mandrel 2.6.0 → 2.8.0

package/.agents/instructions.md

@@ -1,73 +1,53 @@
 # Agent Execution Protocol
 
-You are operating under the Agent Execution Protocol. Your behavior, technical
-constraints, and operational context are governed by this central instruction
-set. You MUST strictly adhere to the following rules:
+You operate under the Agent Execution Protocol — this central instruction set
+governs your behavior, constraints, and operational context, and you MUST
+strictly adhere to it.
 
 ---
 
 ## 1. System Guardrails & Initialization
 
-### A. Role Framing (no persona packs)
+### A. Role Framing
 
-v2 has **no** `.agents/personas/` packs and **no** `persona::*` GitHub labels.
 Behavioral constraints come from this file, always-on / on-demand rules, and
-skills. Role-scoped spawn contexts (when used) live under `.agents/agents/`
-via `delivery.routing.roleScopedAgents`. QA auth identities (`qa.personas`)
-are a separate fixture concept — not agent behavior packs.
-
-If a user says "act as [role]" in chat, apply the matching skill / workflow
-guidance (e.g. QA skills for verification work, security skill for threat
-modeling) rather than looking for a persona file.
+skills — there are no persona packs and no `persona::*` labels. Role-scoped
+spawn contexts (when used) live under `.agents/agents/` via
+`delivery.routing.roleScopedAgents`; QA auth identities (`qa.personas`) are a
+separate fixture concept. If a user says "act as [role]", apply the matching
+skill / workflow guidance (QA skills for verification, the security skill for
+threat modeling) rather than looking for a persona file.
 
 ### B. Skill Activation
 
-The skill library uses a **two-tier architecture**:
-
-- **`core/`** — Universal, process-driven skills that apply across any project
-  (e.g., `core/debugging-and-error-recovery`, `core/code-review-and-quality`,
-  `core/security-and-hardening`). Always check for a relevant core skill first.
-  The **test-first** discipline (TDD cycle, Prove-It Pattern, good-test style,
-  property-based technique) lives in
-  [`rules/testing-standards.md`](rules/testing-standards.md), not a skill.
-- **`stack/`** — Tech-stack-specific skills for concrete tools (e.g.,
-  `stack/qa/playwright`, `stack/qa/vitest`, `stack/qa/gherkin-authoring`).
-  Apply these when the project uses that specific technology. For third-party
-  library and framework knowledge not covered here, use the live-docs lookup
-  mandated in § 1.C rather than a frozen in-repo cache.
-
-When a task involves a specific domain or technology, you MUST read the
-corresponding `.agents/skills/[tier]/[category]/[skill-name]/SKILL.md` file and
-apply its constraints. A `SKILL.md` leads with its **Policy Capsule** — the
-contract, and the whole cost of activating the skill — followed by pointers
-into an on-demand `reference.md` sibling holding the long-form material
-(patterns, worked examples, checklists). This is the same split the always-on
-rules use (§ 1.F): read the capsule on activation, and open a `reference.md`
-section only when the task actually engages it. Review the skill's `examples/`
-directory or `examples.md` sibling **when present and relevant** to the task —
-most skills do not ship one, so do not probe blindly. When uncertain which skill applies,
-match the task against the one-line `description` in each skill's frontmatter
-(catalogued in `.agents/skills/skills.index.json`). Skills compose: a complete
-feature typically flows `idea-refinement` → the `/plan` workflow →
-implementation test-first (`rules/testing-standards.md`) →
-`code-review-and-quality` — not every task needs every skill. The always-on
-operating posture (surface assumptions, manage confusion, push back on flawed
-approaches, verify don't assume) is governed by § 3–4 and § 1.I of this file.
+The skill library is **two-tier**: **`core/`** — universal, process-driven
+skills (`core/debugging-and-error-recovery`, `core/code-review-and-quality`,
+`core/security-and-hardening`); check for one first (the **test-first**
+discipline lives in [`rules/testing-standards.md`](rules/testing-standards.md),
+not a skill). **`stack/`** — tech-stack-specific skills (`stack/qa/playwright`,
+`stack/qa/vitest`); apply when the project uses that technology, else use the
+§ 1.C live-docs lookup.
+
+When a task engages a domain or technology, you MUST read the corresponding
+`.agents/skills/[tier]/[category]/[skill-name]/SKILL.md` and apply its
+constraints — the **Policy Capsule** (the whole cost of activation) on
+engagement, a `reference.md` section or `examples/` only when the task needs it
+(§ 1.F's read-when-relevant split). When unsure which applies, match the task
+against the one-line `description` in each skill's frontmatter (catalogued in
+`.agents/skills/skills.index.json`). Skills compose (`idea-refinement` →
+`/plan` → test-first implementation → `code-review-and-quality`); not every
+task needs every skill. The always-on operating posture is governed by § 3–4
+and § 1.I.
 
