# Plot route-count tests assert authored intent, not exact totals

```
Type: log
```

- **Intent:** resolve the contradiction filed as issue #8 — the plot-author
  contract promises content-only additions ("adding a plot needs no Rust
  registry edit", plots.md), but two tests in `crates/misaligned-core/src/actions.rs`
  hard-asserted Marcus's Debt route count as exactly two, so any general plot
  whose matcher also covered custodian+Debt broke the lib gate and forced a
  Rust/test edit. Surfaced by the `looming-bill-absorbed` plot PR, which had to
  silently exclude custodian to stay green.
- **Decision:** Cameron chose to loosen the tests (issue #8 option 1) and widen
  the plot to include custodian.
- **Changed:** `person_actions_stage_with_knowledge` now filters the person's
  plot routes to the authored `marcus-` routes and asserts that pair is present,
  enabled, interpolated, and correctly priced, instead of asserting the person's
  total route count is exactly two. `queued_plot_disables_every_alternate_route_for_that_person`
  asserts `>= 2` visible-and-disabled alternates rather than exactly two, since a
  general route in a queued category adds another disabled row. `sink_readouts`
  stays two (one started plot plus the pre-opened Ears reservoir). Amended
  `wiki/mechanics/plots.md` with the 2026-07-12 covered-category note.
- **Runtime impact:** none — test and doc change only; no behavior change.
- **Checks:** `./tools/check.sh --lib` (349 core tests pass).
- **Defense:** honors the plot contributor contract in `wiki/mechanics/plots.md`
  ("adding a plot needs no Rust registry edit") and the general-by-default
  principle in the plot-author skill: a bespoke character's authored routes are
  guaranteed to surface, while general plots may add routes to the same category
  without editing Rust. The tests now encode that intent rather than a brittle
  total that made general-by-default fail the gate.
```