I Think "The Black Parade" Is About Tav Throughout BG3. Because All We Do Is Saving The Broken, The Beaten

I think "The Black Parade" is about Tav throughout BG3. Because all we do is saving the broken, the beaten and the damned (aka our companions and NPCs). Also we have to carry on with a parasite in our head and the world crumbling to pieces around us.

Just saw a post on Tumblr with reference to the song, and now I am ready to post this.

Imagine a company of DnD players:

a minmaxer, who wants to twist the rules

a roleplayer, who has really hard time understanding even the basic rules

the Forgotten Realms lore specialist, who needs everything to be correct

the person who wants everything to be consistent and logical

The worst thing? I'm their dungeon master.

In every RPG I play I collect companions like Pokemons. I need to have all of them in my pocket camp.

my friends r so talented. rb if ur friends are talented

I'm also tired of this. I have already written a post about Gale's autonomy from Mystra. Now I will talk about other things.

1. Why cannot a character have more than one theme and plotline? It is quite natural for a character in fiction to be involved in different plotlines and to represent different concepts. Why shouldn't it be the case for videogame characters? And Gale is not the only complex character in BG3 (which is obvious). Astarion is both a victim of abuse and a racist high elf, Lae'zel considers herself superior to others (similar to Astarion is some way) and has been brainwashed by Vlaakith's followers, Shadowheart has problems with trust (and, quite frankly, cynicism) and has been brainwashed (literally this time) by Sharrans, Wyll has a difficult relationship with his father and has been manipulated by Mizora. In the same way Gale has a problem with hubris and was manipulated by Mystra. If you can understand only "simple" characters with easily understood archetypes, that's your problem.

2. Have you ever thought why the final song of the game is called "Power"? Because power is the ultimate leitmotif of the whole game. And the main problem of the whole game is who you give the power to. All of the companions lacked power and control over their lives. Gale LITERALLY has no control over his life in the second act, either you (Tav) or Mystra have to decide whether he lives or not. Mystra doesn't even show her face (unlike Vlaakith, come to think of it), she is 100% sure that her obedient former Chosen will do as she asks. Do you remember her tone when she says "You look well, Gale of Waterdeep"? She sounds like Mizora the first time we see her, Mystra is possessive and acts like Gale belongs to her (as all of her Chosen, because she doesn't hesitate to send one of her former lovers and also a 1300-year person to another of her former lovers). The way Gale talks about her, about all the gods, shows the bitterness of acquisition that all his former life was a lie. The only way to finally take control over his life, as he thinks, is to become a god.

3. Why do people think that if we take Mystra and Gale, one should be a 100% goodie and another 100% villain? Gale definitely was an idiot when he decided to "return to Mystra" some dubious ancient magic. And he's arrogant and impetuous, but he still was a victim of abuse. Just like Astarion, who is petty, who doesn't want to help anyone, who sometimes acts like a bitch. Really. And he's still a victim of abuse, you know.

4. Abuse can be not sexual and even not physical, but it is still abuse. Abusive parents and abusive teachers often do not "touch" their victims, but they make their life a nightmare. And the victims do not even know they are abused. You don't need to be a child to be abused in that way – just a highly insecure person. Gale is highly insecure behind this overconfident persona he tries to impress us with.

That's all for now, but I may come up with another lecture on the subject.

I do not have patience for "Gale wasn't groomed, and if you think he was you are just throwing around tiktok pseudopsychology buzzwords and refusing to acknowledge that Gale's story is about his ambition and hubris" discourse. That's an auto-block for me.

I'm happy to have a reasonable discussion as to whether or not what Gale experienced with Mystra was grooming in a sexual predator sense or merely a horribly unbalanced power dynamic between goddess and acolyte, but he was undeniably groomed for his role as Chosen in the "selected from a young age and trained for a particular position" sense. Elminster noticed his abilities and began training him when he was 8 years old. That's canon. He says as much his epilogue letter to Gale if Gale ascends. Everything in his life up until he got snatched up and tadpoled confirmed to him that he is only loveable if he is valuable or impressive, and that everything can be taken from him in an instant if he isn't constantly successful. A huge part of Gale's arc if you're romancing him and talk him down from ascending is him beginning to understand that he can be loved for who he is as a person regardless of his achievements and ambitions. Yes, he is arrogant. Yes, he is Icarian. But it's incredibly obtuse to ignore what information the game gives us about how his influences and mentors shaped him into who he is.

Gale, speaking loudly, clearly, and with conviction: Only a FOOLISHLY MISGUIDED MAN would put his ambitions BEFORE his heart! *turns to Tav, tenderly frames their face in his hands and gazes adoringly into their eyes* My love. Upon every gossamer strand of the Weave itself, I swear to you: unlike Gortash, I would NEVER get so caught up in the minutia of death cult office politics that I would be too busy to kiss you. *pulls Tav in close, covers their lips with his. Kisses them deeply and with a simmering passion. Audibly moans.*

The entire Coronation audience at Wyrm’s Rock: …

Duke Ulder Ravengard: *holding the Coronation sword over Gortash, lowering it uncertainly* …is it true, sir? *leans in, whispers* You really can’t clear five minutes out of your schedule to kiss?

Gortash:

WHO KEEPS SPREADING THESE LIES