 ### C. Proactive Documentation
 
-You MUST use the host's best available live-documentation mechanism
-proactively to prevent hallucination — for example a docs MCP server such as
-Context7 when the host has it wired in, an IDE-native docs lookup, or any
-equivalent live-docs surface the host exposes.
-
-- **Mandatory Usage:** For any code generation, project setup, or complex
-  configuration involving third-party libraries, fetch the latest official
-  documentation **before** writing code. Do not ask for permission.
-- **Fallback Order:** If no live-docs mechanism is available, fall back to (1)
-  in-repo docs and the package's bundled `README.md`/`CHANGELOG.md`, then
-  (2) the host's web fetch/search tool. Note in your work log which channel
-  you used so reviewers can spot stale references.
+You MUST use the host's best live-documentation mechanism (a docs MCP server
+such as Context7, an IDE-native lookup, or equivalent) proactively to prevent
+hallucination: for any code involving third-party libraries, fetch the latest
+official docs **before** writing code — do not ask permission. If none exists,
+fall back to (1) in-repo docs and the package's bundled `README.md` /
+`CHANGELOG.md`, then (2) the host's web fetch/search; note which channel you
+used so reviewers can spot stale references.
 
 ### D. Error Handling & Degradation
 
@@ -87,136 +67,97 @@ directly — there is no separate state-mutation MCP server to degrade from.
 
 ### E. Local Overrides
 
-If a `.agents/instructions.local.md` file or `.agentrc.local.json` is present,
-you MUST load them. They contain personal developer preferences and
-environment variables that override project defaults. The config resolver
-deep-merges `.agentrc.local.json` over `.agentrc.json` (local wins; absent
-local file is a no-op). Do not modify these local files unless requested.
-
-**Durable slash commands.** Any `.md` file placed at
-`.agents/local/workflows/<name>.md` is automatically projected into
-`.claude/commands/<name>.md` by `sync-claude-commands.js`, making it
-invocable as `/<name>`. Because the entire `.agents/local/` subtree is
-exempt from `mandrel sync`'s prune pass, these commands survive
-`npm install`, `mandrel sync`, and `mandrel update` with no manual
-re-sync. Core payload commands of the same basename always win (the
-local copy is ignored with a `shadowed` warning).
+If a `.agents/instructions.local.md` or `.agentrc.local.json` is present, you
+MUST load it — the config resolver deep-merges `.agentrc.local.json` over
+`.agentrc.json` (local wins; absent is a no-op). Do not modify these files
+unless requested.
+
+**Durable slash commands.** Any `.md` at `.agents/local/workflows/<name>.md` is
+projected into `.claude/commands/<name>.md` by `sync-claude-commands.js` as
+`/<name>`. The `.agents/local/` subtree is exempt from `mandrel sync`'s prune
+pass, so these commands survive `npm install` / `mandrel sync` / `mandrel
+update`; a core payload command of the same basename wins (local ignored with a
+`shadowed` warning).
 
