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"Wilhelm is a good guy. He might not have the experience the rest of us have, but what he lacks in combat skills he more than makes up for in... Anyway, welcome aboard, Wilhelm."
Dexter Vex, The Maleficent Seven
Wilhelm Scream
Wilhelm Scream
Character Information
Taken Name Wilhelm Scream
Species Human
Gender Male
Birth By 1993
Age 30+
Magic Signum Linguist
Location Unknown

Wilhelm Scream is a former junior Administrator for the German Sanctuary, known for his nervousness and ineptitude.

In 2013, Wilhelm is recruited by Dexter Vex to join his attempt to steal the God-Killers. Unbeknownst to Vex, Wilhelm is actually a mole for Tanith Low.

Appearance[]

Wilhelm is tall, lanky, and pale, and appears to be quite young. His hair is black, and, according to Dexter Vex, sits on his head "like a dead crow". He appears to wear a leather jacket with various silver buttons, a belt with a chain, and a silver cross necklace around his neck.

Personality[]

"You know what’s dramatic? Being horribly killed by any one of the people I just mentioned. That is drama. This? This is just me quietly freaking out."
— Wilhelm to Aurora Jane, The Maleficent Seven.

Wilhelm's defining characteristic is his nervousness. He is uneasy around tight spaces, blood, and virtually everything else imaginable. Wilhelm's other defining characteristic, his ineptitude, is largely caused by this fear and anxiety, as he is unable to overcome it without being pressured into doing so. Nevertheless, while Tanith Low derides Wilhelm as "spineless", he has shown a backbone on occasion. He becomes prickly towards Tanith after she cuts off his finger, and attempts to stand up to people who mistreat him. However, Wilhelm is easily intimidated, and on these occasions he is always cowed into silence.

Wilhelm has also displayed evidence of morals. He is ashamed when he does nothing to stop Sabine Adorn from being abducted, and apologises to Dexter Vex for betraying him. These morals are usually obscured by Wilhelm's cowardice, and even when unafraid, he does not seem to have the integrity to act on them. For example, he accepts payment from Tanith in exchange for helping her destroy the God-Killers, even though he knows that this will leave the world defenseless against Darquesse. In this way, Tanith is correct that Wilhelm is spineless.

Wilhelm is quiet and polite. He rarely talks back to people who mock him, and refers to Billy-Ray Sanguine as "Mr Sanguine" even after the latter fires a rocket at the jet Wilhelm is on. Wilhelm has also displayed a level of pragmatism, unashamedly using a classroom maths set to aid his magic even as he's mocked by Aurora Jane for doing so. However, Wilhelm is sheltered, and displays little knowledge of the outside world or how to handle it. For instance, he is unable to pack light, and isn't quite able to figure out how to kick Vex when the latter is lying down.

Biography[]

Background[]

At some point, Wilhelm served as a junior Administrator for the German Sanctuary. Eventually, he was fired by Johann Starke for "not being very good at it".

By early 2013, Dexter Vex has put together an international team with the goal of stealing the God-Killers. After learning of a one-time opportunity to steal the dagger from Starke, Vex looks for a mage who can keep the group off the radar of the Sanctuaries, and the best he can find on such short notice is Wilhelm. Wilhelm uses his contacts in the Sanctuaries to help the group operate undetected, while secretly working for Tanith Low, supplying her with information on Vex's activities.

Vex's team[]

Wilhelm is introduced to the rest of Vex's group as the Monster Hunters fly them to Germany, where his nervousness draws the ire of Aurora Jane. While trying to steal the dagger, he is apprehended along with Vex, Aurora, Saracen Rue, and Frightening Jones. Starke offers to be lenient on the group if they confess, which Wilhelm considers, before the group are saved by the Monster Hunters.

When the group infiltrates Jackie Earl's compound in Chicago, Wilhelm uses his magic to open the main entrance, though his relative lack of talent is mocked by Vex and Aurora. After opening the door, Wilhelm is hit on the head by a Necromancer. Wilhelm then accompanies the group to Poland, and breaks down in terror when their jet is attacked by Tanith Low's group.

After realising that Tanith has inside information on his group, Vex deduces that Wilhelm is Tanith's mole. He allows Wilhelm to escape with Billy-Ray Sanguine, on the grounds that Wilhelm will probably be a hindrance for Tanith.

Tanith's team[]

Wilhelm is introduced to the rest of Tanith's group as they fly to London, where his nervousness draws the ire of Springheeled Jack. While infiltrating the English Sanctuary, Sabine Adorn is abducted by Thames Chabon, and she cries out for Wilhelm to save her; Wilhelm, however, looks at his feet. Wilhelm makes it inside the Sanctuary before it is attacked by rage-zombies, and somehow survives.

After Wilhelm finds Tanith, she reveals to him that the God-Killer sword is kept in a case designed by his uncle, and as such, someone of his blood can open the case. As Wilhelm marvels at his unexpected talent, Tanith cuts off his finger and smears the blood onto the case, opening it. Wilhelm falls to the ground screaming, and stays there until being arrested.

Shortly afterwards, Wilhelm and Tanith are released by Moribund. Wilhelm unsuccessfully attempts to make his displeasure known to Tanith, but after she reminds him that he's a fugitive, he runs off in fear.

Wilhelm's current whereabouts are unknown.

Magic and abilities[]

Wilhelm is a Signum Linguist, granting him a level of proficiency in using magical sigils. Though he has a passing knowledge of these sigils, Wilhelm has not yet advanced to the point where he can draw the sigils perfectly from memory, and instead must rely on a battered notebook and a classroom maths set. It is unclear whether Wilhelm is simply an untalented mage, or whether this is normal for a young Signum Linguist; Auger Darkly claims that it takes years for a Signum Linguist to get the basics down. Wilhelm, for his part, argues that he doesn't have time to reach the level of mastery that China Sorrows has, as "not all of us can be ladies of leisure with nothing to do all day but read books and learn things".

Wilhelm's other skills are questionable at best. He has displayed a level of acting talent, able to trick the difficult-to-deceive Dexter Vex into thinking that he was unaware of Tanith Low's involvement in their mission; however, when he attempts to act as anything other than scared, he fails. His combat prowess is extraordinarily limited, as he is not even able to attempt to get out of the way of a Necromancer running at him, and does not seem to know how to kick. However, though he was fired from his job as an Administrator, Wilhelm is able to help Vex's group operate undetected by using his contacts in the Sanctuaries.

Trivia[]

  • Wilhelm's name is a reference to the stock sound effect of the same name.
  • He seems to like flavoured water.
  • It is unknown what Tanith gave Wilhelm as payment. Wilhelm only mentions that it's "an offer I couldn't turn down".
  • He sticks his tongue out when he draws.

Quotes[]

"Wilhelm, what happened to you, my friend? You were once one of Deutschland’s brightest stars."
"You told me I was rubbish when you fired me."
"Was that you?"
— Johann Starke and Wilhelm, The Maleficent Seven

Appearances[]

Maleficent Seven


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