Rewrite NPC plans around the Quaternius base

docs/architecture.md

@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ The player interacts with NPCs, venue entrances, access artifacts, equipment, st
 - `WorldBuilder` assembles the procedural venue from a per-venue `VENUE_SPECS` table (facade, windows, stairs, street, nav bounds, guard spawn, feature flags and prop placements), prefers the Blender prop library in `assets/models/blender/props/`, and falls back to `assets/models/generated/` or primitives. `GameManager` rebuilds only the `World` container when the venue changes, so the guard/UI and their state survive. It also wires the phase-driven library emissives and street dressing.
 - `src/game/ui/art.gd` loads runtime UI/scene art from `assets/images/ui/` and `assets/images/scenes/`, with null fallbacks so panels keep their procedural layouts.
 - `tools/model_pipeline.py` builds and audits the street-prop `.glb` models and packs their colour atlases.
-- `tools/npc_pipeline.py` builds and audits the skinned NPC base model (`assets/models/generated/npc_base.glb`) and its per-slot material maps, with an optional AI fabric override (ADR-0013).
+- `tools/npc_pipeline.py` builds and audits the skinned NPC base model (`assets/models/generated/npc_base.glb`) and its per-slot material maps, with an optional AI fabric override (ADR-0013). The active character migration bakes the CC0 Quaternius base onto the same contract (ADR-0017); the procedural base remains the fallback.
 - `tools/blender_assets.py` builds, renders and audits the Blender asset library (`assets/models/blender/{npc,npc_gear,props}/` + `manifest.json`): NPC character variants that are drop-in for `npc_base`, attach-point gear, and street/venue props. `NpcAvatar` selects variants/gear by role/seed and `WorldBuilder` loads the prop replacements and new street dressing, with procedural fallbacks (see `docs/blender-assets.md`).
 - `tools/scene_concepts.py` generates realism-pass references (`docs/screens/concepts/`), skyline backdrops and surface tiles (raw `assets/textures/ai/v2/raw/` → candidates `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/`), promotes the validated ones to the tracked `v2/picks/` that `SurfaceMaterials`/`WorldBuilder` preload, audits them, and scores `src/test/capture_realism.gd` A/B captures (six stages, runtime texture swaps) against the concepts (`docs/screens/realism/<run>/`).
 - `tools/asset_pipeline.py` generates and audits role-aware textures; `tools/screen_designs.py` generates screen references and judges captures; `tools/check_screenshots.sh` renders the staged gallery and runs the compare gate.
@@ -206,14 +206,14 @@ transient input state.
 
 ### Character development tooling
 
-Characters have two authored sources and one procedural fallback. The eight-variant
-Blender library (`assets/models/blender/npc/`) is the normal presentation path; the
-older skinned `npc_base` (`assets/models/generated/npc_base.glb`) remains a frozen
-contract and fallback; `NpcAvatar`'s procedural rig is the offline last resort.
-Four crowd-variety prototypes have been built and audited locally but are not yet in
-the shipped catalogue; generator-first expansion is the active character track
-(ADR-0015). Blender is a developer tool only — runtime, tests and CI consume committed
-GLBs and maps.
+Characters have one active migration, two committed fallbacks and one procedural last
+resort. The Quaternius base migration (ADR-0017) bakes the CC0 Quaternius mesh and
+Idle/Walk clips onto the existing 13-core contract and produces the next 12-variant
+library. Until that ships, the 12-variant Blender library
+(`assets/models/blender/npc/`) is the normal presentation path, the older skinned
+`npc_base` (`assets/models/generated/npc_base.glb`) is the frozen contract fallback,
+and `NpcAvatar`'s procedural rig is the offline last resort. Blender and Quaternius are
+developer tools only — runtime, tests and CI consume committed GLBs and maps.
 
 | Tool | Role | Committed artifact | Verification gate |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
@@ -388,6 +388,7 @@ Architecture decisions are recorded as ADRs:
 - [ADR-0008: Cone focus and focus circle](adr/0008-cone-focus-and-head-ring.md)
 - [ADR-0009: Radial action menu](adr/0009-radial-action-menu.md)
 - [ADR-0010: Procedural NPC presentation](adr/0010-procedural-npc-presentation.md)
+- [ADR-0017: Quaternius NPC base](adr/0017-quaternius-npc-base.md)
 - [ADR-0011: Aim-free selection and precision walk](adr/0011-aim-free-selection-and-precision-walk.md)
 - [ADR-0012: Surface materials and generated props](adr/0012-surface-materials-and-generated-props.md)
 - [ADR-0013: Blender-authored NPC characters and baked materials](adr/0013-blender-authored-npc-characters.md)