# Character State: ch-03

## Queen Seraphine
Location: The Obsidian Dais, Grand Cathedral, Aethelgard
Physical: Shaken by psychic feedback; silver scarring appearing on forearms; magically overextended.
Emotional: Vulnerable and profoundly unsettled by the shared vision.
Active obligations: Owes Aldric Thorne a formal response to the Bilateral Seal (ch-01) -- PAID.
Open loops: [Seraphine & Aldric] The emotional fallout of the shared childhood trauma (ch-03) -- UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-01—unresolved): The Blight has breached the inner glass-line; the Lowen-Court is already compromised.
Arc: 25% -- She has moved from viewing Aldric as a structural asset to recognizing him as a mirror of her own broken history.
Permanent: YES

## King Aldric
Location: The Obsidian Dais, Grand Cathedral, Aethelgard
Physical: Death-like pallor; hands trembling from the weight of the blood-bind; bleeding from the palms.
Emotional: Distant and armored in cold silence to mask the shock of the Communion.
Active obligations: Owes Seraphine the protection of the Thorne-Valerius borders (ch-03) -- UNPAID.
Open loops: [Aldric & Seraphine] The revelation of the execution of his brother (ch-03) -- UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: None.
Arc: 20% -- He has allowed a rival into the most guarded vault of his memory, shattering his isolation.
Permanent: YES

## High Priestess Malcorra
Location: The Obsidian Dais, Grand Cathedral, Aethelgard
Physical: No injuries; radiating smug theological satisfaction.
Emotional: Triumphant and observant.
Active obligations: Owes the Crimson Cathedral a "purified" sovereign (ch-02) -- UNPAID.
Open loops: [Malcorra & Seraphine] Control over the ritualistic elements of the Thorne alliance (ch-03) -- RESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-01—unresolved): Does she hear the voice of the ancestors, or is she a high-functioning schizophrenic?
Arc: 15% -- She successfully forced the Queen into a ritual that stripped away Seraphine's emotional defenses.
Permanent: NO

## Captain Kaelen
Location: The Perimeter of the Obsidian Dais, Grand Cathedral, Aethelgard
Physical: No injuries; hand white-knuckled on his sword hilt.
Emotional: Overwhelmingly protective and hyper-vigilant.
Active obligations: Absolute silence regarding the Queen’s flagging physical stamina (ch-01) -- UNPAID.
Open loops: [Kaelen & Seraphine] The cost of his intervention against the High Priestess (ch-03) -- UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: Knows the Queen nearly collapsed during the walk to the cellar -- Malcorra does NOT know.
Arc: 10% -- Has witnessed the Queen’s soul bared and finds his duty shifting from political to deeply personal.
Permanent: NO

# World State: ch-03

## NPC Memory
- High Priestess Malcorra (Crimson Cathedral): TRIUMPHANT -- Witnessed the successful binding of the sovereigns -- Intends to use the shared trauma as leverage to guide the new union.

## Faction Attitudes
- The Crimson Cathedral: Ascendant -- The success of the Communion validates their dogma.
- The Lowen-Court: Cautious -- The physical toll on King Aldric has left his inner circle on high alert.

## Active World Events
- The Sanguine Parley: The 48-hour deadline is moot; the Union is legally and magically sealed.
- The Blight Advance: The tremors ceased during the Communion but have resumed with a higher, glass-cracking pitch.
- The Sanguine Marriage: The blood-bond is active, creating a permanent psychic tether between Seraphine and Aldric.