Scroll Storyteller

Create immersive, interactive storytelling experiences using Anthropic's authentic design language: strict duotone palette, organic Bézier SVG paths, custom cursors, and chapter-based narratives.

Workflow

Use AskUserQuestion to gather preferences, then generate:

Step	Question	Options
1	Animation?	GSAP (rich) vs CSS-only (lightweight)
2	Mood?	Warm vs Cool vs Creative
3	Palette?	(show 3-4 based on mood)
4	Topic?	Biblical/Tech/Business/Personal/Custom
5	Chapters?	3, 4, or 5
6	Content per chapter	Title, description, keywords

Generate:

bash ~/.claude/skills/scroll-storyteller/scripts/generate.sh my-story <palette> [--gsap] [--chapters N]

Post-generation: Customize content, create SVGs (see references/structure-templates.md)

SVG Illustration Workflow

Each chapter needs a topic-relevant SVG that matches the narrative position:

Position	Purpose	Composition	Example
Hero	Set scene, show contrast	Wide (1000x1000), 2 silhouettes	David vs Goliath distant
Chapter 1	Introduce protagonist	Centered figure + context	Shepherd with sheep
Chapter 2	Show conflict/obstacle	Imposing, fills frame	Giant warrior
Chapter 3	Resolution/triumph	Dynamic, radiating	Victor + fallen + rays
Chapter 4	Deepening conflict (optional)	Crowded, escalating	Army masses, threats multiply
Chapter 5	Final climax (optional)	Action, decisive	Stone flying, impact moment
Finale	Symbolic summary	Centered symbol	Crown + light

Light/Dark Pattern by Chapter Count:

• 3 chapters: Ch1=Light → Ch2=Dark → Ch3=Light
• 4 chapters: Ch1=Light → Ch2=Dark → Ch3=Light → Ch4=Dark
• 5 chapters: Ch1=Light → Ch2=Dark → Ch3=Light → Ch4=Dark → Ch5=Light

Process:

1. Load references/svg-illustration-guide.md for theme → element mapping
2. Identify chapter position (hero/ch1/ch2/ch3/ch4/ch5/finale)
3. Extract topic keywords from chapter content
4. Select SVG elements from element library:
   • Characters: figure-small, figure-large, figure-triumphant, figure-action
   • Nature: hills, sun, tree, path, clouds, lightning, wind
   • Objects: staff, crown, shield, weapon, stone, obstacle
   • Abstract: radiate, rings, trajectory, converge, impact
5. Compose using position template
6. Apply palette mood style (see references/design-harmony.md → Palette Mood → SVG Style)
7. Add animation classes: organic-path, fade-path, scale-path

SVG Checklist:

• Uses only var(--deep) and var(--foam) colors
• All paths are organic Bézier curves (Q/C commands)
• No geometric primitives (circle, rect, ellipse)
• Opacity range matches palette mood
• Composition matches chapter position
• Symbolically represents chapter content

Animation Styles

Style	Library	Size	Best For
GSAP	GSAP 3.x + ScrollTrigger	~45KB	Rich interactions, SVG draw, orbits, timelines
CSS-only	None (IntersectionObserver)	0KB	Lightweight, fast load, simple reveals

GSAP Features

• SVG path draw animations (strokeDasharray)
• Continuous orbit/rotation effects
• Scroll-linked timeline control
• Parallax with scrub
• Staggered animations with precise timing

CSS-only Features

• IntersectionObserver reveals
• CSS transitions with delays
• Transform-based animations
• No external dependencies
• Smaller bundle size

Duotone Palettes

#	Theme	Light	Dark	Mood
1	Anthropic	#FAF9F5 cream	#141413 charcoal	Warm
2	Midnight	#E8F4F8 ice	#0D1B2A navy	Cool
3	Sepia	#F5F0E6 parchment	#2C1810 espresso	Warm
4	Forest	#F0F4F0 mist	#1A2E1A evergreen	Creative
5	Dusk	#F4F0F8 lavender	#1E1A2E violet	Creative
6	Ember	#FFF5F0 blush	#2A1A14 ember	Warm
7	Steel	#F0F2F5 silver	#1A1C20 graphite	Cool
8	Ocean	#F0F8F8 foam	#0A1A1A deep	Cool

Mood → Palette mapping:

• Warm: 1 (Anthropic), 3 (Sepia), 6 (Ember)
• Cool: 2 (Midnight), 7 (Steel), 8 (Ocean)
• Creative: 4 (Forest), 5 (Dusk)

Design Modes

Mode	Description	When to Use
Authentic (default)	Strict duotone, organic paths	Editorial, brand storytelling
Expressive	Multi-color accents allowed	Product showcases, demos

Core Features

Feature	Description
Custom Cursor	Dual-layer cursor with smooth easing, mix-blend-mode
Hero Section	GSAP: Flowing organic lines (1000x1000 background). CSS-only: Desk lamp with animated light cone reveal
Spotlight Layer	Radial gradient follows cursor on dark sections
Staggered Reveals	Title words animate in sequence on load
Chapter Structure	Alternating light/dark sections with transitions
Organic SVGs	Hand-drawn Bézier paths, fill-only (no strokes)
Parallax	Subtle depth movement on scroll

Anthropic Design Language

Strict Duotone Palette

Element	Hex	CSS Variable
Cream (light)	#FAF9F5	--cream
Charcoal (dark)	#141413	--charcoal

Rule: No other colors. All illustrations use exactly these two.

