handoff

Kairos is the persistent memory: durable state — findings, decisions, progress, blockers — belongs on the work items, where any teammate or agent reads it. First bring the active items current (edit_item, transition_item if a column changed) so the boards tell the true story. What remains lives on the items: read the open tasks of the initiative and their blocks edges (get_item, search with traverse), and record each step that is only in this conversation as a task with its edge, or a note on the task when it is small. The note of the handoff names the open tasks in the order of their edges; it does not rewrite the list from memory. A deliverable of the active task is never "out of scope": it is done, split into a task with a reason, or left on the task as open. Each active task has a live state (the state line of get_item: branch, commit, pushed, PR, next step): read it, write the hand-off from it, and set_state with the true branch, commit, pushed, PR and next step before you stop (the write is a patch, KAIROS-A-0029: a field that you do not send keeps its value).

Only then compact what remains — context this conversation alone holds: dead ends already ruled out, in-flight reasoning, environment quirks, the intended next move. Open the note with the short codes the next session should get_item first, then the "Read: ..." line of what grounded the plan (the ADRs and documents read, per GROUND.md); the note is read alongside the board state, never instead of it. Write it on each active task with append_note (on the initiative when no task is active), and end it with a Next step: line. Write no file: each session appends its own note, and no note replaces another. Finish by telling the user the short code and the note id. If nothing remains once the items are current, say so and skip the note.

Reference other artifacts (items, commits, diffs, files) by short code or path rather than restating them. Redact secrets. If the user passed arguments, treat them as what the next session will focus on and tailor the note to it.