{
  "mode": "built-in image generation",
  "stage1": [
    {
      "id": "01-whitebridge-ambush",
      "path": "X:/Mantis Labs/ascension/docs/art-direction/vanguard-study/01-tactical-map.png",
      "prompt": "Use case: stylized-concept. Edit target: Image 1, the existing Ascension Whitebridge tactical map render. This is an EDIT of an existing Ascension game render, not a new unrelated art style. Preserve the visual language, mature medieval palette, legible pixel game interface, established brown-haired teal recruit identity, and believable human anatomy. 16:9 complete gameplay screenshot at the same framing and resolution. No mechs, no royal crown heraldry on attackers, no photorealism, no painterly key art. Revise the battle to match the existing Act I Whitebridge ambush lore. The stone bridge, river, game UI styling, pixel-unit scale, terrain textures, orthographic isometric projection and teal Pyrrhus recruit are invariants. Change the three red crown soldiers into distinct, irregularly outfitted mercenaries in mismatched ochre, brown, dark rust and gray scraps, with NO matching royal lion shields or red royal banners. Allied royal troops wear blue-white with simple plain shields; Ciro is an allied blue-white officer near a cream truce pavilion on far bank. Xeno is a protected civilian-like blue-white young prince inside the pavilion, small icon and readable name 'XENO'; provincial delegates in muted civilian cloaks are near the bridge. At top add discreet smoke from signal fire upriver. Tactical OBJECTIVES panel at right reads exactly: 'PROTECT XENO', 'ESCORT DELEGATES 0/3', 'OPEN FERRY ROUTE'. The selected teal brown-haired Pyrrhus on near side retains 1-tile silhouette; bottom-left status says 'PYRRHUS', 'HP 120/120', 'AP 86', 'FATIGUE 18/100'. Highlight a short contiguous 3-tile safe movement path toward a defensible bridge flank, all on walkable bridge tiles. Make a clear dangerous alternate route through shallow marsh by ferry. Ciro and Pyrrhus must look like allies responding to a mercenary ambush, not opponents. Frame the whole traversable battlefield, with screen-space for UI. Crisp coherent game screenshot, not a generic fantasy illustration."
    },
    {
      "id": "02-weapon-loadout",
      "path": "X:/Mantis Labs/ascension/docs/art-direction/vanguard-study/03-battle-closeup.png",
      "prompt": "Use case: stylized-concept. Edit target: Image 1, the existing Ascension 3D combat close-up. This is an EDIT of an existing Ascension game render, not a new unrelated art style. Preserve the visual language, mature medieval palette, legible pixel game interface, established brown-haired teal recruit identity, and believable human anatomy. 16:9 complete gameplay screenshot at the same framing and resolution. No mechs, no royal crown heraldry on attackers, no photorealism, no painterly key art. Transform it into an actual in-game pre-battle EQUIPMENT screen using the SAME brown-haired teal-clad recruit as the image: preserve his recognizable hair, teal short scarf/tunic, cream sleeves, leather belt, gloves and boots, clean low-poly faceted anatomy and hand-painted pixel textures. One single full-body 3D character model in the center on a small neutral stone pedestal, 3/4 view, standing grounded with no enemy. His visible right hand holds one detachable one-handed short sword by its grip. Left narrow panel displays 'PYRRHUS', 'RECRUIT', 'LEVEL 4' and a small anime portrait matching the model. Right inventory panel displays title 'WEAPON' and three clear alternate equipment options 'SHORT SWORD' selected in teal, 'HAND AXE', 'IRON MACE', each with a distinct thumbnail, no extra weapon mounted to body. Under the selected sword: 'BALANCED CUT', 'AP 34', 'FATIGUE +12'. Bottom small strip shows exactly four small consistent pixel-sprite facings of the same teal outfit, each unarmed body ready for the separate weapon sprite. Labels SE, SW, NW, NE. Show that the same recruit model and body sprites can accept equipment changes, without an infographic arrow or exploded diagram. Subtle menu background, dark navy panels and thin brass borders matching original Ascension game UI. Clean polished game screen, playable-looking and readable. Numbers illustrative."
