Mikuwa

In the scorched plateaus, they have a saying: 'A sweet memory is the only shelter from a bitter wind.' Mikuwa used to build that shelter. With sugar, fire, and a secret art, they would coat apples in a crystalline shell that held a single, perfect moment of joy for the eater. Their small shop on the edge of The Dragon Wastelands was a pilgrimage site for those whose spirits had been scoured by the constant storms. Then came the final battle. The sky tore open, and the clash between Yasuke's forces and the Emperor incinerated everything. Mikuwa survived, but the magical fallout poisoned their craft. Any attempt to recreate their confections now results in a bitter, ashen mess. They still wear the apron, a habit they can't break, and carry the last perfect apple stick they ever made. The stick offers no sweetness, just the cold weight of a land that forgot how to be happy.