# Character State: ch-04

## Isabella Voss
Location: The High Tower solar, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: Recovering from exhaustion; wrists bandaged; blood-ink pact glowing faintly under her skin.
Emotional: Calculating and performatively submissive.
Active obligations: 
- Owes Damien 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.
- Scaling the "false consummation" ruse (ch-03) — ACTIVE.
- Negotiating the term of the "blood tithe" with Malakor (ch-04) — UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: 
- CARRIED (ch-02—unresolved): True severity of her scarring — Damien.
- CARRIED (ch-02—unresolved): Manipulation of Damien’s blood as a magic anchor — Damien.
- CARRIED (ch-03—unresolved): Knowledge that blood-sharing bypasses the Peace Vow — House Blackthorn.
- Knows High Priest Malakor is skimming essence from the sacrificial rituals — The Coven.
Arc: 40% — Successfully navigated a high-stakes interrogation by High Priest Malakor, weaponizing her perceived "ruin" to secure a temporary reprieve from surveillance.

## Damien Blackthorn
Location: The High Tower solar, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: No injuries; slight sympathetic pulse from the blood-link.
Emotional: Protective and increasingly cynical toward his father’s court.
Active obligations: 
- Owes Isabella protection/containment (ch-01) — UNPAID.
- Bound to Isabella’s safety by the blood-ink pact (ch-02) — UNPAID.
Open loops: 
- Managing his father’s expectations of Isabella’s submission (ch-03) — UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: 
- CARRIED (ch-02—unresolved): Aware Isabella is an "Unmarked Vessel" violation — Malphas/Malakor.
- CARRIED (ch-02—unresolved): Knows Isabella is fueling magic with intentional bloodletting — Malphas.
Arc: 35% — Confirmed his commitment to the "false union" by actively shielding Isabella from Malakor’s spiritual probe.

# World State: ch-04

## NPC Memory
- High Priest Malakor (Blackthorn Keep): FRUSTRATED — Blocked by Damien during the interrogation — Intends to find a physical pretext to bypass Damien's authority.
- Lord Malphas Blackthorn (Great Hall): IMPATIENT — Expects immediate troop movement following the "union" — Preparing to demand the Voss blood-keys.

## Faction Attitudes
- Blackthorn Coven: SUSPICIOUS — The lack of a visible "breaking" in Isabella's spirit is causing whispers among the priesthood.
- Nightbloom Coven: FRACTURED — No change from ch-03.

## Active World Events
- The Blood Tithe: ACTIVE — Malakor has demanded a formal extraction of Isabella's blood for "consecration," putting its magical properties at risk of discovery.
- The Peace Vow: ACTIVE — Constrains direct violence between the heirs.
- The Treaty of Thorns: ACTIVE — Politically dominant; driving the annexation of Nightbloom territory.

## Global Variables
- Location: Blackthorn Keep (The High Tower).
- Tension Level: Escalating (Clerical intervention).
- Political Climate: High-stakes deception.
- Canonical Status: Chapter 04 finalized.