diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/awareness.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/awareness.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b78674819
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/awareness.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# Fact catalog: awareness
+# Situational awareness — who's present, active threats, operational status
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.2 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: awareness.detective_presence
+    description: A Commission detective is operating on Sova Station
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler]
+    notes: "Smuggler learns through rumor or direct observation. Detective does not hold this fact about themselves."
+
+  - fact_id: awareness.detective_investigating_ring
+    description: The detective is specifically targeting the smuggling ring, not a routine audit
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: awareness.commission_audit_scheduled
+    description: A Commission audit is coming — officially scheduled
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: awareness.ring_route_compromise
+    description: The current drop route may be compromised or under observation
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: awareness.surveillance_change
+    description: Surveillance patterns in the maintenance corridors have changed recently
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: awareness.ring_tension_escalation
+    description: Something is wrong inside the ring — someone is scared or making moves
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: awareness.inspection_sweep_active
+    description: Active inspection sweep in progress right now
+    typical_confidence: direct
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "direct confidence — set by environmental observation, not investigation"
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/behavioral.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/behavioral.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3fc545e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/behavioral.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# Fact catalog: behavioral
+# Behavioral patterns recognized through repeated observation across multiple scenes
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.3 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: behavioral.kael_evasion
+    description: Kael looks left when lying — personal tell recognized post-conversation
+    typical_confidence: direct
+    characters: [smuggler]
+    notes: "Set during a conversation where evasion is detected. direct confidence = just confirmed."
+
+  - fact_id: behavioral.kael_behavioral_change
+    description: Kael's behavior has noticeably changed — quieter, distracted, different routine
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: behavioral.sera_avoidance_pattern
+    description: Sera consistently avoids Torek Lintar — leaves when he arrives, repositions
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "One observation = suspects; three observations = knows_of (pattern confirmed for detective)"
+
+  - fact_id: behavioral.sera_topic_deflection
+    description: Sera deflects specific topics — Commission work, manifest audits, freight
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: behavioral.sera_kiosk_pattern
+    description: Sera habitually stops at the same Commission kiosk at the same time
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: behavioral.sera_knowledge_detail
+    description: Sera's offhand comments reveal detailed knowledge of manifest routing she shouldn't have
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: behavioral.voss_awareness
+    description: Voss is tracking people — situational awareness beyond normal supervisor behavior
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [detective]
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/contraband.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/contraband.yaml
index df2c774aa..718aafdf6 100644
--- a/content/global/knowledge/contraband.yaml
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/contraband.yaml
@@ -1 +1,39 @@
 # Fact catalog: contraband
+# Smuggling ring world facts — existence, components, operations, supply chain
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.5 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: contraband.ring_exists
+    description: A smuggling operation is running through Sova Transit District
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler starts at knows_details (Background — they ARE in the ring). Detective starts at suspects."
+
+  - fact_id: contraband.ring_lattice_components
+    description: The ring moves unlicensed lattice components — aftermarket neural mods
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler starts at knows_details (Background). Detective discovers through investigation."
+
+  - fact_id: contraband.ring_medical_components
+    description: The ring also diverts medical-grade lattice replacements from Syndic supply chains
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Deep investigation only — the moral dimension of the operation"
+
+  - fact_id: contraband.supply_chain
+    description: Understanding of the ring's supply chain — where components come from
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: contraband.severance_tech_presence
+    description: Severance counter-surveillance technology is in play on the station
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [detective]
+
+  - fact_id: contraband.drop_tonight
+    description: A drop is scheduled for tonight specifically
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler]
+    notes: "Seed-dependent — only relevant in seeds where a drop is scheduled during play session"
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/investigation.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/investigation.yaml
index 0e79cb5c4..d85c36a9b 100644
--- a/content/global/knowledge/investigation.yaml
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/investigation.yaml
@@ -1 +1,127 @@
 # Fact catalog: investigation
+# Case-specific findings — events witnessed, evidence discovered, NPC behaviors confirmed
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.1 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.kael_corridor_meeting
+    description: Kael was seen in corridor B-7 off-shift, apparently meeting someone
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Shared fact ID; smuggler perspective = operational security breach; detective perspective = initial observation"
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.kael_corridor_sighting
+    description: Detective's initial B-7 observation — Kael spotted in maintenance corridors at unusual hour
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [detective]
+    notes: "Detective-only initial ID; may upgrade to kael_corridor_meeting after corroboration"
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.kael_unknown_contact
+    description: The person Kael met in B-7 is unknown — not from the regular rotation
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.kael_ring_membership
+    description: Kael is a member of the smuggling ring
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.kael_exit_attempt
+    description: Kael is actively trying to leave the ring
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.manifest_discrepancy
+    description: Cargo manifests show irregularities — containers, weights, routing anomalies
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Detective starts with this at suspects (Background). Smuggler may encounter it during operational checks."
