diff --git a/playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml b/playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9eaf381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+# Deploy althing-chamber (https://gitea.phasefinal.com/vh/althing) to a
+# Docker host following the PFI /opt/docker/ convention (ana-docker by
+# default, but the playbook works against any host with Docker in place).
+#
+# Brings up TWO compose services from a single image:
+#   althing-chamber  — FastAPI/HTMX web UI, port 7881 host → 8000 container
+#   althing-forseti  — moderator daemon, no port
+#
+# Both processes share the SQLite store via the same bind-mount under
+# /opt/docker/conf/althing-chamber/data. eventbus.bridge_from_db is the
+# cross-process glue.
+#
+# Idempotent: rerunning is safe. Creates-gates skip work that's already
+# done; `docker compose up -d` is itself idempotent (no restart unless
+# compose content or env changed).
+#
+# Usage:
+#   scripts/elway ana-docker --playbook playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml
+#   scripts/elway ana-docker --playbook playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml --var ref=v0.1.0
+#
+# Prereqs on the target host:
+#   - Docker + docker compose plugin
+#   - Target user (lkraven) has git SSH access to gitea.phasefinal.com
+#     — either SSH key authorized in gitea, or the repo is HTTPS-reachable
+#     if you swap `repo_url` below.
+#   - Target user is in the `docker` group.
+
+vars:
+  repo_url: git@gitea.phasefinal.com:vh/althing.git
+  ref: main
+  build_dir: /opt/docker/build/althing-chamber
+  image_tag: althing-chamber:local
+  compose_dir: /opt/docker/compose/althing-chamber
+  data_dir: /opt/docker/conf/althing-chamber/data
+  host_port: "7881"
+
+steps:
+  # ── host-side directory prep ─────────────────────────────────────────
+  - name: Ensure /opt/docker/build parent exists
+    shell: mkdir -p /opt/docker/build
+    sudo: true
+    creates: /opt/docker/build
+
+  - name: Chown /opt/docker/build to lkraven (only if mkdir'd by root above)
+    shell: chown lkraven:lkraven /opt/docker/build
+    sudo: true
+    when: '[ "$(stat -c %U /opt/docker/build)" != lkraven ]'
+
+  # ── fetch / sync source ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+  - name: Clone althing repo if absent
+    # Auto-accept the first-run host key so the playbook doesn't hang
+    # prompting for yes/no.
+    shell: GIT_SSH_COMMAND="ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new" git clone {{ repo_url }} {{ build_dir }}
+    creates: "{{ build_dir }}/.git"
+
+  - name: Fetch from origin
+    shell: cd {{ build_dir }} && git fetch --quiet origin
+
+  - name: Reset working tree to {{ ref }}
+    # Accept either a branch name (resolves via origin/<ref>) or a
+    # full/short SHA (resolves directly). CI passes the triggering
+    # commit SHA via --var ref=${{ github.sha }}; manual runs pass
+    # branch names like main / v0.1.0.
+    shell: |
+      cd {{ build_dir }}
+      if sha=$(git rev-parse --verify --quiet "origin/{{ ref }}^{commit}"); then :;
+      elif sha=$(git rev-parse --verify --quiet "{{ ref }}^{commit}"); then :;
+      else echo "elway: ref not found: {{ ref }}" >&2; exit 1; fi
+      git reset --hard "$sha"
+    # Report ok (no-change) when the tree was already at the requested
+    # ref — saves a noisy CHANGED status line on no-op reruns.
+    changed_when: '[ "$(cd {{ build_dir }} && git rev-parse HEAD)" != "$(cd {{ build_dir }} && (git rev-parse --verify --quiet "origin/{{ ref }}^{commit}" || git rev-parse --verify --quiet "{{ ref }}^{commit}"))" ]'
+
+  # ── image build ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  - name: Build image {{ image_tag }}
+    shell: cd {{ build_dir }} && docker build -t {{ image_tag }} .
+    # Docker build reuses layer cache and is fast on reruns, but it
+    # always runs — we can't cheaply know up-front whether anything
+    # downstream has changed. Leave it in the always-run lane; Docker
+    # itself handles the no-op efficiently.
