diff --git a/client/assets/theme/shaders/title_background.gdshader b/client/assets/theme/shaders/title_background.gdshader
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f86bcbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/assets/theme/shaders/title_background.gdshader
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+shader_type canvas_item;
+// Warm radial for the Title screen (mock: radial-gradient warm centre -> near
+// black edge, centred at 70% 20%). Colours are Palette uniforms set by the title
+// script (the DarkBay precedent), so no hex lives in the shader.
+uniform vec4 warm : source_color;
+uniform vec4 mid : source_color;
+uniform vec4 edge : source_color;
+uniform vec2 center = vec2(0.7, 0.2);
+
+void fragment() {
+	float d = distance(UV, center);
+	vec3 c = mix(warm.rgb, mid.rgb, clamp(d / 0.45, 0.0, 1.0));
+	c = mix(c, edge.rgb, clamp((d - 0.45) / 0.55, 0.0, 1.0));
+	COLOR = vec4(c, 1.0);
+}
diff --git a/client/assets/theme/shaders/title_background.gdshader.uid b/client/assets/theme/shaders/title_background.gdshader.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08ec602
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/assets/theme/shaders/title_background.gdshader.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://cfrs0nt60f2mb
diff --git a/client/scenes/title/TitleScreen.tscn b/client/scenes/title/TitleScreen.tscn
index 0ee32cc..6d56cf0 100644
--- a/client/scenes/title/TitleScreen.tscn
+++ b/client/scenes/title/TitleScreen.tscn
@@ -18,6 +18,21 @@ anchors_preset = 15
 anchor_right = 1.0
 anchor_bottom = 1.0
 
+[node name="Glow" type="ColorRect" parent="."]
+layout_mode = 1
+anchors_preset = 12
+anchor_top = 1.0
+anchor_right = 1.0
+anchor_bottom = 1.0
+offset_top = -420.0
+mouse_filter = 2
+
+[node name="Embers" type="GPUParticles2D" parent="."]
+position = Vector2(960, 1080)
+amount = 24
+lifetime = 9.0
+preprocess = 4.0
+
 [node name="KeyArt" type="Label" parent="."]
 layout_mode = 1
 anchors_preset = 6
diff --git a/client/scripts/theme/palette.gd b/client/scripts/theme/palette.gd
index 401ef83..9151289 100644
--- a/client/scripts/theme/palette.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/theme/palette.gd
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ const BORDER_3 := Color("4a4238")
 const BORDER_4 := Color("3a352e")
 const BORDER_5 := Color("1a1512")
 
+# --- Title-screen ambiance (warm radial background) ---
+const TITLE_WARM := Color("2a2018")   # radial centre
+const TITLE_MID := Color("160f0a")    # radial midpoint (STAGE_1 is the edge)
+
 # --- Parchment ---
 const SHEET_TOP := Color("ece2ca")
 const SHEET_BOTTOM := Color("e4d8bd")
diff --git a/client/scripts/ui/title/title_screen.gd b/client/scripts/ui/title/title_screen.gd
index 0052ce1..ac51790 100644
--- a/client/scripts/ui/title/title_screen.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/ui/title/title_screen.gd
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ extends Control
 ## The entry-point screen (mock Title Screen). Editor-first (ADR 0001): the whole
 ## composition lives in TitleScreen.tscn; this script drives selection, input, and
 ## dispatches the menu. §2: presentation/state — no AI here (the DM enters at the
-## shell). The atmosphere (bg shader, glow, embers) is layered on in a later task.
+## shell). The atmosphere (warm bg shader, pulsing glow, drifting embers) is
+## configured in code from Palette (the DarkBay precedent) — see _apply_background,
+## _configure_embers, _pulse_glow.
 
 signal menu_activated(id: StringName)
 
@@ -15,6 +17,8 @@ var _sel: int = 0
 @onready var _menu: VBoxContainer = $Content/Menu
 @onready var _footer_left: Label = $FooterLeft
 @onready var _background: ColorRect = $Background
+@onready var _glow: ColorRect = $Glow
+@onready var _embers: GPUParticles2D = $Embers
 @onready var _rule: ColorRect = $Content/Rule
 
 
@@ -25,6 +29,10 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 
 	_background.color = Palette.STAGE_1
 	_rule.color = Palette.GOLD
+	_glow.color = Palette.BLOOD
+	_apply_background()
+	_configure_embers()
+	_pulse_glow()
 
 	_rows = []
 	for row in _menu.get_children():
@@ -42,6 +50,48 @@ func _fit_to_viewport() -> void:
 	size = get_viewport_rect().size
 
 
+func _apply_background() -> void:
+	# Palette-driven shader material set in code (the DarkBay precedent) so no hex
+	# lives in the shader/scene; the editor shows the ColorRect fallback.
+	var mat := ShaderMaterial.new()
+	mat.shader = load("res://assets/theme/shaders/title_background.gdshader")
+	mat.set_shader_parameter("warm", Palette.TITLE_WARM)
+	mat.set_shader_parameter("mid", Palette.TITLE_MID)
+	mat.set_shader_parameter("edge", Palette.STAGE_1)
+	_background.material = mat
+
+
+func _configure_embers() -> void:
+	var pm := ParticleProcessMaterial.new()
+	pm.emission_shape = ParticleProcessMaterial.EMISSION_SHAPE_BOX
+	pm.emission_box_extents = Vector3(760, 4, 0)  # a wide strip along the bottom
+	pm.direction = Vector3(0, -1, 0)
+	pm.spread = 12.0
+	pm.gravity = Vector3(0, -18, 0)
+	pm.initial_velocity_min = 24.0
+	pm.initial_velocity_max = 52.0
+	pm.scale_min = 0.4
+	pm.scale_max = 1.0
+	pm.color = Palette.GOLD_BRIGHT
+	# fade out over life
+	var ramp := Gradient.new()
+	ramp.set_color(0, Color(Palette.GOLD_BRIGHT, 0.0))
+	ramp.set_color(1, Color(Palette.GOLD_BRIGHT, 0.0))
+	ramp.add_point(0.15, Palette.GOLD_BRIGHT)
+	var tex := GradientTexture1D.new()
+	tex.gradient = ramp
+	pm.color_ramp = tex
+	_embers.process_material = pm
+
+
+func _pulse_glow() -> void:
+	# A slow warm pulse (the off-screen fire). A code tween, not an AnimationPlayer:
+	# a 2-keyframe modulate loop is trivial in code and motion is runtime-only anyway.
+	var tween := create_tween().set_loops().set_trans(Tween.TRANS_SINE)
+	tween.tween_property(_glow, "modulate:a", 0.8, 3.0)
+	tween.tween_property(_glow, "modulate:a", 0.5, 3.0)
+
+
 func _wire_row_mouse() -> void:
 	for i in range(_rows.size()):
 		var idx := i  # fresh per-iteration binding for the closures