work on book 2, also redo of the book title, and code name for Phelan

CLAUDE.md

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-# CLAUDE.md — The Shade Series
+# CLAUDE.md — A Phelan Varrant Novel
 ## Phelan Varrant | World of Corvel | Guild of Necessary Services
 
 ---
 
 ## 1. PROJECT OVERVIEW
 
-**Series Title (working):** The Shade Series  
+**Series Title (working):** A Phelan Varrant Novel
 **Author:** Phillip Tarrant  
 **Publishing Target:** Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) — eBook + Print on Demand  
 **Enrollment:** Kindle Unlimited (KU) eligible — exclusive to Amazon  
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ In addition to Flaw Sight, Phelan has conventional combat magic he learned as a
 
 ### Vital Statistics
 - **Full Name:** Phelan Varrant
-- **Known As:** "The Shade" (clients, underworld contacts), "Phelan" (close associates), "Varrant" (guild formality)
+- **Known As:** "The Locksmith" (clients, underworld contacts), "Phelan" (close associates), "Varrant" (guild formality)
 - **Age:** Early-to-mid 30s (exact age flexible, keep consistent once established)
 - **Appearance:** Lean and unremarkable by design — average height, nondescript coloring, the kind of face that doesn't stick in memory. He considers this an asset. His eyes are slightly unsettling to those who notice them — always moving, cataloguing.
 - **Home:** A rented shack on the dockside of Drenwick — dreams of buying land and building a real house
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ The Guild of Necessary Services has a front office on a respectable street. It h
 
 Each book has its own `CLAUDE.md` in its chapter directory with premise, case details, themes, and milestone beats.
 
-- **Book 1:** `/chapters/book1/CLAUDE.md` — "The Unbreakable Curse" — **FINALIZED. Do not edit Book 1 chapters or content. Treat as locked canon.**
+- **Book 1:** `/chapters/book1/CLAUDE.md` — "The Floundry Affair" — **FINALIZED. Do not edit Book 1 chapters or content. Treat as locked canon.**
 - **Book 2:** (in progress) — current active work
 
 > **Current status:** Book 1 is complete and finalized. All work is now on Book 2. Book 1 text, outlines, and chapter files are reference-only — read them for continuity but never modify them.
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ All chapter drafts must comply with these rules from the first draft. Do not use
 ## 10. PROJECT FILE STRUCTURE
 
 ```
-/the-shade-series/
+/flawsight/
   CLAUDE.md                    ← This file. Master instructions.
   
   /world/
@@ -366,13 +366,13 @@ Use `[CONTINUITY FLAG: note here]` inline in drafts when something may conflict
 
 Each book is **episodic and self-contained** — a new case with a beginning, middle, and end. The series arc is the slow accumulation of:
 
-- Phelan's reputation (The Shade becomes known for impossible jobs)
+- Phelan's reputation (The Locksmith becomes known for impossible jobs)
 - His personal life (the house gets closer, relationships deepen incrementally)
 - World consequences (his exploits have effects; people notice; the Arcane Compact gets curious)
 - His understanding of his own ability (what Flaw Sight actually is may be larger than he thinks)
 
 **Book 1:** Establish voice, world, character, the impossible case  
-**Book 2:** Raise the stakes — a case where the antagonist knows who The Shade is  
+**Book 2:** Raise the stakes — a case where the antagonist knows who The Locksmith is
 **Book 3:** The Arcane Compact becomes a direct pressure; Phelan's ability can no longer stay quiet  
 
 *Expand in `/outline/series-arc.md`*

README.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# The Shade Series — Phelan Varrant
+# A Phelan Varrant Novel
 
 A fantasy novel series following Phelan Varrant, a broke, socially reluctant magical problem-solver with an ability no one else has: he can see exactly where magic breaks.
 
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ A fantasy novel series following Phelan Varrant, a broke, socially reluctant mag
 - **Comparable Titles:** The Dresden Files, Discworld, The Magicians
 - **Publishing Target:** Amazon KDP (Kindle Unlimited)
 
-## Book 1: The Unbreakable Curse
+## Book 1: The Floundry Affair
 
 Phelan works in an herbal supply shop, counts coppers, and dreams about the house he can't afford to build. When a client arrives through the Guild of Necessary Services with a dying family member cursed by a working that every authority says is impossible to break, Phelan takes the case because the fee is significant and the problem is interesting. In that order.
 

build_book.py

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ HTML_TEMPLATE = """\
 <head>
 <meta charset="UTF-8">
 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
-<title>The Shade Series - Book 1: The Unbreakable Curse (Draft)</title>
+<title>The Floundry Affair - A Phelan Varrant Novel (Draft)</title>
 <style>
   :root[data-theme="dark"] {{
     --bg: #1a1a2e;
@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@ HTML_TEMPLATE = """\
   <span id="theme-icon">&#9788;</span>
 </button>
 <div class="title-page">
-  <h1>The Unbreakable Curse</h1>
+  <h1>The Floundry Affair</h1>
-  <div class="subtitle">Book 1 of The Shade Series</div>
+  <div class="subtitle">A Phelan Varrant Novel — Book 1</div>
   <div class="draft-notice">DRAFT - Chapters {chapter_label} - For Review Only</div>
 </div>
 {toc}

chapters/book1/CLAUDE.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# CLAUDE.md — Book 1: "The Unbreakable Curse"
+# CLAUDE.md — Book 1: "The Floundry Affair"
 
 > **STATUS: FINALIZED.** Book 1 is complete. All chapters, outlines, and content are locked canon. Do not edit. Reference only for continuity when working on Book 2+.
 

chapters/book1/ch11-final.md

@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ He led me through a hallway where a younger girl — seven or eight — sat on t
 
 Calla Floundry met me at the front room door. She had the organized posture of someone who'd processed grief and moved to action — spine straight, hands steady, eyes that had done their crying weeks ago and decided crying wasn't solving anything. Mid-forties. Dark hair pulled back efficiently. She wore practical clothes, not mourning dress — function over signal. But the skin under her eyes was dark with exhaustion, and her fingers, when she extended her hand, had the faint tremor of someone running on will rather than rest.
