more book2 story work

chapters/book2/CLAUDE.md

@@ -86,6 +86,37 @@ Phelan Varrant is settling into life with Mere on Chandler's Row when a pattern
 - **The pendant:** The wooden snake pendant Kae wears is from Elara -- his emotional anchor to who he was before the addiction. A reminder of the few moments of kindness she showed him.
 - **Narrative function:** Her memory haunts Kae. The reveal that Cass killed the one person who could have saved Kae from this path is a devastating mid-to-late book beat. Establishes Cass as truly monstrous -- he removed the safety net, then offered the trap.
 
+### Right Reverend Carson -- The Unwitting Enabler
+
+**Vital Statistics:**
+- **Full Name:** Carson Johnsby
+- **Known As:** "The Right Reverend Carson"
+- **Age:** Late 30s to mid 40s
+- **Role:** Street-level contact in the warrens. Builder/fabricator who runs a chapel-workshop. Founder (and sole clergy) of the Church of the Ahole. Unknowing enabler -- gave Kae philosophical advice that Kae twisted into permission to hurt people.
+
+**Physical Description:**
+- **Build:** Large -- 6'3", around 280 lbs. Not fat, just big.
+- **Hands:** Gorilla-sized. Over-tightens everything. Requires three times the expected leverage or two people to undo his work.
+- **Overall impression:** Could bend iron bars and probably has. Warm, not intimidating despite size.
+
+**Personality:**
+- Laid-back philosopher -- zero urgency, says outrageous things like commenting on the weather
+- "I got a buddy" for every problem. Collects people naturally -- the anti-Phelan.
+- Extremely intelligent but refuses to change methods. "It's always worked."
+- Anti-authority -- hates guilds and government. Ordained for the tax benefits.
+- The crazy uncle who never grew up. Everything is fun.
+- Advice quality ~60% good. The other 40% isn't malicious, just philosophically incomplete.
+
+**The Builder:** Everything Carson makes is wildly overbuilt -- indestructible, crazy heavy. You might need a crane to lift it, but it will never break.
+
+**The Church of the Ahole:** Deity blesses those who "do unto others before they do unto you." Followers do whatever makes them feel good. Not bad people -- just self-interested. Services are Godsday fish fries with beer, wine, and family games. "So said the Right Reverend Carson!" is the ritual catchphrase, always delivered laughing. The "church" is basically Carson and a few friends who enjoy the philosophy. Barely a religion, definitely a good time.
+
+**Narrative function:** Encountered during Ch 5-6 investigation. Carson likes Kae, feels sorry for him, doesn't know he's hurting people. Kae came to him with hypothetical dilemmas; Carson's "do what's best for you" advice was heard as permission. Carson unknowingly holds puzzle pieces about Kae's psychology. When he learns the truth: quiet guilt, "I didn't know." Seeds for Book 3 through his network and relationship with Phelan.
+
+**Full profile:** See `characters/carson-johnsby.md`
+
+---
+
 ### Cassius Rykhard -- The Puppeteer
 
 **Escalation from Book 1:** In Book 1, Cass was a bureaucratic obstacle (bribe attempt, regulatory pressure, reassigned to Thorngate after Floundry case). In Book 2, he's an active puppeteer weaponizing a desperate addict.
@@ -134,84 +165,81 @@ The Mallory focusing crystal (pre-Compact artifact, sold by Leon for 1,200 silve
 
 ## Chapter Breakdown
 
-### Phase 1 -- The Investigation (Chapters 1-10)
+### Phase 1 -- The Investigation (Chapters 1-8)
 
 **Chapter 1: The Quiet**
 Establish new status quo: Phelan and Mere on Chandler's Row, domestic routine, training with Leon (fire combat -- twelve seconds integrated), house plans at revision 10. The quiet after the Floundry case. End with a disruption -- news of something unusual happening in Drenwick, or a Guild summons.
 
 **Chapter 2: The First Victim**
-A victim's family comes to the Guild -- pattern of drained people across Drenwick (weakened, aged, confused). The Compact isn't investigating (they know Cass is likely behind it). Phelan takes the case. **Carter B-plot begins:** Carter tells Phelan about his supply chain cutoff. He's already investigated for weeks, identified coordination but can't trace the source. Comes to Phelan as a peer, not a victim.
+Ledger brings the draining case to Phelan as a guild operation — not a client walk-in. His Pathfinder-built intelligence network detected the draining pattern across Drenwick (multiple incidents no one else connected: weakened, aged, confused victims) AND the Compact's deliberate non-investigation (they know and aren't acting). Two signals, one conclusion: someone with Compact protection is running an unregistered magical weapon. Guild-priority threat, guild-funded. The warrens family whose breadwinner was drained is a data point Ledger investigated. In-person delivery signals institutional priority. Ledger assigns Phelan because the case requires his specific skillset (arcane analysis, pre-Compact artifact knowledge via Leon). **Carter B-plot begins:** Carter tells Phelan about his supply chain cutoff. He's already investigated for weeks, identified coordination but can't trace the source. Comes to Phelan as a peer, not a victim. **Carter comments on Phelan's lack of protective gear** — someone doing combat training with a fire mage should have better protection. Carter's craftsman eye reads the gear gap as professional negligence. Seeds the Ch 11 jacket delivery as a punchline 8-9 chapters later.
 
 **Chapter 3: Scene of the Crime**
 Phelan visits victim scenes. Flaw Sight picks up a unique arcane signature -- something old, pre-Compact. The draining method doesn't match any registered magic. Establishes the investigative mystery. Carter B-plot continues: Phelan begins looking into Carter's supplier situation between case beats.
 
 **Chapter 4: The Crystal Trail**
-As Phelan traces the crystal's signature, the trail leads to pre-Compact artifacts. Leon recognizes the description -- it sounds like the Mallory focusing crystal he sold for 1,200 silvers. His "don't ask who's buying" philosophy comes home to roost. Leon helps trace the buyer. **Carter B-plot:** Phelan investigates Carter's suppliers, identifies Compact intermediaries. Leon begins introducing Carter to alternative contacts outside Compact-regulated channels.
+As Phelan traces the crystal's signature, the trail leads to pre-Compact artifacts. Leon recognizes the description -- it sounds like the Mallory focusing crystal he sold for 1,200 silvers. His "don't ask who's buying" philosophy comes home to roost. Leon helps trace the buyer. Victims escalate from surviving-but-weakened to critically injured -- the pattern accelerates, Phelan is racing against an addiction that's spiraling. Leon's guilt thread deepens as the crystal connection solidifies. **Carter B-plot:** Phelan investigates Carter's suppliers, identifies Compact intermediaries. Leon begins introducing Carter to alternative contacts outside Compact-regulated channels. Carter evaluates new suppliers with his usual exacting standards.
 
-**Chapter 5: Escalation**
-Victims go from surviving-but-weakened to critically injured. The pattern accelerates -- Phelan is racing against an addiction that's spiraling. Leon's guilt thread deepens as the crystal connection solidifies. **Carter B-plot:** Leon's contact introductions continue; Carter evaluates new suppliers with his usual exacting standards.
+**Chapter 5: The Street King**
+They identify Kae -- first glimpse of who he is. Not a monster, a wreck. Street kid, chronic pain, desperate. They follow leads and learn his street name "Kae" through Ledger and the guild intelligence network. Kae's underworld contacts protect him out of empathy, complicating the investigation. **Carson introduction:** Phelan encounters the Right Reverend Carson at his chapel-workshop in the warrens -- a street-level contact who knows Kae. Learns about the Church of the Ahole. Phelan genuinely likes him. The anti-Phelan observation lands as a noise parenthetical (Carson collects people; Phelan avoids them). **Carter B-plot:** Phelan identifies the specific Compact leverage on Carter's suppliers (blackmail — one real violation, one fabricated). Supplier 2's situation is worse than simple blackmail — the Compact pressured Supplier 2 to cut off Carter's supplies AND spread fabricated rumors about his own business practices to force compliance. Double bind: lose a customer or lose your reputation. Resolves naturally through Carson — Phelan mentions the supplier during their conversation, Carson knows the man (a fellow craftsman and follower of the Church of the Ahole), vouches for him as fair and clean, and volunteers to squash the fabricated rumors through his network over time. Carson's word is "gold" among his people — his credibility counters the Compact's manufactured narrative. Once the rumors are defused, the supplier is freed to resume business with Carter if Carter wants him back. The "I got a buddy" trait pays off immediately. Leon's alternative contact introductions continue.
 
-**Chapter 6: The Street King**
-They identify Kae -- first glimpse of who he is. Not a monster, a wreck. Street kid, chronic pain, desperate. They follow leads and learn his street name "Kae" through Ledger and the guild intelligence network. Kae's underworld contacts protect him out of empathy, complicating the investigation. **Carter B-plot:** Phelan identifies the specific Compact leverage on Carter's suppliers (blackmail — one real violation, one fabricated). Leon's alternative contact introductions continue.
+**Chapter 6: The Man Behind the Monster**
+Deeper investigation into Kae's world. His network of street contacts, his deteriorating state, the human cost of the addiction. Phelan begins to see the system behind the symptom -- someone created this. First hints of Cass's involvement. **Carson puzzle piece:** Carson reveals Kae's hypothetical dilemmas and his own "do what's best for you" advice. Phelan understands Kae is seeking permission, not acting without conscience -- key psychological insight. A victim dies. The case shifts from assault to murder. Pressure mounts. Phelan traces Kae's history -- discovers he was mentored alongside someone named Elara, connected to Compact-adjacent work. **Carter B-plot wrapping up:** Suppliers freed; Carter tests Leon's contacts, rebuilds with higher standards. Supply lines restored, now Compact-resistant.
 
