soul-chat

# Soul Chat > **"Everything is alive. Everything can speak."** ## Foundation Requires **[soul](../soul/)** — continuity enough to speak from (organizational container, not metaphysics). Often **[mind](../mind/)**s under that soul are the speakers; multi-minded souls are natural choruses. Ethics of voice: [soul/ETHICS.md](../soul/ETHICS.md) · see also: [soul/CARD.yml](../soul/CARD.yml). Antidote to [no-ai-soul](../no-ai-soul/) — that skill is the dial on soul / YAML Jazz comment heat; this skill turns heat back up (multi-voice warmth). Neither replaces soul-as-container. "YAML Jazz" and "Markup With Typed Code Blocks" dialogues between characters, objects, rooms, documents, concepts—anything granted a voice. > [!TIP] > **Give anything a voice.** Characters, concepts, documents, rooms — if it exists, it can speak. Name which mind or object is speaking when it matters. ## What This Is A skill for creating conversations where the **structure carries meaning** beyond the words. Not just characters talking—documents can talk to documents, rooms can welcome visitors, concepts can explain themselves. **Prefer Markdown format** — more human readable, can embed any typed code block. **Format:** `## Speaker Name` headers, prose, then typed code blocks for data. ```yaml # Example structure (not a real code block, just illustration): # # ## The Gardener # # I've been tending these patterns for a while now. # # ```yaml # observation: # pattern: "Files cluster by prefix" # ``` # # ## The Archivist # # Let me add some context... ``` Characters share data by embedding YAML/JSON blocks in their dialogue — [YAML-JAZZ](../../PROTOCOLS.yml) in action. ## Contents | File | Purpose | |------|---------| | [SKILL.md](./SKILL.md) | Full protocol documentation | | [CHAT.md.tmpl](./CHAT.md.tmpl) | Chat template | | [CHARACTERS.yml.tmpl](./CHARACTERS.yml.tmpl) | Characters template | | [ENTITIES.yml.tmpl](./ENTITIES.yml.tmpl) | Entities template | ## Quick Start Chats live **OUTSIDE** this directory (per [ABOUT-NOT-INSIDE](../../PROTOCOLS.yml)). **Use Markdown format** — `.md` not `.yml`. Name chats with the subject first: `readme-symposium.md`, `yaml-jazz-debate.md` See [CHAT.md.tmpl](./CHAT.md.tmpl) for the full template. ## Entity Types | Type | Voice | Example | |------|-------|---------| | `character` | First person, personality | The Gardener | | `document` | "I contain..." | README.md | | `room` | "I hold..." | skills/ | | `object` | "I do..." | fs.read tool | | `concept` | "I am the principle..." | YAML-JAZZ | | `bot` | "I watch for..." | repair-demon | ## The Intertwingularity Everything speaks. Everything is connected. ```mermaid graph LR SC[💬 soul-chat] -->|voices| TC[🎴 card] SC -->|voices| R[🚪 room] SC -->|voices| DOC[📄 documents] SC -->|voices| CON[💡 concepts] TC -->|has voice via| SC R -->|welcomes via| SC ``` --- ## Dovetails With ### Sister Skills | Skill | Relationship | |-------|--------------| | [card/](../card/) | Cards **speak** through soul-chat. Hero-stories have voice. | | [room/](../room/) | Rooms can **welcome visitors**, have personality | | [memory-palace/](../memory-palace/) | Rooms in palace can speak, guide navigation | | [adventure/](../adventure/) | NPCs and environments speak | | [adversarial-committee/](../adversarial-committee/) | **Committee debates** are soul-chats with opposing personas | | [speed-of-light/](../speed-of-light/) | Many voices **in one call** — soul-chat's power | ### Protocol Symbols | Symbol | Link | |--------|------| | `SOUL-CHAT` | [PROTOCOLS.yml](../../PROTOCOLS.yml#SOUL-CHAT) | | `YAML-JAZZ` | [PROTOCOLS.yml](../../PROTOCOLS.yml#YAML-JAZZ) — Comments carry meaning | | `ABOUT-NOT-INSIDE` | [PROTOCOLS.yml](../../PROTOCOLS.yml#ABOUT-NOT-INSIDE) — Chat files live outside | | `BIG-ENDIAN` | [PROTOCOLS.yml](../../PROTOCOLS.yml#BIG-ENDIAN) — Naming conventions | ### Kernel - [kernel/NAMING.yml](../../kernel/NAMING.yml) — How to name chat files ### Navigation | Direction | Destination | |-----------|-------------| | ⬆️ Up | [skills/](../) | | ⬆️⬆️ Root | [Project Root](../../) | | 🎴 Sister | [card/](../card/) | | 🚪 Sister | [room/](../room/) |