50 KiB
Parameter Registry — Consolidated Additions
Derived from corpus review: docs/law/, docs/commerce/, docs/economy/
Date: 2026-04-30
Status: Ready for project owner review before admission to docs/parameter-registry.md
Prepared by: Game Development Assistant
Editorial Notes
The existing registry (docs/parameter-registry.md, dated 2026-04-28) covers twelve canonical actor parameters and supporting city, scenario, and relation parameters. The corpus review identified two categories of new material:
Category A — New parameters not present in any form in the existing registry. These require admission through the standard three-test process.
Category B — Clarifications or extensions to existing parameters. These do not add new tokens but sharpen existing definitions or flag missing sub-fields.
All tokens follow Layer 3 naming convention (lowercase, snake_case) per terminology.md. Observable status uses the existing vocabulary: full / partial / hidden. Perceived vs true split is flagged where it applies — these require two records in schema, not one. This is the non-negotiable constraint from the existing registry.
Section 1 — Actor Parameters (new additions)
Parameters that live in the per-player database and drift over time.
MANUMISSION_STATE
token: manumission_state
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: The formal legal status of freedom for an actor of servile origin. Distinct
from IVS_ACCESSVS (which measures practical legal standing) because manumission can be
granted in forms that confer freedom without full citizen rights. A freedman may be
manumitted, legally free to trade, and still face social ceilings that limit contract
enforceability. Captures the gap between formal liberation and practical standing.
Type: enum — enslaved / informally_freed / formally_freed / citizen
Observable: full — the actor knows their own legal status, though others may dispute it
Perceived vs true: applies — others may treat a formally freed actor as if informally freed,
creating a gap between legal reality and social treatment
Drift mechanics:
- Changes through legal manumission events only — not through drift
- Affects
IVS_ACCESSVS,AVCTORITAstarting band, and contract enforceability
Background starting values:
- Freedman Trader: formally_freed
- All others: citizen or not applicable
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0002 (The Captive's Inheritance)
KNOWLEDGE_ASSET
token: knowledge_asset
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Information held exclusively by an actor that has market or legal value independent of their formal status. The captive who knows names, seals, and inheritance amounts that no one else can verify. The captain who knows route measurement data no rival has collected. The scribe who knows which accounts do not balance. Knowledge assets are non-transferable in the normal sense — stealing them requires the holder's cooperation or death. This creates unique leverage structures unavailable to holders of physical assets.
Type: qualitative — present / absent, with estimated_value
Observable: hidden to others, full to holder
Perceived vs true: applies strongly — the holder knows what they know; others estimate
its value from signals
Drift mechanics:
- Increases through deliberate information collection (route measurement, account access)
- Decreases through disclosure, documentation, or death of the holder
- Separate from
mercatus_scientia(commercial knowledge) — this is specific, exclusive, and often non-commercial in origin
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0002, DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0002, DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0003
REPLACEMENT_COST
token: replacement_cost
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The true cost of replacing an actor's functional contribution to a venture or household, including time to find, train, and verify a substitute. Distinct from wage rate. A trusted clerk with six years of account knowledge has a replacement cost that far exceeds their monthly wage. This parameter governs why owners hesitate to dismiss competent actors even when cheaper alternatives are visible, and why the captain values his crew's loyalty as a scarce asset.
Type: estimated quantity in denarii-equivalent
Observable: partial — the owner estimates it; the actor may not know how high it is
Perceived vs true: applies — owners systematically underestimate replacement cost
until a departure forces them to discover it
Drift mechanics:
- Increases with tenure, specialisation, and demonstrated reliability
- Decreases when skills become commoditised or when substitutes enter the market
- Relevant to
skilled_labor_scarcityat the city level
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0001, DIALOGUE-LAW-0002, DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0001
DEBT_COMPLETION_STATE
token: debt_completion_state
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether a bonded service arrangement has been satisfied at the point of a triggering event (death, dispute, early termination). The hinge of DIALOGUE-LAW-0001: the merchant entered bondage to shield his household; he died mid-term; the contract wording determines whether service was complete, partial, or void. This parameter has no equivalent in modern law and cannot be collapsed into a simple debt_balance — the question is not how much was owed but whether the form of service was completed.
Type: enum — in_progress / satisfied / disputed / void_at_death / transferred
Observable: partial — parties know their own interpretation; the legal resolution
is uncertain until ruled upon
Perceived vs true: applies — creditor and family hold different readings of the
same document
Drift mechanics:
- Set at contract execution; changes only through completion, dispute, or death event
- Affects household liability exposure directly
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0001 (The Fallen Beam)
SUCCESSION_STATE
token: succession_state
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: The actor's current position in a family inheritance structure — whether
they are the designated heir, a secondary heir, a disinherited party, or a potential
heir under a will not yet executed. Affects alliance formation, marriage negotiation,
and creditor behaviour immediately when it changes. Not the same as wealth — a noble
younger son may have high succession_state expectation and low liquiditas.