    }
  ],
  "stage2": [
    {
      "id": "03-reaction-choice",
      "paths": [
        "X:/Mantis Labs/ascension/docs/art-direction/vanguard-study/02-reaction-choice.png",
        "X:/Mantis Labs/ascension/docs/art-direction/vanguard-study-v2/02-whitebridge-ambush.png"
      ],
      "prompt": "Use case: stylized-concept. Image 1 is the EDIT TARGET: existing Ascension reaction-choice game screen. Image 2 is SUPPORTING SCENE REFERENCE: the revised Whitebridge tactical map. Make the reaction screen depict a real moment from Image 2, with the same stone bridge, cream truce pavilion at far bank, cream/blue royal allies, irregular brown/rust mercenaries, teal Pyrrhus and warm gray pixel textures. Preserve Image 1's 16:9 game-screen composition, navy and brass compact UI hierarchy, legible anime portraits, isometric map background, and equipment/face consistency. Crucial story correction: the attacker is an irregular MERCENARY in brown/ochre patchwork with no lion emblem, no crown helmet, no matching royal red armor, no royal shield; Ciro and crown guards are allied. Top-left locates 'WHITEBRIDGE', no invented year. Left portrait and panel read 'MERCENARY' and 'INCOMING: HEAVY SLASH'. Right portrait and panel read 'PYRRHUS', 'HP 120/120', 'FATIGUE 18 / 100'. Four reactions in clear 2x2 menu: 'RIPOSTE', 'BRACE', 'EVADE', 'INTERCEPT', with INTERCEPT highlighted in gold and small supporting text 'Stop the strike · +24 Fatigue'. Show right fatigue forecast '18 → 42 / 100'. Subtitle 'FRONTAL ATTACK' visible. In map background the mercenary is one tile to Pyrrhus's left, both full bodies visible facing each other. Make it obvious the player chooses his response before the enemy attack resolves. Everything else minimal and readable. Numbers illustrative. No strange extra arms or extra weapons."
    },
    {
      "id": "04-battle-closeup",
      "paths": [
        "X:/Mantis Labs/ascension/docs/art-direction/vanguard-study/03-battle-closeup.png",
        "X:/Mantis Labs/ascension/docs/art-direction/vanguard-study-v2/02-whitebridge-ambush.png",
        "X:/Mantis Labs/ascension/docs/art-direction/vanguard-study-v2/01-weapon-loadout-draft.png"
      ],
      "prompt": "Use case: stylized-concept. Image 1 is the EDIT TARGET: an Ascension close-up fight screen. Image 2 is SUPPORTING BACKGROUND + ATTACKER REFERENCE: the revised Whitebridge tactical map with patchwork mercenaries. Image 3 is SUPPORTING PYRRHUS 3D MODEL + EQUIPMENT REFERENCE: the recruit loadout screen. Produce a revised 16:9 in-game combat close-up of the same Whitebridge encounter. Preserve the excellent low-poly hand-painted game model finish, 5-head-tall human proportions, same stone bridge/river/town palette, anime portrait and restrained navy-brass UI from the target. Put one irregular MERCENARY on the LEFT, dressed in worn ochre, rust, brown and gray patched clothes with a cheap iron helmet and no matching heraldry or royal shield. Put Pyrrhus on the RIGHT, same brown hair, teal tunic/scarf, cream sleeves, leather gloves/boots and short sword as Image 3. Mercenary initiates a heavy slash from left toward Pyrrhus. Pyrrhus executes the selected INTERCEPT response: low grounded stance, right-hand short sword held diagonally, he catches the incoming blade with his own steel edge just in front of his torso. There are exactly TWO fighters, each holding ONE sword in a physically connected hand, crossed blades contact at one clear point with only a few bright sparks. Both sets of boots visible and grounded, wrists continuous, no floating grip, no shield, no shield crash. Royal truce pavilion and Ciro's blue-white allied banner may be small background elements but no royal opponents. Top-left HP bar 'MERCENARY 110/110', top-right 'PYRRHUS 120/120'; bottom small label 'INTERCEPT' and narrow dialogue strip Pyrrhus says 'Not past me.' Show skippable battle-scene presentation, clean readable UI and precise anatomy, not painterly art, not a combat poster, not photorealism."
    },
    {
      "id": "01-weapon-loadout-final",
      "paths": [
        "X:/Mantis Labs/ascension/docs/art-direction/vanguard-study-v2/01-weapon-loadout-draft.png"
      ],
      "prompt": "Use case: precise-object-edit. Image 1 is the EDIT TARGET, the Ascension equipment-screen render. Change only the small four-character SPRITE PREVIEW panel in the lower right. Preserve pixel sharpness, source image resolution, panel border, all text, weapon inventory, portrait, big low-poly 3D Pyrrhus model, hands and boots, background, lighting and layout exactly. The four little sprite thumbnails must now depict the SAME adult brown-haired teal-clad recruit and EXACTLY these isometric facings left-to-right under existing labels: SE = front-right three-quarter, visible full face angled toward screen-right; SW = front-left three-quarter, visible full face angled toward screen-left; NW = back-left three-quarter, back of hair and scarf prominent, head angled screen-left with little/no face visible; NE = back-right three-quarter, back of hair and scarf prominent, head angled screen-right with little/no face visible. All four same head/body proportions, neutral idle, feet on same baseline, same teal tunic, cream sleeves, brown boots and hands, unarmed. Do not swap the SW and NE facings. Nothing else changes. This is a targeted pixel-thumbnail correction, not a scene redesign."
    }
  ]
}