aetherbound-guild/docs/presentation/ART_ASSET_AND_ANIMATION_CATALOG.md

Aetherbound Guild: Art Asset And Animation Catalog

Authority: production specification for generated-recruit art, profession kits, equipment and artifact presentation, region and enemy art, animation, combat staging, UI support art, and VFX.

Frozen source: .agent-taskgraph/spec.md revision design-spec-r3.

Current gate: design candidate only. Nothing in this catalog is generated, imported, runtime-seen, human-reviewed, device-verified, or release-accepted.

1. Visual Production Contract

1.1 Identity Statement

Aetherbound Guild is an original landscape 2D Japanese hand-drawn fantasy auto-battler in which a changing company of visibly assembled recruits forms one long, readable party line against region-shaped threats. Expressive inked silhouettes, restrained cel shading, tactile equipment, and precise effect geometry make preparation choices legible while combat executes automatically.

The art must communicate, in this order:

1. who is exposed at the front and who is protected farther back;
2. which actor will act, whom the action will affect, and when it will resolve;
3. which profession, equipment, trait, or artifact caused the result;
4. whether the company can recover, must replace a recruit, or can improve its next plan.

Decorative detail never outranks those reads. Generated recruits are visual recipes, not authored lead characters, and no recipe receives unique narrative illustration obligations.

1.2 Visual Pillars

Pillar	Production rule	Rejection signal
Assembled individuality	Body, face, hair, underlayer, profession kit, palette, and equipment remain separable and deterministic.	A recruit reads as a recolor or changes identity between portrait and battle.
Ordered-line clarity	Front-to-rear order remains visible in silhouette, ground contact, overlap, targeting, and result review.	A player must infer order from text, health bars, or selection alone.
Mechanical ornament	Every emblem, tool, prop, motion, and effect has a gameplay or navigation job.	Decoration resembles a target, hazard, reward, or action without the matching state.
Regional contrast	Each of eight region families has its own shape, material, value, weather, and enemy integration rules.	A region differs only by hue, backdrop swap, or particle tint.
Hand-drawn control	Line weight, key poses, painted edges, and texture are deliberately cleaned at play size.	Anatomy drift, unstable pivots, synthetic detail noise, or inconsistent light survives cleanup.
Quiet automation	Idle motion yields to forecast, impact, casualty, reward, and recovery cues.	Constant motion or glow makes automatic battle unreadable or tiring.

1.3 Mood And Lighting

State	Lighting and value contract
Shop and preparation	Open mid-values, clear local color, soft overhead light, and low atmospheric motion support comparison.
Battle opening	Region light remains recognizable while actor rims and ground contacts establish the party line and opposing staging.
Normal execution	Background contrast drops behind active silhouettes; action geometry receives the brightest local edge.
Pressure	Shadows cool and tighten locally around threatened actors; the whole screen does not darken or pulse.
Permanent loss	Motion and saturation withdraw from the affected recruit while the rest of the battlefield remains inspectable.
Reward	Warm directional light reveals the claimed object; celebration does not cover party condition or next action.
Endgame and high difficulty	More complex region states may layer together, but the same value hierarchy and semantic shapes remain binding.

1.4 Production And Evidence States

Every asset follows this non-skippable sequence:

brief -> source -> cleaned_master -> separated -> export_validated -> imported -> integrated -> runtime_seen -> agent_visual_reviewed -> human_reviewed -> device_verified -> release_accepted

Later states are never inferred from earlier ones. Current approval of this catalog advances only the brief state. Final or bulk media production remains outside this Goal.

2. Authority, Bindings, And IDs

2.1 Content Integration Bindings

This catalog owns visual production rules, not gameplay identities or screen architecture. The following names are mandatory integration bindings. They may be replaced only by the corresponding stable IDs from the merged authorities.

Binding	Required resolution
CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[01..12]	Twelve base profession rows, in their authoritative order.
CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[01..24]	Twenty-four advanced profession rows; two resolve to each base row.
CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[01..06]	Six hidden hybrid profession rows and their prerequisite pairings.
CONTENT.TRAIT[01..36]	Thirty-six trait rows, each exposing benefit, cost, trigger, and visibility.
CONTENT.EQUIPMENT[001..320]	Three hundred twenty equipment rows, including slot, behavior, anchor need, and manifestation class.
CONTENT.ARTIFACT[01..60]	Sixty shared-rule artifact rows and their trigger/conflict states.
CONTENT.ENEMY[001..100]	One hundred ordinary or elite enemy identities, including tier and region.
CONTENT.BOSS[01..16]	Sixteen boss identities, including region, action set, and phase needs.
CONTENT.REGION[01..08]	Eight region identities and encounter grammar.
SYSTEM.PARTY.CAPACITY_PROFILE	Simulated deployment capacity and anchor spacing across run progression.
SYSTEM.COMBAT.EVENT_SCHEMA	Authoritative targeting, timing, status, casualty, and result event names.
UX.VIEWPORT.MIN/REFERENCE/MAX	Landscape review viewports and safe-area masks.
UX.SCREEN.*	Player-facing screen and state IDs requiring art support.

Unresolved bindings remain visible in the manifest. Art production cannot silently assign a profession mechanic, item slot, enemy tier, region placement, screen count, or battle formula.

2.2 Stable Art IDs

Family	Stable ID range	Exact identity count
Recruit modular part	ART-REC-{part}-nnn	defined in Section 4
Profession kit	ART-PRO-B01..B12, ART-PRO-A01..A24, ART-PRO-H01..H06	42
Trait presentation	ART-TRT-01..36	36
Equipment presentation	ART-EQP-001..320	320
Artifact presentation	ART-AFT-01..60	60
Ordinary or elite enemy	ART-ENM-001..100	100
Boss	ART-BOS-01..16	16
Region	ART-REG-01..08	8
UI support art	ART-UI-{family}-nnn	Section 10 ledger
VFX grammar	ART-VFX-{family}-{state}	Section 13 ledger

Gameplay identity counts and visual state counts stay separate. A palette, frame, expression, equipment attachment, effect, or difficulty treatment is a presentation state, never a new recruit, profession, enemy, boss, or item. Recruit part values are BODY, FACE, HAIR, DETAIL, UNDER, and ACC.

2.3 Manifest Record

Every source and export record stores:

id, content_binding, runtime_role, source_type, manual_brief_or_prompt,
creator_or_provider, provider_task_id, source_revision, source_path,
processed_path, source_hash, dimensions, format, alpha, layers, palette_id,
rig_id, anchor_map, pivot, native_play_scale, animation_events, frame_timing,
reduced_motion_export, reduced_flash_export, low_power_export, license_status,
import_binding, integration_state, runtime_capture, rejection_reason,
agent_visual_review, human_review, device_review, release_acceptance

Accepted and rejected candidates remain traceable. Regeneration never replaces the provenance of an earlier candidate.

3. Global Drawing, Shape, Color, And Material Rules

3.1 Drawing And Camera

• Characters use a three-quarter side presentation with the face, leading hand, tool, and ground contact readable in a single pose.
• Outer contours are warm charcoal, not pure black. Interior lines are lighter and are removed before they turn into noise at minimum play size.
• Cel shading uses one principal shadow group and one selective reflected-light group. Specular marks belong to the material, not to rarity.
• Faces retain two readable landmarks at battle scale: brow/eye direction and mouth/jaw angle. Portrait assembly adds detail without changing geometry.
• Background perspective is shallow enough for the ordered party line to keep one stable ground rail. Vertical offsets used for overlap separation carry no tactical meaning.
• Camera shake, zoom, and rotation are feedback accents, never the only proof of hit weight, threat, or state change.