 ### F. Modular Global Rules
 
-The `.agents/rules/` directory is split into an **always-on core** and an
-**on-demand set** — the same read-when-relevant pattern skills use (§ 1.B).
-The core loads into every session; the on-demand rules are read only when the
-task actually engages them, so a generic task (and every subagent it spawns)
-does not re-pay their bytes on every turn.
-
-- **Always-on core** (loaded alongside this file):
-  - [`rules/security-baseline.md`](rules/security-baseline.md) — inviolable
-    security MUSTs; applies to every piece of code generated.
-  - [`rules/git-conventions.md`](rules/git-conventions.md) — the always-on git
-    core (branch shapes, commit-subject format, `refs #`, push/hygiene MUSTs);
-    every commit, branch, and PR touches it.
-
-- **On-demand** — read the file **before** doing the matching work; each opens
-  with a one-line "this rule applies when…" scope header, so skimming its first
-  paragraph confirms whether it governs the task at hand:
-  - [`rules/git-conventions-reference.md`](rules/git-conventions-reference.md)
-    — the git-history mechanics the core summarizes: hard-cutover policy, the
-    push-hook false-negative signature, shared-checkout contention, the
-    docs-freshness gate, and `meta::*` routing labels.
-  - [`rules/shell-conventions.md`](rules/shell-conventions.md) — before
-    chaining shell commands or writing cross-platform command strings.
-  - [`rules/testing-standards.md`](rules/testing-standards.md) — before
-    authoring or restructuring tests (the three-tier pyramid, assertion
-    placement, mocking/isolation MUSTs).
-  - [`rules/orchestration-error-handling.md`](rules/orchestration-error-handling.md)
-    — before writing or modifying orchestration scripts under
-    `.agents/scripts/**`.
-  - [`rules/ci-remediation.md`](rules/ci-remediation.md) — before remediating
-    a red (or repeatedly slow) CI check during delivery (the root-cause-only
-    triage decision tree, the never-rerun / never-quarantine prohibitions,
-    and the escalation criteria).
-  - [`rules/api-conventions.md`](rules/api-conventions.md),
-    [`rules/gherkin-standards.md`](rules/gherkin-standards.md),
-    [`rules/changelog-style.md`](rules/changelog-style.md),
-    [`rules/test-seams.md`](rules/test-seams.md) — when the task is in that
-    domain (API surface, Gherkin scenarios, changelog prose, test seams).
-
-When in doubt, read the rule — the read is cheap relative to shipping a
-MUST-violating change. Precedence between a rule and any other governance
-document is unchanged (§ 1.K): loading a rule on demand does not lower its
-authority.
+`.agents/rules/` splits into an **always-on core** (loaded with this file) and
+an **on-demand set** (read only when the task engages it, so a generic task —
+and every subagent it spawns — does not re-pay their bytes), the same
+read-when-relevant pattern skills use (§ 1.B).
+
+- **Always-on core**: [`security-baseline.md`](rules/security-baseline.md)
+  (inviolable security MUSTs) and
+  [`git-conventions.md`](rules/git-conventions.md) (branch shapes,
+  commit-subject format, `refs #`, push/hygiene MUSTs).
+- **On-demand** — read **before** the matching work; each opens with a one-line
+  "this rule applies when…" scope header:
+  [`git-conventions-reference.md`](rules/git-conventions-reference.md)
+  (git-history mechanics),
+  [`shell-conventions.md`](rules/shell-conventions.md) (shell chains,
+  cross-platform strings),
+  [`testing-standards.md`](rules/testing-standards.md) (authoring or
+  restructuring tests),
+  [`orchestration-error-handling.md`](rules/orchestration-error-handling.md)
+  (scripts under `.agents/scripts/**`),
+  [`ci-remediation.md`](rules/ci-remediation.md) (a red or slow CI check), and
+  [`api-conventions.md`](rules/api-conventions.md) /
+  [`gherkin-standards.md`](rules/gherkin-standards.md) /
+  [`changelog-style.md`](rules/changelog-style.md) /
+  [`test-seams.md`](rules/test-seams.md) (API, Gherkin, changelog, test-seam
+  work).
+
+Read the rule when unsure — cheaper than shipping a MUST violation; loading it
+on demand does not lower its authority (§ 1.K).
 
