@garygentry/feature-forge 0.3.2 → 0.3.4

package/adapters/copilot/references/forge-decisions-schema.json

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "title": "forge-decisions",
+  "type": "object",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "required": ["schemaVersion", "feature", "createdAt", "updatedAt", "decisions"],
+  "properties": {
+    "schemaVersion": { "type": "string", "enum": ["1"] },
+    "feature":       { "type": "string" },
+    "createdAt":     { "type": "string" },
+    "updatedAt":     { "type": "string" },
+    "decisions":     { "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/decision" } }
+  },
+  "definitions": {
+    "decision": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "required": ["itemId", "question", "answer", "deferred", "decidedAt",
+                   "recordedBy", "appliedAt", "appliedBy"],
+      "properties": {
+        "itemId":     { "type": "string" },
+        "question":   { "type": "string" },
+        "answer":     { "type": ["string", "null"] },
+        "deferred":   { "type": "boolean" },
+        "clusterId":  { "type": "string" },
+        "decidedAt":  { "type": "string" },
+        "recordedBy": { "type": "string" },
+        "appliedAt":  { "type": ["string", "null"] },
+        "appliedBy":  { "type": ["string", "null"] }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}

package/adapters/copilot/references/pipeline-state-schema.json

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     },
     "notes": {
       "type": "string",
-      "description": "Free-form notes persisted between sessions (user can add context before stepping away)"
+      "description": "Free-form notes persisted between sessions (user can add context before stepping away). A single string with latest-note-wins semantics: `state-note` (its only sanctioned writer) OVERWRITES the previous value — an author folds any still-relevant earlier note into the one combined string. Read by the navigator dashboard AND by each downstream stage's Step 1 carried-over note check (forge-2-tech through forge-5-loop), which surfaces it as stage input; it never overrides artifacts or config."
     },
     "epicChangeRequests": {
       "type": "array",
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
         "forge-4-backlog": { "$ref": "#/definitions/stageEntry" },
         "forge-verify-backlog": { "$ref": "#/definitions/verifyEntry" },
         "forge-5-loop": { "$ref": "#/definitions/stageEntry" },
-        "forge-6-docs": { "$ref": "#/definitions/stageEntry" },
+        "forge-6-docs": { "$ref": "#/definitions/docsStageEntry" },
         "forge-verify-impl": { "$ref": "#/definitions/verifyEntry" },
         "forge-verify-prd": { "$ref": "#/definitions/verifyEntry" },
         "forge-verify-tech": { "$ref": "#/definitions/verifyEntry" }
@@ -165,6 +165,38 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "docsStageEntry": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": ["status"],
+      "description": "The forge-6-docs stage entry: identical to stageEntry except that `skipped` is a legal status and `skippedAt` records when the deliberate skip was written (by the `state-skip` verb, never by hand). `skipped` is a terminal, done-for-selection status — the pipeline ends without the stage claiming artifacts it never produced (#197). Deliberately scoped to the docs stage: a skipped PRD or specs stage is not a representable state, so the shared stageEntry enum does NOT carry `skipped`.",
+      "properties": {
+        "status": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "enum": ["pending", "in-progress", "complete", "stale", "skipped"]
+        },
+        "version": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "description": "Incremented each time this stage's artifacts are revised"
+        },
+        "artifacts": {
+          "type": "array",
+          "items": { "type": "string" },
+          "description": "Relative paths to artifacts produced by this stage"
+        },
+        "startedAt": { "type": ["string", "null"], "format": "date-time" },
+        "completedAt": { "type": ["string", "null"], "format": "date-time" },
+        "skippedAt": { "type": ["string", "null"], "format": "date-time", "description": "UTC ISO-8601 timestamp of the deliberate skip (status: skipped). Written by `state-skip`; absent on every other status." },
+        "commitHash": {
+          "type": ["string", "null"],
+          "description": "Git commit SHA of this stage's artifact commit (Commit 1 of the two-commit Git Commit Protocol in shared-conventions.md). Written by a small follow-up commit so it points at the artifact commit itself, never at an orphaned amend or the hash-recording commit. null until recorded (or when there was no new artifact commit)."
+        },
+        "basedOnVersions": {
+          "type": "object",
+          "description": "Upstream stage versions this artifact was built against",
+          "additionalProperties": { "type": "integer" }
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "verifyEntry": {
       "type": "object",
       "required": ["status"],

package/adapters/copilot/references/process-overview.md

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ The pipeline compiles a fuzzy feature idea into a machine-executable `backlog.js
 **Method:** Clean-context analysis producing actionable findings with an ordered fix plan.
 
