# Character State: ch-14

## ELARA VANCE
Location: The High Pavilion floor, Oakhaven.
Physical: Ribs aching; right palm Sigil glowing with amber brilliance; clothes stained with forest loam.
Emotional: Resolute and unyielding; feels the weight of leadership as an armor.
Active obligations: Owes Kaelen protection (Ch-06)—UNPAID.
Open loops: The Council’s Reckoning (Ch-14)—RESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-14--unresolved): Possesses the Council Ledger; knows the Oakhaven Elders orchestrated the initial Blight.
Arc: 90% -- Transformed from a fugitive survivor into the recognized sovereign of the forest’s future.
Permanent: YES

## KAELEN
Location: At Elara’s side, High Pavilion, Oakhaven.
Physical: Exhaustion; hand resting on his blade; posture fluid and protective.
Emotional: Solid and devoted; fully accepted his role as the Vessel’s shield.
Active obligations: None.
Open loops: Revealing his Sun-Guard lineage to Elara (Ch-13)—UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch-13--unresolved): Knows the hidden Sun-Guard caches; knows the Grove map location.
Arc: 85% -- Shifted from a man seeking redemption to a guardian standing in the light of a new era.
Permanent: YES

## ELDER BRAM
Location: The High Pavilion floor, Oakhaven.
Physical: Ashen-faced and trembling; stripped of robes; restrained by encroaching vines.
Emotional: Terrified and humiliated; authority has crumbled.
Active obligations: None.
Open loops: Trial/Sentencing for treason (Ch-14)—UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: Orchestrated the "Controlled Blight"—REVEALED (Ch-14).
Arc: 100% -- Complete fall from grace; transitioned from secret tyrant to a disgraced prisoner.
Permanent: YES

## THORNE BLACKROOT -- DECEASED (Ch-13)
Established: Calcified into a salt-white form at the Heart-Root after his corruption was turned inward.
Legacy: His remains stand as a permanent monument to the dangers of corrupting the natural order.

# World State: ch-14

## NPC Memory
- Mira (Oakhaven): EXULTANT -- Led villagers to witness the Council's downfall -- Her faith in Elara has become the village's new social foundation.
- The Council Guard (Oakhaven): SUBMISSIVE -- Disarmed and leaderless after the forest reclaimed the pavilion -- They now await the Vessel’s judgment.

## Faction Attitudes
- Council of Oakhaven: DISMANTLED -- Exposed as architects of the Blight; members are now detainees or fugitives.
- The Villagers of Oakhaven: REVERENT -- The flowering of the village in response to Elara’s Sigil is viewed as a divine mandate.
- The Forest Spirits: VIGILANT -- Physically integrated with Oakhaven, weaving vines through stone to enforce the new balance.

## Active World Events
- The Exposure: The Council Ledger has been publicly presented, proving the Blight was a manufactured crisis.
- The Integration: Oakhaven and Elderwood have physically merged, ending the village's isolation.

## Key Items/Evidence
- Council Ledger: Held by Elara; primary evidence of the Elders' treason.
- The Vessel Sigil: Pulsing with peak intensity; paralyzed corrupted magic and forced rapid growth.