Princess Gwaelin

"The only daughter of King Tantegel, she possesses the power to hear the voice of Lady Rubiss. She is bright, friendly, and beloved by her people, but several months ago she was kidnapped by the Dragonlord and has been missing ever since"

—I & II HD website

Gwaelin
Dragon Quest Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake Dragon Quest XI Dragon Quest Monsters Dragon Quest Builders

Sprite(s)
Japanese name	ローラ姫
Romaji	Rōra Hime
Old localization	Lady Lora
Title	Princess
Race	Human
Family	King of Alefgard (ancestor) King Lorik (Father) Prince of Midenhall (descendant) Prince of Cannock (descendant) Princess of Moonbrooke (descendant) Princess of Cannock (descendant)
Voice actor	Hiroko Kasahara (CD Theater) Ai Kayano (Rivals and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake) Annie Warburton (Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake) (English)

Princess Gwaelin is a character in the Dragon Quest series that appears as a major NPC in the original Dragon Quest.

She is the daughter of King Lorik XVI of Tantegel and has been kidnapped by the Dragonlord. During the game, she can be rescued by the Hero as a sidequest. This makes her the one and only sidequest present in the original Dragon Quest.

Appearance and personality[edit]

Gwaelin has three distinct designs, the first of which being a traditional princess dressed in a soft-yellow, frilly gown with puffy shoulders, a large sky blue waist ribbon with a blue gem set in a gold pin, and a golden tiara set with one large sapphire adjourned with rubies on both sides.

Her second design, which originated from Kenshin Dragon Quest: Yomigaerishi Densetsu no Ken, is shown in the Battle Road arcade series, wherein she wears a pink gown with sleeves that extend and split along her mid-forearm, and a white sash along her waist. The third design is seen in Dragon Quest Builders, and is a white version of her original dress with a golden trim sewn into it at ankle-height and a different tiara design. In all appearances her necklace stays the same, and her hair is always a faint ginger or light brown.

Gwaelin is a young woman well trained in the etiquette expected of her standing, and her optimism is utterly indomitable no matter how grim the situation. This aspect of her is highlighted in Builders, where her resolve spurs the people of the rebuilt Tantegel into action. The princess is prone to bouts of girly glee when she is happy, to the point that she'll even audibly squeak when particularly pleased. She is, however, still a princess, and will not take no for an answer under any circumstances--trapping the player in an endless dialogue loop and pouting until she gets her way. When rescued by the Hero in the original game, she immediately falls head over heels for her savior.

In the HD-2D remake, Gwaelin's personality is expanded upon considerably compared to the original game. She has a strong-willed resolve, refusing to capitulate to the Mirage's wicked deceptions and still choosing to hold out for the Hero despite being imprisoned for several months. Gwaelin is also shown to be a laid-back young woman, such as insisting that her personal bodyguard address her casually and forgo the stuffy formalities her title normally demands. As an oracle of Rubiss, Gwaelin is able to call upon the Goddess' power to aid her Hero, frequently doing so to help him on his quest when she accompanies him.

Appearances[edit]

Dragon Quest[edit]

Gwaelin as depicted in Nintendo Power

The Hero may rescue Gwaelin during his quest to defeat the Dragonlord, though this is not a requirement to complete the game. She is located inside the Quagmire Cave south of Kol which connects to the southeastern continent. In order to rescue Gwaelin, the Hero must fight and defeat a ferocious Green dragon that guards her (rather lavish) cell. This monster is not visible on the dungeon map screen, but rather is triggered when the Hero steps on a specific tile (similar to the Golem which guards Cantlin). If the Dragonlord is defeated prior to the Princess' rescue, she will still be in her cell and able to be rescued, though the Green dragon will not be present.

After rescuing the princess, the Hero carries her back to her father at Tantegel castle. A sprite showing the Hero carrying Gwaelin is used at this time. In the remakes of the game, the Dragonlord has a special reaction if she is being carried when the Hero confronts him. He laughs heartily at the absurdity, and 'thanks' the Hero for his kindness in bringing the Princess to him.