 **Manual or automatic.** By default the navigator offers verification after each stage. Because
-it runs in a fresh, read-only subagent (clean-room by construction, never needs a `/clear`), it is
+it runs in a fresh, read-only subagent (clean-room by construction, never needs a session clear), it is
 safe to automate: set `autoVerify: true` (or per-stage via `autoVerifyStages`) in
 `forge.config.json` and the navigator runs `forge-verify` automatically once a stage completes,
 returning only a compact digest to the session. The freshness ledger (verify entries record the
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ they track the current model tier automatically.
 
 ### forge-verifier
 - **Purpose:** Read-only verification of pipeline artifacts
-- **Used by:** `forge-verify` skill (delegation via Agent tool)
+- **Used by:** `forge-verify` skill (delegation via host's subagent mechanism)
 - **Tools:** Read, Glob, Grep, Bash (read-only operations only)
 - **Model:** Opus (judgement-heavy gap/inconsistency analysis)
 - **Memory:** Project-scoped persistent memory — accumulates knowledge about recurring issues and project-specific patterns across sessions

package/adapters/copilot/references/ralph-loop-contract.md

@@ -58,9 +58,12 @@ defined authoritatively in rauf's
 > item aside and **keeps working other runnable items to completion** (rauf:
 > `runner.ts` needs_human handler). So a supervising session can surface those
 > events live (visibility) and cancel early, but it cannot inject an answer and
-> resume the set-aside item mid-run — resolution is a follow-up retry pass. A
-> first-class pause/resume-with-answer capability is a desirable runner
-> enhancement (see `plans/rauf-enhancement-recommendations.md`).
+> resume the set-aside item mid-run — resolution is the **Post-Run Recovery
+> Procedure** (`skills/forge-5-loop/references/recovery-procedure.md`): record the
+> answer via `decision-record` at the moment of collection, then drive recovery
+> from the record after the run ends. A first-class pause/resume-with-answer
+> capability is a desirable runner enhancement (see
+> `plans/rauf-enhancement-recommendations.md`).
 
 ## rauf is the default and reference implementation
 

package/adapters/copilot/references/shared-conventions.md

@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ If no feature name is provided:
 
 ## User Input Protocol
 
-### CRITICAL GUARDRAIL: Use AskUserQuestion for All Questions
+### CRITICAL GUARDRAIL: Use the host's question mechanism for All Questions
 
-You MUST use the `AskUserQuestion` tool whenever you need the user's input before proceeding. This includes yes/no confirmations, choices between options, interview questions, and feedback on artifacts. NEVER output questions as inline prose text — the user may not be prompted and the session will stall.
+You MUST use the host's question mechanism whenever you need the user's input before proceeding. This includes yes/no confirmations, choices between options, interview questions, and feedback on artifacts. NEVER output questions as inline prose text — the user may not be prompted and the session will stall.
 
-**Required turn structure:** Output your analysis, findings, or context as regular text. Then call `AskUserQuestion` with your questions. Do NOT mix questions into your text output.
+**Required turn structure:** Output your analysis, findings, or context as regular text. Then call the host's question mechanism with your questions. Do NOT mix questions into your text output.
 
