Icons - The Beggar King

The Beggar King - Born to decadence and opulence beyond the imaginings of any living on the surface, the Beggar King was once the king of the dwarves who had sealed themselves off in their cyclopean cities under the earth to pass the time crafting ever more beautiful works.

Boredom comes easily to those who have it all, grasping every minute for novel ways to distract themselves from the monotonous march of time. A contingent of gnomes was welcomed into the city, bearing wondrous magical toys and knick-knacks. The most popular of these was the True Mirror, that would grant its holder the ability to see his or her ‘true’ beauty, but like most things wrought by gnomes, it was riddled with deception.

When the Mourning Bride led her people back beneath the earth, the dwarves were already enslaved to their mirrors, staring at them for days, weeks or even years on end. Many had wasted away due to starvation and those that were left were in no shape to fight the descent of the dark elves, breaking the dwarves as a people.

The Beggar King escaped, and somehow in the process his mirror began to show him his true inner beauty, or lack thereof.

He realized in that moment, that when he had ruled everything, he had nothing. Now that he ruled nothing… he had everything.

Whether this be a profound truth, a madness or perhaps elements of both, the Beggar King’s hand is often found guiding and helping those who have nothing. The war orphan, the aged beggar and the other ‘unworthies’ of the world look to him as an icon of hope, and enlightenment.