Hello again,

After player 1 and 2 has finished a power struggle for a story card and both players still have characters exhausted, to continue to play to see who gets five tokens 1st, are players 1 and 2 left over characters automatically comitted to the story card until player 1 or player 2 wins 5 tokens (or the story card) even through the refresh phases? Do the characters stay exhausted until the story card is won by either player 1 or player 2?

Thank you

Nope, all characters are removed from the story at the end of the story phase, unless the card says something different, like e.g. 'Obsessive Inmate' (Summons of the Deep F97).

Do they go back to hand ,both support and character? Or to discard pile? This happens every round until story is won?

Thanks

They go back to your play area, ready to be used again once readied. Characters and Supports are permanent unless removed through game or card effects.

Sweet thanks to you both!

Sorry for the newb questions. Yall clarified it.After all icon struggles on story and no one has won story card iyet,all characters are uncomitted and put into the play area (uncomitted) exhausted. Then when turn comes back around that exhausted card is redied. On another turn then it is committed? I think I got it!

 Yes, although you don't have to commit characters to stories - it is a strategic choice you make as to which characters and which stories you commit (both in offense and defense).  

And also some cards can let you ready a character before your turn comes around again.

thanks everyone !!