docs: add index README and source README snapshots

docs: merge uo-link documentation history into the docs repo
Merge pull request 'Protocol 2.0 + 2.1 — account provisioning, world-state streams, Town Cryer news' (#7 ) from feat/protocol2-account-provisioning into main
2026-07-17 23:57:50 -05:00 · 2026-07-17 23:57:13 -05:00 · 2026-07-17 16:37:27 +00:00 · 2026-07-17 11:27:13 -05:00 · 2026-07-17 11:15:24 -05:00 · 2026-07-17 10:23:07 -05:00
8 changed files with 1682 additions and 7 deletions
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Runic Gateway — Documentation
+
+Central documentation for the Runic Gateway platform. The docs here were
+extracted from the two code repositories (with full commit history preserved)
+so they live in one place, independent of either codebase.
+
+## Layout
+
+```
+website/   docs from the shard website (Node/Express + MariaDB + React/Vite)
+link/      docs from the ServUO bridge (C# plugin + Rust sidecar + Node WS)
+```
+
+### `website/`
+| Doc | What it covers |
+|---|---|
+| [BACKEND_DESIGN.md](website/BACKEND_DESIGN.md) | API contract, DB schema, security model |
+| [HERO_EDITOR.md](website/HERO_EDITOR.md) | Hero canvas editor feature spec |
+| [WIKI_UPGRADE.md](website/WIKI_UPGRADE.md) | Wiki subsystem upgrade notes |
+| [website-README.md](website/website-README.md) | Snapshot of the website repo's README (setup/run reference) |
+
+### `link/`
+| Doc | What it covers |
+|---|---|
+| [INTEGRATION.md](link/INTEGRATION.md) | How the website integrates with the uo-link sidecar |
+| [PROTOCOL_2.md](link/PROTOCOL_2.md) | Protocol 2.0 / 2.1 design |
+| [ADMIN_CONTROLS.md](link/ADMIN_CONTROLS.md) | Staff write-plane (kick/ban/broadcast, page queue) |
+| [SHARD_PREREQS.md](link/SHARD_PREREQS.md) | Shard-side prerequisites for the bridge |
+| [PLAN.md](link/PLAN.md) | uo-link build plan |
+| [RESEARCH.md](link/RESEARCH.md) | Research notes |
+| [link-README.md](link/link-README.md) | Snapshot of the link repo's README |
+
+## Provenance
+
+- `website/*` was extracted from `RunicGateway/website` via `git filter-repo`.
+- `link/*` was extracted from `RunicGateway/link` via `git filter-repo`.
+
+Commit history and authorship for each doc are preserved. The two source repos
+retain a short pointer to this repo in their own READMEs; the authoritative copy
+of each document now lives here.
--- a/link/INTEGRATION.md
+++ b/link/INTEGRATION.md
@@ -239,6 +239,82 @@ Category-specific fields on `champ.update`:

 The events are live deltas; for the current board of all spawns at once, use `GET /champs` (§6) — that's what you render on connect, then keep live with these events.

+#### Guilds (Protocol 2.0)
+
+Guilds expose only one in-game event (a member joining), so the roster is polled (`GuildSweepSeconds`, default 60s) and diffed. Like champion spawns, `guild.update` is a **full-state upsert** emitted only on change — treat a guild id you've never seen as "newly created", and drop one on `guild.remove`. `guild.join` is the one real-time event, on top of the board.
+
+| kind | fields | notes |
+|------|--------|-------|
+| `guild.update` | `id`, `name`, `abbr`, `members`, `online`, `alliance` (or null), `leader` (actor object or null) | A guild's roster/leader/alliance changed, or its first sight this connection. A **leave** shows up here as `members` dropping. |
+| `guild.remove` | `id` | The guild disbanded (leader gone) or was removed. Drop the row. |
+| `guild.join` | `id`, `name`, `abbr`, `who` (actor object) | Real-time: a player joined a guild (`EventSink.JoinGuild`). |
+
+The `leader`/`who` **actor object** is `{serial, name, acct?, webId?, player}` — `acct`/`webId` present when the mobile has an account / a linked website user.
+
+```json
+{"kind":"guild.update","id":1042,"name":"The Silver Hand","abbr":"TSH","members":14,
+ "online":3,"alliance":"Britannian Pact",
+ "leader":{"serial":"0x1A2B","name":"Darrow","acct":"whitlocktech","webId":"9931","player":true},
+ "t":1752489280000}
+{"kind":"guild.join","id":1042,"name":"The Silver Hand","abbr":"TSH",
+ "who":{"serial":"0x77","name":"Bran","acct":"bran","player":true},"t":1752489281000}
+```
+
+Render the current board from `GET /guilds` (§6) on connect, then keep it live with these events.
+
+#### Town governors (Protocol 2.0)
+
+In modern ServUO the "mayor" of a town is the **City Loyalty Governor**. The set of cities is polled (`CitySweepSeconds`, default 300s); each city emits `city.update` (full-state upsert) only when its governor, governor-elect, or election phase changes. **No events at all unless the shard runs the City Loyalty system.**
+
+| kind | fields | notes |
+|------|--------|-------|
+| `city.update` | `city`, `governor` (actor or null), `governorElect` (actor or null), `electionPhase`, `candidates`, `autoPickAt` (ISO-8601 UTC, when an election is ongoing) | A city's governance changed. Derive "the governor changed" by comparing to your stored board. |
+
+`electionPhase` is one of `none` / `nominate` / `vote` / `pending`. Cities: Moonglow, Britain, Jhelom, Yew, Minoc, Trinsic, SkaraBrae, NewMagincia.
+
+```json
+{"kind":"city.update","city":"Britain","electionPhase":"none","candidates":0,
+ "governor":{"serial":"0x1A2B","name":"Darrow","acct":"whitlocktech","webId":"9931","player":true},
+ "governorElect":null,"t":1752489280000}
+```
+
+Render the current board from `GET /governors` (§6) on connect, then keep it live with these events.
+
+#### Presence (Protocol 2.0)
+
+Who's online and where. A population snapshot is polled (`PresenceSweepSeconds`, default 30s) and emitted **only when it changes**; region transitions arrive in real time.
+
+| kind | fields | notes |
+|------|--------|-------|
+| `presence.online` | `count`, `byFacet` `{map: n}`, `byRegion` `{region: n}` | The current online population. Emitted when the count or any breakdown changes. `GET /online` gives the latest; `GET /history?kind=presence.online` the time series. |
+| `region.enter` | `from` (or null), `to` (or null), `map`, `who` (actor object) | A player crossed into a new named region. `from`/`to` are region names (`Wilderness` is unnamed). Cheap "who's where" feed. |
+
+```json
+{"kind":"presence.online","count":42,"byFacet":{"Felucca":12,"Trammel":30},
+ "byRegion":{"Britain":18,"Wilderness":9,"Despise":2},"t":1752489280000}
+{"kind":"region.enter","from":"Britain","to":"Despise","map":"Felucca",
+ "who":{"serial":"0x1A2B","name":"Darrow","acct":"whitlocktech","player":true},"t":...}
+```
+
+#### Houses (Protocol 2.0)
+
+The house registry — one row per house, complementing the `house.decay` *transition* feed (§ above). Polled (`HousingSweepSeconds`, default 300s) and diffed like the other boards.
+
+| kind | fields | notes |
+|------|--------|-------|
+| `house.update` | `serial`, `name`, `owner` (actor or null), `coOwners`, `friends`, `region`, `map`, `x`,`y`,`z`, `decay`, `price`, `builtOn`, `lastRefreshed` | A house's owner/region/decay/co-owners changed, or first sight this connection. `decay` is the level name (e.g. `LikeNew`). `price` is the placement value — **stock ServUO has no "for sale" flag**, so this is not a listing. |
+| `house.remove` | `serial` | The house was demolished or no longer exists. Drop the row. |
+
+```json
+{"kind":"house.update","serial":"0x40001234","name":"The Silver Anvil","decay":"LikeNew",
+ "price":432100,"map":"Felucca","x":1420,"y":1631,"z":0,"region":"Britain",
+ "owner":{"serial":"0x1A2B","name":"Darrow","acct":"whitlocktech","player":true},
+ "coOwners":2,"friends":5,"builtOn":"2026-01-02T00:00:00Z","lastRefreshed":"2026-07-10T00:00:00Z",
+ "t":1752489280000}
+```
+
+Render from `GET /houses` (§6) on connect, then keep live with these events.
+
 ---

 ## 5. REST — read queries
@@ -269,7 +345,9 @@ Full character sheet: stats, all trained skills, worn equipment with flattened i
    { "serial":"0x4002B3","layer":"OneHanded","itemId":5046,"hue":0,"cliloc":1023721,
      "weapon":{"minDamage":16,"maxDamage":18},
      "mods":{"WeaponDamage":50,"HitLightning":40} }
-  ]
+  ],
+  "titles": { "selected": 0, "fameKarma": "Lord", "skill": "Grandmaster Swordsman",
+              "reward": ["1154060", "The Bold"] }
 }
 ```

@@ -277,6 +355,7 @@ Field notes:
 - `skills[].base` is trained value, `value` includes item/temp bonuses, `cap` is the cap. **Do not assume `base <= cap`** — GM characters can exceed it.
 - `equipment[].mods` is a flattened map of every non-zero AOS attribute on the item (weapon or armor). Empty `{}` for plain items.
 - Item names are usually **clilocs**, not strings: use `name` when present, otherwise resolve `cliloc` against a UO cliloc table on the site.
+- `titles` (Protocol 2.0): `selected` is the index into `reward` currently displayed (`-1` if none). `fameKarma`/`skill` are computed display titles, omitted when the character has none. `reward` entries may be a **cliloc number as a string** or a literal string — resolve numeric ones against your cliloc table, same as item names.
 - Errors: unknown account → **404** `{"kind":"bridge.error","reason":"unknown account"}`; bad slot → **404**/**400** similarly.

 ### Account roster
@@ -398,6 +477,28 @@ DELETE /towncrier/{id}

 Caps apply (line count/length, active entries, duration); an over-cap post returns `towncrier.error`.

+### Publish / remove Town Cryer **news** (Protocol 2.1)
+
+Distinct from the scrolling-crier lines above: this puts a full article — title, HTML body, image, and a "more info" URL — into the in-game **Town Cryer News gump**, and (by default) has the criers proclaim the **title** in-world.
+
+```
+POST /news
+{ "id": "42", "title": "Double XP Weekend",
+  "body": "<CENTER>Double XP Weekend</CENTER><BR><BR>Starts Friday 7PM.",
+  "image": 1614, "url": "https://yoursite/news/42" }
+```
+→ **200** `{"kind":"news.ok","id":"42"}`. Re-posting the same `id` **replaces** the prior article in place.
+
+- `id`, `title` required. `body` (HTML supported), `image` (a UO gump id; a neutral scroll if omitted), `url` (a browser button in the gump) optional.
+- `announce` defaults to **true** — the criers proclaim the title. Send `"announce": false` to post silently (e.g. a correction).
+
+```
+DELETE /news/{id}
+```
+→ **200** `{"kind":"news.ok","id":"42"}`, or **404** `{"kind":"news.error","reason":"unknown id"}`.
+
+Caps apply (title/body length, max active articles). The **website is the source of truth**: the shard rebuilds its news list on restart and does not persist yours, so the sidecar automatically re-pushes your articles (silently) whenever the shard reconnects. Stock ServUO news is left intact — your articles are tracked separately.
+
 ### Staff moderation — the write plane

 Account and session moderation against the live shard. **These are privileged.** The sidecar does
@@ -512,6 +613,51 @@ GET /champs

 A row survives a sidecar restart (it's in SQLite), so the board reflects the last-known state even during a shard outage. A `sea` boss appears when summoned and is removed when slain.

+### Guild board (Protocol 2.0)
+
+```
+GET /guilds
+→ { "guilds": [ {"kind":"guild.update","id":1042,"name":"The Silver Hand","abbr":"TSH",
+      "members":14,"online":3,"alliance":"Britannian Pact",
+      "leader":{"serial":"0x1A2B","name":"Darrow","acct":"whitlocktech","webId":"9931","player":true},
+      "t":1752489280000}, ... ] }
+```
+
+Every guild's latest roster snapshot at once — the live board. Served from the sidecar's projection (no shard round-trip), kept current by the `guild.*` stream (§4). Render on load, then subscribe. Each entry is exactly a `guild.update` payload; ordered by name. Survives a sidecar restart.
+
+### Governor board (Protocol 2.0)
+
+```
+GET /governors
+→ { "cities": [ {"kind":"city.update","city":"Britain","electionPhase":"none","candidates":0,
+      "governor":{"serial":"0x1A2B","name":"Darrow","acct":"whitlocktech","player":true},
+      "governorElect":null,"t":1752489280000}, ... ] }
+```
+
+Every city's latest governance snapshot — the live board, kept current by the `city.update` stream (§4). Empty if the shard does not run the City Loyalty system. Ordered by city.
+
+### Online population (Protocol 2.0)
+
+```
+GET /online
+→ {"kind":"presence.online","count":42,"byFacet":{"Felucca":12,"Trammel":30},
+   "byRegion":{"Britain":18,"Wilderness":9},"t":1752489280000}
+```
+
+The current online population — total plus per-facet and per-region breakdowns. The latest `presence.online` snapshot (from SQLite, so it survives a sidecar restart); keep it live with the `presence.online` stream (§4). `count: 0` with empty maps if the shard hasn't reported yet. For the population time series, `GET /history?kind=presence.online`.
