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+# Character State: ch-03
+
+## Queen Seraphine
+Location: The Obsidian Dais, Grand Cathedral, Aethelgard
+Physical: Shaken by psychic feedback; silver scarring appearing on forearms; magically overextended.
+Emotional: Vulnerable and profoundly unsettled by the shared vision.
+Active obligations: Owes Aldric Thorne a formal response to the Bilateral Seal (ch-01) -- PAID.
+Open loops: [Seraphine & Aldric] The emotional fallout of the shared childhood trauma (ch-03) -- UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: CARRIED (ch-01): The Blight has breached the inner glass-line; the Lowen-Court is already compromised.
+Arc: 25% -- She has moved from viewing Aldric as a structural asset to recognizing him as a mirror of her own broken history.
+
+## King Aldric
+Location: The Obsidian Dais, Grand Cathedral, Aethelgard
+Physical: Death-like pallor; hands trembling from the weight of the blood-bind; bleeding from the palms.
+Emotional: Distant and armored in cold silence to mask the shock of the Communion.
+Active obligations: Owes Seraphine the protection of the Thorne-Valerius borders (ch-03) -- UNPAID.
+Open loops: [Aldric & Seraphine] The revelation of the execution of his brother (ch-03) -- UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: None.
+Arc: 20% -- He has allowed a rival into the most guarded vault of his memory, shattering his isolation.
+
+## High Priestess Malcorra
+Location: The Obsidian Dais, Grand Cathedral, Aethelgard
+Physical: Radiating smug theological satisfaction; rubbing fingers together to "tune" the link.
+Emotional: Triumphant and observant.
+Active obligations: Owes the Crimson Cathedral a "purified" sovereign (ch-02) -- UNPAID.
+Open loops: [Malcorra & Seraphine] Control over the ritualistic elements of the Thorne alliance (ch-03) -- RESOLVED.
+Known secrets: Does she hear the voice of the ancestors, or is she a high-functioning schizophrenic?
+Arc: 15% -- She successfully forced the sovereigns into a ritual that stripped away their emotional defenses.
+
+## Captain Kaelen
+Location: The Perimeter of the Obsidian Dais, Grand Cathedral
+Physical: Hand white-knuckled on his sword hilt; hyper-focused on Seraphine's tremors.
+Emotional: Overwhelmingly protective and hyper-vigilant.
+Active obligations: Absolute silence regarding the Queen’s flagging physical stamina (ch-01) -- UNPAID.
+Open loops: [Kaelen & Seraphine] The cost of his intervention against the High Priestess (ch-03) -- UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: Knows the Queen nearly collapsed during the walk; Malcorra does NOT know.
+Arc: 10% -- Witnessed the Queen’s soul bared; his duty is shifting from political to deeply personal.
+
+# World State: ch-03
+
+## NPC Memory
+- High Priestess Malcorra: TRIUMPHANT. The successful binding validates her dogma; she intends to use the shared trauma as leverage.
+
+## Faction Attitudes
+- The Crimson Cathedral: ASCENDANT. The Communion is a theological victory.
+- The Lowen-Court: CAUTIOUS. Aldric’s physical toll has his inner circle on high alert.
+
+## Active World Events
+- The Sanguine Marriage: The blood-bond is active, creating a permanent psychic tether and biological link between Seraphine and Aldric.
+- The Blight Advance: Tremors resumed at a higher, glass-cracking pitch following the ritual's conclusion.
+- The Sanguine Parley: The 48-hour deadline is moot; the Union is legally and magically sealed.
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