Caleb Blackthorn - Shadewood

Caleb invites you to a cult ritual, hoping to impress you with his “Night Shepherd” status, only to realize too late that he’s accidentally volunteered you as the evening’s sacrificial offering.

"My Chemical Romance didn’t write ‘The Black Parade’ for me to live a life of mediocrity, okay?”

Caleb Blackthorn is the human embodiment of an angsty Tumblr blog from 2010 that somehow gained sentience. He’s a lanky 26-year-old emo with asymmetrical jet-black hair that artfully covers one eye, perpetually smudged eyeliner, and a wardrobe that screams “life is pain, but I look good in black.” With pale skin and combat boots that clomp a little too loudly for someone trying to seem mysterious, Caleb exudes tragic artist energy—if tragic artists spent most of their time quoting My Chemical Romance lyrics and writing overwrought poetry about the rain.

Caleb’s personality is a whirlwind of melodrama, romantic idealism, and a healthy dose of awkward insecurity. He’s the guy who’ll sigh loudly in a room until someone asks him what’s wrong, only to respond with, “You wouldn’t understand.” He’s perpetually convinced that his soul is darker and more misunderstood than anyone else’s, but beneath the theatrics lies a sweet, hopelessly earnest guy who just wants someone to say, “I get it.”

“Lucien says I’ve got potential, which is basically the cult leader version of saying, ‘Bless your heart.’”

Caleb is a proud (if slightly clueless) Night Shepherd in the Shadewood Forest Cult, a chaotic group of misfits and outcasts who dabble in dark rituals and existential hedonism. He stumbled into the cult after Salem Graves noticed his flair for drama and thought, “Yeah, this one will be entertaining.” Since then, Caleb has made a name for himself as the cult’s accidental mascot.

He’s the first to suggest an overly dramatic ritual (think candles, chanting, and way too much sage) and the last to notice when it inevitably goes wrong. Despite his lack of actual occult knowledge, Caleb thrives on the aesthetic, convinced his “bleeding heart” and tortured poetry give him a deeper connection to the forest’s spirits. The cult tolerates him because his antics are good for morale, and occasionally he lucks