 
-(*The alias. You were supposed to have an alias for client interactions. Ledger told you to pick one. That was — five days ago? You've been staring at house plans and analyzing bracelets and you forgot to pick a name. She's looking at you. She's extending her hand. You need a name. Now. Something. Anything. The Barrows. Verdenshade. Shade — dark, low-growing, thrives where nobody else looks. One word. Ledger is one word. Shade. Fine. It'll do.*)
+(*The alias. You were supposed to have an alias for client interactions. Ledger told you to pick one. That was — five days ago? You've been staring at house plans and analyzing bracelets and you forgot to pick a name. She's looking at you. She's extending her hand. You need a name. Now. Something. Anything. Locks. Curses are locks. You pick locks — find the flaw, work the mechanism, open what shouldn't open. Locksmith. One word. Ledger is one word. Locksmith. Fine. It'll do.*)
 
-"Shade," I said, taking her hand. "Guild of Necessary Services."
+"Locksmith," I said, taking her hand. "Guild of Necessary Services."
 
 The name felt odd in my mouth — new, untested, like a coat I'd grabbed off the wrong hook on my way out the door. But it fit well enough. I'd picked worse things under pressure.
 

chapters/book1/ch19-final.md

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Ledger was at the front door.
 
 He'd positioned himself the way he positioned everything — with a precision that looked like casual presence. Leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching the street without appearing to look at anyone on it, which meant he was cataloguing all of them.
 
-"Shade," he said.
+"Locksmith," he said.
 
 "Ledger."
 

chapters/book1/ch20-final.md

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ The siege was over. The house was just a house again.
 
 Calla opened the door before I knocked. She'd been watching from the window — old habits, the ones that formed during weeks of waiting for news that was never good.
 
-"Shade." She stepped aside. "Come in."
+"Locksmith." She stepped aside. "Come in."
 
 She looked different too. Not relaxed — I doubted Calla Floundry had been relaxed in the conventional sense since the curse hit. But the white-knuckle quality was gone. The controlled composure that had impressed me on the first visit — the organized documents, the meticulous timeline, the way she'd managed her own terror with filing systems and clean sheets — had softened into something less rigid. She was still standing at attention. She'd just stopped bracing for impact.
 
@@ -108,13 +108,13 @@ I stood, nodded to Calla at the door, and walked back into the morning.
 
 Fourteen Greystone Lane hadn't changed. The building's deliberate unremarkability — the quality that had made me walk past it six times before my first visit — was exactly as effective as it had always been. The ward-work on the exterior registered through my sluggish Flaw Sight as a blurred suggestion of competence rather than the crisp three-layer architecture I'd mapped weeks ago.
 
-The receptionist was exactly as polite as always. "Ledger is expecting you, Shade. Planning room."
+The receptionist was exactly as polite as always. "Ledger is expecting you, Locksmith. Planning room."
 
 The planning room still had Leon's colour-coded diagrams pinned to the wall. Someone had cleaned the floor — the spot where I'd crashed days ago showed no evidence of fourteen unconscious hours. The guild was tidy about its messes.
 
 Ledger was seated at the table with a thin folder. He'd been waiting — not impatiently, because Ledger didn't do impatience. Waiting was just another form of observation.
 
-"Shade." He gestured to the chair across from him. "You look better than you should, given the reports."
+"Locksmith." He gestured to the chair across from him. "You look better than you should, given the reports."
 
 "Low bar."
 
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ I waited.
 
 "What you did. The Floundry case. Breaking a Compact-classified 'unbreakable' curse with a three-phase coordinated intervention using a team of unlicensed operators and a botanical preparation the Compact has spent five years acquiring the supply of." He paused, and the pause was the closest Ledger came to emphasis. "The guild has noticed."
 
-He didn't elaborate. Didn't explain what *noticing* meant in guild terms — whether it was a reclassification, a shift in case assignment, a recalibration of what the name "Shade" meant in the network's internal shorthand. Just the statement. The guild has noticed. Left hanging, because Ledger understood that implications were more powerful than explanations, and because Ledger never gave you a syllable more than he intended.
+He didn't elaborate. Didn't explain what *noticing* meant in guild terms — whether it was a reclassification, a shift in case assignment, a recalibration of what the name "Locksmith" meant in the network's internal shorthand. Just the statement. The guild has noticed. Left hanging, because Ledger understood that implications were more powerful than explanations, and because Ledger never gave you a syllable more than he intended.
 
 "Anything else?" he asked.
 

chapters/book1/epilogue-final.md

@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ We did another fifteen minutes. The fire improved. The stamina held.
 
 The case brief was on the table when I got home.
 
-Not the table at the guild — the table at Chandler's Row, the one with the house plans and Mere's annotations and the overlap of two lives' worth of paperwork. Ledger had started delivering briefs to the home address three weeks ago, which was either a professional courtesy or an acknowledgment that the Shade's operating base had shifted, or both.
+Not the table at the guild — the table at Chandler's Row, the one with the house plans and Mere's annotations and the overlap of two lives' worth of paperwork. Ledger had started delivering briefs to the home address three weeks ago, which was either a professional courtesy or an acknowledgment that the Locksmith's operating base had shifted, or both.
 
 This one was different.
 

chapters/book2/CLAUDE.md

@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ Immediate aftermath of the crystal break. Phelan is in hard crash -- exhausted,
 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 24: 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 Shade than before, Cass is not finished, and the quiet won't last.
+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**
 Time skip -- weeks or a month after the case closes. Seeds for Book 3. Cass receives reports about the crystal break -- details that tell him more about Phelan's ability than Phelan would want anyone to know. The Compact's internal politics shift -- Phelan is no longer an annoyance, he's a variable that needs managing. Kae's current state (wherever he ended up). A final detail that signals Book 3's threat: the Compact deciding to look more closely at what Phelan can actually do. Mirrors Book 1's epilogue structure -- the case is over, the consequences are just beginning.
