Gwen

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Gwen (格温)
Alias(es)	Big Gwen; Little Gwen
Species/Race	Human; a [Named One]
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Steam and Deep Sea Hermitage / Mystic Society; Resistance Army; allies of Theus and Castel
Occupation/Role	Resistance Army leader; fighter; scout and intelligence gatherer
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 232

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Little Gwen — [Named One] manifestation	347 596	Appears among Gwen’s invisible “friends,” can perceive souls and threads, and is identified as the version of Gwen who was already a true [Named One].
Big Gwen — Transcendent / [Named One]	596	Her desire to fight awakens her Transcendence; Theus confirms that she has become a [Named One].
Little Gwen — White Calamity controller	854	Gains control over the White Calamity, allowing the mist to expand or recede according to her will and restoring her imaginary friends to tangible forms.

Background / History

Gwen was originally a farmer’s daughter in the Northern Territory. During the war, her parents left to seek food and never returned. She survived alone on the food they had left behind, then fled when it began to run out. At ten years old, she was starving, ill, and preparing to die in the yellow dress her mother had made for her when she was unexpectedly connected to Jeremiah, Ken, and Theus through the white fog. 232 448

After leaving her ruined village, Gwen reached Blood Port. She led a group of street children to the Steam and Deep Sea Hermitage, offering their skills as informants in exchange for food and shelter. Josh accepted them, and Gwen’s group became unexpectedly effective at observing newcomers, gangs, cultists, and unrest in the city. 316 340

In Blood Port, Gwen increasingly relied on the invisible friends surrounding her. She could see souls and threads linking people to distant places, noticed that the prince possessed two souls, and recognized that many residents affected by the Mother Goddess Church seemed spiritually incomplete. She quietly guarded Zoe, whom she regarded as a friend despite Zoe not knowing her personally. 340 347

Nora intended for Gwen to succeed her as leader of the Northern Territory resistance. When the Resistance Army lost its pillar, Gwen’s courage made others follow her into battle. She led refugees and soldiers through campaigns against the Winter Wolves, the Empire’s forces, and Dragonfang’s troops, often fighting on the front line herself. 448 455 509

After Castel’s Expeditionary Force intervened in the war, Gwen encountered technology that changed her view of mortal capability: airships, heavy machine guns, concrete fortresses, trains, and industrial cities. She later traveled to Blood Port and Castel at Theus’s invitation, bringing her armor, longsword, Gatling Gun, and Nora with her. 517 547 578

Gwen’s identity became clearer after her arrival in Castel. “Big Gwen,” the Resistance leader, awakened as a Transcendent and [Named One], while “Little Gwen,” the white-mist version associated with Gwen’s imaginary friends, was revealed to be another version of the same person. Little Gwen ultimately took control of the White Calamity and reunited with both her friends and Big Gwen. 596 854 855

Appearance

Gwen is a white-haired girl whose appearance differs between her two recognized versions. Little Gwen is smaller, with short white hair and a cold, mature demeanor; Big Gwen is a taller young woman with long white hair, white eyes, and a habitual suit of heavy armor. 348 514 854

• Initially treasured a faded bright-yellow dress handmade by her mother. 232
• Big Gwen commonly wears silver plate armor weighing roughly one hundred pounds. 503 578
• Carries a longsword and, later, a hand-cranked Gatling Gun. 578
• Big Gwen’s armor lacks a matching helmet, which she once compensated for by holding Nora in front of her face. 602

Personality

Big Gwen

Big Gwen is earnest, direct, and intensely protective. She often minimizes her own attachment to others, but repeatedly risks herself for friends, refugees, and comrades. Her leadership arose less from ambition than from being the first person willing to move forward when everyone else hesitated. 362 595

War made her appear older and more composed than she truly is. Beneath her battlefield experience, she remains excitable, curious, and easily awed by ordinary comforts such as hot food, gas lamps, trains, and the industrial achievements of Castel. 547 578 584

Her defining drive is combat. When deprived of a battlefield after reaching Castel, she felt purposeless; recognizing that she craved battle caused her Transcendence to awaken. 595 596

Little Gwen

Little Gwen presents herself as calm, stern, and emotionally mature, but she is deeply afraid of rejection and abandonment. She prefers protecting people from a distance, believing that closeness risks losing them. Her imaginary friends provide the companionship and reassurance she struggles to seek from others. 347 855

Despite her reserve, Little Gwen is compassionate and fiercely loyal. Her reunion with Big Gwen and their shared affirmation of friendship mark a major step in overcoming her isolation. 854

Abilities & Skills

Transcendent Physical Power

Big Gwen possesses extreme strength, endurance, speed, and resilience. Before formally awakening as a Transcendent, she could already fight in heavy armor for extended periods, cleave armored cavalrymen apart, stop a charging horse, and overpower mounted enemies. 513

• Carries armor, weapons, and a Gatling Gun that ordinary soldiers struggle even to lift. 578
• Changed direction while airborne during a leap across Blood Port’s docks. 586 587
• In testing, could defeat ordinary Transcendents with ease; a squad of fifteen [Buriers] was required merely to withstand her in frontal combat. 856
• Her raw power can compensate for poor technique; she once punched Galahad away after failing to match his swordsmanship. 800

