![[McMickey.png]] # King McMickey _Dwarf King | [[Gauntlgrym]] | [[Moradin]]'s Chosen_ ## Summary Dwarven barbarian, pit-fighting champion, and one of the [[Heroes of Waterdeep]] who rose from [[Waterdeep]]'s brawling pits to become King of [[Gauntlgrym]] through divine mandate from [[Moradin]] himself. Lived for two things: grappling and beer. Wrestled trolls, beholders, arcanoloths, and his own party members with equal enthusiasm. Stubbornly insisted that a stolen ring and amulet were royal family heirlooms despite all evidence to the contrary — and turned out to be right, in the most cosmically improbable way possible. Met the ghost of [[King Melair IV]] in the [[Undermountain]], who confirmed McMickey was "the One who was Promised." Fulfilled that destiny at the end of everything — in the [[Far Realm]], at the edge of a dead universe, striking the final chain on [[Tharizdun]] with the [[Hammer of the All Father]] while [[Reg]]'s Time Stop held reality in place. The greatest hero ever, by his own assessment and apparently by [[Moradin]]'s. Now rules [[Gauntlgrym]] alongside his queen [[Aydra Summergale]], conducting court in the feast hall, working alongside his people, hosting Royal Rumbles when his wife visits the [[Feywild]], and privately wrestling with whether he deserves the crown. His city sits at the nexus of the [[House Xorlarrin]] feud, the [[Zalto]] conspiracy, and the primordial [[Maegera]]'s ancient history. %% ## At a Glance Stocky dwarf with a magnificent red beard braided with gold rings. Crown sitting perpetually askew as if knocked crooked in a recent scuffle — because it was. Golden spiked armor with royal cape. Loud, jovial, and prone to shouting proclamations peppered with pit fighter slang. Still insists on his noble heritage despite divine correction — a running joke among the court that stopped being funny when [[Moradin]] confirmed it was true. McMickey approaches both combat and kingship with the same direct, headbutting enthusiasm. He conducts court in the feast hall because he doesn't believe in throne rooms. He works alongside his craftsmen because he doesn't believe in watching others work. He throws wrestling tournaments because he doesn't believe in diplomacy that doesn't involve at least one suplex. And he privately confides his doubts to [[Aydra Summergale]] because, beneath all the bluster, he's a man who never expected to be given something this important and is terrified of letting it down. ## Personality Boisterously confident, surprisingly wise when it matters, fiercely loyal, and possessed of an unshakeable belief in his own destiny that the universe eventually decided to validate rather than correct. His philosophy — "Why waste time planning when we could just charge in now?" — led to a "successfully catastrophic" siege of [[Gauntlgrym]] where he attacked three days ahead of schedule and won through sheer chaos. McMickey's pettiness was legendary: he maintained a kill-count rivalry with [[Osah Firesong]], stewed when she stole his kills, bathed in the blood of a drow priestess after scoring one of his own, and attempted to give an arcanaloth a swirly. He was frightened out of a pit fight ring by a teenage mousefolk playing bagpipes. He obsessively attacked statues after [[King Melair IV]] told him to smash them. He tried to grapple a dragon turtle, a Mind Flayer, and on at least one occasion, a party member who was mid-conversation. But when it counted — really counted — McMickey was the one who swung the hammer. Not because he was the smartest or the most powerful, but because he was too stubborn to stop and too loyal to quit. ## Quote _"True nobility comes from what you do, not who you're born as — though I'm definitely noble born, just saying."