diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 06e6d7c..435726c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ jobs:
           ver="$(idris2 --version)"
           echo "idris2 --version -> ${ver}"
           case "$ver" in
-            *"0.7.0"*) ;;
-            *) echo "::error::expected Idris 2 0.7.0, got: ${ver}"; exit 1 ;;
+            *"0.8.0"*) ;;
+            *) echo "::error::expected Idris 2 0.8.0, got: ${ver}"; exit 1 ;;
           esac
           idris2 --typecheck abi.ipkg
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/governance.yml b/.github/workflows/governance.yml
index 00e89ce..61d7068 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/governance.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/governance.yml
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   governance:
-    uses: hyperpolymath/standards/.github/workflows/governance-reusable.yml@571cc734cd69fb846032ec77a662aa8ee4fc32cd
+    uses: metadatastician/standards/.github/workflows/governance-reusable.yml@857ff096af11451841fb10488fed1438523973a1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan.yml b/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan.yml
index 0b1aaa2..ba081a6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan.yml
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   scan:
-    uses: hyperpolymath/standards/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan-reusable.yml@571cc734cd69fb846032ec77a662aa8ee4fc32cd
+    uses: metadatastician/standards/.github/workflows/hypatia-scan-reusable.yml@857ff096af11451841fb10488fed1438523973a1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mirror.yml b/.github/workflows/mirror.yml
index 063ae7b..72d3508 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mirror.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mirror.yml
@@ -12,5 +12,15 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 jobs:
   mirror:
-    uses: hyperpolymath/standards/.github/workflows/mirror-reusable.yml@571cc734cd69fb846032ec77a662aa8ee4fc32cd
-    secrets: inherit
+    uses: metadatastician/standards/.github/workflows/mirror-reusable.yml@857ff096af11451841fb10488fed1438523973a1
+    secrets:
+      GITLAB_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.GITLAB_SSH_KEY }}
+      BITBUCKET_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.BITBUCKET_SSH_KEY }}
+      CODEBERG_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.CODEBERG_SSH_KEY }}
+      SOURCEHUT_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.SOURCEHUT_SSH_KEY }}
+      DISROOT_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.DISROOT_SSH_KEY }}
+      GITEA_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.GITEA_SSH_KEY }}
+      RADICLE_KEY: ${{ secrets.RADICLE_KEY }}
+      R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
+      R2_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.R2_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
+      R2_AGE_RECIPIENT: ${{ secrets.R2_AGE_RECIPIENT }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml b/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
index 581210f..89511df 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ jobs:
       contents: read
       security-events: write
       id-token: write
-    uses: hyperpolymath/standards/.github/workflows/scorecard-reusable.yml@571cc734cd69fb846032ec77a662aa8ee4fc32cd
+    uses: metadatastician/standards/.github/workflows/scorecard-reusable.yml@857ff096af11451841fb10488fed1438523973a1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/secret-scanner.yml b/.github/workflows/secret-scanner.yml
index 2efb57d..fece7d3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/secret-scanner.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/secret-scanner.yml
@@ -15,5 +15,4 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 jobs:
   scan:
-    uses: hyperpolymath/standards/.github/workflows/secret-scanner-reusable.yml@571cc734cd69fb846032ec77a662aa8ee4fc32cd
-    secrets: inherit
+    uses: metadatastician/standards/.github/workflows/secret-scanner-reusable.yml@857ff096af11451841fb10488fed1438523973a1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/trope-check.yml b/.github/workflows/trope-check.yml
index 0343cd2..cd0cb1f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/trope-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/trope-check.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v7.0.1
         with:
           repository: hyperpolymath/trope-checker
-          ref: 69221ad6bec0c9286cb5c917edfad281e7e0089e # main @ 2026-07-28
+          ref: 4ecba4f1862aec144ec940b1d8a93ddabd1cb591 # main @ 2026-11-02 (after Phase 0 #107 and #109)
           path: trope-checker
 
       # The pinned idris2-pack image is minimal and ships no jq, which both the
diff --git a/AFFIRMATION.adoc b/AFFIRMATION.adoc
index 794cfc2..3805619 100644
--- a/AFFIRMATION.adoc
+++ b/AFFIRMATION.adoc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0
 = AFFIRMATION — Haec
-:revdate: 2026-10-27
+:revdate: 2026-11-04
 
 A dated, ground-truthed honesty snapshot. This is the brief's "STATUS" for Haec:
 what exists, what is verified, what is deferred — stated plainly, no overclaim.
