Cal was born in a high house, raised in luxury until the age of 8. He was taught how to read and write, and took to languages easily.
His father was disgraced, somehow. Cal doesn’t know the details. All he knows is the Sorcerer King ordered his execution and sent him and his mother into slavery. His mother did not survive long.
But Cal did. He wound up in the stables, as he seemed to have a way with animals. He found solace in working with them. He met his mentor, an elvish slave, who recognized his talents. She began to teach him magic, and how to keep a spellbook secret. If found, his spellbook looks like a journal, in which is a lot of bad poetry, badly misspelled. In reality, it is written in a Cypher, and only Cal can read it.
She died a year into his tutorage. They had been careful not to allow anyone to know they were spending time together. One day, she had to cast a spell to save someone, and she was immediately put to death.
That was a year ago. He has studied on his own since then. He began to study illusions more, to hide himself and others.
Cal hates the Sorcerer King. He hates the world they were in. He hated losing his parents, and wants to overthrow the Sorcerer King. He wants to create a world where people are treated fairly.
His illusions are good, and he is planing to escape at some point. He can make himself look like anyone, and he wants to find a way to gain back his old wealth and influence. He only needs the chance.