settled-reach/docs/workshops/content-gap-analysis_v0_1/round2-miri.md

Round 2 — Miri's Worldbuilding Synthesis

Agent: Miri (Worldbuilder & Setting Designer) Date: 2026-02-11 Workshop: v0.1 Content Gap Analysis — Round 2 Input: All 6 Round 1 outputs (Mellanie, Paula, Araminta, Gestalt, Ozzie, Miri)

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Part 1: The Krenn System Milestone

Jeroen has flagged this and he's right to: Sova Transit District in the Krenn System is the first concrete, named star system in The Settled Reach. Everything before this was structural — factions, technology tiers, gate network topology. Sova is where the setting stops being architecture and starts being a place.

This matters because every decision we make about Krenn sets precedent. The naming conventions, the cultural texture, the economic model, the institutional presence — whatever we establish here becomes the reference point for every system we build afterwards. "Is this consistent with how we did Krenn?" will be the first question for every future location.

Let me check my Round 1 Sova brief against what the team needs, informed by their Round 1 outputs.

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Part 2: How Sova Serves the Team (Cross-Referencing Round 1 Feedback)

For Mellanie — Texture, Not Lore

Mellanie asked for five specific things (Round 1, Layer 3): smells, slang, wall decoration, ambient sound, local complaints. Let me check what my Round 1 provided and fill the gaps.

Mellanie's Ask	What I Provided (Round 1)	What's Still Missing
Smells	Industrial lubricant, recycled air, cooking, span gate ozone	Covered. Mellanie can write from this.
Slang	Naming conventions (Kael, Voss, Drin, etc.), first-name-primary culture	Missing: occupational slang. Do dock workers say "shift" or "rotation"? "Credits" or a local term? "Container" or "pod" or "crate"? Need a 15-word slang glossary.
Wall decoration	Bilingual signage (Concordat Standard + Krenn vernacular), hand-lettered informal signs	Missing: non-institutional decoration. Is there graffiti? Stickers? Shift change artwork? Personal touches on lockers? The human mark on the institutional surface.
Ambient sound	Span gate hum, cargo machinery, ventilation, bar clinks	Covered. Ozzie wants audio files; at minimum these descriptions feed monologue.
Local complaint	Implied (economic pressure, tight-enough-to-be-tempting wages)	Missing: a specific, named grievance. Every community has one. Suggestion: the ventilation in Sector 3 has been unreliable for months. Station maintenance says it's on the list. Everyone mentions it. It's the universal safe topic — and for the detective, it's useful: people who are talking about ventilation are not talking about something else.

Action item: Write a "Sova Texture Appendix" — 1 page covering slang glossary (15-20 terms), informal decoration details, the local complaint, and any other sensory details Mellanie needs. This unblocks her environmental text and monologue work.

For Paula — Economic Engine and NPC Motivation

Paula's Round 1 nailed the motivational chain: Station Economics -> Employment Pressure -> Individual Desperation -> Criminal Opportunity -> Social Complicity. My Round 1 Sova brief provides the economic engine (freight-based, steady-but-tight wages, Commission presence intermittent). Let me validate her specific requests:

Paula's Need	Status
The economic squeeze — what makes legitimate life just hard enough	Covered. "Comfortable enough to be complacent, tight enough that an extra income source is tempting."
The interdependencies — who benefits from the grey economy	Partially covered. My Round 1 notes that the bar benefits, that flat NPCs deliberately don't ask. Need to make this more explicit: the community's immune system framing (Paula's phrase) needs a concrete list of who benefits and how.
The recent pressure point — what changed recently	Covered. Three triggers: Commission liaison rotation (3 months), increased freight volume (6 weeks), detective arrival (2 weeks).

Paula's relationship web (15 NPCs, 7 triangles) is excellent architecture. My Round 1 NPC name suggestions (Kael, Voss, Lera, Torek, Drin, Maret) need to map onto her NPC-A through NPC-O structure. Let me do that explicitly:

Proposed Name Mapping (Miri names -> Paula's structure):

