# Character State: ch-04

## Lena Duval
Location: On the *Ghost Drift*, crossing the New Orleans city line (Industrial Canal).
Physical: High fever; right hand tremors; skin damp and clammy; exhaustion; physical grounding via mother's locket.
Emotional: Relieved but haunted; feeling the "severing" of her connection to the swamp.
Active obligations: 
- Owes the land a "balancing of scales" (Ch1) -- UNPAID
- Owes Jax Harlan a conversation about the "unnatural" events (Ch2) -- UNPAID
- Owes Jax Harlan safe passage/cooperation (Ch4) -- PAID
Open loops: 
- Lena and the "Whisper": Mother’s voice in the roots (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
- Lena and the surveyors: Removal of markers (Ch2) -- UNRESOLVED
- Lena and the Rite: Consequences of interruption (Ch3) -- UNRESOLVED
- Lena and Jax: The flight toward New Orleans (Ch4) -- RESOLVED
Known secrets: 
- CARRIED (Ch1--unresolved): Knows she intends to flee to New Orleans within the week -- Aunt Maribelle does not know.
- CARRIED (Ch1--unresolved): Knows the "whisper" sounded like her mother's voice -- No one else knows.
- CARRIED (Ch2--unresolved): Knows she found a survey marker labeled "Project Phlegethon" -- Jax and Maribelle do not know.
Arc: 35% -- Lena has physically and psychically crossed the threshold into the city, effectively choosing exile over her heritage.
Permanent: YES

## Jax Harlan
Location: Pilot chair of the *Ghost Drift*, entering New Orleans city limits.
Physical: Scuffed knuckles; bloodshot eyes; alert; no major injuries.
Emotional: Tense; protective; increasingly unnerved by the supernatural trail following his boat.
Active obligations: 
- Owes Lena safe passage to the city line (Ch4) -- PAID
- Owes Lena protection in the city (Ch4) -- UNPAID
Open loops:
- Jax and the Duval Coven: Potential retaliation for Lena's extraction (Ch4) -- UNRESOLVED
Known secrets: 
- Knows Lena’s fever is "land-sick" (unnatural) -- Lena thinks he believes it is a standard illness.
Arc: 5% -- Jax has transitioned from a neutral guide to a fugitive accomplice against the Duval family.
Permanent: YES

# World State: ch-04

## NPC Memory
- The Coven (Widow’s Deep): HOSTILE -- They witnessed Jax taking Lena and view the boat as a vessel of theft and apostasy.
- Aunt Maribelle (Widow’s Deep): VENGEFUL -- She has designated Lena an "Apostate" and is hunting the boat through the water-path.

## Faction Attitudes
- The Duval Coven: Aggressive -- Actively mobilizing rituals to retrieve Lena; using the "Blackening" to track the boat.
- Terrebonne Development Corp: Lurking -- Their presence is escalating the coven's defensive magic.

## Active World Events
- The Blackening: Oily sap and sludge manifested behind the *Ghost Drift*, marking Lena’s trail until the city line was crossed.
- The Silence: Continued absence of wildlife along the shortcut due to "Project Phlegethon" and dark magic.
- The Severing: Narrative event where Lena physically feels her bond to the swamp tear as she enters the city.