 ### G. Structured Configuration
 
-Refer to `.agentrc.json` to understand your operational limits (e.g., allowed
-auto-run permissions, default personas). For the project's specific
-technology choices (database, ORM, API framework, auth provider, validation
-library, workspace paths), refer to the project's Tech Stack inventory: a
-dedicated `docs/tech-stack.md` when present (the single-ownership convention),
-otherwise the **Tech Stack** section of `docs/architecture.md` (a numbered or
-decorated heading such as `## 1. Tech Stack` is fine). Project-specific
-technology context is intentionally kept out of `.agentrc.json`.
+Refer to `.agentrc.json` for operational limits (auto-run permissions, etc.).
+Project technology choices (database, ORM, API framework, auth, validation,
+paths) are intentionally kept out of it — read the Tech Stack inventory:
+`docs/tech-stack.md` when present, otherwise the **Tech Stack** section of
+`docs/architecture.md`.
 
 ### H. Observability & Friction Telemetry
 
 You MUST log telemetry about operational difficulty or automation
-opportunities you hit. Friction is a **local NDJSON signal**:
-`diagnose-friction.js` appends one `kind: friction` record to the per-run/
-per-Story `signals.ndjson` stream on local disk — not posted to the ticket at
-capture time; the retro phase surfaces the aggregate as routed proposals.
+opportunities. Friction is a **local NDJSON signal**: `diagnose-friction.js`
+appends a `kind: friction` record to the per-run/per-Story `signals.ndjson`
+stream (not posted to the ticket; the retro phase surfaces the aggregate).
 
 - **Command**:
   `node .agents/scripts/diagnose-friction.js --story [STORY_ID] --cmd [FAILED_COMMAND]`
 - **When to fire**: after repeated tool-validation errors, an unrecoverable
-  command failure, ambiguity needing self-correction, or repetitive
-  boilerplate steps a workflow/skill could simplify.
+  command failure, ambiguity needing self-correction, or repetitive boilerplate
+  a workflow/skill could simplify.
 
-The schema validation, the standalone stream path, and the
-never-silently-dropped guarantee are reference detail — see
-[`docs/execution-reference.md` § Friction telemetry](docs/execution-reference.md#friction-telemetry).
-
-#### Log Level Control
-
-The orchestrator logger honors `AGENT_LOG_LEVEL` (`silent` / `info` /
-`verbose`). The per-level emission table is reference detail — see
-[`docs/execution-reference.md` § Log-level control](docs/execution-reference.md#log-level-control).
+Schema, stream path, the never-silently-dropped guarantee, and the
+`AGENT_LOG_LEVEL` (`silent`/`info`/`verbose`) emission table are reference
+detail — see [`docs/execution-reference.md`](docs/execution-reference.md#friction-telemetry).
 
