Will Kempen is the main protagonist of Dark Rise.
Biography[]
Childhood[]
Following the death of his aunt, Eleanor Kempen became pregnant with Will, the Dark King reborn, who was apparently conceived through magic, without a father. She attempted to have Will aborted with magic by the midwife Ellie Lange but was unsuccessful and resulted in Ellie being permanently becoming mentally disabled in an alzheimer-like state as a result of Will's dark power.
Growing up, Eleanor subjected Will to verbal and physical abuse, even going so far as tied him to a bedpost. He was described to have many bruises from the abuse. Upon Elizabeth's birth, young Will was curious with his half-sister and escaped his bindings but was yelled away from her by his mother. On the run from Sinclair's men, they moved constantly and Will was hid away from the public.
When given a bit of kidney pie from Mrs. Thomas, he took a liking to her and chatted and helped her with her chores. Around that time, a man that had been staying at Mrs. Thomas's inn laid hands on her and a lamp was knocked over and set fire to his belongings. Though no proof that it was him, Mrs. Thomas was sure that it had been done by Will to protect her.
Before her death, Eleanor attempted to kill Will with a knife. The knife pierced Will's palm but ultimately he survived.
Despite his mother's cruelty Will himself only talks of her fondly and makes no mention of the abuse.
Dark Rise[]
Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. When an old servant tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, Will is ushered into a world of magic, where he must train to play a vital role in the oncoming battle against the rising evil.
Dark Heir[]
After learning he was the Dark King reborn, Will swore not to let Sarcean have this world, or him own mind. However, he is still drawn to aspects of his old life, especially James.
Physical Description[]
Will has a face that can grab someone’s attention. His features are sharp and his hair and eyes are dark. When Violet first met him, he was thin and light as though underfed. He has a scar on his palm from where his mother stabbed him. While in hiding, he wore fingerless gloves to cover the scar.