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ The domestic arc is the emotional spine that makes the Kae case land, because Ka
 |---|---|---|
 | 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 Shade than Phelan is comfortable with. |
+| 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. |
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ Ledger ended Book 1 playing a longer game — "the guild has noticed," Greenvale
 | 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 Shade. 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 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. |
 

characters/ledger.md

@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@
 | Ch02 | Assigns draining case to Phelan in person. "You've been busy. We've noticed." Signals this case matters to the guild. | Assignment / escalation |
 | Ch06 | Provides guild intelligence identifying Kae's street name. Asks specific questions about Phelan's investigative methods — how he traced the crystal's pre-Compact signature. Questions too precise. Phelan deflects. Ledger files the deflection. | Intelligence / probing |
 | Ch09 | A victim has died. Ledger visits to discuss guild exposure. "This is a murder case. The guild's name is attached to the outcome." Subtext: guild is watching Phelan closely. | Escalation / pressure |
-| Ch12 | Delivers Tier Two reclassification. Higher retainer, Archive access, intelligence priority, alias formalized. "The Shade. You've been using it. The guild is formalizing it." More resources, more scrutiny. | Promotion / institutional investment |
+| Ch12 | Delivers Tier Two reclassification. Higher retainer, Archive access, intelligence priority, alias formalized. "The Locksmith. You've been using it. The guild is formalizing it." More resources, more scrutiny. | Promotion / institutional investment |
 | Ch19 | Provides approach vector and tactical support for reaching Kae. Committed to getting the case closed — file on Phelan's methods secondary to resolution. | Resources / commitment |
 | Ch23 | Post-case debrief. Crystal break left arcane evidence. "The report describes a sustained interaction with the crystal's internal structure. That's not standard curse-breaking." Phelan deflects. Ledger accepts. File thickens. Seeds Book 3. | Debrief / series setup |
 

characters/phelan-varrant.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 ## Core Identity
 
 - **Full Name:** Phelan Varrant
-- **Known As:** "The Shade" (clients, underworld contacts), "Phelan" (close associates), "Varrant" (guild formality)
+- **Known As:** "The Locksmith" (clients, underworld contacts), "Phelan" (close associates), "Varrant" (guild formality)
 - **Age:** 32 (established Ch06, line 41)
 - **Occupation:** Herbal supply store clerk (day job, Book 1 opening) → Guild of Necessary Services member
 - **Home:** Rented shack on the dockside of Drenwick — dreams of buying land and building a real house
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@
 
 | Chapter | Development | Category |
 |---------|-------------|----------|
-| Ch12 | Promoted to Tier Two by Ledger. Higher pay (25s/month retainer), Archive access, "The Shade" formalized as guild alias. Mixed feelings — money and access welcome, scrutiny isn't. Anonymity harder to maintain. | goal, institutional |
+| Ch12 | Promoted to Tier Two by Ledger. Higher pay (25s/month retainer), Archive access, "The Locksmith" formalized as guild alias. Mixed feelings — money and access welcome, scrutiny isn't. Anonymity harder to maintain. | goal, institutional |
 
 ### Book 3
 <!-- Future -->

docs/plans/2026-03-09-book1-cover-design.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Book 1 Cover Design — "The Lattice Walker"
 
 **Date:** 2026-03-09
-**Book:** The Unbreakable Curse (The Shade Series, Book 1)
+**Book:** The Floundry Affair (A Phelan Varrant Novel, Book 1)
 **Target:** Amazon KDP (eBook + Print on Demand)
 **Generation Tool:** Stable Diffusion (SDXL recommended)
 
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ After generation, the chosen image will need to be upscaled and formatted:
 
 The generated image is the background only. Title and author text should be added in an image editor (Canva, Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Designer):
 
-- **Title:** "THE UNBREAKABLE CURSE" — large, top third of cover
+- **Title:** "THE FLOUNDRY AFFAIR" — large, top third of cover
-- **Series tag:** "THE SHADE SERIES" — smaller, above or below title
+- **Series tag:** "A PHELAN VARRANT NOVEL" — smaller, above or below title
 - **Author name:** Bottom of cover
 - **Font style:** Clean serif or semi-serif with slight fantasy feel — avoid overly ornate fonts that lose readability at thumbnail size
 - **Text color:** White or light gold with subtle outer glow/shadow for readability against the dark background

docs/plans/2026-03-09-book1-cover-gimp-overlay.md

@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ Create layers in this order (top to bottom):
 
 ## Text Placement — Print Cover (3375 x 5181)
 
-### Title: "THE UNBREAKABLE CURSE"
+### Title: "THE FLOUNDRY AFFAIR"
 - **Font:** Cinzel Bold
 - **Size:** ~200-240px (adjust until it fills ~80% of the width with comfortable margins)
 - **Color:** White (#FFFFFF) or light gold (#F0D48A)
 - **Position:** Centered horizontally, top ~15-20% of the image (y ~600-800px)
 - **Letter spacing:** Slightly expanded (+2 to +5) for authority
-- **Lines:** Can be one line or split as "THE UNBREAKABLE" / "CURSE" — test both
+- **Lines:** Can be one line or split as "THE FLOUNDRY" / "AFFAIR" — test both
 
-### Series Tag: "THE SHADE SERIES"
+### Series Tag: "A PHELAN VARRANT NOVEL"
 - **Font:** Cinzel Regular (or Cinzel Decorative)
 - **Size:** ~80-100px
 - **Color:** Gold (#D4A843) or muted warm white (#E8DCC8)

docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-10-manuscript-analysis-skill-design.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 ## Context
 
-Book 1 of The Shade Series is complete at ~104K words across 21 chapters. Before publication and during future book development, the author needs repeatable quality checks that catch:
+Book 1 of the Phelan Varrant series is complete at ~104K words across 21 chapters. Before publication and during future book development, the author needs repeatable quality checks that catch:
 1. Repeated/overused phrases across the manuscript
 2. Continuity errors, timeline inconsistencies, and world-building contradictions
 3. Story craft issues (pacing, character arcs, foreshadowing, POV consistency)

docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-12-carter-book2-role-design.md

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 ### Why Carter Is a Target
 
-After the Floundry case (Book 1), Cassius Rykhard identified everyone who helped Phelan. Carter supplied the mine expedition gear, built the focusing ring, and coordinated ore sales with Leon. Cass was conducting surveillance during Book 1 (present at Ch13 events, sent hired hands in Ch19) and was reassigned to Thorngate knowing who The Shade is. The Compact also has records of who purchased supplies for the mine expedition -- Carter's involvement is traceable through normal Compact channels, not just Cass's personal observation.
+After the Floundry case (Book 1), Cassius Rykhard identified everyone who helped Phelan. Carter supplied the mine expedition gear, built the focusing ring, and coordinated ore sales with Leon. Cass was conducting surveillance during Book 1 (present at Ch13 events, sent hired hands in Ch19) and was reassigned to Thorngate knowing who The Locksmith is. The Compact also has records of who purchased supplies for the mine expedition -- Carter's involvement is traceable through normal Compact channels, not just Cass's personal observation.
