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>