-**Chapter 7: The Man Behind the Monster**
-Deeper investigation into Kae's world. His network of street contacts, his deteriorating state, the human cost of the addiction. Phelan begins to see the system behind the symptom -- someone created this. First hints of Cass's involvement. **Carter B-plot:** Second supplier freed; Carter tests Leon's contacts, rebuilds with higher standards.
-
-**Chapter 8: Dead Ends and New Leads**
-A victim dies. The case shifts from assault to murder. Pressure mounts. Phelan traces Kae's history -- discovers he was mentored alongside someone named Elara, connected to Compact-adjacent work. **Carter B-plot wrapping up:** Supply lines restored, now Compact-resistant.
-
-**Chapter 9: The Compact Connection**
+**Chapter 7: The Compact Connection**
 The trail from Kae leads to Cass. Phelan connects the dots: Cass found Kae, created the dependency, pointed him at targets. The anonymous crystal buyer was an intermediary for Cass. **Carter learns the truth:** Phelan tells Carter that Cass is behind the supply cutoff. Carter enters the Compact conflict as a conscious participant.
 
-**Chapter 10: First Contact**
-Phelan's first direct encounter with Kae. Sees the crystal's effect up close through Flaw Sight -- the dependency mechanism, the flaw in the crystal from overuse. Kae is beyond reasoning with. The encounter establishes the tactical challenge: Kae is dangerous, desperate, and protected by people who pity him. Phelan sees both the threat and the victim.
+**Chapter 8: First Contact**
+Phelan's first direct encounter with Kae. Sees the crystal's effect up close through Flaw Sight -- the dependency mechanism, the flaw in the crystal from overuse, and the first hints of the crystal's internal architecture (connection pathways, authentication structure). He can't fully process what he's seeing -- too much data, too dangerous a situation. Seeds the involuntary Flaw Sight flash that fires during Ch 17's drain. Kae is beyond reasoning with. The encounter establishes the tactical challenge: Kae is dangerous, desperate, and protected by people who pity him. Phelan sees both the threat and the victim.
 
-### Phase 2 -- The Stakes Turn Personal (Chapters 11-17)
+### Phase 2 -- The Stakes Turn Personal (Chapters 9-14)
 
-**Chapter 11: The Pivot**
-Cass learns Kae has gone off-mission and decides to weaponize the chaos. Feeds Kae information about Floundry case witnesses. The draining pattern shifts from random to targeted. Phelan recognizes the Floundry connection after two witnesses are hit. The case changes shape -- this is no longer a random addict spiraling, it's directed.
+**Chapter 9: The Pivot**
+Cass learns Kae has gone off-mission and decides to weaponize the chaos. Feeds Kae information about Floundry case witnesses. The draining pattern shifts from random to targeted. Phelan recognizes the Floundry connection after two witnesses are hit. Floundry case connections are getting drained in sequence -- the pattern is undeniable, Cass is using Kae to eliminate testimony. Stakes escalate as Phelan realizes his entire network from Book 1 is at risk. Phelan and Leon debate how to protect remaining witnesses while still pursuing Kae. Tension between reactive defense and proactive pursuit. **Tier Two promotion:** Ledger formalizes the de facto elevation -- higher retainer, Archive access, intelligence priority, alias formalized. The case has changed shape: this is no longer a random addict spiraling, it's directed.
 
-**Chapter 12: Witness Targeting**
-Floundry case connections are getting drained in sequence. The pattern is undeniable -- Cass is using Kae to eliminate testimony. Stakes escalate as Phelan realizes his entire network from Book 1 is at risk. Phelan and Leon debate how to protect remaining witnesses while still pursuing Kae. Tension between reactive defense and proactive pursuit.
+**Chapter 10: Thresholds — "The Logistics of Control"**
+Mere-focused chapter. Three-act structure. Phelan present and useful but secondary. Full design spec: `docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-16-ch13-thresholds-reframe-design.md`.
 
-**Chapter 13: Thresholds**
-Mere-focused chapter. The Charlette/Thresholds subplot gets its own space. **Key revelation:** Mere learns that Charlette forced Devod out with an ultimatum — she didn't know. Devod never signed away his share of Thresholds; Charlette's control was based on a threat, not a legal transfer. This is the emotional bomb of the chapter — the revelation transforms the fight from "getting the shop back" to "my mother destroyed my family and lied about it." Devod reveals the ultimatum during their legal collaboration on the Thresholds deed. Mere and Devod pursue the claim together — the collaboration is what rebuilds the relationship. Mere's blunt problem-solving is an asset here; her emotional detachment is tested when the legal fight gets personal. Phelan is present but secondary -- this is Mere's chapter. This chapter establishes the rebuilding Mere-Devod relationship *before* Devod is attacked, making the later hit land harder.
+*Act 1 — The Paper Trail (Devod as emotional anchor):* Devod and Mere go through Thresholds business records. Devod is calm, methodical -- Pathfinder composure, not scattered delivery-driver energy. Mere notices but doesn't comment. **Legal bomb:** Devod never signed away his share. Charlette's control was a threat, not a legal transfer. Devod's hands go still (established tell). First crack in the delivery-driver mask.
 
-**Chapter 14: Devod**
-Cass points Kae at Devod Fields. Devod is drained -- life-threatening. Touch and go for days; Mere genuinely afraid he'll die. Full recovery by Ch 23. The attack happens at a moment when the Mere-Devod relationship has just started to rebuild (payoff from Ch 13). Mere enters the conflict with full force. The case stops being professional and becomes personal. **Carter delivers the studded jacket:** Ore studs (from Book 1 Ch21), hem/cuffs/collar placement, ~20% passive damage absorption. "If you're going to do something stupid, at least wear something I made." Carter's timing is instinct -- he sees where this is heading.
+*Act 2 — The Translation (Devod as translator):* The legal discovery forces "why did you leave?" Devod tells the ultimatum truth -- Mere's model of her father inverts. Then Devod translates Charlette instead of letting anger land: "She ran supply lines where people died. You were the risk she couldn't stop managing." **Mere's pattern-recognition clicks** -- maps Charlette's behavior onto the logistics framework. "That explains the rules." Cold clarity, not forgiveness. She now understands the architecture of Charlette's control system and can predict/counter it. Phelan recognizes what Devod did: a cold read delivered with warmth.
 
-**Chapter 15: The Weight of It**
-Aftermath of Devod's draining. Mere at Devod's bedside -- her emotional detachment cracks, but she processes through action, not breakdown. Mere's fear is genuine — Devod could die. Her bedside research is partly coping mechanism, partly determination to understand what the crystal did so it can't happen again. This seeds her later herbal treatment work. Phelan processes that the case just became about his people. His instinct is to go cold and efficient (hunt Kae, end it), but the team pushes back -- killing Kae doesn't stop Cass, it just removes evidence. Leon's guilt sharpens: the weapon that hurt Devod passed through his hands. This chapter sits in the emotional aftermath instead of rushing past it. The anger needs room to breathe before Phelan can pivot to empathy.
+*Act 3 — The Wolf's Idea (Devod as strategic operator):* Mere hits a wall: how do you fight someone who's built decades of contingencies? **Three-way collaboration:** Mere maps the pattern (why Charlette does this), Phelan identifies the structural flaw (system-cracking instinct applied to a non-magical problem), Devod generates the exploit (Pathfinder brain -- ten ideas, nine bad, one uses Charlette's own logistics thinking against her). **The Reversal beat lives here:** Mere misreads Phelan's processing silence as agreement with one of Devod's bad ideas -- proves communication isn't one-directional. Devod's mask slips further -- the Wolf mapping hostile terrain. Mere files it as inconsistent data point (parallels Book 1 Ch14 walking stick observation). This chapter establishes the rebuilding Mere-Devod relationship *before* Devod is attacked, making the Ch 11 hit land harder.
 
-**Chapter 16: The Villain Becomes a Victim**
-Kae's full story revealed through investigation, not exposition. Phelan learns about the congenital chronic pain, the streets, the family that didn't help. Discovers Elara's role as surrogate mother -- the one person who showed Kae kindness, taught him magic, partially managed his pain. Learns that Cass mentored both Kae and Elara, then separated them. The pendant detail lands -- Phelan has seen it on Kae during First Contact (Ch 10), now understands what it means. Phelan must reconcile "this person is killing people" with "this person was built to kill people." The mirror to his own isolation is uncomfortable and he won't name it.
+**Chapter 11: Devod**
+Cass points Kae at Devod Fields. Devod is drained -- life-threatening. Touch and go for days; Mere genuinely afraid he'll die. Full recovery by Ch 20. The attack happens at a moment when the Mere-Devod relationship has just started to rebuild (payoff from Ch 10). Mere enters the conflict with full force. The case stops being professional and becomes personal. **Carter delivers the studded jacket:** Ore studs (from Book 1 Ch21), hem/cuffs/collar placement, ~20% passive damage absorption. "If you're going to do something stupid, at least wear something I made." Carter's timing is instinct -- he sees where this is heading. Payoff from Ch 2-3 gear comment setup. **Ledger crisis response:** Arrives at the Devod scene — justified by guild protocol (Tier Two operative's family member attacked = automatic guild response). Guild intelligence network picks up the attack independently (not Phelan's call — a Pathfinder seed showing the network's reach). Ledger's reaction is subtly off — too controlled, too specific in damage assessment. He knows the name "Devod Fields" maps to more than "Mere's delivery-driver father" (Pathfinder reputation knowledge). Provides guild resources: safe house access, medical contacts. Reads the Phelan-Mere tension. **Drafting note:** Ledger's presence should be brief and functional — provides resources, assesses damage — with the Devod-name reaction as a single line or beat, not competing with Mere/Leon emotional beats that are the chapter's primary purpose.
 
