Gale/Romance

Gale can be romanced.
== Storyline ==
Gale is a companion that grants his approval and benevolence rather easy, if the player doesn't demonstrate unnecessary cruelty and commit dishonest deeds. Besides, he highly esteems in others eloquence and sense of humour. However, due to his heartbreak from his falling out with his goddess and the unstable nature of his condition, he is initially reluctant to pursue anything with the player. Despite this, Gale is a romantic and longs for companionship. Sticking to these behaviour guides will help the player raise Gale's approval up at least to Good level rather fast.
Through dialogue, it is heavily implied that all of Gale's past romantic relationships have been founded on his magical prowess and achievements rather than his personal qualities. As such, while he appreciates when the player indulges him in his passion for magic, he also responds well when they express appreciation for him outside of his arcane talents. 
=== Act One ===
* At the very first long rest the player will find Gale watching the campfire flames, with an exclamation sign marking his prompt to have a chat. When approached, he will tell the player to "Go to Hell". Humorous reaction to this insult will bring some approval from Gale and cast him into philosophical mood. The wizard will metaphysicize on what has happened to the party so far.
* When the party comes to the Emerald Grove, several situations there might lead Gale to develop trust towards the player character: breaking up Aradin and Zevlor when they're about to start a fight, saving Sazza from Arka's crossbow, and saving at least one of tiefling kids (Mirkon, Meli or Arabella) from trouble they've landed themselves into. Resolving two or more of these situations peacefully will prompt Gale to share with the player some stories from his youth (one about his familiar, and another about his adventures as an apprentice in his native city of Waterdeep) as a result of growing fond of them. The main consequence of this confession has more to deal with developing Gale's companion quest, but still the player will gain a certain amount of approval from taking certain choices through these dialogues. 
* Once the player gets Medium approval, another nighttime scene with Gale might trigger. The player finds Gale sorrowfully gazing upon the magically conjured image of an unknown woman. If asked about her, the wizard first will try to put on a good face, but after a successful tell them that it was a portrait of Mystra - the goddess of magic itself. Gale will explain that not only she possesses and rules each and every manifestation of magic, but embodies the essence of it, generally called the Weave, throughout all the planes of creation.
: If the player isn't dismissive of Gale's obvious adoration of his own metier, the wizard will suggest to help them experience the Weave with him. Acting as a not-so-strict teacher, he will show them subsequently how to put into effect all three components necessary for a person to invite the Weave inside and channel it through: the physical, the verbal and the spiritual.
: In game terms, these are carried out as three skill checks (again, all are ): 
:* Sleight of Hand / Arcana / Performance - to imitate the gestures 
:* Intelligence / Arcana / Performance - to repeat the words
:* History / Nature / Insight / Performance - to picture the concept of harmony in your mind
: Failing any of checks will yield into a mild reproach from Gale and a chance for another try with any other skill check left.
Note that magic-using characters such as Sorcerers, Clerics, Warlocks and Bards, let alone Wizards, will have class-specific options to discuss the principles of doing magic throughout the cutscene, as well as unique formulations to bypass the checks. Also, some additional options are available for certain origin races.
: If the player successfully passes all three checks and chooses to hold onto the moment, they will be given several options to imagine a picture, which Gale will see, too. Fantasising a scene of kissing him or of a walk hand-in-hand will allow the player to proceed into the Flirting stage of romancing the wizard. However, Gale will be rather embarassed by either of these player's choices - on the one hand, because of his need to keep his feelings in tight check (the reason for which will be revealed a bit later), while on the other hand, due to his overall lack of experience in maintaining close-but-non-family relations with someone else.
=== Act Two ===
The player will run into the wizard Elminster either immediately prior to Act Two on the path to the Shadow-Cursed Lands via the Rosymorn Monastery Trail, or immediately after entering Act Two from the Grymforge elevator. He reveals an important update involving Gale's relationship with Mystra, who has one last favor to ask of him. This will impact much of the player character's interactions with Gale moving forward.
*When arriving to Moonrise Towers under a True Soul disguise, the player will have to interact with one of General Ketheric Thorm closest aidees, Disciple Z'rell. While prying the depths of the player character's mind in search for proof of their faith, she might be distracted by the option "Show her your yearning for Gale" . Choosing this won't progress the romance itself, but earn some approval from the wizard.
*Sometime in Act Two, after combat with Gale in your party and with high enough approval, the wizard will show out an indicator of a chat pending (an exclamation sign). He will speak about a book he read once, that explained how dangerous situations can have an effect on one's desire for other forms of stimulation. Then, he will ask the player character if they have ever read anything on the subject. If answered with any option other than simply changing the subject, Gale will approve and confess that he wants the player character more than ever before, but say now is not the time or place for such feelings.