Paula's ID	Role	Miri's Suggested Name	Notes
NPC-A	Shift Supervisor (Hub)	Voss	Authority figure. Surname usage by subordinates: "Supervisor Voss" or just "Voss."
NPC-B	Logistics Worker 1 (Hub, Ring bridge)	Kael Davan	The smuggler's closest colleague. First-name basis.
NPC-C	Logistics Worker 2 (Hub, new hire)	Resha	New, compact name. Slightly softer than the Krenn norm — could suggest off-system origin, which is why they ask too many questions. They haven't internalized "mind your business."
NPC-D	Dock Inspector (Hub, Bar bridge)	Torek Lintar	Reassigned from my Round 1 "getting sloppy" role to the compromised inspector. Same name works — Torek is the kind of name that sounds exhausted.
NPC-E	Maintenance Tech (Hub, flat)	Drin	Single name. The type who's been here long enough that nobody uses a surname.
NPC-F	Bar Owner (Bar, Ring bridge)	Lera Sessik	Reassigned from bartender to owner (Paula's structure has the owner as the key figure). Lera works — established, observant, careful.
NPC-G	Off-duty Security (Bar, Hub bridge)	Harek	New name. Compact, military-adjacent. Someone who sits at the bar with the posture of a person who's technically off-duty.
NPC-H	Regular / Teacher-Family (Bar)	Maret Korr	Reassigned from ring-adjacent freight scheduler to the worried partner. Maret is the name of someone with a life outside the docks — domestic, personal, the mundane anchor.
NPC-I	Bartender (Bar, flat)	Sess	Short, functional. Nickname from a longer name nobody uses. The kind of name that means "I've been behind this bar for years."
NPC-J	Drifter / New Arrival (Bar, flat)	No fixed Krenn name	If they're new, they might have a different naming convention — could be from a different system. This is itself a tell. Suggestion: Olin — slightly longer vowel, not Krenn-standard.
NPC-K	Ring Leader (Ring, Bar bridge)	Devra	New name. Needs to sound capable, not theatrical. Devra is compact, decisive. A name that works as a legitimate business operator and a criminal coordinator.
NPC-L	Courier (Ring, Hub bridge)	Renn	Short, kinetic. A name that moves.
NPC-M	Fence/Buyer (Ring, external)	Off-system name	Not Krenn convention. Suggestion: Sabel — slightly different phoneme pattern. External contacts should sound external.
NPC-N	Ring Member, wavering (Ring)	Pell	Small, vulnerable. A name that sounds like it could break.
NPC-O	Lookout/Runner (Ring, flat)	Tav	Clipped. Young. A name with no history yet.

Setting note — 15 names following the Krenn convention (compact, consonant-heavy, first-name-primary) with deliberate breaks for off-system characters. The naming itself is worldbuilding: when the detective hears "Sabel" among all these Krenn-standard names, their trained instinct should flag the phoneme difference. The smuggler already knows Sabel is from outside — it's just a name to them.

For Araminta — Visual Framework

Araminta's spatial layout work (floor plans, sightline diagrams) needs setting constraints from me. My Round 1 covered the general feel (mid-Reach, 40 years old, layered construction), but she needs specifics:

Spatial Requirement	Setting Constraint
Logistics Hub layout	Modular prefab base, retrofitted partitions. Regular grid in the main bay, irregular in older back sections. At least one area where wall layers create hidden space between the original prefab shell and the interior partition.
Bar layout	Converted from an older use (originally a maintenance staging area?). The irregular layout is structural, not decorative — the booths were built into spaces that already existed. The back room is a genuine maintenance access that Lera has "adopted."
Smuggling spaces	NOT a dedicated room. Repurposed infrastructure — a maintenance corridor between two sections of the logistics hub where the old and new construction don't quite meet. Access through a service hatch in the break room area. The ring didn't build this space; they found it.
Transition zones	The corridor between the hub and the bar district is a chokepoint — everyone who goes from work to drinks passes through the same 40 meters of corridor. This is where the smuggler notices who's heading where, and where the detective can observe patterns.

Gestalt's Layer 3 note about spatial information asymmetry requirements (publicly accessible area with hidden back, area with smuggler-natural-access, cross-template chokepoint) is satisfied by this layout.

For Gestalt — Setting Tags Validated

Gestalt's line pool format (YAML, 6 structural tags, 3 content tags) integrates cleanly with my setting-grounded tag proposals from Round 1. Cross-referencing:

Miri's Setting Tag	Maps to Gestalt's Schema	Notes
lattice_tier (baseline/augmented)	Could be a character filter or a prerequisite	Determines what the character's overlay shows. Detective's augmented lattice feeds different observe_npc monologue.
shift_phase (on_shift/off_shift/transition)	Maps to situation (routine/working/social)	Setting-grounded version of the same concept. Gestalt's taxonomy works; I'd add shift_transition as a situation value — that's when things happen in a freight district.
district_familiarity (local/newcomer)	Maps to situation (first_meeting vs. repeated_visit)	Already captured in Gestalt's situation taxonomy.
institutional_context (civilian/commission/syndic)	Subset of access tier	The detective registers as authority because of their Commission lattice signature. This is the setting-grounded explanation for why the access tier system works in-fiction.

Setting validation: the tag taxonomy is consistent with established worldbuilding. No conflicts.

