William was named after his father William Armin, who was named after a long line of men with the same namesake. He was raised on a farm in western Lordaeron, with his two siblings William and Ezekiel. William was the oldest, and so he had first rights to the farm when his father died mysteriously. It was only a few months later, on his twenty-first birthday that the poisoned grain was discovered, but unfortunately it was too late for the Armins. William and his brothers became vicious, rotting ghouls, killing and devouring their mother Annabeth, before joining the main Scourge Force.