Type: enum — primary_heir / secondary_heir / undetermined / disinherited / independent
Observable: partial — formal wills are known; informal intentions and changes are not
Perceived vs true: applies strongly — DIALOGUE-LAW-0003 turns entirely on this gap
Drift mechanics:
- Changes through will revision, death of primary heir, adoption, or disinheritance
- Each change triggers immediate
alliance_pipelinerepricing by other actors - Lag: formal changes are immediate; social recognition takes weeks
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0003 (The Heir's Oath)
HOUSEHOLD_AUTHORITY_INDEX
token: household_authority_index
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: The degree to which an external authority (paterfamilias, patron, guild)
can override the actor's legal decisions. Distinct from IVS_ACCESSVS (the actor's own
standing to act) — this is the external constraint on that standing. A 22-year-old freeborn
Roman male has full IVS_ACCESSVS in theory but may still be overridden by a living
paterfamilias in practice. The parameter captures the gap between legal adulthood and
practical autonomy.
Type: ordinal — none / low / medium / high / absolute
Observable: partial — formal authority is documented; practical extent depends on
willingness to enforce, which is not always known
Drift mechanics:
- Decreases with age, demonstrated independence, and paterfamilias death
- Increases with adoption into a powerful household or formal guardianship appointment
- Background-specific: Noble Younger Son starts high; Former Legionary starts low
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0003 (The Heir's Oath)
SOURCE_CONTROL_STATE
token: source_control_state
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether the actor has secured access to goods or raw materials before they reach visible markets — standing timber, unmined ore, grain fields before harvest, undyed wool before processing. The first of the seven principles in DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0004. Source control generates margin before price discovery occurs. Without it, the actor competes on visible goods at market prices. With it, the actor names terms.
Type: qualitative — absent / partial / secured, per commodity
Observable: hidden to competitors; full to holder
Perceived vs true: applies — the holder knows what they control; competitors estimate
from observable purchasing patterns
Drift mechanics:
- Acquired through forward contracts, land rights, and supplier relationships
- Lost through contract expiry, seizure, competitor entry, or supply exhaustion
- Connects to
bottleneck_control_state— source control often creates bottleneck control
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0004 (The Merchant Engine)
BOTTLENECK_CONTROL_STATE
token: bottleneck_control_state
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether the actor controls a scarce input on which multiple output markets
depend. Rope, pitch, dry timber before a disaster; skilled shipwrights during a wartime
commission; water during a drought. Distinct from source_control_state (which is about
raw material origin) — bottleneck control is about a necessary intermediate that cannot
be substituted easily. The actor who controls the bottleneck does not need to compete
on price.
Type: qualitative — absent / partial / controlling, per input category
Observable: hidden until the bottleneck is tested; then immediately apparent
Perceived vs true: applies — holders may not realise they hold a bottleneck until
a disruption event reveals it (as in DIALOGUE-LAW-0009)
Drift mechanics:
- Created by disaster, seasonal scarcity, or deliberate accumulation
- Destroyed by new supply entering the market, substitution, or state requisition
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0009, DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0004
TRANSFORMATION_MARGIN
token: transformation_margin
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: provisional
Definition: The price differential captured by the actor between a good's raw form and its finished or processed form. The tree is not the mast. Ore is not the hinge. Grain is not bread. The actor who controls transformation captures margin that neither raw material producers nor end buyers can access. Distinct from trade margin (buy low, sell high at the same level of processing).
Type: ratio or denarii-equivalent per unit
Observable: partial — the actor knows their own margin; competitors estimate it
Maturity note: provisional pending research into documented Roman processing
price differentials
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0004 (The Merchant Engine)
Section 2 — City Parameters (new additions)
Parameters shared across actors, anchored to a city substrate.
SKILLED_LABOR_SCARCITY
token: skilled_labor_scarcity
scope: city
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The availability of specialised craftsmen — shipwrights, architects,
engineers, master scribes, skilled physicians — relative to demand. Distinct from
porter_availability (unskilled labour). Skilled labour scarcity affects venture cost,
construction timelines, and the premium paid for actors with rare expertise. It is the
city-level expression of the actor-level replacement_cost problem.
Type: ordinal — abundant / adequate / tight / scarce / critical
Observable: partial — merchants and builders sense tightness through wage pressure
and wait times; the precise supply is not publicly known
Drift:
- Increases with disaster events, military requisition, disease outbreaks
- Decreases when skilled workers migrate toward high-wage opportunities
- Seasonal component: construction season peaks demand
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0004, DIALOGUE-LAW-0005
LICENSING_STATE
token: licensing_state
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether a specific business activity has been formally permitted by the relevant authority. Operating without licence creates liability exposure even if the activity itself is lawful. The licence is not the permission to act — it is protection against later challenge. An unlicensed recovery house that serves the same function as a licensed one faces different legal exposure after the first death on the premises.
