 I thought the current balance, however unfair, was better than the risk of tipping the kingdom into chaos. And I was wrong. So many people taught me that. 
|
| — Cal, War Storm |
Tiberias "Cal" Calore VII is an officer of the Scarlet Guard, and the former Crown Prince of Norta. He is the husband of Mare Barrow.
Early Years[]
Cal is the only child of King Tiberias Calore VI and Queen Coriane Jacos. Coriane had three miscarriages before Cal was born. His mother and uncle, Julian Jacos, loved him deeply and gave him toys. However, when Cal was less than a year old, his mother took her life, driven to commit suicide by Elara Merandus's evil doing.[1] Soon after, his father married Elara with whom he had another son, Maven Calore, Cal's younger half brother. The two of them grew up together and were extremely close and content for a time, despite Cal's longing for his mother.
Red Queen[]
A day before his Queenstrial, the event where noble ladies from Silver Houses compete for the Crown Prince's hand, Cal visits a tavern in the Stilts. When he is leaving, Cal catches a Red girl, Mare Barrow, in the act of stealing from him. Instead of arresting her, however, he gives Mare two tetrarchs and gets her a job at the Hall of the Sun to save her from conscription and to satisfy the pity he feels for her. During the event of Queenstrial, Mare accidentally displays her electricon abilities in a broadcast being transmitted for the whole country, revealing her peculiarity as a Red girl with Silver abilities, also known as a newblood.
Cal is present when his father and Elara announce that Mare will pose as Mareena Titanos, a long lost silver princess from House Titanos, to hide her in plain sight. Mare is betrothed to Maven and Cal is engaged to Evangeline Samos, a choice that was practically already made for him, even before Queenstrial.
Cal and Mare develop an attraction to one another almost immediately following their first meeting and he continuously helps Mare adjust to her new life in the palace, teaching her how to excel in the training ring and how to dance. During one of the dance lessons, they share a stolen kiss, even though Mare is engaged to Maven, and Cal is engaged to Evangeline Samos.
During the Parting Ball, the Scarlet Guard murders three political targets with the help of Mare and Maven, in the event known as the Sun Shooting. Cal hunts down the attackers and successfully captures four members of the Scarlet Guard - Farley, Kilorn Warren, Ann Walsh and Tristan Boreeve. Once in the cells, Cal is forced to torture Farley for information, which proves to be fruitless. In the morning, it is revealed that the prisoners have escaped, with the help of Mare and Maven.
Shortly after, the Scarlet Guard attempts to seize Whitefire Palace. When Cal and the Silver guards run in, Mare asks him to choose between his birthright and her to make a new world, revealing to Cal that she and Maven are working with the Scarlet Guard. Cal is heartbroken and distraught by the discovery, and is unable to choose her, leaving Mare heartbroken. Mare and Maven run to escape, but are captured by Cal's army, and Cal takes them before the king. Before they can be sentenced, Maven betrays Mare, Cal and his father, and reveals that he was planning with Elara all along to take his father's crown. Elara whispers in Cal's mind and forces him to murder his father, while Maven stands by and watches. Against his will, Cal takes King Tiberias VI's sword and decapitates him. Mare and Cal are framed by Elara and Maven, and are arrested for treason. As a result, Maven is crowned the new King of Norta and sentences them to be executed in the Bowl of Bones.
Mare and Cal are dragged to the gates of the arena by Rane Arven and are forced to witness the execution of Mare's guard, Lucas Samos. They are then dragged into the arena to face five executioners - Evangeline and Ptolemus Samos, Ryker Rhambos, Lord Osanos and Stralian Haven. Even with his ability substantially limited, Cal fights bravely, and he and Mare save each other several times. When the two of them get the upper hand and manage to kill almost all the executioners, Maven interrupts the execution, ordering hundreds of Security officers and Sentinels to surround them. Before they can get close enough to attack, Cal and Mare are rescued by the Scarlet Guard and escape the Bowl of Bones by an underground train.