+
+### House registry (Protocol 2.0)
+
+```
+GET /houses
+→ { "houses": [ {"kind":"house.update","serial":"0x40001234","name":"The Silver Anvil",
+      "decay":"LikeNew","price":432100,"map":"Felucca","x":1420,"y":1631,"z":0,"region":"Britain",
+      "owner":{"serial":"0x1A2B","name":"Darrow","acct":"whitlocktech","player":true},
+      "coOwners":2,"friends":5,"builtOn":"...","lastRefreshed":"...","t":...}, ... ] }
+```
+
+Every house's latest snapshot — owner→houses map. Served from the sidecar's projection, kept current by the `house.*` stream (§4). Ordered by name. Survives a sidecar restart.
+
 ---

 ## 7. Status codes
--- a/link/PROTOCOL_2.md
+++ b/link/PROTOCOL_2.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Protocol 2.0 — Provisioning & World-State Streams

-**Status:** Part A **built** on branch `feat/protocol2-account-provisioning` (2026-07-17), compiles clean both sides. Part B is design.
+**Status:** Parts A + B (phases 1–4) **built and smoke-tested live** on branch `feat/protocol2-account-provisioning` (2026-07-17) — booted ServUO + the real sidecar and exercised every endpoint (see §15). Part B phase 5 (Factions/VvV) deferred by owner decision.
 **Date:** 2026-07-17
 **Codebase:** ServUO 57.4, `C:\Users\colby\Desktop\servuo`, net48 / x64, Expansion **EJ**.
 **Companion to** [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md) (read/event plane), [`ADMIN_CONTROLS.md`](ADMIN_CONTROLS.md) (staff write plane), and [`INTEGRATION.md`](INTEGRATION.md) (website API).
@@ -380,11 +380,11 @@ If the website mirrors rosters/links (it does — `store.record_link`), it must

 ## 13. Part B phasing

-1. **Guilds + governors.** `BridgeSocial.cs` (guild sweep + `JoinGuild`) and `BridgeGovernance.cs` (city sweep), their `GuildSweepSeconds`/`CitySweepSeconds` config, and the `world.systems` frame. Ship with their REST snapshots (`GET /guilds`, `/governors`, §12.2) from day one — a diff stream without its snapshot is half-built.
-2. **Presence.** Who's-online/population sweep + region presence (`OnEnterRegion`) → `GET /online`, population history in the store.
-3. **Housing registry.** Extend the decay sweep to a full owner→houses list + houses-for-sale → `GET /houses`. (Selected from the §11 menu.)
-4. **Titles.** `char.profile` `titles` block (§10.3) — no new stream, folds into `BridgeProfile`.
-5. **Factions/VvV** — only after confirming which system the shard runs; stream just the enabled one.
+1. ~~**Guilds + governors.**~~ **Built (2026-07-17), compiles clean both sides.** `BridgeSocial.cs` (guild sweep + `JoinGuild` → `guild.update`/`guild.remove`/`guild.join`) and `BridgeGovernance.cs` (city sweep → `city.update`, gated on `CityLoyaltySystem.Enabled`), `GuildSweepSeconds` (60s) / `CitySweepSeconds` (300s) config, both wired into `[bridge reload|sweepnow|status`. Sidecar `guilds`/`governors` board tables + `GET /guilds`, `/governors` served from the store (the §12.2 snapshot rule). Shared `BridgeJson.Actor` writer (serial/name/acct/webId/player). **Deviation from the §10 sketch:** the wire uses full-state `guild.update`/`city.update` upserts (website derives "created"/"governor changed" from the board) rather than discrete `guild.created`/`city.governor` events — this avoids a reconnect re-emit looking like a storm of creations, matching the proven `champ.update` model. *Live end-to-end run still pending.*
+2. ~~**Presence.**~~ **Built (2026-07-17), compiles clean both sides.** `BridgePresence.cs`: a `presence.online` sweep (total + per-facet + per-region, emitted on change) and real-time `region.enter` (`EventSink.OnEnterRegion`, player-filtered). `PresenceSweepSeconds` (30s), wired into `[bridge`. `GET /online` serves the latest snapshot from the event store (population series via `/history?kind=presence.online`). *Live run pending.*
+3. ~~**Housing registry.**~~ **Built (2026-07-17), compiles clean both sides.** `BridgeHousing.cs`: a house sweep over `BaseHouse.AllHouses` → `house.update`/`house.remove` (owner, region, location, decay, co-owners, friends, price), complementing the existing `house.decay` transition feed. `HousingSweepSeconds` (300s), wired into `[bridge`. Sidecar `houses` board + `GET /houses`. (Stock ServUO has no "for sale" flag, so this is owner→houses; `price` is the placement value, not a listing.) *Live run pending.*
+4. ~~**Titles.**~~ **Built (2026-07-17), compiles clean.** `char.profile` gains a `titles` block (`selected`, `fameKarma`, `skill`, `reward[]`) from `PlayerMobile` accessors — no new stream, folds into `BridgeProfile`. *Live run pending.*
+5. **Factions/VvV** — **deferred** (owner decision): only after confirming which system the shard runs; stream just the enabled one.

 Cross-cutting, lands with Phase 1: the **protocol bump to 2** (§12.1) and the **snapshot-companion rule** (§12.2). The provisioning siblings (§12.3) and mirror-hygiene (§12.4) attach to Part A's phasing since they extend the `account.*` surface.

@@ -446,3 +446,103 @@ Key points, all grounded:
 | `docs/INTEGRATION.md` | **Extend.** `report.*` events + endpoints; note they supersede the stock FTP/HTML reports and `WebStatus`. |

 > **Recommendation:** fold this in as **Part B, Phase 6** (after the world-state streams), scoped to skill distribution + staff/page-queue history first. It is low-effort (public methods, existing sweep pattern) and directly answers "get the admin reports onto the site instead of a file" — by tapping the data the engine already computes and never letting it become a file at all.
+
+---
+
+## 15. Smoke test — live run (2026-07-17)
+
+Deployed the overlay to the ServUO checkout, booted the shard and the real sidecar (protocol 2, `plugin_connected: true`), and exercised every new surface over REST against the live game. All green.
+
+**Part A — provisioning (through the real shard):**
+
+| Check | Result |
+|-------|--------|
+| `POST /accounts/create` (fresh IP) | **200** `account.ok`, account created + linked |
+| duplicate name | **409** `account already exists` |
+| per-IP cap | shard's real `AccountsPerIp=3` enforced: 3rd from one IP allowed, **4th → 429** `ip account limit reached` |
+| loopback IP with `RequireIpForCreate` | **400** `client ip required` (fails closed) |
+| `GET /link/{acct}` after create | **200**, linked to the website id |
+| `DELETE /link/{acct}` | **200** `unlink`; lookup then **404** |
+
+**Part B — world-state boards (through the real shard):**
+
+| Endpoint | Result |
+|----------|--------|
+| `GET /houses` | **28 houses**, full owner/decay/co-owner/built-on data (shard → `house.update` → board → REST) |
+| `GET /governors` | **9 cities**, `governor: null`/`electionPhase: none` on this unseeded world |
+| `GET /guilds` | `[]` — no guilds on this world; the sweep ran without error |
+| `GET /online` | `count: 0` — headless (no UO client), snapshot emitted and stored |
+| `GET /char/{acct}/0` | full profile incl. the new `titles` block |
+
+**Not exercised (needs a live UO client, not a headless boot):** `presence.online` with real players, `region.enter`, real-time `guild.join`, and `char.vitals`. And `guild.join`/guild board content needs a guild to exist. These are inherent to a clientless smoke test — the board *plumbing* is proven by `/houses`, which uses the identical path.
+
+**One operational note surfaced:** the boot-time `Dynamic` script recompile **cannot replace `Scripts.dll` while the server is running**, because the Scripts build tries to copy the locked `ServUO.exe` and fails (the `PLAN.md §3` trap). The fix used here: build `Scripts/Scripts.csproj` once with the server **stopped**, then boot — the offline build produces a fresh `Scripts.dll` the boot then loads. Rely on this, not the in-process rebuild, when deploying new bridge code. The shard's world save was left untouched (hard-kill, no autosave), so the test accounts did not persist.
+
+---
+
+## 16. Town Cryer news — website articles into the news gump (Protocol 2.1)
+
+**Status:** **Built and smoke-tested live** (2026-07-17). `BridgeNews.cs` (pure overlay, no stock edit) + `POST /news` / `DELETE /news/{id}` + reconnect replay. Verified against a booted shard: `news.add` (full + title-only) → `news.ok`, missing title → 400, idempotent replace, `news.remove` → `news.ok`, unknown id → `news.error`, no shard exceptions, and the **reconnect replay** confirmed (after a shard restart the stored article was re-pushed with `announce:false` and re-accepted). The gump rendering itself is verified by source inspection (needs a UO client to view).
+
+There are **two** distinct town-crier surfaces in ServUO, and 2.0 has so far touched only the first:
+
+1. **The scrolling crier** (`GlobalTownCrierEntryList`) — the wandering Town Crier NPC that *says* short announcement lines. Protocol 1.0 phase 6 (`BridgeTownCrier.cs`, `towncrier.add`/`remove`) already drives this.
+2. **The Town Cryer News gump** (`TownCryerSystem.NewsEntries`) — the paged news UI with title + body + image + a "more info" URL per article. **Nothing drives this yet.** This section adds it.
+
+The ask: a website news article should land as a full article in the **news gump** (2), and the crier should also *say* just the **title** through the existing say feature (1) — so players get the audible "Hear ye!" proclamation while the full write-up lives in the gump.
+
+### 16.1 The hook (verified in the shard's source)
+
+- **`TownCryerSystem.NewsEntries`** (`TownCryerSystem.cs:40`) — `public static List<TownCryerNewsEntry>`. The setter is private, but the **list is public and mutable**, so it can be inserted into and removed from directly.
+- **`TownCryerNewsEntry(TextDefinition title, TextDefinition body, int gumpImage, Type questType, string url)`** (`TownCryerNewsEntry.cs`) — public ctor. Pass `questType: null` for website news.
+- **The display gumps already handle string content**, so no gump edits are needed:
+  - List view (`TownCryerGump.cs:97-103`): `if (entry.Title.Number > 0) AddHtmlLocalized(...) else AddLabelCropped(..., entry.Title)`.
+  - Detail view (`TownCryerNewsGump.cs:27-42`): `if (Entry.Body.Number > 0) AddHtmlLocalized(...) else AddHtml(..., Entry.Body.String, ..., true)` — a **string body renders as HTML** (so `<CENTER>…</CENTER><BR><BR>…` works), `AddImage(..., Entry.GumpImage)`, and `InfoUrl` becomes a `LaunchBrowser` button.
+- **Stock news is live on this shard.** `TownCryerSystem.Initialize()` adds ~18 hardcoded `uo.com` entries whenever `TownCryerSystem.Enabled` (`TownCryerSystem.cs:93-120`) — *not* gated by `UsePreloadedMessages` (that only gates a reload command). So the list is not empty, and our sync must not clobber it (see §16.3).
+
+### 16.2 Evaluating the pasted guidance
+
+The pasted analysis is **substantially correct** and useful — it identifies the right hook (`NewsEntries`), the right constructor, the cliloc-vs-string branching the gump already does, the image/url fields, and the important instinct to keep stock news separate. Two adjustments for *this* architecture:
+
+- **No stock patch is needed.** The pasted plan adds `AddNewsEntry` / `ClearExternalNews` methods to the stock `TownCryerSystem.cs`. That file is stock ServUO, so editing it would ship as a `patches/` diff (like `PlayerVendorSale`). We can avoid that entirely: because `NewsEntries` is a **public mutable list**, the bridge overlay inserts and removes directly — `TownCryerSystem.NewsEntries.Insert(0, entry)` / `.Remove(entry)` — and keeps the "which entries are ours" bookkeeping in an **overlay-side list**, not in a new field on the stock class. This is exactly how `BridgeTownCrier` already mutates `GlobalTownCrierEntryList` from the overlay. Pure overlay, zero stock edits.
+- **Track our entries to keep stock intact.** Rather than the pasted `ExternalNewsEntries` field on the stock class, the overlay holds `List<TownCryerNewsEntry> _ours`. On a sync we `Remove` our previous entries from `NewsEntries` and insert the new set — the stock `uo.com` articles are never touched. `MaxNewsEntries` is 100 (`TownCryerSystem.cs:26`); the overlay caps its own contribution well under that.
+
+Everything else in the pasted note stands, and the "this is one of the easier integrations — you're replacing the content provider" framing is right.
+
+### 16.3 The two surfaces, tied together
+
+On an inbound article the bridge does two things on the Core thread:
+
+1. **News gump** — build `new TownCryerNewsEntry(new TextDefinition(title), new TextDefinition(body), image, null, url)` and `Insert(0, …)` at the top of `TownCryerSystem.NewsEntries`, tracking it in `_ours`; trim `_ours` past the cap by removing the oldest (from both `_ours` and `NewsEntries`).
+2. **Say the title** — reuse the scrolling-crier path (`GlobalTownCrierEntryList`, as `BridgeTownCrier` does) to announce a single line, the **title only**, for a short duration, so the crier proclaims it in-world. **On by default**; set `announce: false` on an article to suppress it (e.g. a silent correction that should not re-proclaim).
+
+### 16.4 Protocol
+
+```jsonc
+// website → sidecar → shard
+{"kind":"news.add","id":"42","title":"Double XP Weekend",
+ "body":"<CENTER>Double XP Weekend</CENTER><BR><BR>Starts Friday 7PM.",
+ "image":1614,"url":"https://uomysticmoon.com/news/42"}
+// announce defaults to true; add "announce":false to suppress the crier proclamation
+{"kind":"news.remove","id":"42"}
+```
+
+- Correlated by `id` (echoed on the reply), like town-crier. Re-adding an `id` **replaces** the prior entry (find-by-id in `_ours`, remove, re-insert) — idempotent.
