diff --git a/.aws/config b/.aws/config
index 39599ff..6fa526a 100644
--- a/.aws/config
+++ b/.aws/config
@@ -25,3 +25,69 @@ sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
 sso_account_id = 669031108410
 sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
 region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-ava-dev]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 534546104464
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-ava-prod]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 574548986353
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-ava-rc]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 129898047946
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-cs-dev]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 555292118981
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-cs-prod]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 352821214080
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-cs-rc]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 345692661332
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-preprod]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 239732580264
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-qac-prod]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 615471542132
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-voicekit-dev]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 576393818327
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-voicekit-prod]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 427880591172
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
+
+[profile rzaws-sw-rai-voicekit-rc]
+sso_session = rzaws-sw-rai
+sso_account_id = 045861053828
+sso_role_name = dev_Restricted
+region = us-east-1
diff --git a/.planning/ROADMAP.md b/.planning/ROADMAP.md
index 3f36bb9..d671816 100644
--- a/.planning/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/.planning/ROADMAP.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Roadmap: ngn-agent
 
-**Current Phase:** None yet — start with Phase 1
+**Current Phase:** Phase 2 — Memory, Git & Session Management
 **Total Phases:** 4
 **v1 Requirements:** 22 mapped — all covered ✓
 
diff --git a/.planning/research/hermes/AUTOMATION.md b/.planning/research/hermes/AUTOMATION.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75e5961
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.planning/research/hermes/AUTOMATION.md
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+# Hermes Agent: Automation (Cron)
+
+## Capabilities
+
+Hermes has a full cron system built into the gateway daemon. Everything below is available through the `cronjob` tool — the agent can set it up via conversation.
+
+## Job Types
+
+| Type | Schedule | Example |
+|------|----------|---------|
+| One-shot | Relative delay | `30m`, `2h` |
+| Recurring | Interval | `every 30m`, `every 2h` |
+| Recurring | Cron expression | `0 9 * * *` |
+| One-shot | ISO timestamp | `2026-03-15T09:00:00` |
+| **No-agent mode** | Any schedule | Script-only, zero LLM cost |
+
+## Delivery Targets
+
+```
+origin         → Back to where the job was created
+local          → Save to ~/.hermes/cron/output/
+telegram       → Telegram home channel
+discord        → Discord
+slack          → Slack
+email          → Email
+all            → Every connected platform
+"telegram:123:456" → Specific chat + thread
+```
+
+## No-Agent Mode (Script-Only)
+
+For watchdogs, disk checks, health pings — zero LLM cost:
+
+```bash
+# Script at ~/.hermes/scripts/check-disk.sh
+# Agent skips this entirely — just runs script, delivers stdout
+hermes cron create "every 5m" --no-agent --script check-disk.sh --deliver telegram
+```
+
+- Empty stdout → silent tick (no delivery)
+- Non-zero exit → error alert delivered
+- `{"wakeAgent": false}` → silent tick
+
+## Skill-Backed Cron Jobs
+
+Load one or more skills before running the prompt:
+
+```python
+cronjob(action="create", skill="blogwatcher", 
+        prompt="Check configured feeds, summarize anything new.",
+        schedule="0 9 * * *", name="Morning Feeds")
+```
+
+## Job Chaining
+
+```python
+cronjob(action="create", name="daily-digest",
+        schedule="every day 7am",
+        context_from=["ai-news-fetch", "github-prs-fetch"],
+        prompt="Write the daily digest using the outputs above.")