Glass Sword[]
The train takes Cal, Mare and the rest of the Scarlet Guard to Naercey, a Scarlet Guard safe house, where they are pursued by Maven and the Nortan army. Mare and Cal join forces and they all manage to escape on a submarine. Distraught and displaced, Cal struggles to find his place in the Guard, who treats him as a prisoner and a threat. Nevertheless, Cal has no other option but to stay with them as he has lost his home and place in Norta. Dragged away to another Guard's safe haven, Tuck Island, Cal is forced into a cell by Colonel Farley. As soon as Mare finds out, she outlines a plan to break him free and they manage to escape with the help of Farley, Kilorn and Mare's brother, Shade Barrow.
They relocate to the Notch, which they use as the base for their mission to recruit newbloods, using the list given to Mare by Cal's uncle, Julian Jacos. Cal helps Mare with her mission, while still figuring out which side he is on. All the newbloods are brought to the Notch and Cal takes on training them. He reveals to be a very good teacher, especially with the children. At some point, Cal considers leaving the Guard but is dissuaded by Mare, who convinces him that he is important to the mission and to her. He and Mare also share a room and a bed.
After their encounter with the seer Jon, Cal is part of the volunteer group that raids Corros Prison to rescue the Silvers and newbloods imprisoned by Maven, including his uncle Julian. The attack is successful and they manage to free the prisoners and kill Elara, before escaping. On the air jet Mare and Cal have a fight over her decision to kill the guards and remain on bad terms, disagreeing on what should be done next. Where Shade dies.
Upon arriving at Tuck, Cal heads back to the Notch for the newbloods. He then is part of the group flying to the Choke to rescue the Dagger Legion - a group of fifteen to eighteen year-old children forced into conscription by the new Measures -, when they are attacked by Maven and his soldiers. Their jet is ripped apart and they are all encased in cages when they land on the ground. Mare offers Maven a trade: she will willingly go with him as his prisoner if he lets everyone else go free safely, to which Maven agrees.
King's Cage[]
After Mare's capture, Cal moves to Irabelle with the Guard but cannot seem to find his place, because there is a lot of mistrust and they do not share some common goals. Cal is desperate to save Mare and sends Nanny to Whitefire Palace to act as a spy for the Scarlet Guard, which results in her committing suicide to avoid interrogation.
During his time with the Guard, Cal consults his grandmother, Anabel Lerolan, to help Mare escape. He is present in the Wedding Battle to help rescue Mare and other newbloods. During the battle, Samson Merandus controls Cal's and Mare's minds, going into their minds one at a time trying to get them to kill each other. They manage to defeat him and reunite properly in the air jet.
Cal and Mare arrive at a military base in Piedmont that the Scarlet Guard has taken over, where Cal fills Mare in on all that has happened. Cal attends Mare's debriefing and listens to what she went through during her imprisonment. From that day onward, they spend the majority of their time together, training every morning. Their relationship grows more serious, with many shared intimate moments between them. Cal finally confesses to Mare that he loves her, to which Mare returns the sentiment, and they decide to break their promise of not pursuing a romantic relationship. Which end up in Mare sleeping with call in the barrack which Cal stays in because he doesn't want to draw attention to himself.
When the Guard and Montfort learn that Maven and the Lakelands are planning to retake Corvium, Cal travels to the military fortress with them to fight Maven's troops. With the help of the Rift and the rebelling Houses, they successfully defeat Maven's army. After the battle, the coalition gathers to discuss their next steps and Anabel informs Cal that he is being made King of Norta and will marry Evangeline to cement the alliance with the Rift. Cal gives a speech about changing the ways of the kingdom and giving Reds more equality and freedom. While he hesitates, Cal still accepts the throne he was born and raised to want. Mare walks away from Cal, heartbroken that he choose the crown over her, which severely damages their relationship.
War Storm[]
During the meeting with the newly formed coalition, Premier Dane Davidson and Mare announce they will be returning to Montfort, and Cal decides to go with them to petition for the help of Montfort's troops and visit the Republic. Upon their arrival in Ascendant, the group attends a welcome dinner hosted by Carmadon (the premiers husband) and Premier Davidson, filled with tension after the recent events, with Mare purposefully ignoring Cal because she is still heartbroken by his choose. During the dinner, sirens blare in Ascendant and Cal rushes to the armory with the rest of the group to fight the incoming Raider assault. During the scuffle, Cal saves Mare and the group successfully defeats the attackers.
