- Collapse `related:` into `companions:`; companion paths may point inside the spec folder (spec-authored) or outside it (adopted from an upstream skill), distinguished implicitly by path
- `sources:` reserved for fully-absorbed inputs; downstream does NOT read these
- Soften mutation contract: bmad-spec owns SPEC.md and spec-authored companions; adopted companions belong to their originating skill
- Add "when to spawn a companion" tilt: multi-item catalogs, tables, diagrams (always), editorial voice rules; sub-bullets in a kernel field signal it has outgrown the kernel
- Fix Spec Law rule 7 and Pass 2: load-bearing content lands in SPEC.md or a companion, not the decision log (the log records wrapper-drops only)
- Flatten output path to `{planning_artifacts}/specs/spec-{slug}-{date}/`, mirroring `prds/` and `ux-designs/`; drop `spec_folder_name` (no longer used)
- Extract Load-bearing definition into its own section above Spec Law