-**Chapter 17: Elara's Ghost**
-The Elara death reveal -- Cass didn't just separate them, he had Elara killed. Removed the one person who could have saved Kae from this path, then offered the crystal as replacement. **Source:** Combined paper trail + street contact testimony. Phelan uncovers Compact records (payment orders, administrative traces linking Cass to Elara's disappearance) corroborated by a street contact who was paid to look away. The institutional evidence makes it provable; the personal testimony makes it devastating. This is separated from the Ch 16 backstory reveal by design -- the reader needs to absorb "Kae is a victim" before learning the full depth of "Cass is a monster." Kae's rants intensify: "Why am I damned to live this way?" Establishes Cass as the series-level antagonist: a man who manufactures weapons from broken people.
+**Chapter 12: The Weight of It**
+Aftermath of Devod's draining. Mere at Devod's bedside -- her emotional detachment cracks, but she processes through action, not breakdown. Mere's fear is genuine — Devod could die. Her bedside research is partly coping mechanism, partly determination to understand what the crystal did so it can't happen again. This seeds her later herbal treatment work. Phelan processes that the case just became about his people. His instinct is to go cold and efficient (hunt Kae, end it), but the team pushes back -- killing Kae doesn't stop Cass, it just removes evidence. Leon's guilt sharpens: the weapon that hurt Devod passed through his hands. This chapter sits in the emotional aftermath instead of rushing past it. The anger needs room to breathe before Phelan can pivot to empathy. **Ledger (continued from Ch 11):** Guild safe house and medical contacts now established as available resources — these pay off later for Kae's post-resolution custody.
 
-### Phase 3 -- The Impossible Solution (Chapters 18-22)
+**Chapter 13: The Villain Becomes a Victim**
+Kae's full story revealed through investigation, not exposition. Phelan learns about the congenital chronic pain, the streets, the family that didn't help. Discovers Elara's role as surrogate mother -- the one person who showed Kae kindness, taught him magic, partially managed his pain. Learns that Cass mentored both Kae and Elara, then separated them. The pendant detail lands -- Phelan has seen it on Kae during First Contact (Ch 8), now understands what it means. Phelan must reconcile "this person is killing people" with "this person was built to kill people." The mirror to his own isolation is uncomfortable and he won't name it. Then the Elara death reveal -- Cass didn't just separate them, he had Elara killed. Removed the one person who could have saved Kae from this path, then offered the crystal as replacement. **Source:** Combined paper trail (Compact records Ledger helped access) + street contact testimony. **Ledger field collaboration:** Ledger provides Compact records access for tracing Elara's paper trail. Present in person, helping Phelan interpret institutional records — navigates Compact filing systems like someone trained in liaison work (Pathfinder seed). Phelan uncovers payment orders and administrative traces linking Cass to Elara's disappearance, corroborated by a street contact who was paid to look away. Ledger's presence during the Elara death reveal lets him witness Phelan's emotional reaction — more data for the file. The institutional evidence makes it provable; the personal testimony makes it devastating. The reader absorbs "Kae is a victim" before learning the full depth of "Cass is a monster" — the Elara death hits as a gut punch at the end, after sympathy is built. Kae's rants intensify: "Why am I damned to live this way?" Establishes Cass as the series-level antagonist: a man who manufactures weapons from broken people.
 
-**Chapter 18: Planning the Impossible**
-Phelan's team assembles a plan to save Kae rather than kill him. Mere's herbalism expertise (and her research from Devod's bedside in Ch 15) suggests an alternative pain management approach -- not a cure, but a bridge. Phelan's Flaw Sight analysis of the crystal (informed by his First Contact observations in Ch 10) reveals the dependency mechanism can be broken -- the flaw from overuse is the key, but exploiting it requires getting close and staying close while Kae is actively dangerous. Devod contributes from recovery ("ten ideas, one genius" -- the one good idea helps crack the approach). The plan has three parts: reach Kae through his protectors, contain him long enough to work the exploit, and have Mere's treatment ready as a bridge for when the crystal's hold breaks.
+**Chapter 14: The Wolf**
+Quiet character chapter between Kae's backstory reveal and the planning phase. Devod is recovering — conscious but fragile. **Brennan Toor arrives.** Old Pathfinder comrade, calls Devod "Wolf." Mere lets him in without surprise — she's known about Devod's Pathfinder past since childhood (pre-ultimatum). Brennan tells the defining story: three failed ideas, fourth saved the unit. The "ten ideas, nine bad, one genius" pattern isn't scattered thinking — it's how the Wolf solved problems under fire. Phelan recalibrates everything he thought he knew about Devod. The delivery-driver cold-read from Book 1 was wrong — the combat skills, the terrain navigation, the problem-solving methodology were Pathfinder training, not instinct. Mere's non-reaction is the punctuation: Phelan is the last one catching up. Seeds old-timer network for Book 3.
 
-**Chapter 19: The Approach**
+### Phase 3 -- The Impossible Solution (Chapters 15-19)
+
+**Chapter 15: Planning the Impossible**
+Phelan's team assembles a plan to save Kae rather than kill him. Mere's herbalism expertise (and her research from Devod's bedside in Ch 12) suggests an alternative pain management approach -- not a cure, but a bridge. Phelan's Flaw Sight analysis of the crystal (informed by his First Contact observations in Ch 8) reveals the dependency mechanism can be broken -- the flaw from overuse is the key, but exploiting it requires getting close. Devod contributes from recovery ("ten ideas, one genius" -- the one good idea helps crack the approach). The plan has three parts: reach Kae through his protectors, contain him long enough to work the exploit, and have Mere's treatment ready as a bridge. **Note:** The specific exploit method (credential harvest) crystallizes only after Ch 17's drain — see Beat 2 in spec doc. This chapter establishes the tactical framework; the "how" comes from the involuntary Flaw Sight flash during combat.
+
+**Chapter 16: The Approach**
 Executing the first part of the plan -- navigating Kae's underworld protectors. These people shield Kae out of empathy, not malice, so Phelan can't just fight through them. He has to convince them that saving Kae is the goal, not killing him. This tests Phelan's social skills (weak) and requires help from the team. Ledger and the guild intelligence network provide the approach vector. The chapter ends with Phelan's team in position -- Kae located, protectors neutralized or convinced, but the confrontation itself hasn't started. Building tension before the set piece.
 
-**Chapter 20: Into the Fire**
-The confrontation begins. Phelan engages Kae directly. Fire combat training pays off -- Kae is vulnerable to fire, and Phelan's integrated fire weaving (trained from twelve seconds in the epilogue, expanded through Book 2) keeps Kae contained. The studded jacket absorbs hits that would otherwise take Phelan out of the fight. But containment isn't the goal -- Phelan needs to get close enough for sustained Flaw Sight analysis while Kae is actively trying to drain him. The chapter is action-heavy but the real fight is Phelan holding focus on the crystal's structure under combat pressure. His ADD brain is both asset (hyperfocus on the pattern) and liability (tunnel vision in a fight). End on the moment Phelan sees the full exploit path -- he knows how to break it, but executing will leave him completely vulnerable.
+**Chapter 17: Into the Fire**
+The confrontation begins. Phelan engages Kae directly. Fire combat training pays off -- Kae is vulnerable to fire, and Phelan's integrated fire weaving (trained from twelve seconds in the epilogue, expanded through Book 2) keeps Kae contained. The studded jacket absorbs hits that would otherwise take Phelan out of the fight. Phelan gains the upper hand, but Kae desperately drains Phelan's life force through the crystal. Flaw Sight fires **involuntarily** during the drain -- a split-second flood of the crystal's internal architecture (connection log, routing, authentication structure). Raw sensory overload on top of physical agony; he can't process it in combat. **Leon saves him** with 50 simultaneous fire spells (classic Leon brute-force). Kae flees. Phelan survives with data he doesn't yet understand. *(Beat 1 of the credential harvest exploit.)* **The Realization (Beat 2):** Hours later, debriefing with Leon. The noise replays the flash — picks at details, connects fragments. Mid-conversation, Phelan realizes: the flash was **data**, not sensory garbage. The crystal stamps its own signature on every connection record (needs to "remember" pathways for the feedback loop). By being drained, he was *inside* the system — his Flaw Sight saw the architecture from within. He now has: the crystal's private key (its internal signature), the connection log (victim list), and understanding of the authentication structure. The crystal's overuse degradation means its authentication is loose — accepts signatures within a tolerance range. His forgery doesn't need to be perfect. This is the exploit path. *(See spec doc for full design.)*
 