 **WRONG — questions as inline prose (causes stalling):**
 ```
@@ -31,14 +31,14 @@ I found that the codebase uses React and TanStack Router. Here are my questions:
 **RIGHT — context as text, questions via tool:**
 ```
 I found that the codebase uses React and TanStack Router.
-[then call AskUserQuestion with: "1. Where should this component live? 2. Should we use server-side rendering?"]
+[then call the host's question mechanism with: "1. Where should this component live? 2. Should we use server-side rendering?"]
 ```
 
 ### Decision Support: Help the User Choose
 
-When an `AskUserQuestion` carries substantive options (a real choice — not a trivial yes/no confirmation), do not just list them. The interview stages have already done codebase research and integration analysis; surfacing that synthesis at the decision moment is the whole point. For every such question:
+When a question posed through the host's question mechanism carries substantive options (a real choice — not a trivial yes/no confirmation), do not just list them. The interview stages have already done codebase research and integration analysis; surfacing that synthesis at the decision moment is the whole point. For every such question:
 
-- **Lead with a recommended option.** Place it first and label it `(recommended)` (matching the `AskUserQuestion` "(Recommended)" convention).
+- **Lead with a recommended option.** Place it first and label it `(recommended)` (matching the host's question mechanism "(Recommended)" convention).
 - **Put the trade-off in each option's `description`.** Say why you'd pick it and what you give up versus the alternatives — the cost, not just the benefit.
 - **State a one-line rationale** in the text before the question for *why* the recommendation wins.
 
@@ -49,10 +49,21 @@ Two modes, and make clear which one you're in:
 
 **The only thing to avoid is false confidence** — recommending as if evidence-backed when it's really preference. Never respond to the absence of a clear winner by going silent: a defaulted recommendation with honest trade-offs always beats a neutral option dump.
 
-For genuinely comparable artifacts (competing module structures, two code snippets, layout variants), use the `AskUserQuestion` `preview` field to show them side-by-side.
+For genuinely comparable artifacts (competing module structures, two code snippets, layout variants), use the host's question mechanism `preview` field to show them side-by-side.
 
 The **Branch Setup** block below is the reference pattern: a strong recommendation as the first option, rationale inline, the alternative still available, never a hard-stop.
 
+## Stage Review Gate
+
+Every authoring stage ends its "Review with User" step in exactly one of two shapes. Which shape a stage uses is declared **here, once** — each stage's review step points at this block by title, and the shape is never re-derived from the surrounding prose or inferred from how sibling stages behave (three stages block and one does not; majority-shape inference is precisely the failure this block exists to prevent):
+
+- **Blocking review (gate).** The stage presents the artifact and collects feedback through the host's question mechanism; it does **not** proceed until the user answers, iterating until they confirm. Stages: **forge-1-prd** (Step 5), **forge-2-tech** (Step 6), **forge-3-specs** (Step 6).
+- **Non-blocking review (invitation).** The stage states the artifact is ready and invites adjustments **as a statement, not a question** — and then **proceeds to the next step in the same turn unless the user asks for changes**. The invitation obliges the agent to *continue*: emitting the invitation sentence and stopping treats the non-gate as a gate and strands the stage `in-progress` with its completion step unrun — a defect, not caution. Stage: **forge-4-backlog** (Step 6).
+
+**Why the shapes differ.** A blocking review guards an artifact whose content was just authored from open-ended interview or synthesis — the user is the only authority on "complete", so the stage must wait. forge-4's backlog is *derived* from specs the user already approved, was planned interactively in its Step 3, and is machine-validated in its Step 5; a second hard gate would re-ask a settled question, and the loop never launches without forge-5-loop's own Step 2d confirmation anyway. The invitation is a courtesy checkpoint, not an approval gate (removed deliberately in #78's consistency sweep).
+
+A stage that changes shape changes it **in this block first**; the per-stage pointer stays a pointer.
+
 ## Configuration Reading
 
 Read `forge.config.json` from the project root. If it doesn't exist, use defaults.
@@ -68,10 +79,10 @@ Extract these config values (use defaults if not present):
 - `branchPerFeature` (default: true)
 - `branchPrefix` (default: `forge/`)
 - `loopIterationMultiplier` (default: `1.5`)
-- `autoInvokeNextStage` (default: `true` — the `/feature-forge:forge` navigator auto-invokes the next stage via the `Skill` tool after the user confirms; `false` keeps copy-paste behavior. Navigator-only.)
+- `autoInvokeNextStage` (default: `true` — the `/feature-forge:forge` navigator auto-invokes the next stage via the host's skill-invocation mechanism after the user confirms; `false` keeps copy-paste behavior. Navigator-only.)
 - `contextWindowTokens` (default: `null` — context window used by the navigator's context-usage check; `null` infers from the session model and falls back to 200000. Set to the model's window, e.g. `1000000` on a 1M model. Navigator-only.)
 - `contextWarnThreshold` (default: `0.7` — fraction of the window past which the navigator recommends a clean session. Navigator-only.)
-- `autoVerify` (default: `false` — when `true`, `forge-verify` runs automatically after a stage completes, no prompt. **In-stage-primary:** the just-completed authoring stage runs it itself, in-session, before the exit block (honoring the verify-before-clear principle). The navigator runs it only as a **catch-up** when verify is still pending (a host that could not dispatch a clean-room subagent, or a stage run before this behavior landed). Either way it runs in a fresh clean-room subagent, so it never needs a `/clear` and costs only a compact digest.)
+- `autoVerify` (default: `false` — when `true`, `forge-verify` runs automatically after a stage completes, no prompt. **In-stage-primary:** the just-completed authoring stage runs it itself, in-session, before the exit block (honoring the verify-before-clear principle). The navigator runs it only as a **catch-up** when verify is still pending (a host that could not dispatch a clean-room subagent, or a stage run before this behavior landed). Either way it runs in a fresh clean-room subagent, so it never needs a session clear and costs only a compact digest.)
 - `autoVerifyStages` (default: `{}` — per-stage overrides for `autoVerify`, e.g. `{"forge-1-prd": false}`. Effective value = `autoVerifyStages[stage]` if present, else `autoVerify`. Keys are constrained to the five verify-capable stages; a typo is a config error surfaced as `invalidAutoVerifyKeys`. Both the in-stage run and the navigator catch-up read this same effective value.)
 - `autoFix` (default: `false` — when `true`, `forge-fix` is chained after an auto-verify that finds issues — by the in-stage run (primary) or the navigator catch-up — but only when auto-verify is on for that stage AND preconditions hold (zero unresolved decisions, clean tree, passing re-verify); otherwise a digest is surfaced and the gate is presented.)
 - `loopRunner` (optional object — the loop runner to drive; **defaults to rauf** when absent, with every command templated. See `references/forge-config-schema.json` and `references/ralph-loop-contract.md`.)
@@ -81,7 +92,7 @@ Extract these config values (use defaults if not present):
 Before any file I/O against a feature's artifacts, resolve its directory through the deterministic helper rather than hardcoding `{specsDir}/{feature}/`. This makes flat (`{specsDir}/{feature}/`) and nested (`{specsDir}/{epic}/{feature}/`) layouts both resolve from a bare feature name (REQ-DIR-03), with standalone features behaving exactly as today.
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 resolvedFeatureDir=$(python3 "$R/scripts/epic-manifest.py" \
   resolve "<feature>" --specs-dir "<specsDir>")
@@ -96,12 +107,12 @@ In both failure cases, do not fall back to a guessed path.
 **On `not-found`, check other branches before stopping.** With `branchPerFeature`, the feature's directory (and its `.pipeline-state.json`) may exist only on its topic branch — invisible from the default branch of a fresh clone. Before concluding the pipeline does not exist, run the read-only cross-branch discovery:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" discover-feature "<feature>" --specs-dir "<specsDir>" --json
 ```
 
