staging: polished/character-state-ch-14-final.md task=37681e83-da1a-4cdb-87f2-a18c82e543f2

projects/echoes-of-the-forest/staging/polished/character-state-ch-14-final.md

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+# Character State: ch-14
+
+## ELARA VANCE
+Location: The High Pavilion, Oakhaven.
+Physical: Ribs aching; right palm Sigil glowing with a fierce, blinding amber brilliance; clothes stained with forest loam.
+Emotional: Resolute and unyielding; she feels the weight of leadership as an armor rather than a burden.
+Active obligations: Owes Kaelen protection (Ch-06)—UNPAID.
+Open loops: The Council’s Reckoning (Ch-14)—RESOLVED.
+Known secrets: CARRIED: 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.
+Physical: Exhaustion tempered by high-alert readiness; hand resting on his blade; posture is fluid and protective.
+Emotional: Solid and devoted; he has 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: 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 his ceremonial robes; physically restrained by encroaching vines.
+Emotional: Terrified and humiliated; his authority has crumbled into dust.
+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)
+Legacy: His calcified, salt-white form at the Heart-Root stands as a permanent monument to the dangers of corrupting the natural order.
+
+# World State: ch-14
+
+## NPC Memory
+- Mira (Oakhaven): EXULTANT -- Led the 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 for her leadership.
+- The Forest Spirits: VIGILANT -- They have 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 used for political control.
+- The Integration: Oakhaven is no longer a fortress against the woods; the village and Elderwood have physically merged.
+
+## Key Items/Evidence
+- Council Ledger: Held by Elara; the primary evidence of the Elders' treason.
+- The Vessel Sigil: Pulsing with peak intensity; physically paralyzed corrupted magic and forced the forest's rapid growth.
+- Thorne’s Trophies: Scatters of desiccated leaves found among his remains, serving as grim omens of the war's cost.