Nova,

Why not write a fanfiction about young Gestahl? FFVI has so many unanswered questions it is a great source for fanfics.

I would imagine that even as a young man, he would have had the seeds of desire for power. Perhaps it originally stemmed from powerlessness. Maybe his basic motivation was misguided idealism. Maybe he wanted to unite a world that was broken into squabbling factions.

You know what they say about the road to hell.