# Carter Backstory Design Spec

**Date:** 2026-03-12
**Subject:** Jonael Carterson — Backstory Expansion & Character File Corrections
**Status:** Implemented

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## Summary

Designed and implemented a coherent backstory for Jonael Carterson ("Carter") based on his established in-story behavior across Book 1 (Ch06, Ch09, Ch13, Ch19, Ch21). Filled TBD sections in the character file and corrected a factual error about how Carter and Phelan met.

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## The Backstory: The Guilt-Driven Craftsman

Carter and his older brother **Tomael Carterson** were guild supply runners — sourcing, testing, and delivering specialist gear to practitioners heading into dangerous environments.

On a Barrows run, guild-standard ward-resistance gear failed at **the third door on the second floor** of the Greymarch Barrows. Tomael died. Carter survived by position in the formation — he was carrying the secondary pack, two steps behind.

The gear was rated to spec. It passed every test. It just wasn't good enough for what was behind that door.

Carter quit field work. Opened Carterson's Supplies. Built his reputation on one principle: **nothing leaves his counter that he wouldn't trust a life to.** His obsessive quality standards are penance expressed through craft.

He later married and has a young son (both background context, not Book 1 characters).

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## How This Colors Each Book 1 Scene

### Ch06 — First Appearance
Carter classifies Phelan on sight, knows the Barrows, asks about "the third door on the second floor," adds extra ward-resistance compound. **With backstory:** This isn't shopkeeper thoroughness — it's a man who lost his brother to inadequate gear making damn sure it doesn't happen again. The "third door" mention is a test: does Phelan know what he's walking into? The extra ward-resistance is Carter refusing to let standard be good enough.

### Ch09 — Craftsman Peer
Back-room workshop. Throwing knives with focusing channels. Phelan's Flaw Sight fix (convergence angle, staggered channel depths, 12% efficiency gain). Store credit. **With backstory:** The workshop is where the real Carter lives — the craftsman who builds things better than they need to be, because "good enough" killed his brother. Phelan's fix earns respect because it comes from the same place: caring about whether things actually work, not whether they meet spec.

### Ch13 — Equipment for the Mine
Focusing ring built from Phelan's depth-staggering principle. Canary strips. Cargo hitch knots taught. Store credit applied. **With backstory:** Carter preparing someone for a dangerous job echoes the supply runs he used to make with Tomael. The meticulous preparation, the extra thought, the things-you-didn't-ask-for — this is how Carter keeps people alive now that he can't go with them.

### Ch19 — The Cure (Background)
Carter's throwing knives identified on Ledger (Phelan's internal recognition). **With backstory:** Carter builds for anonymous clients the same way he builds for friends — the quality is the signature. His craft speaks when he doesn't.

### Ch21 — The Settlement
Receives 8 pieces of master-grade saturated ore (gift/repayment). Professional restraint barely containing excitement. Built Phelan a tool roll (noticed the need, said nothing). Coordinating ore sales with Leon. **With backstory:** The ore gift matters because Carter understands material quality at a visceral level — these are pieces he can build things from that exceed anything guild-standard. The tool roll is pure Carter: care expressed through craft, not words. He noticed Phelan needed one. He built it. He didn't mention it until it was done.

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## Key Corrections Made

### "Met in secondary school" — REMOVED
The character file previously stated Carter and Phelan "met in secondary school." This contradicts the story as written:

- **Ch05:** Leon tells Phelan about equipment sources (including Carterson's Supplies)
- **Ch06:** Carter is "formally introduced" — Phelan walks into his shop as a first-time customer

Carter and Phelan have **no prior history.** Their relationship is built entirely through professional respect and shared craft values across Book 1. This is actually stronger narratively — the friendship is earned on-page, not assumed from backstory.

**Replaced with:** Leon referral (Ch05), professional respect deepened through craft (Ch06 → Ch09 → Ch13 → Ch21).

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## Sections Filled

| Section | Previous | Now |
|---------|----------|-----|
| Backstory | `[TBD]` | Full backstory (brothers, Barrows run, Tomael's death, shop founding, family) |
| Relationship With Emotion | `[TBD]` | Feels deeply, expresses through craft/action, warmth over unspoken loss |
| Wants vs. Needs | `[TBD]` | Wants stability/shop/family; needs to forgive himself for not pushing on the gear |
| Relationship With Phelan | "Met in secondary school" | Leon referral, professional respect, craft-based friendship |
| Relationships table | Phelan only | Added Tomael (deceased), wife (TBD name), son (TBD name), Leon |
| Open Questions | 4 unanswered | 4 resolved, 4 new (wife/son names, Flaw Sight knowledge, Tomael timeline) |

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## Series Arc Potential

- **Book 2:** Carter's backstory creates natural tension if a case involves the Barrows again, or if guild-standard gear fails on someone Carter supplied. His guilt is a pressure point antagonists could exploit.
- **Book 3:** If the Arcane Compact investigates Phelan, Carter's shop becomes a vector — records of what he's built for Phelan, what materials he's sourced. Carter's loyalty vs. his family's safety.
- **Long-term:** The guilt-to-craft arc mirrors Phelan's detachment-to-connection arc. Both men express care through competence because direct emotional expression feels unsafe. The friendship works because neither demands the other change.

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## Verification Notes

- "Secondary school" reference existed only in `/characters/jonael-carterson.md` — no stale references elsewhere
- Barrows details (third door, second floor, ward-resistance) align with Ch06 summary ("Carter's unprompted 'third door' mention") and Ch07/Ch08 Barrows content
- No contradictions found with story summary or timeline