Typography

Role	Font	Fallback
Display/Headings	Instrument Serif	Georgia, serif
Body/UI	Inter	-apple-system, sans-serif

Characteristics:

• Large, editorial headings (clamp 3rem - 7rem)
• Light weight (300-400)
• Negative letter-spacing on display (-0.02em)
• Generous line-height (1.5-1.8)

SVG Design Rules

Rule	Description
Fills only	Never use strokes for main shapes
Organic paths	Complex Bézier curves, hand-drawn feel
viewBox	Always 1000x1000 or 500x500 (square)
2-4 paths	Keep compositions simple
Layered	Light shapes behind, dark in front

Anti-patterns:

❌ <circle>, <rect>, <ellipse> (geometric)
❌ stroke="..." on main elements
❌ Multiple colors
✅ <path d="M... Q... C..."> with organic curves

Topic-Driven SVG Generation

The svg-generator.sh helper automatically selects appropriate SVG templates based on chapter content:

Keywords	Template	Best For
identity, profile, self, unique	Fingerprint + Verification	Personal identity concepts
network, connect, distributed, system	Central Hub + Network	System architecture concepts
protect, secure, vault, lock	Protected Vault + Links	Security concepts
growth, learn, knowledge, tree	Knowledge Tree	Learning/growth concepts
enforce, filter, gate, barrier	Gateway Arches	Enforcement/validation
trust, hand, collaboration	Hand Holding + Connection	Partnership concepts
unify, finale, complete	Concentric Symbol	Conclusion/unity

Usage:

# Source the generator in your script
source scripts/svg-generator.sh

# Generate SVG for a chapter (position: hero/ch1/ch2/ch3/ch4/ch5/finale)
generate_svg_for_chapter \
  "ch1" \
  "Digital Identity" \
  "Your unique identity on the blockchain" \
  "var(--foam)" \
  "var(--deep)" \
  "fade-path"

Positions: hero | ch1 | ch2 | ch3 | ch4 | ch5 | finale

Animation Patterns

For detailed GSAP and CSS animation patterns, see references/animation-patterns.md

Animation Classes:

Class	Description	Usage
organic-path	Base class for all SVG paths	Always applied
fade-path	Fade in animation	Default for most paths
scale-path	Scale up animation	Combined with fade-path
draw-path	Stroke draw animation (GSAP only)	For line/path drawing effects

Narrative Structure

For narrative structure and HTML templates, see references/structure-templates.md

Resources

File	Purpose	Load When
scripts/generate.sh	Creates HTML (CSS-only or GSAP with --gsap)	Starting new project
scripts/svg-generator.sh	Topic-driven SVG generation helper	Creating custom illustrations
references/animation-patterns.md	GSAP + CSS animation patterns	Implementing animations
references/structure-templates.md	Narrative structure + HTML templates	Building sections
references/svg-illustration-guide.md	Theme → SVG element mapping, templates	Creating topic-relevant illustrations
references/example-david-goliath.md	Complete worked example with all 5 SVGs	Learning SVG composition patterns
references/anthropic-design.md	Full design system reference	Deep customization
references/gsap-patterns.md	GSAP + ScrollTrigger recipes	Using GSAP animation style
references/css-only-patterns.md	IntersectionObserver recipes	Using CSS-only animation style
references/design-harmony.md	Visual cohesion + palette-mood SVG styling	Ensuring consistent design quality

Example Files

File	Animation	Description
agent-harness-gsap.html	GSAP	Full experience with orbit SVGs, draw animations, parallax
agent-harness-anthropic.html	CSS-only	Lightweight with IntersectionObserver reveals

Usage Workflow

1. Choose Animation Style: GSAP (rich) or CSS-only (lightweight)
2. Choose Palette: Select mood → pick specific palette
3. Select Chapter Count: Choose 3, 4, or 5 chapters
4. Plan Narrative: Hero + selected chapters + finale
5. Generate: bash scripts/generate.sh project-name <palette> [--gsap]
6. Customize Content: Replace placeholder text
7. Add Illustrations: Use organic path templates from assets/
8. Test: Verify animations, cursor, scroll behavior
9. Ship: Single self-contained HTML file

Accessibility

• prefers-reduced-motion support (disables animations)
• Touch device detection (hides custom cursor)
• Semantic HTML structure
• High contrast duotone

Token Efficiency

• Scripts execute without loading context (0 tokens)
• SVG templates are copy-paste patterns
• Single HTML output, no build step
• CSS custom properties for easy theming