Role
Keeps rules and machine-facing context close to the knowledge they govern.
Component / Operating layer
system/ folder
The internal operating layer: contracts, docs, scripts, indexes, workflow state, templates, and agent instructions that make the vault runnable.
Contains
- system/docs/agent-instructions.md
- system/scripts/vault/*
- contracts and validation rules
- workflow queues, indexes, generated artifacts
Interfaces
- Hermes reads these before vault work
- Scripts create validated mutations
- Agents use this as operational context
Maintenance rule
Operational files live here when they help validate, route, index, or instruct the vault workflow.
Proof signal
A future agent can read the folder and understand the contract before changing anything.
Failure mode: If system rules live only in chat memory, they drift and cannot be audited.