+
+  # ── compose + data dirs ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+  - name: Ensure compose dir exists
+    shell: mkdir -p {{ compose_dir }}
+    creates: "{{ compose_dir }}"
+
+  - name: Ensure data dir exists
+    # Single bind-mount shared between chamber + forseti. Created as
+    # lkraven (uid 1000 on these hosts), matching the container's `app`
+    # user — no chown dance needed.
+    shell: mkdir -p {{ data_dir }}
+    creates: "{{ data_dir }}"
+
+  # ── deploy compose files ────────────────────────────────────────────
+  - name: Upload compose.yaml
+    upload:
+      src: stacks/althing-chamber/compose.yaml
+      dest: "{{ compose_dir }}/compose.yaml"
+      mode: "0644"
+
+  - name: Seed .env from template (only if absent)
+    upload:
+      src: stacks/althing-chamber/.env.example
+      dest: "{{ compose_dir }}/.env"
+      mode: "0644"
+    when: "[ ! -f {{ compose_dir }}/.env ]"
+
+  # ── bring up + wait for ready ───────────────────────────────────────
+  - name: docker compose up -d
+    shell: cd {{ compose_dir }} && docker compose up -d
+
+  - name: Wait for chamber /health to respond
+    # Chamber's healthcheck is internal (inside the container's network);
+    # this host-side poll confirms the published port is reachable too.
+    # Short retry loop — docker compose up returns before the FastAPI
+    # app finishes booting.
+    shell: |
+      for i in $(seq 1 30); do
+        curl -sf -o /dev/null http://localhost:{{ host_port }}/health && exit 0
+        sleep 2
+      done
+      exit 1
+    changed_when: "false"
+
+verify:
+  - name: chamber /health returns 200
+    shell: curl -sf -o /dev/null http://localhost:{{ host_port }}/health
+    changed_when: "false"
+
+  - name: chamber container running
+    shell: docker ps --filter name=^/althing-chamber$ --format '{{.Status}}' | grep -q '^Up'
+    changed_when: "false"
+
+  - name: forseti container running
+    shell: docker ps --filter name=^/althing-forseti$ --format '{{.Status}}' | grep -q '^Up'
+    changed_when: "false"
diff --git a/stacks/althing-chamber/.env.example b/stacks/althing-chamber/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..abfddb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stacks/althing-chamber/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# althing-chamber stack tunables. Copy to `.env` on ana-docker before deploying.
+#
+# The deploy playbook seeds `.env` from this template on first run only —
+# it won't clobber an existing `.env`.
+
+# Image tag. Built locally from the vh/althing git repo by the playbook.
+ALTHING_IMAGE=althing-chamber:local
+
+# Host port exposing the chamber UI (container always listens on 8000
+# internally). Internal-only — no Traefik.
+# Chamber's compiled-in default port is 7878 but that collides with
+# task-board's 7878 on the same host. 7881 is the canonical fleet slot,
+# adjacent to task-board:7878 and vor:7879.
+ALTHING_PORT=7881
+
+# Bind address for the host port. 0.0.0.0 = LAN-reachable (default for an
+# internal-only tool).
+ALTHING_BIND=0.0.0.0
+
+# Host path for SQLite + state. Container runs as uid 1000 (matches
+# lkraven on these hosts) so the playbook's mkdir without sudo produces
+# a writable dir.
+#
+# This single dir is the only persistent state — althing's SQLite DB,
+# read_cursors, notification_state, hand_queue, floor_grants all live
+# here. Restic backs it up via the standard /opt/docker tree.
+ALTHING_DATA_DIR=/opt/docker/conf/althing-chamber/data
diff --git a/stacks/althing-chamber/README.md b/stacks/althing-chamber/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce60991
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stacks/althing-chamber/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+# althing-chamber
+
+Web UI + moderator daemon for the althing inter-agent message bus.
+Two services share a single SQLite store via a bind-mount; the chamber
+serves FastAPI/HTMX, the forseti daemon runs the moderation + curation
+loops. Cross-process glue is `eventbus.bridge_from_db` polling the same
+DB both processes write.