-- **Candidates found** (`candidates` and/or `remoteCandidates` non-empty): summarize them as text (branch, recorded stage, whether the state's own `branch` field matches), then use `AskUserQuestion`: **Switch to `{branch}` (recommended)** — run the candidate's `switchCommand` · **Fetch + switch** — for a `needsFetch` remote candidate, run its `fetchCommand` then `switchCommand` (note its contents were matched by name only, not inspected) · **Treat `{feature}` as new on this branch** · **Stop**. A checkout is a mutation inside an otherwise read-only flow: perform it ONLY on the user's explicit accept AND with a clean working tree (`git status --porcelain` prints nothing) — never auto-switch, never with uncommitted changes. After a successful switch, re-run this Feature Directory Resolution block from the top.
+- **Candidates found** (`candidates` and/or `remoteCandidates` non-empty): summarize them as text (branch, recorded stage, whether the state's own `branch` field matches), then use the host's question mechanism: **Switch to `{branch}` (recommended)** — run the candidate's `switchCommand` · **Fetch + switch** — for a `needsFetch` remote candidate, run its `fetchCommand` then `switchCommand` (note its contents were matched by name only, not inspected) · **Treat `{feature}` as new on this branch** · **Stop**. A checkout is a mutation inside an otherwise read-only flow: perform it ONLY on the user's explicit accept AND with a clean working tree (`git status --porcelain` prints nothing) — never auto-switch, never with uncommitted changes. After a successful switch, re-run this Feature Directory Resolution block from the top.
 - **Nothing found** (both lists empty): the pipeline genuinely does not exist anywhere discoverable — STOP and surface the original `not-found` stderr line verbatim (or, where the caller offers to start a new pipeline, offer that).
 