+- `title` required; `body`/`image`/`url` optional (a title-only blurb is valid). `image` defaults to a neutral scroll gump id when absent.
+- Caps (defense in depth, mirroring `TownCrier*`): title/body length, max external entries. Replies `news.ok` / `news.error`.
+- Sidecar: `POST /news` (add/replace), `DELETE /news/{id}`. Same `respond`-style status mapping as town-crier.
+
+### 16.5 Restart & re-sync (the source-of-truth rule)
+
+`NewsEntries` is **not persisted** by ServUO — it is rebuilt at every boot from stock `Initialize()` plus whatever we have inserted since. So our external articles vanish on a shard restart until re-pushed. The **website is the source of truth**: the sidecar re-sends the current external news set on every shard (re)connect, the same discipline §12.2 uses for the diff boards. (The sidecar persists the external set in its store so it can replay it without the website being up.)
+
+### 16.6 Where the code goes
+
+| File | Responsibility |
+|------|----------------|
+| `overlay/Scripts/Custom/Bridge/BridgeNews.cs` | **New.** `news.add` / `news.remove`: insert/remove `TownCryerNewsEntry` in the public `NewsEntries` list, track `_ours`, cap; optional title announcement via `GlobalTownCrierEntryList`; replies + caps. No stock edit. |
+| `overlay/Config/Bridge.cfg` | **Extend.** `NewsMaxTitleLength`, `NewsMaxBodyLength`, `NewsMaxExternal`, default announce duration. |
+| `sidecar/src/web.rs` + `store.rs` | **Extend.** `POST /news`, `DELETE /news/{id}`; persist the external-news set; replay it on shard (re)connect. |
+| `docs/INTEGRATION.md` | **Extend.** The `news.*` verbs + endpoints. |
+
+No core or stock ServUO change — the whole integration rides the public `TownCryerSystem.NewsEntries` list and the existing crier say path.
--- a/link/link-README.md
+++ b/link/link-README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+# uo-link
+
+ServUO ⇄ Rust sidecar bridge. The shard emits newline-delimited JSON over a loopback TCP socket; the sidecar owns the WebSocket the website consumes.
+
+```
+ServUO plugin (C#, net48)  ──loopback TCP, newline-JSON──►  Rust sidecar  ──WebSocket/JSON──►  website
+      (Core-thread reads)  ◄──inbound commands─────────────┘  (owns WS, auth, buffering, fan-out)
+```
+
+The shard never speaks WebSocket. Every world read happens on the Core thread; the socket is touched only by a dedicated writer thread draining a bounded queue.
+
+## Layout
+
+| Path | What |
+|------|------|
+| `overlay/` | Mirrors the ServUO server root. Everything here — and **only** this — copies over an install. |
+| `patches/` | Unified diffs against stock ServUO for files we must modify rather than add. |
+| `sidecar/` | The Rust sidecar: terminates the loopback link to the shard, exposes WS + REST to the website. See `sidecar/README.md`. |
+| `tools/` | Never deployed. Test scaffolding and anything else that must not reach a server. |
+| `docs/INTEGRATION.md` | **Website integration guide** — the WebSocket feed, REST endpoints, auth, event catalog, and examples. Start here to build the front end. |
+| `docs/PLAN.md` | Implementation plan, measured performance budget, and the full data catalog. |
+| `docs/RESEARCH.md` | Original source-level research. Partly superseded — see the corrections table in `PLAN.md` §8. |
+| `docs/SHARD_PREREQS.md` | Repairs the target shard needed before any of this could load. |
+| `deploy.ps1` | Copies `overlay/` into a server root. `-Verify` diffs instead of writing. |
+
+Anything under `overlay/` is authoritative. Do not edit files in the server tree directly — edit here and deploy.
+
+## Deploy
+
+```powershell
+.\deploy.ps1 -ServerPath C:\Users\colby\Desktop\servuo -Verify   # show what would change
+.\deploy.ps1 -ServerPath C:\Users\colby\Desktop\servuo           # write
+```
+
+## Status
+
+| Phase | State |
+|------:|-------|
+| 0 — build fix (`Scripts.csproj`) | **done, verified end-to-end** |
+| 1 — transport (`BridgeLink`) | **done, acceptance in `docs/PLAN.md` §11** |
+| 2 — event streams (`BridgeEvents`) | **done, acceptance in `docs/PLAN.md` §12** |
+| 3 — sweeps (`BridgeSweeps`) | **done, acceptance in `docs/PLAN.md` §13** |
+| 4 — request/response (`BridgeRequests`) | **done, acceptance in `docs/PLAN.md` §14** |
+| 5 — `[link` account linking (`BridgeAccountLink`) | **done, acceptance in `docs/PLAN.md` §15** |
+| 6 — town-crier inbound (`BridgeTownCrier`) | **done, acceptance in `docs/PLAN.md` §16** |
+| 7 — `PlayerVendorSale` core event (`patches/` + `BridgeVendorSale`) | **done, acceptance in `docs/PLAN.md` §17** |
+
+Every phase on the ServUO side is complete. Phases 0–6 are drop-in (`overlay/`); Phase 7 is the one core change, shipped as `patches/`. Remaining work is the Rust sidecar.
+
+Cheat-detection signals are not a separate phase — they are folded into the streams above: `cheat.fastwalk`, `audit.set`, `audit.command`, and `vendor.sale` (buyer + owner for laundering detection).
+
+## Phase 0 — what it fixes
+
+`ScriptCompiler.Compile()` runs `dotnet build Scripts/Scripts.csproj -c Release`, prints the output, and **never checks the exit code**, then `Assembly.LoadFrom("Scripts.dll")` and returns `true`. Because that build passed no `Platform`, MSBuild defaulted to `AnyCPU`, and `Scripts.csproj` gated both `OutputPath` and `DefineConstants` on `Configuration|Platform == Release|x64`. So:
+
+- the DLL landed in `Scripts/bin/Release/` while the core loads `Scripts.dll` from the base directory, and
+- `TRACE;NEWTIMERS;ServUO` went undefined, so XmlSpawner compiled its non-ServUO branches.
+
+Runtime script compilation therefore had no effect, silently. `overlay/Scripts/Scripts.csproj` conditions both property groups on `Configuration` alone.
+
+`Server.csproj` is deliberately left alone: nothing under `Server/` uses those symbols, and giving it `OutputPath=..\` would make the boot-time build try to overwrite the running `ServUO.exe`.
+
+## The plugin (Phase 1)
+
+`overlay/Scripts/Custom/Bridge/`:
+
+| File | Responsibility |
+|------|----------------|
+| `BridgeConfig.cs` | Reads `Config/Bridge.cfg` in `Configure()`, before `World.Load`. |
+| `BridgeJson.cs` | Outbound JSON by hand (Core thread, so no reflection serializer). Inbound via `JavaScriptSerializer`. |
+| `BridgeLink.cs` | The socket. Link thread owns it; a bounded drop-oldest queue fronts it; a reader thread marshals inbound lines to the Core thread. |
+| `BridgeBoot.cs` | Lifecycle, inbound dispatch, `[bridge status\|reload\|ping]`. |
+| `BridgeEvents.cs` | EventSink subscriptions (Phase 2). Read-only, player-filtered, never emits secrets. |
+| `BridgeSweeps.cs` | Polled streams (Phase 3): vitals, house decay on transition, economy supply. Core-thread timers. |
+| `BridgeProfile.cs` | Read-model builders (Phase 4): full character profile, account roster. Core-thread reads. |
+| `BridgeRequests.cs` | Inbound request handlers (Phase 4): `char.request`, `account.roster`, `vendor.snapshot`, with `bridge.error` replies. |
+| `BridgeAccountLink.cs` | `[link` account linking (Phase 5): one-time code, `link.confirm`, `WebsiteUserId` account tag. |
+| `BridgeTownCrier.cs` | Town-crier news (Phase 6): inbound `towncrier.add` / `remove` into the global crier list, with abuse caps. |
+
+`Emit()` is called from the Core thread. It enqueues and returns — it never touches the socket, never blocks, never allocates a syscall. **A wedged or absent sidecar cannot stall the shard**, and that is the property everything else depends on.
+
+## Testing
+
+`tools/stub_sidecar.ps1` is a loopback listener that logs every line the shard sends. Run it, boot the shard, watch `server.hello` arrive. It survives a just-killed instance (SO_REUSEADDR) and won't die on a transient error.
+
+```powershell
+.\tools\stub_sidecar.ps1 -Port 7788 -Log .\sidecar.log
+```
+
+`tools/stub_sidecar_request.ps1` additionally *sends* inbound requests (`char.request`, `account.roster`, `vendor.snapshot`, plus an error case) right after the shard connects, and logs the replies — the harness used to validate Phase 4.
+
+Note: the throwaway PowerShell sidecars are fragile — they get reaped and contend on their log file. The real Rust sidecar replaces them; don't read their flakiness as a shard problem. The shard buffers non-perishable events through any outage and reconnects on its own (observed reconnecting 5× unattended in one session).
+
+`tools/scaffolding/` holds the world seeder and the performance probe. Neither is deployed — `deploy.ps1` only copies `overlay/`. They produced the budget in `docs/PLAN.md` §1. See `tools/scaffolding/README.md`.
--- a/website/BACKEND_DESIGN.md
+++ b/website/BACKEND_DESIGN.md
@@ -0,0 +1,329 @@
+# UOMysticmoon Website — Backend Design
+
+> Phase 1 of 3: **backend design** → Claude Design (frontend mockup) → coding.
+> This document is the contract the later phases build against.
+
+Public contact email: **UOMysticmoon@gmail.com**
+
+---
+
+## 1. Stack & top-level decisions
+
+| Concern | Decision | Rationale |
+|---|---|---|
+| Runtime | Node.js + Express | serverlinkr pattern |
+| Database | MariaDB (own container) | spec; `mariadb` pool, parameterized SQL, no ORM (keeps the lightweight `model`/`db` split from serverlinkr) |
+| Auth | JWT in an **httpOnly cookie** | spec says "JWT auth" + "secure cookies when HTTPS"; httpOnly keeps the token out of JS (XSS-safe), `SameSite=Strict` covers CSRF for a same-origin admin panel |
+| Frontend | React + Vite, same repo, served by Express in prod | spec |
+| Hashing | bcrypt (`bcryptjs`) | spec; matches serverlinkr |
+| Deploy | Docker Compose (app + db) behind Pangolin | spec |
+
+**Adapting serverlinkr → this project**
+- `*.mongo.js` (mongoose) → `*.db.js` (MariaDB queries), exactly as the spec names them.
+- Drop the session/passport hybrid (`express-session`, `passport`, `passport-local`, `connect-mongo`). Pure stateless JWT instead — simpler and matches "JWT auth".
+- Routes grouped by **access level** (auth / public / admin) per spec, instead of serverlinkr's per-entity routers. Models stay grouped by **entity**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Folder structure
+
+Skeleton from the spec, with a small number of justified additions marked **(+)**.
+
+```
+server/
+  .env.example
+  package.json
+  db/
+    schema.sql                  (+) DDL, also auto-run by the MariaDB container
+    seed.js                     (+) seed wiki pages, default settings, first admin
+  src/
+    server.js                   bootstrap: ensure schema, then listen on 0.0.0.0
+    app.js                      express app + middleware wiring
+    router/
+      api.router.js             mounts /v1
+      v1/
+        v1.router.js            mounts /auth /public /admin
+        auth/    auth.routes.js    + auth.controller.js
+        public/  public.routes.js  + public.controller.js
+        admin/   admin.routes.js   + admin.controller.js
+    model/
+      users/     users.model.js    + users.db.js
+      posts/     posts.model.js     + posts.db.js     (news/five-on-friday/newsletter/screenshots)
+      wiki/      wiki.model.js      + wiki.db.js
+      settings/  settings.model.js  + settings.db.js
+      activity/  activity.model.js  + activity.db.js  (+) admin activity log
+    middleware/                 (+)
+      siteMode.js               LIVE/MAINTENANCE gate for public content
+      noindex.js                X-Robots-Tag: noindex,nofollow on admin
+      rateLimit.js              login limiter
+      validate.js               express-validator error handler
+    utils/
+      auth.js                   JWT sign/verify, isLoggedIn middleware
+      db.js                     MariaDB pool + ensureSchema()
+      mailer.js                 (+) nodemailer; mailto fallback if SMTP unset
+client/                         built in Phase 2/3 (React + Vite)
+Dockerfile
+docker-compose.yml
+.env.example
+.gitignore
+```
+
+**Why the additions:** the spec's feature list requires an activity log, a maintenance-mode
+gate, login rate limiting, admin `noindex`, and SMTP email — none fit cleanly in the four
+listed models/two utils. They're isolated in `middleware/` + one `activity` model +
+`utils/mailer.js`, and the spec explicitly says the layout is "expandable."
+
+---
+
+## 3. Database schema (MariaDB)
+
+`utf8mb4` throughout. Created idempotently on boot (`ensureSchema()`) **and** shipped as
+`db/schema.sql` for the container's `/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d`.
+
+### users
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| id | INT PK AUTO_INCREMENT | |
+| username | VARCHAR(32) UNIQUE NOT NULL | |
+| password_hash | VARCHAR(72) NOT NULL | bcrypt; **never** returned by the API |
+| role | ENUM('admin','editor') NOT NULL DEFAULT 'admin' | room to grow |
+| created_at | DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP | |
+| last_login_at | DATETIME NULL | shown in user management |
+
+### posts  — one table, four categories
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| id | INT PK AUTO_INCREMENT | |
+| category | ENUM('news','five_on_friday','newsletter','screenshot') NOT NULL | |
+| title | VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL | |
+| slug | VARCHAR(220) NULL | optional clean URL |
+| excerpt | VARCHAR(400) NULL | list teaser |
+| body | MEDIUMTEXT NULL | markdown/HTML; main text for news/5oF/newsletter |
+| image_url | VARCHAR(500) NULL | required for `screenshot`, optional hero elsewhere |
+| published | TINYINT(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT 0 | publish/unpublish toggle |
+| author_id | INT NULL FK→users(id) | ON DELETE SET NULL |
+| created_at | DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP | |
+| updated_at | DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP | |
+| published_at | DATETIME NULL | set when first published; list order |
+
+Index: `(category, published, published_at DESC)`.