+
+**Server:** ana-docker
+**URL:** `http://10.250.50.70:7881` (configurable via `.env`)
+**Upstream repo:** [vh/althing](https://gitea.phasefinal.com/vh/althing)
+**Image:** `althing-chamber:local` — built on the host from the git repo
+by the deploy playbook. Not pulled from a registry.
+
+## Services in this stack
+
+| Container | Role | Port | Healthcheck |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `althing-chamber` | FastAPI/HTMX web UI; SSE subscribers; `/health` endpoint | host 7881 → container 8000 | `python urllib /health` |
+| `althing-forseti` | Moderator + curator daemon; writes events that chamber's bridge picks up | — (no HTTP) | none (process-up signal only) |
+
+Both use the same `${ALTHING_IMAGE}`; the `command:` line in compose picks
+which entrypoint (`althing-chamber` vs `althing-forseti`) runs in each
+container.
+
+## Deploy
+
+Two paths — automated (preferred) and manual (escape hatch / first-time).
+
+### Automated (Gitea Actions, push-to-main)
+
+The vh/althing repo ships `.gitea/workflows/deploy.yaml`. Every push to
+main + manual `workflow_dispatch` triggers the elway playbook below
+pinned to the triggering commit SHA. A reference copy of the workflow
+lives next to this README at
+[`gitea-workflow-deploy.yaml.example`](gitea-workflow-deploy.yaml.example);
+the canonical source is in the vh/althing repo. The example header
+lists the two repo secrets required (`DEPLOY_SSH_KEY`,
+`MGMT_REPO_TOKEN`).
+
+### Manual (elway from a workstation)
+
+```bash
+# First deploy (or update to latest main)
+scripts/elway ana-docker --playbook playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml
+
+# Pin to a specific ref (tag, branch, or commit SHA)
+scripts/elway ana-docker --playbook playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml --var ref=v0.1.0
+```
+
+## Path layout (on ana-docker)
+
+| Host path | Container path | Purpose | Restic? |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `/opt/docker/build/althing-chamber/` | — | git checkout used as docker build context | excluded |
+| `/opt/docker/compose/althing-chamber/` | — | compose.yaml + .env | included (via `/opt/docker`) |
+| `/opt/docker/conf/althing-chamber/data/` | `/app/data` | SQLite + state for BOTH services | **included** |
+
+## Network model
+
+Internal tooling, LAN-only. Chamber's container port 8000 is published
+on the host at `0.0.0.0:7881` (configurable via `ALTHING_BIND` /
+`ALTHING_PORT`); access is direct via `http://10.250.50.70:7881`. No
+Traefik, no TLS terminator, no public hostname.
+
+Forseti has no port — it's a daemon. The two services communicate only
+via the shared SQLite file under the `${ALTHING_DATA_DIR}` bind-mount;
+no docker network coupling beyond compose's default bridge.
+
+## Env-var contract
+
+| Var | In env? | In `~/.althing/config.yaml`? | Notes |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `ALTHING_ROOT` | ✓ (set in compose) | n/a | Overrides the default `~/.althing/` dir. Container sets `/app/data`. |
+| `ALTHING_DB` | ✓ (set in compose) | n/a | Explicit SQLite path. Defaults to `${ALTHING_ROOT}/althing.db`. |
+| `ALTHING_BIND` | ✓ (deploy-time) | also accepted | Bind address for the chamber HTTP server. Container always sets 0.0.0.0 internally. |
+| `ALTHING_PORT` | ✓ (deploy-time) | also accepted | Chamber listens here internally (always 8000 inside the container). |
+
+Env-var support for `ALTHING_BIND` / `ALTHING_PORT` was added on the
+galdrabok side as part of the container-deploy cycle (env > config.yaml
+> defaults precedence).
+
+## First-deploy sequence (when galdrabok's Dockerfile lands)
+
+1. Generate a deploy keypair on ana-docker (private stays on host;
+   pubkey lands in `~lkraven/.ssh/authorized_keys`).