-**Chapter 21: Breaking the Crystal**
-The set piece. Phelan commits to the exploit -- threading through the crystal's dependency flaw, widening the crack caused by overuse, and severing the feedback loop that keeps Kae addicted. While he works, he can't defend himself. The team holds: Leon provides cover, Mere has the herbal treatment prepared and ready. The break itself is a major moment -- what it looks like through Flaw Sight, what it feels like for Kae (the pain returning all at once after months of nothing), what it costs Phelan (hard crash: exhaustion, temporary loss of magical ability, sensory distortion). Mere's treatment is the bridge -- manages ~80% of the pain immediately, preventing the withdrawal from killing Kae. The crystal shatters or goes inert. The dependency is broken. Kae collapses.
+**Chapter 18: Breaking the Crystal**
+Three-part set piece (Beats 3-5 of the credential harvest exploit -- see spec doc). **Tactical roles:** Leon = close cover fire during The Hack. Ledger = outer perimeter security + extraction contingency. Distinct positions, distinct functions. **Ledger's justification:** Phelan requests guild tactical support — guild-priority case with Tier Two asset at extreme risk. Plan requires perimeter security + extraction contingency the core team (Phelan, Leon, Mere) can't provide while executing the exploit. Ledger assigns himself. **The Heist:** Leon tracks Kae's movements; when Kae leaves his hideout, Leon signals Phelan. Phelan infiltrates, bypassing the hideout ward using the crystal's forged signature (the ward trusts the crystal's own authentication). Reaches the crystal physically. **The Hack:** Phelan uses the forged crystal signature to authenticate as a trusted internal process. Two changes: (1) revokes Kae's operator credentials, (2) rewrites operator/target logic so anyone who operates the crystal is classified as a *target* -- the drain mechanism reverses. Sustained, precise work; Phelan is completely vulnerable. Leon provides close cover fire, Mere has herbal treatment prepared. Time pressure (Kae could return). Ledger runs outer perimeter — SEES Phelan's sustained interaction with the crystal's internal architecture. Close enough to understand this isn't standard curse-breaking. **The Reversal:** Kae returns, tries to drain someone. The crystal classifies him as the target. His own life force is pulled through -- he feels exactly what his victims felt. The pain he's been running from slams back, amplified. Mere's treatment is the bridge -- manages ~80% of the pain, preventing the withdrawal from killing Kae. The crystal survives but is now a trap for anyone who tries to use it. Kae collapses. Phelan crashes hard: exhaustion, temporary loss of magical ability, sensory distortion. **The key still turns -- it just opens a different door.**
 
-**Chapter 22: The Cost**
-Immediate aftermath of the crystal break. Phelan is in hard crash -- exhausted, magically depleted, migraines. Kae is alive but shattered -- the remaining 20% of his chronic pain is permanent, and he's facing consciousness without the crystal for the first time in years. Mere manages Kae's transition with clinical precision (this is her domain -- herbalism, pain management, practical care). Phelan's rationale when questioned: "no emotional point, killing is just a waste of effort" -- mercy disguised as efficiency while clearly caring. The team processes what just happened. Evidence from the crystal break and Kae's testimony further implicates Cass and the Compact.
+**Chapter 19: The Cost**
+Immediate aftermath of the crystal break. Phelan is in hard crash -- exhausted, magically depleted, migraines. Kae is alive but shattered -- the remaining 20% of his chronic pain is permanent, and he's facing consciousness without the crystal for the first time in years. Mere manages Kae's transition with clinical precision (this is her domain -- herbalism, pain management, practical care). Phelan's rationale when questioned: "no emotional point, killing is just a waste of effort" -- mercy disguised as efficiency while clearly caring. The team processes what just happened. **The connection log** -- every victim's signature stamped alongside the crystal's own -- serves as irrefutable evidence of every person Kae drained. Legal/political weight for the Compact, victims' families. Combined with Kae's testimony, further implicates Cass. The crystal itself survives as a trap: anyone who tries to use it gets drained instead. Future-proofing for Book 3.
 
-### Phase 4 -- Resolution (Chapters 23-24 + Epilogue)
+### Phase 4 -- Resolution (Chapters 20-21 + Epilogue)
 
-**Chapter 23: Picking Up the Pieces**
-The case wraps. Kae's fate -- where does he go, what does he become? His testimony (or evidence from the crystal) implicates Cass, but Cass is insulated in Thorngate, operating through intermediaries. The Compact faces pressure but doesn't crack. Leon's guilt thread resolves -- not absolved, but he's changed his philosophy. "Don't ask who's buying" becomes something harder. Carter's role acknowledged -- his jacket kept Phelan alive, his network is rebuilt stronger. **Charlette/Thresholds resolution:** Legal claim succeeds or reaches significant progress — Devod's share was never legally transferred. Mere and Devod now co-own Thresholds or have forced Charlette to negotiate. Devod fully recovered. The personal subplots land.
+**Chapter 20: Picking Up the Pieces**
+The case wraps. **Kae's fate — guild custody under Ledger's management.** Kae becomes an intelligence asset: testimony too valuable to hand to the Compact (they'd bury it) or the city watch (they'd hang him). The crystal's connection log (every victim's signature) combined with Kae's account directly implicates Cass as the handler. Not a prisoner, not free — an asset with a debt and a purpose. Physical location: guild safe house (established Ch 11-12). Mere continues herbal treatment through the guild (ongoing ~80% pain management). Pragmatism as mercy at institutional scale. Seeds Book 3: Kae is a weapon Ledger can point at the Compact when the time is right. Cass is insulated in Thorngate, operating through intermediaries. The Compact faces pressure but doesn't crack. Leon's guilt thread resolves -- not absolved, but he's changed his philosophy. "Don't ask who's buying" becomes something harder. Carter's role acknowledged -- his jacket kept Phelan alive, his network is rebuilt stronger. **Ledger debrief — firsthand witness.** No longer working from reports. "I was there, Phelan. I saw what you did to that crystal. That wasn't curse-breaking." Much harder to deflect than secondhand report language. The file has firsthand testimony. Seeds Book 3 institutional pressure significantly harder than original design. **Charlette/Thresholds resolution:** The Ch 10 exploit pays off — Charlette's control system dismantled using its own logic. The strategy Devod generated (built on Mere's pattern-recognition and Phelan's flaw-identification) bears fruit. Devod's share was never legally transferred. Mere and Devod now co-own Thresholds or have forced Charlette to negotiate. Devod fully recovered. The personal subplots land.
 
-**Chapter 24: The New Quiet**
+**Chapter 21: The New Quiet**
 The new status quo. Phelan and Mere on Chandler's Row, but the quiet is different now -- earned, not assumed. House plans continue (what revision are we on now?). Phelan's ability is closer to being exposed -- the crystal break was witnessed or left arcane evidence that someone with knowledge could trace. The Compact's direct pressure is building toward Book 3. Phelan reflects on Kae as a mirror -- what happens when no one helps, and the uncomfortable fact that someone helped *him* (Mere, Leon, Carter, Devod) whether he asked for it or not. End with forward momentum: the Compact knows more about The Locksmith than before, Cass is not finished, and the quiet won't last.
 
 **Epilogue: The View from Thorngate**
@@ -236,11 +264,11 @@ The domestic arc is the emotional spine that makes the Kae case land, because Ka
 | Beat | Chapter | Description |
 |---|---|---|
 | The Budget Math | Ch 1 | Mere's budget method is alien to Phelan. His noise kicks in, he redoes it his way. Hours later, same number. Mere: "I told you." First lesson: *different method, same answer* is the pattern of this relationship. |
-| The Misread | Ch 5-6 | Mere says something blunt. Phelan reads hidden criticism that isn't there, adjusts behavior. Mere notices a day later, asks why. Baffled: "I said [exact words]. That's what I meant." Brief desync, recalibration. Phelan files away: *Mere is the one person whose words are the whole message.* |
-| The Reclassification | Ch 12 | Ledger formalizes the de facto elevation from the epilogue — Tier Two promotion. Higher pay, Archive access, alias formalized. Phelan's reaction is complicated — the money helps the house, the access helps the case, but the scrutiny is exactly what he's been avoiding. The guild knows more about The Locksmith than Phelan is comfortable with. |
-| The Reversal | Ch 13-14 | For once, Mere misreads *Phelan*. Interprets his cold-reader silence as agreement when he's processing something important. Her bluntness about what she thinks he's thinking is wrong. Proves communication isn't one-directional -- they're both learning. |
-| The Crack | Ch 15 | After Devod's attack, domestic equilibrium breaks. Mere processes through action (bedside research). Phelan processes through cold efficiency (hunt Kae). Incompatible grief responses. Not a misunderstanding -- a genuine conflict of approach. Unresolved this chapter. |
-| The New Math | Ch 22-24 | Domestic life resumes differently. Budget method is now a blend: Mere's structure, Phelan's edge-case paranoia. They've stopped translating each other and started building a shared language. Phelan won't name this. The reader will. |
+| The Misread | Ch 4-5 | Mere says something blunt. Phelan reads hidden criticism that isn't there, adjusts behavior. Mere notices a day later, asks why. Baffled: "I said [exact words]. That's what I meant." Brief desync, recalibration. Phelan files away: *Mere is the one person whose words are the whole message.* |
+| The Reclassification | Ch 9 | Ledger formalizes the de facto elevation from the epilogue — Tier Two promotion. Higher pay, Archive access, alias formalized. Phelan's reaction is complicated — the money helps the house, the access helps the case, but the scrutiny is exactly what he's been avoiding. The guild knows more about The Locksmith than Phelan is comfortable with. |
+| The Reversal | Ch 10 (Act 3) | For once, Mere misreads *Phelan*. During the three-way tactical collaboration on the Thresholds exploit, she interprets his processing silence as agreement with one of Devod's bad ideas. Her bluntness about what she thinks he's thinking is wrong. Brief beat within the collaboration scene. Proves communication isn't one-directional -- they're both learning. |
+| The Crack | Ch 12 | After Devod's attack, domestic equilibrium breaks. Mere processes through action (bedside research). Phelan processes through cold efficiency (hunt Kae). Incompatible grief responses. Not a misunderstanding -- a genuine conflict of approach. Unresolved this chapter. |
+| The New Math | Ch 19-21 | Domestic life resumes differently. Budget method is now a blend: Mere's structure, Phelan's edge-case paranoia. They've stopped translating each other and started building a shared language. Phelan won't name this. The reader will. |
 