@@ -34,16 +34,50 @@ and its examples lower to IR the checker accepts.
 == As of 2026-10-27
 
 *Ground truth (run here, UTC 07:49, haec `e9bee39`):*
-`TROPECHECK_REQUIRED=1 TROPECHECK_BIN=/path/to/tropecheck-rs bash tests/check-examples.sh` (the path is a placeholder for the built fast core) → the three examples
-(`faithful-record`, `survey-collapse`, `station-average`) lower to well-formed Trope
-IR; the vendored `design/trope-ir.schema.json` matches the canonical checker schema;
-all three round-trip through the checker to the verdict each states —
+`TROPECHECK_REQUIRED=1 TROPECHECK_BIN=/path/to/tropecheck-rs bash tests/check-examples.sh` (the path is a placeholder for the built fast core) → the three checked-in
+example IR documents (`faithful-record`, `survey-collapse`, `station-average`;
+lowered by hand — there is no compiler, and the script checks these documents, it
+does not produce them) are well-formed Trope IR; the vendored
+`design/trope-ir.schema.json` matched the canonical checker schema at that checker
+revision; all three round-trip through the checker to the verdict each states —
 `faithful-record` `p-sufficient`, `survey-collapse` `p-insufficient` with witness
-`e_collapse/fate.quality`, `station-average` `p-sufficient`. "examples: all lower to
-valid Trope IR." The checker was the Rust fast core built from trope-checker
-`44020f9` (`main` 216f23b plus the two Phase 0 spec/CI patches, which do not touch
-`src/rust`).
+`e_collapse/fate.quality`, `station-average` `p-sufficient`. The script's closing
+line reads "examples: all lower to valid Trope IR" (its wording; see above). The
+checker was the Rust fast core built from trope-checker `44020f9` (`main` 216f23b
+plus the two Phase 0 spec/CI patches, which do not touch `src/rust`).
 
 *Still true, stated once:* no compiler, no LSP, no runtime; the O2 lowering
 obligations in `design/elaboration.adoc` are stated, not discharged; no proofs of
 our own.
+
+== As of 2026-11-04
+
+*Ground truth (run here, haec `6b36491` plus the changes that land with this
+entry):* the same command, with the fast core built from trope-checker `4ecba4f`
+(`main` after Phase 0 landed there via #107, plus the decoder fixes of #109) and
+`design/trope-ir.schema.json` re-vendored from that revision → ok ×7 (three
+well-formed documents, schema match, three round-trips to the stated verdicts,
+witness `e_collapse/fate.quality` unchanged), exit 0. Before the re-vendoring the
+same run failed the drift guard ("vendored IR schema has drifted …", exit 1): the
+canonical schema changed shape between `69221ad6` and `4ecba4f` (explicit `type`
+annotations and a `tau` pass-through; the required fields are unchanged), which is
+what the guard exists to catch. `tests/check-examples.sh` now also fails under
+`TROPECHECK_REQUIRED=1` when the canonical schema is absent, so CI cannot pass
+with the guard silently skipped.
+
+*NOT RUN here, attested by CI:* the Idris2 reference-checker path that
+`.github/workflows/trope-check.yml` takes (no Idris 2 in this session). That
+workflow, now pinned to trope-checker `4ecba4f`, ran on this change: job
+`examples-lower-to-valid-ir` of
+https://github.com/hyperpolymath/haec/actions/runs/41928694567 — success,
+2026-11-04T22:51:37Z (the Idris2 reference checker built at `4ecba4f` gives the
+same three verdicts and witness). `CI / required` now asserts Idris 2 0.8.0, the
+version the digest-pinned image ships (it asserted 0.7.0 and was red on `main`
+from 2026-10-21; haec #83): in run 41928694928 the Idris step passes
+(`idris2 --version -> Idris 2, version 0.8.0-6ca00e72e`, `abi.ipkg` typechecks,
+the Zig FFI tests pass) and the job then fails in its last step on the
+root-shape allowlist (`.machine_readable/root-allow.txt`, the owner-only half
+of #83), so that check stays red for a reason this entry does not claim to fix.
