diff --git a/projects/crimson-vows/staging/character-state-chapter-ref.md b/projects/crimson-vows/staging/character-state-chapter-ref.md
index a0b5ff73..337da9fd 100644
--- a/projects/crimson-vows/staging/character-state-chapter-ref.md
+++ b/projects/crimson-vows/staging/character-state-chapter-ref.md
@@ -1,39 +1,37 @@
-**Note: As no Pass 1 prose was provided in this session for extraction, the following state reflects the baseline established by the provided context and the beginning of the narrative arc for Chapter 1.**
-
-# Character State: Ch1
+# Character State: Ch1
 
 ## Isabella Voss
-Location: The Nightbloom Covenstead, High Spire, Oakhaven
-Physical: No injuries; tracing crimson scars on wrists.
-Emotional: Rigidly dutiful and apprehensive.
-Active obligations: owes Nightbloom Coven (marriage to rival coven) (Ch1) -- UNPAID
-Open loops: [Isabella/Damien] binding of rivals through marriage (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
-Known secrets: knows mother Elara was executed for a broken vow — [Damien/Thorne/Public]
-Arc: 05% -- Isabella accepts the weight of the familial marriage vow as her absolute duty, suppressing her personal terror.
+Location: The Nightbloom Conservatory, Voss Estate
+Physical: Fresh crimson scars on wrists; minor blood loss from spellcasting.
+Emotional: Resolute but anxious; feeling the weight of the ancestral "red tether."
+Active obligations: owes Nightbloom Coven (her hand in marriage to the Blackthorns) (Ch1) -- UNPAID
+Open loops: [Isabella & Damien] The impending arranged marriage and historical blood feud (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
+Known secrets: CARRIED (Ch0—unresolved): Knows her mother’s "betrayal" was actually an attempt to save Isabella from the blood oaths -- Lord Reginald Thorne
+Arc: 05% -- Isabella has accepted the burden of the marriage pact to save her coven, suppressing her own desire for freedom.
 Permanent: NO
 
 ## Lord Reginald Thorne
-Location: The Nightbloom Covenstead, Council Chambers
-Physical: No injuries.
-Emotional: Calculating and manipulative.
-Active obligations: owes Isabella Voss (protection of coven interests) (Ch1) -- UNPAID
-Open loops: [Thorne/Isabella] manipulation of Elara’s memory to ensure compliance (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
-Known secrets: knows the exact details of Elara’s execution -- [Isabella (full details)]
-Arc: 00% -- Remains the stagnant architect of Isabella’s confinement.
+Location: The Nightbloom Conservatory, Voss Estate
+Physical: No injuries; aged but physically imposing.
+Emotional: Calculating and dominant.
+Active obligations: owes Isabella (protection of the coven’s borders) (Ch1) -- UNPAID
+Open loops: [Thorne & The Voss Legacy] Manipulation of the blood line for political leverage (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
+Known secrets: knows the true circumstances of Elara Voss's execution -- Isabella Voss
+Arc: 00% -- Remains the architect of Isabella’s misery, reinforcing the necessity of her sacrifice.
 Permanent: NO
 
-## Elara Voss -- DECEASED (Prior)
-Established: Executed by the coven for breaking a blood oath.
-Legacy: Her death serves as the primary tether of guilt and fear keeping Isabella subservient to coven law.
+## Elara Voss -- DECEASED (Ch0)
+Established: Executed by the coven for breaking a sacred blood vow several years prior to the story's start.
+Legacy: Her death serves as the ultimate cautionary tale and source of trauma that drives Isabella's rigid adherence to duty.
 
 # World State: Ch1
 
 ## NPC Memory
-- High Council (Nightbloom Coven): EXPECTANT -- They have mandated the marriage to the Blackthorn rival and expect Isabella to fulfill the blood oath without resistance.
+- High Acolyte Malakor (Nightbloom Coven): DISAPPROVING -- Witnessed Isabella’s momentary hesitation during the ritual -- Will likely report her "instability" to Thorne.
 
 ## Faction Attitudes
-- Nightbloom Coven: Imperial/Strict -- Focused on survival through blood-bound treaties and the enforcement of absolute loyalty.
-- Blackthorn Coven: Rival/Hostile -- Viewed as the necessary but dangerous partner in the upcoming peace treaty.
+- Nightbloom Coven: Desperate -- Terrified of losing their territory; view Isabella as a sacrificial lamb for their survival.
+- Blackthorn Coven: Predatory -- Eagerly anticipating the merger to absorb Voss magical secrets under the guise of peace.
 
 ## Active World Events
-- The Great Vowing: A looming political marriage ceremony between the Voss and Blackthorn lines to end decades of hemomantic warfare. Status: Impending.
\ No newline at end of file
+- The Blood Merger: The formal unification of the Voss and Blackthorn lines via marriage is set to begin in three days; preparations are underway at the border.
\ No newline at end of file