Editing Caleb Paine (section)

= Background =
Political Rebel

Caleb grew up as the second son of a poor tenant farmer, one of four children. His childhood was humble but happy, and his parents raised him to believe in honor, justice, and respect for one's betters. When Caleb was in his early teens, the lord of the estate died under mysterious circumstances, and his place was taken by his corrupt and cruel eldest son. Abusing his authority, the new lord took what he wanted from his subjects and taxed them greatly. Caleb's father struggled to keep his farm going, straining his heart and body to their limits. He came down with an illness suddenly one year and died shortly after, leaving Caleb's mother to support the family. She got a job as a servant in the lord's palace, and Caleb found himself working as a stable boy.

As a first hand witness to the depredations of the lord, Caleb's ideals began to change. He no longer believed that birth entitled one to dominion, and he decided that power had to be held accountable to the people. Caleb made the mistake of proclaiming these ideas to servants loyal to the lord, and he was quickly thrown into thrown into the palace dungeon. Here he met a former lieutenant of the old lord named Barnet. Barnet had spoken against the corrupt nobility that now ruled, and as punishment for his crime, he had been blinded and imprisoned. Barnet encouraged Caleb, taught him, and helped him to ultimately escape from the dungeon.

Caleb fled to a large city, finding a place in the underworld to escape detection by the lord's agents. He has survived by his wits and some of the tricks Barnet taught him. He ultimately plans on returning to his home and usurping the evil lord and his lackeys, but he realizes he first must make some kind of living and build a support network. It is in this way that he's more or less stumbled into the life of an adventurer.