+
+*Still true, stated once:* no compiler, no LSP, no runtime; O2 obligations stated,
+not discharged; no proofs of our own.
diff --git a/design/trope-ir.schema.json b/design/trope-ir.schema.json
index 8c6ecb9..a589150 100644
--- a/design/trope-ir.schema.json
+++ b/design/trope-ir.schema.json
@@ -5,14 +5,27 @@
   "$comment": "SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath) <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>. SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0 The language-neutral interchange of the trope-particularity calculus (spec/calculus.adoc). This is the canonical PREVENT profile (DEPLOY_VARIANT=prevent, R-2026-06-22): the three deceptive grade values (fate=Falsified, bond=Misbound, merge=Conflated) and the untagged merge are MALFORMED here and are rejected at validation with the offending coordinate named. The grade shape is the dependent record Sigma(fate). Bond(fate.bearer) x Merge; the if/then/else on bond makes bearer-incoherent grades unrepresentable (HC-4). The semantics (Idris2 src/) carries the COMPLETE lattices including the deceptive bottoms; the detect profile (calculus §6.1) permits them and defers the check to the verdict; it is documented in the calculus, not shipped as a separate schema here.",
   "description": "A labelled DAG: nodes are property-instances (field-presence + type tag), edges are effect applications carrying a loss-shape grade, and a use-model node carries the floor. The checker is a pure function from this document to a verdict.",
   "type": "object",
-  "required": ["version", "profile", "nodes", "edges", "use_model"],
+  "required": [
+    "version",
+    "profile",
+    "nodes",
+    "edges",
+    "use_model"
+  ],
   "additionalProperties": false,
   "properties": {
-    "$schema": { "type": "string" },
-    "$comment": { "type": "string" },
+    "$schema": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "$comment": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
     "version": {
       "type": "string",
-      "enum": ["0.1", "0.2"],
+      "enum": [
+        "0.1",
+        "0.2"
+      ],
       "$comment": "0.2 is current (R-2026-07-07, ADR 0004: A1 two-sided deceptive zeros, A2 chain retention order, A3 Attenuated(0)->Present normalization at ingest — verdict semantics changed, wire format unchanged). 0.1 documents remain accepted and are normalized and graded identically under 0.2 semantics."
     },
     "profile": {
@@ -23,206 +36,534 @@
     "nodes": {
       "type": "array",
       "minItems": 1,
-      "items": { "$ref": "#/$defs/node" }
+      "items": {
+        "$ref": "#/$defs/node"
+      }
     },
     "edges": {
       "type": "array",
-      "items": { "$ref": "#/$defs/edge" }
+      "items": {
+        "$ref": "#/$defs/edge"
+      }
     },
-    "use_model": { "$ref": "#/$defs/useModel" }
+    "use_model": {
+      "$ref": "#/$defs/useModel"
+    }
   },
   "$defs": {
-    "fieldName": { "enum": ["quality", "bearer", "context", "record"] },
-
+    "fieldName": {
+      "enum": [
+        "quality",
+        "bearer",
+        "context",
+        "record"
+      ]
+    },
     "delta": {
       "$comment": "A fidelity element of N union {inf, top}. Finite delta is tropical (min-plus) quantified loss; inf is total quantified loss; top is loss of unknown amount. Attenuated(0) is wire-legal and is normalized to Present at IR ingest (R-2026-07-07-03, A3): validators rewrite it before grading.",
       "oneOf": [
-        { "type": "integer", "minimum": 0 },
-        { "type": "string", "enum": ["inf", "top"] }
+        {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "minimum": 0
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "string",
+          "enum": [
+            "inf",
+            "top"
+          ]
+        }
       ]
     },
-
-    "fatePresent":    { "type": "object", "required": ["k"], "additionalProperties": false, "properties": { "k": { "const": "Present" } } },
-    "fateAttenuated": { "type": "object", "required": ["k", "delta"], "additionalProperties": false, "properties": { "k": { "const": "Attenuated" }, "delta": { "$ref": "#/$defs/delta" } } },
-    "fatePredicated": { "type": "object", "required": ["k", "predicate"], "additionalProperties": false, "properties": { "k": { "const": "Predicated" }, "predicate": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 } } },
-    "fateDropped":    { "type": "object", "required": ["k"], "additionalProperties": false, "properties": { "k": { "const": "Dropped" } } },
-
+    "fatePresent": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": [
+        "k"
+      ],
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "k": {
+          "const": "Present"
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "fateAttenuated": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": [
+        "k",
+        "delta"
+      ],
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "k": {
+          "const": "Attenuated"
+        },
+        "delta": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/delta"
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "fatePredicated": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": [
+        "k",
+        "predicate"
+      ],
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "k": {
+          "const": "Predicated"
+        },
+        "predicate": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "fateDropped": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": [
+        "k"
+      ],
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "k": {
+          "const": "Dropped"
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "fateQuality": {
       "$comment": "Predicated is well-formed ONLY on the quality field (calculus 3.1). Falsified (deceptive) is excluded under the prevent profile.",