Back in the capital, Cal, Mare, Evangeline, Farley and Davidson attend the council meeting in the People's Gallery, and Cal gets a glimpse of a government with Silver and Red equality. Cal gives a moving speech promising to change Norta if he is put on the throne, having grown to believe that equality is much more beneficial to everyone. He asks that Montfort's soldiers fight alongside them and after a council vote, they agree.
Cal and his coalition return to Norta and make plans to assault one of Maven’s strongest cities, Harbor Bay, in a three-pronged attack, while also destroying the tech town of New Town. Cal leads the attack by land and when they arrive, Maven's army and a part of the Lakelander fleet are already there. During the battle, Cal engages in a fight with the nymph princess, Iris Cygnet, aboard a ship and almost gets killed, drowned by her ability. He is saved by a skin healer after being teleported out of the ship scaring Mare to death. His troops come out victorious and they head to Ocean Hill.
With the help of Evangeline, Mare finds Cal's bedchamber and the two decide to spend the night together, agreeing that nothing has changed between them (it changed a lot though) . During that night, Maven responds Cal's message agreeing to meet on neutral ground the next morning. Cal and his coalition travel to Province Island but the meeting his fruitless. No peace agreement is achieved, but when Cal's coalition is leaving the island, the Lakelander Queen, Cenra Cygnet, and Iris betray Maven. They trade him for King Orrec Cygnet's killer, a deal they made with Anabel and Julian, unbeknownst to Cal.
Cal then returns to Harbor Bay with Maven as his prisoner and is forced to sentence his brother to death for his crimes. During his imprisonment, Cal and Maven share their final conversation, and Maven convinces Cal that the boy he knew was lost forever (though that boy was there deep down), making the choice for Cal, who was still searching for a way to reverse Elara's doing and fix Maven. After Maven is finally defeated, Montfort and the Scarlet Guard give Cal an ultimatum: he either abdicates the throne or loses their support. Cal refuses to give up his crown and the Red alliance is over. Montfort and the Guard retreat, and take Maven with them.
Back in Archeon, Cal is officially coronated and decrees new and better life conditions for Reds, including free circulation, which results in many Reds abandoning their positions, leaving Norta weakened. The Lakelanders attack Archeon sooner than expected and the Battle of Archeon takes place. Cal's army is losing the battle, when the Scarlet Guard and Montfort arrive and help him fight off the Lakelander army, having already been on the way to Archeon with the intention to attack the city before the nymph queens got the chance.
Cal finds Mare and announces that he will abdicate the crown in favor of a democratic nation based on blood equality to Mare's delight. He joins the Scarlet Guard and Montfort and together they defeat the Lakelander queens, who decide to retreat with their fleet and escape out alive, when the Guard leads an underwater attack on their ships with torpedos. After the battle is over, Cal finds Maven dead, killed by Mare, who is bleeding out next to him. He visits her in the infirmary and when she recovers, Mare decides that she and Cal need sometime apart to heal. They share a final farewell embrace and Mare goes to Montfort, while Cal stays in Norta to help rebuild the new country after the war - the Nortan States.
Broken Throne[]
As one of the representatives of the Nortan States, Cal constantly travels between the new country and Montfort. Two months after the Nortan Civil War, he flies to Ascendant to attend the gala being thrown to get all the delegations of the new alliance together. Cal arrives shortly after Mare, with his own delegation, accompanied by Julian Jacos and Anabel Lerolan. He sees Mare for the first time after their time apart, but does not say anything. This being the premiers way of getting Cal and Mare back together
Throughout the week leading to the gala, Cal attends several meetings and debates to summarize their progress, discuss the reconstruction of the Nortan States and the ongoing Lakelander threat. Mare and Cal are distant at first, not having seen or talked to each other since parting ways after the war. They are still in love with each other, but don't know how to begin moving forward together. With the help of Evangeline, the two are brought together and are able to admit their feelings to each other and begin their futures together. They attend the gala together and then go to Paradise Valley for a few weeks to have some alone time. When they return, Cal flies to Tuck Island to visit his brother's gravesite and cries next to his gravestone.