3.2 Shape Language

Subject	Primary shape grammar	Required distinction
Generated recruit	Tapered organic body masses plus one profession-owned outer contour.	Face/hair identity remains visible inside the profession silhouette.
Protective role	Closed arcs, broad planted bases, upright tools.	Protection is visible before an effect fires.
Reach or distance role	Long directional diagonals and clear empty space around the release path.	The projected reach does not resemble a protection field.
Support role	Open cups, paired loops, or outward branches.	Ally benefit and enemy harm use different endpoints.
Enemy	Region material distorted into one dominant threat shape.	Each identity has one recognizable mechanic-bearing contour.
Boss	One large body thesis plus two secondary phase-changing masses.	Hit area and forecast geometry remain distinct from decoration.
Interactable object	Squared base, visible hand contact, one state-bearing mechanism.	It cannot resemble dropped loot or a hazard.
Reward	Compact centered object with a quiet outward reveal.	It cannot resemble an incoming attack.

3.3 Palette And Material Budget

The common palette uses seven separated roles: ink charcoal, paper-white, verdant green, mineral teal, signal coral, reward gold, and arcane violet. Regions replace local hues but keep semantic contrast. Danger uses coral plus a toothed or pointed contour; healing uses green plus an open-leaf contour; protection uses teal plus a closed bracket; reward uses gold plus a radial seal.

Per recruit, skin and hair do not count against the material cap. The visible combat costume uses at most:

• two underlayer materials;
• two profession materials;
• one equipment-specific focal material;
• one accent hue covering no more than 25 percent of the actor silhouette;
• emissive detail covering no more than 8 percent, except during a resolved action frame.

Profession hue never encodes identity alone. Rarity cannot replace local color with a full-body tint. Region lighting cannot shift ally and enemy values into the same silhouette range.

3.4 Asset Scale And Format Targets

Asset	Editable source target	Runtime role	Validation rule
Modular body or outfit master	1536x2048	layered actor rig or curated atlas	Full contour, ground, hands, face, and every declared anchor remain uncropped.
Portrait assembly	1536x1536	384/512/768 crops	Same recipe and geometry as battle actor.
Battle actor	shared modular source	reference height bound to UX.VIEWPORT.REFERENCE	Silhouette passes at minimum viewport with bars and effects present.
Enemy actor	1536x1536 or 1536x2048	layered rig or atlas	Mechanic contour survives region lighting.
Boss actor	2048x2048 to 3072x2048	multi-part rig or atlases	Never covers forecast endpoints or priority controls.
Equipment or artifact object	1024x1024	96/192/384 exports	Perceived size normalized without cropping long tools.
UI icon	vector or 512 master	24/32/48 logical exports	Meaning survives one-color and high-contrast tests.
Environment master	2560x1440	layered landscape scene	Actors, UI, interactables, and hazards are not baked in.
VFX master	vector, mesh definition, or 1024 atlas	effect-family export	Alpha fringe, pivot, timing, blend, and final state are explicit.

Atlas pages target 2048. A 4096 page requires measured memory and upload proof on the selected device tier. Opaque full-screen plates do not carry alpha.

4. Generated Recruit Visual System

4.1 Deterministic Recipe

One recruit stores the following visual recipe:

body_foundation + face_structure + skin_palette + hair_family + hair_palette
+ 0..2 face_details + underlayer + 0..1 neutral_accessory
+ profession_kit + equipment_attachments + condition_state

The seed resolves IDs and palette indices, never pixels. The same recipe builds shop portrait, inspection portrait, party-line actor, result portrait, and collection silhouette. Portrait and battle exports may use different detail levels but cannot alter age read, face geometry, hair contour, body foundation, skin palette, or identifying detail placement.

4.2 Modular Source Inventory

Library	Exact masters	Runtime states per master	Total state cells	Notes
Body foundations	12	16 common motion slots	192	Four proportion families across three height bands; every profession kit must fit every body.
Face structures	24	6 expression assemblies	144	Neutral, assess, focus, strain, relief, and loss-record.
Hair families	48	3 assemblies	144	Portrait, battle-front, and battle-rear layers with headwear masks.
Face detail sets	36	1	36	Brows, freckles, scars, makeup, facial hair, eyewear, and age marks; none implies stats.
Underlayers	24	2	48	Portrait and battle assembly; profession-neutral neck, torso, glove, and boot bases.
Neutral accessories	18	2	36	Portrait and battle assembly; never uses profession or trait semantic shapes.
Skin ramps	12	palette data	12	Individually reviewed highlight, midtone, shadow, lip, and palm values.
Hair ramps	18	palette data	18	Natural and fantasy ranges with value separation from outlines and headgear.
Underlayer ramps	16	palette data	16	Multi-hue cloth and leather ranges; no rarity semantics.
Total	208 masters		646 authored state cells	Palette data counts as masters, not texture duplicates.

Body foundations include compact, balanced, broad, and long-limbed proportion families. Height changes ground-to-head distance but never scales the head, hands, or equipment uniformly. Production may add seated or assisted movement only after its full anchor and motion package is approved; it may not be faked by shrinking or hiding a standing rig.

4.3 Standard Attachment Point Map

Every body and profession kit declares these named attachment points:

head_top, face_center, shoulder_left, shoulder_right, hand_primary,
hand_secondary, chest, waist_left, waist_right, back_high, back_low,
foot_left, foot_right, ground_front, ground_rear, projectile_origin,
effect_origin, overhead_status

Equipment may bind only to a declared point or to none. A two-hand item owns both hand points and a grip-distance range. Hair, sleeves, capes, back objects, and headwear carry explicit occlusion masks rather than relying on import order.

4.4 Layer And Occlusion Order

rear VFX
rear profession mass / back equipment
rear hair / rear accessory
rear arm and rear hand item
body foundation / underlayer
profession torso and waist overlays
head / face / expression / front hair
front arm and primary item
front profession mass / front equipment
condition and target contours
front VFX / engine-rendered state UI

At the minimum viewport, another recruit may cover no more than 35 percent of a recruit's torso, no more than 15 percent of the head contour, and none of the profession's unique tool endpoint. The selected or acting actor receives a shape-following ink-and-paper rim; non-actors are not globally dimmed.

4.5 Generation Safety And Distinctness

• Body, face, skin, hair, and detail distributions are independent of combat strength, cost, rarity, profession tier, trait polarity, and survival record.
• All 12 body foundations and all 48 hair families pass all 42 profession headwear, hand, back, and shoulder masks before production scale-up.
• A recipe is rejected when its face contour, hair contour, profession outer mass, and primary tool do not produce at least three distinct reads against the current deployed party.
• Duplicate recipes are prevented by a normalized signature over body, face, hair, details, underlayer, and palette. Matching profession and equipment are not sufficient to declare a duplicate.
• Names are engine-rendered. No generated name, biography, or localized text is baked into art.
• Trait and equipment changes add state-bearing markers; they do not regenerate a recruit's body or face.

4.6 Recruit Condition Presentation

State	Portrait change	Battle change	Persistence proof
Available	Neutral or assess expression	idle_observe	Full recipe visible.
Selected	Focus expression and shaped rim	ready final pose	Party-order token shares the same portrait crop.
Pressured	Strain expression, segmented condition edge	pressure_idle with lowered center of mass	Effect clears only when authoritative condition clears.
Recoverable casualty	Eyes and tool lower; no gore	casualty_hold preserves ground and silhouette	Result view retains recipe and recovery state.
Permanent loss	Loss-record expression is stamped into history entry	loss_resolve ends in a still readable final contour before exit	Result and history use the same recipe; no celebratory dissolve.
Victory	Relief expression	restrained victory_settle	Equipment and condition remain visible for result review.