+```
+
+## Job Lifecycle
+
+```
+hermes cron list
+hermes cron pause <id>
+hermes cron resume <id>
+hermes cron run <id>
+hermes cron edit <id> --schedule "every 4h"
+hermes cron remove <id>
+```
+
+## Provider Recovery for Cron
+
+Cron jobs inherit fallback_providers and credential pool rotation. Per-job provider override:
+
+```python
+cronjob(action="create", schedule="every 2h",
+        provider="openrouter", model="google/gemini-3-flash-preview",
+        prompt="Check server status")
+```
+
+## Scheduled Task (Chat)
+
+```
+/cron add "every 1h" "Summarize new feed items" --skill blogwatcher
+```
+
+## Key ngn-agent Use Cases
+
+| Use Case | How |
+|----------|-----|
+| Daily report | Cron + skill → delivered to Telegram |
+| Stale session cleanup | Cron + no-agent script to list, archive old sessions |
+| Jira summary | Cron + MCP Jira skill → delivered to Telegram |
+| Infra health check | Cron + no-agent script, deliver only on error |
+| S3 cleanup monitoring | Cron + AWS CLI script, wakeAgent only when issue found |
+
+## ngn-agent should NOT build
+
+- Custom scheduler (use Hermes cron)
+- Report delivery system (use cron delivery targets)
+- Script execution (use no-agent mode)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.planning/research/hermes/EXTENSIBILITY.md b/.planning/research/hermes/EXTENSIBILITY.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7511876
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.planning/research/hermes/EXTENSIBILITY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+# Hermes Agent: Extensibility (Plugins, MCP, Profiles)
+
+## Plugin System
+
+Plugins add tools, hooks, CLI commands, and slash commands without modifying Hermes core.
+
+### Structure
+```
+~/.hermes/plugins/my-plugin/
+├── plugin.yaml      # Manifest
+├── __init__.py      # register(ctx) — wires schemas to handlers
+├── schemas.py       # Tool schemas (what the LLM sees)
+└── tools.py         # Tool handlers (what runs when called)
+```
+
+### Capabilities
+
+| Capability | API | Use for ngn-agent |
+|------------|-----|-------------------|
+| Add tools | `ctx.register_tool()` | Jira/Confluence tools |
+| Add hooks | `ctx.register_hook()` | Log infra commands, enforce guardrails |
+| Add slash commands | `ctx.register_command()` | /jira, /confluence shortcuts |
+| Add CLI commands | `ctx.register_cli_command()` | `ngn check-health`, `ngn report` |
+| Inject messages | `ctx.inject_message()` | Alert the agent mid-conversation |
+| Bundle skills | `ctx.register_skill()` | Ship infra skills with plugin |
+| LLM access | `ctx.llm.complete()` | Run LLM calls from plugin code |
+| Register platform | `ctx.register_platform()` | Custom gateway channels |
+
+### Plugin Lifecycle
+
+```bash
+hermes plugins                    # Interactive toggle UI
+hermes plugins list               # Table: enabled/disabled/not enabled
+hermes plugins install user/repo  # Install from GitHub
+hermes plugins enable my-plugin   # Add to allow-list
+```
+
+Plugins are opt-in: `plugins.enabled` in config.yaml
+
+### Available Hooks
+
+| Hook | Fires | Use |
+|------|-------|-----|
+| pre_tool_call | Before any tool | Log all commands, check IAM scope |
+| post_tool_call | After any tool | Capture tool results for audit |
+| pre_llm_call | Once per turn | Inject context like current IAM role |
+| post_llm_call | After LLM turn | Save learnings |
+| on_session_start | New session | Set up context, load env facts |
+| on_session_end | Session ends | Archive session, capture memory |
+
+## MCP (Model Context Protocol)
+
+MCP servers add external tools by declaring them in config.yaml:
+
+```yaml
+mcp_servers:
+  github:
+    command: npx
+    args: ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]
+    env:
+      GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN: "ghp_..."
+```
+
+**No plugin code needed** — just config. Tools are auto-discovered and registered alongside built-in tools. Perfect for Jira, Confluence, or any MCP-compatible service.
+
+## Profiles (Multi-Agent)
+
+Profiles are separate Hermes homes with their own config, .env, memory, skills, and gateway.
