# Character State: ch-16 [POLISHED]

## Isabella Voss
**Location:** Whispering Peaks, mountain pass overlook  
**Physical:** Deep exhaustion; forearm scarring from oath-breaking; phantom ringing in right ear (stress manifestation).  
**Emotional:** Introspective; cautiously hopeful; bearing leadership's weight with quiet resolve.  
**Active obligations:**
- Protect Nightbloom survivors (ch-15) -- ACTIVE
- Life-debt to Damien (ch-15) -- UNPAID
**Open loops:**
- Establishing permanent Peak Sanctuary settlement (ch-16) -- UNRESOLVED
- Evading Elder Thorne's ritualistic blood-tracking pursuit (ch-16) -- UNRESOLVED
**Known secrets:**
- Holds collective consciousness in marrow (ch-15) -- Council unaware; strengthens her hemomancy uniquely as The Wane progresses
**Arc:** 98% -- Transitioned her people from hunted caravan to defensive foothold; reclaimed agency through self-chosen vows.  
**Status:** PERMANENT

## Damien Blackthorn
**Location:** Whispering Peaks, mountain pass overlook  
**Physical:** Recovering from abdominal wounds; shoulder stiffness persists.  
**Emotional:** Resolute; finding peace in exile; vigilantly protective of Isabella.  
**Active obligations:**
- Protect Isabella from Blackthorn loyalists (ch-15) -- ACTIVE
- Lead the Unbound Watch (scouting unit) -- ACTIVE
**Open loops:**
- Negotiating alliance terms with Peaks' indigenous spirits/fae (ch-16) -- UNRESOLVED
**Known secrets:**
- Knows locations of hidden Blackthorn armory caches -- Isabella and Collective unaware
**Arc:** 95% -- Fully embraced vanguard role; discarded family name's prestige for earned redemption.  
**Status:** PERMANENT

## Lord Malphas Blackthorn
**Status:** DECEASED (ch-15)  
**Legacy:** Magical core collapsed after Obsidian Bridge destruction; power vacuum enabled Collective's escape; lowlands now fractured.

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# World State: ch-16 [POLISHED]

## NPC Attitudes
- **Kaelen** (Nightbloom scout): DEFERENTIAL -- Secured first camp; proven loyalty
- **Elder Thorne** (Blackthorn Council): MALEVOLENT -- Ritualistically tracking Isabella's blood; vowed to reclaim "vessel"

## Faction Status
- **The Collective:** Unified; absolute trust in Isabella; relieved but resource-depleted
- **Blackthorn Remnants:** Fractured; many turned to banditry; Thorne's loyalists mobilizing for cold-weather pursuit

## Active World Events
- **The Great Migration:** Phase 1 complete; Collective at Whispering Peaks; winter supply shortage critical
- **The Wane:** Magic thinning in lowlands; Isabella's hemomancy uniquely stable due to collective marrow-bond

## Permanent World Changes
✓ Peak Sanctuary established (defensive stronghold)  
✓ Unbound Watch formalized (Damien's reconnaissance unit)  
✓ Collective consciousness integrated into Isabella's marrow (magical anchor)  
✓ Blackthorn power structure destabilized; Thorne emerges as primary antagonist