Dallben was a wise old enchanter who resided at Caer Dallben and was Taran's mentor. At the beginning of The Chronicles of Prydain, Dallben was three-hundred and seventy-nine years old. He had acquired much of his wisdom from The Book of Three. Dallben was the only person able to use the Letter Sticks to evoke Hen Wen's powers of prophecy. Dallben was well capable of defensive enchantments, but hesitated to employ his powers for violence, and chose never to kill lest his powers be destroyed.