:root{
  /* ---- Core palette ---- */
  --ink:#1A1410;            /* primary text, dark sections, workhorse mark */
  --ink-btn:#17130F;        /* buttons */
  --ink-black:#120F0C;      /* full-bleed dark stages (closing section / footer) */
  --aurum:#FFEF00;          /* the one accent — fill/surface w/ ink, or accent on ink. Never yellow text/thin lines on light. */
  --parchment:#FDFCFA;      /* card & panel surface (warm off-white) */
  --bg:#FFFFFF;             /* page canvas — whiter than parchment so cards read as panels */
  --terra:#2E2006;          /* deep brown — quotes, serif accents */
  --caelum:#4591DE;         /* atmospheric blue — hero gradient, marketing only */

  /* ---- Ink steps ---- */
  --ink-soft:rgba(26,20,16,.66);
  --ink-mid:rgba(26,20,16,.45);
  --ink-faint:rgba(26,20,16,.12);
  --hairline:rgba(26,20,16,.10);

  /* ---- Gradients (Aurum activates on attention) ---- */
  --grad-caelum:radial-gradient(125% 85% at 18% -10%,rgba(69,145,222,.42) 0%,rgba(69,145,222,.10) 38%,rgba(253,252,250,0) 66%),linear-gradient(180deg,#e9f1fb 0%,#FFFFFF 64%);
  --grad-card:linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(255,239,0,.30) 0%,rgba(255,247,140,.14) 40%,rgba(253,252,250,.6) 100%);
  --grad-hover:linear-gradient(100deg,rgba(255,239,0,.26) 0%,rgba(255,239,0,.08) 55%,rgba(255,239,0,0) 100%);
  --grad-area:linear-gradient(180deg,rgba(255,239,0,.55) 0%,rgba(255,239,0,.06) 100%);

  /* ---- Elevation ---- */
  --shadow-soft:0 10px 34px -16px rgba(26,20,16,.20);
  --shadow-card:0 24px 60px -28px rgba(26,20,16,.30);
  --shadow-float:0 18px 44px -20px rgba(26,20,16,.28);

  /* ---- Radii ---- */
  --r-lg:30px;   /* cards, gates, hero panels */
  --r-md:20px;   /* standard cards, input frames */
  --r-sm:14px;   /* list rows, small tiles */
  --r-pill:999px;/* buttons, chips, nav, inputs */

  /* ---- Type ---- */
  --display:"Bricolage Grotesque",sans-serif; /* headlines, numbers, marks — 600/700 */
  --body:"Instrument Sans",sans-serif;        /* body & UI — 400/500/600/700 */
  --quote:"Instrument Serif",serif;           /* pull quotes, Latin gloss — italic */
}