+
+```bash
+hermes profile create coder       # Create profile + "coder" CLI command
+coder chat                        # Chat with coder profile
+coder gateway start               # Start coder's gateway separately
+
+hermes profile list               # Show all profiles
+hermes profile use coder          # Set as sticky default
+```
+
+### Storage
+```
+~/.hermes/                    # Default profile
+~/.hermes/profiles/coder/     # Named profile
+~/.hermes/profiles/research/  # Another profile
+```
+
+### Profile Sharing
+```bash
+hermes profile export coder           # Export as tar.gz
+hermes profile install github.com/you/research-bot  # Install from git
+```
+
+Each profile can have different:
+- LLM providers/models
+- Bot tokens (separate Telegram bot per profile)
+- Skills
+- Memory
+- Cron jobs
+- Security settings
+
+## ngn-agent Implications
+
+- **Don't build a plugin system** — Hermes already has one
+- **Use MCP for Jira/Confluence** — no code, just config
+- **Create a custom plugin** for ngn-agent-specific hooks:
+  - `pre_tool_call` hook to verify IAM scope before AWS commands
+  - `on_session_start` hook to inject current environment context
+  - `post_tool_call` hook to audit all infra actions
+- **Use profiles** if ngn-agent needs separate identities (e.g., dev vs prod gateways)
+- **Profile isolation** means we can run multiple ngn-agent instances independently
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.planning/research/hermes/GATEWAY.md b/.planning/research/hermes/GATEWAY.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3c939e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.planning/research/hermes/GATEWAY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+# Hermes Agent: Gateway System (Messaging)
+
+## Platform Support
+
+Hermes supports 20+ messaging platforms. Key ones for ngn-agent:
+
+| Platform | Voice | Images | Files | Threads | Reactions | Typing | Streaming |
+|----------|-------|--------|-------|---------|-----------|--------|-----------|
+| **Telegram** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | ✅ | ✅ |
+| **Discord** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
+| **Slack** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
+| **Microsoft Teams** | — | ✅ | — | ✅ | — | ✅ | — |
+| **Email** | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | — | — |
+
+## Telegram Setup
+
+```bash
+# Interactive wizard
+hermes gateway setup
+
+# Or manual:
+# 1. Create bot via @BotFather → get token
+# 2. Set TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN in ~/.hermes/.env
+# 3. Set TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS or use DM pairing
+# 4. Start gateway: hermes gateway
+# 5. Register as service: hermes gateway install
+```
+
+## Security & User Authorization
+
+**Default: deny all.** Every user must be in an allowlist or paired via DM.
+
+```yaml
+# Allowlist (recommended for known users)
+TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS=123456789
+
+# DM pairing (alternative — users get pairing codes)
+# User DMs bot → gets code "XKGH5N7P"
+# Admin approves: hermes pairing approve telegram XKGH5N7P
+# Code expires 1hr, cryptographic randomness, rate-limited
+
+# Admin vs Regular user split
+gateway:
+  platforms:
+    telegram:
+      extra:
+        allow_from: ["111", "222"]
+        allow_admin_from: ["111"]
+        user_allowed_commands: [status, model]
+```
+
+## Session Management
+
+```yaml
+session_reset:
+  mode: both           # both | idle | daily | none
+  idle_minutes: 1440   # 24 hours
+  at_hour: 4           # 4 AM daily
+```
+
+Per-platform overrides:
+```json
+{
+  "reset_by_platform": {
+    "telegram": { "mode": "idle", "idle_minutes": 240 }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Gateway Commands
+
+```
+hermes gateway               # Run in foreground
+hermes gateway setup         # Configure platforms interactively
+hermes gateway install       # Install as service (launchd/systemd)
+hermes gateway start/stop/status
+```
+
+## Gateway Slash Commands (inside chat)
+
+`/new /reset /model /retry /undo /status /stop /approve /deny /sethome`
+`/compress /background /platform /skills /cron /help`
+
+## Multi-Platform Operations
+
+- `/platform list|pause|resume` — manage individual adapters without restart
+- Automatic circuit breaker — pauses adapter on repeated failures
+- Restart notifications — sends "agent is back" to home channels
+- Session resume across restarts — auto-recovers interrupted sessions
+
+## Admin vs Regular Users
+
+Two tiers: admin (full access) and user (restricted slash commands). Configured per platform per scope (DM vs group). Use `/whoami` to check your access.
+
+## Background Sessions
+
+`/background Check all servers` spawns isolated async agent. Results delivered to originating chat when done. Non-blocking — main chat stays interactive.
