systems/KIT_BE_0008.md
CANON SUBORDINATION — this document is PROPOSAL-TIER: it serves canon and never outranks it.
The canon: the CVD · the T1 foundation docs · the T0 registries (registries/) · the spine
(docs/spine/CH_*.md) · the region pages (_source/02_Tier_2_Region_Pages/). Authority order:docs/DOC_MAP.md§ 0.
Canon served (structural — the registries this kit's canon rows live in, plus its chapter's spine node):
T0_Boss_Encounter_Registry·T0_Character_Index·docs/spine/CH_08.md
READ THAT CANON FIRST — open it and derive from it before you build anything from this document.
If this document disagrees with canon, CANON WINS and this document is the defect — fix the
document, never the canon. Nothing here is applied until it is ratified into canon.
PROPOSAL-TIER. This kit serves canon and never outranks it. It writes no registry row.
The law it obeys: docs/proposals/combat/KIT_SCALING_TABLE.md. The intelligence scale:
docs/proposals/combat/INTELLIGENCE_TIERS.md. The body it fights with is the bestiarylane's: docs/proposals/bestiary/BESTIARY_ELEVATION_DOCTRINE.md and its sheets. This file
describes the FIGHT; it never restates the BODY. Authors no magnitude -- no damage, no
health, no timing, no coefficient. Those are Phase-5M's behind the tuning firewall.
| field | value |
|---|---|
| band | B5 (APEX / TIER-A / TIER-C) |
| kit class | ELEVATED |
| intelligence tier | sorcerous (evidence rule A1) |
| canon rows | BE_0008, CHAR_0055 |
| chapter | CH_08 |
| canon verbs | board-and-strike / expose |
| authored abilities | 21 physical + 7 non-ordinary = 28 (band floor 28, ceiling 40) |
| phases | 3 (canon: 3 phases (BE_0008 -- dhow pursuit and boarding; deck duel across the moral beat of the captives held below; the aware-vessel vril confrontation)) |
| counter classes | any, cover, dodge_only, neutralize, parry_only, trigger_interrupt, weak_point |
Silhouette read. A ship's master on his own deck who has been expecting you for a while.
Opener (MHM-G10, the cheap lesson first). THE HAILED NAME -- across open water he calls the protagonist by a name they have not given him, once, and then attends to his rigging. No attack, no chase. It is free, and it is the first time in the game that the other side has been ahead.
| phase | name | what it PUSHES (nothing pops) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | the pursuit and the boarding | open water, two hulls, and a crew who have done this before. Traversal, rigging and the closing of the distance. |
| 2 | the deck duel | BE_0008's own words -- across the moral beat of the captives held below, and freed on the good path. The boarding hazards PERSIST as arena state and the duel is layered on top of them. |
| 3 | the aware-vessel confrontation | the row's evolve-not-swap clause is explicit: it CARRIES THE DECK-DUEL SET INTO PHASE 3 AS VRIL-CHARGED CUTS. Nothing is replaced. Every blade line the player learned in phase 2 returns wearing something else. |
| # | ability | phase | kind | body origin | tell shape | counter | element | lore ground + mechanism | note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hailed Name | 1 | physical | voice, across water | he uses a name you did not give him | any | -- | -- | |
| 2 | Weather Helm | 1 | physical | the dhow's own rudder and sail trim | his hull heels away and his speed does not drop | neutralize | -- | -- | PHYSICAL seamanship. Neutralize is the monsoon read -- the same kusi/kaskazi knowledge BE_0008_S1 teaches. |
| 3 | The Lateen Gybe | 1 | physical | the whole rig, swung across the deck | the yard's low end lifts before the hull turns | dodge_only | -- | -- | |
| 4 | Rigging Fire | 1 | physical | a lit brand into the cordage | a crewman goes aloft carrying light | cover | -- | -- | The row's first counter -- 'rigging-fire -> cut-line traversal or a Water ability'. |