       "oneOf": [
-        { "$ref": "#/$defs/fatePresent" },
-        { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateAttenuated" },
-        { "$ref": "#/$defs/fatePredicated" },
-        { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateDropped" }
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fatePresent"
+        },
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateAttenuated"
+        },
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fatePredicated"
+        },
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateDropped"
+        }
       ]
     },
     "fateNonQuality": {
       "$comment": "No Predicated off the quality field; no Falsified under prevent.",
       "oneOf": [
-        { "$ref": "#/$defs/fatePresent" },
-        { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateAttenuated" },
-        { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateDropped" }
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fatePresent"
+        },
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateAttenuated"
+        },
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateDropped"
+        }
       ]
     },
-
     "fate": {
       "type": "object",
-      "required": ["quality", "bearer", "context", "record"],
+      "required": [
+        "quality",
+        "bearer",
+        "context",
+        "record"
+      ],
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "properties": {
-        "quality": { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateQuality" },
-        "bearer":  { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality" },
-        "context": { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality" },
-        "record":  { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality" }
+        "quality": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateQuality"
+        },
+        "bearer": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality"
+        },
+        "context": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality"
+        },
+        "record": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality"
+        }
       }
     },
-
     "bond": {
       "$comment": "Intact where bearer present; Withheld/Severed where bearer absent. Misbound (deceptive, bearer present) is excluded under prevent. The Sigma-dependency is enforced by the grade-level if/then/else, not here.",
       "type": "object",
-      "required": ["k"],
+      "required": [
+        "k"
+      ],
       "additionalProperties": false,
-      "properties": { "k": { "enum": ["Intact", "Withheld", "Severed"] } }
+      "properties": {
+        "k": {
+          "enum": [
+            "Intact",
+            "Withheld",
+            "Severed"
+          ]
+        }
+      }
     },
-
     "merge": {
       "$comment": "Single, or Fused with a REQUIRED provenance tag tau (R-2026-06-22: an untagged merge does not elaborate). Conflated (deceptive) is excluded under prevent.",
       "oneOf": [
-        { "type": "object", "required": ["k"], "additionalProperties": false, "properties": { "k": { "const": "Single" } } },
-        { "type": "object", "required": ["k", "tau"], "additionalProperties": false, "properties": { "k": { "const": "Fused" }, "tau": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 } } }
+        {
+          "type": "object",
+          "required": [
+            "k"
+          ],
+          "additionalProperties": false,
+          "properties": {
+            "k": {
+              "const": "Single"
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "object",
+          "required": [
+            "k",
+            "tau"
+          ],
+          "additionalProperties": false,
+          "properties": {
+            "k": {
+              "const": "Fused"
+            },
+            "tau": {
+              "type": "string",
+              "minLength": 1
+            }
+          }
+        }
       ]
     },
-
     "grade": {
       "$comment": "The dependent record Sigma(fate). Bond(fate.bearer) x Merge. HC-4: the if/then/else makes bearer-incoherent states unrepresentable.",
       "type": "object",
-      "required": ["fate", "bond", "merge"],
+      "required": [
+        "fate",
+        "bond",
+        "merge"
+      ],
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "properties": {
-        "fate":  { "$ref": "#/$defs/fate" },
-        "bond":  { "$ref": "#/$defs/bond" },
-        "merge": { "$ref": "#/$defs/merge" }
+        "fate": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fate"
+        },
+        "bond": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/bond"
+        },
+        "merge": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/merge"
+        }
       },
       "if": {
-        "properties": { "fate": { "properties": { "bearer": { "properties": { "k": { "const": "Dropped" } }, "required": ["k"] } }, "required": ["bearer"] } },
-        "required": ["fate"]
+        "type": "object",
+        "properties": {
+          "fate": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+              "bearer": {
+                "type": "object",
+                "properties": {
+                  "k": {
+                    "const": "Dropped"
+                  }
+                },
+                "required": [
+                  "k"
+                ]
+              }
+            },
+            "required": [
+              "bearer"
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "fate"
+        ]
       },
       "then": {
+        "type": "object",
         "$comment": "bearer absent -> bond is a clean named drop (Withheld) or a constitutive severance (Severed).",
