ch3-4 done

CLAUDE.md

@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ When Phelan identifies a flaw, he can:
 
 *Document all new exploits Phelan uses in `/world/magic/exploits-log.md` for continuity.*
 
+### Phelan's Combat Magic — Fire & Earth
+In addition to Flaw Sight, Phelan has conventional combat magic he learned as a child due to bullying. He kept it quiet after leaving school and hasn't needed it until guild work takes him into dangerous environments.
+
+- **Fire element:** Strong. His primary combat tool — close-quarters fire weaving combined with melee strikes. Practiced obsessively as a kid.
+- **Earth element:** Serviceable but weaker. Used practically (stabilizing terrain, creating cover) rather than offensively.
+- **Melee + magic combination:** Rare in Corvel. Mages are common (~20% of the population can use magic), so being a mage alone isn't special. What's rare is combining physical combat skills with spell casting — most mages only know spells. Phelan can fight in close quarters while maintaining spell work.
+- **Current state:** A dormant skill resurfacing out of necessity — not his identity, but a real capability he's been sitting on. The skill and muscle memory are there, but his stamina isn't what it was.
+
 ---
 
 ## 5. CHARACTER BIBLE — PHELAN VARRANT
@@ -129,7 +137,7 @@ First-person, present-tense narration is NOT used. **First-person, past tense**
 - Genuine enthusiasm about magical systems that disappears the moment a person tries to connect with him about it
 - Understatement in dangerous situations, overstatement in mundane ones
 - Occasional fourth-wall-adjacent asides that don't quite break it
-- **"The noise" parentheticals** — involuntary brain tangents in `(parentheses)`, clipped fragment style (see "The Noise Convention" in Section 9)
+- **"The noise" parentheticals** — involuntary brain tangents in `(*italicized parentheses*)`, clipped fragment style (see "The Noise Convention" in Section 9)
 
 **DO NOT write Phelan like this:**
 - Warm, spontaneous emotional expression
@@ -230,7 +238,7 @@ All chapter drafts must comply with these rules from the first draft. Do not use
 - **Chapter headings:** Use `# Chapter [Number]: [Title]` — no decorative characters around them
 - **Scene breaks:** Use `* * *` (three asterisks with spaces) — never a blank line alone, never `---`
 - **No headers below H2** within chapter body text
-- **"The Noise" parenthetical tangents:** Phelan's involuntary ADD brain processing is formatted as parenthetical asides `(like this)` — short, clipped fragments, raw brain output. No nested parentheses. Can be block-level or inline with em-dash framing when the tangent interrupts mid-action. Target frequency: 4-6 per chapter (establishing chapters), 3-5 per chapter (ongoing). Higher frequency and shorter fragments during high-stress scenes. See `docs/plans/2026-03-03-the-noise-tangent-convention-design.md` for full rules.
+- **"The Noise" parenthetical tangents:** Phelan's involuntary ADD brain processing is formatted as `(*italicized content*)` — italics inside parentheses. Short, clipped fragments, raw brain output. No nested parentheses. Can be block-level or inline with em-dash framing when the tangent interrupts mid-action. Target frequency: 4-6 per chapter (establishing chapters), 3-5 per chapter (ongoing). Higher frequency and shorter fragments during high-stress scenes. See `docs/plans/2026-03-03-the-noise-tangent-convention-design.md` for full rules.
 - **No tables** in narrative text
 - **No fixed-width or monospace formatting** in prose