For Ozzie — The First 30 Seconds

Ozzie wants five things in the first 30 seconds: sound, movement, news ticker, something out the window, a named NPC. Let me check what the setting provides for each:

1. Sound: The span gate hum. This is the "you're on a space station" signal, delivered continuously. Setting note — the hum changes pitch with traffic volume. Morning shift startup: it rises. Late night: it settles. The change is subtle enough that residents ignore it, but specific enough that monologue can reference it.

2. Movement: NPCs heading to shift. The logistics hub runs on freight schedules — people move at predictable times. Game start for the smuggler should be just before shift change: people walking past, greeting each other, the district waking up. Game start for the detective should be mid-morning: the district is already active, and the detective is arriving into an established rhythm.

3. News ticker: Covered in my Round 1 Layer 8. Three types: Concord Assembly proceedings (boring), freight market prices (relevant), Commission notices (pointed). Ozzie's specific suggestion ("Dock 7 maintenance: scheduled closure 14:00-18:00" / "Security reminder: report unregistered cargo") is exactly right and setting-consistent.

4. Something out the window: Setting note — Sova Transit District is on a station. There should be at least one viewport or observation area showing the Krenn system's primary: a G-type star, slightly cooler than Sol, giving a faintly amber quality to natural light. The span gate terminal area has an observation gallery above the freight bays where you can see the gate itself — a ring structure that occasionally flickers with transit energy. This is the "you are in space" moment.

5. A named NPC within 10 seconds: For the smuggler: Kael, walking the same direction, same shift. "There's Kael. Early for once." For the detective: an unnamed dockworker who becomes named through institutional query — "Dock worker, second shift. ID: Drin. No flags." The detective's first NPC contact is mediated by their insert, not personal familiarity.

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Part 3: Contraband Resolution

I proposed in Round 1 that the primary smuggled cargo should be unlicensed lattice components — aftermarket neural lattice modifications that bypass Commission regulation. After reading all Round 1 outputs, let me pressure-test this.

Does "unlicensed lattice components" work for each team member's needs?

Team Member	Their Need	Does Lattice Contraband Serve It?
Paula	Moral ambiguity — the smuggling should be sympathetic	Yes. People want better lattice access than Commission-regulated channels provide. The ring isn't moving weapons; they're moving capability. The moral question ("Is it wrong to give people better brain implants?") is genuinely ambiguous.
Mellanie	Writable dialogue — NPCs should be able to discuss the cargo in ways that feel natural	Yes. Dock workers can reference "restricted components," "aftermarket inserts," "upgrade kits." The vocabulary is concrete and setting-specific. Not drugs, not weapons — tech. Workers might personally want some of this cargo.
Gestalt	Mechanical relevance — the contraband should connect to game systems	Yes. Lattice components connect to the lattice/insert system (D-013, D-017). A smuggled lattice upgrade could theoretically change what the player can perceive. This is a gameplay hook for future development: the smuggler could acquire enhanced perception through contraband, while the detective has it through institutional issue.
Ozzie	Emotional weight — the player should feel something about what's being smuggled	Partially. Lattice components are abstract. Need to ground them: a specific NPC who wants a lattice upgrade for their child (medical necessity, can't afford Syndic pricing) or a worker whose failing lattice could be replaced with aftermarket components but can't get Commission clearance. The people who need the product make the product emotionally real.
Araminta	Visual representation — contraband should be representable at boxes-with-labels fidelity	Yes. Cargo containers. Manifest discrepancies. Nothing that requires special visual treatment.

Contraband decision: Unlicensed lattice components as primary cargo holds up. Secondary cargo (Severance counter-surveillance tech, off-manifest biologicals) adds variety without changing the core moral dynamic.

One addition: The specific lattice components being smuggled should include medical-grade neural lattice replacements diverted from Syndic supply chains. This adds a humanitarian dimension: some of this cargo is going to people whose lattices are degrading and who can't afford institutional replacement. The ring isn't just moving luxury upgrades — it's also moving healthcare. This deepens the moral ambiguity and gives NPCs like Maret (NPC-H) a personal stake: maybe their aging parent needs a lattice replacement they can't afford through legitimate channels.

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Part 4: Missing Tickets for Worldbuilding Work

After reviewing all Round 1 outputs, here are the worldbuilding tickets that don't exist yet:

