# CLAUDE.md — Book 3: "The Sealed Chamber"

> **STATUS: DRAFTING.** Ch01 and Ch02 finalized. Ch03–Ch18 outlined. Full chapter-by-chapter outline at `outline/book3-outline.md` (restructured 2026-04-21). **Scope changed 2026-04-21:** the original 24-chapter Book 3 was split into two books — Ch17–Ch24 (ambush through aftermath) moved into Book 4 with expansion room. See `outline/book4-outline.md`.

This file is book-specific orientation. The series-level `CLAUDE.md` at the project root governs voice, world, characters, formatting, and continuity rules. The outline file is the source of truth for premise, chapter beats, themes, character arcs, and subplot threads — this file points at it rather than duplicating it.

**Working title:** "The Sealed Chamber" (alternative: "What Stays Buried")
**Length:** 18 chapters, ~70,000–80,000 words. (Was 24 chapters / ~92–100k before the split.)

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## Logline

Phelan's life is settling — Mere pregnant, Kimbra re-entering his orbit, the house plans at revision 12 — when the Compact files a formal grievance reopening the Book 1 qualifications inquiry — the one Ledger got withdrawn — with the Book 2 crystal break as new evidence. Relief sought: strip his certification and expel him from the guild. Ledger ships him to a pre-Compact ruin on Duchess Pamira's territory to get him out of reach while the procedural fight runs, but the ruin is a test and a showcase: Ledger has been grooming him for elevation, and the grievance is the pressure that forces the move. Inside the ruin is a sealed weapon that magnifies any working 15-fold. Phelan opens the seal to understand it, then has to build a perfect lock against his own ability. **Book 3 closes the night before the storm arrives:** the lock is built, tested, and holds; the artifacts are extracted; the house is funded; Cass is fugitive with his trail cold; the Compact enforcement force is ~36 hours out. The storm itself — confrontation, breach, standoff, elevation — is Book 4.

**The Compact is the real antagonist.** Cass is the face. Book 3 delivers the craft-and-character victory (the lock holds). Book 4 delivers the institutional and personal confrontations. **Mere's pregnancy is the slow-building stakes engine** — not yet in the blast radius at Book 3 close; Book 4 puts her there.

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## The Case — Discovery Snapshot

See `outline/book3-outline.md` § Core Case for the canonical "How it enters the story" paragraph. Short version for drafting-context:

- Duchess Pamira's eastern-coastal territory was surveyed 20 years ago via a Pathfinder contract; the team catalogued a walled pre-Compact research compound, three cliff-face mines, and a sealed perimeter gate the surveyors could not breach. Devod was on that team at ~35 — his field note diagnosed the gate as *a ward, not a door.*
- Pamira's late husband counselled waiting until someone who could open it existed. The file sat in her drawer for two decades.
- Holven pressure + Cairns-network rumour of "the Locksmith" prompted her recent letter. Ledger intercepted via his standing Wolf-intercept order. Scout 1 deployed at Phelan's wedding was killed by the Gate ~week 6; Sabre and a Cairns forensics operative recovered the body at week 14. Phelan briefed at week 17 — a ~4-month gap explained by operational caution, not drift.
- The *"Contact the Cairns. Get the Wolf."* dying note is **retired**. The Cairns are institutional memory; the file and Scout 1's journal are the artifacts that route the case to Phelan, Leon, and Devod.

---

## Site at a Glance

45-acre eastern-coastal site on Pamira's land, Thorngate duchy. Full site description will live in `world/locations/athel-repository.md` once drafting begins. Snapshot:

- **Wooden palisade** around a pre-Compact research compound. Century-preservation magic embedded in the timber.
- **The Sealed Gate** — single perimeter breach point, pre-Compact adaptive ward, lethal to force.
- **The Hall** — central stone building with preserved inscription panels. Mere's Act 2 workspace.
- **Researchers' Quarters** — 6–8 small stone-and-timber buildings. Mostly empty; one has preserved personal effects in place (atmosphere, Book 4+ seed).
- **The Descent Building** — small, unassuming; stone staircase leads to the 6-level underground repository (existing canon, unchanged).
- **Three cliff-face mines** (entered from the cliff, not from inside the walls):
  - **Mine 1** — earth-magic saturated. Dragon colony (wolf-to-pony-sized matriarchs). Pip's origin. Team does not engage in Book 3.
  - **Mines 2 & 3** — ordinary played-out mines, rare ore traces logged but not mined this case.
- **Undiscovered underground connection** from Mine 1 to the repository's lower levels (Pip reacts near a specific rock face; team does not investigate). Book 4+ seed.

