oen thing, we assume gale's talking are the truth for the dark shard -- it will explode if the dark shard doesn't eat regularly.
This one is confirmed at least - If you leave him dead for three days, it explodes and gives you an automatic game over.
I'd be interested in forcing the lament configuration into Gale's possession (Pick up only Shadow and Gale, kill your character, kill shadow, then have gale search her body - the configuration will bind itself to Gale. I've not actually done this specifically with him yet), just to see. I suspect they'll not interact, sadly, but it would be interesting.
Regarding Necromancy of Thay - the way the text is written for your examining of it strongly implies that it has much more powerful magic to bestow, if you were of a higher level and greater spellcasting capability... but that because you are not, it all slips through your fingers and is lost. My plan, for one file at least, is to keep the book and not let anyone have or examine it, until I have access to 5th level spells (where a lot of our strong necromancy spells come in) at least.
i recall one thing, that can prove my argument about gale's ambition as karsus.
that is the official introduces gale :
you can help him push the dark shard back to the astral world.
or help him ruin many worlds.
the dark shard is from karsus folly's spell, this little, but i see it as the essence of the karsus folly forbidden spell.
the interesting thing is, the explosive power of the dark shard nowadays only can destroy a little area such as waterdeep. the eventually the power can ruin the worlds due to the dark shard can grow via devouring other magic shards, even far more than our knowledge now.
the purpose that gale absorbs the dark magic shard, not only for becoming a god -- the power thirsty that makes him desire to devour magic weave, but also for dominating mystra.
Silver/ was so kind as to link the screenshots in another thread:
Major spoiler:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/jppkbd/companions_at_the_magic_mirror/remember gale said -- "i am not going to replace mystra as karsus folly, my action is for 'loving mystra' , i call my action-- gale's folly."
yes, gale's talking shows his truth. gale does not want to destroy mystra, gale's ambition is more than karsus' ambition.
gale's ambition is that "overhead" mystra and dominates mystra.
