diff --git a/lang/AGENTS.md b/lang/AGENTS.md
index ea93660..e7fc484 100644
--- a/lang/AGENTS.md
+++ b/lang/AGENTS.md
@@ -31,34 +31,46 @@ This is where almost all work belongs. El programs are source files that get com
 
 This is the self-contained C OS-boundary layer. It provides the `__`-prefixed primitives that compiled El programs call: libcurl HTTP, pthreads, filesystem I/O, arena allocation, etc. It is **not generated** — it is maintained by hand.
 
-The old `el_runtime.c` has been archived to `el-compiler/runtime/legacy/`. The runtime is now native El (`runtime/*.el`). `el_seed.c` replaces `el_runtime.c` as the sole C compilation dependency.
+The runtime is native El (`runtime/*.el`) over a C OS-boundary. **Status (verified 2026-08-15):** the migration to a seed-only boundary is *in progress, not done*. Two files exist:
+- `el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c` (~516 KB) — **LIVE**. Holds the engram store (`EngramStore engram_global`) plus the `http_*`/`json_*`/`state_*`/`engram_*` impls. It is the authoritative single-file link target for the compiler, and `tools/install.sh` compiles it into `libel.a`. This is where a new C builtin's *implementation* must currently live to be linkable.
+- `el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.c` — the intended hand-maintained `__`-prefixed seed (thin wrappers over the above). It is compiled alongside `el_runtime.c` by `tools/install.sh`, but does **not** compile standalone yet (see the build-path caveat under "Rebuilding the Compiler").
+- `el-compiler/runtime/legacy/el_runtime.c` (~419 KB) — **DEAD**. Archived duplicate; no build script references it.
 
-**Only edit `el_seed.c` when you genuinely need OS-level access** (raw sockets, GPU calls, new libcurl features). For everything else, write El.
+**Only edit these when you genuinely need OS-level access** (raw sockets, GPU calls, new libcurl features, a new engram store op). For everything else, write El.
 
-When you do add a C builtin:
-1. Add the C function to `el_seed.c`
-2. Declare it in `el_seed.h`
-3. Add it to the `builtin_arity` table in `el-compiler/src/codegen.el` (so the compiler knows the arg count)
-4. Rebuild the elc binary (see below)
+When you add a C builtin (verbatim-emit recipe — the El name is emitted as the exact C symbol; `builtin_arity` is an arity guard only, not a dispatch table):
+1. Implement the C function in `el_runtime.c` (and declare it in `el_runtime.h`).
+2. Add a `__`-prefixed thin wrapper in `el_seed.c` and declare it in `el_seed.h`.
+3. Add the name to `builtin_arity` in `el-compiler/src/codegen.el` — add **both** the plain and `__`-prefixed spellings.
+4. Rebuild the elc binary (see below) and confirm the self-host fixpoint is byte-identical.
+
+Worked example: the `engram_assert_json` (op_assert seam) and `engram_node_full_in`/`engram_connect_in` (purview write-side) primitives added 2026-08-15 follow exactly this recipe.
 
 ---
 
 ## Rebuilding the Compiler
 
-After changing any `.el` source in `el-compiler/src/`:
+After changing any `.el` source in `el-compiler/src/` (run from the `lang/` dir):
 
 ```bash
-cd /Users/will/Development/neuron-technologies/foundation/el
+# 1. Stage2: current elc compiles the (modified) compiler to C
 ./dist/platform/elc elc-cli.el > elc-new.c
+# 2. Build the new compiler. The C link target is el_runtime.c — it holds the
+#    engram store + http/json/state impls the compiler output calls. el_runtime.c
+#    self-hosts elc on its own; el_seed.c is the (aspirational) seed layer and does
+#    NOT compile standalone under clang (missing prototypes for the el_runtime.c
+#    symbols it wraps — see caveat below), so link el_runtime.c here.
 cc -std=c11 -I el-compiler/runtime -lcurl -lpthread \
    -o dist/platform/elc-new \
-   elc-new.c el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.c
-# Verify self-hosting:
+   elc-new.c el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c
+# 3. Verify self-hosting FIXPOINT (stage3 == stage2 output, byte-identical):
 ./dist/platform/elc-new elc-cli.el > elc-verify.c
-diff elc-new.c elc-verify.c   # should be identical
+diff elc-new.c elc-verify.c   # must be identical
 mv dist/platform/elc-new dist/platform/elc
 ```
 