+
+## Key ngn-agent Considerations
+
+- **Start with Telegram** — most accessible, mobile-friendly
+- **Use DM pairing** for initial setup, switch to allowlist for stability
+- **Set session_reset.mode: idle** with longer timeout for infra context retention
+- **Background sessions** perfect for `"Check all prod servers"` type commands
+- **Circuit breaker** auto-pauses Telegram if API goes down — monitor gateway logs
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.planning/research/hermes/MEMORY.md b/.planning/research/hermes/MEMORY.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acb5fa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.planning/research/hermes/MEMORY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+# Hermes Agent: Memory System Deep Dive
+
+## Built-in Memory
+
+### MEMORY.md (Agent's Notes)
+- Capacity: 2,200 chars (~800 tokens)
+- Stores: environment facts, project conventions, lessons learned, completed work
+- Format: frozen snapshot at session start in system prompt
+- Tool: `memory` with actions add/replace/remove
+- Auto-saves: agent proactively saves facts it discovers
+- Compaction: when full, agent consolidates or removes entries
+
+### USER.md (User Profile)
+- Capacity: 1,375 chars (~500 tokens)
+- Stores: preferences, communication style, expectations
+- Write gating: `memory.write_approval: true` requires approval before saves
+
+### Session Search
+- FTS5 full-text search on all past conversations
+- Unlimited storage (all sessions in SQLite)
+- `session_search` tool for the agent; `hermes sessions list` for the user
+- ~20ms queries, no LLM call cost for search
+
+## External Memory Providers (8 total)
+
+| Provider | Storage | Cost | Tools | Best For |
+|----------|---------|------|-------|----------|
+| **Honcho** | Cloud | Paid | 5 | Multi-agent, cross-session user modeling |
+| **OpenViking** | Self-hosted | Free | 5 | Structured knowledge hierarchy |
+| **Mem0** | Cloud | Paid | 3 | Hands-off auto extraction |
+| **Hindsight** | Cloud/Local | Free/Paid | 3 | Knowledge graph + entity relationships |
+| **Holographic** | Local SQLite | Free | 2 | No external deps, trust scoring |
+| **RetainDB** | Cloud | $20/mo | 5 | Teams using RetainDB |
+| **ByteRover** | Local/Cloud | Free/Paid | 3 | Portable CLI-based memory |
+| **Supermemory** | Cloud | Paid | 4 | Semantic recall + session graph |
+
+## Recommended for ngn-agent
+
+**Phase 2 start:** Built-in memory only — sufficient for ~15 env facts + ~10 user preferences.
+
+**If more capacity needed:** Holographic (local SQLite + FTS5, zero external deps) or Honcho (cross-session user modeling with dialectic reasoning, good for platform engineering context that spans multiple projects).
+
+## Key Settings
+
+```yaml
+memory:
+  memory_enabled: true
+  user_profile_enabled: true
+  memory_char_limit: 2200
+  user_char_limit: 1375
+  write_approval: false     # true to require approval before saves
+  nudge_interval: 10        # turns between save nudges
+  flush_min_turns: 6        # save memories on exit/reset after N turns
+```
+
+## What the Agent Auto-Saves
+
+The agent proactively saves:
+- User preferences ("prefers TypeScript" → USER.md)
+- Environment facts ("this server runs Debian 12" → MEMORY.md)
+- Corrections ("don't use sudo for Docker" → MEMORY.md)
+- Conventions ("project uses tabs" → MEMORY.md)
+- Completed work ("migrated DB from MySQL to PG" → MEMORY.md)
+
+## What It Skips
+
+- Trivial/obvious info
+- Easily web-searchable facts
+- Raw data dumps
+- Session-specific ephemera
+- Info already in context files
+
+## Memory Write Approval Flow
+
+```yaml
+# When write_approval: true:
+# CLI: prompts inline
+# Gateway: stages for /memory pending → /memory approve <id>
+```
+
+Toggle at runtime: `/memory approval on|off`