 ### I. Anti-Thrashing Protocol
 
 You MUST proactively identify when you are "thrashing" or stuck in an
 infinite loop, and you MUST stop, summarize the blockers, and present a
 **Re-Plan** (or yield to the user) before consuming more tokens on a failing
-strategy. Use the qualitative cues below — there are no numeric thresholds
-because none of the framework code increments a counter or fires at a
-boundary; the call is yours to make.
-
-- **Failure cluster**: You have run a handful of tool calls in a row that
-  returned errors of the same shape. The remediation is the same each time,
-  and the next attempt is unlikely to surface new information. Stop.
-- **Research drift**: You are several steps into reading code or
-  documentation without writing or modifying anything, and the additional
-  reads are no longer narrowing the problem space. Stop and propose a plan
-  with the information you have.
-- **Same fix, same failure**: You have applied the same kind of fix more
-  than once for the same error class, and the failure mode hasn't changed.
-  Stop — the diagnosis is wrong.
-
-When you stop, write a one-paragraph summary of what you tried, what
-recurred, and what assumption you would test next, then either Re-Plan or
-hand back to the operator. Do not paper over the loop with another
-just-in-case retry.
-
-While executing as a Story delivery sub-agent (via `helpers/deliver-story`),
-if you genuinely cannot proceed you MUST transition to `agent::blocked` and
-exit non-zero — **never fall silent**. A stalled child that reports nothing
-is indistinguishable from a dead one, and the parent `/deliver` run can only
-escalate what you surface.
+strategy. The cues are qualitative — there are no numeric thresholds; the call
+is yours to make.
+
+- **Failure cluster** — several tool calls in a row returning same-shape
+  errors with the same remediation. Stop.
+- **Research drift** — several reads deep with nothing written and the reads no
+  longer narrowing the problem. Stop and plan with what you have.
+- **Same fix, same failure** — the same kind of fix applied more than once for
+  one error class with no change in the failure mode. Stop; the diagnosis is
+  wrong.
+
+When you stop, summarize in one paragraph what you tried, what recurred, and
+what you would test next, then Re-Plan or hand back — do not paper over the
+loop with another just-in-case retry.
 
 ### J. HITL Blocker Escalation (Safe Execution)
 
-Before executing any task, you MUST check the ticket labels and instructions
-for high-risk operations.
+Before any task, you MUST check the ticket labels for high-risk operations.
 
 - **`risk::high` is metadata**: treat it as planning/audit signal only. It
   does **not** create an automatic runtime pause.
@@ -258,16 +199,11 @@ Two carve-outs refine the ordering:
 
 ## 2. FinOps & Token Budgeting (Economic Guardrails)
 
-Mandrel does **not** enforce live LLM spend from response metadata, and it has
-no operator-tunable context budget. What it does bound are fixed framework
-ceilings — the `/plan` context envelope and plan-time Story sizing — and they
-**fail closed** with a message naming what to trim, rather than silently
-handing the model a truncated context. Your host runtime owns session quota and
-hard stops. The constants, the ≈4-char/token estimate, and the trim options are
-reference detail — see
-[`docs/execution-reference.md` § FinOps & token budgeting](docs/execution-reference.md#finops--token-budgeting-economic-guardrails).
-Consult it when `/plan` refused an over-ceiling envelope or an over-budget
-Story count.
+Mandrel does **not** enforce live LLM spend and has no operator-tunable context
+budget; your host runtime owns session quota. It does bound fixed framework
+ceilings — the `/plan` context envelope and plan-time Story sizing — which
+**fail closed** with a message naming what to trim. Constants and trim options:
+[`docs/execution-reference.md`](docs/execution-reference.md#finops--token-budgeting-economic-guardrails).
 
 ---
 
@@ -275,37 +211,16 @@ Story count.
 
