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+# Character State: ch-09
+
+## Elara Vance
+Location: The Blackened Culvert, base of the Moss-Clad Ravine.
+Physical: Ribs fractured/throbbing; Sigil on palm is scorched violet and blistering; coughing from blight-spore inhalation; trembling with spiritual exhaustion.
+Emotional: Resolute yet isolated; feels the crushing weight of the Council's secrets and Thalric's mantle.
+Active obligations: owes Kaelen protection (ch-06) -- UNPAID; owes Thalric a debt of legacy (ch-05) -- UNPAID.
+Open loops: Elara/Council regarding blight origins (ch-06) -- UNRESOLVED; Elara/Root-Key destination (ch-09) -- UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-06--unresolved): knows the Council’s silence covers the blight’s true origin.
+Arc: 85% -- She has accepted the physical toll of her role as Vessel, choosing to push forward through the Ravine despite the onset of spiritual collapse.
+
+## Kaelen
+Location: The Blackened Culvert, base of the Moss-Clad Ravine.
+Physical: Left forearm bandage soaked with fresh blood; breathing labored; Sunstone light is dim and erratic.
+Emotional: Fiercely protective; hyper-attuned to the environmental shifts and Elara's declining health.
+Active obligations: owes Elara a life-debt (ch-04) -- UNPAID.
+Open loops: Kaelen/Sunstone full potential (ch-06) -- UNRESOLVED; Kaelen/Missing Grove map (ch-02) -- UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-03--unresolved): his desertion was triggered by a vision of the Heart-Root’s decay.
+Arc: 80% -- Transitioned from a soldier following orders to a guardian following instinct, fully subordinating his safety to the Vessel's survival.
+
+## Thorne Blackroot
+Location: The Blackened Culvert (overlooking the protagonists).
+Physical: Eyes hemorrhaging black ichor; blight-thorns have pierced through the skin of his arm; movements are jerky and unnatural.
+Emotional: Ecstatic; consumed by the "song" of the corruption.
+Active obligations: owes the Circle of Thorns a "Harvest" (ch-06) -- UNPAID.
+Open loops: Thorne/Blight sentience (ch-06) -- UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-06--unresolved): Knows the Vessel ritual can be inverted.
+Arc: 60% -- Loss of individual agency; he has become more of a conduit for the Great Blight than a man with personal ambition.
+
+# World State: ch-09
+
+## NPC Memory
+- Forest Spirits (Ravine Echoes): MALEVOLENT -- They mimicked Thalric’s voice to lure Elara into the mire -- Protagonists are now wary of any auditory hallucinations.
+- Blight-Walkers: AGGRESSIVE -- They have cornered the protagonists at the Culvert's entrance -- Forcing a direct confrontation.
+
+## Faction Attitudes
+- Circle of Thorns: ASCENDANT -- Sensing the Root-Key’s proximity, they have converged on the Ravine's base to intercept the Vessel.
+- Council of Oakhaven: OBSOLETE -- Unaware of the failure of the Ravine wards.
+
+## Active World Events
+- The Great Blight: PULSING -- The environmental corruption is now synchronized with Elara’s heartbeat; black sap is erupting from the ground.
+- The Vessel Ritual: STAGE FOUR (THE PILGRIMAGE) -- ACTIVE; The Culvert marks the transition into the Heart-Root's immediate perimeter.
+
+## Canon Artifacts/Key Items
+- The Sigil: Burning violet; radiating heat that causes physical burns to Elara.
+- Root-Key: Emitting a high-pitched resonance that is shattering nearby stone/petrified wood.
+- Sunstone Shard: Pulsing rhythmically with the Sigil; light has turned a jagged, pale white.
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