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.cargo_anomaly
+    description: A specific cargo anomaly — wrong container, wrong weight, wrong route
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.shift_mismatch
+    description: Shift records don't match observed personnel — someone is covering for someone
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.voss_ring_involvement
+    description: Voss manages schedule changes to cover drops — involved in ring operations
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.torek_spending_pattern
+    description: Torek is spending beyond his dock-worker means — visible at bar
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.drin_inspection_pattern
+    description: Drin's inspections are conspicuously lax — clearing containers without real checking
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.drin_gambling_debt
+    description: Drin has a gambling debt — leverage for whoever is running him
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.oversight_gap_pattern
+    description: Inspection gaps are systematic, not accidental — someone designed the blind spots
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.surveillance_gaps
+    description: Specific surveillance camera blind spots in the maintenance corridors
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler knows from Background (operational necessity). Detective discovers through investigation."
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.smuggling_route
+    description: The specific smuggling route through the station
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.ring_existence
+    description: A smuggling ring is definitely operating through Sova Transit (detective's confirmation)
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [detective]
+    notes: "Detective starts with suspects from manifest anomalies. Smuggler knows via Background (knows_details)."
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.renn_courier_role
+    description: Renn operates as a courier in the ring — runs packages between drop sites
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.corridor_regular_use
+    description: The maintenance corridors are regularly used for smuggling, not just incidentally
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.container_delay
+    description: A specific container has been held in temporary storage longer than normal
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.sera_evidence_held
+    description: Sera has unreported evidence about manifest irregularities — sitting on it deliberately
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [detective]
+    notes: "suspects from avoidance pattern; knows_details only if Sera discloses or evidence found independently"
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.naia_lattice_condition
+    description: Naia's neural lattice is degrading — the medical components are for her
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Requires Kael disclosure or independent medical evidence"
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.ring_leadership
+    description: Who directs ring operations — late-game discovery
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: investigation.drin_inspection_pattern
+    description: Drin's inspection patterns protect specific containers at specific shift windows
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [detective]
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/knowledge.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/knowledge.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f41479add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/knowledge.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Fact catalog: knowledge
+# Operational knowledge — ring procedures, social dynamics, institutional mechanics
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.4 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: knowledge.ring_routing_knowledge
+    description: Full knowledge of the ring's drop routes and timing protocols
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler]
+    notes: "Smuggler starts at knows_details (Background). Not available to detective through normal investigation paths."
+
+  - fact_id: knowledge.ring_bar_operations
+    description: The bar (The Last Shift) has a role in ring communications or social cover
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: knowledge.bar_back_room_significance
+    description: The bar's back room is significant — meeting space, handoff point, or storage
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [detective]
+
+  - fact_id: knowledge.bar_ring_awareness
+    description: Bar regulars have varying levels of awareness of the ring — open secret at some level
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: knowledge.kael_exit_plan
+    description: Kael has a specific exit plan — timing, conditions, contact
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Only available through Kael's deep trust disclosure or independent investigation"
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/location.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/location.yaml
index f87eec878..a720099cc 100644
--- a/content/global/knowledge/location.yaml
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/location.yaml
@@ -1 +1,51 @@
 # Fact catalog: location
+# Location-specific access, restrictions, and significance
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.6 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: location.corridor_b7_restricted
+    description: Corridor B-7 is a restricted access zone — requires credentials
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Both characters have this from Background (signage, institutional knowledge)"
+
+  - fact_id: location.corridor_b7_drop_site
+    description: B-7 is an active drop site for the ring
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler from Background. Detective through investigation."
+
+  - fact_id: location.maintenance_corridors_access
+    description: Character knows the maintenance corridor layout and can navigate it
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler at knows_details (Background — daily operational space). Detective at knows_of after investigation."