---

## Canonical Sources

Consult these instead of duplicating content here:

| Topic | File |
|-------|------|
| Chapter-by-chapter outline, theme, case, subplot threads, climax design, seeds | `outline/book3-outline.md` |
| Original 22-chapter design spec (superseded, historical) | `docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-09-book3-the-sealed-chamber-design.md` |
| Book 2 context (prior case, character states at Book 3 opening) | `world/story-summary-book2.md`, `outline/book2-outline.md` |
| Magic system, exploits, bracelet behaviour | `world/magic/runic-flow-rules.md`, `world/magic/exploits-log.md` |
| Files to create during Book 3 drafting | `world/story-summary-book3.md`, `world/timeline-book3.md`, `world/locations/thorngate.md`, `world/locations/athel-repository.md`, `world/magic/amplification-weapon.md` |

---

## POV

Pure Phelan first-person, past tense, throughout Book 3. Kimbra's subplot is processed through his noise. Pamira is seen mostly through Devod's interactions. Cass's arc is off-page for all of Book 3 (his personal confrontation with Phelan is Book 4 Ch05). The Compact force and enforcement arrival are Book 4 events. Book 3 closes at "The Night Before" — the storm is visible on the horizon, not yet on the page.

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## Opening Situation

- Phelan and Mere still at Chandler's Row. Mere pregnant (conceived late Book 2 / between books)
- House plans at revision 12–13. Nursery adjacent to east-facing kitchen
- Tier Two retainer (22s/month) + Floundry residuals = stable, not comfortable
- **Fire training plateau broken off-page** over the winter between Book 2 and Book 3. Daily work with Leon now pushing past 15s without tremor. Not a beat — a status change
- Compact has filed a formal grievance reopening the Book 1 qualifications inquiry (the one Ledger got withdrawn at the end of the Kae case), stacking the Book 2 crystal alteration as new evidence. Relief sought: strip Phelan's certification, expel him from the guild. Ledger blocks procedurally as long as he can — the grievance cannot be fought on its merits, only outmaneuvered by tier escape
- Cass insulated in Thorngate — evidence from Book 2 still working through institutional channels
- Kae in guild custody under Ledger's management, herbal treatment ongoing
- Devod fully recovered from Book 2 draining, slightly quieter, the Wolf no longer hidden from Phelan's model
- **Ledger is actively grooming Phelan for elevation.** Tier Two is a channel, not a reward. The Compact grievance will force the grooming to surface in Book 3 — elevation is the only procedural move that kills the grievance without litigating it