 **Per-chapter temperature:**
 
@@ -248,24 +276,25 @@ The domestic arc is the emotional spine that makes the Kae case land, because Ka
 |---|---|
 | 1 | Content but restless. The quiet is good. The quiet is suspicious. House plans, budget math, the comedy of two analytical minds sharing a kitchen. |
 | 2-3 | Case pulls focus. Mere gives him space (she understands hyper-focus). Domestic life continues in background -- meals, routines, the small negotiations of shared space. |
-| 4 | Leon's guilt discovery stirs something. Phelan notices he's *telling Mere about the case* without being asked. This is new. He doesn't examine why. |
-| 5-6 | **The Misread.** Brief desync. Recalibration. Phelan learns something he'll keep learning all book: she means what she says. |
-| 7-9 | Case intensifying. Domestic rhythms become anchoring -- the thing he comes back to. Mere's blunt observations about the case are occasionally brilliant in ways that annoy him. |
-| 10 | After first contact with Kae, Phelan comes home shaken (won't admit it). Mere reads his silence correctly this time. Doesn't push. Makes tea. He notices. |
-| 12 | Tier Two. Mixed feelings — the money and access are welcome, the scrutiny isn't. The alias becoming official makes the anonymity harder to maintain. |
-| 13 | **The Reversal.** Mere misreads him. Both surprised. New data point in the ongoing relationship calibration. |
-| 14 | Devod attacked. Domestic equilibrium shattered. |
-| 15 | **The Crack.** Incompatible grief responses. Unresolved tension. The house feels different. |
-| 16-17 | Working in parallel, not together. The rift isn't hostile -- they're just in different processing modes. Mere at bedside researching. Phelan hunting. They pass each other. |
-| 18 | Planning the impossible solution brings them back into alignment. Mere's research + Phelan's Flaw Sight = the plan. Working together heals what talking couldn't. |
-| 20-22 | The case execution. Mere's herbal treatment is essential. Phelan trusts her with Kae's survival -- domestic arc paying off. No hesitation. |
-| 23-24 | **The New Math.** Earned quiet. House plans continue. The shared language is forming. |
+| 4-5 | Leon's guilt discovery stirs something. Phelan notices he's *telling Mere about the case* without being asked. This is new. He doesn't examine why. **The Misread.** Brief desync. Recalibration. Phelan learns something he'll keep learning all book: she means what she says. |
+| 6-7 | Case intensifying. Domestic rhythms become anchoring -- the thing he comes back to. Mere's blunt observations about the case are occasionally brilliant in ways that annoy him. |
+| 8 | After first contact with Kae, Phelan comes home shaken (won't admit it). Mere reads his silence correctly this time. Doesn't push. Makes tea. He notices. |
+| 9 | Tier Two. Mixed feelings — the money and access are welcome, the scrutiny isn't. The alias becoming official makes the anonymity harder to maintain. |
+| 10 | **The Reversal.** Mere misreads him. Both surprised. New data point in the ongoing relationship calibration. |
+| 11 | Devod attacked. Domestic equilibrium shattered. |
+| 12 | **The Crack.** Incompatible grief responses. Unresolved tension. The house feels different. |
+| 13-14 | Working in parallel, not together. The rift isn't hostile -- they're just in different processing modes. Mere at bedside researching. Phelan hunting. They pass each other. |
+| 15 | Planning the impossible solution brings them back into alignment. Mere's research + Phelan's Flaw Sight = the plan. Working together heals what talking couldn't. |
+| 17-19 | The case execution. Mere's herbal treatment is essential. Phelan trusts her with Kae's survival -- domestic arc paying off. No hesitation. |
+| 20-21 | **The New Math.** Earned quiet. House plans continue. The shared language is forming. |
 
 ---
 
 ### Mere Fields
 
-Moves from supporting role to active participant across three threads. (1) Charlette/Thresholds -- her own chapter (Ch 13) reveals Charlette's ultimatum and the fact Devod never signed away his share. Mere didn't know — this transforms the legal fight into something deeply personal. She and Devod pursue the claim together, rebuilding their relationship through collaboration. Resolution in Ch 23. (2) Devod's draining (Ch 14-15) -- life-threatening; Mere genuinely afraid he'll die. Her emotional detachment cracks under pressure, but she processes through action. Her bedside research on the crystal's effects (Ch 15) directly feeds the herbal treatment that saves Kae (Ch 21). (3) The pain solution -- Mere's Thresholds herbalism expertise provides the ~80% pain management bridge that makes saving Kae possible instead of just merciful.
+Moves from supporting role to active participant across three threads. (1) Charlette/Thresholds -- her own chapter (Ch 10) reveals Charlette's ultimatum and the fact Devod never signed away his share. Mere didn't know — this transforms the legal fight into something deeply personal. She and Devod pursue the claim together, rebuilding their relationship through collaboration. Resolution in Ch 20. (2) Devod's draining (Ch 11-12) -- life-threatening; Mere genuinely afraid he'll die. Her emotional detachment cracks under pressure, but she processes through action. Her bedside research on the crystal's effects (Ch 12) directly feeds the herbal treatment that saves Kae (Ch 18). (3) The pain solution -- Mere's Thresholds herbalism expertise provides the ~80% pain management bridge that makes saving Kae possible instead of just merciful.
+
+**Note -- Devod's Pathfinder past:** Mere knew about Devod's Pathfinder service since childhood (pre-ultimatum, ~age 12). It was just a fact about her father. She never mentions it because (a) it wasn't relevant until now, and (b) she doesn't volunteer information unprompted -- established character behavior. During Brennan Toor's visit, her non-reaction is the punctuation: Phelan is the last one catching up.
 
 ---
 
@@ -273,18 +302,22 @@ Moves from supporting role to active participant across three threads. (1) Charl
 
 **Internal shift:** From *grateful to be tolerated* → *believing he belongs here*
 
+**ESTABLISHED CANON -- Pathfinder Backstory:** Devod served ~10 years (~18-28) in the Pathfinders, an elite guild-contracted frontier clearance unit. Earned the nickname "The Wolf" (pack leader, protector). His Book 1 combat skills (Ch19 forearm/collarbone strikes) and terrain navigation (Ch14-15 mine) were Pathfinder training, not delivery-driver instinct -- Phelan's narration was an incorrect cold-read. Full backstory in `characters/devod-fields.md`.
+
+**Brennan Toor Visit (planned scene, recovery arc):** Old Pathfinder comrade visits during Devod's recovery. Calls him "Wolf." Mere lets him in without surprise -- she knew about Devod's Pathfinder past since childhood (pre-ultimatum). Brennan tells the defining story (three failed ideas, fourth saved the unit). Phelan recalibrates everything he thought he knew about Devod. Mere's non-reaction is the punctuation. Seeds old-timer network for Book 3.
+
 Devod spent 12 years watching Mere's life from above a tanner's shop. Book 1 cracked the door open. Book 2 is about him cautiously stepping through it -- and then having it nearly slammed shut by Kae's attack at the exact moment he started to believe it would stay open.
 
-**Critical design choice:** The gradual reconnection with Mere MUST land before the attack (Ch 14). If the reader hasn't watched this relationship cautiously rebuild through Ch 1-13, the attack is just plot mechanics.
+**Critical design choice:** The gradual reconnection with Mere MUST land before the attack (Ch 11). If the reader hasn't watched this relationship cautiously rebuild through Ch 1-10, the attack is just plot mechanics.
 
 **Milestone beats:**
 
 | Beat | Chapter | Description |
 |---|---|---|
 | The Awkward Orbit | Ch 1-4 | Devod is *around* -- showing up with ideas, helping where he can, treating every interaction with Mere like borrowed time. Over-explains, over-contributes, tries too hard. Mere finds it exhausting but doesn't push him away. |
-| The Breakthrough | Ch 13 | Thresholds chapter. Charlette problem forces genuine collaboration. Devod stops performing gratitude, starts being *useful*. Mere's blunt feedback ("That idea is terrible. What's the next one?") is the first time someone treats him like a normal person. He relaxes. She notices. |
-| The Door Slams | Ch 14 | Kae drains Devod at the exact moment the relationship was becoming real. Destruction of something fragile that was just starting to work. |
-| The Idea From the Bed | Ch 18 | Contributes his "one genius idea" from recovery. The real beat: he doesn't perform or over-explain. Just says it quietly. Like someone who believes he'll be heard. Mere doesn't praise -- she just *uses* the idea, which is her version of trust. |
+| The Breakthrough | Ch 10 | Thresholds chapter — "The Logistics of Control." Three-phase shift within one chapter: emotional anchor (calm, methodical, Pathfinder composure) → translator (explains Charlette's logistics-to-control pipeline to Mere) → strategic operator (the Wolf generates the exploit). Devod stops performing gratitude, starts being *useful* across three registers. Mere sees versions of her father she didn't know existed. Mere's blunt feedback ("That idea is terrible. What's the next one?") is the first time someone treats him like a normal person. He relaxes. She notices. Three-way collaboration: Mere maps the pattern, Phelan identifies the flaw, Devod generates the exploit. |
+| The Door Slams | Ch 11 | Kae drains Devod at the exact moment the relationship was becoming real. Destruction of something fragile that was just starting to work. |
+| The Idea From the Bed | Ch 15 | Contributes his "one genius idea" from recovery. The real beat: he doesn't perform or over-explain. Just says it quietly. Like someone who believes he'll be heard. Mere doesn't praise -- she just *uses* the idea, which is her version of trust. |
 