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.planning/research/hermes/SECURITY.md b/.planning/research/hermes/SECURITY.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0786a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.planning/research/hermes/SECURITY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+# Hermes Agent: Security Model & Safety Features
+
+## 7-Layer Security Model
+
+1. User authorization (allowlists, DM pairing)
+2. Dangerous command approval (manual/smart/off)
+3. Container isolation (Docker with hardened settings)
+4. MCP credential filtering (env stripping for subprocesses)
+5. Context file scanning (prompt injection detection)
+6. Cross-session isolation (no data sharing between sessions)
+7. Input sanitization (working directory allowlist)
+
+## Dangerous Command Approval
+
+Three modes in `~/.hermes/config.yaml`:
+
+```yaml
+approvals:
+  mode: manual        # manual | smart | off
+  timeout: 60         # seconds to wait for response
+  cron_mode: deny     # deny | approve — what cron does when hitting dangerous cmd
+```
+
+### Pattern Detection
+
+Hermes detects and prompts on these patterns (non-exhaustive):
+
+| Category | Patterns |
+|----------|---------|
+| Delete | `rm -r`, `rm --recursive`, `rm ... /` |
+| Permissions | `chmod 777/666`, `o+w`, `a+w` |
+| Filesystem | `mkfs`, `dd if=`, `> /dev/sd` |
+| SQL | `DROP TABLE`, `DELETE FROM` (no WHERE), `TRUNCATE` |
+| System | `> /etc/`, `systemctl stop/restart`, `kill -9 -1` |
+| Remote exec | `curl ... | sh`, `bash <(curl ...)` |
+| Script exec | `python -e`, `perl -e`, `ruby -e` |
+| Sensitive writes | `tee`/`>`/`>>` to `/etc/`, `~/.ssh/`, `~/.hermes/.env` |
+
+### Hardline Blocklist (Always-On, Even in YOLO Mode)
+
+- `rm -rf /` and variants
+- Fork bombs (`:(){ :|:& };:`)
+- `mkfs.*` on mounted root
+- `dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd*`
+- Piping untrusted URLs to `sh` at rootfs level
+
+### Approval Flow
+
+```
+⚠️  DANGEROUS COMMAND: recursive delete
+    rm -rf /tmp/old-project
+    [o]nce  |  [s]ession  |  [a]lways  |  [d]eny
+```
+
+### YOLO Mode
+
+```
+hermes --yolo      # Bypass all approval prompts for this session
+/yolo              # Toggle in-session
+```
+
+**YOLO does NOT bypass the hardline blocklist.**
+
+## Docker Container Hardening
+
+```bash
+--cap-drop ALL                          # Drop ALL Linux capabilities
+--cap-add DAC_OVERRIDE,CHOWN,FOWNER     # Only add back what's needed
+--security-opt no-new-privileges         # Block privilege escalation
+--pids-limit 256                         # Limit process count
+--tmpfs /tmp:rw,nosuid,size=512m         # Size-limited temp dirs
+```
+
+**Important:** When terminal backend is `docker`, dangerous command checks are **skipped** — the container itself is the security boundary. This is by design.
+
+## Tirith Pre-Exec Scanning
+
+Optional scanner for content-level threats:
+- Homograph URL spoofing
+- Pipe-to-interpreter patterns
+- Terminal injection attacks
+
+```yaml
+security:
+  tirith_enabled: true
+  tirith_fail_open: true    # Allow commands if tirith unavailable
+```
+
+## SSRF Protection
+
+All URL-capable tools block:
+- Private networks (RFC 1918): `10.0.0.0/8`, `172.16.0.0/12`, `192.168.0.0/16`
+- Loopback: `127.0.0.0/8`, `::1`
+- Cloud metadata: `metadata.google.internal`, `169.254.169.254`
+- CGNAT: `100.64.0.0/10`
+
+Opt-out: `security.allow_private_urls: true` (not recommended for ngn-agent)
+
+## Context File Injection Protection
+
+Scans AGENTS.md, .cursorrules, SOUL.md for:
+- Instructions to ignore prior instructions
+- Hidden HTML comments with suspicious keywords
+- Attempts to read secrets (`.env`, credentials)
+- Credential exfiltration via `curl`
+- Invisible Unicode characters
+
+Blocked files show: `[BLOCKED: file contained potential prompt injection]`
+
+## MCP Credential Handling
+
+Only `PATH, HOME, USER, LANG, LC_ALL, TERM, SHELL, TMPDIR` passed to MCP subprocesses.
