Gale: Difference between revisions

Gale has a simple, yet refined style to him, with clothes well-made but never ostentatious. His mousy brown hair is straight and shoulder-length, swept back with an elegant flair. His eyes are chestnut brown, his gaze soft but confident, and he keeps his facial hair neatly trimmed. On his left ear, Gale wears a silver earring shaped in the form of a star, holy symbol of Mystra, representing perhaps his former relationship with the goddess or just his affinity with magic. In the middle of his chest, a dark circle with wispy tendrils can be found, the result of absorbing [[Karsus|Karsus']] netherese magic. These tendrils extend all the way to under his left eye, faint, but ever present.

Born to Morena Dekarios{{ref|name=dekarios}} and an unknown father, Gale was raised in the city of [[Waterdeep]]. A prodigy of magic from a young age, Gale learned to manipulate the [[Weave]] like a skilled virtuoso plays music, his talents and abilities manifesting in many occasions, though often with unintended consequences. One time, forbidden from having a cat of his own by his parents, Gale summoned [[Tara]], a tressym that would become not only his lifelong companion, but also family.{{ref|name=summons|[[Secluded Cove]], dialogue with Gale after saving Mirkon.<br>''"One time my parents denied me a kitten, so I summoned myself a tressym. Dear old Tara. Beautiful creature. (...) There was that magma mephit once. Nice fellow - we kept in touch."''}} After Gale's departure from home, Tara would keep mother Dekarios company throughout the years. Other less successful attempts resulted in a fiery meeting with a [[Magma Mephit]], though he kept in touch with them over the years, nonetheless.{{ref|name=summons}}{{note|It's likely that Gale's summoned mephit is the same magma mephit who appears in [[In Case of Death...]]}} In time, Gale would be enrolled at the prestigious [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Blackstaff_Academy Blackstaff Academy], an educational institution for promising wizards and sorcerers.{{ref|name=blackstaff1|[[Arcane Tower]], lines spoken by Gale after reaching the tower and speaking to him.<br>''"Ah. Quite. A misadventure from my days as an apprentice at Blackstaff Academy. I was but a child, only a few months into my studies, but already I knew I was destined for greatness. No one believed me, of course, so I decided to prove it. To cast a spell with the Blackstaff itself. From one perspective, I succeeded. I opened a portal. However, instead of pointing it at the first year dormitory, I found myself pulled into limbo, facing a very ''irritated'' Death Slaad. Fortunately, The Blackstaff himself came to the rescue, hauling me back from the brink, and straight into several months of writing lines."''}}   

Gale's talent eventually drew the attention of the Goddess of Magic, [[Mystra]], who made him one of her Chosen. Mystra became a teacher, muse, and eventually lover to Gale.{{ref|name=mystra1|Campsite, lines spoken by Gale when telling the player about his past relationship with Mystra.<br>''"Once upon a time, not quite that long ago, there lived a wizard in a tower. (...) Such was his skill that it earned him the attention of the mother of magic herself. The Lady of Mysteries. Mystra. (...) Mystra showed him the secrets beneath the veils. The gossamer veils first, draped across the Weave. The delicate veils next, draped across her body. 'Chosen One', she whispered (...)."''}} When Mystra's passion waned, Gale sought the rekindle her interest by showing her he was her equal. Arrogance sought to make her see him as worthy of peering beyond what the goddess of magic allowed mortals to experience, but she refused his every plea. Having learned of [[Netheril#Karsus' Folly|Karsus' Folly]] and his attempts at reaching godhood via his netherese magic, Gale sought out a tome containing a scrap of Weave, hoping to impress Mystra by returning a long-lost part of her.{{ref|name=orb|Campsite, lines spoken by Gale when telling the player about his past relationship with Mystra.<br>''"A fragment of it was caught and sealed away in a book. No ordinary book, mind you: a tome of gateways that contained within it a bubble of Astral Plane. It was a fragment of primal Weave locked out of time - locked away from Mystra herself."''}} Yet when he opened the book, a writhing mass of darkest black leapt at him, becoming part of his body and giving him an insatiable hunger for magic. To keep the orb from exploding with enough force to level an entire city flat, Gale needed to consume magic constantly in order to feed this gnawing hunger. But the most painful punishment for his hubris would be to lose his position as Mystra's Chosen. When she learned of Gale's recklessness, Mystra ceased all contact with him and ended their relationship for good without adding another word, leaving Gale to deal with the netherese orb within him on his own.

* As of Patch 5, Gale is the most played origin character according to Larian Studios.{{cite web