# Character State: ch-07

## Queen Seraphine
Location: Abandoned miner’s grotto, Ironbound Range
Physical: Exhausted; palms are raw and stained with both her and Aldric’s blood from the ritual; minor bruising.
Emotional: Vulnerable and disarmed; experiencing a profound, lingering warmth from the kiss and the shared pulse.
Active obligations: Owes Aldric Thorne the protection of the Thorne-Valerius borders (ch-03) — UNPAID.
Open loops: [Seraphine & Aldric] The physical intimacy and vulnerability of their first kiss (ch-07) — UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-06—unresolved): Knows the Lowen-Court is already compromised by Blight-sympathizers — Aldric.
Arc: 45% — Forced to move from clinical observation to active, sacrificial healing to save her partner.
Permanent: YES

## King Aldric
Location: Abandoned miner’s grotto, Ironbound Range
Physical: Weak but stable; the crystallization on his hands has been reversed, replaced by fresh scar tissue; pulse is strong.
Emotional: Terrified by the depth of his feelings; a mix of relief and defensive re-internalization.
Active obligations: None.
Open loops: [Aldric & Seraphine] The admission of his fear regarding the "Thorne Madness" (ch-07) — RESOLVED.
Known secrets: None.
Arc: 40% — Revealed his greatest shame and allowed himself to be saved by a Valerius.
Permanent: YES

# World State: ch-07

## NPC Memory
- The Storm (Ironbound Range): HARSH — Forced the sovereigns into a confined space — Consequence: Broke their formal distance.

## Faction Attitudes
- The Crimson Cathedral: SUSPICIOUS — Malcorra senses a shift in the blood-frequency between the pair — Reason: The ritual was performed without priestly oversight.
- The Thorne Loyalists: RESTLESS — High-altitude watches report the King hasn't signaled from the pass — Reason: General anxiety over his health.

## Active World Events
- The Grotto Consecration: TEMPORARY — The site of the blood-healing holds a residual magical resonance of the combined bloodlines.
- The Blight Drift: ESCALATING — Winter storms are carrying Blight spores further south into the mountain passes.
- The Sanguine Sovereignty: INCIPIENT — The bio-magical link is beginning to harmonize through physical intimacy, bypassing formal ritual.