Penny
Biography
From Grind Sail girl to Nightmare Butterfly
The original Penny is Ada's blind younger sister, able to perceive dreams through a Nightmare Butterfly cocoon in her eyes. Saul prevents Grind Sail Town from sacrificing her and removes the cocoon before returning her to Ada. When it later hatches, the first Nightmare Butterfly retains parts of the girl's memories but explicitly says she is not Penny; Saul continues using the name for the new consciousness. This Penny becomes his expressive dream scout, lives through the Dead Wizard's Diary, and remains beside him after his century-long journey. She is distinct from the later Little Butterfly. (Chapters 97–110, 271–275, 330–354, 1037)
Appearance and personality
Human Penny is a small blind girl with star-like silver light in her eyes. The first Nightmare Butterfly is a silver butterfly that can also appear as a girl or bookmark-like form; she is talkative, excitable, fearful of overwhelming dream powers, and unwaveringly affectionate toward Saul.
Abilities
She enters and links dreams, reads recent memories, leaves dream phosphorus for tracking, hides mental signatures, and sustains constructed dream environments.
Relationships
- Saul: Saul saves the girl, hatches the cocoon, and treats the resulting butterfly as a trusted younger companion.
- Ada: Ada is human Penny's protective brother and the emotional center of the memories inherited by the butterfly.
- Little Butterfly: Little Butterfly is a separate, later Nightmare Butterfly rather than Penny's replacement or renamed form.