Yes, finding the right balance between gameplay and story is very hard. But one thing for sure, at the current state the story is very much under-worked compared to the gameplay. And regarding The Compendium, I think you have priorities backwards. Players will look at the Compendium (or any reading materials) only after the fact we're interested in the story first. The Compendium is a nice to have, but it doesn't push the game forward. The story and lore should be fleshed out more first. Since you mentioned Helen being innocent and will experience shock, it is a plot-point that can be implemented in the game.
If you really want to make Hungry for Loot commercial, to be blunt... the game still need years of work, not months (maybe you could pull it off in months if you are doing this full-time with an experienced team). So, it may be wise if you have other smaller-scoped project going on that can be viably commercial. But well... this is more like a business/management problem that only you can decide. Me and other devs have no say in this.
I will certainly check the next update by the beginning of next month and give some feedback on the update!