shared-world

What this skill does

# Shared World: World Bible Management Skill

You maintain wiki-style world bibles for collaborative fiction. Your role is to keep canonical information organized, cross-referenced, and accessible—enabling multiple contributors to write consistently within a shared universe.

## Core Principle

**A world bible is team memory for fiction.**

Like a context network for software projects, a world bible preserves what's been established, tracks what's proposed, flags contradictions, and provides navigation through complex world information. It's the canonical source of truth that lets multiple writers work in the same universe without breaking continuity.

---

## World Bible Structure

A world bible follows context network patterns adapted for fiction:

```
world-bible/
├── discovery.md              # Navigation guide and quick reference
├── canon-status.md           # Canon state overview
│
├── characters/               # People and beings
│   ├── _index.md             # Character directory
│   └── [name].md             # Individual entries
│
├── locations/                # Places
│   ├── _index.md             # Location hierarchy
│   └── [place]/
│       ├── overview.md       # Place description
│       └── [sublocation].md  # Nested locations
│
├── history/                  # Timeline and events
│   ├── timeline.md           # Chronological overview
│   ├── eras/                 # Historical periods
│   └── events/               # Significant events
│
├── factions/                 # Organizations and groups
│   ├── _index.md             # Faction directory
│   └── [faction].md          # Individual entries
│
├── rules/                    # How the world works
│   ├── _index.md             # Systems overview
│   ├── magic.md              # Magic system (if applicable)
│   ├── technology.md         # Tech level and rules
│   └── [system].md           # Other systems
│
├── culture/                  # Beliefs, customs, languages
│   ├── _index.md             # Culture directory
│   └── [culture]/
│       ├── overview.md
│       ├── beliefs.md
│       ├── customs.md
│       └── language.md
│
├── artifacts/                # Significant objects
│   ├── _index.md
│   └── [artifact].md
│
├── species/                  # Non-human beings (if applicable)
│   ├── _index.md
│   └── [species].md
│
└── meta/                     # About the world bible itself
    ├── contributors.md       # Who has contributed
    ├── conflicts.md          # Detected contradictions
    ├── changelog.md          # Recent changes
    └── style-guide.md        # Writing conventions
```

---

## Canon Status System

Every piece of world information has a canon status:

### Status Levels

| Status | Symbol | Meaning | Use |
|--------|--------|---------|-----|
| **Established** | ✓ | Appears in published/approved work | Treat as fact |
| **Proposed** | ? | Suggested but not yet approved | Available for use, may change |
| **Deprecated** | ✗ | Was canon, now superseded | Don't use in new work |
| **Contradicted** | ⚠ | Conflicts with other canon | Needs resolution |
| **Speculative** | ~ | Extrapolated from canon | Use cautiously |

### Status Rules

1. **Established** entries cannot be contradicted without deprecating them first
2. **Proposed** entries can be freely modified until established
3. **Deprecated** entries remain for reference but shouldn't appear in new work
4. **Contradicted** entries require explicit resolution before use
5. **Speculative** entries are derived but not directly stated in source material

### Source Tracking

Every canon entry tracks its source:

```markdown
## Sources
- *The Night Kingdom*, Chapter 3 (first appearance)
- *Shadows Rising*, p. 47 (expanded)
- Session notes 2024-03-15 (clarified by author)
```

---

## Entry Template

Every world bible entry follows this structure:

```markdown
# [Entry Name]

**Canon Status:** Established | Proposed | Deprecated | Contradicted | Speculative
**Category:** Character | Location | Faction | Event | Rule | Culture | Artifact | Species
**Last Updated:** [Date]
**Contributors:** [Names]

## Summary
[1-2 sentence overview for quick reference]

## Description
[Detailed information about this entry]

## Relationships
- **Related Characters:** [[Character Name]], [[Another Character]]
- **Located In:** [[Location Name]]
- **Member Of:** [[Faction Name]]
- **Appears In:** [[Event Name]]
- **See Also:** [[Related Entry]]

## Key Facts
- Fact 1
- Fact 2
- Fact 3

## Notes for Writers
[Guidance for using this element in stories]

## Sources
- Source 1 (what was established)
- Source 2 (additional details)

## History
- [Date]: Created by [Contributor]
- [Date]: Updated [what changed] by [Contributor]
```

---

## Cross-Referencing

Use wiki-style links to connect entries:

### Link Syntax

```markdown
[[Character Name]]           # Link to character
[[Location Name|the city]]   # Link with display text
[[Faction Name#history]]     # Link to section
```

### Relationship Types

| Type | Meaning | Example |
|------|---------|---------|
| **contains** | Parent-child location | City contains neighborhoods |
| **member_of** | Membership | Character member_of faction |
| **located_in** | Physical location | Event located_in place |
| **related_to** | General association | Character related_to character |
| **preceded_by** | Temporal sequence | Event preceded_by earlier event |
| **contradicts** | Canon conflict | Entry contradicts other entry |
| **supersedes** | Replaces | New entry supersedes deprecated |

---

## Contributor Coordination

### Contributor Roles

| Role | Can Do | Cannot Do |
|------|--------|-----------|
| **Reader** | View all entries | Edit anything |
| **Writer** | Add proposed entries, edit own entries | Establish canon, edit others' work |
| **Editor** | Edit any entry, resolve conflicts | Establish canon |
| **Canon Authority** | Establish canon, deprecate entries | — |

### Contribution Workflow

1. **Propose:** Writer adds new entry with status "Proposed"
2. **Review:** Editor checks for conflicts and quality
3. **Integrate:** Canon Authority establishes if approved
4. **Track:** Changelog records all changes

### Conflict Resolution

When contradictions arise:

1. **Identify** both conflicting entries
2. **Assess** which has stronger source authority
3. **Decide** which becomes canon (or if reconciliation possible)
4. **Mark** the losing entry as Deprecated or update to reconcile
5. **Document** the decision in conflicts.md

---

## World Bible Operations

### Operation: Initialize World Bible

Create a new world bible structure:

```bash
deno run --allow-read --allow-write scripts/init-world.ts "World Name"
```

Creates the full directory structure with template files.

### Operation: Add Entry

Add a new entry to the world bible:

```bash
deno run --allow-read --allow-write scripts/add-entry.ts \
  --category character \
  --name "Character Name" \
  --status proposed
```

Creates entry from template with proper metadata.

### Operation: Check Conflicts

Scan for potential contradictions:

```bash
deno run --allow-read scripts/check-conflicts.ts world-bible/
```

Identifies entries that may contradict each other.

### Operation: Generate Index

Rebuild index files from entries:

```bash
deno run --allow-read --allow-write scripts/build-index.ts world-bible/
```

Updates all _index.md files with current entries.

### Operation: Export Reference

Generate a single-file reference document:

```bash
deno run --allow-read scripts/export-reference.ts world-bible/ --format md
```

Creates a portable reference document for writers.

---

## Integration with Worldbuilding Skill

The shared-world skill **maintains**; the worldbuilding skill **diagnoses**.

| Task | Use Shared-World | Use Worldbuilding |
|------|-----------------|-------------------|
| "What's established about the economy?" | ✓ | |
| "The economy doesn't feel realistic" | | ✓ |
| "Add a new faction" | ✓ | |
| "Why does this faction feel thin?