Will Kempton

Will Kempton, back before he bore either of those names, was the third son of a powerful noble family. Unfortunately, as a third son, he wasn't particularly desired, and so at a young age, when a 'recruiter' came to his family's lands from a nearby cult, his parents saw fit to sell him to the man. The cult, as it turned out, was in the business of training assassins, with the belief that their deity would be brought back to life if enough blood was spilled and soaked into the earth. He took very naturally to the training, and from his early teens to early twenties simply did what he was ordered to. Political assassinations to start or end wars, investigators who were getting too close to discovering their base of operations, even simple grudges being settled, if they paid the cult the cult dispatched death.

And then the job came to kill his younger sister. Why that particular job was passed to him, he did not know. He didn't know who hired him for it either. He didn't even recognize her, though he did realize where he was when he saw the portraits hanging on the walls. Brainwashed though he'd been, he still had some faint memories of being in the manor as a boy. And there he was, knife poised over the sleeping form of a girl no older than he was when he was sent on his first assignment...and he left. Something inside of him had broken...or had it been broken years before and it was only now starting to mend? Regardless, the one thing the cult was not expecting was one of their own to turn on them.

He barely made it out alive...thought he hadn't, in fact, when he plunged into the river that ran not far from the small fortress, now ablaze, corpses littering the place and blood everywhere. A passing swordsman had fished him out and tended his wounds, then helped him regain his health, which took a long while. Part of that recovery required physical training, after being bedridden for so long...and apparently, a touch of magic as well. He was taught how to move more gracefully, to attack without intending to kill, to enjoy the art of swordplay rather than the vicious end result. Over time, he came to appreciate the older man, gave himself a new name, and took the vows required to properly call himself a swordmaster. Since then, he's been largely on the move. He is still wary that some of the cult survived--there was no way to be certain that everyone had been present when he attacked--but thus far it seems he has evaded any retaliation.

(If interested in a story set in this history, I've left parts of it vague to fill in some blanks! Just let me know. I prefer to not play him too much during his assassin time, however)

As an assassin:
Very keen senses and awareness

The ability to move quietly, disarm traps and open locks

Mastery of several different weapons, both for ranged and close combat, with a particular focus on blades

Extensive knowledge of poisons and human anatomy, can deliver a lethal wound (or, of course, avoid one) quite easily, unless one's anatomical structure is considerably different.

As a swordmaster:
Acrobatic training, uses agility even beyond that in his assassin days.

Enhancing physical capabilities with magic, including increases in speed, agility, strength, vitality, and healing speed.

Continued focus on swords, combined with his previous training, means he can deal out non lethal attacks at will.

Due to vows taken when he accepted training as a swordmaster, if he kills anyone (with some rare exceptions) , or uses a sword for a task it was not intended for (cutting wood, prying open a door, etc) he will lose the magical abilities imparted by that training until he atones properly.