# Character State: ch-05

## Elara Vance
Location: The Archive Depository, Sub-level 4, Oakhaven
Physical: Exhausted, minor scrapes from climbing, trembling hands
Emotional: Existential dread and determination
Active obligations: owes Elias information on the "Shadow Protocol" (ch-04) -- UNPAID
Open loops: Elara and Kaelen escape the mechanical sentries (ch-05) -- RESOLVED
Known secrets: knows the Archive contains records of the 'Great Erasure' — Council of Elders
Arc: 45% -- Elara has transitioned from a curious scholar to a fugitive who understands the weight of the forbidden truth she holds.
Permanent: YES

## Kaelen Thorne
Location: The Archive Depository, Sub-level 4, Oakhaven
Physical: Bruised shoulder, heavy breathing, otherwise intact
Emotional: High-alert and protective
Active obligations: owes Elara a safe passage out of the city (ch-03) -- UNPAID
Open loops: Kaelen and the Seekers' internal power struggle (ch-02) -- UNRESOLVED
Known secrets: knows the secret bypass codes for the Archive security — Elara
Arc: 40% -- Kaelen has fully committed to Elara’s cause, abandoning his neutral stance for active rebellion.
Permanent: YES

## Sentry Unit 731 -- DECEASED (ch-05)
Established: Kaelen jammed a thermal rod into its sensory core, causing a permanent system overload and chassis meltdown.
Legacy: Its destruction triggered a silent alarm, alerting the Upper Council to the breach in real-time.

# World State: ch-05

## NPC Memory
- High Elder Vane (The Citadel): Hostile -- Elara escaped his capture team -- He has authorized "lethal resolution" for any further sightings.

## Faction Attitudes
- The Council of Elders: Paramilitary/Aggressive -- They are now aware of the breach at the Archive and have mobilized the Seeker units to lockdown the district.
- The Underground: Cautious -- They have heard rumors of the Archive breach and are debating whether to assist Elara or sever ties to avoid exposure.

## Active World Events
- The Great Lockdown: Status: Active and escalating. Timeline: Began at the end of ch-05; expected to continue until the "heretics" are found.
- The Archive Purge: Status: Imminent. Timeline: The Council has initiated a data-wipe protocol to prevent Elara from sharing what she saw.