Type: enum — unlicensed / applied / licensed / suspended / revoked
Observable: full to holder; full to authorities; partial to the public
Drift mechanics:
- Acquired through formal application and fee payment
- Lost through violation, non-renewal, or political disfavour
- Affects
IVS_ACCESSVSmodifier for the specific activity
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0007 (The Lawful Thirst)
RECURRING_DEMAND_PATTERN
token: recurring_demand_pattern
scope: city
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: A predictable, lawful market opportunity that emerges from regular human
behaviour — post-feast illness, gambling losses, festival grief, morning-after recovery,
seasonal harvest pressure. Felix's core commercial lens across the law and commerce
series. Distinct from rumor_velocity (which is about information speed) and from
scenario-specific events. Recurring demand patterns are structural, not triggered.
Type: qualitative catalogue per city — list of identified patterns with frequency
and magnitude estimates
Observable: full to experienced commercial actors; invisible to those who only watch
visible goods
Drift:
- Stable patterns change slowly with population and urban density
- Event-amplified patterns spike temporarily then return to baseline
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0006, DIALOGUE-LAW-0007
INFRASTRUCTURE_STANDARD_STATE
token: infrastructure_standard_state
scope: city
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The current regulatory requirement for construction quality — crane bracing
standards, warehouse fire separation, pier load limits. Upgrades after disaster events
through emergency edicts. Before an edict: the standard is whatever survives inspection.
After: the standard is written and enforceable. Affects licensing_state for all
construction and storage ventures, and creates retroactive liability exposure for existing
structures that do not comply.
Type: ordinal — absent / informal / codified / enforced
Observable: full once promulgated; actors may not know what the new standard requires
until they apply for licence renewal
Drift:
- Jumps after disaster events ("law after fear, as usual" — Crispus)
- Erodes slowly during periods of stable governance as enforcement lapses
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0011 (The Harbor Tremor)
REPORTING_OBLIGATION
token: reporting_obligation
scope: city
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: A formal duty, created by edict, requiring actors to disclose specific
observations to authorities under penalty. Once enacted, silence about a known hazard
becomes a punishable act rather than a neutral choice. The maritime anomaly edict in
DIALOGUE-LAW-0013 is the canonical example. Must be paired with false_report_penalty
to prevent abuse. Without the penalty for silence, under-reporting is rational.
Without the penalty for false reports, over-reporting becomes weaponisable.
Type: binary per activity category — obligated / not_obligated
Observable: full once promulgated
Drift:
- Created by disaster-response edicts
- Rarely revoked; more often amended
- Interacts with
duty_to_warn_state— a general duty may exist before a specific edict formalises it
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0013 (The Current Edict)
INSTITUTIONAL_MEMORY_STATE
token: institutional_memory_state
scope: city
layer: universal
maturity: provisional
Definition: Whether lessons from a disaster have been encoded into durable records,
procedures, training, and enforcement rather than remaining in individual memory.
Chresimus's warning: "if the tablets vanish, next generation rediscovers drowning."
Individual actors carry survival_memory_bias; this parameter tracks whether the city
itself has institutionalised the lesson. Degrades over time without active maintenance.
Type: ordinal — absent / informal / documented / enforced / embedded
Observable: partial — the presence of records is visible; whether they are used
and accurate is not
Maturity note: provisional — the measurement framework for this parameter requires further design
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0013
OUTPOST_STATE
token: outpost_state
scope: city
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether a commercial enterprise has established a trusted local presence
in a given port — a rented room, a resident clerk, a locked chest, an account board, a
local guide. The captain's minimum viable intelligence node. Enables early information
access, reduces delayed_knowledge, and creates first_mover_window advantages.
Each city in the network either has an outpost or does not. The outpost is not a
warehouse or a factor — it is an information and trust anchor.
Type: binary per city — present / absent
Observable: full to the owner; partial to rivals (they can observe activity but
not the contents)
Drift:
- Created through deliberate investment and local relationship building
- Lost through abandonment, agent failure, or political disruption
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0002, DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0003
Section 3 — Scenario Parameters (new additions)
Parameters that exist only within a scenario's active window.
CLASSIFICATION_STATE
token: classification_state
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The legal category assigned (or contested) for a person or asset by an authorising body. The captured ship's human cargo in DIALOGUE-LAW-0004 are neither slaves, free persons, nor prisoners until classified. Classification determines which legal regime applies, which actors have standing to act, and what the asset or person is worth. The scenario teaches that authority often begins by deciding classifications, not by delivering justice.