Proposed Ticket	Priority	Type	Rationale	Depends On
Sova Texture Appendix (slang glossary, informal decoration, local complaints, sensory details)	Critical	Story	Mellanie's monologue and environmental text are blocked without this.	#189 (Cultural generation guide) — this is a sub-deliverable
Krenn System Profile (star type, settlement history, political position, economic role)	High	Story	The wiki's first star system entry. Establishes the template for all future systems.	Nothing — can start immediately
Sova Station Profile (station type, population, districts beyond the Transit District, governance)	High	Story	NPCs reference the wider station. Dialogue needs to know what's "off-district."	Krenn System Profile
Contraband Specification (primary: lattice components, secondary: Severance tech, biologicals; with supply chain details)	High	Story	Paula's NPC motivations and Mellanie's dialogue both need to know what's being smuggled and why people want it.	Nothing — this document resolves the open question
Detective Institutional Chain of Command (who assigned the investigation, stated mandate, political pressures)	High	Story	Paula flagged this. The detective's narrative arc requires knowing who they report to and what constraints they operate under.	Krenn System Profile (jurisdiction questions)
Meridian Coverage Map for Sova Transit (where coverage is strong, where it degrades, dead spots the ring exploits)	Medium	Story	Affects detective investigation capability, smuggler operational planning, and NPC behavior (off-Meridian communication in dead spots).	Sova Station Profile
Off-Station Connections Brief (who receives the contraband, the coordinator's location, external contact details)	Medium	Story	NPC dialogue references off-station contacts. Need enough detail for consistency without building full external locations.	Contraband Specification
Span Gate Transit Schedule (how often the gate cycles, peak times, maintenance windows)	Medium	Story	The freight rhythm is the district's heartbeat. NPC routines depend on it. The ring's operational timing depends on it.	Nothing
Observation Gallery / Viewport Description (what you see looking out at the Krenn system)	Low	Story	Ozzie's "something out the window" — the visual anchor that says "space station."	Krenn System Profile

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Part 5: Cultural and Environmental Detail Priorities

Reading all six Round 1 outputs, the team converges on one point: the setting details that matter most are the ones that differentiate the two characters' experience of the same place. Atmosphere is nice; asymmetric atmosphere is the game.

Priority order for cultural/environmental details:

1. Details that read differently per character (highest priority)

   • The span gate schedule board: routine data for the smuggler, investigation material for the detective
   • Cargo manifests: familiar paperwork vs. potential evidence
   • NPC naming and greeting conventions: the smuggler knows everyone's name; the detective has to learn them
   • Institutional signage: background noise for the smuggler, professional context for the detective

2. Details that establish presence (high priority)

   • The span gate hum (Ozzie's "sound first")
   • The news ticker (worldbuilding in 30 words)
   • The local complaint (ventilation in Sector 3)
   • Food and drink specifics (what the bar serves, what the food vendors sell)

3. Details that feed investigation (high priority)

   • Meridian dead spots where off-channel communication is possible
   • Architectural secrets (spaces between wall layers, repurposed maintenance corridors)
   • Shift transition timing (when oversight is thinnest)
   • Spending pattern indicators (what "living beyond your means" looks like in Sova)

4. Details that build attachment (medium priority)

   • Community events (the bar's regular card game, shift-end rituals)
   • Interpersonal customs (how Krenn System people express trust, discomfort, affection)
   • Personal spaces (what a locker area looks like, how people personalize their workstations)

5. Lore depth (low priority for v0.1)

   • Krenn System settlement history (establishes depth but doesn't directly serve gameplay)
   • Broader Reach political context (Concord Assembly, Commission politics — background texture)
   • The Unbound presence in the district (mentioned in Round 1, not load-bearing for v0.1)

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Part 6: Dependencies Between Setting Work and Content/Character Work

Here's the dependency chain with setting work highlighted:

IMMEDIATE (no dependencies):
  Contraband Specification (Miri) ──> NPC motivations (Paula)
  Krenn System Profile (Miri) ──> Wiki foundation
  Span Gate Transit Schedule (Miri) ──> NPC routine design (Paula/Gestalt)

FAST FOLLOW:
  Sova Station Profile (Miri) ──> Off-station references in dialogue (Mellanie)
  Sova Texture Appendix (Miri) ──> Environmental text (Mellanie)
                                 ──> Monologue sensory details (Mellanie)
  Detective Chain of Command (Miri+Paula) ──> Detective character build (#181)
                                           ──> Detective voice kit (Mellanie)

PARALLEL WITH CONTENT WORK:
  Meridian Coverage Map (Miri) ──> Investigation mechanics (Gestalt/Tyre)
  Off-Station Connections (Miri) ──> Ring NPC dialogue consistency (Mellanie)
  Observation Gallery (Miri) ──> First-30-seconds experience (Araminta/Ozzie)

The critical path for content: Paula's Dual Lens Guide and my Sova setting work are the two roots. They can proceed in parallel. Mellanie is blocked until both exist. The contraband specification is the fastest-to-resolve blocker — I can write it now and unblock Paula's NPC motivation work immediately.

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Part 7: The Wiki Taxonomy

This is the big one. Jeroen has flagged this as non-negotiable: we need a complete, future-proof wiki structure established now, while we're building the first entry. It must scale from v0.1 (one system, one station, 15 NPCs) to the full game (hundreds of systems, thousands of NPCs).