*After reaching Moonrise Towers (specifically the waypoint), Gale's romance can be progressed from the flirting stage to the partnered stage with high enough approval and if the player is not currently in the partnered stage with another companion. At camp, prior to a long rest, Gale will conjure a magical projection that takes his usual place at his tent. Should the player interact with it, the projection will extend the wizard's invitation for a private meeting with Gale.
:If the player agrees, the long rest starts automatically, along with the cutscene. The player character will find Gale on a forest clearing, conjuring a starry sky with an aurora to move aside, at least temporarily, the darkness of the Shadow Curse. The wizard will express his determination at Mystra's demand to sacrifice herself - but also utter despair. The player may then choose whatever dialogue options to try and raise Gale's spirits, but eventually the wizard will ask them just to stay with him a bit to find some comfort in their compassion. At this moment, the player might choose to leave him alone. Taking this course not only will gain a certain amount of disapproval from Gale, but also return the relationship with him to pre-Flirting stage.
:Should the player decide to progress through the cutscene, the wizard will confess he's in love with the player character. Expressing reciprocation for his feelings, or simply kissing him, will lead to Gale discussing how he would like to make love to the player character. Gale will propose them to 'bond like the gods do', meaning his former experiences with Mystra. The player's subsequent response might instigate one of two possible love scenes:
:* If the player indulge Gale's desire, the wizard will taking them to a vision of his home in Waterdeep and more dialogue. Sticking to the proposed idea will lead to an extended lovescene, where Gale and character's astral bodies intertwine among the stars in the Weave.
:* However, the player will have multiple chances throughout the dialogue (including the point of proposal of the intercourse itself) to express interest in Gale as a "real man, not an illusion". If convinced, Gale will conjure a luxurous four-poster bed (dispelling other illusions if he has already conjured any), and the screen fades to black after he joins and kisses the player character.
:Regardless of which option is selected, the following morning Gale will prompt the player to speak again. If they do not discourage the wizard being rude or dismissive to him about what has happened between the two of them (for example, telling Gale that this night was a one-time affair), Gale will now consider the player character in a relationship with him (Partnered stage) until they break up with him (or he breaks up with them).
:Following this moment, the player will have a 'partnered' option in the dialogues with Gale. They might ask him about some particulars of their retrofited relationship: whether he still has feelings for Mystra, what does he feel about the player character now, as well as some others.
Note that if the player has level of approval from Gale of High and above, but hasn't engaged in Flirting stage of mutual relationship, the nighttime cutscene will still occur after reaching the Moonrise Towers waypoint. Still, the player won't have any chance there to progress romance with the wizard. The latter will just bitterly reproach the player for giving him so much dear which he will have to deliberately sacrifice to suffice Mystra's whim, and ask to share with him the beauty of conjured starry illusion. The next morning, Gale will thank the player for accompanying him and dispelling a bit his gloom, and tell he's happy to call them a friend.
* If Gale is in your party when you discover the Elder Brain in the Mind Flayer Colony beneath Moonrise Towers, he will try to fulfill Mystra's ordinance and detonate the orb. In trying to dissuade him, he will ask you what choice he has with the fate of all the realms at stake, to which the player can answer "You could choose me, the one who loves you. We can find another way together." The wizard will mention this moment again through certain dialogue options in his Act Three romance scene.
=== Act Three ===
Gale's quest events during Act Three in his companion quest, and the choices the player makes throughout, have major implications for the outcome of a romance with him. The main difference is in regards to whether the player encourages Gale to seek and use the Crown of Karsus or not. Failing to finish Gale's questline before defeating the Netherbrain will also affect the ending.
However, Act Three includes a few scenes that does not involve both Gale's questline and romantic line with him.
Early in the Act Three the party may visit the Circus of the Last Days in Rivington. One of performers there is a dryad by the name of Zethino, who will offer to conduct a love test for the player character for a fee. The player may propose to Gale to take part in it. Zethino will take both the player character and Gale to a woodsy area and ask questions about the wizard. The player may choose whatever answers they wish, but some of them are considered 'correct' ones, while others are not. Choosing two or more incorrect answers will discourage Gale. Unlike some other romanceable companions, the player will need to choose only answers that bring approval from Gale, all others are considered incorrect for the purposes of the test. The list of correct answers can be found at Approval section in correspondent Act Three subdivision.
As part of the Wizard of Waterdeep questline, once the player gets the book the Annals of Karsus and lets Gale read it, he thinks he can use the power of the Crown for himself. He wants to talk to you privately about it. Upon leaving Sorcerous Sundries, the party will be intercepted by Elminster who tells Gale that Mystra has requested to speak with him at the Stormshore Tabernacle. After the next long rest, Gale will have an exclamation point above his head, signaling that he wants to talk. During this conversation, he'll create an illusion of the realm of the gods, with both of you traversing it in a rowboat. 