-        "properties": { "bond": { "properties": { "k": { "enum": ["Withheld", "Severed"] } } } }
+        "properties": {
+          "bond": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+              "k": {
+                "enum": [
+                  "Withheld",
+                  "Severed"
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
       },
       "else": {
+        "type": "object",
         "$comment": "bearer present -> the tie holds (Intact). Severed/Withheld here would be incoherent (HC-4); Misbound is the deceptive case, excluded under prevent.",
-        "properties": { "bond": { "properties": { "k": { "const": "Intact" } } } }
+        "properties": {
+          "bond": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+              "k": {
+                "const": "Intact"
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
       }
     },
-
     "node": {
       "type": "object",
-      "required": ["id", "type"],
+      "required": [
+        "id",
+        "type"
+      ],
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "properties": {
-        "id": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 },
+        "id": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
         "type": {
           "$comment": "Trope[S] (a property-instance over a field-presence subset), FloatingQuality (quality severed; no bearer field), or Codomain (a collapse target, e.g. Bool; a non-trope).",
-          "enum": ["Trope", "FloatingQuality", "Codomain"]
+          "enum": [
+            "Trope",
+            "FloatingQuality",
+            "Codomain"
+          ]
         },
         "present": {
           "type": "array",
           "uniqueItems": true,
-          "items": { "$ref": "#/$defs/fieldName" }
+          "items": {
+            "$ref": "#/$defs/fieldName"
+          }
+        },
+        "codomain": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
         },
-        "codomain": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 },
-        "label": { "type": "string" }
+        "label": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
       },
       "allOf": [
         {
-          "if": { "properties": { "type": { "const": "FloatingQuality" } }, "required": ["type"] },
+          "if": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+              "type": {
+                "const": "FloatingQuality"
+              }
+            },
+            "required": [
+              "type"
+            ]
+          },
           "then": {
+            "type": "object",
             "$comment": "A FloatingQuality has no bearer field (the severance is structurally visible).",
-            "properties": { "present": { "not": { "contains": { "const": "bearer" } } } }
+            "properties": {
+              "present": {
+                "not": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "contains": {
+                    "const": "bearer"
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
           }
         },
         {
-          "if": { "properties": { "type": { "const": "Codomain" } }, "required": ["type"] },
-          "then": { "required": ["codomain"] }
+          "if": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+              "type": {
+                "const": "Codomain"
+              }
+            },
+            "required": [
+              "type"
+            ]
+          },
+          "then": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "required": [
+              "codomain"
+            ],
+            "properties": {
+              "codomain": true
+            }
+          }
         }
       ]
     },
-
     "edge": {
       "type": "object",
-      "required": ["id", "effect", "inputs", "output", "grade"],
+      "required": [
+        "id",
+        "effect",
+        "inputs",
+        "output",
+        "grade"
+      ],
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "properties": {
-        "id": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 },
+        "id": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
         "effect": {
           "$comment": "The six writable effects. The deceptive trio (falsify, misbind, conflate) and any untagged merge are NOT writable (HC-3); they cannot appear as a well-formed effect here.",
-          "enum": ["preserve", "project", "collapse", "detach", "attenuate", "fuse"]
+          "enum": [
+            "preserve",
+            "project",
+            "collapse",
+            "detach",
+            "attenuate",
+            "fuse"
+          ]
         },
         "inputs": {
           "type": "array",
-          "items": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 },
+          "items": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "minLength": 1
+          },
           "minItems": 1,
           "maxItems": 2
         },
-        "output": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 },
-        "grade": { "$ref": "#/$defs/grade" },
-        "note": { "type": "string" }
+        "output": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "grade": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/grade"
+        },
+        "note": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
       },
       "allOf": [
         {
-          "if": { "properties": { "effect": { "const": "fuse" } }, "required": ["effect"] },
+          "if": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+              "effect": {
+                "const": "fuse"
+              }
+            },
+            "required": [
+              "effect"
+            ]
+          },
           "then": {
+            "type": "object",