+2. Wire two secrets in `vh/althing` Actions settings:
+   - `DEPLOY_SSH_KEY` — the private key from step 1.
+   - `MGMT_REPO_TOKEN` — Gitea PAT with `read:repository` on this repo,
+     used by the workflow to clone the management repo for the playbook.
+3. Push to vh/althing's main branch (or trigger `workflow_dispatch`);
+   the Actions runner clones both repos, configures SSH, runs
+   `scripts/elway ana-docker --playbook playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml --var ref=$SHA`.
+4. Playbook: clones into `/opt/docker/build/althing-chamber`, builds
+   the image, uploads compose + .env (one-time seed), brings both
+   services up, polls `/health` until 200.
diff --git a/stacks/althing-chamber/compose.yaml b/stacks/althing-chamber/compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84ef02a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stacks/althing-chamber/compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# althing-chamber + forseti — web UI + moderator daemon for the althing
+# inter-agent message bus.
+#
+# Two services share the althing SQLite store via a single bind-mount:
+#   althing-chamber  — FastAPI/HTMX app (port 7881 host → 8000 container)
+#   althing-forseti  — moderator daemon (no port; cross-process glue via the DB)
+#
+# eventbus.bridge_from_db is load-bearing — forseti's DB commits reach
+# chamber's SSE subscribers via the bridge, not via shared memory or IPC.
+# Both processes read+write the same `~/.althing/althing.db` SQLite file
+# at /app/data/althing.db inside the container, backed by the host's
+# /opt/docker/conf/althing-chamber/data bind-mount.
+#
+# Image is built on the host from the vh/althing git repo by the deploy
+# playbook (`playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml`), which clones into
+# /opt/docker/build/althing-chamber and runs `docker build -t
+# althing-chamber:local .` before installing this compose and bringing
+# both services up. No registry.
+#
+# Internal tooling — accessed directly at http://10.250.50.70:7881 over
+# the LAN; does NOT traverse Traefik. State persists under
+# /opt/docker/conf/althing-chamber/data on the host.
+#
+# All tunables live in .env — edit that, not this file.
+
+services:
+  althing-chamber:
+    image: ${ALTHING_IMAGE}
+    container_name: althing-chamber
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    ports:
+      - "${ALTHING_BIND:-0.0.0.0}:${ALTHING_PORT}:8000"
+    environment:
+      # ALTHING_ROOT moves the entire ~/.althing dir; ALTHING_DB additionally
+      # pins the SQLite path explicitly. Both point inside the bind-mount.
+      - ALTHING_ROOT=/app/data
+      - ALTHING_DB=/app/data/althing.db
+      # ALTHING_BIND / ALTHING_PORT — galdrabok-side env-var precedence
+      # (env > config.yaml > defaults) is being added in the same cycle
+      # as this scaffold lands. Container always listens on 8000 internally;
+      # the host port mapping above is the only externally-visible knob.
+      - ALTHING_BIND=0.0.0.0
+      - ALTHING_PORT=8000
+    volumes:
+      - ${ALTHING_DATA_DIR}:/app/data
+    command: ["althing-chamber"]
+    healthcheck:
+      # Liveness probe — chamber's /health endpoint returns 200 with no DB
+      # read (true liveness, not readiness). galdrabok adds this endpoint
+      # in the same cycle as this scaffold; container will crashloop on
+      # healthcheck until that lands.
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "python -c 'import urllib.request,sys; r=urllib.request.urlopen(\"http://127.0.0.1:8000/health\",timeout=3); sys.exit(0 if r.status==200 else 1)' || exit 1"]
+      interval: 30s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 3
+      start_period: 30s
+    labels:
+      - homepage.group=Toolchain
+      - homepage.name=althing chamber
+      - homepage.icon=mdi-bullhorn
+      - homepage.description=Web UI for the althing inter-agent message bus
+      - homepage.href=http://10.250.50.70:${ALTHING_PORT}
+
+  althing-forseti:
+    image: ${ALTHING_IMAGE}
+    container_name: althing-forseti
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    environment:
+      - ALTHING_ROOT=/app/data
+      - ALTHING_DB=/app/data/althing.db
+    volumes:
+      - ${ALTHING_DATA_DIR}:/app/data
+    command: ["althing-forseti"]
+    # No healthcheck — the forseti CLI doesn't expose one. Liveness signal
+    # for ops is "container hasn't exited" + chamber-side observation that
+    # bridge_from_db events are flowing.