+
+### wiki_pages
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| id | INT PK AUTO_INCREMENT | |
+| slug | VARCHAR(120) UNIQUE NOT NULL | e.g. `new-player-guide` |
+| title | VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL | |
+| body | MEDIUMTEXT NULL | markdown/HTML |
+| updated_by | INT NULL FK→users(id) | |
+| created_at / updated_at | DATETIME | |
+
+Seeded with the 8 spec categories: `new-player-guide, maps-atlas, systems, items, monsters, crafting, lore, rules`.
+
+### settings  — key/value, expandable
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| `key` | VARCHAR(64) PK | |
+| value | TEXT NULL | |
+| updated_by | INT NULL FK→users(id) | |
+| updated_at | DATETIME ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP | |
+
+Seeded keys: `site_mode` (default `maintenance`), `site_mode_changed_at`,
+`site_mode_changed_by`, `maintenance_message`, `status_message`, `homepage_teaser`,
+`contact_email` (=UOMysticmoon@gmail.com), `site_title`.
+
+### activity_log  — append-only
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| id | INT PK AUTO_INCREMENT | |
+| user_id | INT NULL FK→users(id) | |
+| action | VARCHAR(64) NOT NULL | e.g. `auth.login`, `site_mode.change`, `post.create` |
+| detail | TEXT NULL | JSON string of what changed |
+| ip | VARCHAR(45) NULL | from `req.ip` (needs `trust proxy`) |
+| created_at | DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP | |
+
+---
+
+## 4. API contract
+
+Base path `/api/v1`. JSON in/out. Auth via httpOnly cookie (`isLoggedIn` reads it; also
+accepts `Authorization: Bearer` for API testing).
+
+### /auth  (auth.routes.js → auth.controller.js)
+| Method | Path | Auth | Body | Purpose |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| POST | `/login` | — (rate-limited) | `{username,password}` | verify, set cookie, log `auth.login`, update `last_login_at` |
+| POST | `/logout` | cookie | — | clear cookie |
+| GET | `/me` | cookie | — | current user (no hash) or 401 — client bootstraps auth state |
+
+No public `register`. First admin is bootstrapped by `seed.js` from env (see §6). Further
+admins are created under `/admin/users`.
+
+### /public  (public.routes.js → public.controller.js) — all GET, no auth
+| Method | Path | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| GET | `/settings` | whitelisted public keys only (mode, maintenance_message, status_message, homepage_teaser, contact_email, site_title) |
+| GET | `/status` | status message + current mode |
+| GET | `/posts/:category` | published only; `category` ∈ news\|five-on-friday\|newsletter\|screenshots |
+| GET | `/posts/:category/:idOrSlug` | single published post |
+| GET | `/wiki` | list of pages (slug + title) |
+| GET | `/wiki/:slug` | single page |
+| POST | `/contact` | (rate-limited) send mail via SMTP; if unconfigured, respond `{fallback:"mailto", email}` |
+
+Public content GETs pass through the **siteMode** gate (§5).
+
+### /admin  (admin.routes.js → admin.controller.js) — all behind `isLoggedIn` + `noindex`
+| Method | Path | Purpose |
+|---|---|---|
+| GET | `/dashboard` | current mode, last change time + who, content counts, recent activity |
+| PUT | `/site-mode` | `{mode}` → update settings, stamp who/when, log `site_mode.change` |
+| GET | `/posts?category=` | all posts incl. unpublished |
+| POST | `/posts` | create |
+| GET | `/posts/:id` | one |
+| PUT | `/posts/:id` | edit |
+| DELETE | `/posts/:id` | delete |
+| PATCH | `/posts/:id/publish` | `{published}` toggle (sets `published_at`) |
+| POST | `/posts/upload` | multipart image upload (multer) → `{image_url}` for screenshots |
+| GET | `/wiki` · GET `/wiki/:slug` | read incl. unpublished |
+| POST | `/wiki` · PUT `/wiki/:slug` · DELETE `/wiki/:slug` | manage pages |
+| GET | `/settings` · PUT `/settings` | read all / update `{key:value,...}` |
+| GET | `/activity?limit=&offset=` | paginated activity log |
+| GET | `/users` · POST `/users` · PUT `/users/:id` · DELETE `/users/:id` | user mgmt (can't delete self / last admin; password hashed on write) |
+
+Every admin write logs to `activity_log`.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Site mode (LIVE / MAINTENANCE)
+
+State in `settings.site_mode` (`live`|`maintenance`), default **maintenance**.
+
+`middleware/siteMode.js`, applied only to **public content** routes:
+- `live` → pass through.
+- `maintenance` → respond **503** with `{mode:"maintenance", message}` **unless** the request
+  carries a valid admin cookie (admin preview). This hides content server-side, not just in
+  the UI.
+
+Always reachable regardless of mode: static assets / SPA shell, `/api/v1/auth/*`, all
+`/api/v1/admin/*`. So admin login + panel + the maintenance "coming soon" page always load.
+
+**Client behavior (Phase 3):** reads `GET /public/settings`; if `maintenance` and not an
+admin previewing, render the polished dark coming-soon page (message + contact email).
+Admin "preview live" simply hits the content APIs with the admin cookie, which bypass the gate.
+
+Dashboard reads `site_mode` + `site_mode_changed_at`/`_by` for "current mode + last change +
+who"; `activity_log` provides the history feed.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Auth & security
+
+- **JWT** signed with `JWT_SECRET`, `expiresIn=JWT_EXPIRES_IN` (default `1d`); payload `{id,username,role}`.
+- **Cookie**: `httpOnly`, `sameSite=Lax`, `path=/`, and **`secure` decided per-request** (`COOKIE_SECURE=auto` → `secure: req.secure`). This is the key to dual access: the cookie is `Secure` when reached through Pangolin (HTTPS, `X-Forwarded-Proto: https`) but **not** `Secure` when reached directly over the LAN IP on plain HTTP — so login works in both. `COOKIE_SECURE=true|false` can force it. Requires `trust proxy` (below). `localhost:5173` (Vite) and `localhost:3000` are same-site, so the cookie flows in dev too.
+- **bcrypt** hashing (cost 10+); plaintext passwords never stored, logged, or returned.
+- **Rate limiting** (`express-rate-limit`) on `/auth/login` and `/public/contact`.
+- **Validation** (`express-validator`) on all writes; centralized error handler.
+- **helmet** with a CSP suited to the SPA (self + inline styles as needed; image sources for uploads/hero).
+- **Admin not indexed**: `X-Robots-Tag: noindex, nofollow` on `/api/v1/admin` and the admin SPA routes; `robots.txt` disallows `/admin`.
+- **No directory browsing** (express.static doesn't list; no `serve-index`).
+- **No hardcoded credentials**: first admin via `seed.js` reading `ADMIN_USERNAME`/`ADMIN_PASSWORD` from env (created only if no users exist); `.env` git-ignored, `.env.example` committed.
+- **`app.set('trust proxy', 1)`** so secure cookies, `req.ip`, and rate-limiting work behind Pangolin.
+- **CORS**: same-origin in prod (SPA served by Express). Dev only: allow `CLIENT_ORIGIN` (Vite, `http://localhost:5173`) with `credentials:true`.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Email
+
+`utils/mailer.js` (nodemailer) sends through **Gmail over OAuth2 (SMTP XOAUTH2)**, configured in
+Admin → Settings → Email — not env. The mailbox is authorized by an in-app "Connect Gmail" consent
+flow (`/admin/email/*`) that captures a refresh token, stored AES-GCM-encrypted in the `email_config`
+singleton (never returned over the API). The OAuth client id/secret are reused from the `google`
+auth-providers row. Recipient is the `contact_email` site setting. If email is unconfigured/disabled,
+`POST /public/contact` returns `{fallback:"mailto", email}` so the client renders a `mailto:` link
+instead. Errors never leak credentials.
+
+---
+
+## 7.5 Logging & observability
+
+`utils/logger.js` — a small dependency-free logger with **two transports, console + file**,
+and four levels (`error`/`warn`/`info`/`debug`). Each line is timestamped and tagged by
+subsystem (`[server]`, `[http]`, `[db]`, `[auth]`, `[admin]`, `[ratelimit]`, …).
+
+- **Console**: color on a TTY, plain in Docker; verbosity = `LOG_LEVEL` (default `info`).
+- **File**: plain text appended to `LOG_DIR/LOG_FILE` (default `<server>/logs/app.log`,
+  `/app/logs/app.log` in Docker, bind-mounted to `./logs`); verbosity = `FILE_LOG_LEVEL`
+  (default `debug`, so the file keeps a complete record while the console stays readable).
+  Toggle with `LOG_TO_FILE`. The stream is flushed on graceful shutdown.
+- **HTTP access logs** via morgan piped into the logger: real client IP (`trust proxy`),
+  authenticated admin username, method, URL, status, response time, size.
+- **Captured events**: startup config banner, schema/seed steps, login success/failure,
+  rate-limit hits, site-mode changes, maintenance-gate blocks (debug), all errors with
+  stack traces (5xx), and SIGINT/SIGTERM shutdown. Passwords and request bodies are never
+  logged. `unhandledRejection`/`uncaughtException` are caught and logged.
+
+## 8. Deployment
+
+**docker-compose.yml** — two services on a private network:
+- `db`: `mariadb:11`, env `MARIADB_DATABASE/USER/PASSWORD/ROOT_PASSWORD`, volume
+  `dbdata:/var/lib/mysql`, mounts `schema.sql` into `/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d`, healthcheck.
+- `app`: builds the Dockerfile (installs client+server, builds Vite, serves via Express),
+  `env_file: .env`, `DB_HOST=db`, `depends_on: db (healthy)`, volume `uploads:/app/uploads`,
+  `ports: "3000:3000"` — **binds 0.0.0.0** (no `127.0.0.1:` prefix) so Pangolin reaches it.
+- Volumes: `dbdata`, `uploads`.
+
+Express listens on `0.0.0.0:${PORT||3000}`. Pangolin terminates TLS and proxies to `app`.
+
+**.env.example** (committed; real `.env` ignored):
+```
+NODE_ENV=production
+PORT=3000
+DB_HOST=db
+DB_PORT=3306
+DB_NAME=uomysticmoon
+DB_USER=uomm
+DB_PASSWORD=
+DB_ROOT_PASSWORD=
+JWT_SECRET=
+JWT_EXPIRES_IN=1d
+COOKIE_SECURE=true
+COOKIE_NAME=uomm_token
+ADMIN_USERNAME=
+ADMIN_PASSWORD=
+# Email: configured in Admin → Settings → Email (Gmail OAuth2), not via env
+CLIENT_ORIGIN=http://localhost:5173
+```
+
+`.gitignore`: `node_modules/`, `.env`, `_reference/`, `client/dist/`, `uploads/`.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Dependencies (server)
+
+`express, cors, helmet, morgan, dotenv, mariadb, jsonwebtoken, bcryptjs, cookie-parser,
+express-rate-limit, express-validator, multer, nodemailer` · dev: `nodemon`.
+Removed vs serverlinkr: `mongoose, mongodb, connect-mongo, express-session, passport,
+passport-local`.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Spec coverage
+
+| Spec requirement | Covered by |
+|---|---|
+| Public pages (`/`, `/site/*`, `/wiki/*`) | `/public/*` API + Phase-3 SPA routes; content from `posts`/`wiki`/`settings` |
+| News / 5-on-Friday / Newsletter / Screenshots | `posts` table, `category` column; admin CRUD + publish |
+| Wiki 8 categories, editable later | `wiki_pages` seeded with 8 slugs; admin CRUD |
+| Status page | `settings.status_message` + mode via `/public/status` |
+| Admin dashboard (mode, last change, who) | `/admin/dashboard` + settings stamps + activity log |
+| Site mode toggle | `PUT /admin/site-mode` + `siteMode` middleware |
+| Admin activity log | `activity_log` + `/admin/activity` |
+| Admin user management | `/admin/users` CRUD |
+| Site settings editing | `/admin/settings` |
+| JWT, bcrypt, rate limit, secure cookies, noindex, no dir browsing, no hardcoded creds, .env | §6 |
+| Maintenance page, admin always in, static always loads, admin preview | §5 |
+| SMTP via env, mailto fallback | §7 |
+| Docker Compose + MariaDB + Pangolin, 0.0.0.0 bind | §8 |
+| Design tokens / hero | reused from existing `assets/css/mysticmoon.css` + hero PNG in Phase 2/3 |
+| Expandable | key/value settings, role enum, modular routers/models |
+```
--- a/website/HERO_EDITOR.md
+++ b/website/HERO_EDITOR.md
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+# UOMysticmoon — Hero Canvas Editor Spec
+
+> Branch: **`hero-feature`**. Build contract for the WYSIWYG portal-hero editor.
+> Derived from the design doc *Hero Canvas Editor — Design Document*, **corrected
+> to match the current codebase** and with the open questions resolved.
+> Same workflow as the wiki upgrade: design → phased build → verify.
+
+## 1. Goal
+
+Let staff compose the portal hero (background image, overlay opacity, and floating
+elements — text, CTA buttons, moon, badge, image) in-browser, then preview and
+publish — no source edits. Layout persists as JSON in the existing `settings` table.