 **Anti-fabrication guard.** Never describe pipeline state that resolution or discovery did not return: if both come back empty, the pipeline does not exist — say exactly that, and never reconstruct stages, backlogs, or history from conversational memory.
@@ -124,16 +135,16 @@ Whenever a stage creates the specs tree for the first time (the first PRD or epi
 Run this after creating the feature/epic directory, before the stage's git commit:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 mkdir -p "<specsDir>"
 [ -f "<specsDir>/AGENTS.md" ] || cp "$R/references/templates/specs-hygiene/AGENTS.md" "<specsDir>/AGENTS.md"
 ```
 
-If the host is Claude (the `AskUserQuestion` tool is available), also ensure the Claude-framed variant:
+If the host is Claude (the Claude-native question tool is available), also ensure the Claude-framed variant:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 [ -f "<specsDir>/CLAUDE.md" ] || cp "$R/references/templates/specs-hygiene/CLAUDE.md" "<specsDir>/CLAUDE.md"
 ```
@@ -153,7 +164,7 @@ After resolving the feature directory, check the feature's `.pipeline-state.json
 To obtain the manifest contracts and the live completion status of each dependency in one deterministic call, run `render-status` and read the per-feature `status` and the `consumes`/`exposes` arrays rather than re-deriving them:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/epic-manifest.py" \
   render-status "<epic>" --specs-dir "<specsDir>" --json
@@ -168,7 +179,7 @@ If `render-status` fails, proceed with **only** EPIC.md + charter (a corrupt man
 Defense-in-depth for the split-brain-epic failure (Issue #125). Invoke this block in the authoring stages (`forge-1-prd`..`forge-4-backlog`) once the feature has resolved — right after **Epic Context Injection** for the stages that run it (`forge-1-prd`..`forge-3-specs`), and right after **Feature Directory Resolution** for `forge-4-backlog`. It confirms that a **resolved nested epic member** actually sits on a branch that contains the epic's manifest. Without this, a member reached from a branch cut *before* the epic-manifest commit (or that otherwise lacks it) would author specs against an epic decomposition that is not present — the exact drift that produces a disjoint, split-brain member. **Skip if not a git repo or `branchPerFeature` is false.**
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" check-epic-base --feature "{feature}" --specs-dir "{specsDir}" --json
 ```
@@ -191,7 +202,7 @@ Pipeline state is written by the `state-*` verbs of `scripts/forge-session.py`
 
 If a `state-*` verb exits 2, surface the plain `Error:` line from stderr verbatim, do **not** proceed to the next step of the surrounding protocol, and do **not** hand-author the JSON as a workaround. The stage remains resumable because the entry stamp is already on disk — re-run the verb once the cause is fixed.
 
-**The eight `state-*` verbs.** `state-enter` (Stage-Entry Guard), `state-artifact` (incremental artifact tracking), `state-complete` (Git Commit Protocol), `state-branch` (Branch Setup and Branch Reconciliation), `state-note` (the Immediate Downstream Note below, and the optional completion note at stage closure), `state-decision` (deferred decisions), `state-ecr` (epic change requests), and `state-verify` (one `forge-verify-*` verification transition — below). The `--epic` member requirement and the exit-2 failure protocol above apply to **every** one of them, `state-verify` included; no verify entry is ever hand-authored.
+**The nine `state-*` verbs.** `state-enter` (Stage-Entry Guard), `state-artifact` (incremental artifact tracking), `state-complete` (Git Commit Protocol), `state-skip` (the deliberate forge-6-docs documentation skip — scoped to that one stage; writes `status: "skipped"` + `skippedAt`, refuses to erase a record of docs that exist, and is the only sanctioned writer of a skipped docs stage), `state-branch` (Branch Setup and Branch Reconciliation), `state-note` (the Immediate Downstream Note below, and the optional completion note at stage closure), `state-decision` (deferred decisions), `state-ecr` (epic change requests), and `state-verify` (one `forge-verify-*` verification transition — below). The `--epic` member requirement and the exit-2 failure protocol above apply to **every** one of them, `state-verify` included; no verify entry is ever hand-authored.
 
 ### `state-verify` — verification results and provenance
 
@@ -200,7 +211,7 @@ If a `state-*` verb exits 2, surface the plain `Error:` line from stderr verbati
 **`auto-verify-pending` is not a skill-facing status.** It is written by `stage-exit`'s scheduling boundary, which records the debt automatically when auto-verify is effective for a stage. The value is accepted on this CLI so the entry stays inspectable and repairable, not so a skill can hand-schedule verification: no skill body and no reference passes it, and none should. Every other status in the list is the recorded *result* of a verification that ran (or was explicitly skipped); this one records that one was *owed*.
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-verify \