+All API keys, tokens, secrets are stripped.
+Explicit `env:` config in mcp_servers is passed through intentionally.
+
+## Website Blocklist
+
+```yaml
+security:
+  website_blocklist:
+    enabled: true
+    domains:
+      - "*.internal.company.com"
+      - "admin.example.com"
+```
+
+## Key ngn-agent Implications
+
+| Concern | Mitigation |
+|---------|------------|
+| Mutating AWS commands in Docker | IAM policy on dev_Restricted role — the real safety net |
+| rm -rf / inside container | Container is ephemeral, but hardline blocklist still blocks it |
+| Agent modifying own code | Docker terminal means it can't touch host files |
+| Accidental terraform apply | Container has limited IAM — won't have apply perms |
+| Prompt injection | Context file scanning + approval system + container isolation |
+| AWS creds inside container | `./.aws/` mounted read-only, limited role, no admin access |
+
+## ngn-agent Config
+
+```yaml
+# Our Phase 1 config
+approvals:
+  mode: manual        # Start with manual approvals
+  timeout: 60
+  cron_mode: deny     # Never auto-approve dangerous commands in cron
+
+terminal:
+  backend: docker     # Container is our security boundary
+  # ... see config.yaml for details
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.planning/research/hermes/SKILLS.md b/.planning/research/hermes/SKILLS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f4bca2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.planning/research/hermes/SKILLS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# Hermes Agent: Skills System Deep Dive
+
+## What It Is
+
+Skills are on-demand knowledge documents (SKILL.md files) that the agent loads when needed. Progressive disclosure minimizes token usage — the agent only loads full content when actually executing a skill.
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+Level 0: skills_list()           → [{name, description, category}]   (~3k tokens)
+Level 1: skill_view(name)        → Full content + metadata           (varies)
+Level 2: skill_view(name, path)  → Specific reference file           (varies)
+```
+
+## Storage
+
+```
+~/.hermes/skills/                  # Single source of truth
+├── devops/
+│   └── deploy-k8s/
+│       ├── SKILL.md               # Main instructions (required)
+│       ├── references/
+│       ├── templates/
+│       ├── scripts/
+│       └── assets/
+├── .hub/                          # Skills Hub state
+│   ├── lock.json
+│   ├── quarantine/
+│   └── audit.log
+└── .bundled_manifest              # Tracks seeded bundled skills
+```
+
+## How ngn-agent Should Use This
+
+**DON'T BUILD a custom skill system** — Hermes already has it. Instead:
+
+1. **Author custom skills** as SKILL.md files in `~/.hermes/skills/` or via the skill hub tap system
+2. **Use skill bundles** to group related infra workflows under one command
+3. **Let the agent self-improve** — `skill_manage` tool creates/updates skills after complex tasks
+4. **Publish as a tap** if sharing with a team: `hermes skills tap add myorg/ngn-skills`
+
+## SKILL.md Format
+
+```yaml
+---
+name: my-skill
+description: Brief description
+version: 1.0.0
+platforms: [macos, linux]
+metadata:
+  hermes:
+    tags: [python, automation]
+    category: devops
+    requires_toolsets: [terminal]
+---
+# Skill Title
+## Procedure
+1. Step one
+2. Step two
+## Pitfalls
+## Verification
+```
+
+## Key Capabilities for ngn-agent
+
+| Capability | Description | Use for ngn-agent |
+|------------|-------------|-------------------|
+| Skill Hub install | `hermes skills install openai/skills/k8s` | Install community infra skills |
+| Agent-created skills | Agent auto-saves workflows as skills | Self-improving diagnostic skills |
+| Skill bundles | `hermes bundles create infra --skill aws-diagnostics --skill jira` | Group related tools |
+| External dirs | `skills.external_dirs: [~/.agents/skills]` | Share skills across tools |
+| Conditional activation | `fallback_for_toolsets/frequires_toolsets` | Only show skills when needed |
+| Write approval gating | `skills.write_approval: true` | Safety gate for agent-created skills |
+
+## Limitations
+
+- Skills are per-profile (each Hermes profile has its own `~/.hermes/skills/`)
+- External dirs are not read-only by default (agent can modify shared skills)
+- Skills Hub requires GitHub API (60 req/hr unauthenticated, 5000 with GITHUB_TOKEN)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.planning/research/hermes/SUMMARY.md b/.planning/research/hermes/SUMMARY.md
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+++ b/.planning/research/hermes/SUMMARY.md
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+# Hermes Agent: Feature Research Summary
+
+**Context:** This research maps Hermes v0.16.0 capabilities so ngn-agent doesn't reimplement what Hermes already provides. All features listed are built-in — ngn-agent should leverage them, not rebuild them.