Swordsmanship and Frontline Combat

Gwen’s preferred weapon is a longsword. She learned through repeated combat as a Resistance fighter and uses an aggressive, charging style built around overwhelming strength and refusal to retreat. 455 595

• Fought a Transcendence being at Grey Bear Town, wounded her with a pistol shot, and forced her retreat. 455
• Led repeated defenses of Slading Fortress despite exhaustion and heavy casualties. 480
• Can channel devastating force through her sword; one strike engulfed a large group of Dragonfang soldiers in white light. 515
• Her technique is comparatively crude against trained masters such as Galahad. 800

Thread and Soul Perception

Gwen can see threads, souls, and unusual spiritual conditions that others cannot perceive. This sense helps her detect threats, track connections, and identify abnormalities in people. 340 347 514

• Observed threads extending from Zoe toward an unknown destination. 340
• Saw that the prince had two souls and that Lower City residents affected by the Mother Goddess Church appeared incomplete. 340 347
• Identified threads connected to Zoe, Theus, and another Gwen during battle. 514
• Uses her sharp senses to detect hidden enemies and approaching dangers. 503 529

Imaginary Friends and Reality Influence

Little Gwen’s imaginary friends are manifestations of her will. They offer advice, protect her, and can appear as transparent figures around her. 347 362 854

• Mira was the first known person able to see the friends surrounding Gwen. 348
• The friends aided Gwen during the Mother Goddess Church conflict by distracting [Loving Mother]. 362
• Little Gwen later restored them to solid, visible forms after mastering the White Calamity. 854
• Her will can override reality strongly enough to cause Cognitive Interference and attract Pollution. 594

White Calamity Control

Little Gwen eventually gained authority over the White Calamity that had consumed the Northern Territory. 854

• Can make the mist expand or recede according to her will. 854
• Caused the White Calamity to disappear after taking control of it. 854
• Her power is sufficient to overwhelm Lina, who could neither block her attacks nor breach her defenses. 886

Machine Soul Affinity

Gwen is unusually favored by Machine Souls and can intuitively cooperate with advanced machinery. 580 592

• A steam engine responded to her attention and later “chatted” with her through fire and motion. 580
• Unknowingly summoned the Steel Ark—a massive moving island assembled from sunken ships—through the will of Machine Souls. 592
• Can operate self-propelled artillery alongside its Machine Soul as though controlling an extension of her body. 805

Leadership and Field Strategy

Gwen is a practical battlefield commander whose decisions prioritize timing, terrain, morale, and momentum. 455 469 509

• Led more than one hundred Resistance soldiers in a surprise assault on Grey Bear Town. 455
• Captured Slading Fortress’s undefended gates through rapid advance and decisive orders. 469
• Ordered charges when Isaac’s Gatling Gun fire disrupted enemy command formations. 509
• Earned the loyalty of refugees and soldiers through personal courage rather than formal authority. 595

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Longsword — Gwen’s favored weapon; responds fervently to her will after her Transcendence awakens. 595
• Silver plate armor — A heavy, well-maintained set Gwen has loved and worn since childhood; approximately one hundred pounds. 503 578
• Pistol — Used to wound a Transcendence being during the battle for Grey Bear Town. 455
• Hand-cranked Gatling Gun — Carried personally by Gwen under a permit issued by Theus. 578
• Nora — Gwen transports Nora’s head in a specially authorized case and frequently carries her during travel. 578 586

Relationships

• Theus — First contacted Gwen through the white fog when she was starving alone; later becomes her ally and confidant. Gwen serves as a relay for some of his white-fog connections. 232 655
• Nora — Protector, mentor, and close companion. Nora intended Gwen to succeed her in the Resistance Army and repeatedly shielded her in battle. 448 514
• Isaac — Friend and military ally who taught Gwen the value of firearms and supported the Resistance Army with Gatling Gun fire. 455 509
• Josh — High Priest who gave Gwen and the street children shelter in Blood Port, then relied on their intelligence work. 316 340
• Zoe — Gwen’s “Writer Sister.” Gwen protects Zoe in secret and investigates threats around her. 347
• Jeremiah — One of Gwen’s earliest voices in the white-fog connection; later helps her confront her longing for battle and purpose. 232 595
• Nini — Banshee reporter and sparring opponent. Gwen admires Nini’s battlefield strength and challenges her after awakening. 517 596
• Grisha — Resistance member and younger companion whom Gwen treated after he lost part of his leg; later helps her read Theus’s letter. 480 577
• Mira — Mother Goddess Church chief priestess who can see Gwen’s imaginary friends; Gwen considers her dangerous. 348
• Lina — Another [Named One] connected to Bruno the Great Sage; Lina blames Gwen for failing to save Bruno. 655
• Imaginary Friends — Little Gwen’s constant companions and manifestations of her will, including the armored Little Gwen and a white unicorn. 347 854

Notable Quotes

“I crave battle.” 595

“When you're desperate, the only thing you can believe in is the sword in your hand.” 550

“We are friends. Friends forever.” 854

Trivia

• Gwen’s favorite childhood possession was a bright-yellow dress handmade by her mother. 232
• She was academically gifted enough to study several advanced-class subjects under the Mystic Society, yet later struggled to read Theus’s literary letter. 435 577
• Gwen initially mistook Blood Port for Castel and continued doing so even after Nora corrected her. 584
• Nini jokingly named the public enthusiasm surrounding Gwen “Gwen Syndrome.” 602