diff --git a/client/scripts/content/content_db.gd b/client/scripts/content/content_db.gd
index 5c262ba..afa2e07 100644
--- a/client/scripts/content/content_db.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/content/content_db.gd
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ var locations: Dictionary = {}
 var npcs: Dictionary = {}
 var quests: Dictionary = {}
 var items: Dictionary = {}
+var canon_entities: Dictionary = {}
+var topics: Dictionary = {}
 
 
 static func default_content_root() -> String:
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@ func load_from(content_root: String) -> void:
 	npcs = _load_dir(world.path_join("npcs"))
 	quests = _load_dir(world.path_join("quests"))
 	items = _load_dir(world.path_join("items"))
+	canon_entities = _load_dir(world.path_join("canon"))
+	topics = _load_dir(world.path_join("topics"))
 
 
 func _load_dir(dir_path: String) -> Dictionary:
@@ -56,6 +60,10 @@ func has_location(id: String) -> bool: return locations.has(id)
 func has_npc(id: String) -> bool: return npcs.has(id)
 func has_quest(id: String) -> bool: return quests.has(id)
 func has_item(id: String) -> bool: return items.has(id)
+func canon(id: String) -> Dictionary: return canon_entities.get(id, {})
+func topic(id: String) -> Dictionary: return topics.get(id, {})
+func has_canon(id: String) -> bool: return canon_entities.has(id)
+func has_topic(id: String) -> bool: return topics.has(id)
 
 
 func companions() -> Array:
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/test_content_db.gd b/client/tests/unit/test_content_db.gd
index f237fb3..19eed5a 100644
--- a/client/tests/unit/test_content_db.gd
+++ b/client/tests/unit/test_content_db.gd
@@ -50,3 +50,19 @@ func test_null_quest_ref_resolves():
 	var o := _deserter()
 	o["start_quest_id"] = null
 	assert_eq(db.unresolved_refs(o), [])
+
+
+func test_loads_canon_and_topics():
+	assert_true(db.has_canon("town.duncarrow"))
+	assert_true(db.has_canon("place.the-white-antlers"))
+	assert_true(db.has_topic("rumor.travelers-go-missing"))
+
+
+func test_topic_skeleton_has_no_body():
+	var t: Dictionary = db.topic("secret.crell-runs-slave-trade")
+	assert_false(t.has("body"))  # bodies are server-only
+
+
+func test_legacy_npcs_still_load():
+	assert_true(db.has_npc("fenn"))
+	assert_true(db.has_npc("npc.mera-fenn"))