   --feature "{feature}" --stage "{served-production-stage}" --status "<status>" \
@@ -210,7 +221,7 @@ python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-verify \
 Provenance follows the same two-commit sequence as `state-complete`: the result transition above writes `commitHash: null`, Commit 1 records the findings document and the state, and a second `state-verify` call records the full 40-hex hash of Commit 1 and touches nothing else (never `--amend`; an abbreviated hash is refused rather than expanded). Add `--epic "{epic}"` for an epic member — required, per the member rule above:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-verify \
   --feature "{feature}" --stage "{served-production-stage}" \
@@ -220,7 +231,7 @@ python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-verify \
 Epic-scoped verification is the single exception to the member rule: with `--stage forge-0-epic`, `--feature` names the **epic** and `--epic` must be absent or exactly equal to it. That call writes `{specsDir}/{epic}/.epic-state.json` and never a member's `.pipeline-state.json`, and its freshness version is the epic manifest's `revision`, never a member's stage version:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-verify \
   --feature "{epic}" --stage forge-0-epic --status "<status>" \
@@ -242,7 +253,7 @@ Frame the choice with its cost: re-running re-derives this stage from the curren
 When an interview raises a concern that belongs to a *later stage of this same feature*, acknowledge it and persist it **immediately, at the moment it is raised** — not at stage closure — by running `state-note` with a concise one-line statement of the concern. Add `--epic "{epic}"` when this feature is an epic member — required, per the Pipeline State Protocol above; omitting it for a member is an error and must never be allowed to fall back to a same-named flat feature.
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-note \
   --feature "{feature}" --note "<concise downstream concern>" \
@@ -275,7 +286,7 @@ Invoke this block at the **very start** of a pipeline entry point — `forge-1-p
 1. Read the current branch: `git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD`.
 2. Determine the default branch: `git symbolic-ref --quiet refs/remotes/origin/HEAD` (strip to the last path segment); if that fails, fall back to `main`, else `master` — whichever the repo has.
 3. **If the current branch is NOT the default branch** (the user is already on a topic/`{branchPrefix}*` branch) → record it (see below) and proceed silently. Do not prompt.
-4. **If the current branch IS the default branch** → use `AskUserQuestion` with a **strong recommendation** (still optional):
+4. **If the current branch IS the default branch** → use the host's question mechanism with a **strong recommendation** (still optional):
 
    > "You're on `{defaultBranch}`. Strongly recommended: create `{branchPrefix}{label}` so this {scope}'s work stays isolated and reviewable as one branch. Create it?"
    > Options: **Create `{branchPrefix}{label}` (recommended)** · **Stay on `{defaultBranch}`**
@@ -286,7 +297,7 @@ Invoke this block at the **very start** of a pipeline entry point — `forge-1-p
 **Record the branch.** After this block resolves, record the resulting branch name in the feature's top-level `branch` field by running `state-branch` (create/update it when the state file is first written for this stage). Emit the call **once the feature directory exists** — i.e. after Feature Directory Resolution and the Entry Stamp, **not** at this block: Branch Setup runs at the very start of the entry point, before any directory resolution, and a brand-new standalone feature may have no directory yet. Add `--epic "{epic}"` to the call when this feature is an epic member — required, per the Pipeline State Protocol.
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-branch \
   --feature "{feature}" --branch "<name>" --specs-dir "{specsDir}"
@@ -299,20 +310,20 @@ Downstream stages and `forge-5-loop` read it to detect drift back onto the defau
 The recorded `branch` is a **self-healing hint, not gospel.** A hosted environment (Claude.ai remote, cloud agents) can impose an arbitrary session branch (e.g. `claude/<slug>`) that Branch Setup silently records; the user may then move the work to the intended topic branch, leaving the recorded field stale. Every branch-aware mechanism (the `forge-5-loop` guard, `discover-feature`) keys off that field, so a stale value actively misleads — the loop would offer to switch you *back* to the imposed branch. Invoke this block from `forge-5-loop`'s pre-flight (and any stage that acts on the recorded branch) to reconcile deterministically. Skip if not a git repo or `branchPerFeature` is false.
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" reconcile-branch --feature "{feature}" --specs-dir "{specsDir}" --json
 ```
 
