canon-governance

When to use

• Author wants to change canon (rules, power system, key facts, naming, world constraints).
• A deviation implies a canon drift and you must decide: update canon, or rewrite text back to canon.

Required fields for a canon change request (must be explicit)

• change: what changes (before → after)
• reason: why this change is worth it (story value)
• scope: which volumes/stories/chapters are affected
• retroactive policy:
  • fix old chapters now / accept inconsistency / create branch and rewrite later
• risk: what could break (timeline, character motivation, existing payoffs)

Output

• canon_change_request.md (proposal)
• canon_change_impact.md (impact map + fix plan + options)

Procedure

1. Decide whether this is a canon change or a local rewrite.
2. If canon change:
   • list affected artifacts (outline, chapters, ledger, tests)
   • propose 2-3 propagation plans (minimal vs thorough vs branch)
3. Update Narrative Tests if necessary (to prevent future drift).