lesser-restoration

name	lesser-restoration
description	In D&D, Lesser Restoration ends a specific condition: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. The real-world version is clearing a stuck state: a feature flag that should have been toggled, a queue that is stuck, a lock that was not released, a status field that is wrong, or a circuit breaker that is still tripped after the emergency passed. The system is not fundamentally broken — it has a specific condition that needs to be cleared.
user-invocable	true

Lesser Restoration

Clear a specific stuck state, flag, or condition that is blocking normal operation.

Overview

Lesser Restoration is interpreted here as a metaphorical spell with a shipping-now execution model.

Canonical source: Lesser Restoration (spell)

Provider target: OpenClaw

When To Use

• Words: stuck, won't reset, not clearing, stale, orphaned, lingering, trapped, hung, frozen, deadlocked
• Patterns: "X is stuck in Y state", "need to clear/reset/flush/release X", "Z was never released/cleaned up", "flag/toggle/switch won't change"
• Context: The underlying system works fine; one specific condition is preventing it from proceeding

Workflow

1. Identify the specific stuck condition: what exact state, flag, lock, or queue is blocking progress?
2. Verify it's truly stuck (not intentionally set or actively protecting against a real problem)
3. Clear the condition using the minimal mechanism: toggle off, reset to default, release lock, flush cache, replay queue, remove finalizer
4. Confirm normal operation resumes and the condition does not immediately recur — if it recurs, the root cause is deeper; escalate to greater-restoration

Deliverables

• The identified stuck condition and the mechanism to clear it.
• Verification that normal operation resumed after clearing.

Guardrails

• Do not use for: Fixing code bugs, syntax errors, or null pointer exceptions → use mending or hotfix patterns
• Do not use for: Cleaning up widespread data corruption or orphaned records across tables → use greater-restoration
• Do not use for: Rebuilding or redesigning a system → use rebuild or refactor patterns
• Do not use for: Debugging unknown root causes → use diagnose or identify patterns
• Do not use for: Adding missing features or configuration → use create or configure patterns
• Do not use for: "Fix the bug that causes X to get stuck" → code fix, not state clear
• Do not use for: "Clean up all the corrupted data" → widespread damage, not single condition
• Do not use for: "Why is X happening?" → diagnosis needed first
• Do not use for: "X keeps coming back after I clear it" → symptom suppression; find root cause instead

Default Invocation

Use $lesser-restoration to identify and clear the stuck state that is blocking this [system/process/workflow] from operating normally.