Design Principles for the Wiki

1. Game-first, not encyclopedia-first. The wiki exists to serve the game's content pipeline. Every entry should be writable by a team member and consumable by the game systems (even if that consumption is indirect — an NPC profile feeds dialogue authoring, which feeds YAML content packs).

2. Hierarchical with cross-references. Star systems contain stations contain districts contain locations. But NPCs move between locations. Factions span systems. Technology is everywhere. The hierarchy is spatial; the cross-references are relational.

3. Metadata-rich. Every entry has structured frontmatter (YAML) that enables programmatic queries. "Give me all NPCs in the Krenn System with a smuggling connection" should be answerable from metadata alone.

4. Template-driven. Each category has a template. New entries follow the template. This ensures consistency and tells authors exactly what information is required vs. optional.

5. Scale-tested. The structure must work with 1 star system and with 500. No nesting depth that becomes unmanageable. No category that becomes a dumping ground.

Proposed Wiki Directory Structure

wiki/
  _templates/                          # Entry templates (one per category)
    star-system.md
    station.md
    district.md
    location.md
    character.md
    faction.md
    technology.md
    cultural-group.md
    lore-entry.md
    contraband-type.md
    institution.md
    species.md
    event.md
    concept.md

  star-systems/                        # Top-level spatial hierarchy
    krenn/
      _index.md                        # Krenn System profile
      stations/
        sova/
          _index.md                    # Station Sova profile
          districts/
            transit-district/
              _index.md                # Sova Transit District profile
              locations/
                logistics-hub.md       # The Terminal
                the-last-shift.md      # The bar
                maintenance-corridor-7b.md  # Smuggling space
                observation-gallery.md
                commission-kiosk.md

  characters/                          # All named characters, flat structure
    kael-davan.md
    voss.md
    lera-sessik.md
    torek-lintar.md
    drin.md
    maret-korr.md
    resha.md
    harek.md
    sess.md
    olin.md
    devra.md
    renn.md
    sabel.md
    pell.md
    tav.md

  factions/                            # Political and institutional bodies
    concord-assembly.md                # The galactic legislature
    lattice-commission.md              # Technology regulatory body
    syndics/
      _index.md                        # Syndic overview
      # Individual Syndics as they're created
    guardians-of-severance.md          # Counter-surveillance movement
    the-unbound.md                     # Lattice refusers

  technology/                          # Technology categories
    neural-lattice/
      _index.md                        # Lattice overview
      tiers/
        baseline.md
        augmented.md
        enhanced.md
        transcendent.md
    meridian.md                        # Information network
    span-gates.md                      # Local gates
    horizon-gates.md                   # Interstellar gates
    re-embodiment.md                   # Death/resurrection technology
    severance.md                       # Counter-surveillance tech

  cultural-groups/                     # Cultures, subcultures, movements
    krenn-system-culture.md            # First entry
    # Future: other system cultures, station subcultures

  contraband/                          # Illegal/restricted goods
    unlicensed-lattice-components.md
    severance-equipment.md
    off-manifest-biologicals.md

  institutions/                        # Formal organizations (non-faction)
    # Courts, academies, services, etc. as needed

  species/                             # Non-human entities
    # As defined — currently placeholder category

  lore/                                # Historical events, concepts, cosmology
    the-interstitium.md                # Gate medium / between-space
    settlement-eras/
      _index.md
      # Individual era entries
    founders.md                        # Progenitor civilization
    builders.md                        # Gate builders

  concepts/                            # Game-mechanical concepts with lore basis
    information-asymmetry.md           # How the game's core mechanic is grounded in setting
    lattice-surveillance.md            # How monitoring works in-universe
    severance-culture.md               # Counter-culture movement

  _meta/                               # Wiki maintenance files
    naming-conventions.md              # Per-system naming rules
    style-guide.md                     # Writing conventions for wiki entries
    cross-reference-index.md           # Auto-generated or maintained
    changelog.md                       # Wiki revision history

Entry Metadata Schema (YAML Frontmatter)

Every wiki entry has structured frontmatter. Here are the schemas per category:

Star System Entry

---
type: star-system
id: krenn                              # Unique slug
name: Krenn System
classification: mid-reach              # core | mid-reach | frontier | deep-frontier
star_type: G3V                         # Stellar classification
settlement_age: ~180 years             # How long since first settlement
population: ~2.4 million               # System-wide estimate
governance: concord-assembly           # Primary governing body
gate_connections:                      # Horizon/span gate links
  - target: [system-id]
    type: horizon                      # horizon | span
economic_base: [logistics, mining]     # Primary industries
meridian_coverage: standard            # comprehensive | standard | sparse | minimal
commission_presence: moderate          # heavy | moderate | light | nominal
cultural_notes: "Working-class pragmatic. Values reliability and minding your business."
tags: [v0.1, playable, mid-reach]
status: canonical                      # canonical | draft | proposed
created: 2026-02-11
updated: 2026-02-11
---