---

## Character Roster (pointers to bibles)

| Character | Role in Book 3 | File |
|-----------|---------------|------|
| Phelan Varrant | POV. Exploiter → defender (Act 2), outsider → insider (Act 3) | `characters/phelan-varrant.md` |
| Mere Fields | Pregnant. Pip-bonded. Act 3 stakes engine | `characters/mere-fields.md` |
| Devod Fields | The Wolf, openly. Pamira's romance. **New facet: Devod the flirt.** "Princess" as term of endearment — in Book 3 evolves from charm (Ch07) through habit (Ch09) to silence (Ch18). Claim (Book 4 Ch09) and promise (Book 4 Ch11) land in Book 4. Mere knows this side from her early years; eye-rolls, embarrassed-daughter energy. Phelan eggs him on with dry wit. | `characters/devod-fields.md` |
| Leon D'Nardis | Testing framework for the perfect lock (Book 3 Ch15–16). Ambush fight + ward-disruption charges (Book 4 Ch01). Philosophy-shift deepening throughout. | `characters/leon-dnardis.md` |
| Jonael "Carter" Carterson | Quartermaster. Drenwick-only scenes. Supper at Chandler's Row in Book 4 Ch13. | `characters/jonael-carterson.md` |
| Cassius Rykhard | Face of the Compact. Burned at Book 3 Ch13 (midpoint turn). Off-page for the rest of Book 3 — confronted in Book 4 Ch05. | `characters/cassius-rykhard.md` |
| Ledger | Book 3: full Pathfinder/Cairns reveal at Ch15, grooming hint at Ch02, leash-noise seeds throughout. Book 4: private Flaw Sight reveal + elevation scene at Ch08, folder handoff at Ch09. | `characters/ledger.md` |
| Kaeran "Kae" Thrainn | Brief, in custody. Intel contribution | `characters/kaeran-thrainn.md` |
| Carson Johnsby | Drenwick-only, back channels | `characters/carson-johnsby.md` |
| Brennan Toor | Off-page. Cairns infrastructure | `characters/brennan-toor.md` |
| **Duchess Pamira** (new) | Client, Devod's love interest | `characters/duchess-pamira.md` |
| **Kimbra** (new) | Phelan's mother, reconnection subplot | `characters/kimbra.md` (to create) |
| **Pip** (new) | True dragon (Mine 1 lineage), Mere-bonded, tactical magic detector | `characters/pip.md` (to create) |
| **Sabre** (new, minor) | Ledger's field operative | `characters/supporting-cast.md` |
| **Seraphel "Sera"** (new, in utero) | Phelan/Mere's unborn daughter | `characters/supporting-cast.md` |

Internal character shifts and chapter-by-chapter beats live in `outline/book3-outline.md`. Do not duplicate here.