| 5 | Grapnel Line | 1 | physical | the crew, throwing to close | the deck's rail acquires a line that was not there | trigger_interrupt | -- | -- | |
| 6 | The Crew Pincer | 1 | physical | two boarding parties, from bow and stern | the crew stops working the ship | cover | -- | -- | The row's third counter -- 'the crew pincer -> a stagger-break or a gap-jump'. |
| 7 | Deck Sweep | 1 | physical | a boarding pike along the planking | the pike's butt is planted on the deck | parry_only | -- | -- | |
| 8 | The Reef Line | 1 | physical | his own course, chosen over coral | he sails where the water changes colour | dodge_only | -- | -- | He will take his own hull over a reef crest to make you follow. EG_0102 is a HAZARD_VOLUME and he is using it as one. |
| 9 | The Hold Below | 2 | physical | no strike -- the sound from under the deck | there are people under your feet | any | -- | -- | THE MORAL BEAT, and it is authored as an ABILITY because it is a thing the encounter DOES to the player, continuously, from the moment they board. See the care read. |
| 10 | Kattara Draw-Cut | 2 | physical | wrist and elbow, on a curved sword's pull | his lead hand turns palm-down | parry_only | -- | -- | The root of the phase-3 chain. Taught here clean. |
| 11 | Kattara Rising Cut | 2 | physical | hip and shoulder, low to high | the blade's tip touches the deck behind him | dodge_only | -- | -- | |
| 12 | Shield Beat | 2 | physical | a small shield driven forward as a weapon | he leads with the boss instead of the edge | any | -- | -- | |
| 13 | The Hatch Guard | 2 | physical | his own body, between you and the hold | he gives ground everywhere except one direction | any | -- | -- | PATTERN COUNTER: he has been protecting one line for the whole phase and it is not his own. |
| 14 | The Bought Crew | 2 | physical | his men, who are not slavers and are paid | a crewman hesitates and looks at the hatch | trigger_interrupt | -- | -- | They can be turned. The interrupt is reaching one, and it is the good path's mechanism. |
| 15 | Deck Trip | 2 | physical | the cargo lashings, kicked into your footing | he steps over something you did not see | dodge_only | -- | -- | |
| 16 | The Ledger Threat | 2 | physical | the manifest, held over the rail | he holds the paper out over the water | trigger_interrupt | -- | -- | secondary_verb = expose. Losing the manifest costs the chapter its evidence. |
| 17 | The Rail Press | 2 | physical | his weight, driving you toward the side | he stops fighting for the centre | cover | -- | -- | |
| 18 | The Second Wind | 2 | physical | his own conditioning, on a deck he knows | he stops breathing hard before you do | any | -- | -- | |
| 19 | The Vril-Charged Cut | 3 | non-ordinary | the kattara draw-cut, wearing something else | his lead hand turns palm-down and the air along the blade line goes still | parry_only | none | LORE GROUND: BE_0008's own counters cell -- 'the vril-charged cut -> a shield-block or a read of its telegraph' -- and its phase_breakdown_object, which states the deck-duel set is CARRIED INTO PHASE 3 as vril-charged cuts. MECHANISM: this is ability 10 with a charge on it; the telegraph is the same and the answer set has one more member. Element none -- defender_element is unset on the row and the charge is the vessel's own, not a family. | PHASE-SPECIFIC (B5): exists only in phase 3, and it is a variant of a phase-2 root. |
| 20 | The Charged Rising Cut | 3 | non-ordinary | the rising cut, likewise | the blade's tip touches the deck behind him and the plank does not mark | dodge_only | none | LORE GROUND: same clause on BE_0008. MECHANISM: the variant law again -- ability 11's root, charged. Element none. | PHASE-SPECIFIC. |