Sometime in the future, Cal is part of the conflict that follows the dissolution of the Kingdom of Norta, known as the Dancing War. Two decades later, in the War of Red Thunder, he and Mare defeat the forces trying to elevate their two children, Shade and Coriane Calore, to the throne. Both their children broadcast several times "their own abdication, renunciation of rights, and citizen pledges to Montfort several times, hoping to quell any conflicts of succession to the former Nortan Kindom."
Personality[]
Cal is a strong-willed individual, honor-bound and determined. He is quite complex and doesn't frequently let others know his feelings. He often finds himself torn between knowing what is right and doing what he must for his kingdom. He values duty and tradition, both ideals planted bone-deep by his father. Growing up, Cal felt that nobody understood his feelings and doubts about becoming king one day. He is known to "follow orders and not be able to make his own choices."
While his confidence, courage and dogged focus make him strong on the battlefield and the training ring, they make him blind to the scheming people around him. He is a skilled warrior and a very competent strategist, but never sees the machinations happening right in front of him. Even though he used to speak to large audiences and was raised to be good at diplomacy, Cal is not suited nor cares for politics. He is extremely interested in warcraft and military tactics and has the heart of a soldier. He likes to build things, which is a trait he inherited from his mother. Cal is also kind, brave and selfless.
Cal is devoted and can be overly trusting, especially with the people he loves, being compared to a puppy on various occasions. For sometime after the murder of his father and his brother's betrayal, Cal became withdrawn and filled with vengeance.
Physical Description[]
Cal is tall and muscular, with broad shoulders; a physique of a soldier. He has thick black hair, which he sometimes uses close-cropped in the military style, bronze eyes and pale skin. He has strong brows, straight nose, a crooked smile and an angled jaw. He sometimes has a stubble along his chin and cheeks. Cal also has callused hands and scars all over his body, which he refuses to have healed by a skin healer because he wants to keep them as proof of his endeavors. He is very hot (pun intended).
Abilities[]
Cal is a burner, meaning he can manipulate heat and fire, but not create it. Due to his ability, Cal gives off constant body heat regardless of the ambient temperature of his whereabouts. Like all burners, Cal can comfortably withstand extreme heat or cold without being harmed. This resistance to temperature encompasses everything from handling molten metal to being unaffected by frigid winter winds. As a burner, Cal's greatest adversaries are nymphs.
Cal was trained as a young boy by his father, knowing that one day he would be king. His education included being able to think up great military tactics and have great fighting skills. This makes Cal a great general, but lacking in political skills. He used this ability to think up great battle plans, such as planning to take a team of all Silvers, disguise them as Reds, and throw them out on the battlefield to surprise the Lakelanders. Cal is also a trained pilot, able to fly and land air jets with skill.
Possessions[]
In order to utilize his ability at will, Cal wears two metal bracelets that releases sparks, which he is able to turn into flames.
Relationships[]
Romance[]
| I am in love with you, and I want you more than anything else in the world.
|
| — Cal to Mare, King's Cage |
Mare is the love of Cal's life.