At Tantegel Castle, Gwaelin gives the Hero an item called the 'Princess Pledge' which tells the Hero his exact distance from Tantegel on the map of Alefgard at the time it is used. It is useful in finding the Mark of Erdrick later in the game. While at the castle, her highness occupies the empty space next to her father in the throne room. When spoken to in the NES Version, she asks the Hero if he loves her. Answering yes triggers the short love music to play.

If the Hero rescued Gwaelin during the game, then she will be present during the ending and join the protagonist on his journey to establish his own kingdom. The Hero will again carry the lass away as he leaves Alefgard after defeating the Dragonlord. If the Hero is already carrying her when the ending begins, the result is much the same, though a single line of dialogue is different.

Eventually she and The Hero get married and settle in Greater Alefgard. They have three children, who establish the kingdoms of Midenhall, Cannock, and Moonbrooke. 100 years later, their descendants become the heroes of Dragon Quest II. Also, a tunnel leading from Cannock to Moonbrooke was named after her.

Selected quotes[edit]

Quote

"Mighty Hero, thou wilt, of course, escort me to my home, the palace?"

Gwaelin, in Quagmire Cave (NES)

Quote

"Th--?! B--?! Grr...mayhap thou didst not hear me correctly..."

Gwaelin, upon being told no (NES)

Quote

"Why, Hero! Tee hee! (squeak)"

Gwaelin, upon being told yes (NES)

Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake[edit]

Princess Gwaelin's role remains the same in the HD-2D version of the seminal title, though her character is greatly expanded upon. It is revealed that the royal family's most closely-guarded secret is that Gwaelin is an oracle able to hear the voice of Almighty Rubiss. She was forewarned by the Goddess that a great evil was about to threaten Alefgard, and was instructed her to take the Sphere of Light into hiding with her to await the arrival of a Hero who would stand against the encroaching darkness. To this end her father dispatched a host of his finest knights to escort her to the Shrine of Rain, lead by Gwaelin's personal body guard, but the Dragonlord ambushes the force and kills all but one knight before stealing the holy relic and making off with the princess as his prisoner.

Gwaelin is held in the Quagmire Cave and guarded by a green dragon as in past versions, but she is now tormented by a monster known as the Mirage. The sadistic living vapor tortures Gwaelin with visions of her father and deceased mother to make her reveal what Rubiss told her, forcing her to watch the illusions of her parents burning to death in wailing agony over and over to break her spirit. When the Hero reaches her in the depths of the swamp cavern she assumes he is yet another illusion and manifests a mysterious power as she becomes overwhelmed with emotion. This destroys the Mirage's phantasmagoria and reveals the stately prison she was held in to be nothing more than the dank nest of the green dragon, which attacks the Hero. Slaying the wyrm assures Gwaelin that he is no illusion, and she becomes smitten with him.

From here the player has the option to carry Gwaelin along for the remainder of the adventure or to deposit her safely in Castle Tantegel. Letting her tag along produces several unique dialogues with other characters such as the cowardly Royal Guard in Kol, as well as her seeing through the Mirage's illusions once more in the Weirdwood. While Gwaelin is not playable in battle, she does participate by saying prayers to empower her Hero and her presence also grants him access to two almighty souped-up skills, the legendary Gigagash and the blazing Erdrick's Fire.

The finale of the game concludes as in past versions, with the hero taking Gwaelin's hand in marriage and the departing to establish their own kingdom in Greater Alefgard with her father's blessing.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age[edit]

Gwaelin appears as an NPC in the Tantegel section of the Echo Chamber. She is not the focus of the disruption in time, as instead her father has been cursed to be unable to speak.

Dragon Quest Monsters[edit]

The princess is once again found in the Quagmire Cave being guarded by a Green dragon. Once the serpent is slain she will allow Terry to carry her outside, but upon seeing the lad is half her size she decides to wait for a stronger hero to arrive and sweep her off her feet.

Theatrhythm Dragon Quest[edit]

The princess shows up as a playable character in Theatrhythm Dragon Quest.

Dragon Quest Builders[edit]

The princess is an NPC in the final chapter of the game, having recited a charm to turn herself to stone in order to escape the agony of her Hero's betrayal and the despair the Dragonlord wrought once he blacked out the sky and banished the basics of building from those living in Alefgard. Gwaelin remained in stasis for approximately 100 years until the Builder revives her with a phial of Holy water. When spoken to in the first section of the chapter, she will restore the builder's HP.