5. Profession Visual Kits: 42

5.1 Kit Package And Motion Codes

Each profession receives one package. The visual kit reveals combat responsibility without replacing recruit identity.

Deliverable per kit	Per kit	Total for 42
Profession emblem	1	42
Outer-silhouette overlay set	1	42
Primary tool set with stow state	1	42
State-bearing device with empty/active/full	3	126 states
Auto-action pose deviations	2	84
Passive or cadence marker	1	42
Signature effect-geometry brief	1	42
Reduced-motion resolved poses	2	84

Animation-need codes used below:

Code	Required authored deviation
BRACE	planted anticipation, protected endpoint, absorb recovery
INTERCEPT	rapid cross-body entry, contact hold, return to legal order
THRUST	two-hand reach line, contact compression, controlled withdrawal
SWEEP	broad tool arc with clear start and endpoint, no full-screen trail
DUAL	alternating hand contacts with readable first and second event
RELEASE	aim, release event, projectile origin, recoil recovery
CHANNEL	stable source, sustained tick pose, interruptible recovery
PULSE	gather, outward ally/enemy endpoint, quiet return
DEPLOY	hand-to-ground or hand-to-object placement, activation, recall
HEAVY	long anticipation, high-contact key, weighted settle
MOBILE	step-out, action, and return that preserves party order
RALLY	upward signal, outward propagation, group response without manual-control implication

All actions are automatic event presentation. The codes do not authorize repeated player-activated skills.

In the kit tables, both hands means hand_primary + hand_secondary, both waist points means waist_left + waist_right, both shoulders means shoulder_left + shoulder_right, and both feet means foot_left + foot_right. These are compact references to the standard attachment point map, not new anchor names.

5.2 Base Profession Kits: 12

Art ID / binding	Silhouette thesis	Equipment anchors	Material and accent limit	Animation needs
ART-PRO-B01 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[01]	Broad shoulder shell and high rectangular guard edge; face stays open.	hand_secondary, shoulder_left, back_high	Canvas + dark iron; teal edge <=20%; no cape.	BRACE, INTERCEPT
ART-PRO-B02 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[02]	Long forward haft with narrow pennon and low planted stance.	both hands, back_low, projectile_origin	Ash wood + brushed steel; coral pennon <=15%.	THRUST, MOBILE
ART-PRO-B03 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[03]	Split short-coat hem and paired compact hand tools.	both hands, both waist points	Dyed cloth + blackened steel; gold stitches <=12%.	DUAL, MOBILE
ART-PRO-B04 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[04]	Tall bow crescent and offset quiver breaking one shoulder.	both hands, back_high, projectile_origin	Pale wood + woven cord; verdant fletching <=18%.	RELEASE, MOBILE
ART-PRO-B05 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[05]	Vertical staff line opposed by a square folio at the waist.	hand_primary, waist_right, effect_origin	Lacquered wood + paper; violet ink <=20%.	CHANNEL, PULSE
ART-PRO-B06 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[06]	Hanging lantern mass below the hand and open sleeve arc above it.	hand_primary, waist_left, effect_origin	Frosted glass + linen; green light <=8% idle.	PULSE, CHANNEL
ART-PRO-B07 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[07]	Block hammer head, cropped apron, and compact back tool roll.	both hands, back_low, ground_front	Forged steel + heavy leather; gold sparks only on contact.	HEAVY, DEPLOY
ART-PRO-B08 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[08]	Bare forearm wedges, wrapped fists, and short waist sash tails.	both hands, waist_left, waist_right	Woven wrap + matte leather; coral knots <=12%.	DUAL, INTERCEPT
ART-PRO-B09 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[09]	Shoulder vial rack and low triangular satchel balanced across torso.	shoulder_right, waist_left, hand_primary	Clear glass + waxed cloth; three liquid hues maximum.	DEPLOY, RELEASE
ART-PRO-B10 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[10]	Narrow upright standard behind one shoulder and short signal baton.	back_high, hand_primary, effect_origin	Dyed cloth + brass; gold trim <=15%.	RALLY, PULSE
ART-PRO-B11 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[11]	Weighted cord loop around a low asymmetrical coat and hooked hand tool.	hand_primary, waist_right, ground_front	Dark steel + coarse cloth; violet knots <=14%.	SWEEP, MOBILE
ART-PRO-B12 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.BASE[12]	Round forearm disc opposed by a long compact launcher silhouette.	hand_secondary, hand_primary, projectile_origin	Patinated bronze + lacquer; teal inlay <=18%.	RELEASE, BRACE

5.3 Advanced Profession Kits: 24

Each pair inherits the indexed base kit's face opening and underlayer masks, but changes the outer contour, tool rhythm, and action endpoints.

Art ID / binding	Parent	Silhouette thesis	Equipment anchors	Material and accent limit	Animation needs
ART-PRO-A01 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[01]	B01	Tall slab guard, raised collar, planted triangular foot mass.	hand_secondary, both shoulders, ground_front	Dark iron + quilted cloth; teal seam <=16%.	BRACE, HEAVY
ART-PRO-A02 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[02]	B01	Small angled guard and long forward blade, leaving torso open.	both hands, back_low	Polished steel + canvas; coral edge <=14%.	INTERCEPT, THRUST
ART-PRO-A03 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[03]	B02	Hooked pole head and high forked pennon make two distant endpoints.	both hands, back_low, projectile_origin	Blue steel + ash; verdant cord <=12%.	THRUST, SWEEP
ART-PRO-A04 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[04]	B02	Narrow lance cone, kite pennon, and backward-streaming waist panels.	both hands, back_high	Brushed steel + stiff silk; coral pennon <=18%.	THRUST, MOBILE
ART-PRO-A05 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[05]	B03	Three short tool tips fan from an angular hip sheath.	both hands, both waist points	Blackened steel + soft leather; gold pins <=10%.	DUAL, RELEASE
ART-PRO-A06 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[06]	B03	Long single saber diagonal and one broad trailing scarf plane.	hand_primary, waist_right, back_low	Tempered steel + thin cloth; violet scarf <=20%.	SWEEP, MOBILE
ART-PRO-A07 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[07]	B04	Greatbow exceeds head height; split quiver forms a rear fork.	both hands, back_high, projectile_origin	Layered wood + horn; verdant fletching <=15%.	RELEASE, HEAVY
ART-PRO-A08 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[08]	B04	Paired compact launchers and squared magazine blocks at both hips.	both hands, both waist points, projectile_origin	Dark wood + brass; coral notch <=12%.	DUAL, RELEASE
ART-PRO-A09 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[09]	B05	Ring-topped staff with three flat tablets orbiting the shoulder contour.	hand_primary, shoulder_right, effect_origin	Inked wood + ceramic; violet marks <=18%.	CHANNEL, PULSE
ART-PRO-A10 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[10]	B05	Short wand and oversized clasped volume create a low-wide reading pose.	both hands, waist_left, effect_origin	Paper + dark leather; gold clasp <=10%.	CHANNEL, DEPLOY
ART-PRO-A11 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[11]	B06	Twin low lanterns join through a high sleeve arc.	both hands, both waist points, effect_origin	Frosted glass + linen; green light <=8% idle.	PULSE, DUAL
ART-PRO-A12 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[12]	B06	Bell pole and circular hanging screen create concentric contours.	both hands, back_high, effect_origin	Brass + translucent paper; teal ring <=16%.	RALLY, CHANNEL
ART-PRO-A13 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[13]	B07	Oversized maul and compact furnace pack form opposing heavy blocks.	both hands, back_low, ground_front	Forged iron + fired clay; coral heat <=8% idle.	HEAVY, PULSE
ART-PRO-A14 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[14]	B07	Long wrench profile and square folding case near the ground.	hand_primary, back_low, ground_front	Steel + painted wood; gold latches <=12%.	DEPLOY, BRACE
ART-PRO-A15 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[15]	B08	Layered arm guards widen the upper body; leg ribbons point action direction.	both hands, both feet	Lacquered leather + cloth; coral ties <=15%.	DUAL, HEAVY
ART-PRO-A16 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[16]	B08	Long jointed staff held low beneath an open shoulder silhouette.	both hands, back_low	Ash wood + woven grip; teal bands <=12%.	SWEEP, INTERCEPT
ART-PRO-A17 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[17]	B09	Circular vial wheel rises behind one shoulder with a short sprayer forward.	back_high, hand_primary, projectile_origin	Glass + brass; three liquid hues maximum.	RELEASE, PULSE
ART-PRO-A18 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[18]	B09	Tall reservoir pack and thin injector cane form a vertical pair.	back_low, hand_primary, effect_origin	Smoked glass + waxed cloth; green fluid <=10%.	CHANNEL, THRUST
ART-PRO-A19 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[19]	B10	Wide split standard and waist drum create high and low signal masses.	back_high, waist_left, both hands	Dyed cloth + hide; gold trim <=14%.	RALLY, HEAVY
ART-PRO-A20 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[20]	B10	Fan of slender signal needles behind a cropped conducting baton.	back_high, hand_primary, projectile_origin	Spring steel + lacquer; violet tips <=12%.	RALLY, RELEASE
ART-PRO-A21 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[21]	B11	Wide weighted chain crescent stays low around a narrow upright torso.	both hands, ground_front, waist_right	Dark steel + coarse cloth; coral binding <=10%.	SWEEP, HEAVY
ART-PRO-A22 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[22]	B11	Broad hooked cleaver and short segmented tether create a broken diagonal.	hand_primary, waist_right, back_low	Black iron + leather; violet etch <=12%.	INTERCEPT, SWEEP
ART-PRO-A23 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[23]	B12	Three round plates step from forearm to shoulder in a rising rhythm.	hand_secondary, shoulder_left, back_high	Patinated bronze + canvas; teal centers <=15%.	BRACE, PULSE
ART-PRO-A24 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.ADVANCED[24]	B12	Long-barrel tool and rectangular shoulder stock create one exact aim line.	both hands, shoulder_right, projectile_origin	Dark wood + steel; gold sight <=8%.	RELEASE, HEAVY