Cal first meets Mare in a tavern where she tries to steal from him but is caught. Instead of reporting her to the Silver guards, he gives her two tetrarchs and walks her back home, while Mare tells him about her life on his request. Cal feels sorry for Mare and gets her a job in the Hall of the Sun to save her from conscription. Cal and Mare develop an attraction to one another almost immediately following their first meeting and Cal continuously helps Mare adjust to her new life, teaching her how to excel in the training ring and how to dance. During one of the dance lessons, they share a stolen kiss, even though Mare is engaged to Maven and Cal to Evangeline. While she is pulled to Cal, Mare, encouraged by Maven, thinks Cal is her enemy because he does not believe in her cause. When Cal finds out Mare is working with the Scarlet Guard, along with Maven, he brings them to the king to be sentenced, not choosing Mare, as she believed he would. After Maven's betrayal, the two escape execution together, after saving each other's lives several times, with help from the Scarlet Guard.[2]
Cal and Mare develop a very close relationship. When they arrive in Tuck Island, and Mare discovers that the Colonel imprisoned Cal, she delineates a plan to save him, but they agree to abstain from entering any romantic relationship. Nevertheless, when they escape, they share a bed in the Notch and a kiss. Mare even admits to herself that "If I could speak, I would tell Cal that I’m sorry, that I love him, that I need him”, ultimately admitting her love for him. After the Corros Prison raid, Mare and Cal have a fight and remain on bad terms, disagreeing on what should be done next. When their air jet is attacked by Maven, Mare willingly accepts to be Maven’s prisoner to save Cal.[3]
Cal does everything he can to get Mare back and succeeds in rescuing her. During their escape Samson Merandus controls their minds and tries to get them to kill each other, but they defeat him together and properly reunite. Mare and Cal resume their relationship and fall into a routine together, while their relationship continues to grow more serious, with many shared intimate moments while in the Piedmont base. They have their first time in the forest and begin sharing a bed together in the barracks. Cal finally confesses to Mare that he loves her and Mare returns the sentiment. After the battle in Corvium, Cal chooses the crown over Mare, which leaves her heartbroken and severely damages their relationship, as Mare admits "To stand in front of the person who is your whole world and be told you are not enough. You are not the choice. You are a shadow to the person who is your sun."[4]
From then on, Mare tries to ignore Cal even though they are still madly in love with each other. Surprisingly, it is Evangeline who tries and succeeds in getting Cal and Mare back together for a while. At Ocean Hill, Mare confesses that she was devastated when she saw him almost die in the battle in Harbor Bay and Cal reveals that she was the one he saw in his last moments before losing consciousness. They spend a night together and choose not to choose for the time being, before they have to part ways again. During the Battle of Archeon, Cal finally gives up the throne and asks Mare “Is it too late?” for him to choose her. Mare, overjoyed, says no and runs to embrace him. After the battle is over, and Mare killed Maven, she decides that they need sometime apart to heal. She says that she has to find herself before pursuing their relationship and they share a final farewell embrace. Mare goes to Montfort, while Cal goes to Norta to help pick up pieces after the war. Mare puts in the earring Cal gave her and misses him terribly while they are apart.[5]
After two months, Mare and Cal see each other again. They are distant at first but then are brought back together by Evangeline. They decide to go to Paradise Valley for a few weeks to have some alone time. Sometime in the future, Mare and Cal have two children, Shade and Coriane Calore.[6]Family[]
| But like always, I could not let him go. Even now, I cannot let Maven go. I never will.
|
| — Cal about Maven, Fare Well |
When they were children, Maven was always trailing Cal, wanting to spend every moment with his older brother. Maven used to ask to sleep in Cal's room. Gradually, Elara took pieces of Maven, including his love for Cal, which she cut off entirely and twisted. Maven remembered loving Cal, but could not feel that love anymore. Maven felt like his father favored Cal and only wanted to spend time with his heir, neglecting Maven. He always felt like he was the shadow to Cal's flame and envied him for it.
Maven betrayed Cal to get the throne, planning with Elara once Mare arrived. He stood by and watched while Elara forced Cal to murder their father and then accused him of treason. Maven usurped the throne and sentenced him to death. The brothers were on opposite sides during the following Nortan Civil War and confronted each other on multiple occasions. Even so, Cal never stopped believing that the brother he remembered was still there somewhere, and he searched for a long time for a way to reverse Elara's doing.
When Maven was finally defeated and Cal was restored to the throne, Cal was forced to sentence his brother to death. During their final conversation, Maven convinced Cal that the boy he knew was lost forever. Despite Elara's work, Maven was incapable of deeply wounding Cal by showing him that his true self was still there in a forgotten corner, making the choice for his older brother. After Mare killed Maven, Cal mourned him deeply and resented her a little bit, even though he had accepted Maven's fate and stopped searching for a way to cure him.