diff --git a/stacks/althing-chamber/gitea-workflow-deploy.yaml.example b/stacks/althing-chamber/gitea-workflow-deploy.yaml.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91480b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stacks/althing-chamber/gitea-workflow-deploy.yaml.example
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# Gitea Actions workflow for althing-chamber.
+#
+# THIS FILE LIVES IN THE VH/ALTHING REPO, NOT HERE.
+# Copy to vh/althing:.gitea/workflows/deploy.yaml and commit.
+# (The canonical copy lives in the althing repo; this file is a
+# reference for what shape the workflow takes.)
+#
+# What it does on every push to main (and on manual workflow_dispatch):
+#   1. Checks out althing itself (the triggering repo).
+#   2. Checks out vh/esh-pfi-infrastructure to pick up the elway
+#      playbook and helper scripts.
+#   3. Configures SSH so elway can reach ana-docker.
+#   4. Runs `scripts/elway ana-docker --playbook playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml`
+#      pinning to the commit SHA that triggered the workflow.
+#
+# Required Actions secrets (configure under
+# https://gitea.phasefinal.com/vh/althing/settings/actions/secrets,
+# or org-level for reuse across repos):
+#
+#   DEPLOY_SSH_KEY    Private SSH key whose pubkey is in
+#                     ~lkraven/.ssh/authorized_keys on ana-docker.
+#                     Used by the runner to invoke the elway playbook.
+#                     Generate fresh; don't reuse a personal key.
+#
+#   MGMT_REPO_TOKEN   Gitea PAT (read:repository scope) on
+#                     vh/esh-pfi-infrastructure, used to clone the
+#                     management repo. Generate at
+#                     https://gitea.phasefinal.com/-/user/settings/applications.
+
+name: Deploy althing-chamber
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  deploy:
+    # `pfi-fleet` matches the central runner on ana-docker. Pin to
+    # `ana-docker` instead if you want to refuse running on a future
+    # site-local runner. The runner's label embeds a default image
+    # (node:20-bookworm-slim) — has node + git out of the box, so
+    # actions/checkout@v4 (a JS action) works without a custom
+    # container. We just apt-install python3 + pyyaml for elway.
+    runs-on: pfi-fleet
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Install playbook prerequisites
+        run: |
+          apt-get update -qq
+          apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+            python3 python3-yaml openssh-client
+          rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+      - name: Checkout althing (triggering repo)
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Checkout management repo (eshpfi-management)
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          repository: vh/esh-pfi-infrastructure
+          token: ${{ secrets.MGMT_REPO_TOKEN }}
+          path: _mgmt
+
+      - name: Configure SSH to ana-docker
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.ssh
+          # The DEPLOY_SSH_KEY secret is the full private key contents,
+          # newline-terminated. ssh refuses keys that aren't 0600.
+          printf '%s\n' "${{ secrets.DEPLOY_SSH_KEY }}" > ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
+          chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
+
+          # ssh_config alias so elway resolves "ana-docker" the same
+          # way it would on a workstation. accept-new is fine for a
+          # fresh job container — host key gets cached for the lifetime
+          # of this job only.
+          cat > ~/.ssh/config <<'EOF'
+          Host ana-docker
+            HostName 10.250.50.70
+            User lkraven
+            IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
+            StrictHostKeyChecking accept-new
+          EOF
+          chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config
+
+      - name: Deploy althing-chamber (elway playbook, pinned to this commit)
+        working-directory: _mgmt
+        run: |
+          scripts/elway ana-docker \
+            --playbook playbooks/deploy-althing-chamber.yaml \
+            --var ref=${{ github.sha }}