Type: enum — unclassified / pending / classified (with assigned category) / contested
Observable: partial — the assigning authority knows its own ruling; affected parties
learn through notification or enforcement
Perceived vs true: applies strongly — a person may be legally classified as one thing while being treated as another
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0004, DIALOGUE-LAW-0005
FOREIGN_STATUS_CLAIM
token: foreign_status_claim
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: A pending assertion by a foreign-origin actor that their status or rights under a foreign legal instrument should be recognised by Roman authority. Damaros's claim in DIALOGUE-LAW-0005: he was lawfully requisitioned under enemy wartime statute; Rome must decide whether to honour that law to exonerate him, or deny it and face the reciprocity consequence for Roman craftsmen captured abroad. The claim is not the same as having the claim recognised.
Type: enum — not_filed / pending / recognised / rejected / under_appeal
Observable: full to the claimant; partial to authorities (they know what was filed,
not what is true)
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0005 (The Captive Shipwright)
CAUSATION_PROOF_THRESHOLD
token: causation_proof_threshold
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The evidentiary standard required to file a complaint that survives legal
challenge — not merely the standard to believe something happened, but to demonstrate it
in a way that creates an enforceable claim. Distinct from IVS_ACCESSVS (standing to
file) — a person may have standing and insufficient proof simultaneously. The threshold
varies by claim type: physical damage requires different evidence than fraud or negligence.
Type: ordinal — unachievable / very_high / high / standard / low
Observable: partial — actors know what they have; whether it meets the threshold is
determined by the magistrate, not the claimant
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0001, DIALOGUE-LAW-0006, DIALOGUE-LAW-0010
COLLUSION_EVIDENCE_STATE
token: collusion_evidence_state
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether documentary or witness evidence exists linking two actors in coordinated harm. The Capua vendor and Ostia healer scenario: their coordination may be real, imagined, or opportunistic coincidence. The evidence state is not the same as whether coordination occurred — it is what can be demonstrated. Hidden to all actors initially; revealed through investigation.
Type: ordinal — none / suggestive / circumstantial / strong / conclusive
Observable: hidden — investigators must assemble it; defendants know what they did
but not what has been observed
Perceived vs true: applies — the investigator's evidence assessment may differ from the legal reality
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0006 (The Poison and the Cure)
VENTURE_GOVERNANCE_STATE
token: venture_governance_state
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether a formal instrument exists defining ownership shares, binding authority, liability allocation, profit distribution, and succession rules for a multi-party venture. DIALOGUE-LAW-0008 in its entirety: without this instrument, no cart should move. With it, every question has an answer. The absence of governance is itself a governance state — one in which the most aggressive actor wins by default.
Type: enum — absent / draft / executed / disputed / dissolved
Observable: full — the instrument either exists or it does not
Drift mechanics:
- Absent at venture formation; created through negotiation
- Disputed when partners disagree about interpretation
- Dissolved when the venture ends or a partner exits
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0007, DIALOGUE-LAW-0008
BINDING_AUTHORITY
token: binding_authority
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: Which actor or actors have the right to commit the venture by signature —
to execute contracts, accept deliveries, engage suppliers, and incur liabilities on behalf
of the partnership. Until the venture_governance_state instrument is executed, binding
authority is legally ambiguous. Felix's shout to the supplier ("yes") and Varro's
counter-shout ("no") capture the problem exactly. The supplier's question — "whom to
trust?" — has no answer without this parameter being defined.
Type: list of actor_ids with scope of authority
Observable: full once the governance instrument exists; contested before that
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0008 (The Charter Quarrel)
ASSET_COMPLEMENTARITY
token: asset_complementarity
scope: relation
layer: universal
maturity: provisional
Definition: Whether separately owned assets become significantly more valuable in combination than individually. Six bad trades combine into a shipyard in DIALOGUE-LAW-0009. Timber, rope, tackle, slips, pitch, and labour promises are each marginal in isolation; together they are a production facility. This is a derived, relational parameter — it cannot be measured per actor but only across a set of assets at a specific moment.
Type: qualitative — none / partial / significant / transformative
Observable: hidden until combination is attempted or a forcing event reveals it
Maturity note: provisional — the combinatorial logic requires design before this
can be stored in schema
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0009 (The Accidental Shipyard)
EMERGENCY_CONTRACT_WINDOW
token: emergency_contract_window
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The time period during which premium contracts are available following
an infrastructure disruption or disaster event, before price controls or state intervention
closes the opportunity. Distinct from venture_window_days (which is market-driven) —
the emergency window is disaster-triggered and collapses faster. Felix's urgent pressure
in DIALOGUE-LAW-0009 is correct: the window is real, it is short, and acting without
governance instruments is the specific risk.
Type: integer hours or days
Observable: partial — experienced actors estimate it from past events and current
political signals; the precise close is unknown
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0009
INFORMATION_ASYMMETRY_FLAG
token: information_asymmetry_flag
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether one actor in a scenario possessed advance knowledge that others lacked — and acted on it. The broker in DIALOGUE-LAW-0009 and DIALOGUE-LAW-0010 sold surplus to all six at bargain prices before the crane disaster. Whether this was foresight, luck, or sabotage is the unresolved question. The flag marks the structural asymmetry regardless of cause. Hidden to the disadvantaged actors; Chresimus's primary investigative target.