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## Key Callbacks

| Prior Thread | Book 3 Connection |
|---|---|
| Cassius Rykhard (Books 1–2) | Personal antagonist arc reaches climax at Book 4 Ch05. Witness of record on the crystal evidence attached to the Compact grievance — the filing stands on paper even after the institution burns him at Book 3 Ch13 |
| Kae's testimony / Compact corruption evidence (Book 2) | Triggers the Compact to sever the chain at Cass. Kae also provides the "project near Thorngate" intel Phelan connects to the ruin |
| Phelan's Flaw Sight secrecy | Compact has filed a grievance. Ledger witnessed the Book 2 Ch18 crystal rewrite firsthand. Book 3 Ch15 seeds the leak (*"you've been carrying more than the paperwork says"* already landed in Ch02). Book 4 Ch08 is the full private reveal. |
| Book 1 qualifications inquiry (Ch17) + Book 2 withdrawal (Ch20) | **Reopened as a formal grievance against the withdrawal itself, with the Book 2 crystal evidence attached.** Two-book callback. The mechanism that forces the elevation — contractor certification is reachable; Senior Specialist is not. Grievance disclosed to Phelan in Book 3 Ch02; killed procedurally via elevation in Book 4 Ch08; formally dismissed in Book 4 Ch13 coda. |
| Compact regulatory pressure | Book 3: grievance filing → accepted investigation → first and second delegations (Ch11, Ch16) → third delegation warned (Ch18 cliffhanger). Book 4: enforcement force arrives (Ch03), standoff (Ch06), withdraws post-elevation (Ch08). Grievance is twice-withdrawn by end of Book 4; the Compact will come through a different door in Book 5+. |
| Leon's pre-Compact artifact knowledge | Essential for the ruin. Pays off the Book 2 philosophy shift — "what is this for" becomes the testing framework for the perfect lock in Book 3 Ch15. |
| Devod's Pathfinder past | Fully operational. Devod's 20-year-old Kade Reach survey field note is what routes the case to Phelan — the Cairns relayed Pamira's letter to Ledger via his standing Wolf-intercept order (Book 2 precaution), and Ledger assembled the team because the survey file names Devod. Pamira has held Devod's handwriting in her drawer for two decades. Recognizes him in Ch07: *"I've read about you. You were on the Kade Reach survey. You found my sealed gate."* Walking stick breaks a wrist at the Book 4 Ch01 ambush. Leads the Cairns line at the Book 4 Ch06 standoff. |
| Ledger's Pathfinder slow burn | **Full reveal Book 3 Ch15.** Devod says "Cairns" — one word. Everything from Book 2 clicks. |
| The Cairns network | Named on-page for the first time in Book 3 Ch15 (groundwork Ch02 via Ledger's standing Wolf-intercept order and Pamira's letter). Counterforce at Book 4 Ch03 standoff. Extraction team in Book 4 Ch09. |
| Brennan Toor | Off-page across both books. His Cairns relay is the infrastructure behind Ledger's reach. |
| Brennan's Aldric Vane contact | **Not deployed in Book 3 or Book 4.** Parked as a Book 5+ seed. |
| Phelan and Mere at Chandler's Row | Pregnancy. Nursery. House plans revision 12–14. Guild's artifact-share sweetener (Book 3 Ch02) makes the house possible; Leon's real numbers (Book 3 Ch16) confirm it's funded. The nursery that forced the acceptance is the nursery they'll build. Mere says "home" without qualification (Book 4 Ch11). |
| Mere's herbalism / Thresholds expertise | Managed pregnancy, Pip calibration, still treating Kae from afar. |
| Carter's studded jacket and supply chain (Book 2) | Carter as quartermaster. Leon/Carter collaboration on ward-disruption array (deployed at Book 4 Ch01 ambush). Cannot join expedition. Supper scene at Chandler's Row Book 4 Ch13. |
| Phelan's ability origin question | **First meaningful answer in Book 3 Ch15.** Flawfinder's gift documented in the archive — catalogued, known, part of a pre-Compact tradition. |
| The bracelet (pre-Compact artifact) | Continues to operate. Accumulating privilege — Book 5 question. |
| Fire training ceiling (Book 2 Ch12–15) | **Broken off-page between books.** No beat — texture only. Phelan's fire is sharper when Cass sees it in Book 4 Ch05 and Cass doesn't know. |
| Vellen Thrace / Duchess Merrenwood leverage (Book 2 Ch20 disclosure) | **One-line reference in Book 4 Ch08** as part of Ledger's "folders you'll see now you couldn't before." Not acted on. Loaded for Book 5+. |
| Mere's WellsMoon moss hybrid (ghostveil × Moonswell) | **Act I → Act II "Oh!" callback within Book 3.** Ch03 cold-open fusion scene: Phelan uses Flaw Sight at a 100x microscope to peel and fuse two protoplast cell walls, then improvises a seal by stitching a new wall from the intact seams of both originals. Logged in Mere's notebook and parked. Ch09 reinforces (first doubling confirmed, notebook at the estate). Ch15 opening: Phelan blocked on the chamber seal, surfaces from the ruin, sees Mere's open notebook on her work table, realizes the cell-wall technique is the pre-Compact seal architecture three orders of magnitude larger. Same principle at scale. Book 3 Ch16 tests the new seal against Leon and it holds. Book 4 Ch05 tests it against Cass in person and it holds. Also functions as a second front of economic pushback against the Compact (ghostveil supply chokehold for Kae and other herbalists broken in Mere's kitchen). See `outline/book3-outline.md` § "The Moss Hybrid Thread" for full detail. |

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## Open Questions

- **Gap chapter commitments (Ch10 and Ch17):** drafter picks candidates from the outline's list during drafting.
- **Tier system total count:** Deliberately unresolved. Book 4's elevation commits to "Senior Specialist above Two," no further specificity.
- **Pamira's territory name:** **Thorngate duchy** (established). The 45-acre site within it is "Athel Repository" in the registry, "Kade Reach" in the 20-year survey paperwork — whether the site carries Athel or Kade Reach in Book 3 prose is a drafter's call.
- **Kimbra's surname:** TBD
- **Working title commit:** "The Sealed Chamber" vs. "What Stays Buried"

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## Sources Unified Into the Outline

As of 2026-04-12, `outline/book3-outline.md` is the single source of truth for Book 3 planning. Three earlier documents were unified into it:

- **2026-04-09 design spec** (`docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-09-book3-the-sealed-chamber-design.md`) — the original 22-chapter approved design. Retained as historical record with a supersession header. Do not draft from it; use the outline
- **Prior `book3-outline.md`** — the working outline that preceded the 2026-04-12 restructure. Overwritten
- **`outline/book3-seeds.md`** — forward hooks captured during Book 2 drafting. Deleted; content absorbed into the outline's main body or its "Seeds Book 4+" section