 
 ### How the Pressure Works
 

export_kindle.py

@@ -217,9 +217,9 @@ def build_title_page(title: str, subtitle: str, author: str) -> epub.EpubHtml:
 def build_epub(args) -> Path:
     """Build the EPUB file and return its path."""
     book_num = args.book
-    title = args.title or "The Unbreakable Curse"
+    title = args.title or "The Floundry Affair"
     author = args.author or "Phillip Tarrant"
-    subtitle = f"Book {book_num} of The Shade Series"
+    subtitle = f"A Phelan Varrant Novel — Book {book_num}"
 
     chapter_dir = ROOT / "chapters" / f"book{book_num}"
     if not chapter_dir.exists():
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ def build_epub(args) -> Path:
 
     # --- Create the EPUB book ---
     book = epub.EpubBook()
-    book.set_identifier(f"shade-series-book{book_num}")
+    book.set_identifier(f"phelan-varrant-book{book_num}")
     book.set_title(f"{title}: {subtitle}")
     book.set_language("en")
     book.add_author(author)
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ def main():
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--title",
-        help="Book title (default: The Unbreakable Curse)",
+        help="Book title (default: The Floundry Affair)",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--author",

notes/book1-kindle-publish-checklist.md

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ EPUB: `kindle/exports/book1-kindle.epub`
 ## Metadata
 
 - [X] Confirm pen name / author name — **Phillip Tarrant**
-- [X] Confirm book title and subtitle — **The Unbreakable Curse: The Shade Series, Book One**
+- [X] Confirm book title and subtitle — **The Floundry Affair: A Phelan Varrant Novel, Book One**
 - [X] Write book description / blurb (for KDP listing) — see below
 - [X] Choose KDP categories (2 allowed) — Fantasy > Humorous; Fantasy > Mystery & Detective
 - [X] Select 7 keywords for KDP search — see below
@@ -27,15 +27,13 @@ EPUB: `kindle/exports/book1-kindle.epub`
 
 Phelan Varrant sees what nobody else can — the flaws in magic that everyone else calls perfect.
 
-Broke, antisocial, and operating out of a rented shack on Drenwick's dockside, Phelan makes his living through the Guild of Necessary Services, solving problems other guilds won't touch. When a desperate client arrives with a dying family member cursed by a working that two registered curse-breakers have already declared unbreakable, Phelan takes the case. The fee is significant. The problem is interesting. In that order.
+Broke, antisocial, and operating out of a rented shack on Drenwick's dockside, Phelan makes his living through the Guild of Necessary Services, solving problems other guilds won't touch. When a desperate wife hires him to save her husband from a curse that two licensed practitioners have failed to break — and that the Arcane Compact classified as unbreakable in eleven days flat — Phelan takes the case. The fee is significant. The problem is interesting. In that order.
 
-The curse is named unbreakable by the Arcane Compact, but the curse isn't what it seems.
+But the curse isn't one working. It's three, nested inside each other, each designed to protect the rest. And the Compact's suspiciously fast ruling starts to look less like bureaucratic efficiency and more like someone wanted this man silenced.
 
-To save a man he barely knows, Phelan will have to do the one thing he's worst at: trust other people.
+To crack a curse that shouldn't exist, Phelan will need things he's never had: a team, a plan that depends on other people, and the willingness to trust them when his own body gives out.
 
-Phelan has a gift for hacking magic and seeing flaws. Can he find a way to crack this curse? Can he learn to work well with others? Will the effort be worth the cost?
+*The Floundry Affair* is the first in the Phelan Varrant series — a fantasy adventure for readers who love Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, and protagonists who are more clever than they are kind.
-
-*The Unbreakable Curse* is the first book in The Shade Series — a fantasy adventure for readers who love Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, and protagonists who are more clever than they are kind.
 
 ### KDP Keywords
 

outline/book1-outline.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Book 1 Outline — "The Unbreakable Curse"
+# Book 1 Outline — "The Floundry Affair"
 
 Chapter-by-chapter outline for Book 1.
 
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Chapter-by-chapter outline for Book 1.
 
 | Ch | Title (Working) | Content |
 |----|----------------|---------|
-| 01 | The Pirate Shade | Phelan's day job at Gavren's, voice established, financial state (broke, one meal a day). Mere's first visit to Thresholds |
+| 01 | The Pirate Locksmith | Phelan's day job at Gavren's, voice established, financial state (broke, one meal a day). Mere's first visit to Thresholds |
 | 02 | The Arcane District | First date with Mere. Relationship baseline. Agree to meet Thursday |
 | 03 | The Dog | Thursday at Thresholds. Cursed dog — Flaw Sight demonstrated (binding salts cure). First hyperfocus crash. Dog chooses Mere. Guild interview letter arrives |
 | 04 | The Interview | Guild interview. Phelan accepted. Gavren asks for two weeks' notice |

outline/series-arc.md

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-# Series Arc — The Shade Series
+# Series Arc — A Phelan Varrant Novel
 
 High-level series trajectory across all planned books.

world/economy.md

@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
 - Archives access (previously "senior investigators only")
 - Guild intelligence network responds to his requests with priority
 - Cases assigned are higher stakes with higher fees
-- "The Shade" formalized as guild alias — on record, searchable by other guild members and, potentially, by the Compact
+- "The Locksmith" formalized as guild alias — on record, searchable by other guild members and, potentially, by the Compact
 - Debriefs are more thorough — Ledger asks harder questions
 
 ---

world/story-summary-book1.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Story Summary — Book 1: The Unbreakable Curse
+# Story Summary — Book 1: The Floundry Affair
 
 **Purpose:** Quick-reference continuity document for Claude Code. Consult this file at the start of any drafting or revision session to establish context without re-reading all chapter drafts. For detailed revisions or line-level continuity checks, consult the full chapter drafts directly.
