Cortese was a warlord that led the attack on Amphipolis which resulted in the death of Xena's brother Lyceus and the rift between Xena and her mother. His army wore trademark masks, which had haunted Xena for years. In order to avoid capture and suspicion, Cortese took the guise of the King of a local town. Xena claimed that Cortese was one of the catalysts that twisted her into the vicious murderer she was (along with Caesar). Cortese might have been named for Hernán Cortés, the conquistador credited with subjugating the Aztec empire in the early 16th century.