Roquat

Roquat the Nome King is a character created by L. Frank Baum. His Tin Man version is portrayed by Nicol Williamson.

Roquat the Ruby has been the Nome King since gnomes first learned of the existence of Topsiders. They created a mutual alliance with the ones living nearest their mountain and taught them how to work metal. Eventually, this knowledge spread
throughout all Topsider realms. Roquat's magic is not innate, but comes in the gold belt that signifies his kingship over the gnomes. He and his dominion was older than ancient when he lashed out at the Topsiders who had invaded in search of precious gems and ores and took more than they could possibly need. He turned the Topsiders into ornaments to replace the stolen natural splendors. This skirmish introduced Roquat to Queen Ozma and Princess Dorothy Gale, the witches ruling the Topsider realm called the Outer Zone.

The witch with the silver shoes managed to beat Roquat's game and free their people. The second time he encountered them, he had taken the royal family of the Kingdom of Ev so that the king would actually listen to the Topsider Roquat had chosen to argue his demands. The King committed suicide and the Outer Zone witches stepped in to rescue the Crown Prince. They brought a chicken who freed the ruling family of the Kingdom of Ev by beating his game.

No gnome brings up the third encounter with the Outer Zone witches unless they wish to be dropped in magma and returned to the elements. In his rage at being bested again, Roquat ordered the gnomes to move their mountain as far from the Outer Zone as possible. Shoving it out into the ocean altered the landscape of the Nonestica continent forever. Topsiders called the event the Great Upheaval, but it didn't destroy the Outer Zone.

Roquat put magical safeguards in place so his Steward could find him if the Topsiders allied to the gnomes really needed him. But over the annuals trapped under the ground, he forgot about the benefits the gnomes had had with Topsiders and dwelt on all the wrongs done to the gnomes. His most furious hatred centered on the royal family of the Outer Zone.