Station Entry

---
type: station
id: sova
name: Station Sova
system: krenn
classification: logistics-hub          # Functional type
construction_era: mid-settlement       # When built relative to system history
population: ~12,000
districts:
  - id: transit-district
    name: Sova Transit District
    type: commercial-logistics
governance: station-administrator      # Local governance type
gate_access:
  - type: span
    connects_to: krenn-planetary-depot
    traffic: freight-primary
notable_features:
  - "Gate-adjacent logistics hub"
  - "Mixed-era construction"
tags: [v0.1, playable]
status: canonical
created: 2026-02-11
updated: 2026-02-11
---

District Entry

---
type: district
id: sova-transit-district
name: Sova Transit District
station: sova
system: krenn
age: ~40 years
construction: prefab-modular-retrofitted
economic_engine: freight-logistics
atmosphere: quotidian-with-undertow    # One-phrase mood descriptor
population: ~800 (workers + residents)
meridian_coverage:
  logistics_hub: strong
  bar_district: strong
  older_sections: degraded
  maintenance_corridors: minimal
commission_presence: intermittent      # permanent | intermittent | minimal | none
locations:
  - id: logistics-hub
    name: The Terminal
    type: workplace
  - id: the-last-shift
    name: The Last Shift
    type: social-venue
  - id: maintenance-corridor-7b
    name: Corridor 7B
    type: infrastructure
    hidden: true
key_npcs: [kael-davan, voss, lera-sessik, torek-lintar, drin, maret-korr]
cultural_group: krenn-system-culture
local_issues:
  - "Ventilation reliability in Sector 3"
  - "Commission liaison rotation gap"
tags: [v0.1, playable, vertical-slice]
status: canonical
created: 2026-02-11
updated: 2026-02-11
---

Location Entry

---
type: location
id: the-last-shift
name: The Last Shift
district: sova-transit-district
station: sova
system: krenn
location_type: social-venue            # workplace | social-venue | residential | infrastructure | commercial | institutional
template: bar                          # Game template this instantiates
capacity: 30                           # Max occupancy
owner_npc: lera-sessik
regular_npcs: [kael-davan, torek-lintar, drin, maret-korr, harek]
operating_hours: "14:00 - 02:00 station time"
atmosphere: "Mid-grade bar. Not upscale, not a dive. The kind of place where working people go after shift."
architectural_notes: "Converted maintenance staging area. Irregular layout from pre-existing structure. Long bar, scattered tables, semi-private corner booth."
sensory:
  sound: "Conversation, glass on surfaces, Meridian music feed"
  smell: "Recycled air with cooking undertones"
  lighting: "Warm, cheaper fixtures, irregular"
  temperature: "Climate-controlled, comfortable"
signage:
  - "Lera's -- Cold Drinks, Hot Food, No Questions"
  - Shift schedule board (community use)
tags: [v0.1, social-site, bar-template]
status: canonical
created: 2026-02-11
updated: 2026-02-11
---

Character Entry

---
type: character
id: kael-davan
name: Kael Davan
system_origin: krenn
cultural_group: krenn-system-culture
age: 34
role: dock-worker                      # Occupational role
employer: sova-logistics-consortium    # Who they work for
home_district: sova-transit-district
entanglement: entangled               # flat | triangle | entangled
triangle_ids: [hub-new-hire, ring-power-dynamic]
smuggling_role: ring-member            # null if not involved
lattice_tier: baseline
relationship_to_smuggler: close-colleague
relationship_to_detective: person-of-interest
personality_summary: "Reliable, protective, loyal to people rather than institutions. The smuggler's anchor."
want: "Protect the operation and the people in it"
secret: "Smuggling ring member, mid-level"
tolerance_threshold: moderate
contentment: moderate-low
daily_routine:
  - "Morning shift at logistics hub"
  - "Break room during midday"
  - "The Last Shift after shift end"
  - "Occasional late-night ring operations"
voice_notes: "Direct, practical. Uses first names. Speaks in short declarative sentences. Doesn't waste words."
tags: [v0.1, hub-npc, ring-npc, bridge-npc]
status: canonical
created: 2026-02-11
updated: 2026-02-11
---