 1. **Context First:** Before proposing any solution, understand the
    repository's tech stack, historical context, and structure.
-   - **Digest-first Reading (Story #4433)** — stated once here; it governs
-     every call site. **Never ingest the whole `project.docsContextFiles` set
-     up front.** Read the **docs digest** — a compact outline (path, byte
-     size, heading outline with line numbers, and the first paragraph under
-     each `##`) built from those files — decide which docs bear on the task at
-     hand, then **pull the full file on demand**, jumping to the section at
-     the line number the digest names. This is a hard cutover: no
-     read-every-file branch is retained on any path.
-
-     The call sites differ only in how the digest reaches you — the
-     discipline above is identical for all of them:
-     - `/plan` and interactive tasks — a file at `temp/run-<id>/docs-digest.md`
-       (`plan-context.js`, via the shared generator in
-       `.agents/scripts/lib/orchestration/docs-digest.js`).
-     - `/deliver` Story sub-agents (`helpers/deliver-story`) — the
-       `docsDigestPath` the caller threads.
-     - Standalone-Story planning (`story-plan.js --emit-context`) — inline as
-       `corpusContext.docsDigest` (no per-run directory to anchor a
-       file), alongside `corpusContext.relevantSections`.
-
-     When no digest exists for the task at hand — an ad hoc task outside
-     `/deliver`, `project.docsContextFiles` unset, or a null `docsDigestPath` —
-     there is **no mandatory docs read**: read a full doc only when the task's
-     own context points you at one.
-
-     The decisions log (`decisions.md`) may be either a single-file
-     dated-entry log or an **index** into a `decisions/` ADR directory — both
-     are first-class layouts (see
-     [`skills/core/documentation-and-adrs`](skills/core/documentation-and-adrs/SKILL.md)).
-     Treat an index like any other digested doc: link-follow the per-ADR
-     bodies on demand rather than auto-loading them.
+   - **Digest-first Reading (Story #4433).** **Never ingest the whole
+     `project.docsContextFiles` set up front.** Read the **docs digest** — a
+     compact outline (path, byte size, heading outline with line numbers, and
+     the first paragraph under each `##`) — decide which docs bear on the task,
+     then **pull the full file on demand**, jumping to the section at the line
+     number the digest names. This is a hard cutover: no read-every-file branch
+     survives. When no digest exists for the task — an ad hoc task,
+     `project.docsContextFiles` unset, or a null `docsDigestPath` — there is
+     **no mandatory docs read**: read a full doc only when the task's own
+     context points you at one.
    - **Conditional Reads**: When the task touches UI copy, layout, or
      routing and the corresponding file is present in the project, also
      read `docs/style-guide.md` and `docs/web-routes.md`. Skip both when
@@ -318,17 +233,12 @@ Story count.
      (semantic code search or focused text search) to isolate specific
      schemas or decisions before reading broad files.
 2. **Plan First:** For non-trivial tasks (3+ steps or architectural
-   decisions), enter **Plan Mode**. Update the Story's `## Spec`
-   (via `/plan`) or create a new Technical Specification document
-   in the `docs/` root (if not already handled by a ticket) before
-   touching code.
-3. **Artifacts over Chat:** Create log files for test results, build
-   outputs, or debug sessions rather than pasting large code blocks in
-   chat.
-4. **Idempotency:** Ensure scripts and commands can be run multiple times
-   without breaking the environment.
-5. **Security First:** Never hardcode secrets. Use environment variables
-   and validate with secret scanning tools.
+   decisions), update the Story's `## Spec` via `/plan` before touching code.
+3. **Artifacts over Chat:** Write log files for test/build/debug output rather
+   than pasting large blocks in chat.
+4. **Idempotency:** Scripts and commands must be safe to run repeatedly.
+5. **Security First:** Never hardcode secrets; use environment variables and
+   secret scanning.
 
 ---
 
@@ -336,36 +246,25 @@ Story count.
 
