Gale

Gale
Role	Origin character Companion
Voiced by	Tim Downie
Information
Full name	Gale Dekarios
Race	Human
Class	Wizard
Background	Sage
Hometown	Waterdeep
Family	Morena Dekarios (mother) Unnamed father Tara

Gale, full name Gale Dekarios, is an origin character and a recruitable companion with the Sage background. He is a human Wizard first appearing during Act 1.

A scholar and prodigy in the arcane arts, Gale is committed to unlocking the secrets of the Weave no matter the cost. He can be first found at the Ravaged Beach during Act 1 where he can be recruited into the party, and be romanced by characters of any gender.

“	There's a gust of Weave about you, but it's a mere breeze. I need a tempest.	„
	— Gale's hunger for powerful magic.

Overview

For a full overview of Gale's starting features, see the articles Wizard, Evocation School and Human.

Background

A prodigy in magic, Gale is a wizard of great talent and just as great ambition. Once a Chosen of Mystra, his quest to prove himself to the goddess of magic resulted in him being cursed with a long-forgotten form of magic, a ticking time bomb with an all consuming hunger. Now, lost to Mystra's graces and with a tadpole in his brain, Gale must find a way to be rid of both curse and unwelcome guest.

Starting class

Gale starts as a Wizard with a balanced repertoire of spells, allowing him to act both as an offensive and supporting caster. Upon reaching level two, he will default to the Evocation School subclass, giving him access to a wider arsenal of offensive spells.

Special features

• In order to sate his arcane hunger, Gale must consume magic items periodically for a total of three times. Should he not, he will be afflicted, which has three different stages of severity:
  • Arcane Hunger gives him disadvantage to Constitution saving throws.
  • Greater Arcane Hunger gives him disadvantage on all attack rolls and saving throws.
  • Severe Arcane Hunger gives him disadvantage on all attack rolls and saving throws and his movement speed is halved.
  • After reaching the third stage, if not fed Weave, Gale's netherese orb will explode leading to a Game Over screen.
• If Gale is slain, his corpse will emanate a Necrotic Aura, dealing 1d4 Necrotic damage every turn to those around his corpse until revived. Left dead for more than three long rests will lead to a Game Over screen as his netherese orb detonates without magic to sustain it.
• Cursed by netherese magic, Gale can cast Netherese Orb Blast, obliterating everything in the vicinity and leading to a game over screen.
• Gale can create the unique Shadow Lantern in Moonrise Towers, a special item that allows summoning a shadow wraith. Alternatively, he can reject the ritual, receiving Mystra's Benevolence instead, granting him advantage on Concentration checks until the next long rest.
• When played as an origin character, Gale can either cleanse or consume the Shadow Weave from the corpse of Malus Thorm, Gerringothe Thorm or Thisobald Thorm, granting him one of the following boons:
  • Consumed Shadow Weave gives Gale an additional Level 3 Spell Slot that recharges on long rest if he consumed the Shadow Weave.
  • Mystra's Blessing gives Gale immunity to Fire, Acid, Cold, Force, and Thunder damage if he cleansed the Shadow Weave.
• When played as an origin character, Tara, Gale's tressym, will join him in camp as a follower.

Personal quest

Gale's personal quest is The Wizard of Waterdeep, spanning all acts of the game. In it, Gale will have to come to terms with the consequences of his unbridled ambitions, as well as deal with the ticking time bomb in his body.

Two further subquests are available that tie into his personal quest: In Case of Death..., in which the party must deal with Gale's protocol for his untimely death, and Balthazar's Experiment, where Gale can decide to finish the work of a dangerous necromancer.

Recruitment

Gale
Level 1 Wizard Human
Stats
Movement speed	9 m (30 ft)
Weight	75 kg (150 lb)
Initiative	+1
Ability scores
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 17 (+3) 10 (0) 12 (+1)
Proficiency bonus	+2
Saving throws	Str -1 Dex +1 Con +2 Int +5 Wis +2 Cha +1

Gale can be recruited as a permanent companion during Act One. He can leave the party if the goblins are sided with and the Emerald Grove is raided successfully - after the slaughter, he will confront the player and say his goodbyes, though he can be retained through dialogue. If neglected or ignored for too long, he will leave the party without much fanfare, leaving only a small note behind.

