Difference between revisions of "Galen"
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He is known for his dark red hair, which earns him the name "Tomato Man" among the gnoles. His eyes are somewhere between hazel and jade green, and while he is the smallest of his fellow paladins, he is still fairly tall and muscular. He is described as being "handsome and hilarious."<ref>Paladin's Grace, ch. 44</ref> | He is known for his dark red hair, which earns him the name "Tomato Man" among the gnoles. His eyes are somewhere between hazel and jade green, and while he is the smallest of his fellow paladins, he is still fairly tall and muscular. He is described as being "handsome and hilarious."<ref>Paladin's Grace, ch. 44</ref> | ||
Galen suffers from considerable trauma from the death of the Saint of Steel and the events at Hallowbind, including screaming night terrors that can turn into berserker fits if he is touched. According to Istvhan, he "wails like the quiet undead,"<ref>Paladin's Grace, ch. 27</ref> which Piper corroborates after the first time Galen falls asleep in his presence. He once snapped while sparring with Stephen, and they got into a fight while in a berserker rage that led to him breaking his arm, as well as several of Stephen's ribs.<ref>Paladin's Grace, ch. 44</ref> He is the most susceptible to berserker rages, once losing it after Clara lost her temper with him. Istvhan is very protective of him, and careful to ensure he does not kill innocent people when he loses control, as that would make his traumatic stress and regret worse.<ref>Paladin's Strength, ch. 10</ref> | Galen suffers from considerable trauma from the death of the Saint of Steel and the events at Hallowbind, including screaming night terrors that can turn into berserker fits if he is touched. According to Istvhan, he "wails like the quiet undead,"<ref>Paladin's Grace, ch. 27</ref> which Piper corroborates after the first time Galen falls asleep in his presence. He once snapped while sparring with Stephen, and they got into a fight while in a berserker rage that led to him breaking his arm, as well as several of Stephen's ribs.<ref>Paladin's Grace, ch. 44</ref> He is the most susceptible to berserker rages, once losing it after Clara lost her temper with him. Istvhan is very protective of him, and careful to ensure he does not kill innocent people when he loses control, as that would make his traumatic stress and regret worse.<ref>Paladin's Strength, ch. 10</ref> Privately, he considers himself to be "insane" due to his berserker fits and nightmares, and he treats this condition similarly to a curse. He is terrified of scaring or harming those around him.<ref>Paladin's Hope, ch. 8</ref> | ||
He is kind and loyal, apologetic about using force, and skittish about his "brokenness." He uses humor and charm to compensate for his insecurities, and is the most boyish of his order, quick to laugh and joke. | He is kind and loyal, apologetic about using force, and skittish about his "brokenness." He uses humor and charm to compensate for his insecurities, and is the most boyish of his order, quick to laugh and joke. | ||
== History with The Saint of Steel == | |||
Unlike Istvhan and Stephen, Galen was born into a family of the order of The Saint of Steel. His mother was a priestess of the Saint, something that ultimately ended her relationship with his father when Galen was young. She was one of the god-touched priests, meaning that she either died outright, took her own life, or fell into a permanent coma after the death of the Saint. At the time of Paladin's Hope, Galen does not know which, only that he lost her as well as his god.<ref>Paladin's Hope, ch. 14</ref> | |||
He was twenty when he first fought against the Clocktaurs in Anuket City, and was touched by the Saint of Steel around this time.<ref>Paladin's Hope ch. 6</ref> Unlike fellow paladins Istvhan and Stephen, Galen was at Hallowbind when the god died, meeting with local men who they slaughtered when they ran mad. A dozen paladins fell into comas, but only Galen and Marcus awoke. He is one of the seven surviving paladins of his order.<ref>Paladin's Hope, ch. 14</ref> | |||
== Background & Personal Life == | == Background & Personal Life == | ||
Galen was | |||
Galen is openly gay. Istvhan describes him as having "definite tastes, and they [do] not run to women."<ref>Paladin's Strength, ch. 5</ref> He jokes with Clara about any "handsome lay ''brothers''" of her order that she might want to set him up with. He is sexually experienced, and considers sex "as complicated as you chose to make it."<ref>Paladin's Hope, ch. 9</ref> Prior to his marriage to Piper, he doesn't believe himself to be worthy of love beyond sex, and fears accidentally killing a partner while in a berserker rage. He also fears intimacy on the grounds that being a paladin is a "high-mortality profession," and believes "the only cure for him [is] a sharp knife."<ref>Paladin's Hope, ch. 18</ref> Fortunately, Piper literally interrupts this line of thinking by exclaiming "spongiform erectile tissue." So there's that. | |||
He has a thing for attractive hands, something that attracts him to Piper from the beginning. <blockquote>"Insomuch as Galen had a type, it was 'male with good hands.' His first great love had been another youth at the Saint of Steel's temple, who had not been conventionally attractive but had possessed quite exquisite hands." - Paladin's Hope, ch. 4 </blockquote> | |||
His mother was dedicated to the Saint of Steel and his father left the family when he was young. Galen speaks fondly of his grandmother, who was a weaver, and gave her grandchildren drop spindles as soon as they were old enough to handle them. Galen still carries a drop spindle, preferring to weave to busy his hands rather than sit idly, and he shares the yarn he spins with Stephen, who knits them into socks.<ref>Paladin's Hope, ch. 14</ref> Galen mentions at one point that his grandmother kept a truffle hound.<ref>Paladin's Strength, ch. 5</ref> | |||
Galen | == Relationship with Piper == | ||
Galen gets to know Piper while investigating a string of murders in Anuket City, and they are attracted to one another fairly instantly. Galen pretends to be Piper's lover to justify their presence at an early-morning crime scene, and Piper makes a move while they are trapped in an ancient maze during their investigation. Throughout their early relationship, Galen is insistent that he is a monster and that their relationship won't work. Piper is equally insistent that Galen's sleep disturbances are not a deterrent, even after Galen goes mildly berserk when Piper wakes him. | |||
At the conclusion of Paladin's Hope, Galen and Piper are married. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
Latest revision as of 05:27, 9 January 2023
Galen is a paladin of the Saint of Steel, and the title paladin of Paladin's Hope.
