The way I see jt, a mindflayer could be just as dangerous as the orb, just on a longer timeline. They're able to strategize, plan, they're able to hide with their mental powers and above all, they'll try to make it back to their brethren and eventually reproduce more mindflayers.they can potentially live for a long, loooooong time if I understand correctly, and in that time they could do far more harm all added up. People are clearly terrified of what they can do and the threat they pose. Plus a group of mindflayers starting out? Probably even worse.
True, it's problematic that the we let it get that far - but that was the DM's decision! I think my toon tells herself if does get too bad Lae'zel will take us out.
We don't know how long Gale has had condition but I get the impression he's had weeks at least. It's pretty clear these were not the first artifacts he's destroyed. I think he probably should gotten to the astral plane when he still had the ability to do so after 5 days or more?
Sure if the Mind Flayers were somehow able to survive and get to an elder brain they could cause lots of problems over the years (how long do they live btw? mind flayers are something of a blind spot for me - I don't have any source books on them)
But if my theory is right and gale is helping to reincarnate the shadow weave then he will be guilty of even more deaths. Luckily Szass Tam seems reluctant to use the shadow weave but imagine what could happen to Faerun if some other necromancer king was able to build a army of super powerful undead that could resist weave magic . . .
