# Character State: ch-07

## Isabella Voss
Location: Guest Chambers, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: Severe hemomantic exhaustion; bandaged palms; faint tremors.
Emotional: Guilt-ridden but resolute; experiencing sensory bleed-through from Damien via the bond.
Active obligations:
- Sanctioned heir owed to Damien (ch-01) — UNPAID
- Bloodline assets owed to Reginald Thorne Voss (ch-01) — UNPAID
- Bound to Damien's safety via blood-ink (ch-02) — UNPAID
Open loops:
- The False Consummation ruse (ch-03) — ACTIVE
- Aftermath of the Tithe defiance (ch-07) — UNRESOLVED
Known secrets:
- CARRIED (ch-01--unresolved): Severity of her scarring — Damien only
- CARRIED (ch-02--unresolved): Using Damien's blood as magic anchor — Damien only
- CARRIED (ch-02--unresolved): Blood-sharing bypasses the Peace Vow — House Blackthorn
- CARRIED (ch-04--unresolved): Malakor skims essence from rituals — The Coven
- Secretly harbors growing genuine affection for Damien — Malphas/Reginald
Arc: 65% — Transitioned from accidental savior to intentional protector, accepting the consequences of her "heresy."
Permanent: YES

## Damien Blackthorn
Location: Guest Chambers, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: Bruised neck; lingering magical fatigue; phantom pains from Isabella’s wounds.
Emotional: Fiercely loyal; simmering with rage toward his father.
Active obligations:
- Protection/containment of Isabella (ch-01) — UNPAID
- Bound to Isabella's safety via blood-ink (ch-02) — UNPAID
Open loops:
- Malphas’s ultimatum regarding the Nightbloom lands (ch-07) — UNRESOLVED
Known secrets:
- CARRIED (ch-03--unresolved): Isabella is "Unmarked Vessel" violation — Malphas/Malakor
- CARRIED (ch-03--unresolved): Isabella's intentional bloodletting fuels magic — Malphas
Arc: 62% — Openly defied his father’s authority to prioritize Isabella’s recovery, severing his role as a mere enforcer.
Permanent: YES

## Lord Malphas Blackthorn
Location: The Solar, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: No injuries.
Emotional: Calculating; cold; viewing his son's defiance as a tactical complication.
Open loops:
- Seizure of Nightbloom territories (ch-07) — ACTIVE
Arc: N/A (NPC)
Permanent: YES

# World State: ch-07

## NPC Memory
- High Priest Malakor (Blackthorn Keep): HUMILIATED — Demanding Isabella’s trial for the ritual’s failure.
- Lord Malphas (Blackthorn Keep): OPPORTUNISTIC — Using the failed Tithe as a legal pretext to annex Nightbloom lands.

## Faction Attitudes
- Blackthorn Coven: DIVIDED — Some fear the botched ritual's omen, others hunger for the Nightbloom’s remaining assets.
- Nightbloom Coven: EXTINCT (Vulnerable) — Without a successful Tithe, they have lost the magical protection of the Peace Vow.

## Active World Events
- The Interrupted Tithe: FAILED — The blood debt was not collected, leaving a vacuum of power and legal protection.
- The Peace Vow: COLLAPSED — The failure of the ritual has provided the legal loophole for House Blackthorn to initiate a land seizure.