Type: boolean — present / absent
Observable: hidden — inferred from pattern analysis and document investigation
Perceived vs true: applies — the disadvantaged actor believes they made a good deal; the flag marks whether someone else knew more
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0009, DIALOGUE-LAW-0010
DUTY_TO_WARN_STATE
token: duty_to_warn_state
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether an actor has accumulated sufficient knowledge of a hazard to create a legal or moral obligation to disclose it to those at risk. The central parameter of DIALOGUE-LAW-0012. The threshold at which knowledge becomes duty is not fixed — it depends on the specificity of the knowledge, the foreseeability of harm, and the actor's capacity to act. Before the threshold: silence is a choice. After: silence is exposure.
Type: enum — unaware / aware_no_duty / duty_emerging / duty_established
Observable: partial — actors know what they know; the legal threshold is determined
retroactively, often after harm occurs
Perceived vs true: applies — the actor may believe they are below the threshold when a court would say they were not
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0012 (The Secret Current)
SHARED_SECRET_LEVERAGE
token: shared_secret_leverage
scope: relation
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The mutual constraint created when multiple actors hold the same dangerous knowledge. Each actor's exposure depends on all others' silence. This is not a simple secrecy parameter — it is a relational one. Chresimus's solution in DIALOGUE-LAW-0012 is architecturally correct: if one discloses alone, five become targets; bind all six equally. The leverage runs in all directions simultaneously.
Type: qualitative — absent / present (with actor list)
Observable: full to the group; hidden from outside
Drift mechanics:
- Created when multiple actors independently acquire the same hazardous knowledge
- Dissolved by collective disclosure, death of any member, or external discovery
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0012
HAZARD_KNOWLEDGE_TIMESTAMP
token: hazard_knowledge_timestamp
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The recorded moment at which an actor demonstrably knew of a hazard. Chresimus's core tool across the law arc — write the names, write the date. The timestamp is what transforms knowledge into legal exposure and what protects actors who disclosed promptly from those who did not. Without it, "I didn't know" is a viable defence. With it, the question shifts to "what did you do with what you knew?"
Type: ISO 8601 UTC timestamp (or null if not yet established)
Observable: full once documented; disputed before documentation
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0012, DIALOGUE-LAW-0013
EXONERATION_STATE
token: exoneration_state
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: The formal reversal of a prior legal finding, including debt nullification,
licence restoration, and official status repair. Distinct from FAMA recovery —
exoneration restores legal standing immediately; reputation heals on its own timeline,
which is slower. The captain in DIALOGUE-LAW-0013 is exonerated; his debts nullified,
his licence restored. Tavern whispers continue. This gap between legal and social
restoration is a first-class parameter.
Type: enum — not_applicable / under_review / exonerated / partially_exonerated
Observable: full legally; the social dimension (FAMA) recovers separately and partially
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0013 (The Current Edict)
STATE_PATRONAGE_CHANNEL
token: state_patronage_channel
scope: scenario
layer: roman
maturity: provisional
Definition: An informal promise of preferential access or reward from a state official,
not written into any formal instrument. The magistrate's "priorities may align" in
DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0001. The channel is real — it generates real advantage — but it
is deniable, and its reliability is unknown until tested. Distinct from formal contract
(venture_governance_state) and from social capital (AVCTORITA). This is specifically
state-to-private informal preference.
Type: enum — absent / implied / active / honoured / betrayed
Observable: hidden — the promise is oral and deniable; the outcome reveals itself
only when the moment arrives
Maturity note: provisional — the frequency and reliability of such channels in Roman commerce requires further research calibration
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0001 (The First Hull)
COMMAND_AUTHORITY_SPLIT
token: command_authority_split
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The formal separation of operational command authority (captain at sea)
from ownership rights (the six on shore). Without this separation, maritime ventures
collapse into disputes over every decision. With it, each domain has a sovereign. The
captain's demand — "authority at sea unquestioned by men ashore" — is not arrogance;
it is the structural requirement for any maritime venture to function. Connects to
binding_authority but is specifically about the operational-ownership boundary.
Type: binary — defined / undefined, with authority_map if defined
Observable: full once the governance instrument exists
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0001
ROUTE_MEASUREMENT_STATE
token: route_measurement_state
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether systematic empirical data on a route's time, cost, reliability,
and loss risk has been collected across multiple runs and is available to the actor.
Before measurement: the actor guesses. After: the actor prices. The captain's experiment
in DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0003 — racing the land courier with a duplicate packet — is the
canonical method. Route measurement is not map knowledge (ITINERIS_SCIENTIA); it is
operational performance data that converts uncertainty into margin.