Act One

• Gale can be found when approaching the Roadside Cliffs Ancient Rune Circle, north of the Ravaged Beach. If investigated, Gale will stick his hand out from inside the circle and ask for help. A successful ability check is required to pull him out, with multiple options available:
• DC 7 Strength check — available to all classes
• DC 7 Intelligence check — available to Wizards
• DC 7 Charisma check — available to Warlocks, Sorcerers and Bards
• DC 7 Wisdom check — available to Druids and Clerics
• DC 12 Dexterity check — available to Rogues

If the first check is failed, a second one can be attempted with increased difficulty:

• DC 12 Strength check — available if the first unsuccessful attempt was a Strength check
• DC 7 Strength check — available if the first unsuccessful attempt was a class-specific check

Failing two checks, or choosing to leave him to his fate, will mean Gale falls back into the rune circle and cannot be recruited.

Approval

Main article: Gale/approval

Gale generally approves of doing good and helping those in need, as well as solving conflicts with tact and pragmatic solutions. He likes those who appreciate the arcane arts and are willing to learn from him, as well as those who support his grand ambitions.

Gale dislikes harming innocents and using unnecessary violence when diplomacy is an option. As a scholar, he disapproves of destroying or wasting valuable knowledge, and those who criticise his convictions and goals will earn his disapproval.

Romance

Main article: Gale/romance

Gale can be romanced by characters of any gender. In his relationship, Gale must reconcile his newfound feelings of love with the consequences of his former time with Mystra, as well as deal with his impending death.

Description

Appearance

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' netherese magic. These tendrils extend all the way to under his left eye, faint, but ever present.

Personality

Gale is an intelligent, thoughtful wizard, with a good-hearted and peaceful nature. Despite his scholarly and slightly pompous manner of speaking, he is friendly and always willing to lend his ear to friends. As an accomplished wizard and eternal scholar, he is proud of his arcane knowledge and feats achieved as an erstwhile Chosen, yet it is this pride combined with his ambition that prevent him from seeing reason sometimes, risking repeating mistakes from the past. Still, Gale is not unreasonable, and if convinced by friends, he is willing to think twice before jumping to rash actions. Furthermore, he is good to his companions, being attentive of their problems and taking care of them however he can, often by assuming cooking duties for the camp.

Though outwardly confident and easy-going, Gale still carries the physical and emotional wounds of his former relationship with Mystra and the consequences of dabbling in forbidden magic. As such, he is sensitive about criticism, and often reacts defensively when confronted by his past actions. All of this leads him to be willing to do anything to earn Mystra's forgiveness, even if it means sacrificing his life to do so. He also seems to hide somewhat behind his Gale of Waterdeep persona, built to project this image of a great and powerful wizard as opposed to, the way he sees it, the more mundane Gale Dekarios.

History

Life in Waterdeep

Born to Morena 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. Such was their bond that Gale disallowed any attempts at referring to Tara as his pet, even if Tara considered him the "most expensive pet in Waterdeep". 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. In time, Gale would be enrolled at the prestigious Blackstaff Academy, an educational institution for promising wizards and sorcerers.

Blackstaff Academy

The academy seemed the perfect place to nourish his talents, as Gale deeply believed he was destined for greatness despite being only a child. Still, young Gale's misadventures would continue even at the academy. Irritated with everyone's lack of faith in him, he attempted to cast a portal spell with the Blackstaff itself. Though it worked, rather than returning to his dormitory as he intended, the resulting portal pulled him into Limbo, facing a rather angry Death Slaad. Before Gale could face the slaad, the current Blackstaff Archmage pulled Gale back, and punished him with months of tedious work.

Chosen of Mystra

At some point, Gale was mentored by Elminster Aumar, one of the most powerful and famous wizards of Faerûn and a hero to Gale. The Sage of Shadowdale guided Gale, furthering his mastery over the Weave and arcane arts, and over time became something of a parental figure to him.

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. When Mystra's passion waned, Gale sought the rekindle her interest by showing her he was her equal. Arrogance demanded she 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 Karsus' Folly and his attempts at reaching godhood via his netherese magic, Gale searched for a tome containing a scrap of Weave, hoping to impress Mystra by returning a long-lost part of her. 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.

Seclusion in Waterdeep

Abandoned and with a doomsday device in his body, Gale moved back to his tower in Waterdeep to live in quiet seclusion. As much as he wished to be alone, Tara was there to accompany him even in his lowest of lows, and together, they spent most of their time locating magic items for Gale to consume. His abandonment by Mystra turned him into somewhat of a recluse with few friends remaining.