 **Per-chapter temperature:**
 
@@ -292,16 +325,17 @@ Devod spent 12 years watching Mere's life from above a tanner's shop. Book 1 cra
 |---|---|
 | 1 | Present but peripheral. Helping with house plans (has opinions about foundations). Grateful energy. |
 | 2-3 | Hovering. Drops by Chandler's Row with food, ideas, excuses to visit. Mere tolerates it. |
-| 4-5 | Starting to relax slightly. A shared laugh over something practical. Still tentative. |
-| 6-8 | More natural. Offers case ideas (mostly bad, one useful). Mere stops bristling at his presence. |
-| 9-10 | Comfortable enough to disagree with Mere about something small. She respects it. Quiet milestone. |
-| 11-12 | Settled into routine. Present but unremarked -- the normalcy that makes Ch 14 devastating. |
-| 13 | **Breakthrough.** Thresholds collaboration. Stops performing, starts belonging. |
-| 14 | **Attacked.** Everything that was building gets shattered in one moment. |
-| 15 | Unconscious/recovering. His absence is the loudest thing in the chapter. Mere at bedside. Leon at bedside -- the intersection moment. |
-| 16-17 | Off-page recovery. His absence weighs on Mere and Phelan differently. |
-| 18 | Lucid enough to contribute. The quiet idea. Changed demeanor -- less scattered, more grounded. |
-| 23-24 | Recovery continuing. Relationship with Mere is different now -- tested, not just tentative. Neither names it. |
+| 4 | Starting to relax slightly. A shared laugh over something practical. Still tentative. |
+| 5-6 | More natural. Offers case ideas (mostly bad, one useful). Mere stops bristling at his presence. |
+| 7-8 | Comfortable enough to disagree with Mere about something small. She respects it. Quiet milestone. |
+| 9 | Settled into routine. Present but unremarked -- the normalcy that makes Ch 11 devastating. |
+| 10 | **Breakthrough.** Three-phase shift: anchor → translator → operator. Mere sees three versions of her father she didn't know existed. The scattered delivery driver was a mask over something far more capable. Stops performing, starts belonging. |
+| 11 | **Attacked.** Everything that was building gets shattered in one moment. |
+| 12 | Unconscious/recovering. His absence is the loudest thing in the chapter. Mere at bedside. Leon at bedside -- the intersection moment. |
+| 13 | Off-page recovery. His absence weighs on Mere and Phelan differently. |
+| 14 | **The Wolf.** Brennan Toor visits during recovery. Devod's Pathfinder past revealed to Phelan. Mere's non-reaction is the punctuation. |
+| 15 | Lucid enough to contribute. The quiet idea. Changed demeanor -- less scattered, more grounded. |
+| 20-21 | Recovery continuing. Relationship with Mere is different now -- tested, not just tentative. Neither names it. |
 
 ---
 
@@ -316,33 +350,34 @@ Two engines pulling opposite directions. The guilt thread (crystal sale enabled
 | Beat | Chapter | Description |
 |---|---|---|
 | The Recognition | Ch 4 | Leon identifies the crystal. Realizes what he sold and what it became. Doesn't break down -- gets quiet, then operational. "Let me help trace the buyer." Guilt manifests as hyper-competence. |
-| Stay or Bolt | Ch 12 | Case shifts to "Cass targeting Phelan's network." Leon has a window to walk away. Stays -- frames it transactionally ("I know the crystal's signature better than anyone, you need me"). Phelan sees through this. Neither acknowledges it. |
-| The Bedside | Ch 15 | **Intersection moment with Devod's arc.** Leon sees the man drained by the crystal *he sold*. Guilt stops being abstract, becomes concrete. Operational mask slips for one moment. Covers it fast. Phelan notices, says nothing. Devod doesn't know Leon is the link. Leon does. |
-| Cover Fire | Ch 21 | During crystal break, Leon provides cover while Phelan is vulnerable. First time he's put himself at physical risk for someone else's plan. Not freelancing -- *serving*. He'd hate that word. Does it anyway. |
-| The New Philosophy | Ch 23 | "Don't ask who's buying" becomes something harder. Quiet conversation with Phelan, maybe while drinking. Doesn't swear off grey-market work. Doesn't join the guild. But starts *asking*. One question per sale. Who's buying. Small, permanent, costly to his business model. |
+| Stay or Bolt | Ch 9 | Case shifts to "Cass targeting Phelan's network." Leon has a window to walk away. Stays -- frames it transactionally ("I know the crystal's signature better than anyone, you need me"). Phelan sees through this. Neither acknowledges it. |
+| The Bedside | Ch 12 | **Intersection moment with Devod's arc.** Leon sees the man drained by the crystal *he sold*. Guilt stops being abstract, becomes concrete. Operational mask slips for one moment. Covers it fast. Phelan notices, says nothing. Devod doesn't know Leon is the link. Leon does. |
+| Cover Fire | Ch 18 | During crystal break, Leon provides cover while Phelan is vulnerable. First time he's put himself at physical risk for someone else's plan. Not freelancing -- *serving*. He'd hate that word. Does it anyway. |
+| The New Philosophy | Ch 20 | "Don't ask who's buying" becomes something harder. Quiet conversation with Phelan, maybe while drinking. Doesn't swear off grey-market work. Doesn't join the guild. But starts *asking*. One question per sale. Who's buying. Small, permanent, costly to his business model. |
 
 **Per-chapter temperature:**
 
 | Ch | Leon's Emotional State |
 |---|---|
 | 1 | Comfortable. Training with Phelan. Easy rhythm of a transactional friendship that's secretly becoming real. |
-| 4 | **Recognition.** Quiet shock, then operational pivot. Guilt buried under competence. |
-| 5 | Guilt deepens as crystal connection solidifies. Throws himself into tracing the buyer. |
-| 6-8 | Increasingly invested. Tells himself it's professional -- cleaning up his own mess. |
-| 9 | Connecting dots to Cass. The anger is easier than the guilt. He holds onto it. |
-| 10 | Watches Phelan's first encounter with Kae. Sees the human wreckage his sale contributed to. |
-| 12 | **Stay or bolt.** Chooses to stay. Rationalizes it. Phelan lets him. |
-| 14 | Devod attacked. Leon goes cold. Combat-ready. Guilt is a weapon now -- channeled into "fix this." |
-| 15 | **Bedside.** Mask slips. Recovers. Changed underneath. |
-| 18 | All business. Planning the approach. Volunteers for the dangerous position without being asked. |
-| 20-21 | **Cover fire.** Serving someone else's plan. Hates it. Does it perfectly. |
-| 23 | **New philosophy.** The quiet conversation. One question per sale. Small change, real cost. |
+| 4 | **Recognition.** Quiet shock, then operational pivot. Guilt buried under competence. Deepens as crystal connection solidifies. Throws himself into tracing the buyer. |
+| 5-6 | Increasingly invested. Tells himself it's professional -- cleaning up his own mess. |
+| 7 | Connecting dots to Cass. The anger is easier than the guilt. He holds onto it. |
+| 8 | Watches Phelan's first encounter with Kae. Sees the human wreckage his sale contributed to. |
+| 9 | **Stay or bolt.** Chooses to stay. Rationalizes it. Phelan lets him. |
+| 11 | Devod attacked. Leon goes cold. Combat-ready. Guilt is a weapon now -- channeled into "fix this." |
+| 12 | **Bedside.** Mask slips. Recovers. Changed underneath. |
+| 15 | All business. Planning the approach. Volunteers for the dangerous position without being asked. |
+| 17-18 | **Cover fire.** Serving someone else's plan. Hates it. Does it perfectly. |
+| 20 | **New philosophy.** The quiet conversation. One question per sale. Small change, real cost. |
 
 ---
 
 ### Carter (Jonael Carterson)
 
-Personal subplot -- Compact retaliates against him via supply chain cutoff (economic pressure, not physical danger). Carter investigates on his own first, comes to Phelan as a peer when he hits a wall (Ch 2-3). **Compact leverage:** Blackmail / past violations. Supplier 1 has a minor real violation — Phelan determines it's cheaper for them to fix the violation and save their business than to keep bowing to Compact pressure. Supplier 2 faces fabricated blackmail — the supplier believes people will trust the Compact over them; Phelan exposes the fabrication (specific method TBD during drafting). Resolution is a team effort: Phelan traces Compact intermediaries and neutralizes their leverage (Ch 4-8), Leon vouches for Carter with grey-market contacts, Carter evaluates and rebuilds with higher standards. Comes out with a stronger, Compact-resistant network. Learns Cass is behind the cutoff (Ch 9-10), entering the Compact conflict as a conscious participant. The studded jacket (ore studs, ~20% absorption, hem/cuffs/collar) is delivered in Ch 14 after Devod's draining -- Carter sees where the case is heading and acts. He'd been designing it since receiving the ore in Book 1; the restored supply chain made it possible. Seeds Book 3: Carter is a known target with Compact-resistant infrastructure.
+**Family:** Wife — Jenet Carterson. Son — Logen Carterson.
+
+Personal subplot -- Compact retaliates against him via supply chain cutoff (economic pressure, not physical danger). Carter investigates on his own first, comes to Phelan as a peer when he hits a wall (Ch 2-3). **Compact leverage:** Blackmail / past violations. Supplier 1 has a minor real violation — Phelan determines it's cheaper for them to fix the violation and save their business than to keep bowing to Compact pressure. Supplier 2 faces fabricated blackmail — the supplier believes people will trust the Compact over them; Phelan exposes the fabrication (specific method TBD during drafting). Resolution is a team effort: Phelan traces Compact intermediaries and neutralizes their leverage (Ch 4-6), Leon vouches for Carter with grey-market contacts, Carter evaluates and rebuilds with higher standards. Comes out with a stronger, Compact-resistant network. Learns Cass is behind the cutoff (Ch 7), entering the Compact conflict as a conscious participant. The studded jacket (ore studs, ~20% absorption, hem/cuffs/collar) is delivered in Ch 11 after Devod's draining -- Carter sees where the case is heading and acts. He'd been designing it since receiving the ore in Book 1; the restored supply chain made it possible. Seeds Book 3: Carter is a known target with Compact-resistant infrastructure.
 