Type: ordinal — unmeasured / partially_measured / measured / continuously_updated
Observable: full to the actor who collected it; hidden to competitors
Drift mechanics:
- Improves with each completed and documented run
- Degrades when routes change (infrastructure disruption, political change, seasonal shift)
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0003 (The Captain's Measure)
NODE_AGENT_STATE
token: node_agent_state
scope: relation
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether a trusted agent is established and active at a specific port node.
Distinct from outpost_state (which is about premises) — this is specifically about the
person. The captain's principle: hold both ends. One agent in Ostia, one at the
destination. Without agents at both ends, every voyage requires a merchant to travel.
With them, information and instructions move without merchants.
Type: enum per location — absent / provisionally_placed / active / unreliable / lost
Observable: full to the network owner; partial to rivals
Drift mechanics:
- Established through deliberate recruitment and relationship building
- Degrades through neglect, rival recruitment, death, or disloyalty
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0002, DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0003
INFORMATION_MONOPOLY_WINDOW
token: information_monopoly_window
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The period during which one actor receives information faster than
competitors on a given route, creating durable commercial advantage. Collapses the
moment rivals establish equivalent networks. Distinct from first_mover_window (a
single-event advantage) — the information monopoly window is structural and ongoing,
maintained through network investment. The captain's long-term commercial objective
in the commerce arc.
Type: estimated days of lead time
Observable: hidden — the actor knows they have it; they do not know when it will end
Drift mechanics:
- Created through route measurement, agent placement, and outpost establishment
- Destroyed by rival network construction or information leak
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0003
GATEKEEPER_POTENTIAL
token: gatekeeper_potential
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: provisional
Definition: The degree to which an currently obscure local actor is positioned to control access to something of future commercial or informational value — a dock clerk, a harbour master's assistant, a scribe at a merchant guild. Chresimus's lens: "today's nobody becomes tomorrow's gatekeeper." Identifying these actors before rivals creates durable relationship advantage at low cost. The value is invisible in the present; it becomes obvious only after the actor's position matures.
Type: qualitative assessment — low / medium / high
Observable: hidden to most; observable to those who read social position carefully
Maturity note: provisional — the criteria for identification require further design
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0002
Section 4 — Relation and Derived Parameters (new additions)
REPUTATION_DAMAGE_STATE
token: reputation_damage_state
scope: actor
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: FAMA degradation that occurs before any legal judgment, triggered by public accusation alone. Distinct from FAMA (which tracks overall public reputation) — this captures the acute, event-triggered damage that precedes any formal resolution. The Capua vendor is beaten, not convicted. His trade suffers before the magistrate rules. Once damage occurs, it may persist even after exoneration. Volatility is the key characteristic.
Type: ordinal — none / minor / significant / severe / destroyed
Observable: partial — the actor hears what is said about them, but not all of it
Perceived vs true: applies — the actor may underestimate how damaged their FAMA is
Drift mechanics:
- Spikes on public accusation, scandal, or visible failure
- Recovers slowly, incompletely, and unevenly across different social groups
- Recovery speed depends on AVCTORITA level and subsequent visible conduct
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0006, DIALOGUE-LAW-0013
COUNTERFACTUAL_CLAIM_STATE
token: counterfactual_claim_state
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: A legal or commercial claim based on what would have happened under different conditions — "if the old dock had remained, it would have collapsed in the earthquake." Not directly provable. Not directly disprovable. Persuasive to audiences who experienced the disaster; legally useless to Crispus without physical evidence. A distinct claim type because its evidentiary standard is structurally different from claims about actual events.
Type: enum — not_filed / filed / supported / unsupported / withdrawn
Observable: full — the claim either exists or it does not; whether it is valid is
the contested question
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0011 (The Harbor Tremor)
SURVIVAL_MEMORY_BIAS
token: survival_memory_bias
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: provisional
Definition: The degree to which an actor's account of past events has been edited — unconsciously or deliberately — to emphasise their own foresight and correct prediction. Chresimus's observation: "survival edits archives quickly." Distinct from deliberate falsification — this is the structural tendency of survivors to remember their choices as wiser than they were. Affects the reliability of witness testimony and the credibility of historical accounts.
Type: qualitative — low / medium / high
Observable: hidden to the actor; visible to careful observers like Chresimus
Maturity note: provisional — requires a measurement methodology before schema
implementation
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0011
DEAD_WITNESS_STATE
token: dead_witness_state
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether the primary actor whose testimony would resolve a case is deceased.
Creates a permanent ceiling on causation_proof_threshold — the dead cannot be
cross-examined. The broker's death in DIALOGUE-LAW-0010 does not merely remove one
witness; it eliminates the only person who knew the complete picture. The state triggers
permanent epistemic limitation: the question of intent can never be answered definitively.
