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--- name: council description: Invoke when the user runs /council or from /scout. Quest inlines this orientation as its Research step 2 and does not call it. Loads focused, task-relevant context by reading CLAUDE.md, scanning for related files, and producing a structured Session Context block. --- # Council — Context-Aware Task Onboarding ## Overview Loads focused, task-relevant context at the start of any non-trivial work session. Produces a structured Session Context block that serves as the foundation for all downstream work. This is the "onboarding the agent within every repo" pattern from context engineering. ## When to Use - The user runs `/council` — starting a task that involves more than a quick fix, or picking up in-progress work This skill is **not** a step of the quest lifecycle. Quest inlines the same orientation as its Research step 2 rather than invoking it, so the two cannot drift apart. Council does not look for a `/lembas` checkpoint. Exactly one place checks for one during a quest — quest's Research step 0 — and `/rekindle` is the recovery path outside a quest. ## Process ### Step 1: Read Project Context Read the root CLAUDE.md. Extract: - Reference files relevant to the task area - Review conventions that apply - Architecture constraints If no CLAUDE.md exists, note: "Consider running `/chronicle` to set up project context." Also check for `~/.claude/fellowship.json` (the user's personal Claude directory). If it exists, read it and note any non-default settings. These will be included in the Session Context block under Architecture Notes so downstream skills (lembas, warden) are aware of the active configuration. ### Step 2: Understand the Task Ask one focused question: > "What are you working on? (One sentence describing the task and which area of the codebase it touches.)" If the user already stated the task, skip the question. ### Step 3: Identify Package Scope Determine the scope of the task within the project: **Monorepo** (has `packages/`, `apps/`, or a workspace config like `pnpm-workspace.yaml`): 1. Match the task area to a package directory (e.g., `packages/<name>/`, `apps/<name>/`) 2. If ambiguous, check the monorepo structure (`ls` top-level directories) and ask the user 3. If the task spans multiple packages, list all affected packages 4. If a package-level CLAUDE.md exists (e.g., `packages/<name>/CLAUDE.md`), read it and merge its conventions with the root CLAUDE.md. Package-level conventions override root conventions where they conflict. **Single-package repo:** Skip this step — the scope is the whole project. Proceed to Step 4. This scope constrains all downstream scanning and verification. ### Step 4: Scan for Relevant Files Use the Explore agent (Agent tool with subagent_type=Explore, passing `model: "haiku"` — file scanning does not need the session model; use `models.explore` from fellowship config instead if set) to find files related to the task description. **In a monorepo, scope the search to the identified package(s)** — do not scan the entire repo. Focus on: - Files that will likely need modification - Files that define the patterns to follow (reference files) - Test files for the affected area - Config or type files that constrain the work Keep the scan targeted — 5-10 key files maximum, not an exhaustive listing. ### Step 5: Produce Session Context Block Output a structured block in this exact format: ``` ## Session Context **Task:** [one-line description] **Package(s):** [package name(s) and path(s)] **Key Files:** - [path/to/file:lines] — [why it's relevant] - [path/to/file:lines] — [why it's relevant] **Relevant Conventions:** - [convention from root CLAUDE.md that applies] - [convention from package CLAUDE.md that applies, if exists] **Architecture Notes:** - [constraints, patterns, or dependencies to be aware of] **Out of Scope:** - [things explicitly not to touch or change] - [other packages not affected by this task] ``` ### Step 6: Confirm with User Present the Session Context block and ask: > "Does this capture the right scope? Anything missing or out of bounds?" Revise based on feedback. ## Key Principles - **Targeted, not exhaustive.** 5-10 key files, not every file in the directory. - **Carry forward.** The Session Context block is referenced by lembas throughout the session. - **Minimal questions, never stall.** One focused task question (Step 2) when the task wasn't already provided; Steps 3 and 6 ask only when genuinely ambiguous. As a fellowship teammate there is no direct user — route blocking questions to the lead via SendMessage, and otherwise proceed with documented assumptions rather than waiting on confirmation.