Faction Entry

---
type: faction
id: lattice-commission
name: The Lattice Commission
scope: reach-wide                      # reach-wide | regional | system | local
governance_role: regulatory            # regulatory | legislative | executive | military | commercial | religious | subversive
mandate: "Regulation of neural lattice technology, certification of lattice tiers, enforcement of lattice compliance standards"
headquarters: [system-id]             # TBD
structure: bureaucratic-hierarchical
public_perception: "Necessary but intrusive. The tax authority of neural technology."
player_relevance:
  smuggler: "The adversary. Commission regulation is what makes lattice smuggling profitable."
  detective: "The employer (or contractor). Institutional backing and constraints."
key_personnel: []                      # As defined
sub_organizations: []                  # Regional offices, special divisions
cultural_impact: "Commission presence shapes social behavior — people modulate what they say when Commission-tagged individuals are present."
tags: [institution, regulatory, reach-wide]
status: canonical
created: 2026-02-11
updated: 2026-02-11
---

Technology Entry

---
type: technology
id: neural-lattice
name: Neural Lattice
category: biotechnology                # biotechnology | infrastructure | communication | transportation | weaponry | surveillance
prevalence: universal                  # universal | common | specialized | rare | unique
access:
  baseline: "Standard-issue, factory default"
  augmented: "Institutional or premium, enhanced capability"
  enhanced: "Specialist, rare, significant capability"
  transcendent: "Theoretical or post-human"
regulation: commission-controlled
contraband_relevance: "Unlicensed components bypass Commission certification, providing enhanced capability without institutional approval"
gameplay_relevance: "Determines perception modes, insert overlay capability, Meridian access depth"
setting_notes: "The lattice is to citizens of the Reach what smartphones are to us — ubiquitous, always-on, unreflectively used. Its absence (the Unbound) is more notable than its presence."
tags: [core-tech, perception, ubiquitous]
status: canonical
created: 2026-02-11
updated: 2026-02-11
---

Contraband Entry

---
type: contraband
id: unlicensed-lattice-components
name: Unlicensed Lattice Components
category: technology                   # technology | biological | information | material | cultural
legality: restricted                   # banned | restricted | controlled | gray-market
severity: moderate                     # severe | moderate | minor
commission_classification: "Category 3 violation — unauthorized modification of certified neural technology"
supply_chain: "Aftermarket manufacturers (often Syndic-adjacent) -> freight networks -> local distributors -> end users"
demand_drivers:
  - "Enhanced capability beyond Baseline tier at affordable price"
  - "Medical-grade replacements for degrading lattices at below-Syndic pricing"
  - "Custom modifications for specific occupational needs"
moral_dimension: "These components serve real needs — medical, professional, personal autonomy. The Commission's regulatory monopoly prices many citizens out of legitimate access."
detection_methods: "Manifest scanning, lattice signature analysis, physical inspection"
evasion_methods: "Doctored manifests, scanner blind spots, shift-transition timing, off-Meridian coordination"
gameplay_relevance: "Primary contraband for v0.1 smuggling scenario. Establishes moral ambiguity: the player is smuggling access, not weapons."
tags: [v0.1, smuggling, lattice, moral-ambiguity]
status: canonical
created: 2026-02-11
updated: 2026-02-11
---

How the Wiki Scales

Scale	v0.1	v0.5	v1.0	Full Game
Star systems	1 (Krenn)	3-5	10-20	100+
Stations/worlds	1 (Sova)	5-10	30-50	500+
Districts	1 (Transit)	5-15	50-100	1000+
Characters	15	50-100	300-500	5000+
Factions	5	8-12	15-20	30+
Technology entries	8-10	20-30	50-75	100+
Contraband types	3	8-12	20-30	50+
Cultural groups	1	5-10	20-40	100+
Lore entries	5-8	20-30	50-100	200+

Scaling notes:

• Characters are flat, not nested under locations. An NPC might move between systems over the course of the game. Their entry lives in characters/ with location references in metadata, not under a specific station directory.

• Star systems are the primary spatial hierarchy. System -> station/world -> district -> location. This is four levels deep maximum. Future expansion adds breadth (more systems), not depth (more nesting levels).

• Cross-references use IDs, not file paths. When kael-davan.md references sova-transit-district, it uses the ID sova-transit-district, not a relative path. This means entries can be reorganized without breaking links.

• The _templates/ directory is the schema contract. When Mellanie or Paula need to add an NPC, they copy _templates/character.md, fill in the frontmatter and prose, and save it in characters/. The template tells them exactly what's required.

• Tags enable cross-cutting queries. "Show me all v0.1 content" or "all entries tagged smuggling" or "all canonical characters in krenn" — these are tag queries, not directory traversals.