Type: boolean — alive / dead (with deceased_at timestamp)
Observable: full — death is a public fact
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0010 (The Broker's Last Wind)
NARRATIVE_CAPTURE_RISK
token: narrative_capture_risk
scope: city
layer: universal
maturity: provisional
Definition: The probability that an unresolved event will be absorbed into popular myth before legal investigation completes. Once captured, evidence becomes harder to evaluate neutrally — witnesses remember what the story requires, not what they observed. The broker arc in DIALOGUE-LAW-0010 and 0011 illustrates: "the broker saved the harbor from beyond death" displaces the legal question of whether he caused the original disaster.
Type: ordinal — low / medium / high / captured
Observable: partial — the early signs are visible to Chresimus and Lentulus;
the city at large experiences the narrative as truth
Maturity note: provisional — interaction with rumor_velocity and
survival_memory_bias requires calibration
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0010, DIALOGUE-LAW-0011
ESTATE_LIABILITY_STATE
token: estate_liability_state
scope: scenario
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether a deceased actor's estate bears civil liability for harms they caused. Conditional on proof of intentional harm — Crispus's core constraint throughout the broker arc. Accidental harm, negligence, and coincidence are treated differently. Without proof of intent, the estate is shielded. With it, creditors and claimants may pursue assets. The parameter captures Roman law's specific treatment of posthumous civil liability, which differs significantly from modern frameworks.
Type: enum — shielded / under_review / liable / settled
Observable: partial — the legal position is uncertain until ruled upon; the estate's
actual assets are known only through inventory
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0010
RECORD_DESTRUCTION_FLAG
token: record_destruction_flag
scope: scenario
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether relevant documents have been deliberately removed or destroyed before investigation. Inferred from physical evidence (ash tray contents, floor scratches, cleared racks, suspiciously neat premises) rather than direct observation. Once flagged, it changes the evidentiary burden: the absence of records becomes itself evidence of concealment. Without the flag, missing documents are merely missing. With it, they are presumptively destroyed.
Type: boolean — not_flagged / flagged (with inference_basis)
Observable: inferred from physical investigation; never directly confirmed
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0010
MANIFEST_INTEGRITY
token: manifest_integrity
scope: scenario
layer: roman
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether cargo documentation is authentic, complete, and consistent
with actual cargo. Chresimus's primary lens in DIALOGUE-LAW-0004 (the prize ship):
"if cargo was declared as timber or salt, many men hang by ink." Distinct from general
LITTERAE (literacy and account-keeping capacity) — this is specifically the
authenticity of a specific document at a specific moment. Falsified manifests affect
classification outcomes, prize rights, and liability.
Type: enum — authentic / unverified / inconsistent / falsified / destroyed
Observable: partial — the document exists and can be read; whether it reflects
reality requires investigation
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-LAW-0004
PARTNERSHIP_ALIGNMENT_STATE
token: partnership_alignment_state
scope: relation
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The degree of genuine agreement among co-venturers on ownership shares,
operational authority, accounts, and decision rights — before any formal instrument
is executed. Chresimus's warning: "if this succeeds, friendship shortens." The gap
between declared cooperation and actual willingness to cede control. Distinct from
venture_governance_state (which is about the formal instrument) — alignment is the
underlying social reality that the instrument must capture or fail.
Type: ordinal — aligned / fragile / disputed / broken
Observable: hidden — each actor perceives their own willingness as reasonable
and others' as deficient
Perceived vs true: applies strongly — "trust was the missing capital" (Varro)
Source scenarios: DIALOGUE-LAW-0007, DIALOGUE-LAW-0008
CARETAKER_INCENTIVE_STRUCTURE
token: caretaker_incentive_structure
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: The degree to which a remote agent's compensation is tied to outcomes rather than fixed wage. The captain's operating principle and the six's caretaker design in DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0002. "Free men often steal more carefully because they plan to stay" — Chresimus. The parameter captures whether the incentive structure creates alignment between agent behaviour and owner interest. Pure fixed wage creates one risk profile; pure outcome-linked creates another; the mixture is the design variable.
Type: ordinal — fixed_wage / partial_outcome / primarily_outcome / equity_stake
Observable: full to the owner who designed it; the agent may not know they are
being compared against alternatives
Drift mechanics:
- Set at agent engagement; renegotiated at major milestones
- Affects
remote_management_reliabilitydirectly
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0002
REMOTE_MANAGEMENT_RELIABILITY
token: remote_management_reliability
scope: actor
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether caretakers and agents perform correctly in the owner's absence.
The test delivered mid-journey in DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0002: warehouse rents collected,
no theft, one rope shortage, two offers to buy slip rights refused, all stable. The
parameter is never fully known in advance — it is revealed through periodic reports.
The incentive structure (caretaker_incentive_structure) is the design variable;
this parameter tracks the outcome.