 
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ Wednesday: shack realization. The word "partner" changes the requirements — Ph
 
 **Summary:** Ledger arrives at Phelan's shack at seventh bell Thursday with a leather folio — guild-assembled intelligence on the Floundry case beyond the client brief. Key intel: Ned Floundry was a Commerce Authority trade inspector who filed reports on vendor irregularities in Compact-contracted supply chains four months ago. Six weeks after the reports, the curse hit. The Compact's "unbreakable" classification came in eleven days — standard assessment runs four to six weeks. Ledger hand-picked Phelan for this case: "This one needs someone who sees things differently." Fee confirmed: 150 silvers, 120 net (standard 20% commission, extended engagement surcharge waived). Ledger notices something changed about Phelan since the Barrows debrief — doesn't identify the bracelet but registers the sharpness.
 
-Phelan visits the Floundry home in the upper guild quarter. Met by the son (~10–11, solemn, "Are you another healer?") and sees the daughter (~7–8) on the stairs with an unread book. **Guild alias chosen under pressure:** "Shade" — picked in a noise parenthetical panic when Calla extends her hand and Phelan realizes he forgot to choose one. Calla Floundry: mid-forties, organized, exhausted, controlled composure. She has documents prepared — timeline, curse-breaker reports, Compact classification, expense ledger. Phelan reviews the curse-breaker reports (Practitioner Vellen, week 3; Practitioner Dorath, week 5) and identifies that both used unnecessarily narrow methodology — same dissolution family, same framework, as if working within predetermined constraints. Calla confirms the eleven-day timeline troubled her too. She describes Ned's pre-curse anxiety and reveals: Ned told her to contact **Devod Fields** — a carriage driver whose routes crossed at the shipping warehouses — if anything happened. Phelan recognizes the name (Mere's father) but keeps his expression professional.
+Phelan visits the Floundry home in the upper guild quarter. Met by the son (~10–11, solemn, "Are you another healer?") and sees the daughter (~7–8) on the stairs with an unread book. **Guild alias chosen under pressure:** "Locksmith" — picked in a noise parenthetical panic when Calla extends her hand and Phelan realizes he forgot to choose one. Calla Floundry: mid-forties, organized, exhausted, controlled composure. She has documents prepared — timeline, curse-breaker reports, Compact classification, expense ledger. Phelan reviews the curse-breaker reports (Practitioner Vellen, week 3; Practitioner Dorath, week 5) and identifies that both used unnecessarily narrow methodology — same dissolution family, same framework, as if working within predetermined constraints. Calla confirms the eleven-day timeline troubled her too. She describes Ned's pre-curse anxiety and reveals: Ned told her to contact **Devod Fields** — a carriage driver whose routes crossed at the shipping warehouses — if anything happened. Phelan recognizes the name (Mere's father) but keeps his expression professional.
 
 When Phelan asks to see Ned, Calla asks him to return at third bell — she needs time to prepare the room (dignity, clean linens). Before he leaves, she retrieves recent paper scraps from a drawer: Ned has been trying to write since the curse took his voice, but the recent attempts are illegible, motor control degrading. "He had beautiful handwriting." Calla's composure cracks here — the writing is the detail that gets to her. Phelan pockets the scraps. Fee confirmed: 150 silvers, half on engagement, half on resolution.
 
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ Phelan writes Ned a note: **I SEE WHAT THEY MISSED. I'M GOING TO FIGURE THIS OUT
 
 **Magic/Exploits:** **Flaw Sight + bracelet focusing matrix used on Ned's curse** — initial deep observation. Three nested layers identified. No exploit deployed (observation only). Bracelet stone amber-red, reservoir charged. See exploits-log.md for observation entry.
 
-**Plot threads opened/advanced:** **Guild alias "Shade" chosen** (under pressure, noise parenthetical); Floundry case investigation begins (consultation, Calla interview, curse observation); three-layer curse architecture identified (degradation facade → concealment → unknown third structure); Compact corruption thread deepened (eleven-day classification, curse-breakers working within constraints, predetermined assessment); **Devod Fields connected to case** — Ned trusted him, Mere confirmed as his daughter; Ledger's suspicion advanced (notices change in Phelan since Barrows); bracelet used in the field for first time on active curse; Phelan made a promise to Ned (written note).
+**Plot threads opened/advanced:** **Guild alias "Locksmith" chosen** (under pressure, noise parenthetical); Floundry case investigation begins (consultation, Calla interview, curse observation); three-layer curse architecture identified (degradation facade → concealment → unknown third structure); Compact corruption thread deepened (eleven-day classification, curse-breakers working within constraints, predetermined assessment); **Devod Fields connected to case** — Ned trusted him, Mere confirmed as his daughter; Ledger's suspicion advanced (notices change in Phelan since Barrows); bracelet used in the field for first time on active curse; Phelan made a promise to Ned (written note).
 
 **Chapter-ending state:** Phelan walking home, noise running at death-ward speed. Three-layer curse identified but not yet analyzed in depth. 4–6 weeks remaining (probably less — deterioration accelerating). Next steps: contact Devod Fields, deeper curse analysis. Scraps in coat pocket. 75 silvers engagement fee incoming (half of 150). Bracelet performing well but limits untested on sustained field work.