+> **Build-path caveat (verified 2026-08-15).** `el_seed.c` is the intended hand-maintained OS-boundary seed, but it does **not** compile standalone under modern clang: it wraps ~16 unprefixed `el_runtime.c` symbols (`http_serve`, `json_*`, `state_*`, `http_response`) without prototypes, and clang treats implicit declarations as errors (C99+). The productionised install (`tools/install.sh`) builds `libel.a` from **both** `el_seed.o` + `el_runtime.o` together, which is why linking succeeds there. To make `el_seed.c` build on its own, add prototypes for those symbols (or `#include "el_runtime.h"`, reconciling the `__http_serve` return-type mismatch first). Until then, `el_runtime.c` is the authoritative single-file link target for the compiler.
+
 After changing `el_seed.c` only (no El source changes), rebuild downstream programs but do NOT need to rebuild the compiler binary itself — the seed is linked at the application level, not the compiler level.
 
 ---
diff --git a/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c b/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c
index af0d945..4738b1b 100644
--- a/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c
+++ b/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c
@@ -8410,6 +8410,59 @@ el_val_t engram_activate_json(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth) {
     return el_wrap_str(jb_finish(&b));
 }
 
+/* op_assert seam (realizer promotion, bl-53/#57).
+ * Gathers the grounded ASSERTION ENVELOPE for a subject node —
+ *   { "subject": <node|null>, "grounding": [ {node,edge,hops}... ] }
+ * i.e. the self-geometry a realizer renders as faithful first-person text.
+ * Read-only: realization (geometry->text) stays in the faculty/realizer;
+ * this native primitive produces its structured input from proven paths
+ * (engram_emit_node_json + engram_neighbors_json). arity 2 (node_id, depth). */
+el_val_t engram_assert_json(el_val_t node_id, el_val_t depth) {
+    const char* sid = EL_CSTR(node_id);
+    JsonBuf b; jb_init(&b);
+    jb_puts(&b, "{\"subject\":");
+    EngramNode* n = (sid && *sid) ? engram_find_node(sid) : NULL;
+    if (n) engram_emit_node_json(&b, n); else jb_puts(&b, "null");
+    jb_puts(&b, ",\"grounding\":");
+    el_val_t nb = engram_neighbors_json(node_id, depth, EL_STR("both"));
+    const char* nbs = EL_CSTR(nb);
+    jb_puts(&b, (nbs && *nbs) ? nbs : "[]");
+    jb_putc(&b, '}');
+    return el_wrap_str(jb_finish(&b));
+}
+
+/* Parametric mutation (purview write-side bounding, keystone 56ecbec6).
+ * The mutation verbs travel with a TARGET MANIFOLD (purview) instead of the
+ * implicit global singleton. purview==0 (EL_NULL) is the DEGENERATE/DEFAULT
+ * case: G = live, behaviour identical to the base op. A non-zero purview is a
+ * bounded target that the engine cannot yet resolve (multi-manifold store is a
+ * promotion item), so we REFUSE rather than silently mutate the live set —
+ * write-side bounding must never leak into G=live. */
+el_val_t engram_node_full_in(el_val_t purview,
+                             el_val_t content, el_val_t node_type, el_val_t label,
+                             el_val_t salience, el_val_t importance, el_val_t confidence,
+                             el_val_t tier, el_val_t tags) {
+    if (purview == 0) {
+        return engram_node_full(content, node_type, label, salience, importance,
+                                confidence, tier, tags);
+    }
+    fprintf(stderr, "[engram] purview write-side not yet resolvable (G != live); "
+                    "refusing to append to live store (purview=%lld)\n",
+            (long long)purview);
+    return EL_STR("");
+}
+
+void engram_connect_in(el_val_t purview,
+                       el_val_t from_id, el_val_t to_id, el_val_t weight, el_val_t relation) {
+    if (purview == 0) {
+        engram_connect(from_id, to_id, weight, relation);
+        return;
+    }
+    fprintf(stderr, "[engram] purview write-side not yet resolvable (G != live); "
+                    "refusing to connect in live store (purview=%lld)\n",
+            (long long)purview);
+}
+
 el_val_t engram_stats_json(void) {
     EngramStore* g = engram_get();
     char buf[128];
diff --git a/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.h b/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.h
index 87348f5..9be3404 100644
--- a/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.h
+++ b/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.h
@@ -639,6 +639,14 @@ el_val_t  engram_scan_nodes_by_type_json(el_val_t node_type, el_val_t limit, el_
 el_val_t  engram_neighbors_json(el_val_t node_id, el_val_t max_depth, el_val_t direction);
 el_val_t  engram_activate_json(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth);
 el_val_t  engram_stats_json(void);
+/* op_assert seam: grounded assertion envelope {subject,grounding} for the realizer. */
+el_val_t  engram_assert_json(el_val_t node_id, el_val_t depth);
+/* Parametric mutation (purview write-side): purview==0 => G=live (default), else refuse. */
+el_val_t  engram_node_full_in(el_val_t purview, el_val_t content, el_val_t node_type, el_val_t label,
+                              el_val_t salience, el_val_t importance, el_val_t confidence,
+                              el_val_t tier, el_val_t tags);
+void      engram_connect_in(el_val_t purview, el_val_t from_id, el_val_t to_id,
+                            el_val_t weight, el_val_t relation);
 el_val_t  engram_list_layers_json(void);
 /* engram_compile_layered_json — produce a prompt-ready text block split
  * into "[LAYER 0 — STRUCTURAL]" (non-suppressible layers, sacred fire)
diff --git a/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.c b/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.c
index cda893c..8dc678e 100644
--- a/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.c
+++ b/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.c
@@ -1095,6 +1095,15 @@ el_val_t __engram_activate_json(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth) {
 }
 