 ---
 
@@ -358,48 +393,80 @@ Elevated from bureaucratic obstacle to active puppeteer. Manufactured Kae as a w
 
 Ledger ended Book 1 playing a longer game — "the guild has noticed," Greenvale evidence filed, higher-tier cases delivered. In Book 2, the draining case forces him from observer to handler. He assigns Phelan, tracks progress, delivers the Tier Two promotion, and provides intelligence — all while his file on Phelan's true capabilities grows thicker with every debrief. The tension: Ledger is increasingly invested in Phelan's success while simultaneously building the case that could expose him.
 
-**Milestone beats:**
+**Milestone beats (9 beats):**
 
-| Beat | Chapter | Description |
-|---|---|---|
-| The Assignment | Ch 2 | Ledger brings the draining case to Phelan. Not a standard brief — he delivers it in person, which tells Phelan this one matters to the guild. Brief mention of Phelan's rising profile. "You've been busy. We've noticed." The adversarial-beneath-politeness dynamic continues. |
-| The Intelligence | Ch 6 | Ledger provides guild intelligence identifying Kae's street name. But the real beat: he asks specific questions about Phelan's investigative methods — how he traced the crystal's pre-Compact signature. Questions that are a little too precise. Phelan notices, deflects. Ledger files the deflection. |
-| The Escalation | Ch 9 | A victim has died. Ledger visits — not just to relay intelligence, but to have a conversation about what the guild expects now. "This is a murder case. The guild's name is attached to the outcome." Subtext: the guild is watching Phelan closely because they're exposed if he fails publicly. |
-| The Reclassification | Ch 12 | Witnesses are being targeted. The guild formalizes what's been happening de facto since the epilogue — Phelan was already receiving above-Tier-One cases informally. Now it's official: Tier Two reclassification. Ledger delivers it: higher retainer, Archive access, intelligence priority, and the alias expectation. "The Locksmith. You've been using it. The guild is formalizing it." Double-edged: more resources, more scrutiny, more visibility. Ledger's version of "we believe in you" is a pay raise and a tighter leash. |
-| The Resources | Ch 19 | Phelan uses Tier Two access (Archives, intelligence priority) to plan the approach to Kae. Ledger provides the approach vector — not just information, but tactical support. He's committed now. The file on Phelan's methods is secondary to getting this case closed. |
-| The Debrief | Ch 23 | Post-case debrief. The crystal break left arcane evidence. Ledger's questions are sharper than ever — he knows more about Phelan's ability than before. "The report describes a sustained interaction with the crystal's internal structure. That's not standard curse-breaking." Phelan deflects. Ledger accepts the deflection. But the file is thicker. "The guild noticed" has become "the guild is paying very close attention." Seeds Book 3 directly. |
+| Beat | Chapter | Type | Description |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| The Assignment | Ch 2 | Modified | No longer a client case. Ledger's intelligence network (Pathfinder-built) detected the draining pattern AND the Compact's deliberate non-investigation. Brings this to Phelan as a guild operation. The warrens family is a data point he investigated, not a walk-in. In-person delivery signals institutional priority. |
+| The Intelligence | Ch 5 | Unchanged | Provides Kae's street name. Asks too-precise questions about Phelan's investigative methods. Phelan deflects; Ledger files it. |
+| The Escalation | Ch 6-7 | Unchanged | Victim dies. Ledger visits to discuss guild exposure. "This is a murder case. The guild's name is attached to the outcome." |
+| The Reclassification | Ch 9 | Unchanged | Tier Two promotion. Higher retainer, Archive access, intelligence priority, alias formalized. Double-edged: resources + tighter leash. Ledger's version of "we believe in you" is a pay raise and a tighter leash. |
+| Crisis Response | Ch 11-12 | **NEW** | Ledger arrives at the Devod scene — justified by guild protocol: Tier Two operative's family member attacked = automatic guild response. Guild network picks up the attack independently (Pathfinder seed). Reaction subtly off — too controlled, too specific in damage assessment. Knows "Devod Fields" maps to more than "Mere's delivery-driver father" (Pathfinder reputation knowledge). Provides guild resources: safe house access, medical contacts. Reads Phelan-Mere tension. **Drafting note:** Brief and functional — single line or beat for Devod-name reaction, not competing with Mere/Leon emotional beats. |
+| The Hunt | Ch 13 | **NEW** | Provides Compact records access for tracing Elara's paper trail. Present in person, helping Phelan interpret institutional records (Pathfinder training included Compact liaison work). His presence during the Elara death reveal lets him witness Phelan's emotional reaction — more data for the file. |
+| The Resources | Ch 16 | Unchanged | Tier Two access (Archives, intelligence priority) for planning the approach to Kae. Provides approach vector — tactical support, not just information. Committed. |
+| Crystal Break Witness | Ch 18 | **NEW** | Phelan requests guild tactical support — guild-priority case with Tier Two asset at extreme risk. Plan requires perimeter security + extraction contingency the core team can't provide while executing the exploit. Ledger assigns himself. Runs outer perimeter (distinct from Leon's close cover fire). SEES Phelan's sustained interaction with the crystal's internal architecture. Close enough to understand this isn't standard curse-breaking. |
+| The Debrief | Ch 20 | Modified | No longer working from reports — firsthand witness. "I was there, Phelan. I saw what you did to that crystal. That wasn't curse-breaking." Much harder to deflect. The file has firsthand testimony. Manages Kae's guild custody (intelligence asset, safe house). Seeds Book 3 institutional pressure significantly harder than secondhand reports. |
 
 **Per-chapter temperature:**
 
 | Ch | Ledger's State |
 |---|---|
-| 2 | Professional. In-person delivery signals importance. Watching. |
-| 6 | Curious. Questions about methods are probing, not casual. |
-| 9 | Pressured. Guild reputation on the line. The conversation has an edge. |
-| 12 | Decisive. Promotion is institutional backing — and institutional investment. |
-| 19 | Committed. Providing real resources. The observer has become a participant. |
-| 23 | Calculating. More data on Phelan than ever. Respect and wariness in equal measure. |
+| 2 | Professional, institutional. Pattern + Compact gap = guild operation. In-person delivery signals this matters. |
+| 5 | Curious. Probing questions about methods. Not casual. |
+| 6-7 | Pressured. Guild reputation on the line. Edge in the conversation. |
+| 9 | Decisive. Promotion is backing + investment. |
+| 11-12 | **Field mode.** Controlled but something's off. Assessing the scene like someone who knows what draining does to a body. Provides resources. Reads the team's fracture. Brief, functional, not competing with emotional beats. |
+| 13 | **Engaged.** In the field, working Compact records alongside Phelan. Professional collaboration — but every insight Phelan offers gets filed. Witnesses the emotional weight of the Elara reveal. |
+| 16 | Committed. Providing real tactical resources. The observer has become a participant. |
+| 18 | **Operational.** Running outer perimeter during crystal break. Witnessing something he can't explain through standard frameworks. The mask holds, but the data is overwhelming. |
+| 20 | Calculating with firsthand knowledge. Respect and wariness sharpened by what he saw. Much harder for Phelan to deflect. Book 3 seeds are concrete, not speculative. |
+
+**Ledger Pathfinder Backstory:**
+
+Ledger served in the Pathfinders — **different unit than Devod, different era or region.** He knows *of* "the Wolf" by reputation but they never served together. Devod doesn't know Ledger personally. Full details in `characters/ledger.md`.
+
+**What the Pathfinder past explains:**
+- The intelligence network is old Pathfinder comrades repurposed into an information web
+- Combat readiness (throwing knives, threat assessment) is Pathfinder training, not surprising bureaucrat capability
+- Phelan's "most dangerous person in the room" read was accurate — the bureaucrat mask IS the disguise
+- The Carter link (anonymous client management in Book 1) fits Pathfinder asset-running tradecraft
+- Knowledge of Compact filing systems comes from Pathfinder-Compact liaison work
+
+**Reveal strategy:** Slow burn. Book 2 plants seeds only — no character says "Pathfinder" about Ledger. Full reveal reserved for Book 3. Seeds: (1) network reach in Ch 2, (2) field assessment precision in Ch 11-12, (3) Compact record navigation in Ch 13, (4) tactical perimeter in Ch 18, (5) debriefing protocols in Ch 20. Phelan notices pieces but doesn't connect them.
+
+**Kae Guild Custody (Post-Resolution):**
+
+Guild custody under Ledger's management. Kae becomes an intelligence asset:
+- Testimony too valuable to hand to the Compact (they'd bury it) or the city watch (they'd hang him)
+- Crystal connection log (every victim's signature) = irrefutable evidence; combined with Kae's account, directly implicates Cass
+- Mere continues herbal treatment through the guild (ongoing ~80% pain management)
+- Not a prisoner, not free — an asset with a debt and a purpose
+- **Physical location:** Guild safe house (established as available through Ch 11-12 crisis response beat)
+- Mirrors Phelan's "saving him is efficient" logic at institutional scale. Pragmatism as mercy.
+- Seeds Book 3: Kae is a weapon Ledger can point at the Compact when the time is right.
 