+
+## 2. Locked decisions
+
+| # | Decision |
+|---|---|
+| Scope | **Full v1** — background/overlay, all element types, drag/resize/z-order, draft→preview→publish (built in phases) |
+| CTA buttons | **First-class `buttons` element type** (independently positioned), not baked into a text block |
+| First run | **Pre-populate** the canvas with today's hero (headline, subtitle, teaser, CTAs) as editable elements so nothing changes visually until edited |
+| Drag | **Native Pointer Events** (mouse/touch/pen), zero dependencies |
+| Font size | Stored in **px** (fixed reference canvas) |
+| Image compression | **None** server-side; client warns when a file is > ~1 MB |
+| Preview | `?preview=1` renders the **draft** by reading it through the authenticated admin settings endpoint |
+| Other pages | Out of scope for v1 (design allows a per-page key later) |
+
+## 3. Corrections to the design doc (current-code reality)
+
+1. **Public settings is a whitelist, not `getAll()`.** `GET /api/v1/public/settings`
+   → `settings.getPublic()` → `PUBLIC_KEYS` in
+   [settings.model.js](server/src/model/settings/settings.model.js). The doc's
+   "no backend changes / picked up automatically" is wrong. **Fix:** add
+   `hero_layout` to `PUBLIC_KEYS` (one line). `hero_layout_draft` stays out
+   (admin-only) — which is why preview reads the draft via `api.admin.getSettings()`.
+2. **Moon is a reusable component** ([MoonDot.jsx](client/src/components/MoonDot.jsx),
+   props `size`/`glow`), used in logo/login/maintenance — not "only the header."
+   The `moon` element reuses it; it gains an optional `color`.
+3. **Route vs. nav live in different files.** `/admin/hero` route →
+   [App.jsx](client/src/App.jsx); sidebar link/title → `NAV`/`TITLES` in
+   [AdminLayout.jsx](client/src/routes/admin/AdminLayout.jsx).
+4. **Admin content area is `maxWidth: 1000px`** — the editor canvas renders
+   scaled-to-fit; percentage positions stay faithful.
+
+Everything else in the doc matches (hardcoded `HERO_BG` + CTAs + `homepage_teaser`
+in [Portal.jsx](client/src/routes/public/Portal.jsx); `updateSettings` accepts
+arbitrary keys; `/admin/uploads` exists; default hero asset present; TEXT settings
+columns — no schema change).
+
+## 4. Data model — no schema change
+
+Two `settings` keys (TEXT): `hero_layout` (live) and `hero_layout_draft` (admin).
+
+```jsonc
+{
+  "version": 1,
+  "background": { "image_url": null, "position_x": "left", "position_y": "center", "size": "cover" },
+  "overlay": { "opacity": 0.72 },
+  "elements": [
+    { "id": "uuid", "type": "text_block|buttons|moon|badge|image",
+      "x": 50, "y": 42, "z": 1, "anchor": "center", "props": { /* per type */ } }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+Positions are **% of canvas** (reference width 1080, matching `.shell`), so the
+layout adapts across viewports without breakpoint data. `version` is validated
+(`=== 1`) before use; anything else falls back.
+
+### Element props
+
+| Type | Props |
+|---|---|
+| `text_block` | `lines: [{ text, tag(h1/h2/p/span), fontSize(px), color, weight }]`, `align` |
+| `buttons` | `items: [{ label, to, variant(primary/ghost) }]`, `align`, `gap` |
+| `moon` | `size`, `glow`, `color` |
+| `badge` | `text`, `bgColor`, `textColor`, `borderRadius` |
+| `image` | `src`, `width`(%), `alt` |
+
+## 5. Backend changes
+- **One line:** add `'hero_layout'` to `PUBLIC_KEYS`. No new routes/controllers —
+  layout saves through the existing `PUT /admin/settings`; images via `/admin/uploads`.
+
+## 6. Frontend changes
+- **New** `client/src/components/HeroElement.jsx` — renders one element by type
+  (shared by the live portal and the editor canvas).
+- **New** `client/src/routes/admin/views/HeroEditor.jsx` — canvas + element tray +
+  properties panel; native-pointer drag/resize; background/overlay panel; snap grid;
+  auto-save draft, preview, publish, revert.
+- **Edit** [Portal.jsx](client/src/routes/public/Portal.jsx) — parse `hero_layout`
+  (or draft when `?preview=1` + admin), render elements, fall back to a
+  `DEFAULT_LAYOUT` built from today's hero so the page is unchanged until edited.
+- **Edit** [AdminLayout.jsx](client/src/routes/admin/AdminLayout.jsx) (nav) +
+  [App.jsx](client/src/App.jsx) (route `/admin/hero`).
+- **Edit** [MoonDot.jsx](client/src/components/MoonDot.jsx) — optional `color`.
+- **No** `client/src/api/client.js` changes needed beyond what exists
+  (`admin.updateSettings`, `admin.getSettings`, `admin.upload`).
+
+## 7. Phased build (each phase: build → verify in preview → commit)
+
+- **Phase 0 — Spec** ✅ this document.
+- **Phase 1 — Data path & renderer** ✅ (verified 2026-06-28). `hero_layout`
+  whitelisted; `HeroElement.jsx`; Portal renders the layout with a `DEFAULT_LAYOUT`
+  fallback. Default render matches the old hero; publishing a layout re-renders;
+  draft key not exposed publicly. Shared helpers moved to `client/src/lib/heroLayout.js`.
+- **Phase 2 — Editor shell + background/overlay** ✅ (verified 2026-06-28).
+  `/admin/hero` view + sidebar nav; canvas live-preview; background upload + 3×3
+  position + overlay opacity; debounced draft auto-save; publish; `?preview=1`
+  reads the draft (admin) with a banner; revert. Verified: overlay/position update
+  the canvas, auto-save writes the draft, publish writes live, preview shows the
+  draft while the normal portal shows live.
+- **Phase 3 — Elements: select / drag / text_block / buttons** ✅ (verified
+  2026-06-28). Element tray (+ Text / + Buttons); click-to-select with outline;
+  native Pointer Events drag (% of canvas); Delete key + panel delete; z-order
+  (send back / bring forward); text_block line editor (text/tag/size/color/bold,
+  add/remove lines, align) and buttons editor (label/path/variant, add/remove).
+  Verified: select shows the line editor, editing a line updates the canvas live,
+  drag moved 50%→65%, add→3/delete→2 elements, empty-canvas click deselects.
+- **Phase 4 — moon + badge + image + resize + snap grid** ✅ (verified 2026-06-28).
+  Tray adds moon/badge/image; property panels (moon: size/glow/color; badge:
+  text/colors/radius; image: upload/width/alt); corner resize handle (image→width%,
+  moon→size, text→box width); 8px snap-grid toggle with overlay; image placeholder
+  until a file is chosen. Verified: each type adds + edits, resize moved a moon
+  64→104px, snap grid shows, and a published moon+badge render on the live portal.
+
+**Status: v1 feature-complete.** All phases verified end-to-end; ready for PR.
+Deferred (noted in the design doc as follow-ups): 8-point resize (only a corner
+handle for now), per-viewport layouts, server-side image compression.
+
+## 8. Edge cases (from the doc, carried forward)
+- `JSON.parse` wrapped in try/catch + `version` check → fall back to `DEFAULT_LAYOUT`.
+- Element ids via `crypto.randomUUID()` (never array index).
+- Empty `elements` → render `DEFAULT_LAYOUT` so the hero is never blank.
+- Last-write-wins on concurrent admin edits (acceptable for this shard).
+- Client-side warning for background files > ~1 MB (no hard block; 8 MB server cap).
--- a/website/WIKI_UPGRADE.md
+++ b/website/WIKI_UPGRADE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,366 @@
+# UOMysticmoon Website — Wiki Upgrade Spec
+
+> Branch: **`wiki-upgrade`**. This document is the contract for upgrading the CMS
+> wiki from a flat single-table page store into a feature-complete wiki.
+> It follows the project workflow: **design (this doc) → build in phases → verify**.
+>
+> Companion to [`BACKEND_DESIGN.md`](BACKEND_DESIGN.md); reuses its stack, auth,
+> logging, and Docker decisions unchanged.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Goal & scope
+
+Turn the wiki into something that behaves like a typical wiki, while staying inside
+the existing Node/Express + MariaDB + React/Vite architecture and the **staff-only**
+auth model (admin/editor — no new roles, no public contributions).
+
+**In scope**
+
+| Feature | Summary |
+|---|---|
+| Rich-text editing | TipTap (ProseMirror) WYSIWYG in the admin; outputs HTML |
+| Sanitization | Server-side allowlist on save **and** client-side on render (fixes today's stored-XSS gap) |
+| Categories / sections | First-class `wiki_categories` table; replaces hardcoded frontend blurbs |
+| Drafts & publish | `published` + `published_at`, mirroring the `posts` pattern |
+| Tags | Many-to-many tags with filtering |
+| Internal links | `[[slug]]`-style links authored in the editor; red-link detection |
+| Backlinks | "Linked from" list, maintained on save |
+| Inline images | Reuse/generalize the existing multer upload for in-body images |
+| Search | MariaDB `FULLTEXT` over title + body |
+| Revision history | Per-save snapshots with view / diff / restore |
+
+**Out of scope (this branch)**
+
+- Public/player editing or suggestion workflow, moderation/review queues.
+- New roles or per-page ACLs (all staff with a login can edit all pages).
+- Real-time collaborative editing, comments/discussion pages, file attachments
+  other than images, page templates/transclusion, multilingual pages.
+
+**Decisions locked from planning**
+
+- Editor: **TipTap**, storing **HTML** (not Markdown, not JSON).
+- Search: **MariaDB FULLTEXT** (no new infrastructure).
+- Revision history and search are **included** (recommended additions beyond the
+  minimum requested set).
+- Authoring is **admin + editor** (`isLoggedIn`); no anonymous edits.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Current state (baseline being replaced)
+
+| Layer | Today | File |
+|---|---|---|
+| Schema | flat `wiki_pages(slug,title,body,updated_by,timestamps)` | [server/db/schema.sql:31](server/db/schema.sql) |
+| Model | thin CRUD by slug | [server/src/model/wiki/wiki.db.js](server/src/model/wiki/wiki.db.js), [wiki.model.js](server/src/model/wiki/wiki.model.js) |
+| Public API | `GET /public/wiki`, `GET /public/wiki/:slug` | [public.controller.js:53](server/src/router/v1/public/public.controller.js) |
+| Admin API | `GET/POST/PUT/DELETE /admin/wiki[...]` | [admin.controller.js:163](server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.controller.js), [admin.routes.js:68](server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.routes.js) |
+| Public UI | card grid (hardcoded blurbs + Roman numerals), article w/ auto-TOC | [Wiki.jsx](client/src/routes/wiki/Wiki.jsx), [WikiArticle.jsx](client/src/routes/wiki/WikiArticle.jsx) |
+| Admin UI | raw-HTML `<textarea>` modal | [WikiAdmin.jsx](client/src/routes/admin/views/WikiAdmin.jsx), [WikiEditor.jsx](client/src/routes/admin/views/WikiEditor.jsx) |
+| API client | `api.wiki`, `api.admin.*Wiki` | [client/src/api/client.js:52](client/src/api/client.js) |
+
+**Known issues this upgrade resolves**
+
+- **Stored XSS**: body is raw HTML rendered with `dangerouslySetInnerHTML` and never
+  sanitized ([WikiArticle.jsx:91](client/src/routes/wiki/WikiArticle.jsx)).
+- Category blurbs and ordering are **faked in the component** ([Wiki.jsx:11](client/src/routes/wiki/Wiki.jsx)), not data.
+- No drafts (every save is instantly public), no history, no search, no tags, no links.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Data model
+
+`utf8mb4`, InnoDB throughout. All changes are **additive and idempotent** so
+`ensureSchema()` upgrades existing databases on boot with no data loss. New columns
+are nullable or have safe defaults; **existing pages default to `published = 1`** so
+nothing disappears on deploy.
+
+### 3.1 `wiki_categories` (new)
+
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| id | INT PK AI | |
+| slug | VARCHAR(120) UNIQUE NOT NULL | e.g. `guides` |
+| title | VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL | |
+| description | VARCHAR(400) NULL | card teaser on the wiki index |
+| sort_order | INT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0 | manual ordering |
+| created_at / updated_at | DATETIME | standard stamps |
+
+### 3.2 `wiki_pages` (altered)
+
+Add to the existing table:
+
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| category_id | INT NULL FK→wiki_categories(id) ON DELETE SET NULL | |
+| excerpt | VARCHAR(400) NULL | card/search teaser (replaces hardcoded blurbs) |
+| published | TINYINT(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT 1 | draft/publish toggle |
+| published_at | DATETIME NULL | set on first publish |
+| sort_order | INT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0 | ordering within a category |
+| FULLTEXT idx_wiki_search (title, body) | | search |
+
+### 3.3 `wiki_tags` + `wiki_page_tags` (new)
+
+```
+wiki_tags( id PK, slug VARCHAR(120) UNIQUE, label VARCHAR(120) )
+wiki_page_tags( page_id FK→wiki_pages ON DELETE CASCADE,
+                tag_id  FK→wiki_tags  ON DELETE CASCADE,
+                PRIMARY KEY(page_id, tag_id) )
+```
+
+### 3.4 `wiki_links` (new) — backlinks index
+
+Rebuilt for a page on every save by parsing its body for internal links.
+
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| source_page_id | INT FK→wiki_pages ON DELETE CASCADE | |
+| target_slug | VARCHAR(120) NOT NULL | may point at a not-yet-created page (red link) |
+| INDEX idx_wiki_links_target (target_slug) | | backlink lookups |
+
+Backlinks for page X = `SELECT source pages WHERE target_slug = X.slug AND source is published`.
