diff --git a/projects/crimson-vows/polished/character-state-ch-01.md b/projects/crimson-vows/polished/character-state-ch-01.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..501a21f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/crimson-vows/polished/character-state-ch-01.md
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# Character State: ch-01
+
+## Queen Seraphine
+Location: The Glass Border, Aethelgard Frontier
+Physical: No injuries; experiencing minor sensory strain from high-order Hemomancy.
+Emotional: Calculated desperation and ancestral weight.
+Active obligations: owes Aldric Thorne a response to the Bilateral Seal (ch-01) -- UNPAID
+Open loops: [Seraphine & Aldric] The terms of the Sanguine Marriage (ch-01) -- UNRESOLVED
+Known secrets: knows the Blight has already breached the inner glass-line -- the Lowen-Court
+Arc: 05% -- Acknowledged that the Valerius bloodline cannot survive the Blight through isolation alone.
+Permanent: YES
+
+## King Aldric
+Location: The Glass Border, Neutral Parley Zone
+Physical: No injuries; slight tremors in hands following the display of Sanguine Sovereignty.
+Emotional: Stoic and tactically expectant.
+Active obligations: owes Seraphine protection for her remaining border villages via the Seal (ch-01) -- UNPAID
+Open loops: [Aldric & the Lowen-Court] Internal dissent regarding the marriage to a Valerius (ch-01) -- UNRESOLVED
+Known secrets: knows the true rate of the Blight's acceleration exceeds official reports -- Queen Seraphine
+Arc: 05% -- Committed to a radical political union to forestall his kingdom’s total collapse.
+Permanent: YES
+
+## Captain Kaelen 
+Location: The Glass Border, Royal Guard Perimeter
+Physical: No injuries; high fatigue.
+Emotional: Deeply wary and professionally alert.
+Active obligations: owes Seraphine his life and absolute silence (ch-00) -- UNPAID
+Open loops: [Kaelen & Seraphine] Safety of the extraction route (ch-01) -- RESOLVED
+Known secrets: knows Seraphine’s physical stamina is flagging -- The Court
+Arc: 02% -- Witnessed the first formal diplomatic contact with the "Enemy" in a decade.
+Permanent: NO
+
+# World State: ch-01
+
+## NPC Memory
+- High Priestess Malcorra (The Crimson Cathedral): HOSTILE -- She sent a silent warning through the blood-link during the parley -- Seraphine is being watched for any sign of "heretical" weakness.
+
+## Faction Attitudes
+- The Crimson Monarchy (Lowen-Court): Pragmatic but Bitter -- They view the Valerius line as brittle, yet necessary for the Bilateral Seal's strength.
+- The Crimson Throne (Aethelgard): Xenophobic and Terrified -- They see any deal with Aldric as a surrender of their pure blood-right.
+
+## Active World Events
+- The Great Blight: Advancing rapidly through the Aethelgard frontier; village of Oakhaven confirmed lost in ch-01.
+- The Sanguine Parley: Formal proposal of the Bilateral Seal initiated; 48-hour deadline for a response established.
\ No newline at end of file