5.4 Hidden Hybrid Profession Kits: 6

The content authority resolves each hybrid's two prerequisites. Art merges one shape verb from each parent but uses a new focal mass, so the result never reads as two complete costumes stacked together.

Art ID / binding	Parent binding	Silhouette thesis	Equipment anchors	Material and accent limit	Animation needs
ART-PRO-H01 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[01]	CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[01].parents	Half guard shell opens into a forked ritual staff above the head.	hand_secondary, hand_primary, effect_origin	Dark iron + paper; teal/violet accent total <=18%.	BRACE, CHANNEL
ART-PRO-H02 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[02]	CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[02].parents	Bow arc crosses a rear vial wing while the front hand remains clear.	both hands, back_high, projectile_origin	Layered wood + glass; verdant/coral total <=18%.	RELEASE, DEPLOY
ART-PRO-H03 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[03]	CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[03].parents	Lantern core hangs inside an open hammer frame.	both hands, effect_origin, ground_front	Forged steel + frosted glass; green light <=10%.	HEAVY, PULSE
ART-PRO-H04 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[04]	CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[04].parents	Segmented cord draws a calligraphic loop around a rigid folio block.	both hands, waist_left, effect_origin	Black steel + paper; violet ink <=16%.	SWEEP, CHANNEL
ART-PRO-H05 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[05]	CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[05].parents	Arm guards frame a narrow split standard without hiding the head.	both hands, back_high, effect_origin	Lacquered leather + cloth; coral/gold total <=18%.	INTERCEPT, RALLY
ART-PRO-H06 / CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[06]	CONTENT.PROFESSION.HIDDEN[06].parents	Long thrusting tool is balanced by offset round plates on the rear shoulder.	both hands, shoulder_left, projectile_origin	Brushed steel + patinated bronze; teal <=15%.	THRUST, BRACE

5.5 Profession Review Gates

• All 42 emblems pass silhouette, one-color, 24-logical-pixel, and text-free tests.
• All 42 outer silhouettes remain identifiable on all 12 body foundations and with hair and equipment attached.
• All 84 pose deviations declare anticipation, event tick, contact or target endpoint, recovery, interrupted final state, and reduced-motion resolution.
• Tool reach and effect geometry must bind to the profession's authored mechanics before production. A visually attractive mismatch is rejected.
• Advanced and hidden kits preserve the recruit's face, hair, underlayer, and palette; progression does not replace personal identity.

6. Trait Presentation: 36

Each trait receives one compound emblem whose left mass represents benefit and right notch represents cost. Color follows the affected mechanic, while notch direction and border pattern provide the non-color read.

Deliverable	Per trait	Total
Compound emblem master	1	36
Benefit state	1	36
Cost state	1	36
Battle trigger badge	1	36
Inspect and result crop	derived	36 bindings

The exact trait icon concept binds to CONTENT.TRAIT[n].benefit, .cost, .trigger, and .visibility. Traits do not receive body, face, costume, or full-screen effect variants. A trigger badge appears beside its causal actor for one bounded event and remains available in the event inspection record.

7. Equipment And Artifact Presentation

7.1 Equipment: 320

Every equipment row receives one object identity and one behavior-read key, even when its effect resolves through comparison, timing, targeting, reach, resource flow, status policy, or profession behavior rather than an attack.

Required unit	Per equipment row	Exact total	Runtime form
Object design sheet	1	320	source-only turnaround, scale, material, and grip notes
Inventory object export	1	320	transparent 384 master with 192 and 96 derivatives
Compact silhouette	1	320	shop, comparison, and event-log use
Behavior-read key	1	320	one of compare, target, timing, reach, resource, status, profession, or trigger geometry
Equipped attachment	W	W	required when CONTENT.EQUIPMENT[n].visual_anchor != none
Stowed attachment	S	S	required when the content row exposes a stowed state

0 <= S <= W <= 320. Integration must resolve W and S by querying all 320 content rows; neither may be estimated from item naming. The mandatory package therefore contains 320 source sheets and 960 runtime manifestations, plus W + S attachment manifestations.

Equipment state rules:

• neutral, selected, unavailable, equipped, compared, and protected states use engine frames and shape masks around the same object export;
• long tools use normalized diagonal bounds so they do not appear weaker merely because they occupy fewer pixels;
• material, construction, and edge profile identify an object before rarity;
• a behavior-read key appears at the earliest affected decision and at the causal battle or result event;
• head, back, hand, shoulder, waist, and foot attachments use the standard anchor map and declare hair, sleeve, and profession occlusion masks;
• an upgrade adds a bounded construction detail or state marker, never a full hue replacement or larger persistent glow.

7.2 Artifacts: 60

Artifacts are shared rule objects and never appear as worn equipment.