 Act on the emitted `action` (source of truth is where the state actually resolves, not the recorded field):
 - **`adopt-current`** — you are on a non-default topic branch where the state resolves, and the recorded `branch` differs (a stale/imposed value). Run `state-branch` (below) to write `newBranch` into the state `branch` field, with a **visible one-line note** ("recorded branch was `{stateBranch}`; work is on `{currentBranch}` — updating to match") — never silently, and **never push the user back** to the recorded branch (offer that only as a plain alternative).
-- **`warn-drift`** — you are on the **default** branch and the state records a topic branch. Via `AskUserQuestion`, strongly recommend creating/switching to `{branchPrefix}{feature}` (then record it), still allowing **proceed on the default branch**. Never hard-stop.
+- **`warn-drift`** — you are on the **default** branch and the state records a topic branch. Via the host's question mechanism, strongly recommend creating/switching to `{branchPrefix}{feature}` (then record it), still allowing **proceed on the default branch**. Never hard-stop.
 - **`none`** / **`not-resolved`** — nothing to do; proceed.
 
 The `adopt-current` write, with the portable plugin-root prelude. Add `--epic "{epic}"` when this feature is an epic member — required, per the Pipeline State Protocol:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-branch \
   --feature "{feature}" --branch "{newBranch}" --specs-dir "{specsDir}"
@@ -338,7 +349,7 @@ When `gitCommitAfterStage` is true, follow this exact order to avoid state incon
 The two `state-complete` calls, with the portable plugin-root prelude. Add `--epic "{epic}"` to each when this feature is an epic member — required, per the Pipeline State Protocol:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 # Commit 1 — before `git commit`
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-complete \
@@ -360,15 +371,15 @@ Invoke this block at the **start of an authoring stage** (`forge-1-prd`..`forge-
 
 2. **Interrupted** (`status: "in-progress"`) — a previous run of THIS stage was interrupted before it committed (the exit commit is what flips it to `complete`, so `in-progress` on entry always means a crash/abandon). Do **not** silently re-author. Instead:
    - **Inventory on-disk artifacts:** list the files this stage produces that already exist in `{resolvedFeatureDir}/` (e.g. `PRD.md`; `tech-spec.md`; the `##-*.md` suite + `TRACEABILITY.md`; `backlog.json`), and cross-check against the `stages.{stage}.artifacts` array (written incrementally during the previous run).
-   - **Gate via `AskUserQuestion`** (Decision Support protocol): present the inventory as text, then ask "This {stage} run was interrupted — {N} artifact(s) from the previous run are on disk: {list}. Resume the in-progress draft, or start a new version from scratch?" Options: **Resume (recommended)** — continue from the first artifact not yet written/complete, reusing the existing files; do **not** re-stamp or bump the version. · **Start a new version** — treat it as a fresh authoring pass (proceed to the Entry Stamp; the version increments at exit).
+   - **Gate via the host's question mechanism** (Decision Support protocol): present the inventory as text, then ask "This {stage} run was interrupted — {N} artifact(s) from the previous run are on disk: {list}. Resume the in-progress draft, or start a new version from scratch?" Options: **Resume (recommended)** — continue from the first artifact not yet written/complete, reusing the existing files; do **not** re-stamp or bump the version. · **Start a new version** — treat it as a fresh authoring pass (proceed to the Entry Stamp; the version increments at exit).
    - Skip artifact regeneration for files that already exist and are complete (non-empty, properly structured); continue from the next unwritten artifact.
 
-3. **Re-authoring** (`status: "complete"` or `"stale"`) — a finished draft exists. Warn via `AskUserQuestion` before overwriting: "A completed {stage} artifact already exists for '{feature}' (v{n}{, marked stale}). Continuing will create a new version. Proceed?" On confirm, proceed to the Entry Stamp and author a new version (the version increments at exit, per that stage's Update-Pipeline-State step).
+3. **Re-authoring** (`status: "complete"` or `"stale"`) — a finished draft exists. Warn via the host's question mechanism before overwriting: "A completed {stage} artifact already exists for '{feature}' (v{n}{, marked stale}). Continuing will create a new version. Proceed?" On confirm, proceed to the Entry Stamp and author a new version (the version increments at exit, per that stage's Update-Pipeline-State step).
 
