ADR-0001: Package scope is @quarry-systems/agora-*

Context

Agora ships as a family of npm packages (agora-core, agora-client, agora-worker, agora-mcp, etc.). The package scope chosen at publication time becomes load-bearing: it appears in every package.json, every import statement, every published README, and every downstream integrator’s lockfile. Renaming a scope after the fact is expensive (downstream churn, deprecation notices, ecosystem confusion).

Two candidates were weighed:

• @quarry-systems/agora-* — consistent with sibling Quarry Systems libraries (@quarry-systems/bedrock-*, @quarry-systems/stoa-*, etc.). Single platform story, single release pipeline, single set of contributor docs.
• @agora-mcp/* — a neutral scope, on the theory that it would make a future open-source spinout (extracting agora from the Quarry Systems platform) cheaper. The argument: an independent project would want an independent scope; starting there avoids the rename later.

The trade-off framing turned on whether the orthogonality principle — agora as a self-contained, independently-usable library — is enforced by package-scope separation or by something stronger.

Decision

Agora packages publish under @quarry-systems/agora-*. Per §10.1 of docs/superpowers/specs/2026-05-21-agora-mvp-design.md:

Package scope is @quarry-systems/agora-*. Originally weighed against @agora-mcp/* for “easier OSS spinout later.” Spinouts happen when they happen regardless of npm scope; the orthogonality principle is enforced architecturally (CI allowlist on dependencies), not via separate scopes. Consistent platform story + easier release coordination + room to add @quarry-systems/bedrock-* and @quarry-systems/stoa-* alongside without scope thrash.

Orthogonality is enforced by the CI allowlist check (§8 of the spec) on the dependency graph, not by namespace separation.

Consequences

What becomes easier:

• Release coordination: one publisher identity, one set of access tokens, one tag-and-publish flow shared with sibling Quarry Systems packages.
• Contributor onboarding: anyone already working in @quarry-systems/* lands in a familiar scope. No second org to join, no second set of credentials.
• Discoverability: searching npm for @quarry-systems surfaces the full Quarry Systems family together.
• Adding sibling packages (@quarry-systems/bedrock-*, @quarry-systems/stoa-*) without scope thrash.

What becomes harder:

• A future OSS spinout under a neutral scope (@agora-mcp/* or similar) would require a one-time rename across all packages, downstream lockfiles, and integrator imports. Mitigations: maintain the old scope as a redirect/deprecation for one major version; communicate the rename in release notes well ahead of cutover.
• Casual observers may assume agora is Quarry-Systems-coupled and skip evaluating it for standalone use. Counter: the README and package metadata make the orthogonality explicit, and the CI allowlist is the durable proof.

Trade-offs:

• We trade a theoretical future-rename cost for present-day consistency and release simplicity. The future rename is conditional on a spinout actually happening; the consistency benefit is paid out immediately and continuously.