Required unit	Per artifact	Exact total	Runtime form
Object and material design sheet	1	60	source-only identity and scale
Inspect object export	1	60	transparent 384 master
Compact rule emblem	1	60	shop, build summary, and event log
Trigger seal	1	60	awaken, modify, conflict, or expire endpoint

The package contains 60 source sheets and 180 runtime manifestations. The trigger seal binds to CONTENT.ARTIFACT[n].rule, .trigger, .conflict, and .duration. Persistent artifact UI uses the compact emblem and engine-rendered state; it never adds a permanent full-screen particle layer.

8. Enemy And Boss Production

8.1 Ordinary And Elite Enemies: 100

Let O be the authoritative ordinary count and E the elite count, with O + E = 100. Let E_r be enemy count in region r, with sum(E_r for r=01..08) = 100. These variables must resolve from content IDs.

Every enemy identity receives:

Deliverable	Per identity	Exact or formula total
Identity and mechanic sheet	1	100
Battle rig or curated atlas	1	100
Inspect portrait crop	1	100
Mechanic glyph	1	100
Forecast/resolution VFX binding	1 bundle	100 bundles
Core motion states	8	800 states
Elite pressure and secondary-mechanic states	2 when elite	2 * E states

The eight core states are enter, idle, reposition, basic_action, signature_action, hit, interrupted, and defeat. Elite additions are pressure_shift and secondary_action. Variant palette, size, difficulty, or region dressing does not create another identity.

Enemy visual acceptance:

• one dominant outer contour exposes the signature mechanic before action;
• the forecast uses explicit origin, affected order range, resolve direction, and cancel state;
• enemy and recruit tools do not share the same silhouette when they create different target rules;
• defeat poses preserve the body thesis and do not resemble an imminent attack;
• region materials may grow from or erode the body, but never cover the mechanic endpoint or replace identity with a tint.

8.2 Bosses: 16

Let B_r be boss count in region r, with sum(B_r for r=01..08) = 16. Distribution and phase count come from content.

Deliverable	Per boss	Exact total
Turnaround, scale, and mechanic sheet	1	16
Multi-part battle rig	1	16
Inspect plate	1	16
Boss emblem	1	16
Forecast geometry bundles	3	48
Minimum named motion states	14	224

The 14 minimum states are intro, idle, reposition, basic_action, three signature_action states, hit, interrupted, pressure_shift, phase_transition, recovery, defeat, and result_hold. Extra phases add only content-bound actions and transitions; they do not duplicate the whole package by recolor.

Boss staging rules:

• a boss has one stable ground and targeting origin even when secondary parts extend above or behind it;
• body area may occupy at most 38 percent of the reference playfield width and 58 percent of its height before a special camera review is required;
• no decorative limb, cloth, weather, or effect may cover a forecast endpoint, the party's front three head contours, or priority controls;
• phase change alters at least one outer mass, material state, and motion cadence. A hue swap alone fails;
• all three forecast bundles include preview, imminent, resolve, cancel, and reduced-motion final states.

9. Region Art Families: 8

9.1 Exact Package Count

Each region receives the same countable shell while its content and composition remain distinct.

Deliverable per region	Per region	Total for 8
Shape, palette, light, and material key	1	8 source keys
Layered shop/arrival context	1	8 masters
Layered route context	1	8 masters
Common battle foundation	1	8 masters
Elite battle foundation	1	8 masters
Boss battle foundation	1	8 masters
Prop families	18	144 families
Atmosphere/light overlays	4	32 overlays
Region emblem	1	8 emblems
Runtime region-bound visual families	28	224

Each master environment separates:

opaque sky, far terrain, far structures, midground structures,
playfield foundation, state-bearing props, atmosphere/light,
foreground occluders

No master bakes actors, text, rewards, target marks, hazards, or UI. Foreground occluders declare keep, lower, fade, or remove behavior for actor and forecast overlap.

9.2 Eight Region Keys

The names below are internal art keys. Integration maps each once to CONTENT.REGION[01..08]; they are not product-facing region names.

Art ID	Shape and spatial grammar	Material limit	Palette and light	Motion and occlusion rule
ART-REG-01	Layered wind-cut shelves and narrow vertical markers.	Pale stone, weathered timber, woven cloth.	Green sky bounce, coral sun edges, blue distance.	Cloth and grass move in three timed groups; reduced mode holds one bent final pose.
ART-REG-02	Overlapping leaf fans and suspended root bridges with open actor windows.	Dark bark, broad leaves, glazed seed pods.	Verdant mids, violet shadow, gold spores.	Canopy motion never crosses forecast endpoints; foreground leaves fade early.
ART-REG-03	Faceted salt flats and low mirrored basins broken by hard diagonals.	Chalk crystal, dark mineral, tarnished metal.	Paper-white ground, teal reflection, coral horizon.	Reflection is static in low power; glare never sits behind bars or target lines.
ART-REG-04	Soft reed columns, round pools, and low woven walkways.	Reed, wet clay, oxidized copper.	Mineral teal, deep green, pink dusk.	Mist moves below knees only; tall reeds lower before an actor enters their bounds.
ART-REG-05	Stacked kiln terraces, heavy arches, and repeated square vents.	Fired brick, black iron, pale ash.	Coral heat, charcoal mass, cool blue smoke.	Heat shimmer is localized and disabled in reduced motion; ash avoids face silhouettes.
ART-REG-06	Long tidal curves, upright shell ribs, and broad open horizon.	Salt wood, shell, blue ceramic.	Teal water, gold sky, violet deep shadow.	Water bands use slow opposing loops; no screen-wide lateral drift in reduced mode.
ART-REG-07	Stepped snow shelves and dark needle clusters around clear ground rails.	Snow crust, dark stone, resinous wood.	Blue-white light, green-black trees, coral cloth accents.	Snowfall density drops behind actors; low power keeps only near-ground drift.
ART-REG-08	Broken observatory rings and deep void shapes held by thin bridges.	Dark stone, pale brass, luminous glass.	Violet depth, paper-white stars, verdant instrument light.	Ring movement pauses during forecasts; reduced mode swaps rotation for indexed final states.

The content merge may reorder these keys to fit region mechanics. It may not reuse one key for two regions or resolve a mismatch through recolor alone.

9.3 Prop Family Contract

The 18 prop families per region are exactly:

• 8 compact context props;
• 4 wide or tall structural props;
• 2 state-bearing shop or route objects, each with inactive and active states;
• 2 battle-interaction props, each with neutral, forecast, resolve, and spent states;
• 1 reward presentation plinth;
• 1 boss mechanism set with content-bound states.

Placements and color variants do not increase the family count. Every prop declares playfield bounds, overlap policy, state events, light contribution, and reduced-motion and low-power behavior.

10. UI Support Art Inventory

Screen layout, text, controls, and navigation remain owned by the UX authority. This section supplies text-free visual material to UX.SCREEN.* bindings.

Family	Exact count	Notes
Core material swatches	6	Inked paper, dark enamel, woven cloth, pale ceramic, brushed metal, clear glass.
Nine-slice frame masters	14	Dock, drawer, tray, list row, compare, inspect, tooltip, modal, toast, result, warning, settings, tab, and selection.
Universal tool icons	40	Navigation, sort/filter, compare, reorder, equip, inspect, pause, speed, retreat, settings, accessibility, and save families.
Universal state icons	32	Cost, availability, capacity, lock, warning, target, timing, casualty, recovery, reward, and persistence families.
Party-order and target markers	18	Front/rear caps, slot, insertion, swap, exposure, protection, reach, selected, acting, and area shapes.
Status icon containers	12	Shape-coded containers; content status glyphs bind after schema merge.
Empty/error support illustrations	8	Empty shop, no recruit, no equipment, full party, incompatible, unavailable, interrupted, and recovery-needed states.
Cursor/focus forms	12	Touch, mouse, controller, keyboard, and high-contrast variants.
Region emblems	8	Counted in Section 9, not duplicated.
Profession emblems	42	Counted in Section 5, not duplicated.
Trait emblems	36	Counted in Section 6, not duplicated.
Equipment silhouettes	320	Counted in Section 7, not duplicated.
Artifact emblems	60	Counted in Section 7, not duplicated.
Enemy mechanic glyphs	100	Counted in Section 8, not duplicated.
Boss emblems	16	Counted in Section 8, not duplicated.

