He decides who becomes a novice and will only admit you once you have impressed four of the baals ("I heard you decide who becomes a novice ... I want to join the Brotherhood"). Before that he will not take you on.
Swamp Camp, alchemy laboratory — Chapter 1: Master of novices; first met during admission, he takes you in as a novice only after you have won over four of the gurus
Swamp Camp — Chapter 2: Hands out novice tasks (herb delivery, minecrawler ichor, finding Caine) and sends you on to Y'Berion
Cor Kalom's experiment camp — Chapter 3: Now running his experiments on novices, which sets up the escape quest
Continues as master of novices into Chapter 3, where his experiments on the novices drive the Point of No Return escape quest.
Quests Cor Kalom takes part in across Gothic 1 Remake.
Cor Kalom can be found in the Swamp Camp (Guru).
You: I'm bringing you the daily swampweed harvest.
Cor Kalom: Are you, now? And what happened to the rest of the sheaves? I need the FULL harvest!
Cor Kalom: Good. Now go.
You: I have some more minecrawler mandibles for you. Can you use them?
Cor Kalom: Well, well, that's a lot of them. Yes, I'll take them.
Cor Kalom: Yes, I can use those. Here, this should do for a reward.
Cor Kalom: What, that's all? Alright, I'll take them. Here, for your not-so-substantial efforts.
You: I'll be seeing you.
Cor Kalom: No rush.
You: So, these experiments you do - what are they about?
Cor Kalom: About things your limited intellect wouldn't understand even if you tried. Don't waste my time, boy.
Cor Kalom: What do you want?
You: I think I've convinced the baals.
You: Baal Orun said I'm a worthy servant of the Sleeper.
Cor Kalom: Go on ...
You: Baal Cadar says I have a "natural affinity" for magic.
You: According to Baal Namib, I'm a true believer.
You: And I helped Baal Tyon have a vision.
Cor Kalom: What else?
You: Baal Tondral also thinks I'm worthy. I found him a new recruit.
Cor Kalom: All right, all right, that's enough. If you got that many baals to back you up, you can't be as useless as you look.
Cor Kalom: That said, before I accept you into our brotherhood and give you the robes, I want you to answer a question.
You: I'm ready for your tasks, master.
Cor Kalom: Good. One, I want you to take these swamp herbs and bring them to Gomez in the Old Camp. If his goons don't let you through, tell them Kalom sent you.
Cor Kalom: Two, I want you to find my apprentice, Caine. That lazy fool didn't show up this morning.
Cor Kalom: And?
You: That was it.
Cor Kalom: Then why are you wasting my time? Come back when you've convinced at least four of them!
You: What do you want me to do?
Cor Kalom: I don't WANT you to do anything - Y'Berion does. And I don't know what YOU bring to the table that Angar's men don't.
Cor Kalom: Still, if you're so eager to die, you can go find our templars in the mine. You know Lester, don't you? He's down there, too.
You: A peddler from the Old Camp wants the recipe for that "dreamjuice" you're making. Any chance I could buy it?
Cor Kalom: Are you joking? The dreamjuice is a sacred elixir, not some swill for these idiots to drink their brains out.
You: I do.
Cor Kalom: Good. Then you might already know that we use the ichor in their mandibles for our "dreamjuice."
You: Can't say I do.
Cor Kalom: They're dangerous monsters, lurking in caves and devouring the diggers who work the mines.
Cor Kalom: Their mandibles contain a special kind of ichor from which we brew a potion - the elixio that opens our mind to commune with the Sleeper.
Cor Kalom: Thankfully, the Sleeper recently sent me a vision, and he told me about a source for the ichor.
You: Sounds convenient ...
Cor Kalom: Quiet, you fool! We think there's a nest in the Old Mine - and that that's where the ichor source is.
You: I heard you decide who becomes a novice and who doesn't.
You: I want to join the Brotherhood.
Cor Kalom: Good for you. Then you hopefully already know I'm far too busy to deal with every dumb-faced hopeful.
Cor Kalom: I trust the judgment of the other baals. If they think you're worthy of a novice's robes, come back here - and no sooner.