 
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ Beat 4: The case brief — ending. Phelan reads the new case. Bracelet warm ambe
 - Saturated ore: **RESOLVED** (Ch21)
 - Greenvale Provisions evidence: **ADVANCED** (filed with guild)
 - Compact corruption: **ADVANCED** (Cass removed, scheme intact, Phelan has Ned's intel)
-- Cassius Rykhard: **ADVANCED** (reassigned to Thorngate, knows who The Shade is)
+- Cassius Rykhard: **ADVANCED** (reassigned to Thorngate, knows who The Locksmith is)
 - House/land dream: **ADVANCED** (math works, timeline shortened, plan is real and shared)
 - Phelan-Mere relationship: **ADVANCED** (living together, kitchen faces east)
 - Mere/Devod: **ADVANCED** (door open, functional relationship)
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ Beat 4: The case brief — ending. Phelan reads the new case. Bracelet warm ambe
 | Floundry son | Ch11 | Active — ~10–11, solemn, too-old assessment | Ned & Calla's son. "Are you another healer?" | Ch11 (hallway) |
 | Floundry daughter | Ch11 | Active — ~7–8, wide still eyes, unread book | Ned & Calla's daughter. Sits on stairs. | Ch11 (stairs) |
 | Devod Fields | Ch12 (named Ch11) | **Ch21:** Helped with ore logistics — cart, covered storage, transport contacts. Has house ideas (pilings not slab, reclaimed timber, goats). 2 out of 10 good. Present without forcing reconnection with Mere. Door open. | Mere's father. Part of the ecosystem now — case intel, mine navigation, Layer 3 concept, ore logistics. | Ch21 (shack, Saturday morning) |
-| Cassius Rykhard ("Cass") | Ch13 | **Ch20:** Reassigned to Thorngate (four days north) — quiet, fast, no formal action. System protecting itself, not enforcing justice. Knows who The Shade is. Book 2 antagonist. | Compact antagonist. Reassigned but dangerous. | Ch20 (referenced — reassigned to Thorngate) |
+| Cassius Rykhard ("Cass") | Ch13 | **Ch20:** Reassigned to Thorngate (four days north) — quiet, fast, no formal action. System protecting itself, not enforcing justice. Knows who The Locksmith is. Book 2 antagonist. | Compact antagonist. Reassigned but dangerous. | Ch20 (referenced — reassigned to Thorngate) |
 | Charlette Fields | Ch12 (named, off-page) | Active — Mere's mother. Owns Thresholds (the leash). Systematic controller: income, schedule, social contact. Forced Devod out via ultimatum when Mere was 12. Family in northern provinces. | No direct relationship yet. Phelan now knows the scope of her control. | Ch12 (referenced by Devod) |
 | Practitioner Vellen | Ch11 (referenced) | Active — registered curse-breaker | Attempted Floundry curse at week 3, failed. Guild of Arcane Practice. | Referenced Ch11 |
 | Practitioner Dorath | Ch11 (referenced) | Active — registered curse-breaker | Attempted Floundry curse at week 5, failed. Guild of Arcane Practice. | Referenced Ch11 |
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ Beat 4: The case brief — ending. Phelan reads the new case. Bracelet warm ambe
 **ADVANCING** — Active development across chapters.
 **RESOLVED** — Completed.
 
-- **ADVANCING** | **Guild career** — Phelan accepted Tier One (Ch04). First job (Barrows) completed (Ch07–09). Second job: Ned Floundry case completed (Ch10–19). **Ch20: "The guild has noticed."** **Epilogue:** Higher-tier cases, better pay. Guild standing shifted — reputation as "The Pirate Shade who broke an unbreakable curse" has moved through the network. | Introduced Ch01, advanced Ch04–Ch10, Ch20, Epilogue.
+- **ADVANCING** | **Guild career** — Phelan accepted Tier One (Ch04). First job (Barrows) completed (Ch07–09). Second job: Ned Floundry case completed (Ch10–19). **Ch20: "The guild has noticed."** **Epilogue:** Higher-tier cases, better pay. Guild standing shifted — reputation as "The Pirate Locksmith who broke an unbreakable curse" has moved through the network. | Introduced Ch01, advanced Ch04–Ch10, Ch20, Epilogue.
 - **ADVANCING** | **The house/land dream** — Target ~1,300 silvers. **Ch21: trajectory changed** — "years, not decades." ~140s liquid + 200-400s ore projected + retainer + higher-tier case fees. Gap narrowing. Devod's pilings idea accepted. Kitchen faces east in every version. **Epilogue:** house plans revision 10, Mere's annotations integrated. Rented place on Chandler's Row (interim — kitchen faces west, noted once). The dream house is a plan with a timeline now. | Introduced Ch01, advanced Ch04–Ch05, Ch10, Ch12–Ch13, Ch18, **Ch21, Epilogue**.
 - **ADVANCING** | **Phelan-Mere relationship** — Full arc Ch01–Epilogue: unnamed customer → name → hand-holding → cheek kiss → "You're my partner" → trust > control (Ch19 crash) → **"The kitchen should face east" (Ch21)** → **living together (Epilogue)**. The category doesn't have a name. Never needed one. | Introduced Ch01, advanced every chapter. Major milestones Ch10, Ch17, Ch19, **Ch21, Epilogue**.
 - **ADVANCING** | **Flaw Sight concealment** — Phelan hides true extent from guild and most people. Carter told "geometry" (Ch09). Mere knows (Ch10). Leon knows (Ch16). **Carter now knows about the bracelet (Ch17)** — saw inscription work while Phelan was unconscious ("Hard to keep a focusing matrix hidden from a craftsman when you're unconscious on his floor with your sleeve riding up"). Sent observations on post-stress harmonic settling. **Only guild/Compact now excluded.** All inner circle (Mere, Leon, Carter, Devod) aware. | Introduced Ch01, advanced Ch03–Ch04, Ch09–Ch10, Ch16–Ch17.
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ Beat 4: The case brief — ending. Phelan reads the new case. Bracelet warm ambe
 - **ADVANCING** | **Mere's mother (Charlette Fields)** — **Epilogue:** Mere left Charlette 3 months ago — packed, walked out, own terms. Thresholds still Charlette's (deed = leash). Mere still doesn't know about the ultimatum. The fight over Thresholds is Book 2 territory. | Introduced Ch02, major reveal Ch12, **advanced Epilogue**.
 - **ADVANCING** | **Barrows' original purpose / Pre-Compact knowledge** — Second floor construction suggests extraordinary pre-Compact engineer. Bracelet's conditional notation suggests pre-Compact practitioners had fundamentally different (superior?) approach to magic. "The Compact didn't invent Runic Flow. They inherited it. Standardized it. Locked it down." What was lost? | Introduced Ch07–Ch08, advanced Ch10.
 - **ADVANCING** | **Guild intelligence network** — Knew about dog cure within four days (Ch04). Ledger's herb recommendation in Ch09. Not demonstrated in Ch10. | Introduced Ch04, advanced Ch09.
-- **RESOLVED** | **Guild alias** — Ledger tells Phelan to pick an alias (Ch09). Phelan turns it over in Ch10 — nothing fits. **Ch11: chosen under pressure** — Calla extends her hand, noise panics, lands on "Shade" (verdenshade association — "dark, low-growing, thrives where nobody else looks"). First use with a client. | Introduced Ch09, resolved Ch11.
+- **RESOLVED** | **Guild alias** — Ledger tells Phelan to pick an alias (Ch09). Phelan turns it over in Ch10 — nothing fits. **Ch11: chosen under pressure** — Calla extends her hand, noise panics, lands on "Locksmith" (verdenshade association — "dark, low-growing, thrives where nobody else looks"). First use with a client. | Introduced Ch09, resolved Ch11.
