William Bounds grew up in the salt flats of Madeupington. For years, he survived off a sodium rich diet, forever feeling that something was missing. One fateful day, after everyone else in his horrible little salt village died in a mysterious and totally accidental fire that was in no way brought on by salt madness, he traveled to the more civilized world, and discovered the wonder that was pepper. So he devoted his life to it, in hopes that never again would he- I mean, anyone- be claimed by salt madness.