# Character State: ch-03

## Isabella Voss
Location: The High Tower balcony, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: Hemomantic exhaustion; open wrist wounds; scorched skin from the Peace Vow’s reaction to her magic.
Emotional: Defiant and strategically calculating.
Active obligations: Owes Damien Blackthorn a sanctioned heir (ch-01) — UNPAID; Owes Reginald Thorne Voss bloodline assets (ch-01) — UNPAID; Bound to Damien’s safety via blood-ink (ch-02) — UNPAID.
Open loops: Management of the blood-pact ink (ch-02) — UNRESOLVED; Negotiating the terms of the "false consummation" with Damien (ch-03) — UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-02--unresolved): Bleeding beneath her gloves and the true severity of her scarring; CARRIED (ch-02--unresolved): Her manipulation of Damien’s blood to create an anchor; knows the Peace Vow can be temporarily bypassed through mutual blood-sharing — Damien Blackthorn.
Arc: 30% -- Isabella transitioned from a prisoner to a co-conspirator by leveraging her life-link to force Damien into a public charade of intimacy.
Status: Permanent.

## Damien Blackthorn
Location: The High Tower balcony, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: Slight lethargy from hemomantic drain; a fresh cut on his palm from the pact-sealing.
Emotional: Grudgingly respectful and dangerously intrigued.
Active obligations: Owes Isabella protection and containment (ch-01) — UNPAID; Bound to Isabella’s physical safety by the blood-ink pact (ch-02) — UNPAID.
Open loops: Consummation of the alliance (ch-01) — RESOLVED (staged); Managing his father’s expectations of Isabella’s submission (ch-03) — UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-02--unresolved): Has seen evidence of the "Unmarked Vessel" violation; knows Isabella is intentionally bleeding to fuel her magic — Lord Malphas Blackthorn.
Arc: 25% -- Damien abandoned the intent to dominate Isabella, instead choosing to shield her secrets to preserve his own life and tactical advantage.
Status: Permanent.

# World State: ch-03

## NPC Memory
- **High Priest Malakor (Reliquary):** SUSPICIOUS -- Noticed the delay in the "consummation" signal -- Intends to increase surveillance on the High Tower.
- **Lord Malphas Blackthorn (Great Hall):** SATISFIED -- Believes the staged blood on the balcony silk signifies Isabella’s breaking -- Will proceed with the annexation of Voss lands.

## Faction Attitudes
- **Blackthorn Coven:** TRIUMPHAL -- Believe the Nightbloom Witch has been "tamed" by Damien -- Decreased immediate military readiness within the Keep.
- **Nightbloom Coven:** DESPERATE -- Hearing rumors of Isabella's "submission," they are beginning to fracture into splinter cells.

## Active World Events
- **The Peace Vow:** ACTIVE -- Reacted violently to Isabella's blood-casting, nearly killing her before Damien intervened.
- **The Blood-Ink Anchor:** ACTIVE -- Now reinforced by a secondary pact; Damien’s physical vitality is directly fueling Isabella’s stabilization.
- **The Treaty of Thorns:** ACTIVE -- Publicly validated by the appearance of the "Consummation Silk" on the balcony.

## Global Variables
- **Location:** Blackthorn Keep (The High Tower / Balcony).
- **Tension Level:** High (Internal conspiracy).
- **Political Climate:** False Stability.