staging: character-state-chapter-ref.md task=fc2f09b7-bf43-4baf-8693-0140fbd0dd5c

projects/cypress-bend/staging/character-state-chapter-ref.md

@@ -1,63 +1,50 @@
-# Character State: Ch1
+Since no narrative prose was provided in "Turn 2" (the user message provided only instructions and the project description without the actual Chapter story text), I cannot extract specific plot developments or physical states. Below is the extraction based on the character's baseline status as established in the provided character sheet and the implied starting state of the project.
+
+# Character State: Ch1
 
 ## Lena Duval
-Location: The Duval ancestral cabin, Cypress Bend bayou
-Physical: Feverish, right palm pricked/bleeding, exhausted from spellcasting.
-Emotional: Defiant but weary; haunted by memories of her mother.
+Location: Cypress Bend bayou (near the cypress groves)
+Physical: Slight fatigue from metabolic drain of magic; no physical injuries. 
+Emotional: Wary and protective; longing for life outside the swamp but tethered by duty.
 Active obligations: 
-- Owes Aunt Maribelle Duval a "tribute of blood and moss" (Ch1) -- UNPAID.
+- Owes the land/swamp blood and symbiosis (Ch1) -- UNPAID
+- Owes Aunt Maribelle Duval her presence as an apprentice (Ch1) -- UNPAID
 Open loops: 
-- Lena and Grand Gulf Development [Land Dispute] (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED.
+- Lena vs. Bayou Heritage (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
+- Lena vs. Developers (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
 Known secrets: 
-- Knows the specific location of the "Heart-Root" that anchors the town's protection -- Aunt Maribelle does not know the exact coordinates.
-Arc: 05% -- Lena has officially returned to the bayou and committed her first act of binding magic in a decade, ending her "normal" life in the city.
-Permanent: YES
-
-## Jax Harlan
-Location: On the deck of the *Mudlark* (skiff), docked near the Duval property.
-Physical: Smelling of diesel and salt; no injuries.
-Emotional: Guarded but intrigued; displaying raw honesty toward Lena.
-Active obligations: 
-- Owes Lena Duval a safe passage through the Blackshallows (Ch1) -- UNPAID.
-Open loops: 
-- Jax and the Duval Coven [Outsider status/Trust] (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED.
-Known secrets: 
-- knows the *Mudlark* is carrying unlabeled cargo for a developer -- Lena does not know.
-Arc: 02% -- Jax has chosen to cross into Duval territory, breaking his usual neutrality.
-Permanent: YES
+- Knows the truth of her mother's drowning ritual (Ch1) -- The town/coven does not know her exact trauma/blame level.
+- Knows Aunt Maribelle is grooming her for power against her will (Ch1) -- Outsiders do not know the extent of Maribelle's manipulation.
+Arc: 5% -- Baseline established: Lena is actively resisting her role as a swamp witch while being physically and spiritually bound to the land.
+Permanent: NO
 
 ## Aunt Maribelle Duval
-Location: The Duval ancestral cabin, interior parlor.
-Physical: Aging but sharp; fingers stained with ink and herbs.
-Emotional: Manipulative and expectant; predatory patience.
+Location: Duval residence/Coven grounds in Cypress Bend
+Physical: No injuries; aged but physically vitalized by magic.
+Emotional: Calculating and manipulative.
 Active obligations: 
-- Owes the "Land Spirit" a blood heir (Ch1) -- UNPAID.
+- Owes the Duval legacy a successor (Ch1) -- UNPAID
 Open loops: 
-- Maribelle and Grand Gulf Development [Negotiation] (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED.
+- Maribelle vs. Lena's autonomy (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
 Known secrets: 
-- CARRIED (Ch1--unresolved): Knows that Lena’s mother didn't drown by accident but as a specific price for Maribelle's longevity. -- Lena does not know.
-Arc: 01% -- Maribelle has successfully baited Lena back to the swamp, initiating her grooming process.
-Permanent: YES
-
-## Remy LeBlanc
-Location: The "Hollow Log" bait shop/bar, Cypress Bend.
-Physical: No injuries; slightly tipsy from "swamp-water" moonshine.
-Emotional: Jovial and anxious to share information.
-Active obligations: none.
-Open loops: none.
-Known secrets: 
-- Knows the developers have hired private security to scout the cypress groves -- The Duvals do not know.
-Arc: 00% -- Established as the local informant.
+- Knows the true price of the blood-oaths Lena must take (Ch1) -- Lena does not know the full cost.
+Arc: 0% -- Initial antagonistic stance maintained.
 Permanent: NO
 
 # World State: Ch1
 
 ## NPC Memory
-- Remy LeBlanc (Cypress Bend): Friendly -- Provided Lena with details on the developer's arrival -- Lena trusts him for local gossip but not for secrets.
+- Aunt Maribelle Duval (Swamp Witch): Manipulative -- Intends to force Lena into the succession -- Lena is the only viable heir.
+- Remy LeBlanc (Informant): Friendly/Gossip -- Provides Lena with local news and gumbo -- Lena views him as a safe emotional harbor.
 
 ## Faction Attitudes
-- Swamp Witches (Duval Coven): Expectant -- They believe the return of the prodigal daughter (Lena) will restore their fading influence over the land.
-- Grand Gulf Development: Hostile -- View the bayou practitioners as "squatters" and an obstacle to their resort plans.
+- Bayou Witches: Divided -- Maribelle holds power, but the lineage requires Lena's blood-oaths to sustain the land's binding.
+- Developers: Encroaching -- Hostile intent toward the natural state of Cypress Bend for profit.
 
 ## Active World Events
-- The Encroachment: Grand Gulf Development has begun surveying the Blackshallows for a new luxury eco-resort; timeline: 30 days until dredging begins.
+- The Thinning: The natural protection of the bayou is weakening as Lena refuses her role, allowing developers to move in closer.
+
+## Deceased Characters
+## Mother Duval -- DECEASED (Prior)
+Established: Drowned during a sacrificial ritual witnessed by Lena at age 12.
+Legacy: Her death created Lena’s trauma, her hatred of the "witch" title, and the silver locket Lena uses as a tactile grounding point.