is that of his mother's apple tarts.