+
+  - fact_id: location.bay4_sealed
+    description: Bay 4 is sealed — inspection or deliberate cover
+    typical_confidence: suspects
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: location.span_gate_schedule_gap
+    description: The span gate schedule has a window that enables unseen cargo drops
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: location.smuggling_route
+    description: The complete physical route the ring uses through the station
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler from Background. Detective from deep investigation."
+
+  - fact_id: location.surveillance_gaps
+    description: Specific camera blind spots in the maintenance corridor network
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler from Background. Detective must discover independently."
+
+  - fact_id: location.dead_drop_location
+    description: Specific dead drop location(s) used for handoffs
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler]
+    notes: "Smuggler operational knowledge"
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/progress.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/progress.yaml
index 4e93de846..e9a19f1fb 100644
--- a/content/global/knowledge/progress.yaml
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/progress.yaml
@@ -1 +1,36 @@
 # Fact catalog: progress
+# Narrative milestone flags
+# Note: progress.* facts are NOT recommended for direct authoring in prerequisite blocks.
+# Use investigation fact chains and relationship states instead.
+# These exist for potential storyteller/arc-tracking use.
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §3.2 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: progress.friend_arc_phase_1
+    description: FRIEND arc Phase 1 warmth established (baseline positive relationship)
+    notes: "Set by relationship state transition to Friendly. Do not author directly — use relationship checks."
+
+  - fact_id: progress.friend_arc_phase_2
+    description: FRIEND arc Phase 2 trust built (deep rapport + initial social context)
+    notes: "Set by trust tier advancement. Do not author directly — use investigation + relationship checks."
+
+  - fact_id: progress.friend_arc_contradiction
+    description: FRIEND contradiction discovered (KnowledgeState → Contradicted)
+    notes: "Set by contradiction detection system. Use relationship state person_of_interest + investigation fact instead."
+
+  - fact_id: progress.friend_arc_confrontation
+    description: FRIEND confronted about contradiction
+    notes: "Set post-confrontation by dialogue system."
+
+  - fact_id: progress.opening_complete
+    description: Opening tutorial sequence completed (first 5 minutes)
+    notes: "Set by storyteller after initial objective sequence."
+
+  - fact_id: progress.first_ring_contact
+    description: Smuggler completed first ring operation during play session
+    characters: [smuggler]
+
+  - fact_id: progress.first_evidence_filed
+    description: Detective filed first manifest discrepancy evidence
+    characters: [detective]
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/relationship.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/relationship.yaml
index 00943bb27..49a19c425 100644
--- a/content/global/knowledge/relationship.yaml
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/relationship.yaml
@@ -1 +1,33 @@
 # Fact catalog: relationship
+# Inter-NPC connections — what one character knows about relationships between others
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.7 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: relationship.kael_naia_connection
+    description: Kael and Naia are romantically partnered — not just colleagues
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler may know from background or Kael mentioning Naia. Detective through social observation."
+
+  - fact_id: relationship.ring_membership
+    description: Character has identified specific ring members
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "knows_of = partial list; knows_details = full ring membership identified"
+
+  - fact_id: relationship.trust_network
+    description: Understanding of who trusts whom inside the ring — operational reliability mapping
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler]
+    notes: "Smuggler-specific operational knowledge"
+
+  - fact_id: relationship.tamm_family
+    description: Connection between Naia Tamm and her family situation
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+
+  - fact_id: relationship.torek_bar_arrangement
+    description: Torek has a financial arrangement related to the bar or its operations
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/social.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/social.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..56f5682c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/social.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Fact catalog: social
+# Social positioning facts — standing in a specific social context
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.8 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: social.bar_regular_status
+    description: Character is an established regular at The Last Shift — recognized, trusted in that context
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler may have this from Background. Detective builds it through multiple bar visits."
diff --git a/content/global/knowledge/world.yaml b/content/global/knowledge/world.yaml
index 4d3bd7164..e90a87703 100644
--- a/content/global/knowledge/world.yaml
+++ b/content/global/knowledge/world.yaml
@@ -1 +1,35 @@
 # Fact catalog: world
+# Faction and institutional knowledge — Commission, lattice regulation, broader context
+# Source: docs/design/knowledge-vocabulary-v01.md §4.6 (#368)
+
+facts:
+
+  - fact_id: world.lattice_regulation_active
+    description: Commission actively regulates neural lattice component access in this system
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Both characters have this from Background"
+
+  - fact_id: world.unlicensed_lattice_demand
+    description: High demand for unlicensed lattice upgrades on working-class stations like Sova
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "The moral context of the operation — smuggler knows it as justification; detective may learn it as complication"
+
+  - fact_id: world.commission_sova_jurisdiction
+    description: Commission has jurisdiction over Sova Transit District
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [detective]
+    notes: "Detective Background knowledge — institutional mandate"
+
+  - fact_id: world.ring_cross_system
+    description: The ring operates across multiple star systems — Sova is one node
+    typical_confidence: knows_details
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Late-game discovery — changes scope of the operation"
+
+  - fact_id: world.shift_schedule
+    description: Sova Transit District shift schedule — who works when
+    typical_confidence: knows_of
+    characters: [smuggler, detective]
+    notes: "Smuggler from Background (colleague). Detective through investigation."
