As the cities waged their aggressions towards each other, the small towns and settlements suffered greatly. The battles, raids, dwindling trade, suspicions, and disease that followed war bred refugees across the land. For many, there was no place to go, no escape, at least that was the case until Cormildux.

Cormildux is the product of the broken alliance. Refugees from all species and backgrounds converged in a hostile land, driven from their homes, and banded together to weather the storm that is the war. Small groups rallied behind leaders who showed exceptional determination. These leaders wandered until finding each other and settling in a harsh land at the edge of the desert. The combined knowledge and ingenuity of the varied backgrounds allowed them to forge a city in an unforgiving landscape of venomous creatures, intense temperature, and poor farmland filled with dangerous plants.

Cormildux is a city of diversity, bound by one thing: determination to survive. All creeds and cultures are welcome here. The city sprawls with short, wooden buildings. Thin sheets drape between the buildings, providing meager protection from the sun and washing the city in color. Walking along the dirt streets of Cormildux yields a cacophony to the senses. Music, scents, and languages from all around the world drift along the dry, hot breeze.

The city is governed by the original leaders of the refugee bands. Although no laws bind the populace to their will, the people have followed out of sheer respect for their capabilities. However, with the ever-growing population, that system is being strained. Despite the size and constant fluctuation of the population, violent crimes remain low for now. The leaders punish petty crimes with fines and community service. Most other issues are solved the old Keridwyn way: with bounty hunters.

The culture of Cormildux stands in stark, unyielding opposition to the unwelcoming terrain. Sandy earth of poor quality make the cultivation of food quite difficult. There is, however, a type of plant that grows rampantly in this area – a barbed plant that snakes along the ground and can be harvested for venomwood. Cormildux’s main export, it’s a dangerous plant to harvest and even more difficult to work with, but enduring difficulty is the Cormildux virtue.

Other cities have raided Cormildux under the assumption that there is a hidden stockpile of resources. After all, the city shouldn’t be able to survive in their current conditions. But the stockpiled resource is determination – determination to harvest plants in poor soil, to dig for water day after day, and to keep building another home after the last is destroyed in battle.

The Apefused named Kathar was born in Crossroads, where he was trained as a duelist at a young age. He favors twin sabers in a flowing combat style. He joined the Keridwyn army with the expectation of loot and glory. Reality struck him when he arrived at the training camp of Enviro. He disliked taking orders and fared poorly when working as a unit with other soldiers. His selfish attitude and arrogant nature put him at odds with the officers regularly. After repeated problems, he was discharged from the army despite his individual skills with the blade. The parting words from his commanding officer were that he would never be useful until he learned humility.

With resentment in his heart, he went to Orbin, where he was able to put a use to his dueling skills without being stifled by the stiff formality of the army. He found likeminded individuals and formed a merry band of ‘adventurers which sailed throughout the islands and along the coast, harassing other vessels and relieving them of cargo aboard the vessel Seafang. When Kathar spilled blood upon the docks of Orbin, he and his crew were driven from the city and forbidden from returning. After months without finding a safe port, his crew was close to mutiny. This was when he heard of the doors of Keridwyn closing.

Eschewing the words of his former officer, he made a brash decision. Through guile and steel, the crew of the Seafang stole an airship from a Keridwyn military outpost. He named the borrowed ship Humility’s Scorn. A new campaign of raiding began, waged against the trade routes of the land. The hull of Humility’s Scorn swelled with plunder in the early days of the alliance. His endeavors earned the ire of many. When he returned one day from a raid, he found the forces of Beacon, led by a tiny shining star. The airship sustained fatal damage in its hasty retreat, ending its reign of terror in a wreckage of debris in the desert. Kathar and the handful of survivors nearly died of dehydration before they stumbled upon the streets of Cormildux.

Kathar claims to be a new man, inspired by the hospitality of Cormildux citizens, many of whom he himself displaced with his piracy. His flowing twin blades have aided Cormildux in battle on many occasions. However, many report that off the battlefield, he still exhibits unfriendly behavior. There are also occasional visitors from Hesit with whom he denies communicating.

Yellow hued skin betrays Malek as an Orc of the desert tribes. A warrior to the bone, Malek fights with a reckless fervor and a love for spoils of war. He fights not for love of Cormildux but of money. He also spends at an incredible rate, encouraging him to fight often.

It was on a spirit journey when Malek stumbled upon the forces of Hesit as they assaulted Cormildux. The Hesit fighters glittered with contraptions, artifacts, and wealth. Coveting this himself, Malek threw himself into the rear forces of Hesit with wanton enthusiasm. The sounds of maniacal Orcish laughter and the breaking of the rear guard routed the Hesit army. Cormildux cheered and praised the Orc who had turned the battle with a surprise attack.

Malek claimed a great wealth from the battlefield. It lasted all of a week. In that week, Malek indulged in the diverse array of offerings available from the mixed background of Cormildux culture.