Character from A Practical Guide to Evil by ErraticErrata
The Lone Swordsman — Catherine's first nemesis, a hero given his Name by an Angel of Contrition, who died in their pattern of three because that's how villain-and-hero stories end when the villain is smarter.
William was born in Greenbury to cobblers. His father was a former knight. An Angel of Contrition gave him the Name of Lone Swordsman after he murdered his sister while living in the wilds — the Contrition was his own, weaponized into power. His Aspects — Swing (increased strike power), Rise (heals fatal damage, three times per day), Triumph (physical enhancement) — made him a terrifying combatant. He and Catherine fought three times, because the narrative demands a pattern of three between hero and villain. He lost the pattern. He's Catherine's first real antagonist and the series' clearest illustration of how Names work: William was a hero running on a hero's narrative, and Catherine beat him by understanding that narrative better than he did.
Young, darkly handsome, messy hair, green eyes. He looks like the protagonist of a different, more conventional story — the heroic swordsman who should have beaten the villain. He didn't.
Also known as: William, Lone Swordsman