Elysium is divided into subrealms. Mystra's subrealm takes the form of an expansive magical library. Presumably there are also alchemical labs but that's not never mentioned. I assume that Gale would have the opportunity to learn.
One of Elminister's tests was an open invitation of a sinecure position at a library and Mystra gave him the option to live out a mortal life reading and writing. But he chose love of her instead and had faith that when his duties as a chosen were done he would gain access to a better one.
But that Gale is insanely curious and wants to learn magic isn't his problem, that he is lonely and magic also is his crutch is.
This is a pretty important sentence I think - it's something of a synodoche of one reading of Gale. I think his cardinal trait is hubris, not loneliness.
There a was psychologist who had a theory of personality in which people had cardinal traits (tip of pyramid), primary, secondary and tertiary. The cardinal trait is the one that rules our actions informs the expression of all the others. With Astarian the cardinal trait would be
fearful. Charming, seductive, etc are primary or secondary traits. He's going to hang around you for protection even if you are bad company. I'd put Gale's loneliness pretty low down on the pyramid. It's there but it doesn't seem to guide many of his actions.
Gale's two wolves
I know the original story has been all but lost to the memes but I'm using the original one. The wolf you feed is the stronger of the two. Gales two wolves are: Gale the god of ambition and the chosen of mystra.
This is another EA comparison so if you didn't play EA Wyll it makes less sense but I think there are parallels between Wyll 1.0 and the Gale 2.0 stories: both are "two wolves" stories. In EA Wyll had the potential for heroism that we see in final release but that was blocked by his love of glory. The hero of the sword coast was, in reality, a gloryhound consumed by a desire for revenge, a person who would use evil means to get his vengeance and someone who cared more the life of his infernal patron than lives of the innocents at the grove. But he also
wanted to the right thing and wouldn't directly threaten the lives of the children at the grove. The charlatan and the folk hero were his two wolves and Tav needed to decide which of two she would encourage Wyll to feed.
When Gale sees the crown the wolf of ambition starts slavering. Imagine what I could do with all that power. I wouldn't need Mystra, I wouldn't need anyone. I'd by a Mythal unto myself, not someone who begs for whatever scraps the gods decide to dole out to us.
(the first taken from his mirror reveal, the second taken from a dialogue that might be unique to clerics)
Now I agree with you that wolf can be tamed by a romantic partner
Getting back to the original post of the thread. The OP was upset that Gale was written to be annoying but I think we needed to be a bit annoyed by his arrogance to see the struggle at this moment. "No Gale, I like you despite those traits". Is Hubris going to remain top dog or can another take its place?
(But his 'annoyingness' really needed to be toned down. ln EA I found him not just arrogant but creepy and manipulative. That "I just made you dinner" scene. bleh, *shudder* bleh )
And that's why I don't think I "missed the point" with the previous stories. The tale of Karsus is, in part, a retelling of the story of Icarus and I don't think you can ignore that aspect of the story.
Mystra is first and foremost interested in the Weave and her worshippers are simply her currency. It cannot be a good relationship because there cannot be equality in it. As Mystra's lover you have to be content with what ever she deins to grant you.
I think there is some truth to that. Mystra is first and foremost interested in the weave and will put its well being before anything else. But that's also in the interest of (demi) humanity - last time the weave was blown up 10s of thousands died and humanity entered a dark age. Raphael's right: Nethril was the apex of human civilization. I mean they had indoor plumbing, refrigeration, central heating, flying chariots . . .
She's also more concerned with souls than lives. I don't like the line about people dying all the time. It makes her attitude more callous than it should be be but, yes, to the gods the eternal lives of people are more important than their mortal ones. Whatever the worth of a single mortal life, immortal life is infinitely more valuable. Mystra is not Mammon.
(no Karlach you can't eat those souls)
As Mystra's lover you have to be content with what ever she deins to grant you.
That's true. You also need to be prepared for a series of heroic tests of fidelity. But, in her defense, she makes her lovers as powerful as any mortal can be and her lovers are free to start as many romantic relationships as they like. So she makes
some attempts to bridge a the power gap that cannot be crossed.
I find it strange that they made Gale monogamous - strikes me as a last minute decision. Gale, did you not know that your former lover isn't non monogamous? That you weren't in an "old fashioned" relationship? If you failed to find someone other than Tara that's on you.
Yes, you can tell the story as one that exposes the pathologies of a power gap relationship here's an alternative view: Mystra's relationships can inform both monogamous and poly relationships. If you are in a relationship with, say, a musician you might need to accept that music is their first love. Your partner found, at the age of 8, that they are a prodigy and fell in love with music. In their 20s they found they were declared a virtuoso. In such a relationship you might feel slighted that your lover married music before he married you but if you are secure in the relationship you should feel confident that there is enough room in your lover's heart for two.
Now in Faerun, unlike ours, Music is instantiated. Indeed the instantiation of music shows up at our party to play for us. If Milil demanded monogamy from his beloved he would be abusing his power in a way Mystra does not.
Do you have any youtube links to the Elminster / Gale god reaction? Not familiar with it. If I were to write the story I would write he was upset that Gale fed the wrong wolf.
On Arabella - sounds like a good launching point for BG4. Because she also has two wolves, she can manipulate both the shadow weave and Mystra's weave and I think bone man is setting her on quest so as to allow her to choose between Mystra or Shar. Or to tame both wolves and seek balance (as Silvanus and Jergal would prefer)