 - **RESOLVED** | **Carter's store credit** — Used toward focusing ring purchase (twelve silvers out of pocket after credit applied). | Introduced Ch09, resolved Ch13.
 - **OPEN** | **Brute-force forgery (hybrid concept)** — **Ch21:** Leon says "closer to viable" after seeing forge-under-fire performance. Still theoretical, untested. Future tool. | Introduced Ch10, advanced Ch21.
 - **PLANTED** | **Leon's Vethani sale (Book 2 seed)** — **Epilogue:** Someone asking about Vethani Crypts / Mallory crystal buyer through a broker. Leon: "People ask." Not worried. Phelan's noise filed it. The careless sale (1,200s to anonymous buyer, no questions) may have consequences. | **Planted Epilogue**.
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ Beat 4: The case brief — ending. Phelan reads the new case. Bracelet warm ambe
 - **RESOLVED** | **Velken's Drift mine expedition** — **Ch14: underway.** Arrived, descended, four mine dogs fought (30% reserves). **Ch15: completed.** Moss harvested by Mere (first application + extra stock). Five bandits engaged and defeated (ring combat + Devod's mine cart barricade). Bracelet wellspring discovered. Patrol documents and Greenvale Provisions evidence recovered. Ceiling structural failure resolved by Devod's wheel jack fix. Saturated magical ore discovered and loaded (~30-35 pieces). Team returned safely. | Introduced Ch12, resolved Ch15.
 - **ADVANCING** | **Mere's estrangement from Devod** — **Ch21:** Devod helping with ore logistics, has house ideas. Present without forcing it. The twelve-year gulf isn't bridged — being built across, one plank at a time. **Epilogue:** door open, functional relationship growing (implied by Devod's continued presence in ecosystem). Mere still doesn't know about the ultimatum — Book 2 territory. | Introduced Ch12, advanced Ch13–Ch18, **Ch21**.
 - **RESOLVED** | **Promise to Ned** — Ch11: "I SEE WHAT THEY MISSED. I'M GOING TO FIGURE THIS OUT." Ch18: "We know what to do. Tomorrow morning." **Ch19: Kept.** Ch20: Ned's written note — "You kept your word. Thank you." Full circle (Phelan pockets gratitude note in same coat pocket where illegible scraps lived). | Introduced Ch11, advanced Ch18, **resolved Ch19**, callback **Ch20**.
-- **ADVANCING** | **Cassius Rykhard** — **Ch20:** Reassigned to Thorngate (four days north). Quiet, fast, no formal action. Institutional knowledge = **Book 2 antagonist.** Knows who The Shade is. | Introduced Ch13, advanced Ch18–Ch19, **Ch20**.
+- **ADVANCING** | **Cassius Rykhard** — **Ch20:** Reassigned to Thorngate (four days north). Quiet, fast, no formal action. Institutional knowledge = **Book 2 antagonist.** Knows who The Locksmith is. | Introduced Ch13, advanced Ch18–Ch19, **Ch20**.
 - **RESOLVED** | **Saturated magical ore** — **Ch21:** 8 pieces gifted to Carter (master-grade, repayment). ~27 pieces to sell through Carter/Leon channels (quiet sales, specialty buyers, no Compact attention). Devod provides transport logistics. Estimated 200-400 silvers over months. Ore thread closed — proceeds will trickle in. | Introduced Ch15, **resolved Ch21**.
 - **ADVANCING** | **Greenvale Provisions / patrol evidence** — **Ch20:** Filed with Ledger at guild. "We'll need it." Guild playing a longer game. Combined with Ned's written intel (vendor scheme roadmap). Book 2 territory. | Introduced Ch15, **advanced Ch20**.
 - **RESOLVED** | **Focusing ring** — **Ch14: combat-tested (mine dogs).** **Ch15: combat-tested (bandits).** Five fire workings + screen in sustained human combat. Ring strain noted (vibration starting in metal). Performance confirmed across both engagements. | Introduced Ch13, resolved Ch14–Ch15.
@@ -687,9 +687,9 @@ Beat 4: The case brief — ending. Phelan reads the new case. Bracelet warm ambe
 - **Ned Floundry:** Ch20: awake, aware, recovering. Two written notes — gratitude and Compact intel. The intel is a roadmap to the vendor scheme. **Ally with knowledge** for Book 2.
 - **Calla Floundry:** Ch20: siege broken. Children coming home. Guild healer arranged. Professional closure.
 - **Devod Fields:** Ch21: helping with ore logistics, has house ideas (2 out of 10 good — pilings, reclaimed timber). Present without forcing it. The door is open with Mere — functional relationship growing. Not bridged, not abandoned. Being built across, one plank at a time.
-- **Cassius Rykhard:** Ch20: reassigned to Thorngate (four days north). Quiet, fast, no formal action. **Institutional knowledge = Book 2 antagonist.** He knows who The Shade is.
+- **Cassius Rykhard:** Ch20: reassigned to Thorngate (four days north). Quiet, fast, no formal action. **Institutional knowledge = Book 2 antagonist.** He knows who The Locksmith is.
 - **Charlette Fields:** Epilogue: Mere left 3 months ago. Thresholds still Charlette's. Fight unresolved — Book 2 territory.
-- **The Guild:** "The guild has noticed." Higher-tier cases. Better pay. The name "Pirate Shade" has moved through the network. Phelan still withholding second floor, death ward, and bracelet from guild.
+- **The Guild:** "The guild has noticed." Higher-tier cases. Better pay. The name "Pirate Locksmith" has moved through the network. Phelan still withholding second floor, death ward, and bracelet from guild.
 - **Team dynamic (end of Book 1):** The team that assembled for the Floundry case didn't dissolve — it became infrastructure. Carter moves ore and builds equipment. Leon trains and coordinates grey-market sales. Devod provides logistics and transport. Mere provides botanical expertise and shared domesticity. The chain held during the cure. The connections hold after it.
