{
  "body": "NPC trust toward the player is one of five ordered states: hostile < cold < neutral < warm < trusted. Where a given player sits with a given NPC is runtime state owned by code. The ladder itself is canon. Every knowledge-link gate references one of these five names, plus the special gate `never` (fact is known but never revealed through dialogue at any rung).",
  "id": "rule.disposition-ladder",
  "related": [],
  "rungs": [
    "hostile",
    "cold",
    "neutral",
    "warm",
    "trusted"
  ],
  "type": "rule"
}