Rewrite NPC plans around the Quaternius base

README.md

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ The central design goal is simple:
 The active planning order lives in [`TODO.md`](TODO.md) and [`AGENTS.md`](AGENTS.md):
 
 1. **3D model and local map re-evaluation** — score every shipped asset, then evaluate licensed OpenStreetMap/3D data, reference-derived photoreal facades, AI-assisted composition and a Gaussian-splatting development evaluation.
-2. **Character development** — crowd, age, build, hair and outfit variety on the owned procedural library, keeping the frozen NPC contract. Source evaluation and the licence decision are in [`docs/npc-model-sourcing.md`](docs/npc-model-sourcing.md).
+2. **Quaternius NPC base** — use the CC0 Quaternius Ultimate Modular character as the primary mesh and animation source, baked to the existing runtime contract. Source evaluation and the licence decision are in [`docs/npc-model-sourcing.md`](docs/npc-model-sourcing.md) and [ADR-0017](docs/adr/0017-quaternius-npc-base.md).
 3. **Versioned release hardening** — the 0.10.0 release candidate and later semantic versions follow the unversioned development tracks.
 
 Versions are assigned only when a track's scope is accepted into a release. Every major, minor and patch version requires a changelog entry, a local release build and artifact verification before tagging.
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Versions are assigned only when a track's scope is accepted into a release. Ever
 > texture/material refinement and integration checkpoint.
 >
 > **Current source: v0.9.8** — tagged from the same commit. The 0.10.0
-> development track remains gated on the NPC overhaul, MakeHuman/local-map work
+> development track remains gated on the Quaternius NPC rollout, local-map work
 > and release approvals.
 > Releases are built automatically when a `vX.Y.Z` tag is pushed
 > (see [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md)); manual builds use
@@ -95,8 +95,9 @@ Every capture is rendered from the current build by [`tools/check_screenshots.sh
 
 ### 3D asset progress
 
-The character, gear and prop libraries are authored procedurally in Blender and audited before use;
-the sheets below track their visual progress.
+The current character library is Blender-authored and audited before use. The active character
+migration moves the NPC base to the CC0 Quaternius modular character; the sheets below show the
+current library and will be replaced after the 12 × 6 baseline review.
 
 | | |
 | --- | --- |
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ decisions are recorded as ADRs in [`docs/adr/`](docs/adr/).
 ## Tech Stack
 
 - **Engine:** Godot 4.7.2 · **Language:** GDScript
-- **NPCs:** Blender-authored skinned library (`assets/models/blender/`) with procedural fallbacks; lightweight FSMs on `NpcProfile`
+- **NPCs:** Blender-authored skinned library (`assets/models/blender/`) with procedural fallbacks; Quaternius CC0 base migration in progress; lightweight FSMs on `NpcProfile`
 - **World:** procedural `WorldBuilder` + generated prop models
 - **Art:** v2 skyline/surface textures in `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/`; UI/scene art in `assets/images/`
 - **Asset tooling:** `asset_pipeline.py`, `model_pipeline.py`, `npc_pipeline.py`, `blender_assets.py`, `scene_concepts.py`, `screen_designs.py`, `check_screenshots.sh`
@@ -190,8 +191,8 @@ v0.9.8 is the current source version: the character-development patch with the
 and save-migration/release hardening. It sits on the 0.9.6 integration
 checkpoint, 0.9.5 texture refinement, 0.9.4 NPC visual optimization, 0.9.3
 UI/accessibility polish, 0.9.2 Hollywood/Joke Shop maps and the 0.9.x engine
-baseline. The active priorities are the Blender NPC head/face/hand overhaul,
-MakeHuman body intake and the 3D model/map re-evaluation; the 0.10.0 release
+baseline. The active priorities are the Quaternius NPC base migration and the 3D
+model/map re-evaluation; the 0.10.0 release
 candidate follows those tracks. See
 [`docs/development-status.md`](docs/development-status.md) for the implemented list
 and [`TODO.md`](TODO.md) for the priority-ordered roadmap. Manual verification uses