Cal buried Maven in Tuck Island next to his mother, as Maven had requested. He had constant nightmares of his brother there alone, just out of reach. He later visited his gravesite and cried next to his gravestone engraved with "Maven Calore: Beloved son, beloved brother. Let no one follow". He admitted he could have burned Maven's body, but chose not to, because he could not let him go and never would.[7]
| It's not you. I know it's not you, son. This is not your fault.
|
| — Tiberias to Cal as his son is forced to kill him, Red Queen |
| One hundred years of war, and my son will bring peace. He will not die fighting. He will not. HE WILL NOT.
|
| — Coriane about Cal, Queen Song |
Coriane loved Cal deeply, considering him the sun of her world. When Cal's father went away to the front, she felt like Cal kept her safe, even when he had just a few months. Coriane delighted piecing together the toys Cal broke apart and put back together incorrectly. Coriane had frequent nightmares of Cal grown up, going to war and never returning. She wrote in her diary that she didn't want Cal to be a soldier, stating that her son will not be like the others before him, he will be the one to end the war.
Cal's mother took her life before he turned one year old, so Cal doesn't remember her. Cal wishes several times that he could have had known her. Even though it was very painful for him, Cal read her diary to get a glimpse of the woman she was.
| Cal, it is a rare man who is willing to look at himself and see what truly stands. A rare man indeed.
|
| — Julian to Cal, Fire Light |
When Cal was a baby, Julian doted on him, bringing him toys and reading to him. Julian and Cal used to have a strained relationship, which changes after Cal is forced to kill his father. Cal is desperate to save Julian from Corros Prison because he considers Julian to be his only family left alive, along with Anabel Lerolan. Upon his rescue, the two grow closer. Julian shares stories about Coriane with Cal, who has no memories of his mother, and gives him a copy of her diary.
When Maven is crowned King, Julian believes that Cal is the one who should be the King of Norta, and works with Anabel Lerolan to restore him to the throne. He serves as a mentor to Cal and an unyielding support, always by Cal's side, to help him in whatever he might need. Cal confides in Julian and trusts his uncle's advice. Julian and Cal truly love each other and want to keep each other safe. After the Nortan Civil War, Julian is very proud of Cal and tells him "You would have made a good king, but never great. Not like you are now. A great man who needs no crown."
| I'm proud of you, Cal. What you've done, what you continue to do. (...) And all I want, beyond anything else, a crown or a country, is for you to live.
|
| — Anabel to Cal, Fire Light |
Knowing Cal and Elara quite well, Anabel never believed the allegations that Cal murdered his father and betrayed his kingdom. She never turns her back on her grandson and says she will never support another king while Cal lives, for she believes the throne of Norta belongs to him. Cal secretly begins communicating with his grandmother during his time with the Guard and she helps him rescue Mare. Anabel defends Cal and works with Julian Jacos to restore him to the throne. Once Cal is crowned king, Anabel serves as a mentor to her grandson, always by his side giving him advice.
When Cal abdicates the throne in favor of a democratic country with blood equality, Anabel is angry at first but she comes to accept Cal's choice and tells him that contrary to his belief, she is very proud of him, as his father would be. She assures Cal that instead of always trying to give others happiness, he should find happiness for his own, finally accepting his relationship with Mare.Trivia[]
- Calore is Italian and means warmth, heat, fervor and glow.
- Cal's birthday is October 31, 300 NE.
- His mother gave him his nickname.
- The only reason he lived through his mother's pregnancy was because Coriane kept him a secret from everyone else, especially Elara, who caused her three previous miscarriages.
- He was a very happy and fat baby. According to Coriane, he was always smiling and laughing, and liked to take apart his toys and smashed them back together incorrectly.
- Cal loves children.
- He's a very good teacher.
- Cal likes classic rock music.
- According to Victoria Aveyard, he looks like Matthew Daddario.
- Victoria Aveyard has said (on an Instagram live) that she had intended to give him a normal nickname but also a proper and royal name.