diff --git a/docs/design/opening-hook-content.md b/docs/design/opening-hook-content.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bddc9196f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/design/opening-hook-content.md
@@ -0,0 +1,490 @@
+# Opening Hook Content Per Character
+
+**Ticket:** #260 | **Priority:** High | **Sprint:** 12
+**Status:** v0.1 Draft
+**Owner:** Paula
+**Blocked by:** #259 (First 5 minutes experience design — done)
+**Source:** docs/design/first-5-minutes-experience.md (systems + narrative design)
+**Decisions referenced:** D-032, D-035, D-039 (wow moment #1), D-053, D-064
+
+---
+
+## Overview
+
+This document specifies the authored content for each character's opening hook — the first 3-4 minutes of play, before any investigation or conspiracy elements appear. Content is organized by seed variant (A-D per character) and includes authored monologue lines, NPC dialogue cues, and diegetic objective setup.
+
+Authoring note: this document provides design spec and reference lines. Final authored YAML files go in the appropriate monologue pools per D-032 and D-035.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Smuggler Opening Variants
+
+### Common Elements (All Variants)
+
+All smuggler openings share:
+- **Location:** The Terminal (Logistics Hub), dock floor or entrance
+- **Ambient:** Station hum playing from frame 0; cargo machinery active in background
+- **FRIEND:** Kael Davan is the first significant NPC — established within 90 seconds regardless of variant
+- **Voice register:** Terse, sensory, first-name, operational-aware. No complete sentences unless they end in an operational note.
+
+### Opening Line Pool (enter_location, Terminal, no prerequisites)
+
+These lines fire when the smuggler enters The Terminal at session start. 3-4 lines available; engine selects one based on seed variant.
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_s_open_001
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Morning shift. Recycled air and cargo lubricant. Home sweet home."
+  mood: [content, routine]
+  tags: [opening_hook, canonical_anchor]
+
+- id: transit_m_s_open_002
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Span gate's been cycling all night. Can hear it in the walls."
+  mood: [routine, aware]
+  tags: [opening_hook]
+
+- id: transit_m_s_open_003
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Floor smells like a ship's hold. Someone ran a heavy cargo last night. Not ours."
+  mood: [routine, observant]
+  tags: [opening_hook]
+
+- id: transit_m_s_open_004
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Early shift crew's still clearing out. Good — gives us some runway before handoff."
+  mood: [operational, content]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_c_d]
+```
+
+### Kael Sighting Lines (observe_npc, Kael, Phase 1 relationship)
+
+These fire when the smuggler sees Kael on the dock floor. Critical FRIEND establishment lines.
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_s_open_010
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:kael-davan
+  prerequisites:
+    relationship:
+      target: npc:kael-davan
+      state: friendly
+  text: "Kael's already at the dock. Good. The day's better when he's on shift."
+  mood: [content, fond]
+  tags: [opening_hook, friend_phase_1, canonical_anchor]
+
+- id: transit_m_s_open_011
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:kael-davan
+  prerequisites:
+    relationship:
+      target: npc:kael-davan
+      state: friendly
+  text: "There he is. Same spot, every morning for two years. Some things you can count on."
+  mood: [fond, content]
+  tags: [opening_hook, friend_phase_1]
+```
+
+### Variant A: Quiet Morning
+
+**Initial condition:** No deviations. Standard operational day. The run is scheduled for the transition window.
+
+**Opening state:** Kael is at his station. Voss is present but not focused on the dock floor. Everything is calm.
+
+**Operational context line (observe_anomaly — schedule board):**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_s_open_020
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: observe_anomaly
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Transition window opens in fifty minutes. Standard run — nothing complicated."