Unlike other characters in the game, the princess immediately recognizes the player as the legendary builder and encourages them throughout the chapter. She dutifully prays that Rubiss bestow her blessing upon the builder, which allows the goddess' voice to penetrate the miasma covering the land and speak with the player directly. Just prior to her awakening, she received a vision from Rubiss telling her that three sages will need to join her in Tantegel, uniting three divine artifacts to restore the land. These sages are the principal npcs of the previous chapters.

Through the final chapter Rubiss disheartens the Builder from confronting Dragonlord, as the builder is not a hero. The princess, however, keeps encouraging the builder to free the Alefgardian people from Dragonlord's rule. The builder going against her wishes annoys Rubiss to the point she stops giving them protection. After the final confrontation with the Dragonlord, the princess thanks the builder for their efforts and the game ends.

Stats


Family		Rank		Role
Hero				Support
Max Level		HP	MP	Move
140		1,395	625	2
Attack	Defense	Agility	Wisdom	Weight
315	456	546	328	60

Basic Skills

First		Second		Third
Hurrah		Head over Heals*		Deadly Dragon Breath* Coup de Grâce: Princess's Pledge*

Awakening Skills

First	Second	Third
Princess of Tantegel / Stats Up	Woosh Res +25 / Stats Up	Deadly Dragon Breath Potency +5% / Princess's Pledge Recovery +5% / Heart of a Lady: Heals 50% of the user's max HP when the user's HP drops to 70% or less, 1 time per battle / Stats Up
Fourth	Fifth
Zam Res +25 / Stats Up	Deadly Dragon Breath Potency +5% / Princess's Pledge Recovery +5% / Max HP +100 / Stats Up

Leader Perks

First
Raises breath potency/recovery of all allies, including herself, by 15% in a 5x5 square around her.

Basic Perks

First	Second	Third
Max HP +30 DEF +20	Holy Guard: Battle start: Nullifies some status ailments for 3 turns.	Physical Potency/Recovery +2%

Perk Details

First
Princess of Tantegel: Battle start: Raises breath potency/recovery, Physical Res, Spell Res and Breath Res for 1 turn. Action start on odd turns until turn 5: Raises breath potency/recovery, Physical Res, Spell Res and Breath Res for 3 turns.

Frizz Resistance *	Sizz Resistance *	Crack Resistance *	Woosh Resistance *
Normal	Normal	Very Weak	Half Res
Bang Resistance *	Zap Resistance *	Zam Resistance *	Snooze Resistance
Very Weak	Normal	Half Res	Immune
Poison Resistance	Physical Lock Resistance	Spell Lock Resistance	Martial Lock Resistance
Normal	Normal	Normal	Half Res
Breath Lock Resistance	Hobble Resistance *	Stun Resistance *	Dazzle Resistance
Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Curse Resistance	Paralysis Resistance	Confusion Resistance	Charm Resistance
Super Weak	Super Weak	Normal	Half Res

Trivia[edit]

In Builders, she is simply known as "The Princess".
In the Japanese dialog for the Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake, she refers to the Hero as "yuusha-sama" ("Hero" said reverently). This is generally rendered in English as "beloved."

Gallery[edit]

Chibi art.
With the Dragonlord.
Gwaelin as seen in Dragon Quest I & II, 1993
Perky Princess.
Being carried by the Hero.
DQ Heroines.
Being rescued from the green dragon in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
Princess Gwaelin and the Scion of Erdrick by Mutsumi Inomata.
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The Hero's first meeting with Gwaelin in the Dragon Quest I CD Theater.
Gwaelin's kidnapping.
Gwaelin with her Hero.
Staring daggers at Maya for flirting with her man
Art by Yumiko Murakami
As depicted in Monster Battle Road, along with the Sunstone, Staff of Rain, and Rainbow Drop.
Dragon Quest Character Figure Collection Roto no Monshou series.
A minifigure depicting a budding romance.
A petite Princess as shown in Builders.
Stars portrait.
Appearance in Stars. (Cell phone)
Appearance in Tact. (Cell phone)
Appearance in Rivals. (Cell phone)
Valentine’s Day art for Rivals.
The statue of the princess seen in Treasures
Her infamous line from the NES localization in HD