The NPC Map // Archetypes
A living field index of recurring actors—purpose, tells, counters. Keep your pace sealed.
Radial View
How to Read the Map
We map behaviors, not worth. Spot the Tell, name the Script, apply a clean Counter-Move. Move slow; refuse performance.
Legend
Tell: Observable cue (words, timing, gaze, spacing) that reveals a pattern starting.
Script: Predictable sequence the system wants you to enact (defend, hurry, prove).
Counter-Move: Short, sealed response that declines the performance and restores pace.
Field Notes: Context or stack behavior to watch for (double tendrils, redirects).
Archetypes
Common scripted roles you’ll meet at thresholds: counters, doors, queues, and group spaces.
Validator // “Are you sure?”
Tell: Re-asks answered questions; hunts for reassurance signals.
Script: You defend clarity; they hold the pen on “reasonable.”
Counter-Move: “I’m clear.” (full stop) Resume prior action; no extra proof.
Field Notes: Often pairs with the Righteousness Flip if you keep your line.
Hoverer // Proximity Pressure
Tell: Drifts inside your distance, reacting to your micro-moves.
Script: You speed up, talk more, or cede positioning.
Counter-Move: Reset distance. Slow breath. Continue task without commentary.
Field Notes: Combine with “Distance as Law” drill.
Scripted Humorist // Tone Bait
Tell: Jokes that require your laugh to proceed.
Script: You validate; they gain time & status while you lose pace.
Counter-Move: Neutral face. “No thanks.” Return to task.
Field Notes: If humor fails, expect a mild righteousness flip.
Over-Talker // Channel Flood
Tell: Rapid info dump after your clear request.
Script: You track their channel instead of your objective.
Counter-Move: “Run it as asked.” or “I’ll wait for the result.” (silence)
Field Notes: Works with Card Reader Interrogation patterns.
Orbit Coordinator // Group Pivot
Tell: Quick glances to others; subtle nods that redistribute attention.
Script: Group “decides” your access while no one owns it.
Counter-Move: “Who can authorize this?” (wait)
Field Notes: Often anchors Stall Gate loops at counters.
Returner // The Loop
Tell: Sends you back to the same blocked step (“Go ask them first”).
Script: You accept the loop and erode resolve.
Counter-Move: “Who resolves this here?” If redirected again: “I’m good.” Exit.
Field Notes: Classic Double Tendril (stall → redirect back).
Retroactive Normalizer // “It’s always been like this.”
Tell: After you note an absence, multiple people suddenly perform the “missing” behavior in obvious view—often at the same time.
Script: Overwrite your memory so you doubt your perception and accept the injection as normal.
Counter-Move: “Noted. This is new.” (silence) Treat duplication as panic, not proof. Resume original timing.
Field Notes: Window ~24–48h after your first observation; duplication (2+) is the tell. Log a one-line “before.”
Probe Glitch // Denial Phase
Tell: NPC approaches stall mid-script: hover without hook, misplaced lines, eyes scan then drop, physical reroute without contact.
Script: Normal bait for pace/validation fails to load against sealed jurisdiction; seeks a new entry.
Counter-Move: Hold stillness. Keep task cadence. No corrective smile, no aid. If addressed: “I’m good.”
Field Notes: Expect deflation or awkward reroute within 1–3 seconds. Frequency confirms field governance.
Perception Matrix + Field Mastery
The Map shows scripts. Perception Matrix re-codes what you see; Field Mastery trains the body rhythm that ends them—cadence, eye-rest, right-of-way, recovery.
