`[2026-07-02]` **Mask-HOSTED transient characters have a STATIC mood engine — cost a whole R29 probe.** A first probe used a `POST /characters` transient character bound via `agent_id=mask` + `character_id`; its PAD sat at baseline across 15 praise/contempt/dominance turns — the appraisal→PAD engine does NOT run on the mask-hosted transient-character path. The dynamics run only on BASE persona agents or a session bound to ratatoskr's affect provider. **To probe mood dynamics, use a base persona agent, never a mask-hosted transient character.** (mask AS a base agent — `agent_id=mask`, NO `character_id` — DOES run the engine, neutral 0,0,0 baseline.) [auto-memory `reference-worldtree-affect-surface-map`]