+
+**Date:** 2026-06-14
+
+---
+
+## What Hermes Does Out of the Box (Don't Reinvent)
+
+- Multi-session management with resume (hermes --continue, sessions list)
+- Persistent memory (MEMORY.md + USER.md) with auto-learning
+- Full-text session search (FTS5 on SQLite)
+- 8 external memory providers (Honcho, Mem0, Hindsight, OpenViking, Holographic, RetainDB, ByteRover, Supermemory)
+- Skills system with progressive disclosure (3-level loading)
+- Skills Hub with 8 search sources (official, skills.sh, well-known, GitHub, ClawHub, LobeHub, browse.sh, direct URL)
+- Git worktree isolation (hermes -w)
+- Agent-created skills (skill_manage tool) - self-improving by default
+- Skill bundles (group skills under one slash command)
+- Cron/automation with 30+ delivery targets
+- No-agent cron mode (script-only, zero LLM cost)
+- Multi-provider fallback (credential pools + cross-provider)
+- Docker container backend with security hardening
+- Dangerous command approval (manual/smart/off modes)
+- Hardline blocklist for catastrophic commands
+- 20+ messaging platforms (Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Teams, etc.)
+- DM pairing for gateway authorization
+- Session isolation with configurable reset policies
+- Profiles for multi-agent setups
+- Plugin system (tools + hooks + commands)
+- MCP server integration
+- Context compression with configurable thresholds
+- Worktree isolation for git parallel branch work
+- SOUL.md for personality/identity
+- Subagent delegation (delegate_task)
+- Background sessions (/background)
+- Kanban multi-agent board
+- Docker sandbox with --cap-drop ALL, no-new-privileges, PID limits
+- SSRF protection and tirith pre-exec scanning
+
+## What ngn-agent Needs to Build
+
+Based on initial-plan.md, these features are NOT built into Hermes:
+
+1. **Jira integration** — Hermes has no built-in Jira tool. Need custom skill or MCP server
+2. **Confluence integration** — Same, need custom skill or MCP server
+3. **Infrastructure-specific diagnostics** — Generic skills exist but no AWS/terraform-specific ones by default
+4. **Read-only infra safety layer** — Hermes has dangerous command approval but nothing specific to cloud APIs
+5. **Auto session cleanup (30d archive)** — Hermes has session reset policies but not our specific archive flow
+6. **Telegram gateway** — Hermes supports it, just needs bot token config
+7. **SSO session automation** — Need custom startup script (already created scripts/start-session.sh)
+8. **Custom reporting pipeline** — Cron + skills can provide this
+
+## Key Limitations to Know
+
+| Area | Limitation |
+|------|------------|
+| Memory capacity | MEMORY.md: ~800 tokens, USER.md: ~500 tokens. External providers (Honcho, etc.) remove this limit. |
+| Docker dangerous commands | Checks are skipped in Docker mode — container is the boundary |
+| Cron provider recovery | Inherits fallback_providers; per-job provider override available |
+| Gateway user authorization | Allowlists or DM pairing required — denies all by default |
+| Skills are per-profile | Each Hermes profile has its own skills directory |
+| Plugin discovery | User plugins opt-in via plugins.enabled in config.yaml |
+
+## Recommended Memory Strategy for ngn-agent
+
+Start with built-in memory (MEMORY.md + USER.md) — no external deps needed. If the ~1300 token limit is hit, add Honcho (cross-session user modeling) or Holographic (local SQLite with FTS5 search, no external deps).
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