William is no stranger to ruins. After all, his entire childhood had been spent living and training in one. There is no hesitation at all when he's invited to step through the portal into this desert land and he carefully picks his way through the crumbling buildings at the fairies' behest.

It's been a long time since he's seen some of the items he finds. As he bends down to pick up a candy wrapper, he's struck by an odd sense of familiarity. Memories of his past life pricking at the surface, only to scatter like so much mist when he tries to grasp them. But nothing strikes a chord more than the smartwatch he finds hidden under a layer of dust.

"This is..." He should know what this is. Looking at it, the thought that this is more advanced than what he's used to pops into his mind. However, he knows by its form that it's a watch. "I wonder if it still works-- ah!"

He startles at the hologram which appears and almost drops the thing. It spits out its broken message before disappearing, leaving William to stare at it in shock.

"What happened to this place...?" he wonders aloud.

When the spectres rise from the sand later that night, William is amongst the first on his feet, spear and shield in hand. Are they Stagnate's minions? He hasn't had any contact from either them or Gracefeel but he cannot imagine how it would benefit Stagnate to attack him now. After all, Stagnate had already told him in no uncertain terms that he would meet his death fighting the dragon.

The fact remains, however, that these look to be undead. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, readying himself for a fight.

"If you can't fight, stay back!" he calls out. "If you can fight, protect the others! I can fortify you if you stay near me."

I'm open to people encountering William wherever. He's likely to set off one of the defunct traps, and musing over things half-familiar. William's particular holy power will allow him to send off the ghosts without the need for items and his blessing can offer buffs to others if they fight with him.