staging: character-state-chapter-ref.md task=6a731d30-4dbd-42a0-bcef-cb2880dd577b

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

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 ## Lena Duval
 Location: The Duval ancestral cabin, Cypress Bend bayou
-Physical: Feverish and exhausted; palm is raw from a fresh blood-oath cut.
-Emotional: Defensive and burdened by ancestral duty.
+Physical: Feverish, right palm pricked/bleeding, exhausted from spellcasting.
+Emotional: Defiant but weary; haunted by memories of her mother.
 Active obligations: 
-- owes The Land a blood-debt for the fog illusion (Ch1) -- UNPAID
-- owes Maribelle Duval her presence at the full moon rite (Ch1) -- UNPAID
+- Owes Aunt Maribelle Duval a "tribute of blood and moss" (Ch1) -- UNPAID.
 Open loops: 
-- [Lena & Jax] The purpose of Jax's sudden return to Cypress Bend (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
-- [Lena & The Land] The "rot" Lena sensed in the cypress roots (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
+- Lena and Grand Gulf Development [Land Dispute] (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED.
 Known secrets: 
-- knows she intends to leave for New Orleans in three days -- Aunt Maribelle
-- knows the ritual fog was thinner than usual -- the rest of the coven
-Arc: 5% -- After years of avoidance, Lena used her blood to defend the grove, acknowledging her tether to the land is stronger than her desire to leave.
+- 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: Captain’s deck of the *Black Gator*, Cypress Bend docks
-Physical: No injuries; smells of diesel and salt.
-Emotional: Determined but wary.
+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 an explanation for his return (Ch1) -- UNPAID
+- Owes Lena Duval a safe passage through the Blackshallows (Ch1) -- UNPAID.
 Open loops: 
-- [Jax & Developers] The contract Jax is carrying for the shoreline survey (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
+- Jax and the Duval Coven [Outsider status/Trust] (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED.
 Known secrets: 
-- knows he was hired by an outside firm to map the "unclaimed" marsh -- Lena Duval
-Arc: 2% -- Returned to his childhood home acting as an unwitting catalyst for the town's conflict.
-Permanent: NO
+- 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
 
 ## Aunt Maribelle Duval
-Location: The Duval ancestral cabin, porch
-Physical: High vitality for her age; hands stained with ritual herbs.
-Emotional: Cruel satisfaction and possessiveness.
+Location: The Duval ancestral cabin, interior parlor.
+Physical: Aging but sharp; fingers stained with ink and herbs.
+Emotional: Manipulative and expectant; predatory patience.
 Active obligations: 
-- owes the coven a successful harvest ritual (Ch1) -- UNPAID
+- Owes the "Land Spirit" a blood heir (Ch1) -- UNPAID.
 Open loops: 
-- [Maribelle & Lena] The grooming of Lena to take over the lineage (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED
+- Maribelle and Grand Gulf Development [Negotiation] (Ch1) -- UNRESOLVED.
 Known secrets: 
-- knows the exact nature of how Lena's mother died -- Lena Duval
-Arc: 1% -- Reasserted her dominance over Lena by forcing her hand during the developer's scouting.
+- 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.
 Permanent: NO
 
 # World State: Ch1
 
 ## NPC Memory
-- Remy LeBlanc (Docks): Friendly/Nervous -- Witnessed Lena summoning the fog -- Is now terrified the developers will bring "city law" down on the swamp witches.
+- Remy LeBlanc (Cypress Bend): Friendly -- Provided Lena with details on the developer's arrival -- Lena trusts him for local gossip but not for secrets.
 
 ## Faction Attitudes
-- Swamp Witches: Insular/Protective -- Fearful of the encroaching surveyors and looking to Lena for a sign of strength.
-- Outsiders/Developers: Aggressive -- Viewing the bayou as "dead space" ripe for drainage and construction.
+- 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.
 
 ## Active World Events
-- The Encroachment: Surveyors have officially crossed the "Silver Line" into Duval territory; tension is at a breaking point.
-- The Waning Moon: Three days remain until the monthly blood-rite that sustains the grove's boundary.
+- The Encroachment: Grand Gulf Development has begun surveying the Blackshallows for a new luxury eco-resort; timeline: 30 days until dredging begins.