Wiki Governance

Rule	Rationale
Miri owns the wiki structure. New categories, template changes, and structural decisions go through me.	Consistency requires a single maintainer for the schema.
Anyone can create entries within their domain, following templates.	Paula creates character entries. Mellanie adds voice notes. Gestalt annotates gameplay relevance.
Every entry has a status field. proposed -> draft -> canonical.	Prevents confusion about whether something is decided or speculative. Only canonical entries are treated as setting truth.
The _meta/naming-conventions.md file is mandatory reading before creating any named entity.	Name consistency is the most visible form of worldbuilding consistency. IP originality checks happen here.
Cross-references must use valid IDs. Dead links are caught by a validation script.	Referential integrity. We'll need a simple script that checks all ID references resolve.
Lore entries explain WHY, not just WHAT. Every lore entry must connect to gameplay relevance or setting texture.	Prevents lore bloat that serves nobody. If it doesn't affect gameplay or atmosphere, it doesn't need an entry yet.

---

Part 8: IP Originality Audit (Round 2)

After reading all Round 1 outputs, I'm doing a second IP pass on everything proposed:

Element	Source Risk	Assessment
"The Last Shift" (bar name)	Generic working-class bar name	Clear. No franchise association.
NPC names (Kael, Voss, Lera, Torek, etc.)	Constructed for Krenn System	Clear. Checked against Hamilton (contemporary English), Banks (Culture names), Reynolds (Dutch/Germanic). No overlap.
Unlicensed lattice components as contraband	Setting-specific	Clear. "Aftermarket neural implant mods" is common SF but our specific lattice/Commission framework makes it original.
"The Arrangement" (smuggling ring name)	Generic, possibly echoes John le Carre	Watch. Not a direct copy, but le Carre uses similar understated espionage terminology. Acceptable for now — it's an in-universe informal name, not a title. If it starts feeling too spy-novel, we rename.
Krenn System naming convention	Constructed	Clear. Consonant-heavy, compact names don't map to any specific franchise.
The span gate hum as atmospheric element	Setting-specific	Clear. Gate hum is a natural consequence of the technology. No franchise owns "infrastructure makes noise."
"Quotidian-with-undertow" as mood descriptor	Literary, not franchise-specific	Clear. This is a design note, not in-universe text.
Paula's NPC relationship web structure	Narrative architecture	Clear. Triangle dynamics are a storytelling tool, not franchise IP.
The Commission as regulatory body	Setting-specific	Clear. "Government regulates neural technology" is a natural worldbuilding consequence. Checked against Eclipse Phase (Firewall is different), Altered Carbon (Protectorate is different). Our Commission's specific mandate is original.
Araminta's relationship-to-player color system	Game design, not worldbuilding	Clear. Standard game design technique.

No IP concerns flagged in Round 2. The team is building on established original foundations. The Krenn System and Sova Transit District feel like our own.

---

Part 9: Synthesis — What Happens Next

Miri's Immediate Deliverables (ordered by dependency urgency)

Deliverable	Priority	Unblocks	Est. Effort
1. Contraband Specification	Critical	Paula's NPC motivations, Mellanie's cargo dialogue	Small — 1-2 pages, can write now
2. Sova Texture Appendix	Critical	Mellanie's environmental text, monologue sensory content	Small — 1 page
3. Wiki Structure + First Entries	Critical	Entire content pipeline's organizational foundation	Medium — structure is defined above; first entries are Krenn System, Station Sova, Sova Transit District
4. Krenn System Profile	High	Wiki foundation, all downstream location entries	Medium — first wiki entry, sets template precedent
5. NPC Name Finalization	High	Paula's relationship web, Mellanie's voice kits	Small — mapping in Part 2 above, needs team sign-off
6. Detective Chain of Command	High	Paula's detective character build, detective voice kit	Medium — institutional worldbuilding required
7. Span Gate Transit Schedule	Medium	NPC routine design, ring operational timing	Small — 1 page
8. Meridian Coverage Map	Medium	Investigation mechanics, ring operational geography	Small — 1 page
9. Off-Station Connections Brief	Medium	Ring NPC dialogue consistency	Small — 0.5 page

Key Dependencies Resolved

1. Contraband question: Resolved. Unlicensed lattice components as primary, with medical-grade neural replacements as the humanitarian dimension.
2. NPC names: Mapped to Paula's 15-NPC structure with setting-consistent Krenn System names.
3. Sova serves all team needs: Validated against every Round 1 participant's specific requirements.
4. Wiki structure: Proposed, with templates, metadata schemas, and governance rules.

One Last Setting Note

Sova Transit District is a deliberately ordinary place. It's a freight hub where people work, drink, gossip, and try to get by. The extraordinary thing about Sova is not its setting — it's what happens when you look at it through the wrong eyes.

The smuggler sees home. The detective sees a crime scene. Neither is wrong. Both are incomplete.

That's the game. And that's why the setting work matters: if Sova doesn't feel real, the dual lens has nothing to refract.

---

Setting note — Krenn System is now canonical. Sova is grounded. The wiki has a skeleton. Let's build.

Miri out.