Settlements
Repeated return to a location. It becomes home.
Generations
Children are not extensions of parents. They are new systems starting from near-zero.
Life stages
| Stage | Age | Learning | Survival | Continuity | Reproduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child | 0–5 yr | Very high | Very low | Low | No |
| Adolescent | 5–15 yr | High | Moderate | Moderate | Rare |
| Adult | 15–45 yr | Moderate | High | High | Yes |
| Elder | 45+ yr | Low | Declining | Very high | No |
A group that protects its elders has better knowledge retention. A group that doesn't, forgets faster.
Reproduction
Under conditions, not command
Conditions-based, not scheduled. Trust threshold, resource surplus, shelter, safety, and bonding duration all required. Scintillae can't reproduce on first contact.
Gestation is 9 simulated days. Mother needs decay faster. Pregnancy can fail. Infant mortality is 15% in the first 2 simulated days. Always one offspring.
Cardinal doesn't go easier on children. That's intentional.
trait_child = weighted_avg(trait_parent_a, trait_parent_b) + mutation_noise
Death
Four causes
| Cause | Condition |
|---|---|
| Starvation / dehydration / cold / injury | Health reaches 0 |
| Old age | Lifespan reached (45–75 sim years) |
| Infant mortality | First 2 sim days, 15% chance |
| Conflict | Lethal resolution |
Institutional inheritance
Behaviors that didn't break
Post-MVP. Deferred until the survival loop is stable.
Leadership
High trust + resource success. Proto-authority.
Norms
Behaviors punished or rewarded consistently.
Trade routes
Exchange paths that survive across Scintillae.
Rituals
Repeated group behaviors with no direct survival function.
Transmission is always lossy. A technique passed through five Scintillae is not the same technique that started. This is a feature.