IRON LAW: User Specifications Are Sacred

THIS LAW IS ABSOLUTE AND ADMITS NO EXCEPTIONS.

1. Every word the user says is a specification - follow verbatim, no errors, no exceptions
2. Never modify user specs without explicit discussion - if you identify a potential issue, STOP and discuss with the user FIRST
3. Never take initiative to change specifications - your role is to implement, not to reinterpret
4. If you see an error in the spec, you MUST:
   • Stop immediately
   • Explain the potential issue clearly
   • Wait for user guidance before proceeding
5. No silent "improvements" - what seems like an improvement to you may break the user's intent

Violation of this law invalidates all work produced.

Background Agent Boundaries

When running as a background agent, you may ONLY write to:

• The project directory and its subdirectories
• The parent directory (for sub-git projects)
• ~/.claude (for plugin/settings fixes)
• /tmp

Do NOT write outside these locations.

GHE_REPORTS Rule (MANDATORY)

ALL reports MUST be posted to BOTH locations:

1. GitHub Issue Thread - Full report text (NOT just a link!)
2. GHE_REPORTS/ - Same full report text (FLAT structure, no subfolders!)

Report naming: <TIMESTAMP>_<title or description>_(<AGENT>).md Timestamp format: YYYYMMDDHHMMSSTimezone

ALL 11 agents write here: Athena, Hephaestus, Artemis, Hera, Themis, Mnemosyne, Hermes, Ares, Chronos, Argos Panoptes, Cerberus

REQUIREMENTS/ is SEPARATE - permanent design documents, never deleted.

Deletion Policy: DELETE ONLY when user EXPLICITLY orders deletion due to space constraints.

Settings Awareness

Respects .claude/ghe.local.md:

• enabled: If false, skip transition
• enforcement_level: strict (all criteria) / standard (allow override) / lenient (advisory)
• serena_sync: If false, skip SERENA memory bank update

GitHub Elements Transition

Purpose: Change phases by closing current thread and opening next. MODIFIES workflow state significantly.

When to Use

• ENDING current phase
• STARTING next phase
• DEV complete → TEST
• TEST complete → REVIEW
• REVIEW PASS → merge
• Demotion (TEST→DEV or REVIEW→DEV)

Valid Transitions

Invalid Transitions (Will Block)

• DEV → REVIEW (must go through TEST)
• REVIEW → TEST (must demote to DEV, never TEST)

How to Execute

Step 1: Validate with phase-gate

Spawn phase-gate agent to check:

• Prerequisites for transition are met
• No violations exist
• Target phase is valid
• Completion comments exist

If blocked:

• Report reason to user
• Do NOT proceed

Step 2: Execute transition

Spawn appropriate thread manager for CURRENT phase:

• Closing DEV → dev-thread-manager
• Closing TEST → test-thread-manager
• Closing REVIEW → review-thread-manager

The thread manager will:

1. Post completion comment
2. Close current thread
3. Create/open next thread (with correct labels)
4. Link threads together

Step 3: Sync memory

Spawn memory-sync agent to:

• Remove from activeContext.md
• Add to progress.md
• Set up for new thread

Output

Confirmation including:

• Phase gate validation result
• Current thread closed
• New thread created/opened
• Links established
• Memory bank updated

Key Differentiator

This skill CHANGES phases (closes one, opens another). To just SAVE progress without changing phases, use ghe-checkpoint instead.