+  mood: [operational, content]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_a]
+```
+
+**FRIEND Phase 1 dialogue cue (Kael, on approach):**
+Kael greets the smuggler warmly. Asks about the weekend. Makes a dry comment about Voss's new clipboard system. Everything is normal.
+
+*Authored dialogue line for Kael (for content pack):*
+> "There you are. Voss has a new form now — cargo intake manifest version four. Apparently version three had a column in the wrong place. The man has opinions about spreadsheets."
+> `access: [peer, insider], trust: surface, situation: [greeting, shift_start]`
+
+---
+
+### Variant B: Kael Is Late
+
+**Initial condition:** Kael has not arrived at his expected time. His station is empty. The smuggler starts without their anchor.
+
+**Opening state:** Dock floor has other workers but Kael's absence is visible. A small operational tension — where is he? — without any real alarm.
+
+**Absence lines (observe_npc, failed — Kael's station empty):**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_s_open_030
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: observe_anomaly
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Kael's station is empty. He's always here before me. Maybe I was early."
+  mood: [routine, mildly_concerned]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_b]
+  notes: "Phase 1 tell: Kael's routine is so established that absence is noted before alarm."
+
+- id: transit_m_s_open_031
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: time_idle
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Still no Kael. Probably caught something. He'd have sent a message if it were the run."
+  mood: [mildly_concerned, operational]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_b]
+  notes: "Fires if player is near Kael's empty station for >60 seconds."
+```
+
+**Kael arrival (late, within 5 minutes of session start):**
+Kael arrives slightly disheveled, slightly out of breath. Brief explanation — nothing alarming, just late. But the explanation is slightly vague. This is the first hairline crack from the very start: Kael's lateness is the beginning of Phase 2 tells.
+
+*Authored dialogue line for Kael (late arrival):*
+> "Yeah, yeah, I know. Had a thing. Don't give Voss a reason to look at the timestamp."
+> `access: [peer, insider], trust: surface, situation: [greeting]`
+> *Notes: "a thing" is characteristically vague but reads as personal, not operational.*
+
+---
+
+### Variant C: Heat from Voss
+
+**Initial condition:** Voss is monitoring the dock floor more closely than usual. Something has him on edge — Commission liaison spotted yesterday, or a scheduling discrepancy from last week that hasn't been explained.
+
+**Opening state:** Kael is present but body language is professional-not-warm. Voss is visible and attentive. The usual operational openness is compressed.
+
+**Environmental read lines:**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_s_open_040
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:voss
+  text: "Voss is on the floor. Not his usual post. Something's up."
+  mood: [aware, cautious]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_c]
+
+- id: transit_m_s_open_041
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:voss
+  text: "He's watching the floor. That's the third time he's passed that section. Something put him on edge."
+  mood: [operational, cautious]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_c]
+  notes: "Fires after player has been on the dock floor for 2+ minutes."
+```
+
+**Kael adjustment (operational caution):**
+
+*Authored dialogue line for Kael (in variant C):*
+> "Normal morning. Don't give him a reason to notice you." [Kael says this quietly, without looking directly at the smuggler]
+> `access: [insider], trust: real, situation: [shift_start]`
+
+---
+
+### Variant D: Container Held
+
+**Initial condition:** Operational container 4471 has been in temp storage longer than routing protocol specifies. Not a crisis — a logistical anomaly that the smuggler needs to address.
+
+**Opening state:** Everything looks normal, but the first interaction with the freight system surfaces a held container.
+
+**Container flag lines:**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_s_open_050
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: observe_anomaly
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "4471 is still in temp. That was supposed to move yesterday afternoon."
+  mood: [operational, concerned]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_d]
+
+- id: transit_m_s_open_051
+  character: smuggler
+  trigger: observe_anomaly
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Scheduling held it. Voss's call. There's a reason, I just don't know it yet."
+  mood: [operational, analytical]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_d]
+  notes: "Fires on approach to freight terminal display. Teaches the player that containers are trackable."
+```
+
+**Kael conversation (operational problem-solving):**
+
+*Authored dialogue line for Kael (variant D):*
+> "I saw. Voss pulled it from the schedule. He'll explain or he won't. Just don't touch it until he does."
+> `access: [insider], trust: real, situation: [shift_start, investigation]`
+
+---
+
+## 2. Detective Opening Variants
+
+### Common Elements (All Variants)
+
+All detective openings share:
+- **Starting location:** Varies by variant (see below)
+- **Ambient:** Station hum playing; institutional feel — cleaner, more structured than the bar or corridors
+- **Social temperature:** No warm greetings. NPCs are polite and guarded.
