Maxwell Calder

Warning. This section contains spoilers. You may wish to postpone reading further until you've played the related content.

Description

Calder, as seen during A Wolf in Witch's Clothing

Maxwell Calder is the main antagonist of Monumenta, and the bearer of the Black Wool, the Wool of Reality. He is seen in A Study in Crimson part 1, Xenophobia, Kingdom of Lies or R is for Reprisal (depending on which is completed first), Unmasked and A Wolf In Witch's Clothing. He is also in the Echoes of Oblivion dungeon.

Relations

The Masked (Calder's followers)
Sons of the Forest (Villainous Tlaxans commanded by the Masked)
Samwell (Powerful Masked member)
Xeno (Puppet)
Nasha Ka (Puppet)
Ridnan (Puppet)
Minerva (Former partner)
The Mage Council (Enemies)
Player (Enemy)
Callum Herring (Former teacher)
Valgus (Adoptive father)
Vargos (Adoptive uncle)
Kianna Calder (Deceased mother)
Ezariah (Former mentor)

Lore

In 85 AV, Calder, a student at the Mage Academy, was sent on a mission with his teacher Callum Herring to save a fellow student named Minerva from C'Telsket, who was using the Crimson Wool to attack Farr after finding it in the Ephemeral Corridors. Callum Herring drove C'Telsket to a point of desperation, so he destroyed the Crimson Wool, killing a large amount of people in Farr including Herring and unleashing the Crimson Spirit unto the world. Out of anger at the tlaxan shaman who had killed his teacher and father figure. Max murdered C'Telsket in his prison cell after the attack. It is unknown if anyone but him and Minerva knew of this act.

At some point, Calder was invited to the Mage Council alongside Vargos, Bhairavi, Selari and others, but one day he had a disagreement with them regarding what should be done with the discovery of the King's Valley Monument in Highwatch. The council argued that the monument should be hidden from the public, but Calder disagreed and thought that the information should be made public. This dispute almost got him kicked off the council.

Calder ventured into the Black Willows after creating an elemental key and claimed the Black Wool for himself.

Some unknown time later, he was sent off on a mission by the Mage Council, alongside his partner Minerva. Somehow, on this mission, Calder discovered the Black Willows by creating an elemental key and entered. Lore items found in Black Willows delves suggest he knew more than he let on, as he was aware of the Doorways and the Veil. Within the Black Willows, Calder did many things. He encountered the Tuathans, he killed a Stoneborn Immortal, injured his leg severely, and more. The most notable thing he did within, however, was claim the Black Wool, which rested there, powering the Veil. After this discovery, Calder returned to the Mage Council and slaughtered them, killing his adoptive father Valgus as well as Bhairavi's former teacher Qatra and left to go and pursue his own goals. Shortly after, Minerva told him that she disagreed with his actions, which led him to do something to her, although this something is currently unknown. At an unknown point in time, Calder founded the Masked and gained control over the Sons of the Forest. He also visited the Malevolent Reverie at some point shortly before the player arrived and wrote a book there. The book he wrote made it clear that he was unhappy with the player's actions.

Calder, as seen in Echoes of Oblivion

Once the player arrives in the Celsian Isles, it is discovered that Calder had gained control over Xeno and thus Mistport, though Calder would later kill Xeno in front of the player and their crew for betraying him since he made a truce after losing to them. Calder also had control over Pharoah Nasha Ka and Royal Advisor Ridnan, who he was allied with, but the player killed Nasha Ka and had Ridnan imprisoned. Ridnan was then broken out by Samwell, the player's former crewmate who had since joined the Masked, and was killed by him soon after for sharing vital information with the player. Taking matters into his own hands, Calder presumably killed the member of Bhairavi's team who had been sent to help the player investigate the Sacrarium of Aeons, and took their place to trick the player into helping him in the Echoes of Oblivion to find the Teal Wool. At the end of the dungeon, he reveals his true identity to the player and destroys the Teal Wool, unleashing the Teal Spirit who would then wreak havoc upon the Celsian Isles and then go back in time to destroy the Olive Wool and the Celsian Congress.

Calder, as seen at the end of Echoes of Oblivion. He has likely used the Black Wool to alter his appearance.

Later, it is learned that Calder went to the Architect's Ring to hunt down more wools. After the player returns to the governing council of Galengarde with the Blue Wool from Coven's Gambit, Calder appears in the room to force the player to give him the Blue Wool. He threatens to kill the three Primiriums and then the player, which is not believed by anyone in the room until Calder uses the Black Wool to strike down Primirium Conquort. The player then gives him the Blue Wool to stop any more of the Primiriums from being killed, which Calder then leaves with. It is then explained by the surviving council members that Calder and the Masked tricked them into thinking they were innocent, and soon they were sent on a mission to go and clear out the Shadowcast Bastille, which they were now using as a base. They send the player to investigate the area, in which they find the Masquerader's Ruin strike, where they kill Samwell and reclaim the Blue Wool.

Trivia

• It is known that Calder researched various teleportation related magics, and that he was an inspiration to Professor Bermuda, so much so that she named her portal creation tool after him.
• The winter NPC Colder is a reference to Calder.
• In the novel, Queen Isadora rewarded Calder a legendary sword called Exilia due to his contributions to stopping Cirillo Dauton's plans. Calder adorned runes onto the blade to enhance it's magical capabilities.
  • In-game, the sword can be obtained as the Sword of the Exiled.