 
 ---
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ Beat 4: The case brief — ending. Phelan reads the new case. Bracelet warm ambe
 - Devod Fields: mid-fifties, wiry, perpetual energy, hands always moving. Carriage driver (Henwick's yard). Lives alone above tanner's on Millford Street. Single room, tools from three trades, half-finished projects. Divorced from Charlette Fields. Forced out of contact with Mere via ultimatum when she was 12. Keeps twelve years of unsent birthday/holiday gifts on a shelf. "Ninety percent noise, ten percent signal." (Ch12)
 - Charlette Fields: Mere's mother. Owns Thresholds (Mere built the business, Charlette holds the deed). Systematic controller — income extraction ("household contribution"), schedule monitoring, social restriction. Forced Devod to cut all contact via ultimatum (Mere age 12) or she'd disappear with Mere. Family in northern provinces. Mere doesn't know about the ultimatum. (Ch12, off-page)
 - Professor Aldwen: taught Advanced Environmental Thaumics at Brannick's Academy. Referenced ghostveil moss growth sites that were later acquired by the Compact. (Ch12, referenced)
-- Cassius Rykhard ("Cass"): Compact official, full name established Ch20. Ordered Ned's curse, sent hired hands during cure (Ch19), offered 25-gold bribe (Ch13). Reassigned to Thorngate (Ch20). Knows who The Shade is. **Book 2 antagonist.** (Ch13, Ch19, Ch20)
+- Cassius Rykhard ("Cass"): Compact official, full name established Ch20. Ordered Ned's curse, sent hired hands during cure (Ch19), offered 25-gold bribe (Ch13). Reassigned to Thorngate (Ch20). Knows who The Locksmith is. **Book 2 antagonist.** (Ch13, Ch19, Ch20)
 - Ned Floundry: Commerce Authority trade inspector. Cursed for investigating vendor scheme irregularities. Post-cure (Ch20): hearing damaged, throat damaged, left hand curled (motor control cascade), but eyes clear — half-beat delay gone. Writing with right hand. (Ch11, Ch20)
 - Calla Floundry: Ned's wife. Managed crisis with filing systems and clean sheets. Post-cure (Ch20): siege broken, children returning. (Ch11, Ch20)
 

world/timeline-book1.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Book 1 Timeline — The Unbreakable Curse
+# Book 1 Timeline — The Floundry Affair
 
 **Purpose:** Track elapsed time between chapters to prevent continuity errors. Update this file whenever a chapter is drafted or revised.
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 | ~31 | Ch10 | **Monday** | Bracelet deep-dive at shack. Reserves ~75%. Focusing matrix = filter, reservoir = buffer. |
 | ~32 | Ch10 | **Tuesday** | Bracelet analysis continues. Reserves ~80–85%. Evening: visits Leon, brings wine. Full forge-and-redirect debrief. Brute-force forgery hybrid theorized. |
 | ~33 | Ch10 | **Wednesday** | Shack realization ("partner" changes requirements). Guild alias considered (nothing fits). Afternoon: Floundry case brief (NS-7721) delivered. 150 silvers, unbreakable curse, Ned Floundry, 4–6 weeks remaining. |
-| ~34 | Ch11 | **Thursday** | Seventh bell: Ledger delivers folio at shack. Morning: Phelan visits Floundry home, meets Calla, reviews reports, alias "Shade" chosen. Calla shows recent illegible scraps, asks him to return at third bell. Phelan visits Thresholds (briefs Mere, Devod Fields named). Third bell: return to Floundry home, sees Ned, full scraps progression, bracelet-enhanced Flaw Sight reveals 3-layer curse. Writes Ned a promise note. Walks home. |
+| ~34 | Ch11 | **Thursday** | Seventh bell: Ledger delivers folio at shack. Morning: Phelan visits Floundry home, meets Calla, reviews reports, alias "Locksmith" chosen. Calla shows recent illegible scraps, asks him to return at third bell. Phelan visits Thresholds (briefs Mere, Devod Fields named). Third bell: return to Floundry home, sees Ned, full scraps progression, bracelet-enhanced Flaw Sight reveals 3-layer curse. Writes Ned a promise note. Walks home. |
 | ~35 | Ch12 | **Friday** | Fifth bell: Phelan at table processing curse architecture from memory (bracelet-enhanced recall). Three-layer solution mapping: Layer 1 → ghostveil moss (dampening agent, Sniff/binding salts parallel); Layer 2 → forge-and-redirect (death ward technique); Layer 3 → anchor drift visible but unsolved. Brief stop at Thresholds (Mere gives Devod intel, doesn't go). Visits Devod at Millford Street (late morning). Case intel: Ned's vendor concerns, dead-drop instruction. Velken's Drift mine identified as ghostveil moss source. Devod mentions "my daughter" → Phelan's non-reaction reveals connection → testing questions → "partner" confirmed. **Charlette Fields named.** Mother revelation: owns Thresholds, income control, ultimatum at 12, Devod forced out. Unsent gifts (12 years). Expedition planned: Phelan, Mere, Devod + Carter supplies. Walks home — noise on two tracks (Layer 3 unsolved, Mere's situation). House plans look different. |
 | ~36 | Ch13 | **Saturday** | Saturday morning: guild HQ, Compact regulatory letter (Section 14c), Ledger's note backing client. Cassius Rykhard encounter outside guild — 25 gold bribe offered and refused. Tenth bell: planning library, Mere and Devod first proximity, mine expedition planned. Saturday afternoon: Carter's shop, supplies assembled, focusing ring revealed and purchased (12 silvers). Walk home. Mine expedition set: tomorrow (Sunday), fifth bell. |
 | ~37 | Ch14 | **Sunday** | Fifth bell departure from Drenwick, three hours SE by cart. Devod drives. Arrive Velken's Drift ~eighth bell. Mine entry: Flaw Sight overwhelmed by ambient residue (useless, not degraded). Bracelet filters worst but can't eliminate. Descent through galleries — Devod navigates by memory. Residue pocket encounter (3 seconds sensory overload). **Fight 1: four mine dogs** (mutated by residue). Ring first combat use: 12ft clean kill (amplified by residue), second shot dampened (melee required), ring vibration at threshold. Devod's walking stick deflects flanking dog from Mere — protective instinct, not the equipment. Mere catalogs the data point. Post-fight: ~30% reserves spent (vs. Barrows: 100% for 5 crawlers). Ring efficiency confirmed. **Ghostveil moss located:** east branch, second gallery, flooded sublevel. Old stock, high concentration. Mere estimates ~1 hour to harvest. **End hook:** human voices from deeper in the mine. Not empty. |