After the continents were formed and the world was divided, the only sentient species left behind on the surface of Rope Isle were the Crom. They are an industrious race, whose giant, mathematical minds greatly compensate for their frail physiques.

As food became scarce, the island's predators began hunting the Crom. Fortunately, there was an ample supply of scrap machinery left behind from the old world. Although they are a slow and methodical race, the Crom quickly adapted and built sturdy defenses to protect themselves from Rope Isle's wildlife.

The Crom then began to construct machines which could fight back against the beasts which preyed on them. Not known for their creativity or artistry, the Crom tried to copy the designs of the Maestros of old, using damaged blueprints and drawings they had discovered on the island. The result was a new type of machine known as the Warbot. These robotic creatures were programmed with a primitive artificial intelligence, and for a time, they defended the Crom civilization.

However, the Warbots soon turned on the Crom, and once again, the Crom found themselves being hunted down and slaughtered. For generations, the Crom's numbers dwindled, and the entire race was in danger of extinction. Hope finally came as zeppelins landed on the island, bearing colonists from the Republic of Rogwel and the Kingdom of Elerd. Ambassadors from each nation met with Crom leaders and promised to protect their people from the Warbots if the Crom would sign a treaty agreeing to exclusively help their nation in harvesting Energy Stones.

Faced with offers from each nation, the Crom did not know which to ally with. Having fought for survival so many times in the past, they were worried that whichever nation whose treaty they rejected would retaliate with force. They decided the safest, and most lucrative, compromise was to agree to assist both nations equally and remain neutral in the war between Rogwel and Elerd. Since that time, the Crom have offered their goods and services to the two nations, and being the only other civilization on the island, they have learned to charge high prices for much of what they offer.