 - **Re-Plan on Failure:** If a strategy fails, **STOP** and re-plan
   immediately. Do not repeat a broken approach.
-- **Subagent Strategy:** Spawning a subagent is not free — each spawn
-  re-pays the full always-loaded context, so treat it as a cost decision,
-  not a reflex. Prefer an **inline search** (grep, a targeted read) for
-  small or localized lookups where you already know roughly where to look;
-  reach for a subagent **only when the work is large enough to justify
-  replicating context** — a broad multi-file investigation, a parallel
-  exploration front, or an isolated task that would otherwise crowd the main
-  context window. One objective per subagent. When the host exposes a
-  cheaper or faster capability, prefer it for **mechanical or read-only**
-  spawns (search, doc regeneration, lint, log triage) and keep
-  **implementation and design** work on the default capability; name no
-  specific model — let the host and operator own the concrete mapping.
-  **Depth compounds the cost.** Sub-agents now carry the `Agent` tool and
-  can nest further (verified depth 2, announced max depth 5; see
-  [#2870](https://github.com/dsj1984/mandrel/issues/2870)), so this
-  spend-per-spawn caution is not one-level — **every** nesting level
-  re-pays the full always-loaded context. Weigh the whole subtree's cost,
-  not just the immediate spawn, before opening a deeper orchestration
-  level, and stay within the supported depth envelope.
+- **Subagent Strategy:** Each spawn re-pays the full always-loaded context, so
+  treat it as a cost decision. Prefer an **inline search** (grep, a targeted
+  read) for small or localized lookups; reach for a subagent **only when the
+  work justifies replicating context** — a broad multi-file investigation, a
+  parallel exploration front, or an isolated task that would crowd the main
+  window. One objective per subagent; prefer a cheaper/faster host capability
+  for mechanical or read-only spawns and keep implementation/design on the
+  default. **Depth compounds the cost** — sub-agents carry the `Agent` tool and
+  nest further, and **every** level re-pays the context, so weigh the whole
+  subtree's cost and stay within the supported depth envelope.
 - **Anti-Laziness:** NEVER use placeholder comments like
   `// ... existing code ...`, `/* rest of file */`, or
   `// implementation here`. You MUST output the ENTIRE file or the ENTIRE
   complete function so it can be safely written to disk.
 - **No Dead Code:** Remove unused imports, commented-out code, and dead
   branches before finalizing a file.
-- **Lint Compliance:** Adhere strictly to project linters and formatters.
-  Language- and stack-specific quality rules (TypeScript strictness,
-  accessibility scans, framework conventions) live in their respective
-  `stack/` skills and `.agents/rules/` files — apply them when the relevant
-  skill is activated.
+- **Lint Compliance:** Adhere strictly to project linters and formatters;
+  language/stack-specific quality rules live in their `stack/` skills and
+  `.agents/rules/` files — apply them when the skill is activated.
 - **Verification:** Include explicit verification steps in every plan.
 
 ---
@@ -377,18 +276,11 @@ strict conventions for all Story-related Git operations. See
 [`.agents/rules/git-conventions.md`](rules/git-conventions.md) for the full
 canonical reference.
 
-### A. Branch Naming (Canonical)
-
-v2 delivery uses one branch shape. The runtime creates and maintains it
-via `single-story-init.js`; agents commit on that branch only.
-
-| Purpose         | Format            | Owner                   | Notes                                                                 |
-| --------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| Story execution | `story-<storyId>` | `single-story-init.js`  | Per-Story worktree at `.worktrees/story-<storyId>/`. PR target is `main` (squash + required checks). There is no `epic/<id>` integration branch and no `--no-ff` wave merge. |
+### A. Branch Naming
 
-- **Verification**: After `single-story-init.js` returns, confirm
-  `git branch --show-current` reports `story-<storyId>` before making any
-  commits. If it does not, **STOP** and re-init.
+The canonical branch shape (`story-<storyId>` seeded and maintained by
+`single-story-init.js`, PR to `main`) and the commit-subject contract are
+owned by [`rules/git-conventions.md`](rules/git-conventions.md).
 
 ### B. Status Tracking & Commit Standards
 
@@ -402,66 +294,49 @@ prompted.
 
 ### C. History Hygiene
 
-Every Story reaches `main` via its own PR (`story-<id>` → squash + required
-checks). `helpers/deliver-story` / `single-story-close.js` open that PR;
-there is no Epic integration branch and no in-script push to `main`.
+Every Story reaches `main` via its own PR, opened by `helpers/deliver-story` /
+`single-story-close.js`; the history model is owned by
+[`rules/git-conventions.md`](rules/git-conventions.md).
 