For unknown reasons, Gale left the tower in a hurry after some time, and shortly after he was abducted by the rogue Nautiloid and tadpoled along other victims.

Involvement

The Wizard of Waterdeep

See main article: The Wizard of Waterdeep

The Wizard of Waterdeep is Gale's personal quest. It is added to the journal upon recruiting him and spans all three acts of the game.

Act One

Gale can be found at the Roadside Cliffs rune circle. Likely trapped as he hastily escaped the crashing nautiloid, he asks the party for assistance in getting him out. Once free, he recognizes the party as other victims of the illithid abroad the sieged ship and quickly offers his services as a wizard of great renown.

As the party travel together, Gale will begin displaying signs of sickness, and if friendly enough with his companions, will eventually ask them to bring him magical artefacts. When pressed for reasons why, he will mention that it is a condition he has that requires feeding from Weave but be reluctant to say more, asking them to trust him and stressing how important treating his affliction is. Refusing to aid Gale will result in him being progressively sicker, eventually resulting eventually in a Game Over screen.

When brought a magical item of Uncommon rarity or higher, Gale will consume it, temporarily treating his sickness and making him look visibly better. Gale will ask for magic items three times in total. The first time he will be left satisfied, and assures answers will be given soon. The second time he will note that the effects are diminishing but is grateful nonetheless. The third and final time he will be distressed as the effect is barely noticeable and will finally reveal the truth.

Gale explains that he was a magical prodigy, being able to control and sculpt the Weave at a young age. This gained him the attention of Mystra, the goddess of magic, who became his teacher, muse, and eventually his lover. However, with Mystra, Gale witnessed magic that was beyond mere mortals and seeing the powers he was denied, he begged her for more, only to be rejected each and told to be contented with what he had each time.

Looking to prove himself a peer to Mystra, Gale eventually found a magical tome from the ancient empire of Netheril. Within it was contained a fragment of Weave that had been lost following Karsus' Folly, suspended in time and out of Mystra's eyes. Gale believed that by returning the fragment to Mystra, he would earn her favor and be granted the powers he desperately wanted, yet once he opened the tome, the fragment of raw Weave merged lodged itself in him, an ever-hungry orb of netherese magic. Locked away in his tower in Waterdeep, Gale was able to manage the condition, but in the wilds, it risked becoming uncontrollable. If the orb was not sated, it would detonate with the power to level a city the size of Waterdeep.

With the truth out, and concerned about his current predicament, Gale begins looking into alternative solutions to sate the netherese orb.

As the party continues their travels, they eventually encounter an old man in the trail leading to the Shadow-Cursed Lands in the Rosymorn Monastery Trail. Gale recognizes the man as none other than Elminster Aumar, the legendary Sage of Shadowdale and a former mentor of his. Elminster announces that he comes to deliver an important message to Gale, and asks to speak in peace back at camp. There, he reveals that Mystra has been watching over Gale and following the movements of the Cult of the Absolute with great attention. Mystra sees the Absolute as a credible threat to the world, and believes the only person able to stop them is Gale. Thus, she offers a bargain her former Chosen cannot resist: redemption in exchange for his live. Elminster explains that the power of the netherese orb lodged within Gale can be harnessed as a weapon used to destroy the Absolute for good and stabilizes Gale's orb, controlling its hunger pangs and allowing Gale to detonate it at will. Gale considers the proposition solemnly, and thanks Elminster for his words. With the message imparted, Elminster wishes Gale and the party the best of luck in defeating the Absolute and departs.

When spoken to, Gale seems to be shocked at Mystra's directive, but considers it seriously. This is the chance he was waiting for, redemption in Mystra's eyes for the cost of martyrdom. The party can support or dissuade him from following this path. As an origin, when Tara is told about the plan, she disapproves of the idea, and will force Gale to promise her he will find another way.

If Gale dies at some point during his adventures, his body will start emanating a necrotic aura that will harm those near his corpse. The first time this happens, a projection of him will appear nearby that will begin In Case of Death.... The projection will give precise instructions on how to revive Gale, and stress the importance of doing so before it is too late. Following the instruction grants a Scroll of True Resurrection, reviving Gale with it will result in his gratitude and some information on his condition. If Gale dies again, it will be up to the party to find the means to revive him. Should the party leave him dead for too long, it will result in a Game Over screen when the netherese orb within him explodes after being left hungry for too long.