 **Entry Stamp** (fresh, restart, and re-author paths — NOT the resume path). Before authoring, record the entry stamp by running `state-enter` — one atomic write that sets `stages.{stage}.status` → `"in-progress"`, `stages.{stage}.startedAt` → current ISO-8601 UTC timestamp, top-level `currentStage` → `"{stage}"` (where the pipeline IS, per O1), and refreshes `updatedAt`. Add `--epic "{epic}"` when this feature is an epic member — required, per the Pipeline State Protocol:
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-enter \
   --feature "{feature}" --stage "{stage}" --specs-dir "{specsDir}"
@@ -381,7 +392,7 @@ This write is **left uncommitted**: it is staged and committed as part of this s
 **Incremental artifact tracking:** When a stage writes multiple files (e.g. forge-3-specs writing a suite of spec documents), run `state-artifact --feature {feature} --stage {stage} --path <file>` after writing each file — not just at stage completion. This is what makes the Interrupted inventory above precise about which files were successfully written. Add `--epic "{epic}"` when this feature is an epic member — required, per the Pipeline State Protocol.
 
 ```bash
-R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
+R="$(bash -c 'for d in "${FEATURE_FORGE_ROOT:-}" "$HOME"/.claude/skills/feature-forge "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/cache/*/feature-forge/* "$HOME"/.claude/plugins/*/feature-forge "$HOME"/.agents/skills/feature-forge ./.agents/skills/feature-forge; do [ -x "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh" ] && exec "$d/scripts/forge-root.sh"; done')"
 [ -n "$R" ] || { echo "feature-forge: cannot locate plugin root" >&2; exit 1; }
 python3 "$R/scripts/forge-session.py" state-artifact \
   --feature "{feature}" --stage "{stage}" --path "<file>" --specs-dir "{specsDir}"
@@ -395,7 +406,7 @@ Invoke this block **at the head of any post-entry step that writes a stage artif
 
 1. **Proceed** when `stages.{stage}.status` is `"in-progress"` (this session's Entry Stamp — you are finishing the run you started) or absent/`pending`. Run the write / exit normally.
 
-2. **Detect-and-refuse** when ALL of these hold: `stages.{stage}.status ∈ {"complete", "stale"}` **AND** the stage's artifacts (incl. `TRACEABILITY.md` for forge-3-specs) exist on disk **AND** a `commitHash` is recorded for the stage **AND** you did **not** author this stage earlier in the current session. This is a stale/replayed continuation of an already-finished, committed stage. Do **not** overwrite the artifact or re-run the exit. Route instead to the **Stage-Entry Guard**'s *Re-authoring* path: surface the same `AskUserQuestion` warning ("A completed {stage} artifact already exists for '{feature}' (v{n}{, marked stale}). Continuing will create a new version. Proceed?"). Only on explicit confirmation re-enter from the Entry Stamp (the version bumps at exit); otherwise **stop** and report that the stage is already complete — cite the recorded `commitHash` and offer `/feature-forge:forge {feature}` to see true state.
+2. **Detect-and-refuse** when ALL of these hold: `stages.{stage}.status ∈ {"complete", "stale"}` **AND** the stage's artifacts (incl. `TRACEABILITY.md` for forge-3-specs) exist on disk **AND** a `commitHash` is recorded for the stage **AND** you did **not** author this stage earlier in the current session. This is a stale/replayed continuation of an already-finished, committed stage. Do **not** overwrite the artifact or re-run the exit. Route instead to the **Stage-Entry Guard**'s *Re-authoring* path: surface the same warning via the host's question mechanism ("A completed {stage} artifact already exists for '{feature}' (v{n}{, marked stale}). Continuing will create a new version. Proceed?"). Only on explicit confirmation re-enter from the Entry Stamp (the version bumps at exit); otherwise **stop** and report that the stage is already complete — cite the recorded `commitHash` and offer `/feature-forge:forge {feature}` to see true state.
 
 When you cannot confirm you authored the current run, treat it as a replay and refuse: a false refuse costs one confirmation click; a false proceed overwrites a committed artifact and re-churns a stage version. `--force` follows Force Mode (skip the gate, treat as a deliberate re-author).