====== Narrative Control ======
<FILE>
{
  "file": "narrative_structure.json",
  "version": "1.0",
  "status": "locked_canon",
  "scope": "authoritative",
  "description": "Defines narrative control structures for Into the Dreamwood. Establishes pacing, arc boundaries, scene types, and resolution constraints to maintain thematic coherence and avoid escalation drift.",

  "narrative_goals": {
    "primary": "Deliver a contained, consequential story centered on stewardship, memory, and succession.",
    "secondary": [
      "Maintain human-scale stakes with ecological weight",
      "Prioritize choice over destiny",
      "Avoid spectacle escalation"
    ]
  },

  "season_architecture": {
    "season_1": {
      "focus": [
        "boundary instability",
        "memory and loss",
        "emergence of corruption"
      ],
      "end_state": "Stabilization without resolution"
    },
    "season_2": {
      "focus": [
        "succession pressure",
        "ethical compromise",
        "containment versus transformation"
      ],
      "end_state": "Conditional resolution with lasting cost"
    }
  },

  "episode_structure": {
    "typical_beats": [
      "inciting disturbance",
      "investigation or approach",
      "symbolic or ritual encounter",
      "consequence and fallout"
    ],
    "constraints": [
      "no cliffhanger dependency",
      "each episode advances alignment or erosion"
    ]
  },

  "scene_taxonomy": {
    "setpiece_scenes": {
      "definition": "High-symbolism scenes that crystallize thematic pressure.",
      "examples": [
        "burial rites",
        "sanctuary breaches",
        "ritual confrontations"
      ]
    },
    "quiet_scenes": {
      "definition": "Low-action scenes focused on reflection, dialogue, and moral tension.",
      "purpose": "Anchor emotional continuity"
    },
    "pressure_scenes": {
      "definition": "Moments where external forces narrow viable choices.",
      "purpose": "Force prioritization without coercion"
    }
  },

  "ritual_structures": {
    "design_principles": [
      "rituals clarify cost",
      "rituals do not guarantee success",
      "ritual outcomes are interpretive"
    ],
    "failure_handling": "Failure produces consequence, not negation."
  },

  "resolution_model": {
    "allowed_outcomes": [
      "partial restoration",
      "conditional stewardship",
      "contained loss"
    ],
    "disallowed_outcomes": [
      "total victory",
      "complete purification",
      "external salvation"
    ]
  },

  "continuity_controls": {
    "retcon_policy": "Additive clarification only",
    "canon_locks": [
      "no apocalyptic triggers",
      "no prophecy enforcement",
      "no system-imposed destiny"
    ]
  },

  "audience_contract": {
    "expectations": [
      "ambiguity with consequence",
      "symbolic continuity",
      "earned resolution"
    ],
    "non_promises": [
      "comfort",
      "moral certainty",
      "restoration to baseline"
    ]
  },

  "canon_rules": {
    "choice_drives_plot": true,
    "escalation_is_limited": true,
    "resolution_is_costly": true
  }
}

</FILE>