He is known for his dark red hair, which earns him the name "Tomato Man" among the gnoles. His eyes are somewhere between hazel and jade green, and while he is the smallest of his fellow paladins, he is still fairly tall and muscular. He is described as being "handsome and hilarious."[1]
Galen suffers from considerable trauma from the death of the Saint of Steel and the events at Hallowbind, including screaming night terrors that can turn into berserker fits if he is touched. According to Istvhan, he "wails like the quiet undead,"[2] which Piper corroborates after the first time Galen falls asleep in his presence. He once snapped while sparring with Stephen, and they got into a fight while in a berserker rage that led to him breaking his arm, as well as several of Stephen's ribs.[3] He is the most susceptible to berserker rages, once losing it after Clara lost her temper with him. Istvhan is very protective of him, and careful to ensure he does not kill innocent people when he loses control, as that would make his traumatic stress and regret worse.[4] Privately, he considers himself to be "insane" due to his berserker fits and nightmares, and he treats this condition similarly to a curse. He is terrified of scaring or harming those around him.[5]
He is kind and loyal, apologetic about using force, and skittish about his "brokenness." He uses humor and charm to compensate for his insecurities, and is the most boyish of his order, quick to laugh and joke.
History with The Saint of Steel
Unlike Istvhan and Stephen, Galen was born into a family of the order of The Saint of Steel. His mother was a priestess of the Saint, something that ultimately ended her relationship with his father when Galen was young. She was one of the god-touched priests, meaning that she either died outright, took her own life, or fell into a permanent coma after the death of the Saint. At the time of Paladin's Hope, Galen does not know which, only that he lost her as well as his god.[6]
He was twenty when he first fought against the Clocktaurs in Anuket City, and was touched by the Saint of Steel around this time.[7] Unlike fellow paladins Istvhan and Stephen, Galen was at Hallowbind when the god died, meeting with local men who they slaughtered when they ran mad. A dozen paladins fell into comas, but only Galen and Marcus awoke. He is one of the seven surviving paladins of his order.[8]
Background & Personal Life
Galen is openly gay. Istvhan describes him as having "definite tastes, and they [do] not run to women."[9] He jokes with Clara about any "handsome lay brothers" of her order that she might want to set him up with. He is sexually experienced, and considers sex "as complicated as you chose to make it."[10] Prior to his marriage to Piper, he doesn't believe himself to be worthy of love beyond sex, and fears accidentally killing a partner while in a berserker rage. He also fears intimacy on the grounds that being a paladin is a "high-mortality profession," and believes "the only cure for him [is] a sharp knife."[11] Fortunately, Piper literally interrupts this line of thinking by exclaiming "spongiform erectile tissue." So there's that.
He has a thing for attractive hands, something that attracts him to Piper from the beginning.
"Insomuch as Galen had a type, it was 'male with good hands.' His first great love had been another youth at the Saint of Steel's temple, who had not been conventionally attractive but had possessed quite exquisite hands." - Paladin's Hope, ch. 4
His mother was dedicated to the Saint of Steel and his father left the family when he was young. Galen speaks fondly of his grandmother, who was a weaver, and gave her grandchildren drop spindles as soon as they were old enough to handle them. Galen still carries a drop spindle, preferring to weave to busy his hands rather than sit idly, and he shares the yarn he spins with Stephen, who knits them into socks.[12] Galen mentions at one point that his grandmother kept a truffle hound.[13]
Relationship with Piper
Galen gets to know Piper while investigating a string of murders in Anuket City, and they are attracted to one another fairly instantly. Galen pretends to be Piper's lover to justify their presence at an early-morning crime scene, and Piper makes a move while they are trapped in an ancient maze during their investigation. Throughout their early relationship, Galen is insistent that he is a monster and that their relationship won't work. Piper is equally insistent that Galen's sleep disturbances are not a deterrent, even after Galen goes mildly berserk when Piper wakes him.
At the conclusion of Paladin's Hope, Galen and Piper are married.
References
- ↑ Paladin's Grace, ch. 44
- ↑ Paladin's Grace, ch. 27
- ↑ Paladin's Grace, ch. 44
- ↑ Paladin's Strength, ch. 10
- ↑ Paladin's Hope, ch. 8
- ↑ Paladin's Hope, ch. 14
- ↑ Paladin's Hope ch. 6
- ↑ Paladin's Hope, ch. 14
- ↑ Paladin's Strength, ch. 5
- ↑ Paladin's Hope, ch. 9
- ↑ Paladin's Hope, ch. 18
- ↑ Paladin's Hope, ch. 14
- ↑ Paladin's Strength, ch. 5