+- **Voice register:** Complete sentences. Analytical. "Filing it." "Note it." "That's interesting."
+
+### Opening Line Pool (enter_location, no prerequisites)
+
+Lines that fire when the detective enters their starting location. Selection based on seed variant.
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_d_open_001
+  character: detective
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Sova Transit District. Third day on station. The briefing said routine compliance review."
+  mood: [professional, observant]
+  tags: [opening_hook, canonical_anchor]
+
+- id: transit_m_d_open_002
+  character: detective
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "The briefing is always wrong about something."
+  mood: [analytical, wry]
+  tags: [opening_hook, canonical_anchor]
+  notes: "Companion line to open_001 — these fire in sequence on Variant A/B/C."
+
+- id: transit_m_d_open_003
+  character: detective
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-last-shift
+  text: "The bar at 08:30. Sera suggested it. The district has its own rhythms — find them before imposing mine."
+  mood: [professional, curious]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_a_bar]
+
+- id: transit_m_d_open_004
+  character: detective
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Manifest discrepancies clustered around the freight hub. Start there. Watch the shift change."
+  mood: [analytical, operational]
+  tags: [opening_hook]
+```
+
+### Sera Sighting Lines (observe_npc, Sera, Phase 1 relationship)
+
+Critical FRIEND establishment for the detective.
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_d_open_010
+  character: detective
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:sera-venn
+  prerequisites:
+    relationship:
+      target: npc:sera-venn
+      state: friendly
+  text: "Good to know Sera's here. At least someone in this district speaks my language."
+  mood: [relieved, warm]
+  tags: [opening_hook, friend_phase_1, canonical_anchor]
+
+- id: transit_m_d_open_011
+  character: detective
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:sera-venn
+  prerequisites:
+    relationship:
+      target: npc:sera-venn
+      state: friendly
+  text: "Sera. Same as always — looks like she grew up in a place like this. I'll get there."
+  mood: [warm, mildly_isolated]
+  tags: [opening_hook, friend_phase_1]
+```
+
+---
+
+### Variant A: Bar First (Warm Arrival)
+
+**Initial condition:** Sera has been contacted ahead of time and suggested meeting at The Last Shift to brief the detective on the district.
+
+**Starting location:** The Last Shift
+
+**Opening state:** Sera is at her usual booth. The bar is opening for morning service — Lera is present but focused on setup. The bar is mostly empty.
+
+**Bar arrival line:**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_d_open_020
+  character: detective
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-last-shift
+  text: "The bar at 08:30. Only place in this district that doesn't smell like freight lubricant. Marginally."
+  mood: [wry, observant]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_a]
+```
+
+**Lera read (public NPC, establishing social texture):**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_d_open_021
+  character: detective
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:lera-sessik
+  text: "Bar owner. Lera Sessik — Sera mentioned her. Watching me decide whether I'm going to be trouble. Fair assessment."
+  mood: [observant, professional]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_a]
+```
+
+**Sera orientation dialogue cue:**
+Sera gives a brief district overview — who the regulars are, what the Terminal is like, what to expect from the shift supervisors. This is the detective's social tutorial through their friend's eyes.
+
+*Authored dialogue line for Sera (opening orientation):*
+> "The Terminal crew is tight. They've seen Commission before. Voss will give you what he's required to give you and nothing else. Maret's different — she worries about compliance more than the others. That might be useful."
+> `access: [peer], trust: real, situation: [social, investigation]`
+
+---
+
+### Variant B: Terminal First (Cold Arrival)
+
+**Initial condition:** No pre-contact. The detective enters the Terminal directly.
+
+**Starting location:** The Terminal entrance
+
+**Opening state:** The dock floor is active. Dock workers register the Commission presence and adjust. Voss is visible and approaches.
+
+**Terminal read line:**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_d_open_030
+  character: detective
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Logistics hub. Standard prefab, heavy foot traffic. Let's see what the shift change tells me."
+  mood: [analytical, professional]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_b]
+```
+
+**Voss approach (first adversarial NPC):**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_d_open_031
+  character: detective
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:voss
+  text: "There's the shift supervisor. Saw me come in. He's deciding whether to approach or wait. Approaching. Good — I was going to find him anyway."