Act Two

While exploring the Shadow-Cursed Lands, Gale and the party can find a hidden chamber belonging to Balthazar in Moonrise Towers. The chamber is clearly used for the necromancer's experiments, and upon inspecting a nearby table, Gale will be attempt to make sense of the writings on it, beginning the quest Balthazar's Experiment. He reveals that the sigils are used in the fabrication of Moonlanterns, and that given enough time, he can create a better one himself. The ritual does require using dark magic forbidden by Mystra, leaving the decision up to the party whether to encourage or dissuade Gale from finishing the necromancer's work. Allowing Gale to complete the lantern results in the party gaining a Shadow Lantern, an upgraded version of the regular moonlanters found, while destroying the sigils rewards Gale with Mystra's Benevolence until the next long rest.

After reaching the Mind Flayer Colony in pursuit of Ketheric Thorm, the party will finally come face to face with the truth of the Absolute: a gargantuan Elder Brain controlled by Ketheric, Enver Gortash and Orin the Red, Chosen of the Dead Three, using the fabled Crown of Karsus. With the elder brain and the Chosen all gathered in a single location, Gale decides that no better opportunity will present itself, and prepares to detonate his netherese orb as ordered by Mystra. The party can encourage Gale to go through with Mystra's directive, destroying everything in the vicinity including the Absolute and the Chosen, as well as the party. Because this course of action does not remove the tadpoles already implanted in the victims around the Sword Coast, it causes a mass ceremorphosis as the tadpoles wake from their stasis. Without anything controlling them, rampart illithid ravage the lands, infecting and destroying everything they see, leading to an early Game Over screen.

Gale can be convinced to do otherwise, however, by passing certain dialogue ability checks in order for him to stand down. Alternatively, he can be left in camp when adventuring through the illithid colony, skipping his interactions. Though he will be disheartened at having defied Mystra and thus eschewed redemption in her eyes, he quickly shifts his focus to the artefact controlling the elder brain. Gale will identify it as as the Crown of Karsus, one of the regalia of the ancient archwizard Karsus, and an exceptionally powerful arcane object thought long lost. Convinced it is the key to defeating the Absolute for good, and asks the party to help him find more information about it. Since the group's destination is Baldur's Gate, he believes the famous Sorcerous Sundries must have information on netherese magic, making it worth a visit.

Act Three

Once at Baldur's Gate, Gale will recommend visiting Sorcerous Sundries with haste, sure that the renowned bookstore will have tomes on netherese magic that can be of use in defeating the Absolute. There, when inquired about possible books on the matter, Tolna Tome-Monger will answer that a tome containing information on Karsus' Folly and Netheril exists, yet it is kept under lock in the vaults as the information is too sensitive for most readers and access is strictly forbidden. The party can convince her to volunteer information on how to reach the vaults, or break in themselves through subtlety. Whatever the case, once in the vaults, the party must follow the correct path to reach Karsus' vault, containing the ancient tome The Annals of Karsus. Gale can be given the tome after reading, and he will exclaim that it not only contains information on the Crown of Karsus, but also details on how it was constructed, making it possible to reforge it after destroying the elder brain. Gale's ambition grows at the prospect of the power he could wield with the Crown, speculating that he could become a god strong enough to challenge even Mystra. The party can support his plans to be free from the yoke of Mystra, or challenge him about them, warning against treading down the same path Karsus once did before the fall of his empire.

Whatever the outcome of the discussion, Elminster will visit the group once more upon leaving Sorcerous Sundries with a message from Mystra. The goddess of magic is willing to grant Gale an audience as she knows he not only defied her orders, but read the tome of Karsus as well. With Elminster's encouragement, the party must reach the Stormshore Tabernacle and let Gale interact with Mystra's altar there. Before departing, Gale can be encouraged to stand up to himself, whatever his final goals may be, or seek reconciliation with Mystra and possibly even redemption.