The UI-only subtotal is 142 masters before content-bound status glyphs: 6 + 14 + 40 + 32 + 18 + 12 + 8 + 12 = 142. All icons pass one-color, shape-only, light-background, dark-background, and 130-percent-text-neighbor tests. Text, numbers, bars, timers, ordering numbers, and comparison deltas remain engine-rendered and localizable.

Each of the 142 UI masters retains its source record, validated export, import binding, UX.SCREEN.* state binding, and high-contrast evidence. Icon and cursor masters export at 24, 32, and 48 logical pixels; these scale derivatives are not new visual identities.

11. Animation Architecture

11.1 Common Recruit Motion Slots

Each of 12 body foundations supplies these 16 motion slots. Profession kits replace hand, tool, outer garment, and timing keys where Section 5 requires.

Slot	Timing contract	Event and final state	Reduced-motion form
idle_observe	2.8-4.5 s loop	Quiet breathing; stable feet and tool.	Still final pose with occasional eye change.
ready	0.25-0.45 s	Center lowers when battle becomes authoritative.	Two-pose settle.
enter	0.5-0.9 s	Arrives at assigned order point.	Short crossfade into ready pose.
reorder_step	0.25-0.55 s per adjacent move	Feet cross one order marker and settle.	Direct pose swap with moving order token.
advance	0.35-0.7 s	Moves to action rail without changing stored order.	Start and end poses only.
retreat	0.35-0.7 s	Returns to stored order point.	End-pose snap after resolved event.
basic_close	0.55-0.95 s	Contact event at declared tool endpoint.	Anticipation and impact poses.
basic_distance	0.65-1.0 s	Release event at projectile_origin.	Aim and release poses.
channel	0.8-1.4 s plus ticks	Stable effect_origin; explicit interrupt recovery.	Start, tick marker, final pose.
support	0.6-1.1 s	Ally endpoint receives effect before actor recovers.	Gather and resolved poses.
guard	0.4-0.8 s	Protected relation visible through contact.	Closed guard final pose.
hit_light	0.2-0.4 s	Directional recoil; ground remains stable.	One offset pose plus contour.
hit_heavy	0.35-0.7 s	Lowered center and longer recovery.	Impact and recovery poses.
forced_move	0.35-0.75 s	Displacement and new legal position both visible.	Ghosted origin and final marker.
casualty_hold	transition plus hold	Tool lowers and state remains inspectable.	Still final pose.
victory_settle	1.2-2.4 s once	Restrained relief, then stable result pose.	Stable result pose only.

Motion timing scales from SYSTEM.COMBAT.EVENT_SCHEMA. Presentation may compress recovery and secondary in-betweens at higher battle speed, but never removes forecast onset, authoritative event frame, target response, or resolved final state.

11.2 Event Binding Record

Every animated action records:

source_actor, action_id, trigger_event, anticipation_start, commit_event,
target_snapshot, contact_or_release_event, repeated_tick_events, recovery_end,
interrupt_event, origin_anchor, endpoint_geometry, ground_pivot,
occlusion_policy, speed_variant, reduced_motion_final, low_power_variant

Animation is rejected if a visible contact occurs before the authoritative event, if a target reacts without a committed result, or if interruption leaves an effect or tool in the resolved final state.

11.3 Source-To-Runtime Animation States

Actor family	Source package	Required runtime motion count
Recruit bodies	12 body masters with separated parts	192 common body states
Profession deviations	42 kit masters	84 auto-action deviations
Ordinary/elite enemies	100 identity masters	800 + 2 * E states
Bosses	16 multi-part masters	224 minimum states
State-bearing regional props	40 prop families	144 states: 16 shop/route props * 2 plus 16 battle props * 4 plus 8 boss mechanism sets * 6

The regional-prop total assumes one boss mechanism set per region with six states and is independent of boss actor motion. Frame counts are chosen after play-size key-pose review; extra in-betweens are not extra states.

12. Horizontal Party-Line Staging

12.1 Spatial Grammar

• The player party reads left-to-right from protected rear to exposed front. Enemy staging faces right-to-left toward the party front; any enemy ordering rule must come from SYSTEM.COMBAT.EVENT_SCHEMA rather than this catalog.
• The two fronts face across a central action gap. The player's front marker, rear cap, insertion points, and order numbers stay visible during preparation and inspection.
• All deployed recruits remain on one continuous ground rail. A presentation offset of at most 8 logical pixels separates overlapping feet; it does not create another tactical row.
• Slot centers derive from SYSTEM.PARTY.CAPACITY_PROFILE and the current viewport. The minimum gap is the largest value that keeps both fronts, the active target, and controls inside safe bounds.
• When the deployed party grows, spacing compresses before actor scale. Actor scale may change only within the approved silhouette range and applies to the whole party, never to one supposedly less important recruit.

12.2 Depth And Occlusion

Draw order follows ground contact from rear to front, then applies explicit tool and effect layers. The following invariants hold in the busiest approved composition:

Invariant	Limit
Recruit torso hidden by allies	<=35%
Recruit head contour hidden by allies	<=15%
Profession tool endpoint hidden	0% during forecast and action
Target contour hidden by effects	<=10% of perimeter
Party-order marker hidden	0%
Foreground environment over acting actor	0%
Simultaneous high-salience allied actions	2 maximum
Simultaneous high-salience enemy actions	2 maximum

If the simulation commits more actions at once, the presentation groups secondary results into low-salience impacts while preserving each causal event in inspection. It does not reorder simulation outcomes.

12.3 Action Rail

An acting recruit may step from its order point to a temporary action rail in the central gap. The stored order marker remains behind, connected by a thin paper-white tether. After resolution the recruit returns to the same marker unless SYSTEM.COMBAT.EVENT_SCHEMA commits displacement or loss. Distance actors may act in place; support endpoints remain inside the party line.

This device prevents action overlap while preserving the strategic order. It must pass at the largest simulated deployment target and with the widest boss silhouette.

12.4 Target, Damage, Healing, And Protection Read

Event	Forecast shape	Resolution shape	Non-color proof
Single target	Pointed bracket around one ground contact	Inward contact wedge	One endpoint and one direction notch
Ordered range	Bracket spans consecutive order markers	Sequential contact ticks	Visible start and stop caps
Whole party	Open baseline beneath every party marker	One low outward wave	Repeated group notches
Damage	Toothed inward contour	Directional ink break and actor response	Jagged edge and hit direction
Healing	Open leaf contour	Upward fill and stable recovery pose	Split leaf endpoint
Protection	Closed double bracket	Intercept line, absorb plane, or break seam	Closed contour and relation line
Deterministic terminal outcome	No terminal cue before resolution; retain the action forecast	Per-recipient shape from the outcome map below	Outcome-specific contour and causal label, never a generic gap
Forced movement	Origin ghost plus destination bracket	Actor lands on destination marker	Arrow body with blocked variant
Permanent loss	Segmented condition frame	Still final contour, lowered tool, history seal	Broken lower edge, never a reward burst

Terminal cues bind one-to-one to SYSTEM.COMBAT.EVENT_SCHEMA records. They do not add an undeclared resolution check and do not reinterpret forecast divergence as an action result.