+  mood: [analytical, professional]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_b]
+```
+
+**Voss opening exchange (institutional friction):**
+
+*Authored dialogue line for Voss (territorial greeting):*
+> "Commission liaison. Right. I was told you'd be coming by. I've got the manifest copies from last quarter ready. Standard compliance package."
+> `access: [authority], trust: surface, situation: [greeting, investigation]`
+
+*Detective response cue (not authored — player choice from dialogue options):*
+Standard question options: "Thank you, I'll need those." / "Tell me about your shift crew." / [Observe without responding]
+
+---
+
+### Variant C: Evidence in Hand
+
+**Initial condition:** The detective has reviewed additional case file data overnight and arrives with two specific manifest discrepancies already flagged — container 4471 and one other.
+
+**Starting location:** The Terminal, arriving at the manifest terminal directly
+
+**Opening state:** The detective enters with a purpose they didn't have on day one. Something from the overnight analysis sharpened the investigation.
+
+**Investigative focus line:**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_d_open_040
+  character: detective
+  trigger: enter_location
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "Container 4471. Three separate appearances in the anomaly cluster. Same container ID, different cargo entries. That's not clerical error."
+  mood: [analytical, focused]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_c]
+
+- id: transit_m_d_open_041
+  character: detective
+  trigger: observe_anomaly
+  location: the-terminal
+  text: "The manifest terminal. Maret's territory. She processes the corrections here. I want to see what corrections look like in the unfiltered log."
+  mood: [analytical, investigative]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_c]
+```
+
+---
+
+### Variant D: Institutional Escort
+
+**Initial condition:** A Commission compliance officer accompanies the detective for the first 10 minutes — standard procedure for new postings. The escort is Torek Lintar.
+
+**Starting location:** Terminal entrance, arriving with Torek
+
+**Opening state:** The district sees the badge + escort together. Social walls go up faster than normal. Torek is helpful but slightly evasive about district social dynamics.
+
+**Escort read lines:**
+
+```yaml
+- id: transit_m_d_open_050
+  character: detective
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:torek-lintar
+  text: "Lintar. Commission compliance, four years on Sova. He'll know the social texture better than any case file."
+  mood: [professional, curious]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_d]
+
+- id: transit_m_d_open_051
+  character: detective
+  trigger: observe_npc
+  target: npc:torek-lintar
+  text: "He's being helpful but steering me away from something. Not sure what yet. File it."
+  mood: [analytical, suspicious]
+  tags: [opening_hook, variant_d]
+  notes: "Fires after 3+ minutes with Torek. The detective is already reading Torek as slightly off."
+```
+
+**Torek orientation dialogue cue:**
+
+*Authored dialogue line for Torek (escort mode):*
+> "The Terminal's well-run. Voss has been here eight years — knows his people. Maret handles scheduling, she's thorough. Drin does inspections, solid record. You'll find it's a tight operation."
+> `access: [authority], trust: surface, situation: [social, investigation]`
+> *Notes: The complimentary framing is slightly too smooth. The detective's monologue (open_051) flags this.*
+
+---
+
+## 3. Cross-Character Notes for Content Authors
+
+### What both characters encounter in the first 3-4 minutes
+
+| Element | Smuggler | Detective |
+|---------|---------|-----------|
+| Station ambient | Active from frame 0 | Active from frame 0 |
+| Entity color landscape | Green (Kael), teal (other known NPCs) | Grey/teal (mostly Unknown/Known) |
+| First NPC interaction | Kael (warm, first-name) | Voss or Sera (institutional or pre-established) |
+| First insert use | Schedule board (operational) | Case file (investigative) |
+| First monologue chime | Within 15 seconds | Within 15 seconds |
+| Emotional tone | Comfort in familiarity | Alertness in unfamiliarity |
+
+### What the opening must NOT do
+
+- Use the name "Kael" before the player has LOS to Kael (smuggler)
+- Use the surname "Davan" when the smuggler addresses Kael (always first-name)
+- Use the first name "Sera" before the detective has established visual contact
+- Reference operational facts the smuggler knows ("the ring") in any way that reads as exposition
+- Reference investigation facts the detective knows (manifest discrepancies) in opening lines before arriving at the manifest terminal
+- Have any NPC behave unexpectedly in the first 90 seconds — baseline must be established before deviation
+
+---
+
+*Ticket #260 — Opening hook content per character. v0.1 scope. Unblocked by #259.*