Type: ordinal — unknown / unreliable / adequate / reliable / exceptional
Observable: revealed through reports; unknown during absence
Drift mechanics:
- Improves with successful test cycles
- Degrades under temptation, opportunity, or changed circumstances
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0002
DISPATCH_RECEIPT_INTEGRITY
token: dispatch_receipt_integrity
scope: relation
layer: universal
maturity: canonical
Definition: Whether agents sign witnessed receipts confirming arrival time and condition of information packets at each node. Crispus's binding requirement in DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0003. Without this data, the route measurement experiment produces impressions rather than evidence. With it, the data becomes the commercial advantage. The receipt is not the contract — it is the measurement instrument that makes the contract valuable.
Type: enum — absent / informal / witnessed / witnessed_and_timestamped
Observable: full — the receipt either exists or it does not
Source scenario: DIALOGUE-COMMERCE-0003
Section 5 — Extensions to Existing Parameters
These are not new tokens. They are clarifications or additions to parameters already in the registry, identified through corpus review.
AVCTORITA — perceived vs true split clarification
The existing registry notes that the actor infers their own AVCTORITA from social signals. The corpus makes explicit that this split is load-bearing in multiple scenarios:
- The Failed Magistrate's AVCTORITA is falling faster than he knows (DIALOGUE-LAW-0001, CAST-OSTIA-0001)
- The Freedman Trader's practical reputation has grown faster than his social recognition (CAST-OSTIA-0001)
- The captain's AVCTORITA is destroyed by accusation before any legal finding, then partially restored by exoneration, but not fully restored by it (DIALOGUE-LAW-0013)
Schema implication already noted in existing registry: value_true and
value_perceived must be separate records. This remains non-negotiable.
Addition: A third record is needed — value_social — tracking the current market
consensus about an actor's AVCTORITA, which may differ from both the true value and
the actor's self-assessment. This is what FAMA produces. Three records, not two.
IVS_ACCESSVS — post-exoneration modifier
The existing registry covers formal standing. The corpus adds:
After exoneration, IVS_ACCESSVS is restored legally but may remain practically
impaired while FAMA recovers. The schema should support a practical_modifier field
on IVS_ACCESSVS that can differ from the formal standing field during recovery periods.
OFFICIA_BVRDEN — hidden obligation component
The existing registry notes that the actor may underestimate informal obligations.
The corpus confirms: in DIALOGUE-LAW-0001, the bonded service arrangement itself is an
OFFICIA_BVRDEN item. The parameter should explicitly support both formal obligations
(visible) and informal ones (partially hidden), with the split tracked separately.
Section 6 — Tokens Considered and Rejected
These were identified during corpus review and rejected for specific reasons.
| Rejected token | Reason |
|---|---|
conspiracy_flag |
Too broad. Covers everything from coordinated pricing to sabotage. Use collusion_evidence_state for the evidence status and information_asymmetry_flag for the structural condition. |
luck_parameter |
Not a parameter. Luck is the residual between preparation and outcome. It is not stored — it is the gap between expected and actual outcome. |
moral_reputation |
Collapsed into FAMA. The distinction between commercial and moral reputation is valid in Roman life but does not require a separate parameter — it is captured by the audience and context fields on FAMA events. |
political_timing_advantage |
Too broad as a standalone parameter. Covered by information_monopoly_window (structural) and state_patronage_channel (relational). The underlying mechanism is delayed knowledge reaching the actor before the market. |
ghost_current_state |
Too scenario-specific. The underlying phenomenon is infrastructure_bottleneck_state with a geological trigger. The ghost current terminology belongs in UI text, not schema. |
broker_foreknowledge |
Not a general parameter. The broker's possible foreknowledge is the unresolved question of the arc, not a storable value. Represented by information_asymmetry_flag and dead_witness_state. |
Summary — New Tokens by Scope
Actor (13): manumission_state, knowledge_asset, replacement_cost, debt_completion_state, succession_state, household_authority_index, source_control_state, bottleneck_control_state, transformation_margin, foreign_status_claim, binding_authority, exoneration_state, route_measurement_state
City (7): skilled_labor_scarcity, licensing_state, recurring_demand_pattern, infrastructure_standard_state, reporting_obligation, institutional_memory_state, outpost_state
Scenario (11): classification_state, causation_proof_threshold, collusion_evidence_state, venture_governance_state, asset_complementarity, emergency_contract_window, information_asymmetry_flag, duty_to_warn_state, information_monopoly_window, command_authority_split, state_patronage_channel
Relation/Derived (13): reputation_damage_state, counterfactual_claim_state, survival_memory_bias, dead_witness_state, narrative_capture_risk, estate_liability_state, record_destruction_flag, manifest_integrity, partnership_alignment_state, caretaker_incentive_structure, remote_management_reliability, dispatch_receipt_integrity, shared_secret_leverage, hazard_knowledge_timestamp, gatekeeper_potential, node_agent_state
Total new tokens: 44 Canonical: 32 | Provisional: 8 | Extensions to existing: 3
Parameter Registry Additions — 2026-04-30 Prepared for project owner review. No token is admitted until reviewed. Uncertainty is a first-class record, not a comment. TheRON — single contributor. AI assistants implement, document, flag — do not direct.