# Character State: ch-01

## Isabella Voss
Location: The Bridal Chamber, High Tower, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: Hemomantic exhaustion; raw wrist scars concealed by white silk gloves; internal lashing from the Peace Vow.
Emotional: Defiant yet terrified; maintaining a mask of "regal correction."
Active obligations: Owes Damien Blackthorn a sanctioned heir (ch-01) -- UNPAID; Owes Reginald Thorne Voss bloodline assets (ch-01) -- UNPAID.
Open loops: Wedding night survival (ch-01) -- UNRESOLVED; Secrecy of hemomantic scarring from Blackthorn Elders (ch-01) -- UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-01--unresolved): Bleeding beneath gloves; CARRIED (ch-01--unresolved): true severity of her scarring; CARRIED (ch-01--unresolved): using her mother’s execution as a survival template.
Arc: 15% -- Transitioned from a prisoner of war to a legally bound hostage-bride within the Blackthorn stronghold.
Permanent: YES

## Damien Blackthorn
Location: The Bridal Chamber, High Tower, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: Uninjured; predatory vitality.
Emotional: Cruelly intrigued; dominant, mocking, and meticulously observant.
Active obligations: Owes Isabella protection and containment per the Treaty (ch-01) -- UNPAID.
Open loops: Testing the limits of Isabella’s hemomancy (ch-01) -- UNRESOLVED; Consummation of the political alliance (ch-01) -- UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-01--unresolved): Suspects Isabella is hiding scars that violate the "Unmarked Vessel" clause.
Arc: 08% -- Established as the primary tormentor and shadow-husband who recognizes Isabella's hidden defiance.
Permanent: YES

## Lord Reginald Thorne
Location: High Dais, Great Hall, Blackthorn Keep.
Physical: Aged but commanding.
Emotional: Mercenary and triumphant; views the marriage as a successful harvest of assets.
Active obligations: Overseeing the immediate integration of Voss territories (ch-01) -- UNPAID.
Open loops: Monitoring Isabella's "purity" and viability (ch-01) -- UNRESOLVED.
Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-01--unresolved): Intends to discard Isabella once a Voss-blooded heir is secured.
Arc: 05% -- Architect of the Annexation who has successfully tethered the Nightbloom bloodline.
Permanent: YES

# World State: ch-01

## NPC Memory
- Blackthorn Court (Blackthorn Keep): DERISIVE -- Watched Isabella paraded as a conquered trophy -- Marked her as a socially isolated "other."

## Faction Attitudes
- Nightbloom Coven: SILENT -- Abandoned Isabella to save the collective.
- Blackthorn Coven: IMPERIAL -- View the union as a formal asset acquisition; high scrutiny on Isabella’s behavior.

## Active World Events
- The Peace Vow: ACTIVE -- Magical pulse punishing Isabella’s dissent with internal pain.
- The Binding Ritual: COMPLETE -- Lines of Voss and Blackthorn are now magically and legally linked.
- The Treaty of Thorns: ACTIVE -- Diplomatic framework mandating the union to end the war.
- The Unmarked Vessel Clause: ACTIVE -- Requirement that the bride be free of magical scarring—a condition Isabella has already secretly breached.

## Global Variables
- Location: Blackthorn Keep (The High Tower).
- Tension Level: High (Immediate threat of discovery/consummation).
- Political Climate: Forced Annexation / Fragile Peace.