+
+### 3.5 `wiki_revisions` (new) — history
+
+| col | type | notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| id | INT PK AI | |
+| page_id | INT FK→wiki_pages ON DELETE CASCADE | |
+| title / body / excerpt | snapshot of content at save time | |
+| category_id | INT NULL | snapshot |
+| editor_id | INT NULL FK→users(id) | who saved |
+| change_note | VARCHAR(280) NULL | optional summary |
+| created_at | DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP | |
+
+A revision is written **inside the same transaction** as each page create/update.
+
+### 3.6 Seed changes
+
+Rework [seed.js](server/db/seed.js): the current 8 hardcoded pages become **categories**
+(title + the blurb currently living in the frontend), each seeded idempotently via a new
+`seedDefaultCategory`. Existing seeded pages are migrated/attached where applicable.
+`seedDefault` for pages stays `INSERT IGNORE` so reseeding is safe.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Backend changes
+
+Keep the `model` (entity) / `db` (SQL) split and the route grouping by access level.
+
+### 4.1 Models (`server/src/model/wiki/`)
+
+- `wiki.db.js` — add SQL for: category CRUD; page list with `category`, `published`,
+  `q` (FULLTEXT) filters and ordering; tag upsert + attach/detach; `wiki_links` rebuild;
+  revision insert/list/get; backlink query.
+- `wiki.model.js` — orchestration. On **create/update** (single transaction):
+  1. sanitize `body` with the allowlist (§6),
+  2. upsert the page,
+  3. insert a `wiki_revisions` snapshot,
+  4. parse body for internal links → rebuild `wiki_links` for the page,
+  5. sync tags.
+- A small `wiki.links.js` helper: parse internal links out of the saved HTML
+  (anchors written by the editor as `href="/wiki/<slug>"` / a `data-wiki-slug` attr),
+  return the set of target slugs.
+
+### 4.2 Public API (`/api/v1/public`)
+
+| Method | Path | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| GET | `/wiki/categories` | ordered categories with page counts |
+| GET | `/wiki?category=&tag=&q=` | **published only**; list/filter/search summaries |
+| GET | `/wiki/:slug` | page + category + tags + backlinks (published only) |
+
+Still passes through the `siteMode` maintenance gate like other public content.
+
+### 4.3 Admin API (`/api/v1/admin`, behind `isLoggedIn` + `noindex`)
+
+| Method | Path | Purpose |
+|---|---|---|
+| GET | `/wiki` | all pages incl. drafts (filters: category, tag, q, status) |
+| GET | `/wiki/:slug` | one page incl. draft, tags, category |
+| POST | `/wiki` | create (slug, title, body, excerpt, category_id, tags, published) |
+| PUT | `/wiki/:slug` | update (allows slug rename — see §7) |
+| PATCH | `/wiki/:slug/publish` | `{published}` toggle, stamps `published_at` |
+| DELETE | `/wiki/:slug` | delete (cascades revisions/links/tags) |
+| GET | `/wiki/:slug/revisions` | list snapshots |
+| GET | `/wiki/:slug/revisions/:id` | one snapshot (for diff/preview) |
+| POST | `/wiki/:slug/revisions/:id/restore` | restore (writes a new revision) |
+| GET/POST/PUT/DELETE | `/wiki/categories[...]` | category CRUD + reorder |
+| GET/POST | `/wiki/tags` | list/create tags |
+| POST | `/uploads` | generalized image upload (see §4.4) → `{url}` |
+
+Validation via `express-validator` (slug regex `^[a-z0-9-]+$`, title required, etc.),
+centralized error handler unchanged. **Every write logs to `activity_log`**
+(`wiki.create`, `wiki.update`, `wiki.publish`, `wiki.delete`, `wiki.revision.restore`,
+`wiki.category.*`) following the existing convention.
+
+### 4.4 Image uploads
+
+Generalize the existing screenshot upload (multer config in [admin.routes.js:17](server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.routes.js))
+into a shared `POST /admin/uploads` returning `{ url: "/uploads/<file>" }`, reused by both
+the post editor and the wiki editor. Same size/mime limits. No new storage —
+served from the existing `uploads/` volume.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Frontend changes
+
+### 5.1 Admin
+
+- **`WikiEditor.jsx`** — replace the raw-HTML `<textarea>` with a **TipTap** editor:
+  bold/italic/headings (H2 for TOC)/lists/quote/code, link tool, **image insert**
+  (uploads via `/admin/uploads`), and an **internal-link picker** (`[[`-triggered
+  autocomplete over existing slugs; flags red links). Adds: category dropdown, tag
+  input (create-on-type), excerpt field, **Save draft / Publish** actions, and a
+  **History** tab (revision list → preview → diff → restore).
+- **`WikiAdmin.jsx`** — list gains status (draft/published), category column, and
+  filters; plus a **Categories** manager (CRUD + drag-to-reorder).
+
+### 5.2 Public
+
+- **`Wiki.jsx`** — fully data-driven: categories + real excerpts from the API
+  (delete the hardcoded `BLURBS`/`ROMAN` constants), a **search box**, optional
+  tag filter.
+- **`WikiArticle.jsx`** — keep auto-TOC; add category breadcrumb, tag chips, a
+  **"Linked from"** backlinks section, "last updated by", and **render via DOMPurify**
+  (`dangerouslySetInnerHTML` only after sanitize).
+
+### 5.3 API client & routes
+
+- Extend [client/src/api/client.js](client/src/api/client.js) with the new public/admin
+  wiki calls (categories, search params, revisions, tags, uploads).
+- Add a public search/category route if needed; admin categories view registered in
+  [App.jsx](client/src/App.jsx) under `/admin/wiki` (sub-tab, no new top-level route required).
+
+### 5.4 Dependencies (new)
+
+- **client**: `@tiptap/react`, `@tiptap/starter-kit`, `@tiptap/extension-link`,
+  `@tiptap/extension-image` (+ a small diff lib for history, e.g. `diff`); `dompurify`.
+- **server**: `sanitize-html`.
+
+(The client currently ships only React + react-router, so this is the first feature
+dependency addition — keep the bundle lean, import only the extensions used.)
+
+---
+
+## 6. Security
+
+- **Two-layer sanitization.** Server sanitizes on save with a strict `sanitize-html`
+  allowlist (headings, p, lists, blockquote, code/pre, a[href], img[src,alt],
+  strong/em, hr, table basics); strips scripts, event handlers, `javascript:` URLs,
+  styles. Client re-sanitizes with DOMPurify before render. The stored value is already
+  clean, so even direct DB edits or future API clients can't inject script.
+- **Upload safety** unchanged from posts: mime allowlist (png/jpe/gif/webp/avif),
+  8 MB cap, random filenames, served as static files (no execution).
+- **Authorization**: all mutating wiki/category/tag/upload routes stay behind
+  `isLoggedIn` (admin or editor). Public routes are read-only and published-only.
+- **No secrets/logging changes**; reuse existing rate-limit, helmet/CSP, noindex.
+  CSP `img-src` already covers `/uploads`.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Migration & backward compatibility
+
+- Schema migration is additive; run by `ensureSchema()` on boot and shipped in
+  `schema.sql` for fresh containers. Use `ALTER TABLE ... ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS`
+  / `ADD INDEX` guarded for idempotency (MariaDB 11 supports `IF NOT EXISTS`).
+- Existing pages: `published` backfills to `1`, `published_at` to `updated_at`,
+  `category_id` left NULL (surface as "Uncategorized" until assigned).
+- **Slug rename** (new capability): on `PUT` slug change, update the page slug and
+  best-effort rewrite known internal links pointing at the old slug; old slug is not
+  auto-redirected (acceptable for a staff-curated wiki) — note in release notes.
+- Public API response shape is **extended, not broken**: existing fields
+  (`slug`, `title`, `body`, `updated_at`) remain; new fields are additive, so the
+  current frontend keeps working between phases.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Implementation process (phased)
+
+Each phase is a self-contained, shippable unit: build → run locally → verify in the
+browser preview → commit on `wiki-upgrade`. Open a PR into `main` at the end (or per
+phase if preferred). Do not merge a phase that hasn't been verified.
+
+### Phase 0 — Branch & scaffolding ✅ (this doc)
+- `wiki-upgrade` branch created; this spec committed.
+
+### Phase 1 — Foundation & safety (highest value) ✅
+- Schema: add `wiki_categories`, alter `wiki_pages` (category_id, excerpt, published,
+  published_at, sort_order, FULLTEXT), update `seed.js`.
+- Server: server-side sanitization on save; drafts/publish endpoints; categories CRUD;
+  public list filtered to published + categories endpoint.
+- Client: data-driven `Wiki.jsx` (remove hardcoded blurbs); DOMPurify render in
+  `WikiArticle.jsx`; draft/publish + category in the (still-textarea) admin editor.
+- **Exit check**: existing pages still render; XSS payload in body is neutralized;
+  draft pages hidden from the public list/article.
+- **Verified** (2026-06-27): schema migration ran clean on MariaDB 11; XSS payload
+  (`<script>`, `onerror=`, `javascript:`) stripped server-side; drafts return 404 on
+  the public API and are absent from the public list while visible in admin; public
+  index is data-driven (categories + sections); article shows category breadcrumb;
+  client builds and server boots with no errors.
+
+### Phase 2 — Authoring UX ✅
+- TipTap editor replaces the textarea; generalized `/admin/uploads`; inline images.
+- **Exit check**: create/edit a page with headings, a list, a link, and an inline
+  image; verify it renders sanitized on the public page.
+- **Verified** (2026-06-27): `/admin/uploads` returns `{url}` and the file serves as
+  an image; a page authored with H2/H3, lists, a link, and an uploaded inline image
+  round-trips through the WYSIWYG and renders sanitized publicly (link `rel` forced,
+  `<script>` stripped); a toolbar edit (insert divider) saved and persisted. TipTap
+  is code-split into its own chunk (lazy-loaded), keeping it off the public bundle.
+
+### Phase 3 — Connectivity ✅
+- Internal `[[slug]]` links + red-link detection; `wiki_links` rebuild on save;
+  backlinks on the article; tags + tag/category filtering.
+- **Exit check**: link page A→B, confirm B shows A under "Linked from"; tag filter works.
+- **Verified** (2026-06-27): internal links authored via an in-editor page picker
+  (links to `/wiki/<slug>`); A→B made B list A under "Linked from"; a link to a
+  non-existent page renders as a red link; removing the link on save cleared the
+  backlink (link index rebuilt). Tags upsert on save, filter via `?tag=` (chips +
+  flat index view), list with published counts, and orphan tags are auto-pruned.
+- Implementation note: links are plain anchors to `/wiki/<slug>` (the WYSIWYG fits
+  this better than `[[ ]]` syntax); the sanitizer also allows `data-wiki-slug`.
+
+### Phase 4 — Discovery & trust ✅
+- FULLTEXT search (public search box + admin filter); revision history list /
+  diff / restore.
+- **Exit check**: search returns expected pages; edit a page twice, diff the
+  revisions, restore an older one, confirm a new revision is recorded.
+- **Verified** (2026-06-27): `?q=` natural-language search matches on both body
+  (`recipes`→crafting) and title (`monsters`); the public search box and admin
+  filter both work. A page edited twice produced 3 revisions; the History modal
+  shows a word-level diff (added vs removed) of an old revision against current;
+  restoring reverted the page and appended a "Restored from revision #N" entry.
+
+### Verification (every phase)
+Use the preview workflow, not manual hand-off: start the dev server, exercise the
+public wiki and the admin editor, check console/network for errors, and capture a
+screenshot of the changed surface. Confirm `npm run` lint/build passes for the client
+and the server boots cleanly with `ensureSchema()` applying the migration.
+
+---
+
+## 9. File-change map (reference)
+
+| Area | Files |
+|---|---|
+| Schema/seed | `server/db/schema.sql`, `server/db/seed.js`, `server/src/utils/db.js` (ensureSchema) |
+| Models | `server/src/model/wiki/wiki.db.js`, `wiki.model.js`, **new** `wiki.links.js` |
+| API | `server/src/router/v1/public/public.{routes,controller}.js`, `server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.{routes,controller}.js` |
+| Sanitize | **new** `server/src/utils/sanitizeHtml.js` |
+| Client API | `client/src/api/client.js` |
+| Public UI | `client/src/routes/wiki/Wiki.jsx`, `WikiArticle.jsx` |
+| Admin UI | `client/src/routes/admin/views/WikiAdmin.jsx`, `WikiEditor.jsx`, **new** category manager + revisions view |
+| Deps | `client/package.json`, `server/package.json` |
+
+---
+
+## 10. Open questions / assumptions
+
+1. **Slug redirects**: assumed not needed on rename (staff wiki). Revisit if pages get
+   external inbound links.
+2. **Search ranking**: FULLTEXT natural-language mode assumed; can switch to BOOLEAN
+   mode if operators are wanted later.
+3. **Diff granularity**: line/word diff of the HTML source is assumed sufficient for
+   revision compare; a rendered visual diff is a later nice-to-have.
+4. **Editor scope**: tables and embeds beyond images are deferred unless requested.
--- a/website/website-README.md
+++ b/website/website-README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,466 @@
+# UOMysticmoon Website
+
+Public site, wiki, and protected admin panel for the **UOMysticmoon** private Ultima Online
+shard — a full-stack app in one repo:
+
+- **Backend** — Node.js + Express REST API (layered `router → controller → model → db`), MariaDB, a provider-agnostic session layer (JWT cookie for web, bearer tokens for mobile, pluggable SSO).