_ ## Background **The Pit Fighter:** Started as a brawling champion in [[Waterdeep]]'s [[Dock Ward]] fighting pits, known for grappling everything that moved. [[Hlam]] recognized something in him and gifted him a magical silvered warhammer with the warning "Don't lose this." McMickey immediately left it behind to go pit fighting, forcing [[Willow]] to guard it. **The "Family Heirlooms":** Looted a brass ring marked "M" and an amulet marked "DK" from a necromancer. Convinced himself they stood for "Melairkyn" and "Dwarven King" — royal family heirlooms. A wizard explained they belonged to the evil mage [[Manshoon]] and the paranoid wizard [[Duhlark Kolat]]. McMickey refused to accept this. His obsession led him to charge through the magical force field at [[Kolat Towers]], only to be marooned inside when [[Xyrbwynn]] stole the amulet and walked away. **The Yawning Portal:** One of the original party members at the [[Yawning Portal]]. Grappled a troll, attempted to grapple everything else, and earned [[Durnan]]'s grudging respect. Joined [[Force Grey]] and fought through the elemental cult wars, the [[Undermountain]], and the [[Oblivion War]]. **The Promised One:** In the [[Undermountain]], McMickey was teleported to the Heart of the Mountain where the ghost of [[King Melair IV]] asked if he was "the One who was Promised." McMickey confidently said yes. The ghost tasked him with smashing demon-trapped statues — which McMickey embraced so enthusiastically that he began attacking every statue he encountered, eventually getting trapped behind a Wall of Force by [[Muiral the Misshapen]]. He also defeated [[Zress Orlezziir]] in trial by combat against all odds to escape [[House Auvryndar]]'s demands for his head. **The Feywild and the Everflowers:** During the [[Oblivion War]], McMickey was banished to the [[Feywild]] by a sneaky pit-fighting elf. There he reunited with [[Lia]] and joined [[Orchid]]'s [[Everflowers]], finally finding a place where he truly belonged. He fell in love with [[Aydra Summergale]], one of the [[Everflowers]], whose fey magic and fierce spirit matched his own. **The Final Chain:** In the campaign's ultimate moment, the party confronted [[Tharizdun]] in the [[Far Realm]] — a dead universe at the end of everything. While the heroes struggled to attach [[Moradin]]'s chains to the mad god, [[Reg]] cast Time Stop, freezing reality itself. In that frozen moment, McMickey struck the final chain with the [[Hammer of the All Father]], imprisoning [[Tharizdun]] and saving the multiverse. The delusional pit fighter from the [[Dock Ward]] fulfilled the prophecy that everyone — including himself, deep down — thought was a joke. **The Liberation of Gauntlgrym:** [[Moradin]] charged McMickey with liberating [[Gauntlgrym]] based on heroic deeds rather than bloodline — transforming boastful claims into genuine destiny. McMickey launched his assault three days ahead of schedule. [[Aydra Summergale]]'s [[Everflowers]] disrupted drow enchantments. [[Vajra Safahr]]'s spells demolished fortifications. Historians call it a "successfully catastrophic" victory — effective but chaotic, much like McMickey himself. **The Iron Flask Crisis:** [[House Xorlarrin]] attacked during [[Gauntlgrym]]'s festivities, attempting to steal the fire primordial [[Maegera]] in an Iron Flask. The heroes killed the drow mages and recovered the flask. McMickey blamed himself for the infiltration and felt profound failure that it happened under his watch. [[Sister Garaele]] consoled the distraught king. **King of Gauntlgrym:** Rules alongside Queen [[Aydra Summergale]]. Conducts court in the feast hall. Works alongside his people. Hosts Royal Rumbles when [[Aydra Summergale|Aydra]] visits the [[Feywild]]. His city sits at the nexus of the [[House Xorlarrin]] feud, the [[Zalto]] conspiracy, and [[Maegera]]'s connection to the [[City of Brass]]. Drew dwarven craftsmen and traders from across the North with the [[Great Forge]]'s reactivation. Privately wrestles with whether he deserves the crown — but never in front of his people. ## Stats **AC** 22 | **HP** 261 | **CR** 18 - **Axe of the Dwarven Lords:** +16 to hit, thunderous boom forces DC 17 Con save or pushed 10 ft. and knocked prone - **Rage (4/Day):** +4 damage, resistance to physical damage - **Legendary Actions (3):** Attack, Rally the Guard (1d4 veterans), Inspiring Shout (allies gain advantage) %%