Token Distiller

🔒 Prerequisites (Mandatory)

This skill operates integrated with the SDD framework. Before any technical execution: 0. Mode Check: Verify the current operational mode in .hub-mode.

1. Context Check: Rehydrate state by reading .specs/project/STATE.md, .specs/project/MEMORY.md, and .specs/project/LEARNINGS.md.
2. Spec Check: Does the spec.md file exist with clear requirements?
3. Plan Check: Does the plan.md file define the compression architecture?

Token Distiller: Dual-Mode Communication (v2.4.0)

"Density is the currency of autonomy. Spend wisely."

🧩 Delegation Matrix

As a utility skill, Token Distiller operates as a unified agent across all phases:

🔄 4-Phase Workflow

1. DISCOVERY

• Goal: Audit current context health and token pressure.
• Action: Assess if context exceeds 80% capacity. If so, perform manual context pruning by summarizing previous tool outputs and removing redundant thought paths. Identify task complexity (Quick/Small vs Medium+).
• Output: Context health report and mode selection.

2. SPECIFY

• Goal: Define the required fidelity for the next interaction.
• Action: Set /mode low (Caveman) for speed or /mode high (Premium) for analysis.
• Output: Mode activation in session state.

3. IMPLEMENT

• Goal: Execute communication according to the selected mode.
• Action: Apply linguistic filters (Caveman fragments or Premium prose). Perform micro-compaction of tool results.
• Output: Compressed or high-fidelity responses.

4. VERIFY

• Goal: Ensure substance preservation and safety.
• Action: Validate that task IDs and technical patterns are intact. Exit Low Token mode for safety warnings.
• Output: Verified, dense communication.

🏗️ Operating Modes

🪨 Low Token Mode (Caveman)

Activation: 'Quick', 'Small' tasks, /mode low [lite|full|ultra], /caveman [lite|full|ultra]. Persistence: Active every response. Reverts only on "stop caveman" or "normal mode". Strict Response Pattern: [thing] [action] [reason]. [next step].

📊 Intensity Levels:

• lite:
  • No filler or hedging.
  • Keep articles (a/an/the) and complete grammatical sentences.
  • Professional but tight, crisp communication.
• full (default):
  • Drop articles (a/an/the) and filler words (really, basically, just, actually).
  • Sentence fragments are welcome. Use short, direct synonyms (e.g., "big" instead of "extensive", "fix" instead of "implement a solution for").
  • Technical terms, code blocks, errors must remain completely unchanged.
• ultra:
  • Max compression: abbreviate prose words (e.g., DB, auth, config, req, res, fn, impl).
  • Strip all conjunctions.
  • Use arrows for causality: [cause] → [effect].
  • Never abbreviate code symbols, function names, API names, error strings.

💎 Premium Mode (High Token)

Activation: 'Medium', 'Large', 'Complex' tasks, /mode high, /premium. Rules:

• Analytical, grammatically complete, and professional prose.
• Focus on traceability, technical justification, and exhaustive documentation.

🛠️ Operational Protocols

1. Knowledge Verification Chain

1. Global Mandates: .specs/codebase/GLOBAL_MANDATES.md for engineering standards.
2. Core SDD Skill: Reference for task sizing and workflow.
3. Project Specs: .specs/project/STATE.md for current context.
4. Internal Governance: skill-factory standards for documentation.

2. Micro-Compaction (Stubbing)

• Trigger: Tool results > 10 turns old AND > 5000 characters.
• Action: Replace with: [Old tool result cleared. Tool: {name}. Summary: {summary}].

3. Safety Valve & Auto-Clarity

• Auto-Clarity Trigger (Skip Caveman): Automatically suspend Caveman mode and write full prose when:
  1. Security Warnings: Explaining security vulnerabilities or configurations.
  2. Irreversible Action Confirmations: Prior to destructive actions (e.g., DROP TABLE, deletion, overwriting).
  3. Multi-step Sequences: Where fragment order or missing conjunctions risk misinterpretation.
  4. Linguistic Ambiguity: If compressing information creates confusion (e.g., "migrate table drop column backup first" is ambiguous about execution order).
  5. Direct Clarification: User asks to clarify or repeats a question.
• Resumption: Resume selected Caveman intensity level immediately after the clear safety segment is completed.

🚫 Prohibited

• NEVER create local STATE.md, MEMORY.md, or LEARNINGS.md within the skill folder.
• NEVER use placeholders like "todo" or "..." in instructions.
• NEVER compress technical error messages.

Law of Density: All substance, no fluff. Efficiency is precision.

version: "2.3.0"
feature_id: "TOKEN-DISTILLER-ADVANCED-CAVEMAN"
phase: "VERIFY"
status: "COMPLETED"
last_update: "2026-05-22T14:04:20Z"
evidence_checksum: "8b96edd"