             "$comment": "fuse is the only two-instance writable effect; its grade must be a labelled (Fused) merge.",
-            "properties": { "inputs": { "minItems": 2, "maxItems": 2 }, "grade": { "properties": { "merge": { "required": ["tau"], "properties": { "k": { "const": "Fused" } } } } } }
+            "properties": {
+              "inputs": {
+                "type": "array",
+                "minItems": 2,
+                "maxItems": 2
+              },
+              "grade": {
+                "type": "object",
+                "properties": {
+                  "merge": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": [
+                      "tau"
+                    ],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "k": {
+                        "const": "Fused"
+                      },
+                      "tau": true
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
           },
           "else": {
+            "type": "object",
             "$comment": "every other writable effect is single-instance.",
-            "properties": { "inputs": { "minItems": 1, "maxItems": 1 } }
+            "properties": {
+              "inputs": {
+                "type": "array",
+                "minItems": 1,
+                "maxItems": 1
+              }
+            }
           }
         }
       ]
     },
-
     "floorFate": {
       "$comment": "A floor MAY be specified per field; absent fields impose no demand (calculus 5.2). A floor may not demand a deceptive value.",
       "type": "object",
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "minProperties": 1,
       "properties": {
-        "quality": { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateQuality" },
-        "bearer":  { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality" },
-        "context": { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality" },
-        "record":  { "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality" }
+        "quality": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateQuality"
+        },
+        "bearer": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality"
+        },
+        "context": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality"
+        },
+        "record": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/fateNonQuality"
+        }
       }
     },
-
     "floorGrade": {
       "$comment": "The minimum retained particularity the use requires. Every coordinate is OPTIONAL; an omitted coordinate imposes no demand on it.",
       "type": "object",
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "minProperties": 1,
       "properties": {
-        "fate":  { "$ref": "#/$defs/floorFate" },
-        "bond":  { "$ref": "#/$defs/bond" },
-        "merge": { "$ref": "#/$defs/merge" }
+        "fate": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/floorFate"
+        },
+        "bond": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/bond"
+        },
+        "merge": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/merge"
+        }
       }
     },
-
     "useModel": {
       "type": "object",
-      "required": ["output", "floor"],
+      "required": [
+        "output",
+        "floor"
+      ],
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "properties": {
-        "id": { "type": "string" },
-        "label": { "type": "string" },
+        "id": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "label": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
         "output": {
           "$comment": "The node whose accumulated grade is checked against the floor.",
           "type": "string",
           "minLength": 1
         },
-        "floor": { "$ref": "#/$defs/floorGrade" }
+        "floor": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/floorGrade"
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/check-examples.sh b/tests/check-examples.sh
index d090700..b802ca3 100644
--- a/tests/check-examples.sh
+++ b/tests/check-examples.sh
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # Copyright (c) 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath) <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
 #
-# Every Haec example lowers to a well-formed Trope IR document. Pure bash + jq,
-# no Python. Self-contained: structural checks against the vendored IR contract.
-# The full round-trip (verdicts) runs when the sibling trope-checker is present.
+# Every checked-in example IR (examples/*.ir.json — lowered by hand; there is no
+# compiler yet) is a well-formed Trope IR document. This script checks those
+# documents; it does not lower anything. Pure bash + jq, no Python.
+# Self-contained: structural checks against the vendored IR contract. The
+# schema-drift guard and the full round-trip (verdicts) run when the sibling
+# trope-checker is present.
 set -uo pipefail
 
 ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
@@ -36,8 +39,12 @@ if [ -f "$SIB/schemas/trope-ir.schema.json" ]; then
   else
     echo -e "${R}FAIL${O} vendored IR schema has drifted from trope-checker/schemas/trope-ir.schema.json"; fail=1
   fi
+elif [ "${TROPECHECK_REQUIRED:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+  # Under TROPECHECK_REQUIRED=1 (CI) a guard that silently does not run is a
+  # fake gate, exactly as for the checker binary below.
+  echo -e "${R}FAIL${O} TROPECHECK_REQUIRED=1 but no canonical schema at $SIB/schemas/trope-ir.schema.json — schema-drift guard did not run"; fail=1
 else
-  echo -e "${Y}note${O} sibling trope-checker not checked out; skipping schema-drift guard"
+  echo -e "${Y}note${O} sibling trope-checker not checked out; skipping schema-drift guard (TROPECHECK_REQUIRED=1 makes this fatal)"
 fi
 
 # 4. full round-trip: verdicts via the reference checker.