Outcome ID	Resolution shape	Required causal read
AO_APPLIED	Behavior-specific contact closes at the actual recipient with a filled endpoint.	Applied component and actual recipient; a moved-but-legal target keeps the same endpoint.
AO_NO_CHANGE	The contact reaches an intact contour and ends in a flat cap/current-state bar.	Legal recipient plus the cap or current-state reason for zero primary change.
AO_INVALID_REACH	A measured reach line breaks between origin and intended target.	Old/current depth and required reach remain inspectable.
AO_INVALID_UNTARGETABLE	An outward-facing exclusion notch opens in the intended target contour.	Declared exclusion rule and remaining duration, not actor motion alone.
AO_INVALID_FALLEN	The intended marker is left empty and linked to the earlier casualty seal.	Earlier death event caused invalidation; no substitute target is implied.
AO_INVALID_FILTER	A candidate-filter frame closes outside the intended target.	Exact side, state, or tag filter that no longer permits the target.
AO_INTERCEPTED	The intended path branches to the interceptor; the intended endpoint stays hollow.	Interceptor and routing/protection rule; the actual recipient receives its own component cue.
AO_BLOCKED	A square stop plane meets the component and loses one charge notch when applicable.	Named blocker actor/rule and committed charge or delta.
AO_IMMUNE	A closed seal forms around the rejected component glyph at the actual recipient.	Immunity tag and source; no resistance roll is implied.
AO_RESISTED	The status glyph reaches the target boundary and stops against a crosshatched threshold line.	Stored status roll, threshold, Potency, and Tenacity.
AO_FIZZLED	Source geometry folds inward before any recipient endpoint forms.	Invalid cause, failed retarget or empty ground result, and declared refund.
AO_INTERRUPTED	A crossbar cuts the source wind-up/channel and holds the interrupted actor pose.	Interrupter/rule and declared refund; no target defense is implied.

Area and multi-component actions draw the terminal shape at each actual recipient. APPLIED_ALL, APPLIED_PARTIAL, and APPLIED_NONE may appear only after the per-recipient cues and never replace them or act as trigger IDs. For a mixed area result, applied, immune, and no-change recipients therefore retain three distinct endpoint shapes in the same resolved frame. When more than two results resolve together, secondary endpoints become compact ground-contact badges rather than disappearing; inspection preserves every causal label.

At 130 percent text, causal labels occupy the UX-defined text-safe band and do not cover faces, order markers, or endpoint shapes. Reduced-motion mode uses the resolved shape and final actor pose without path travel. Low-power mode keeps every endpoint badge and derived summary while removing only secondary particles and trails.

Floating values are engine-rendered and secondary. They occupy a dedicated vertical band above the target, merge repeated low-value ticks, and never cover faces, order markers, or forecast endpoints.

12.5 Battle-Speed Presentation

Every speed mode preserves four visual facts: forecast onset, committed action, affected target, and resolved state. Higher speed may remove idle holds, secondary arcs, trailing particles, and recovery in-betweens. It may not make a telegraph appear after impact or collapse distinct opposing causes into one unlabeled burst. Pause freezes actors and VFX at an inspectable frame while UI motion settles to its final state.

13. VFX Language And Count

13.1 Global Semantic Masters

VFX family	Authored states	Count	Shape rule
TARGET	acquire, hold, release, invalid	4	Pointed brackets and explicit endpoint.
THREAT	forecast, imminent, resolve, cancel	4	Saw-edge clocking toward impact.
DAMAGE	light, heavy, critical, repeated	4	Directional ink fracture, never a radial reward burst.
HEAL	acquire, pulse, excess, blocked	4	Open leaf and upward fill.
PROTECT	gain, intercept, absorb, break	4	Closed double bracket and seam.
DEFENSE_OUTCOME	AO_INTERCEPTED, AO_BLOCKED, AO_IMMUNE, AO_RESISTED	4	Branched route, square stop, closed seal, or crosshatched status threshold.
INTERRUPT	windup, interrupt, stagger, recover	4	Crossing bars and halted motion line.
MOVE	step, forced, pull, blocked	4	Origin ghost, destination, and direction body.
STATUS	apply, stack, tick, expire, cleanse, resist	6	Container shape plus content-bound glyph.
RESOURCE	gain, spend, full, insufficient	4	Measured segment movement, not free particles.
TIMING	ready, cooling, accelerated, delayed	4	Radial tick with asymmetrical speed marks.
TRAIT	benefit, cost, trigger, blocked	4	Compound emblem retains polarity notch.
EQUIPMENT	equip, trigger, charge, exhaust	4	Object silhouette remains at the origin.
ARTIFACT	awaken, modify, conflict, expire	4	Rule seal opens, intersects, or closes.
CASUALTY	danger, hold, permanent loss, replacement	4	Segmented lower contour, no celebratory shape.
REWARD	reveal, select, claim, duplicate-blocked	4	Quiet radial seal with object centered.
SAVE	saving, saved, recovered, conflict	4	Compact UI-only folded-paper mark.
Total		70 semantic state masters

Each master includes normal, reduced-flash, reduced-motion, and low-power instructions. These are state definitions; compatible families may share brushes, particles, masks, and line shaders without sharing semantic shapes.

13.2 Identity-Bound Effect Briefs

Binding family	Exact bundles	States required per bundle	Exact binding-state count
Profession signature geometry	42	anticipation, active, resolve, reduced final	168
Trait trigger	36	benefit and cost	72
Enemy signature mechanic	100	forecast, resolve, cancel	300
Boss forecast geometry	48	forecast, imminent, resolve, cancel, reduced final	240
Equipment behavior-read key	320	earliest-decision and causal-result	640
Artifact trigger seal	60	dormant, trigger, modified, conflict	240
Total	606 bundles		1,660 binding states

Binding states may point to a global semantic master plus authored geometry. They are still separate manifest rows because they prove that every content identity has a readable cause and endpoint.

13.3 Density, Flash, And Layer Rules

• Only the current forecast, current impact, and one persistent state effect may occupy the highest salience tier at once.
• Secondary impacts use shorter contours and no camera motion. Ambient region particles immediately yield behind a forecast.
• No full-screen white flash, alternating full-screen value pulse, rapid color inversion, or effect that hides faces and order markers is permitted.
• Standard mode uses at most one strong luminance rise per committed action. Reduced-flash mode replaces it with contour thickness and a held endpoint.
• Trails end at the authoritative endpoint and clear before another actor uses the same space. Persistent effects move to compact ground or status markers.
• Blend mode, edge color, alpha falloff, pivot, event time, lifetime, pool cap, and interruption cleanup are specified in every effect manifest.

14. Accessibility, Reduced Motion, And Low Power

14.1 Required Variant Matrix

Feature	Standard	Reduced motion	Reduced flash	Low power
Recruit idle	Full restrained loop	Held pose plus rare eye change	Same as selected motion mode	Held pose
Reorder	Physical adjacent step	Direct pose swap plus moving order token	No change	Two-pose step
Auto-action	Full anticipation/action/recovery	Anticipation and resolved poses	Contour impact, no luminance spike	Fewer in-betweens and no secondary trail
Forced movement	Actor travel plus origin ghost	Origin ghost and destination pose	No flash on landing	Linear travel only
Boss phase	Body mass shift, material state, bounded effect	Indexed before/after poses	Held outline change	No ambient debris or camera motion
Region atmosphere	Layered loops	Static directional final states	No lightning-like pulses	One near layer at reduced density
UI transition	Short position/fade motion	Immediate state swap or short dissolve	No bright wipe	Immediate state swap
Reward	Object reveal and quiet radial seal	Object present plus seal final state	Shape expansion only	Object and static seal

Reduced motion, reduced flash, and low power are independent toggles. Any combination must produce a valid final state. Muting audio never removes visual timing or cause. High contrast preserves region identity while adding paper-white and charcoal separation contours around actors, targets, and controls.

