Decision Log & Backlog

Decision Log & Backlog

This document tracks locked-in world decisions and prioritized content work.

The Session History list is generated from all decision-log/YYYY-MM-DD entries in the content collection, sorted by date. Add a new dated file in src/content/thrapsus/decision-log/ (e.g. 2026-02-21.md) and it will appear automatically. Optionally set sessionLabel in frontmatter for the list caption.

✅ Locked-In Structural Decisions

These govern how the vault is organized and maintained:

• Wiki-style flat file structure — ALL world content .md files in the root thrapsus/ directory; NO subdirectories for world content
• Standard markdown links only — [Display Text](path/to/file.md) — never Obsidian wiki-links [[...]]
• YAML frontmatter required on all content files (altitude, status, terrain, primary-races as applicable)
• Scholarly chronicler voice for Continental, Regional, and Local content (detached, analytical, third-person)
• First-person author voice for Primary Source content (biased, emotional, unreliable)
• Single source of truth — each piece of information lives in ONE canonical file; others link to it
• Navigation driven by metadata, not folder structure — breadcrumbs and footer links are built from altitude, parent, neighbors, allies, enemies frontmatter fields (Session 16). The flat file structure is non-negotiable; improve navigation by enriching frontmatter.

Site Navigation Fields (Session 16)

New frontmatter fields added to the schema — use these on all content going forward:

• parent: <doc-id> — the parent entity’s doc ID (filename without .md). Required on all altitude: local files. Enables breadcrumb chain and auto-populates parent’s Settlements list.
• neighbors: [id1, id2] — neighboring territories/settlements. Optional. Renders as footer links.
• allies: [id1, id2] — allied entities. Optional. Renders as footer links.
• enemies: [id1, id2] — enemy entities. Optional. Renders as footer links.
• contentType: people — required on race/peoples overview docs (humans, elves, dwarves, etc.) to appear on the /people/ index page.

✅ Locked-In World Decisions

Core truths about the world are maintained in Core Truths. These are non-negotiable:

• The world is in decline — the burning of the Great Library is a punctuation mark on a larger collapse
• Knowledge is unreliable — truth is local, contested, incomplete
• There are no heroes, only survivors — no prophecies, no chosen ones
• Magic is divisive — each culture’s relationship to it defines part of their identity
• Conflict is universal — every faction has plausible reason to fight every other faction

📊 Project Progress

Development follows a top-down altitude pattern per territory: 30k → 15k → 5k. Primary Source is out of scope — a live game campaign will fill ground-level lore; gameplay notes will inform that content after project completion.

30k Continental — ✅ Done

All 28 territories are now complete at 30k + 15k + 5k. Primary Source level is out of scope pending live campaign.

✅ Complete

Khar-Mol Mountains

• Core geographic description
• Border conflict overview
• Resources (basic ores + Khar Crystals)
• Sitan Giant crystal meanings
• Key locations (Ancestor’s Threshold, Starak Pillars)
• Karuun trade values — survival framing mirrored from Ancestor’s Threshold

Ancestor’s Threshold

• Core conflict + dual naming (Ancestor’s Threshold / Kharvein)
• Resources (ores + all five crystal varieties)
• Sitan Giant crystal meanings
• Geographic specifics (width, length, elevation, specific features)
• Karuun crystal trade values (survival framing, points forward to Stonewake)
• Current control status (no clear holder — perpetual contested no man’s land)

✅ Complete: Tercento Local Content

• Ferisia — Complete — pearl of commerce, 1.5M population, Dwarven Quarter / Thornvar / Market Quarter, Prefect governance
• Valecent Prime — Complete — 900k population, inland river confluence, Commission Quarter / Crown District / Garrison / The Below
• Goldspire Junction — Complete — 300–400k population, inland logistical nexus, Commission-dominant governance, gilded navigational spire
• Marrowfall Bastide — Complete — 150–200k population, absorption fortress doctrine, concentric defenses, Fields of Valour adjacent
• The Ironhorn — Complete — pre-Old Empire fortress above Ferisia, garrison answers to Valecent Prime, layered construction across eras
• The Whispering Bridge — Complete — sole gorge crossing on Junction–Ferisia road, deliberate acoustic design, Tercento-era construction
• The Fields of Valour — Complete — permanent year-round training ground, standardized doctrine from Valecent Prime, proximity to frontier deliberate

Bonus — forward-link stubs developed:

• The Great Library — Complete — ruins + new Library in Thornoss; burning linked to Old Empire decline (unresolved); Chronicle Project established as continental recovery effort

🔗 Link Health — Stub Files Created

Forward-link stubs created to resolve 404s from developed documents. All files exist but are status: stub:

• the-ironhorn.md — fortress above Ferisia; complete
• the-whispering-bridge.md — engineering marvel near Goldspire Junction; complete
• the-fields-of-valour.md — training grounds near Marrowfall Bastide; complete
• great-library.md — the original Library ruins + new Library in Ferisia; complete
• council-of-shafts.md — Midivar governing body; complete — known-but-opaque; Session 12
• humans.md — race overview page; complete — four civilizations hub; Session 12
• dwarves.md — race overview page; complete — three entities hub; Session 12
• elves.md — race overview page; complete — Caelthryn hub; taxa fix applied; Session 12
• vaelrun-river.md — geographic feature; complete — Old Empire managed waterway, now abandoned; Session 12
• thrapsus.md — world overview redirect; still stub (low priority)

Link fixes also applied:

• ironhorn → the-ironhorn in ferisia.md (2 occurrences) and valecent-prime-capital.md (1 occurrence)
• molthrok → molthrak in lands-of-thrapsus-and-their-peoples.md

📚 Backlog: Regional Development

All 28 major territory files exist. Most have migrated content at regional level. Each will be developed through the 30k → 15k → 5k pattern as sessions advance. Priority:

1. Midivar — ✅ Complete (Karhark-Vel, Aethel-Ghar, Duruk-Thon)
2. Ardex Wastes — ✅ Complete (Varakh-Duun, Sirexfall, Ashkarn Hold)
3. Karuun Enclaves — ✅ Complete (Vrakk-Tor, Stonewake, Keldrun Deep, Whitecrag Bastion)
4. All others: migrated regional content present; session development pending — no priority order established

Last updated: March 13, 2026