staging: staging/drafts/character-state-ch-05.md task=6f14ed25-9a46-4a9c-9cb7-47790bee14af

cypress-bend/staging/staging/drafts/character-state-ch-05.md

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Character State: ch-05
+
+## Marcus Thorne
+Location: Site A (Cypress Bend), The Limestone Clearing
+Physical: Heat rash creeping up neckline; hands tremoring slightly from adrenaline spike.
+Emotional: Terrified but resolute; a man who just burned his only bridge to the mainland.
+Active obligations: Owes the Group a functional perimeter before the first nightfall (Ch05) — UNPAID.
+Open loops: Marcus vs. The UBI Sentinel [imminent pursuit/digital trail] (Ch05) — UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: Knows the encrypted "backdoor" code he used to scrub their exit will only hold for six hours — [Arthur and Elena do NOT know].
+Arc: 15% — Transitioned from a theoretical architect to a physical squatter on contested land.
+Permanent: YES.
+
+## Arthur "Art" Penhaligon
+Location: Site A (Cypress Bend), The Flatbed Truck
+Physical: Severe arthritic swelling in right knuckles; breathing labored in the 98% humidity.
+Emotional: Protective and grim; he finally shifted the weight from a shop floor to the raw earth.
+Active obligations: Owes Marcus a reinforced bracing for the temporary comms mast (Ch05) — UNPAID.
+Open loops: Arthur vs. The Swamp [mechanical degradation from moisture] (Ch05) — UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: Knows the truck's transmission is slipping in third gear — [Marcus does NOT know].
+Arc: 10% — Reclaimed his role as the physical anchor for the new society.
+Permanent: NO.
+
+## Elena Vance
+Location: Site A (Cypress Bend), The Mobile Server Rack
+Physical: No injuries; experiencing mild light sensitivity from the transition to direct sunlight.
+Emotional: Calculating; she is already mapping the shadows for the first "Ghost" node.
+Active obligations: Owes the Group a localized mesh network by sunset (Ch05) — UNPAID.
+Open loops: Elena vs. The Satellite Sweep [visual detection risk] (Ch05) — UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: Knows the specific serial numbers of the drones likely assigned to this sector’s "cleanup" — [The group does NOT know].
+Arc: 08% — Accepted the move from digital resistance to geographic sovereignty.
+Permanent: NO.
+
+## Sarah Jenkins
+Location: Site A (Cypress Bend), The Edge of the Cypress Strand
+Physical: Mud-caked to the elbows; thumb pad stained with crushed phosphorus-rich soil.
+Emotional: Reverent; she views the land not as a hiding spot, but as a hungry partner.
+Active obligations: Owes the Group a viable water-filtration site by dawn (Ch05) — UNPAID.
+Open loops: Sarah vs. The Existing Ecosystem [invasive vs. native balance] (Ch05) — UNRESOLVED.
+Known secrets: Knows the soil pH in the primary clearing is too acidic for the kale starts — [The group does NOT know].
+Arc: 12% — Shifted from steward of a lab to the lead cultivator of a wild frontier.
+Permanent: YES.
+
+# World State: ch-05
+
+## NPC Memory
+- UBI Sentinel Unit 7 (Regional Hub): SUSPICIOUS — Logged the abrupt termination of Marcus Thorne’s administrative credentials — Triggered a "Personnel Location Variance Report."
+
+## Faction Attitudes
+- The City-State: HOSTILE — Now classifies the Cypress Bend group as "Resource Fugitives" and "Data-Black-Hole Hazards."
+- The Land (Florida Wilds): ADVERSARIAL — High humidity and limestone shelf are immediately resisting industrial setup.
+
+## Active World Events
+- The Hard Cut: The group is physically decoupled from the grid; the 72-hour Blue-Out window is now the primary countdown for total isolation.
+- The Breach: The first physical footprint has been established at Cypress Bend.