 ### D. Ticket hierarchy (Story-only)
 
-v2 collapses the ticket model to **Story**. Acceptance criteria and
-verification steps live inline on the Story body (`acceptance[]` /
-`verify[]`); the folded Tech Spec lives inline in `## Spec` (over-budget
-Specs fail closed — split or tighten; never write under `docs/`). Optional
-`depends_on` edges order rare multi-Story runs — and, because `/deliver`
-resolves them from live state, they order Stories **across plan runs and
-over time**, not just within one batch.
-
-- `/plan` emits one or more `type::story` issues (default N=1). There is no
-  batch label: `/deliver` takes ids and discovers the graph.
-- Each Story is executed by `helpers/deliver-story` (invoked from
-  [`/deliver`](workflows/deliver.md)). There is no per-Task sub-loop; the
-  agent authors commit subjects directly per
-  [`rules/git-conventions.md`](rules/git-conventions.md) and references the
-  Story via `(refs #<storyId>)`.
-- Branch model matches Section 5.A (`story-<id>` → PR → `main`).
-- There is no `type::epic` / `type::task` label and no Epic issue form. An
-  Epic is at most an optional untyped human umbrella issue outside
-  orchestration; `/deliver` refuses tickets that still carry an
-  `Epic: #N` footer.
+v2 collapses the ticket model to **Story**: acceptance criteria and verify
+steps live inline (`acceptance[]` / `verify[]`) and the folded Tech Spec in
+`## Spec` (over-budget Specs fail closed — split or tighten; never write under
+`docs/`). Optional `depends_on` edges order rare multi-Story runs, resolved by
+`/deliver` from live state across plan runs and over time.
+
+- `/plan` emits one or more `type::story` issues (default N=1); there is no
+  batch label — `/deliver` takes ids and discovers the graph.
+- Each Story is executed by `helpers/deliver-story` (from
+  [`/deliver`](workflows/deliver.md)); the agent authors commit subjects
+  directly per [`rules/git-conventions.md`](rules/git-conventions.md),
+  referencing the Story via `(refs #<storyId>)`.
+- There is no `type::epic` / `type::task` label or Epic issue form; an Epic is
+  at most an optional untyped human umbrella issue outside orchestration, and
+  `/deliver` refuses tickets carrying an `Epic: #N` footer.
 
 ---
 
 ## 6. Workspace & File Hygiene (Temporary Files)
 
-To keep the repository clean and avoid polluting the Git history:
-
-- **Root Temp Directory**: All temporary files, scratch scripts, or
-  intermediate outputs MUST be stored in the `/temp/` directory located at
-  the workspace root.
-- **Git Exclusion**: The `/temp/` directory is excluded from Git by default.
-  Do NOT commit any files stored within it.
+All temporary files, scratch scripts, and intermediate outputs MUST live in the
+workspace-root `/temp/` directory, which is gitignored — do NOT commit anything
+under it.
 
 ---
 
 ## 7. Complexity-Aware Execution
 
-`/plan` sizes each Story as a **capability slice a frontier model delivers
-and self-verifies in one pass** — a broad footprint is normal when the
-change is cohesive. The session-capacity backstop lives in one place:
-`DEFAULT_MODEL_CAPACITY` in
-`.agents/scripts/lib/orchestration/ticket-validator-sizing.js` (framework
-constant — not operator-tunable). Do not re-slice a capability-sized
-Story into per-module fragments just because it touches many files.
+`/plan` sizes each Story as a **capability slice a frontier model delivers and
+self-verifies in one pass** — a broad footprint is normal when the change is
+cohesive (the backstop is `DEFAULT_MODEL_CAPACITY` in `ticket-validator-sizing.js`,
+a framework constant). Do not re-slice a capability-sized Story into per-module
+fragments just because it touches many files.
 
 ### A. When You See `⚠️ COMPLEXITY WARNING`
 
-If your task contains a complexity warning or exceeds localized scope:
-
-1. **Plan first.** Read the full instructions, then write a numbered list of
-   cohesive sub-steps in a `<!-- DECOMPOSITION -->` comment block — one
-   coherent change with one reason to exist per sub-step, not one file per
-   sub-step.
-2. **Commit incrementally.** Stage, commit, and push after each logical
-   sub-step completes successfully.
-3. **Fail fast.** If any sub-step fails validation, STOP and report the
-   failure.
+On a complexity warning or out-of-scope task: **plan first** (a numbered list of
+cohesive sub-steps — one coherent change each, not one file each — in a
+`<!-- DECOMPOSITION -->` block), **commit incrementally** after each sub-step,
+and **fail fast** — STOP and report if any sub-step fails validation.