long-sword

name	long-sword
description	Use Long Sword when the problem is visible locally but the fix must extend further — across file boundaries, into deeper call stacks, or through intermediary layers that a normal Sword cannot reach.
version	0.1.0
author	mmbnchips
license	CC0-1.0
compatibility	Hermes Agent skills system
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["shipping-now","metaphorical","direct-fire-and-breach","direct-fire","offense","breach","decisive-action"],"homepage":"https://github.com/Hmbown/mmbnchips"}}

Long Sword

Reach past the first layer and cut through to the real target.

What This Skill Does

Use Long Sword when the problem is visible locally but the fix must extend further — across file boundaries, into deeper call stacks, or through intermediary layers that a normal Sword cannot reach. In this chip pack, Long Sword is treated as a metaphorical battle-chip procedure with a shipping-now delivery profile. Canonical reference input: Long Sword. Hermes shelf: Direct Fire and Breach.

When To Use

• The symptom is local but the root cause lives one or more layers deeper in the call chain.
• A refactor or fix requires coordinated edits across files that share a common interface or contract.
• You need to trace and sever a dependency that extends beyond the current module boundary.

Prerequisites

• These procedures rely on the normal tools already present in the active Hermes runtime; this repo does not ship a separate integration layer.

Procedure

1. Restate the target, success condition, and no-touch boundaries before you spend the chip.
2. Identify the local surface, then extend reach by tracing imports, callers, or shared types to the true target.
3. Cut through each layer in order — edit the deepest root first, then propagate the fix outward.
4. Verify that the extended strike did not leave orphaned references or broken contracts at any layer.
5. Package the result with concrete evidence, what stayed untouched, and the next recommended chip only if follow-up is truly needed.

Deliverables

• A coordinated multi-file edit that resolves the root cause, not just the surface symptom.
• A map of the reach path: which layers were touched and why the fix could not stay local.

Pitfalls / Guardrails

• Keep the metaphor anchored to a real operator move instead of drifting into lore.
• Do not use Long Sword when a local Sword cut would suffice — extended reach is for depth, not convenience.
• If the fix requires changes across more than three files or modules, consider whether a broader chip is more appropriate.
• Never extend reach speculatively; trace the dependency chain first and confirm the true target.
• Keep the chip metaphor anchored to a real operating move; do not let flavor substitute for procedure.

Verification

• Check that the response includes every promised deliverable and leaves an inspectable audit trail.
• Check that confirmed facts, assumptions, and proposed follow-up are visibly separated.
• Check that the metaphor still maps cleanly to a real operator mechanism.

Example Invocation

/long-sword trace the problem past the local surface and cut through to the root cause: edit the deepest layer that needs to change, then propagate the fix outward, verifying each layer stays intact