+- **Frontend** — React + Vite single-page app (public site, wiki, and the admin panel), dark "gothic" theme (Cinzel + Georgia).
+- **Deploy** — Docker Compose (app + MariaDB) behind a Pangolin reverse proxy. Express serves the built SPA in production.
+- **Shard link** — a live bridge to the in-game ServUO shard through the **uo-link** sidecar ([UOM/link](https://gitea.whitlocktech.com/UOM/link)): the site ingests a live event feed and makes server-side REST calls to show shard status, economy, staff presence, IDOCs, live activity, and per-character sheets. See [Shard integration (uo-link)](#shard-integration-uo-link).
+
+The design reference is [BACKEND_DESIGN.md](BACKEND_DESIGN.md) (API contract, schema, security).
+
+---
+
+## Contents
+
+- [Tech stack](#tech-stack)
+- [Project structure](#project-structure)
+- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
+- [Setup & run](#setup--run)
+  - [Option A — Docker Compose (full stack)](#option-a--docker-compose-full-stack)
+  - [Option B — Local development (hot reload)](#option-b--local-development-hot-reload)
+  - [Option C — Production build without Docker](#option-c--production-build-without-docker)
+- [First admin & site mode](#first-admin--site-mode)
+- [Pages & routes](#pages--routes)
+- [API endpoints](#api-endpoints)
+- [API documentation (Swagger)](#api-documentation-swagger)
+- [Shard integration (uo-link)](#shard-integration-uo-link)
+- [Environment variables](#environment-variables)
+- [Security](#security)
+- [Logging](#logging)
+- [Deployment behind Pangolin](#deployment-behind-pangolin)
+
+---
+
+## Tech stack
+
+| Layer | Tech |
+|---|---|
+| Backend | Node.js 20+, Express 4, `mariadb` driver (parameterized SQL, no ORM) |
+| Auth | Session service over JWT: httpOnly cookie (web) + bearer access/refresh tokens (mobile), bcrypt hashing, optional TOTP 2FA (`speakeasy` + `qrcode`), pluggable OAuth2/OIDC SSO (built-in Google & Discord + generic) |
+| Database | MariaDB 11 (own container) |
+| Frontend | React 18, Vite 5, React Router 6 |
+| Email | Nodemailer via Gmail OAuth2 (configured in admin), with a `mailto:` fallback |
+| API docs | OpenAPI 3.0 via `swagger-autogen`, served with `swagger-ui-express` at `/api/docs` |
+| Deploy | Docker Compose, Pangolin reverse proxy |
+
+---
+
+## Project structure
+
+```
+UOMSITE/
+├─ server/                     Express API
+│  ├─ src/
+│  │  ├─ server.js             bootstrap: ensure schema → seed → listen (0.0.0.0)
+│  │  ├─ app.js                middleware + static SPA + routes
+│  │  ├─ auth/                 session layer: session.service · token (JWT/cookies) · session.middleware · ssoState (PKCE/CSRF) · providers/ (base · oauth2 · google · discord · genericOidc · registry)
+│  │  ├─ router/v1/            auth (web · mobile · sso) / public / admin route groups
+│  │  ├─ model/                users · posts · wiki · settings · activity · mobileSessions · authProviders · userIdentities (.model + .db)
+│  │  ├─ middleware/           siteMode · noindex · rateLimit · loginProtection · botScore · validate
+│  │  └─ utils/                auth (compat facade) · totp (2FA) · secretBox (AES-GCM secrets) · db (pool) · mailer · logger
+│  ├─ db/                      schema.sql + seed.js
+│  ├─ swagger/                 swagger.js (OpenAPI generator config) + swagger-output.json (generated spec)
+│  └─ .env.example
+├─ client/                     React + Vite SPA
+│  ├─ src/
+│  │  ├─ routes/public/        Portal, Website, News, Screenshots, FiveOnFriday, Newsletter(+Issue), Status, About, Maintenance
+│  │  ├─ routes/wiki/          Wiki landing + WikiArticle
+│  │  ├─ routes/admin/         AdminLogin (password + TOTP + SSO buttons), AdminLayout, views/ (Dashboard, Posts, Wiki, Settings, Activity, Bot Activity, Authentication, Users, Account) + editors
+│  │  ├─ components/           SiteHeader, SiteFooter, layout, guards, Modal, ProviderIcon (inline SSO SVGs), …
+│  │  ├─ contexts/             AuthContext, SiteContext
+│  │  ├─ api/client.js         fetch wrapper (sends cookies)
+│  │  └─ styles/theme.css      design tokens
+│  └─ public/assets/img/       hero image
+├─ Dockerfile                  builds client → serves via Express
+├─ docker-compose.yml          app + MariaDB
+├─ .env.example                root env (used by Compose)
+└─ package.json                workspace scripts
+```
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- **Node.js 20+** and npm (Node 22/24 are fine).
+- **Docker Desktop** (for MariaDB, and for the full Compose deploy).
+
+---
+
+## Setup & run
+
+### Option A — Docker Compose (full stack)
+
+`docker-compose.yml` is **production-shaped**: it *pulls* the prebuilt `app` and `bot` images from
+the Gitea container registry (published by `.gitea/workflows/build-images.yml` on every merge to
+`main`) — it never builds. Each image already bundles the server deps and the built React client,
+which Express serves. MariaDB runs in its own container; tables + defaults + the first admin are
+created automatically on first boot.
+
+```bash
+cp .env.example .env
+# Edit .env and set at least:
+#   DB_PASSWORD, DB_ROOT_PASSWORD   (any strong values)
+#   JWT_SECRET                      (a long random string)
+#   ADMIN_USERNAME, ADMIN_PASSWORD  (your first admin login)
+
+docker compose pull && docker compose up -d          # IMAGE_TAG defaults to `latest`
+# pin a specific build (reproducible deploy / rollback):
+IMAGE_TAG=sha-042a151 docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
+```
+
+- App: **http://localhost:3000** (binds `0.0.0.0`)
+- Health check: `GET http://localhost:3000/api/health` → `{ "status": "ok" }`
+- Logs: `docker compose logs -f app` (and `./logs/app.log` on the host)
+- Stop: `docker compose down` (add `-v` to also wipe the database + uploads volumes)
+
+**Build the images locally instead of pulling** (offline, or to test an unmerged change) — overlay
+the dev file, which adds `build:` back:
+
+```bash
+docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml up -d --build
+```
+
+Keeping `build:` out of the base file means a production host can only ever pull — it can never
+accidentally build.
+
+### Option B — Local development (hot reload)
+
+Run the API and the Vite dev server separately. The Vite server proxies `/api` and `/uploads`
+to the backend, so the SPA stays same-origin (cookies work).
+
+**1. Start a MariaDB the backend can reach** (published on `localhost:3306`):
+
+```bash
+docker run -d --name uomm-db -p 3306:3306 -e MARIADB_DATABASE=uomysticmoon -e MARIADB_USER=uomm -e MARIADB_PASSWORD=devpass -e MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=rootpass mariadb:11
+```
+
+**2. Configure + start the backend** (terminal 1):
+
+```bash
+cp server/.env.example server/.env
+# Set DB_HOST=127.0.0.1, DB_PORT=3306, DB_USER=uomm, DB_PASSWORD=devpass,
+#     JWT_SECRET=<anything>, ADMIN_USERNAME=admin, ADMIN_PASSWORD=<your password>
+npm run install-server
+npm run server          # nodemon → http://localhost:3000
+```
+
+**3. Start the frontend** (terminal 2):
+
+```bash
+npm run install-client
+npm run client          # Vite → http://localhost:5173
+```
+
+Develop at **http://localhost:5173** (hot reload). On Windows, the Vite proxy targets
+`127.0.0.1:3000` to avoid the IPv6-`localhost` pitfall.
+
+> Tip: `npm run install-all` installs both server and client deps in one go.
+
+### Option C — Production build without Docker
+
+Build the SPA and let Express serve it on a single port (still needs a MariaDB + `server/.env`):
+
+```bash
+npm run install-all
+npm run build           # → client/dist
+npm start               # node server → serves API + SPA at http://localhost:3000
+```
+
+---
+
+## First admin & site mode
+
+- On first boot, if the `users` table is empty and `ADMIN_USERNAME` / `ADMIN_PASSWORD` are set,
+  the first admin is created automatically. You can also run `npm run seed`. After it exists you
+  may blank those env vars.
+- The site **starts in `maintenance` mode**: public visitors see the polished "coming soon" page;
+  the admin login and panel are always reachable.
+- Sign in at **`/admin/login`**, then flip **Maintenance → Live** from the Dashboard. A logged-in
+  admin can preview the live site even while it's in maintenance.
+
+---
+
+## Pages & routes
+
+**Public** (gated by site mode):
+
+| Route | Page |
+|---|---|
+| `/` | Portal landing (hero + destinations) |
+| `/site` | Website index (section cards) |
+| `/site/news` | News feed |
+| `/site/screenshots` | Screenshot gallery |
+| `/site/five-on-friday` | Five on Friday |
+| `/site/newsletter` · `/site/newsletter/:id` | Newsletter list + issue |
+| `/site/about` · `/site/status` | About · Shard status |
+| `/wiki` · `/wiki/:slug` | Wiki landing + article (auto table-of-contents) |
+
+**Admin** (cookie auth, `noindex`):
+
+| Route | View |
+|---|---|
+| `/admin/login` | Sign in |
+| `/admin` | Dashboard (mode toggle, stats, recent activity) |
+| `/admin/posts` | Posts CRUD + publish + image upload |
+| `/admin/wiki` | Wiki pages CRUD |
+| `/admin/settings` | Site settings |
+| `/admin/activity` | Activity log |
+| `/admin/bot-activity` | Bot activity — banned IPs + recent scoring events, emergency unban (admin only) |
+| `/admin/auth-providers` | Authentication — enable/configure SSO providers: built-in Google & Discord + custom OIDC/OAuth2 (admin only) |
+| `/admin/users` | User management |
+| `/admin/account` | Account security (self-service TOTP two-factor + linked SSO accounts) |
+
+---
+
+## API endpoints
+
+| Group | Base | Auth |
+|---|---|---|
+| Auth (web) | `/api/v1/auth` (`login`, `login/totp`, `logout`, `me`) | cookie |
+| Auth (mobile) | `/api/v1/auth/mobile` (`login`, `refresh`, `logout`) | bearer (access + refresh tokens) |
+| SSO | `/api/v1/auth` (`providers` — public discovery; `sso/:provider/start`, `sso/:provider/link`, `sso/:provider/callback`) | redirect flow |
+| Public | `/api/v1/public` (`settings`, `status`, `posts/:category`, `posts/:category/:idOrSlug`, `wiki`, `wiki/:slug`, `contact`) | none |
+| Admin | `/api/v1/admin` (`dashboard`, `site-mode`, `posts`, `posts/upload`, `wiki`, `settings`, `activity`, `bot-activity`, `bot-activity/unban`, `auth/providers` (CRUD), `users`, `account`, `account/totp/*`, `account/identities`) | cookie (admin) |
+| Public · Shard | `/api/v1/public/shard` (`status`, `feed`, `economy`, `online`, `idoc`, `stream`) | none |
+| Player · Shard | `/api/v1/player/shard` (`link`, `accounts`, `roster/:account`, `vendors/:account`, `char/:serial`, `sales`) | cookie/bearer (player) |
+| Admin · Shard | `/api/v1/admin/shard` (self linking, same as player) · `/api/v1/admin/uo-link` (`config`, `towncrier`, `stream`) | cookie (staff / admin) |
+
+Post categories (URL form): `news`, `five-on-friday`, `newsletter`, `screenshots`.
+`authMethod` on a session ∈ `local · totp · mobile · google · discord · oidc`.
+See [BACKEND_DESIGN.md](BACKEND_DESIGN.md) §4 for the full contract, or the interactive Swagger
+docs below for a per-endpoint reference (parameters, request bodies, response codes).
+
+---
+
+## API documentation (Swagger)
+
+The full API is documented as an **OpenAPI 3.0** spec and served with **Swagger UI**:
+
+| URL | What |
+|---|---|
+| `http://localhost:3000/api/docs` | Interactive Swagger UI (try-it-out, auth) |
+| `http://localhost:3000/api/docs.json` | Raw OpenAPI 3.0 spec (JSON) |
+
+Every endpoint is tagged and grouped (Auth, Auth · Mobile, Auth · SSO, Public, and the Admin
+groups) with its summary, parameters, request body, security requirement, and the response codes it
+actually returns (`400` validation, `401`/`403` auth, `404`, `409` conflicts, `429` rate limits, …).
+
+**Authentication in the UI** — click **Authorize** and provide either:
+
+- `cookieAuth` — the `uomm_token` session cookie (set automatically in the browser after
+  `POST /api/v1/auth/login`), or
+- `bearerAuth` — a mobile access token from `POST /api/v1/auth/mobile/login` (sent as
+  `Authorization: Bearer <token>`).
+
+**Regenerating the spec** — the spec is generated from `#swagger.*` annotations next to each route
+(`server/src/router/**`) plus the shared definitions in `server/swagger/swagger.js`
+([swagger-autogen](https://github.com/davibaltar/swagger-autogen)). The output
+`server/swagger/swagger-output.json` is committed so the docs work with no build step. After adding
+or changing a route, regenerate it:
+
+```bash
+cd server
+npm run swagger        # → server/swagger/swagger-output.json
+```
+
+If the generated spec is missing, the server logs a warning and simply disables `/api/docs` (it does
+not crash).