 el_val_t __engram_stats_json(void)                         { return engram_stats_json(); }
+el_val_t __engram_assert_json(el_val_t node_id, el_val_t depth) { return engram_assert_json(node_id, depth); }
+el_val_t __engram_node_full_in(el_val_t purview, el_val_t content, el_val_t node_type, el_val_t label,
+                               el_val_t salience, el_val_t importance, el_val_t confidence,
+                               el_val_t tier, el_val_t tags) {
+    return engram_node_full_in(purview, content, node_type, label, salience, importance, confidence, tier, tags);
+}
+void __engram_connect_in(el_val_t purview, el_val_t from_id, el_val_t to_id, el_val_t weight, el_val_t relation) {
+    engram_connect_in(purview, from_id, to_id, weight, relation);
+}
 el_val_t __engram_list_layers_json(void)                   { return engram_list_layers_json(); }
 
 el_val_t __engram_compile_layered_json(el_val_t intent, el_val_t depth) {
diff --git a/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.h b/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.h
index 7597511..6b6ffd4 100644
--- a/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.h
+++ b/lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_seed.h
@@ -233,6 +233,12 @@ el_val_t  __engram_scan_nodes_by_type_json(el_val_t node_type, el_val_t limit, e
 el_val_t  __engram_neighbors_json(el_val_t node_id, el_val_t max_depth, el_val_t direction);
 el_val_t  __engram_activate_json(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth);
 el_val_t  __engram_stats_json(void);
+el_val_t  __engram_assert_json(el_val_t node_id, el_val_t depth);
+el_val_t  __engram_node_full_in(el_val_t purview, el_val_t content, el_val_t node_type, el_val_t label,
+                                el_val_t salience, el_val_t importance, el_val_t confidence,
+                                el_val_t tier, el_val_t tags);
+void      __engram_connect_in(el_val_t purview, el_val_t from_id, el_val_t to_id,
+                              el_val_t weight, el_val_t relation);
 el_val_t  __engram_list_layers_json(void);
 el_val_t  __engram_compile_layered_json(el_val_t intent, el_val_t depth);
 
diff --git a/lang/el-compiler/src/codegen.el b/lang/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
index a20569a..87bbba4 100644
--- a/lang/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
+++ b/lang/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
@@ -2579,6 +2579,9 @@ fn builtin_arity(name: String) -> Int {
     if str_eq(name, "__engram_neighbors_filtered") { return 3 }
     if str_eq(name, "__engram_activate") { return 2 }
     if str_eq(name, "__engram_activate_json") { return 2 }
+    if str_eq(name, "__engram_assert_json") { return 2 }
+    if str_eq(name, "__engram_node_full_in") { return 9 }
+    if str_eq(name, "__engram_connect_in") { return 5 }
     if str_eq(name, "__engram_scan_nodes_json") { return 2 }
     if str_eq(name, "__generate") { return 1 }
     // Filesystem
@@ -2676,6 +2679,9 @@ fn builtin_arity(name: String) -> Int {
     if str_eq(name, "engram_neighbors_json") { return 3 }
     if str_eq(name, "engram_activate_json") { return 2 }
     if str_eq(name, "engram_stats_json") { return 0 }
+    if str_eq(name, "engram_assert_json") { return 2 }
+    if str_eq(name, "engram_node_full_in") { return 9 }
+    if str_eq(name, "engram_connect_in") { return 5 }
     // LLM
     if str_eq(name, "llm_call") { return 2 }
     if str_eq(name, "llm_call_system") { return 3 }