| 21 | The Aware Vessel | 3 | non-ordinary | the man, knowing exactly what is riding him | he answers a question the protagonist has not asked out loud | neutralize | none | LORE GROUND: BE_0008 target_type = aware_vessel, awareness_category = FULLY_AWARE. MECHANISM: every prior vessel in the arc was ridden unknowing; this one CONSENTED, which is the chapter's whole revelation and the reason the encounter is Tier-A. Element none. Neutralize is the vril-budget hold the composure node names. | PHASE-SPECIFIC. composure_nodes = vril_management=aware_vessel_vril. REVEAL DISCIPLINE: the player learns that he KNOWS, and learns nothing about what he knows. |
| 22 | The Held Line | 3 | non-ordinary | the deck itself, refusing to be crossed | a plank you have crossed twice will not take your weight | cover | none | LORE GROUND: BE_0008's Tier-A framing as a recombination exam of every Ch 2-7 verb. MECHANISM: the vessel's charge extends to the ground he is standing on, which is the first arena-state mutation the player has faced from a human being. Element none. | PHASE-SPECIFIC. The CASTING half of tier 5, and it is the first time a person has done it. |
| 23 | The Recombination | 3 | non-ordinary | the whole fight, quoting earlier chapters | an entry arrives that belongs to a fight the player had four chapters ago | parry_only | none | LORE GROUND: BE_0008 engagement_modes_object -- 'Tier-A recombination exam of every Ch 2-7 verb'. MECHANISM: what is riding him has been watching the protagonist since Chapter 2, and the exam is literal. Element none. | PHASE-SPECIFIC, and PATTERN COUNTER: the answer is recognising WHICH earlier fight, which no single tell can give. |
| 24 | The Burning Deck | 3 | physical | the rigging fire from phase 1, still going | the fire you did not put out is now underfoot | cover | -- | -- | PHASE-SPECIFIC in effect: the arena state PERSISTS from phase 1 exactly as the row says, so phase 1's unfinished business is phase 3's terrain. |
| 25 | The Withdrawal Clock | 3 | non-ordinary | the vessel, spending the man faster | his own hands start failing between exchanges and he does not stop | weak_point | none | LORE GROUND: BE_0008 target_type = aware_vessel, care_tier = elevated. MECHANISM: the ENRAGE STATE expressed as a Withdrawal clock rather than a stat (MHM-G6) -- the longer the fight runs, the more of him is spent, and the weak point is the gap that opens as he goes. Element none. | PHASE-SPECIFIC. B5's enrage obligation, and it costs HIM rather than threatening the player. |
| 26 | The Freed Hold | 3 | physical | the captives, on deck | the hatch is open and it was not you who opened it | any | -- | -- | The good path landing. win_condition = REDUCE;EXPOSE and the freeing is the chapter's, not a cutscene's -- ability 14 is how it happens. |
| 27 | The Last Trim | 3 | physical | his own hands on his own rigging, one more time | he adjusts the sail in the middle of the fight | any | -- | -- | A sailor to the end, and the single most characterising beat in the kit. |
| 28 | What He Agreed To | 3 | non-ordinary | the vessel and the man, no longer separable | he stops being two things | weak_point | none | LORE GROUND: BE_0008 awareness_category = FULLY_AWARE, care_tier = elevated, character_engagement_node = phase=P2;verb=weigh;integrity_routed=true. MECHANISM: the final weak point is the seam between the man and what he let in, and by phase 3 it has closed. Element none. REVEAL DISCIPLINE: the encounter shows that there IS an agreement and shows nothing of who it was with. | PHASE-SPECIFIC. The end, and the row declares no non-kill path -- see the care read. |
ELEVATED, AND NOT ELEMENTAL BY DEFAULT (KIT_SCALING_TABLE 3.1b). 7 of the 28 moves
above are non-ordinary and each names its element family, its lore ground and its
mechanism. The rest are a body doing physical things, and they are marked physical rather
than dressed up. An elevated kit is one that CONTAINS the non-ordinary; it is not one in
which everything glows.