Note: There exists two different versions of the rowboat scene depending on when Gale speaks to Mystra at the Stormshore Tabernacle and the outcome of their conversation. The options chosen during the first scene described below can change the course of his relationship with the player and his personal questline.
# If Gale has not yet met with Mystra or has met with her but did not agree to give her the Crown of Karsus, he will explain his frustration with the indifference of the gods, and insist that by reforging the Crown, you both can become gods and help humanity instead of just watching and denying them power. He pleads with you to follow him on his course, and the player can either encourage Gale to use the Crown, or tell him it should be handed over to Mystra. Choosing the dialogue options that assure Gale you love him for who he is and that he doesn't need godhood to be good enough for you will lead him to concede and say that he can live without becoming a god, but not without you, and the scene ends with a kiss between you two. 
#* If you argue with him that the power of the Crown will corrupt him as it did Karsus, he will be visibly disheartened and ask the player what more there is to be said between them. At this point, you can tell him to dissolve the illusion and take you back to camp, ending the relationship, or choose the option "Plenty, in time. This doesn't have to be the end for us. Just forget the Crown." His response reveals part of his motivation for seeking the Crown, insisting that he can be so much more to you. Once again you can reassure him that he is already all you need and the rest of the scene proceeds as above. Alternatively, you can support his plans for ascension outright and agree to help him in reforging the Crown. He expresses his delight at your decision and the scene ends with a kiss. 
# If Gale has met with Mystra and promised to give her the Crown for redemption and to cure his condition, he will be apologetic towards the player for how his ambition blinded him and offers the boat ride as something of a consolation for his behavior. He reveals that he would often conjure the same illusion during his months of solitude as a means of comfort, distracting himself from his earthly troubles by imagining his destiny lay amongst the stars. He tells the player that they changed that for him and declares "With these stars as my witness, I swear - you will always be enough for me."
=== Epilogue ===
If the Netherbrain is defeated while the player is partnered with Gale, the player may get one of the following romance prologue scenes depending on their choices and previous interactions with Gale:
# If the player completed the Wizard of Waterdeep questline AND discouraged Gale away from using the Crown of Karsus: Gale will ask you to move in with him and marry him. Accept and you two will live happily-ever-after as Tressym parents to Tara at his 'tower' (more of a townhouse, really) in Waterdeep. Did he mention it has a library? Players can also choose to marry him but not move to Waterdeep, and if doing so they will head off on adventures together.
# If the player did not complete the Wizard of Waterdeep questline AND/OR encouraged Gale to use the Crown of Karsus and follow his dreams at any point: Gale decides to actively pursue his aspirations to become a god to spurn his ex-girlfriend Mystra. Six months later, during the gathering, Gale will appear arguing with Tara already as God of Ambition. Tara will show disappointment towards Gale and the player for letting him pursue this path. After the gathering ends, the player has a chance to refuse or ascend with Gale.This ending will trigger even with a successful persuasion roll for Gale to reconsider using the Crown right before the Netherbrain fight if you have previously encouraged him to use it.
# If the player decides to become the Absolute instead of destroying the tadpoles, there will not be a romance-specific end scene. 
# If the player decides that Gale should sacrifice himself to destroy the Netherbrain, Gale will teleport the player and your other party members far away and make the ultimate sacrifice. Gale will die and be remembered as a hero, but there will not be a romance-specific end scene or unique dialogue with other party members regarding your romance.
== Romance Mechanics ==
This section contains information regarding the unique in-game mechanics and interactions for Gale's romance. 
=== Relationship Stages ===
Like the other major romance options in the game, Gale's relationship progression can be divided into specific stages: friendly, flirting, partnered, and ex-partnered: 
# Friendly: The friendly stage begins at medium approval, and is the default stage for non-romanced companions.
# Flirting: Once the player begins selecting romantic dialogue options toward Gale during Act 1, you will enter the flirting stage. Turning him down at any point during the flirting stage prior to the partnered stage will return the player to the friendly stage permanently. 
# Partnered: In Act 2 with high enough approval, and if the player is not in the partnered stage with any other companion, you will be able to partner with Gale when his major romance progression scene is triggered. 
# Ex-Partnered: The ex-partnered stage can be attained by breaking up with Gale at any point while in the partnered stage (or if he breaks up with you). This stage is almost identical to the friendly stage, except Gale's greetings when initiating dialogue are colder.