 ---
 
 ### Arc Intersection Map
 
-| Chapter | Devod | Leon | Phelan (domestic) | Carter | Ledger |
-|---|---|---|---|---|---|
-| 1 | Peripheral, grateful | Comfortable, training | Budget math comedy | — | — |
-| 2 | — | — | — | Brings supply problem | **Case assignment** |
-| 4 | Relaxing slightly | **Crystal recognition** | Telling Mere about case | Investigation begins | — |
-| 5-6 | Natural | Guilt deepening | **The Misread** | Leverage identified; Leon contacts continue | **Intelligence + probing questions** |
-| 7-8 | More natural, case ideas | Invested | — | **Suppliers freed** | — |
-| 9 | — | Connecting to Cass | — | **Learns Cass is behind it** | **Escalation conversation** |
-| 12 | — | **Stay or bolt** | — | — | **Tier Two promotion** |
-| 13 | **Breakthrough** | — | **The Reversal** | — | — |
-| 14 | **Attacked** | Goes cold | Equilibrium shattered | **Jacket delivery** | — |
-| 15 | Absent (recovering) | **Bedside intersection** | **The Crack** | — | — |
-| 18 | **Quiet idea** | Volunteers for danger | Realignment through work | — | — |
-| 19 | — | — | — | — | **Resources + approach vector** |
-| 21 | — | **Cover fire** | Trusts Mere completely | — | — |
-| 23 | Testing new relationship | **New philosophy** | **The New Math** | Acknowledged, network rebuilt | **Debrief — file thickens** |
+| Chapter | Devod | Leon | Phelan (domestic) | Carter | Ledger | Carson |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| 1 | Peripheral, grateful | Comfortable, training | Budget math comedy | — | — | — |
+| 2 | — | — | — | Brings supply problem | **Case assignment** | — |
+| 4 | Relaxing slightly | **Crystal recognition**, guilt deepening | Telling Mere about case | Investigation begins; Leon contacts continue | — | — |
+| 5 | Natural | Guilt deepening | **The Misread** | Leverage identified; Carson resolves Supplier 2 rumors | **Intelligence + probing questions** | **Introduction** — chapel-workshop, Church of the Ahole, anti-Phelan moment; resolves Supplier 2 via network |
+| 6 | More natural, case ideas | Invested | — | **Suppliers freed**; rebuilds with higher standards | — | **Puzzle piece** — Kae's dilemmas, "do what's best for you" advice |
+| 7 | — | Connecting to Cass | — | **Learns Cass is behind it** | **Escalation conversation** | — |
+| 9 | — | **Stay or bolt** | Tier Two — mixed feelings | — | **Tier Two promotion** | — |
+| 10 | **Breakthrough** | — | **The Reversal** | — | — | — |
+| 11 | **Attacked** | Goes cold | Equilibrium shattered | **Jacket delivery** (payoff from Ch 2-3 setup) | **Crisis response** — field assessment, guild resources, reads team fracture. Subtly off reaction to Devod's name. | — |
+| 12 | Absent (recovering) | **Bedside intersection** | **The Crack** | — | (continued) Safe house + medical contacts established | — |
+| 13 | Off-page recovery | — | Working in parallel | — | **The Hunt** — Compact records access, field collaboration, witnesses Elara reveal and Phelan's reaction | — |
+| 14 | **Recovering — Brennan Toor visits** | — | Recalibrates Devod | — | — | — |
+| 15 | **Quiet idea** | Volunteers for danger | Realignment through work | — | — | — |
+| 16 | — | — | — | — | **Resources + approach vector** | **"I got a buddy"** — network helps navigate Kae's protectors |
+| 18 | — | **Cover fire** (close) | Trusts Mere completely | — | **Crystal break witness** — outer perimeter/extraction, sees Phelan's sustained crystal interaction firsthand | — |
+| 20 | Testing new relationship | **New philosophy** | **The New Math** | Acknowledged, network rebuilt | **Debrief — firsthand witness**, Kae guild custody | — (learns truth off-page through back channels) |
 
 ---
 
@@ -429,7 +496,7 @@ Ledger ended Book 1 playing a longer game — "the guild has noticed," Greenvale
 | Carter received 8 pieces master-grade saturated ore (Ch21) | Used for studded jacket ore studs (~20% absorption) |
 | Cass conducting surveillance during Book 1 (Ch13, Ch19) | Identified Carter as part of Phelan's network -- drives the supply cutoff |
 | House plans revision 10 / east-facing kitchen | Ongoing subplot continues |
-| Charlette / Thresholds shop deed conflict | Advances in Book 2 -- Mere breaks free, needs Devod's help |
+| Charlette / Thresholds shop deed conflict | Advances in Book 2 -- Charlette's guild-adjacent logistics background drives her control methods. Ch 10 reframes the fight through understanding her system architecture. Three-way collaboration (Mere: pattern, Phelan: flaw, Devod: exploit) dismantles Charlette's control using its own logic |
 
 ---
 
@@ -437,17 +504,18 @@ Ledger ended Book 1 playing a longer game — "the guild has noticed," Greenvale
 
 ### Resolved
 
-- ~~Devod's condition post-draining~~ → Life-threatening, full recovery. Touch and go for days. Recovers fully by Ch 23.
-- ~~Charlette/Thresholds subplot mechanics~~ → Legal challenge; Devod never signed away his share. Mere learns about the ultimatum in Ch 13 — she didn't know Charlette forced Devod out. Mere and Devod pursue the claim together.
-- ~~Elara reveal timing~~ → Ch 17; combined paper trail (Compact records) + street contact testimony (someone paid to look away).
+- ~~Devod's condition post-draining~~ → Life-threatening, full recovery. Touch and go for days. Recovers fully by Ch 20.
+- ~~Charlette/Thresholds subplot mechanics~~ → Ch 10 "The Logistics of Control." Three-act structure: legal discovery (Devod never signed away share) → ultimatum truth + Charlette translation (logistics-to-control pipeline) → three-way collaboration exploit (Mere: pattern, Phelan: flaw, Devod: exploit). Charlette's system dismantled using its own logic. Mere learns about the ultimatum. Reversal beat woven into Act 3.
+- ~~Elara reveal timing~~ → Ch 13; combined paper trail (Compact records) + street contact testimony (someone paid to look away).
 - ~~Specific Compact leverage on Carter's suppliers~~ → Blackmail. Supplier 1: minor real violation (Phelan helps them fix it — cheaper than bowing to Compact). Supplier 2: fabricated blackmail (Phelan exposes the fabrication — method TBD during drafting).
+- ~~Carter's family names~~ → Wife: Jenet Carterson. Son: Logen Carterson.
+- ~~Supplier 2 fabrication exposure method~~ → Resolved via Carson in Ch 5. Compact pressured Supplier 2 to cut off Carter AND spread fabricated rumors to force compliance. Carson knows the supplier (a fellow craftsman and follower of the Church of the Ahole), squashes the rumors over time through his network credibility. Supplier freed to resume business with Carter if Carter wants.
+- ~~Specific exploit mechanics~~ → Resolved. Five-beat credential harvest & authentication swap. See `docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-16-crystal-exploit-credential-harvest-design.md`
+
+- ~~Case entry details~~ → **RESOLVED.** No longer a victim's family walk-in. Ledger's Pathfinder-built intelligence network detected the draining pattern across Drenwick — multiple incidents no one else connected. Simultaneously noticed the Compact's deliberate non-investigation (they know about it and aren't acting). Two signals, one conclusion: someone with Compact protection is running an unregistered magical weapon. Guild-priority threat. The warrens family whose breadwinner was drained is a data point Ledger investigated, not a client who walked in. Guild takes this as an institutional operation — no client fee, guild-funded. Ledger assigns Phelan because the case requires his specific skillset.
+- ~~Kae's post-resolution status~~ → **RESOLVED.** Guild custody under Ledger's management. Kae becomes an intelligence asset: testimony too valuable to hand to the Compact (they'd bury it) or the city watch (they'd hang him). The crystal's connection log (every victim's signature) serves as irrefutable evidence. Combined with Kae's account, directly implicates Cass as the handler. Mere continues herbal treatment through the guild (ongoing ~80% pain management). Not a prisoner, not free — an asset with a debt and a purpose. **Physical location:** Guild safe house (established as available through Ch 11-12 crisis response beat). Pragmatism as mercy at institutional scale. Seeds Book 3: Kae is a weapon Ledger can point at the Compact when the time is right.
+- ~~Jacket delivery setup~~ → **RESOLVED.** Carter comments on Phelan's lack of protective gear during his Ch 2-3 visit about the supply chain problem. Specifically calls out that someone doing combat training with a fire mage should have better protection. Carter's craftsman eye reads the gear gap as professional negligence. Seeds the Ch 11 jacket delivery ("If you're going to do something stupid, at least wear something I made") as a punchline to a setup planted 8-9 chapters earlier. Carter had been designing the studded jacket since receiving the ore in Book 1; the comment in Ch 2-3 establishes he was *thinking* about it.
 
 ### Still Open
 
-- **Specific exploit mechanics:** How exactly does Phelan's Flaw Sight interact with the crystal's dependency structure? What does the "break" look like? — resolve during drafting
-- **Case entry details:** Which victim's family comes to the Guild? — resolve during Ch 2 input
-- **Kae's post-resolution status:** Where does he go after being saved? — resolve during Ch 23 input
-- **Carter's family names:** Wife and son names TBD before any family scenes
-- **Leon's grey-market contact names:** Which contacts does Carter keep? — resolve during drafting
-- **Jacket delivery setup:** Consider establishing an earlier Carter comment about Phelan's lack of protective gear, so the Ch 14 delivery lands as a punchline — resolve during Ch input creation
-- **Supplier 2 fabrication exposure method:** How Phelan exposes the fabricated blackmail — resolve during Ch 7-8 drafting
+- **Leon's grey-market contact names:** Which contacts does Carter keep? — pure drafting detail, resolve during chapter writing. No structural impact.