staging: character-state-ch-14.md task=0d6a86f1-3683-41df-936d-310db0f89d92

projects/echoes-of-the-forest/staging/character-state-ch-14.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 (Ch-13—unresolved): 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: Exhausted but alert; gripping his weapon; movement is fluid and protective.
+Emotional: Solid and devoted; he has 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 (Ch-13—unresolved): 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.
+Emotional: Terrified and humiliated; his authority has crumbled into dust.
+Active obligations: None.
+Open loops: Trial 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)
+Established: His physical form became a salt-white statue at the Heart-Root during the Great Weaving.
+Legacy: His calcified remains serve as a permanent warning against the corruption of nature for personal power.
+
+# World State: ch-14
+
+## NPC Memory
+- Mira (Oakhaven): EXULTANT -- She led the villagers into the square to witness the Council's downfall -- Her faith in Elara is absolute, cementing Elara’s social power.
+- The Council Guard (Oakhaven): SUBMISSIVE -- They lowered their spears when the forest’s growth reclaimed the pavilion -- They are now leaderless and await the Vessel’s command.
+
+## Faction Attitudes
+- Council of Oakhaven: DISMANTLED -- Their lies regarding the Blight were exposed in the public square; members are under arrest or in hiding.
+- The Villagers of Oakhaven: REVERENT -- They view the sudden flowering of the village as proof of Elara’s divine right to lead.
+- The Forest Spirits: VIGILANT -- They have reclaimed the village, wrapping the architecture in vines to remind the people of the new balance.
+
+## Active World Events
+- The Exposure: The Council Ledger was presented to the public, proving the Blight was a manufactured crisis.
+- The Integration: Oakhaven is no longer separate from the forest; the Elderwood has physically merged with the village structures.
+
+## Key Items/Evidence
+- Council Ledger: Held by Elara; used as the primary evidence to convict the Elders of treason.
+- The Vessel Sigil: Pulsing with high intensity; it acted as a beacon that physically paralyzed the corrupted magic of the Council.