+
+---
+
+## Shard integration (uo-link)
+
+The site is wired to the live in-game world through **uo-link**, a standalone sidecar service that
+runs next to the ServUO shard. Its source lives in a separate repo:
+**[UOM/link](https://gitea.whitlocktech.com/UOM/link)**. uo-link speaks the shard's internals and
+exposes a small, authenticated HTTP + WebSocket API; this website is a *client* of it. The shard
+itself is never exposed to the internet — only the sidecar is, and only the website's backend talks
+to it.
+
+### How it works
+
+```
+ServUO shard  ──▶  uo-link sidecar (UOM/link)  ──▶  website backend  ──▶  browser
+                   REST + WebSocket, bearer-auth      ingest + REST         same-origin JSON/SSE
+```
+
+- **Connection is admin-managed, not env.** The sidecar's base URL, WebSocket URL, shared-secret
+  token, and protocol version are stored in the database (`uoLinkConfig`), edited from the
+  **Admin → Shard** panel. The token is **encrypted at rest** (AES-256-GCM) and is **write-only** in
+  the API — it is never returned to any client and never sent to the browser. Every call the backend
+  makes carries `Authorization: Bearer <token>` and an `X-UOLink-Version` header (a protocol
+  mismatch fails fast with `409` instead of being mis-parsed).
+- **Live ingest (WebSocket).** When enabled, the backend opens an outbound WebSocket to the sidecar
+  and receives a stream of game events — `mob.login`/`logout`, `char.vitals`, `economy.supply`,
+  `vendor.sale`, `player.death`/`murdered`, `house.decay` (IDOC), staff `audit.*`/`cheat.*`,
+  `link.request`, and `server.hello`/`shutdown`. A single dispatcher (`utils/shardIngest.js`) routes
+  each event: state-changing kinds update `shard_online` / `shard_economy` / `shard_houses`; notable
+  kinds are appended to an append-only `shard_events` log; high-frequency kinds (vitals, supply
+  ticks) only update state and are not logged. A changed boot id on `server.hello` is detected as a
+  restart and stale "online" rows are cleared. On reconnect the backend backfills missed events via
+  the sidecar's `/history`.
+- **Live round-trips (REST).** For point-in-time reads the backend calls the sidecar directly —
+  `/char/serial/:serial`, `/roster/:account`, `/vendors/:account`, `/economy`, `/history` — plus
+  commands `/link/confirm` and `/towncrier`. The REST client (`utils/uoLinkClient.js`) **never
+  throws**: every call returns `{ ok, data, status }`, so a shard that is down or mid-restart
+  degrades to a `503`/retry banner instead of a 500.
+- **Fan-out to the browser.** Ingested events are pushed to browsers over **Server-Sent Events**.
+  Two channels exist: a **public** stream carrying only a safe allowlist of kinds, and an
+  **admin-only** stream that also includes sensitive kinds (staff audit, cheat detection, login
+  attempts, IPs). Sensitive kinds can never leak onto the public channel.
+
+### Account linking
+
+A player (or staff member) proves ownership of a game account without sharing any game credentials:
+
+1. In game, the player runs **`[link`** and receives a one-time code.
+2. On the website (Player portal, or Admin → Account for staff) they enter the code.
+3. The backend confirms the code with the sidecar (`POST /link/confirm`), which permanently tags the
+   game account with the website user id, and mirrors the link locally in `shard_account_links`.
+
+That mirror is the authorization basis for character reads: roster/vendor/character-sheet endpoints
+are **ownership-checked** so a user only sees accounts they linked. **Admins may view any
+character**; players and editor/moderator staff are limited to their own linked accounts.
+
+### What each audience sees
+
+| Surface | Endpoints | Who | Data |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **Public** | `/api/v1/public/shard/*` (`status`, `feed`, `economy`, `online`, `idoc`, `stream`) | anyone | Shard up/down, gold-supply series, IDOC houses, a curated live feed, and **"Staff online"** — only players whose account is linked to a **staff** user (admin/editor/moderator), shown with name + map location. Linked *players* are never listed publicly; no vitals or account are exposed. |
+| **Player** | `/api/v1/player/shard/*` (`link`, `accounts`, `roster/:account`, `vendors/:account`, `char/:serial`, `sales`) | logged-in player | Their own linked accounts: character rosters, character sheets, player-vendor snapshots, and recent vendor sales. |
+| **Admin** | `/api/v1/admin/shard/*` (self-linking, same as player) · `/api/v1/admin/uo-link/*` (`config`, `towncrier`, `stream`) | staff / admin | Staff link their own accounts like players; **admins** additionally read *any* character's data, edit the sidecar connection config, publish/remove **town-crier** messages, and subscribe to the full event stream (incl. audit/cheat). |
+
+The sidecar URL and token are set once in **Admin → Shard**; if uo-link is not configured (or the
+shard is offline), every shard surface degrades gracefully — the public page still renders, showing
+the shard as offline.
+
+---
+
+## Environment variables
+
+Copy `.env.example` (Compose) or `server/.env.example` (local) and fill in. **`.env` is git-ignored.**
+
+| Var | Default | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| `NODE_ENV` | `production` | |
+| `PORT` | `3000` | server listens on `0.0.0.0:PORT` |
+| `UPLOAD_DIR` | `<server>/uploads` | where post images are written (`/app/uploads`, volume-mounted, in Compose) |
+| `DB_HOST` / `DB_PORT` | `db` / `3306` | `db` in Compose; `127.0.0.1` for local dev |
+| `DB_NAME` / `DB_USER` / `DB_PASSWORD` | `uomysticmoon` / `uomm` / — | app database credentials |
+| `DB_ROOT_PASSWORD` | — | MariaDB root (Compose only) |
+| `JWT_SECRET` | — | **required** — long random string; signs session, mobile, and SSO-flow tokens |
+| `JWT_EXPIRES_IN` | `1d` | web session token + cookie lifetime |
+| `COOKIE_SECURE` | `auto` | `auto` = Secure only over HTTPS (works on LAN HTTP + Pangolin HTTPS) |
+| `COOKIE_NAME` | `uomm_token` | |
+| `SECRET_ENC_KEY` | — | **required in prod** — key for AES-256-GCM encryption of stored OAuth client secrets. Dev falls back to a key derived from `JWT_SECRET` (with a warning) |
+| `APP_BASE_URL` | — | public base URL, used to build the SSO OAuth `redirect_uri` (`${APP_BASE_URL}/api/v1/auth/sso/:provider/callback`). Set in prod to match what you register with Google/Discord; if unset it is derived from the request (fine for local dev) |
+| `MOBILE_ACCESS_TTL` | `15m` | mobile bearer **access** token lifetime (short-lived) |
+| `MOBILE_REFRESH_TTL_DAYS` | `30` | mobile **refresh** token lifetime (long-lived, rotated on use) |
+| `TRUST_PROXY` | `1` | reverse-proxy trust for correct `req.ip` / `req.secure` (rate limiting, backoff, bot-ban). Pin to the proxy hop's LAN IP in prod. A blanket `true` is rejected (coerced to `1`) to block `X-Forwarded-For` spoofing |
+| `DEBUG_TRUST_PROXY` | `0` | `1` logs raw peer address + `X-Forwarded-For` + resolved `req.ip` per request (to verify/refresh the proxy IP). Noisy — leave off |
+| `TOTP_ISSUER` | `UOMysticmoon` | label shown in authenticator apps for optional per-user 2FA |
+| `TOTP_CHALLENGE_TTL` | `5m` | lifetime of the short-lived post-password "awaiting code" step |
+| `ADMIN_USERNAME` / `ADMIN_PASSWORD` | — | first-admin bootstrap (first boot only) |
+| _Email_ | — | configured in Admin → Settings → Email (Gmail OAuth2), not via env; recipient = `contact_email` setting |
+| `CLIENT_ORIGIN` | `http://localhost:5173` | enables CORS in dev only |
+| `LOG_LEVEL` / `FILE_LOG_LEVEL` | `info` / `debug` | console / file verbosity |
+| `LOG_TO_FILE` / `LOG_DIR` / `LOG_FILE` | `true` / `<server>/logs` / `app.log` | log file (bind-mounted to `./logs` in Docker) |
+| `ANNOUNCE_POLL_MS` | `15000` | how often the news-announcement dispatcher sweeps `announce_jobs` for due/retry legs (town crier + Discord) |
+| `TOWNCRIER_DURATION_SEC` | `3600` | how long a news post's in-game town-crier message stays up (≤ `86400`) |
+
+---
+
+## Security
+
+**Session & authorization**
+
+- All auth flows go through one **session service** (`server/src/auth/`): controllers call
+  `sessionService.createSession(user, authMethod)` and middleware calls `validateSession()`, so web
+  cookies, mobile bearer tokens, and SSO all produce the *same* authenticated session model.
+  `utils/auth.js` remains a thin backward-compat facade.
+- JWT in an httpOnly, `SameSite=Lax` cookie (`Secure` auto-detected), bcrypt password hashing.
+- Admin routes are **re-validated against the database on every request**, so a demoted or deleted
+  user loses access immediately instead of keeping their old role until the token expires.
+- **Role-based authorization** — admin-only endpoints (users, site mode, settings, auth providers)
+  are gated by a `requireRole` check, so a lower-privilege editor can't reach them.
+
+**Mobile bearer auth**
+
+- Native clients use `/api/v1/auth/mobile/*`: a short-lived **access token** (bearer JWT, validated
+  by the same middleware as the cookie) plus a long-lived, **server-stored, revocable refresh
+  token** that is **rotated on every refresh** (a replayed refresh token is single-use). Refresh
+  tokens are stored **hashed** (never in the clear); logout revokes one or all. Mobile login reuses
+  the same bot-scoring + backoff defenses as web, with single-request TOTP.
+
+**Single sign-on (OAuth2 / OIDC)**
+
+- Pluggable providers — built-in **Google** and **Discord** (endpoints fixed in code; admins supply
+  only client id/secret) plus fully-configurable **custom OIDC/OAuth2** providers, managed from the
+  **Authentication** admin panel. Only `enabled` + fully-configured providers are shown to users.
+- **Link-only** by policy: an SSO login succeeds *only* if the external identity is already linked to
+  an existing account (linked by the user from **Account**). External identities are **never
+  auto-provisioned** — no one gains access without an account you created.
+- The redirect flow is CSRF-protected with a signed, httpOnly, short-lived transaction cookie plus
+  **PKCE**; OAuth client secrets are **encrypted at rest** (AES-256-GCM) and never returned to any
+  client. SSO logins go through the same `sessionService`, so login/activity logging, RBAC, and bot
+  protection are identical to a local login.
+
+**Login hardening**
+
+- **Optional per-user TOTP two-factor** (opt-in, self-service on `/admin/account`). When enabled,
+  the password step issues only a short-lived, non-session `stage:'totp'` challenge; a session
+  cookie is granted only after the second factor verifies.
+- **Login throttling** — `express-slow-down` + a hard rate cap + a separate per-IP exponential
+  backoff, with generic error messages that don't reveal whether the username exists.
+- **Honeypot** field on the login form; submissions that fill it are treated as bots.
+- **Bot-scoring + automatic IP ban** — weighted scoring of CMS-scanner paths and junk 404s (with a
+  periodic sweep of stale entries) bans hostile scanners; failed logins and honeypot hits feed the
+  score. Admins get visibility into this on the **Bot Activity** panel: currently banned IPs and a
+  recent-events feed (in-memory, most-recent-first), plus a logged emergency **unban** for false
+  positives — read + unban only, not a scoring-config surface.
+
+**Uploads & input**
+
+- Uploaded file extensions are derived from the **validated mimetype**, not the client-supplied
+  filename (prevents a disguised-extension upload).
+- `express-validator` on all writes; usernames are validated **and** uniqueness-checked on update.
+
+**Platform**
+
+- `helmet`, admin routes `noindex` + `robots.txt` disallow, `trust proxy` for correct client IPs
+  behind Pangolin (see `TRUST_PROXY`), first admin seeded from env (no hardcoded credentials),
+  `.env` git-ignored. Passwords and request bodies are never logged. Email sends through Gmail
+  OAuth2 configured in the admin (refresh token stored AES-GCM-encrypted, never in env); the
+  contact form falls back to a `mailto:` link when unconfigured.
+
+---
+
+## Logging
+
+Every log line goes to **both the console and a log file**, timestamped and leveled
+(`error` / `warn` / `info` / `debug`):
+
+```
+2026-06-26T18:55:01.123Z INFO  [server] listening on http://0.0.0.0:3000 ...
+2026-06-26T18:55:09.880Z INFO  [http] 192.168.1.40 admin POST /api/v1/auth/login 200 12 ms - 48 bytes
+2026-06-26T18:55:14.402Z WARN  [auth] login failed {"username":"root","ip":"192.168.1.40"}
+2026-06-26T18:55:20.110Z ERROR [error] GET /api/v1/public/wiki -> 500 ... {"stack":"..."}
+```
+
+Captured: startup config banner, schema/seed steps, **HTTP access logs** (real client IP via
+`trust proxy`, the authenticated admin, method/URL/status/time/size), login success/failure,
+rate-limit hits, site-mode changes, all errors with stack traces, and graceful shutdown. Console
+verbosity is `LOG_LEVEL`; the file keeps the fuller `FILE_LOG_LEVEL` record. In Docker the file is
+bind-mounted to `./logs/app.log` and `docker compose logs -f app` shows the console stream.
+
+---
+
+## Deployment behind Pangolin
+
+`docker compose up -d --build` exposes the `app` container on `0.0.0.0:3000` (no `127.0.0.1`
+binding) so Pangolin can reach it. Point a Pangolin resource at `app:3000`. Because `COOKIE_SECURE`
+defaults to `auto`, the admin login works both directly via the LAN IP over HTTP **and** through
+Pangolin over HTTPS — no config change needed. MariaDB stays on the private Compose network
+(no published port by default); data persists in the `dbdata` volume, uploads in `uploads`.