14.2 Color And Text Independence

• Every semantic color has a unique contour, endpoint, or fill direction.
• Pattern density remains visible under common color-vision simulations and in grayscale.
• Icons do not bake text, letters, numbers, or direction words.
• At 130 percent text, art yields within the UX-defined text-safe region rather than shrinking labels or covering portraits.
• Focus and selection use both a contour and a stable marker; hover is never required to understand state.

14.3 Low-Power Budget

Low power removes background parallax, secondary cloth and hair loops, nonessential trails, ambient spawn bursts, and more than one atmosphere layer. It keeps all forecasts, action events, target responses, casualty states, reward claims, order changes, and save states. Particle population targets 30 percent of standard; actor and effect key poses remain unchanged.

15. Source-To-Runtime Production Plan

15.1 Family Tracking Requirements

Family	Brief/source ledger rows	Required export or runtime bindings
Recruit modules	208 masters	646 authored state cells plus deterministic recipe bindings
Profession kits	42 packages	42 silhouettes, 42 tool sets, 126 device states, 84 action deviations, and 42 effect briefs
Trait presentation	36 packages	36 emblems, 72 polarity states, and 36 trigger badges
Equipment	320 packages	960 mandatory manifestations plus W + S content-resolved attachments
Artifacts	60 packages	180 runtime manifestations
Regions	8 art keys	224 region-bound visual families
Ordinary/elite enemies	100 packages	100 rigs, portraits, glyphs, and effect bundles plus 800 + 2 * E motion states
Bosses	16 packages	16 rigs, plates, and emblems plus 224 motion states and 48 forecast bundles
UI-only art	142 masters	142 screen-state families plus declared scale derivatives
Global VFX	70 semantic state masters	1,660 identity-bound states across 606 manifest bundles

Every row advances independently through the lifecycle in Section 1.4. A family total cannot mark missing identity rows as complete, and a scale, palette, difficulty, frame, or accessibility variant cannot fill an identity binding.

15.2 Representative Visual Slice

Bulk production remains frozen until one content-bound slice proves the system:

BINDING.SLICE.REGION
BINDING.SLICE.BASE_PROFESSION
BINDING.SLICE.ADVANCED_PROFESSION
BINDING.SLICE.TRAIT
BINDING.SLICE.EQUIPMENT
BINDING.SLICE.ORDINARY_ENEMY
BINDING.SLICE.ELITE_ENEMY
BINDING.SLICE.BOSS
BINDING.SLICE.ARTIFACT

The slice uses generated recipes for at least four recruits across at least three body foundations, four hair families, the two profession kits, distinct equipment manifestations, and one visible trait trigger. It shows preparation, reorder, battle opening, forecast, automatic action, pressure, casualty or recovery, reward, and persistent result at the UX-defined minimum, reference, and maximum landscape viewports.

The fixed focal order is:

1. current acting or threatened actor and target relation;
2. party front-to-rear order and protection exposure;
3. the profession, equipment, trait, enemy, boss, or artifact cause.

A normal-render interaction recording is required before any runtime gate can pass. Static concepts and isolated sprite sheets cannot prove staging, motion, occlusion, timing, or accessibility.

15.3 Batch Order

1. Resolve all content, system, and UX bindings and reject mismatched visual kits before media requests.
2. Graybox the representative region, longest approved party, widest boss, UI safe areas, action rail, and all feedback geometry.
3. Approve one body foundation, two contrasting face structures, two hair families, one base kit, one advanced kit, and their full anchor masks.
4. Produce only the representative enemy, boss, equipment, trait, artifact, region, UI, animation, and VFX sources needed by the slice.
5. Import, integrate, capture, and review normal, busy, pressure, result, high-contrast, 130-percent-text, reduced-motion, reduced-flash, and low-power states.
6. Repair the earliest failed boundary before expanding a library.
7. Scale by compatible body, profession, region, enemy, item, and effect batches only after source-to-runtime traceability and play-size readability pass.
8. Produce platform and store visuals only from accepted runtime states under a later owner-approved Goal.

15.4 Human Review Boundaries

Design review can approve countability and coherence. It cannot approve final drawing quality, animation feel, runtime focal hierarchy, device performance, localization fit, photosensitivity comfort, or release presentation. Those gates remain open until named evidence exists at the corresponding lifecycle state.

16. Quantitative Coverage Audit

Frozen family	Gameplay count	Production coverage in this catalog
Generated recruit system	unbounded recipes	208 modular masters, 646 authored state cells, deterministic recipe and validation rules
Base professions	12	12 row-specific kits
Advanced professions	24	24 row-specific kits, exactly two per base
Hidden hybrid professions	6	6 row-specific kits with unresolved parent bindings
All professions	42	42 packages, 42 emblems, 42 silhouettes, 42 tool sets, 126 device states, 84 action deviations, 42 effect briefs
Traits	36	36 compound emblems, 72 polarity states, 36 trigger badges
Equipment	320	320 source sheets, 320 objects, 320 compact silhouettes, 320 behavior-read keys, plus content-bound attachments
Artifacts	60	60 source sheets, 60 objects, 60 compact emblems, 60 trigger seals
Ordinary/elite enemies	100	100 packages, 800 core motion states plus 2 * E, 100 mechanic effect bundles
Bosses	16	16 packages, 224 minimum motion states, 48 forecast bundles
All hostile identities	116	116 identity packages with region and mechanic bindings
Regions	8	8 keys, 40 layered environments, 144 prop families, 32 atmosphere overlays, 8 emblems
UI-only art	n/a	142 masters plus explicitly bound content icons
Global VFX	n/a	70 semantic state masters
Identity-bound VFX	606 bundles	1,660 binding states

Counts prove planned coverage only. They do not prove content distinctness, asset quality, integration, runtime readability, performance, or fun.

17. Design Acceptance And Open Gates

17.1 Candidate Checklist

• Modular body, face, hair, detail, underlayer, profession, palette, and equipment composition is defined and production-countable.
• All 42 profession bindings have distinct silhouettes, equipment anchors, material limits, and animation needs.
• All 36 traits, 320 equipment items, and 60 artifacts have exact visual packages and causal presentation bindings.
• Eight region families, 100 ordinary/elite enemies, and 16 bosses have exact packages, source states, motion coverage, and integration formulas.
• The single horizontal party-line composition defines staging, action space, overlap limits, target/damage/heal/protection feedback, and busy state salience.
• Reduced motion, reduced flash, high contrast, large-text adjacency, mute, and low-power behavior are specified.
• The catalog creates specifications only and contains no final media or third-party commercial assets.

17.2 Gates That Remain Open

• Content, system, and UX bindings are resolved after workstream merge.
• Representative graybox proves the longest approved party and widest boss at all target landscape viewports.
• Representative source art passes identity, anatomy, line, palette, material, anchor, and occlusion review.
• Animation and VFX pass normal-render timing, causal-event, interruption, speed, reduced-mode, and fatigue review.
• Named human and target-device reviews accept the integrated presentation.
• Owner separately authorizes bulk media production and release work.

Failure at any open gate returns to the earliest affected source, composition, motion, effect, or integration boundary. No downstream evidence state may be claimed early.