Dome and Boundary Rules (Canon Lock)

Zaro's dome is a light-based boundary field. It is not magic without rules.

What the Dome Does

Blocks active threats entering the home zone

Stabilizes space around the house

Keeps Zaro's base safe when he is strong

The dome always has a clear "lock" sound when stable.

What the Dome Does Not Do

It does not make Zaro invincible

It does not block everything automatically

It does not stay strong if Zaro is weak

It does not extend to the trees or gardens outside the house perimeter

It does not detect or block dormant/hibernating Ink

The dome depends on Zaro's state.

Dome Filter Rule

The dome filters at the boundary:

• Active Ink (spores, threads, living fungus) = blocked
• Normal contamination (dirt, pollen, debris) = passes through
• Dormant/hibernating Ink = NOT filtered (appears dead)

The only way Ink enters the dome is in hibernation state, physically carried inside on an object. This is the Trojan method — the sole infiltration path.

Dome Size / Strength Law

The dome follows an inverse law between size and strength.

If Zaro has 100 units of energy: a small dome (house only) is nearly impenetrable at full strength. Expand the dome 10x and strength drops to roughly 10% — thin, fragile, prone to breaking.

The wider the dome, the thinner the fabric. Like stretching a balloon — cover more area, the walls get weaker.

This creates tactical decisions: keep the dome tight and strong (house is safe, but trees and gardens are exposed), or expand the dome to protect more (everything gets weaker protection).

Zaro cannot protect everything. This is the core tension of his defensive system.

Dome Coverage and the Tree

• Default dome: covers the house and immediate surroundings only
• The main tree (Seed Core tree) is always outside the dome
• The best planting soil is in the impact crater area — rich with Spark Dust residue — which sits just beyond the dome's natural edge
• Zaro plants the Seed Core where it can grow best, not where it is safest
• This is not a choice. The dome covers the house. The tree needs open earth.

This means Zaro's most precious creation is permanently exposed. Every scene showing the tree carries tension.

How Humans Perceive the Dome

Normal humans can faintly perceive the dome. They feel a warm shimmer — like heat-haze on a summer road. A subtle warmth when crossing the boundary. Easy to dismiss as "sun through trees."

Humans cannot perceive the exact boundary (instruments only), the dome's connection to Zaro's state, or any colored light. But they might notice that the air feels different on one side.

Body Cost Rule

Dome creation and maintenance must always carry a physical sensation for Zaro: heat leaving his hands, pressure in his chest, slight dizziness when it first forms, fatigue after holding it for extended periods.

Even when the dome forms smoothly, it is never free.

How the Dome Weakens

The dome weakens when Zaro is drained (Glow Burn), depressed or afraid, distracted, or fighting inside and unable to maintain control.

The dome does not break instantly. It flickers first. This builds tension.

Who Can Enter the Dome

• Normal humans can enter physically if they walk in. The dome is not a visible wall to normal people — it is a field that stops harmful forces
• ARC-7 can enter because he is not hostile
• Active Cosmic Fungus cannot enter
• Dormant Ink on objects can enter undetected (Trojan path)

Audio Cues

• Dome stable: clean "lock" sound
• Dome weakening: low crackle / faint distortion
• Dome failing: the lock sound stutters, the air feels thinner