| part | moveset subtraction on break | legibility gain | material the economy wants |
|---|---|---|---|
| the rigging | Rigging Fire (4), The Lateen Gybe (3) and Grapnel Line (5) all lose their instrument -- and The Burning Deck (24) never happens | the dhow stops manoeuvring and the fight becomes stationary, which changes phase 3 completely | sailcloth and coir cordage -- and cutting it early is a real strategic choice with a real cost, because the ship then cannot be sailed anywhere |
| his shield | Shield Beat (12) and The Rail Press (17) leave the moveset | his guard opens on one side and stays open | nothing harvested |
| the hatch lashings | The Hatch Guard (13) stops being defensible; The Hold Below (9) converts into The Freed Hold (26) | the fight's moral pressure inverts -- the sound from below becomes people on the deck | nothing harvested. This is the part-break the encounter is FOR |
| the manifest | The Ledger Threat (16) leaves the moveset once the paper is secured | he stops having anything to bargain with | the trade evidence, which the chapter's exposure line needs |
| the seam between the man and the vessel | The Withdrawal Clock (25) accelerates and What He Agreed To (28) becomes reachable | his own hands stop obeying him in a way that is visible from across the deck | nothing harvested |
EG_0110 Mtepe Sewn-Plank Deck and Coir-Stitched Hull -- BOTH: enemy_usable = TRUE, TRAVERSAL_SURFACE, transient_combat, loaded_potential = structural. A MOVING arena, and the only one in the slice.EG_0111 Mtepe Mast Rigging and Spar Cordage Traverse -- BOTH: enemy_usable = TRUE, TRAVERSAL_SURFACE, loaded_potential = structural. Ability 4 and the cut-line traversal counter both live here.EG_0102 Sharp Coral-Limestone Reef Crest and Wreck Ground -- BOTH: enemy_usable = TRUE, HAZARD_VOLUME, D6_CONDUCT armed. Ability 8 is him ARMING it, which is the tier-4 sapient flagship contract on a human being.EG_0112 Open Monsoon Sea Surface and Deep-Water Swell -- BOTH: D6_CONDUCT, submersion. The row's own counter names a Water ability as an answer to the rigging fire, and this is where the water is.EG_0101 Spring-Tide Ford and Tidal Flat Crossing -- PLAYER: D6_CONDUCT, transient_combat. The approach, and the tide is the pursuit's clock.| channel | what the player sees or hears |
|---|---|
| posture | phase 2: he stops moving like a ship's master and starts moving like a duellist. Phase 3: he stops moving like either, and the difference is visible in one step |
| breath | his breathing stops changing with exertion at the phase-3 transition -- ability 18's second wind was a man's, and what replaces it is not |
| vocal | he stops giving orders. The crew keeps working anyway, which is worse |
| opener | The Hailed Name is retired at phase 2 and Kattara Draw-Cut becomes the opener; at phase 3 the opener becomes The Vril-Charged Cut, which is the same move |
HE ENTERS by being pursued and choosing where he is caught -- the reef line is his. HE RELOCATES by sailing, which means the arena moves under both of you. HE LEAVES only at the end. WHAT HE DOES TO THE ARENA: he sets it on fire, he takes it over coral, and in phase 3 he makes the deck itself refuse to be crossed. This is the first encounter in the game where the terrain is an opponent's decision.
care_tier = elevated, target_type = aware_vessel, awareness_category = FULLY_AWARE, threads = T03. THE ROW DECLARES NO NON-KILL PATH AND THIS KIT DOES NOT INVENT ONE -- has_nonkill_path is empty on BE_0008 and inventing a spare route would be authoring canon this lane has no standing to author. It is boarded for the row's owner instead. THE CAPTIVES ARE PEOPLE AND THE ENCOUNTER TREATS THEM AS SUCH: ability 9 makes their presence a continuous pressure rather than a set-dressing detail, ability 14 makes freeing them a thing the player DOES through a crewman who can be turned, and ability 26 puts them on deck rather than in a cutscene. They are never depicted in the hold, never described in detail, and never a resource. THE ANTAGONIST IS THE TRADE AND THE APPARATUS BEHIND IT -- CVD 17.1's routing rule -- and Sayyid Abdallah is the layer of it that can be reached. The crew are paid men, not slavers by conviction, and the kit says so. REVEAL DISCIPLINE IS TIGHT: abilities 21, 23 and 28 establish that he KNOWS and that something has been watching since Chapter 2, and establish nothing whatever about what or whom -- no pattern, no name, no family.
This kit is authored ONCE, at Fading. The five modulators of KIT_SCALING_TABLE section 4
express it across the ladder: active_ability_set grows upward through reserved follow-ups
on roots the player already learned, window_class tightens, answer_tree_depth prunes
toward the single true answer, hazard_concurrency rises with the arena rows above, and
phase_overlap interleaves the phase cycles. No second kit exists and no number here changes
with the tier.