Gale will be transported to Mystra's domain where he finally meets his former patron and lover. An origin Gale can take control of the conversation as usual, while a companion Gale will converse with her on his own. Mystra informs Gale that the piece of Weave he sought to return to her was actually a part of the Karsite Weave and it carries with it Karsus’ relentless desire for ambition. This new form of Weave was born during Karsus' final moments as he wrestled magic away from Mystryl and briefly ascended to godhood. It cannot be contained, it will never be sated, and in order to prevent it from blowing up, Mystra allowed it to feed on the true Weave while she devised a solution. With the Crown's reforging as a very real possibility, she implores Gale to return it to her as its danger cannot be understated. She promises to cure Gale's condition if he does so, even offering him to become her Chosen once more. Unsure about what to do, Gale thanks Mystra and leaves pensive. Back on the mortal plane, Gale recounts what transpired in Mystra's realm, and says there's not much they can do until they defeat the elder brain.

As the battle for Baldur's Gate rages on, the party will arrive at the elder brain's brainstem. While they prepare for the final battle, Gale can be approached to discuss the imminent fight and the netherese orb he still carries within. Depending on past interactions with him, Gale may offer the party, or be convinced to, to deal with the elder brain on his own, doing as Mystra instructed and detonating the orb inside to destroy the Absolute for good. If the party decides to go through with this plan, Gale will say his goodbyes and teleport them away. He climbs the stem on his own and stabs himself in the chest, triggering a magical explosion that annihilates the elder brain for good.

If the offer is declined, and the party decides to battle the elder brain instead, Gale will be present during the Absolute's downfall. As it crashes in the river Chionthar, the Crown of Karsus breaks into pieces, sinking to the depths of the river. While the party gathers victorious, Gale announces his intentions to search the river for the pieces of the Crown. Depending on how he was treated in past conversations, and whether the party supported his ambitions or not, he may intend to reforge the Crown to ascend to godhood or simply to return it to Mystra. Whatever the case, he first desires to celebrate their victory in a nearby tavern, ending his quest.

Quest rewards

• Scroll of True Resurrection — reward for following Gale's instructions as part of the quest In Case of Death....
• Shadow Lantern — reward for finishing Balthazar's experiment as part of the quest Balthazar's Experiment.

Interactions

Companion interactions

Gale has unique dialogue interactions as a companion available after certain events. Whenever one is available, he will have a floating [ ! ] icon above him.

Act One

• If the player intervenes in the confrontation between Arka and Sazza standing in harm's way for the goblin, Gale will reminisce about a similar situation he saw in the Yawning Portal.
• Gale will seek out the player when he requires a new magic item to feed on. This can occur thrice.
• After saving Mirkon from the harpies near the grove, Gale will reminisce about his childhood with the party.
• If the party intervenes on behalf of Arabella when facing Kagha's judgment and manages to have her spared, Gale will be happy about the outcome of the confrontation.
• Upon receiving Mystra's orders via Elminster, Gale can be spoken to to learn more about his feelings on his new mission.

Act Three

• After meeting Tara on the rooftop of the Open Hand Temple, Gale will express his happiness over seeing her once more, and can be questioned about his surname.

Unique interactions

Either as an origin, or in the party as a companion, Gale has unique interactions and special dialogue with the following characters, listed by the act they are first encountered in.

Act One

• Tara
• Elminster

Act Two

• Corpse of Malus Thorm/Gerringothe Thorm/Thisobald Thorm

Loot

Gale can be killed and looted, and drops the same loot as his starting equipment.

Starting equipment

• Camp Supply Sack
• Keychain
• Alchemy Pouch
• Quarterstaff
• Simple Robe
• Simple Boots
• Gale's Austere Clothes
• Netherese Briefs
• Tasteful Boots
• Scroll of Detect Thoughts
• Scroll of Revivify
• Potion of Healing x2

Achievements

Repairing the Weave
Stabilise Gale's Netherese orb.

Gallery

• 

  Gale's appearance pre-release.

• 

  Gale until Patch 7 of Early Access.

• 

  Gale's Early Access promotional art.

• 

  Early Access model (without earring).

• 

  In-game model.

• 

  Camp model.

• 

  Underwear model.

• 

  Render by Alena Dubrovina.

• 

  Promotional art.

• 

  Appearance in the character creator.

• 

  Portrait by Edward Vanderghote.

Related literature

• The Annals of Karsus
• A Wizard's Farewell

Notes

• Can be spoken to with Speak with Dead.
• According to Larian Studios, until Patch 3 of Early Access, Gale was both the most romanced and most killed companion.
• As of Patch 5 of release, Gale is the most played origin character according to Larian Studios.

External links

• Gale on the Forgotten Realms Wiki
• Gale's official 5E D&D Character Sheet on D&D Beyond (PDF) (Archived version from 2023-09-04).