| name | long-horizon-agent-runtime |
| description | Use when planning, running, auditing, or handing off long-running agent work that may span many steps, subagents, files, tools, checkpoints, summaries, workspaces, generated artifacts, or hours of execution. Applies to Comprehensive or Forensic tasks, large research/build/debug projects, multi-agent implementation, long-horizon verification, and any work needing run control, context checkpoints, artifact boundaries, or staged APIVR evidence. |
| activation | Activate when the description trigger applies to the current task. |
| required_inputs | Task request, relevant repository context, constraints, and authority dependencies. |
| required_outputs | Skill-specific artifact, verification evidence, canonical verdict, and next action. |
| authority_dependencies | 00_start_here/SOURCE_OF_TRUTH.md; 00_start_here/bootstrap-controller.json; 10_governance/APIVR_EXECUTION_LIFECYCLE.md; 10_governance/source_of_truth/Elite_Build_Goals_v3.md. |
| evidence_requirements | Executed checks or an honest Unknown, Not Run, or Blocked state for every material claim. |
Long-Horizon Agent Runtime
Use this skill when a task is too large, risky, or stateful for a single uninterrupted agent pass.
Long-horizon work must be checkpointed. Do not let a long-running agent accumulate hidden state, summarize away evidence, or continue without a current APIVR verdict.
Required Files
Load when long-horizon execution is in scope:
40_knowledge/LONG_HORIZON_AGENT_RUNTIME_PATTERNS.md40_knowledge/AGENT_WORKSPACE_AND_ARTIFACT_BOUNDARIES.md60_templates/LONG_HORIZON_RUN_CONTROL_TEMPLATE.md60_templates/AGENT_RUN_TRACE_TEMPLATE.md
Memory Contract
The Bootstrap Controller owns initialization integrity and rehydration eligibility; this skill owns only the runtime discipline required to make successful rehydration possible and mandatory on resume.
On resuming any long-horizon run, verify the authoritative bootstrap certificate and rehydrate from the Controller-declared `rehydration_set` before continuing work. Never continue from partial project state.
The authoritative declaration is rehydration_set in 00_start_here/bootstrap-controller.json. This skill must reference that declaration and must never copy or restate its file list.
State Lifetimes
- Session-scoped state: temporary, discardable, and reconstructible. It may include scratch reasoning, transient tool output, and local execution context.
- Project-scoped state: durable state under
.wcbs/ that supports project recovery and rehydration. Its membership is defined only by the Bootstrap Controller.
- Cross-project learning: not a memory tier. Route reusable learning through
skills/compound-learning-capture/SKILL.md and obey that skill's HARD-GATE.
Resume Decision Rules
- Verify the authoritative bootstrap certificate before using any existing project state.
- Read the Controller's declared
rehydration_set and rehydrate all declared project-scoped state.
- If the certificate hash does not match current declared state, treat the project as changed under the agent and force complete re-initialization.
- If project-scoped state exists but the authoritative certificate is missing, treat the prior run as interrupted before
CERTIFY and force complete re-initialization.
- Continue only after certificate validation and rehydration succeed. Otherwise return
BLOCKED with the exact failure.