=== Unique Dialogue ===
==== Greetings ====
Players who romance Gale will hear unique greetings dependent on the stage of the romance and game progression:
* Flirting:
** "Always a delight to speak with you. What can I do?"
** "I do enjoy our conversations. What do you need?"
** "Tell me - What can I do for you?"
* Partnered (following Act 2 romance progression scene):
** "My time is yours. What do you need?"
** "Whatever you need, you have only to ask."
** "Anything I can do for you - consider it most enthusiastically done."
* Partnered (following Act 3 romance progression scene):
** "Is something on your mind? You can always unburden yourself with me."
** "Are you alright? If you have need of me, just say the word."
** "Yes, my love?"
* Ex-Partnered/Broken Up:
** "Yes. What is it?"
** "You need something of me?"
** "What do you need?"
==== Party/Camp Interactions ====
While in the partnered stage (following his love scene in Act 2), Gale will have the following unique dialogue options that are always available when interacting with him both in camp and while he's in the player's party, which can be instigated by selecting "I wanted to speak about us for a moment.":
* The player can ask for a kiss, and Gale will happily oblige. ("I want you to kiss me")
* The player can ask Gale how he's feeling about everything. His response will vary depending on recent events. ("How are you feeling?")
* The player can break up with Gale. ("I'm sorry. We have to end this.")
If the player breaks up with Gale, or if Gale breaks up with the player, these options will no longer be accessible.
Other Interactions
Gale has several unique interactions with a romanced player throughout the game's story.
* Act I
** If a player has responded romantically up to the point that Gale reveals his condition to the party, a dialogue option becomes available where you can tell him you care about him and you're hurt that he kept this from you
* Act III
** After Gale has spoken to Mystra at the Stormshore Tabernacle, the player can ask him if it was strange seeing her again. He admits that while it might have affected him in the past, he no longer sees her in the way he once did. He will then tell the player "I would much rather gaze into your eyes than hers. Yours are capable of tenderness, and feeling. No god could ever compare."
=== Romancing Other Characters ===
This section contains information regarding how the player's relationship with Gale impacts other romance options/scenes and vice versa.
The player can be in the flirting stage with other companions while in the flirting stage with Gale (typically encompasses all Act 1 romance scenes and minor flirting scenes during Act 2 prior to the companion's major romance progression partnering scene). Gale considers the player to be in a relationship (partnered) with him after his love scene in Act 2 (even if the player tells him that it was just a one-time thing). If you are in the flirting stage with other companions when you trigger Gale's love scene, they will ask you about it afterward and make you choose between them and Gale (even non-monogamous characters, since Gale is monogamous). Likewise, if you partner with another companion while in the flirting stage with Gale, he will make you choose. Whichever companion is not chosen during this interaction will return to the friendly stage (or ex-partnered stage if the companion not chosen was partnered with the player).
While in the partnered stage, Gale will usually demand monogamy from the player, with a few exceptions:
* Romancing Halsin - In Act 3, with high enough approval, Halsin may approach the player and express interest, offering to share you with Gale but only if Gale approves. You will have the option to decline his advances, approach Gale with this proposition, or simply break things off with Gale for Halsin instead. If the player asks Gale to bring Halsin into the relationship, Gale will passionately decline and demand the player must choose either him or Halsin. Choosing Halsin will end the relationship with Gale, allowing the player to report back to Halsin. Choosing Gale will continue the relationship as normal (there are no relationship consequences from this action in the future).
* Romancing Sorn Orlith/Nym Orlith - When approached in Sharess' Caress in Act 3 while the player is in a relationship with Gale, the twins Sorn and Nym will offer the player the option to be with both of them at once, but only if both the player and Gale participate. Gale will express hesitation and discomfort at this proposition, but can be persuaded to agree it. If all agree, the scene that follows is a fade-to-black ("lights off") scene with dialogue. In the dark, the narrator announces that Gale has vanished and left behind a projection spell of himself (similar to the one he used prior to Act 2's love scene) to act in his place. This does not have any impact on your relationship with Gale in the future.
* Romancing Mizora - When triggered in Act 3, Mizora will acknowledge your relationship with Gale but will still instigate sex with the player. If you accept her advances, the love scene will trigger as normal; however, the following morning, Gale will walk in and express anger and disappointment at your actions and break up with you. This will end your relationship with Gale permanently. 
* Romancing the Emperor - Your relationship with Gale does not affect this option triggering, nor does going through with it have any implications on your romance with Gale afterward. He will not mention it ever, even if he is one of the three party members who walk in the next morning.
* Romancing Haarlep - Your relationship with Gale does not affect this option triggering, nor does going through with it have any implications on your romance with Gale afterward. If Gale is in the party and within earshot during the interaction, he will disapprove of you taking your clothes off when asked by Haarlep and vowing your body to him, but it will not end the relationship or impact it in any way moving forward.
=== Notes ===