Using Quoth Personas

Master the three AI personas that enforce documentation patterns in your workflow

Quoth provides three specialized personas that change how Claude interacts with your codebase. Each persona is designed for a specific workflow phase.

What Are Personas?

Personas are behavior configurations, not tools. When you activate a persona:

Claude loads a specialized system prompt
Claude automatically uses Quoth tools in specific ways
Claude follows rules defined by that persona

Personas are activated with /prompt, not called like tools. You cannot "use quoth_architect as a tool" — you activate it as a behavioral mode.

The Three Personas

Persona	Command	Purpose	When to Use
Architect	`/prompt quoth_architect`	Enforce patterns before coding	Writing new code
Auditor	`/prompt quoth_auditor`	Review code against docs	Code review, PRs
Documenter	`/prompt quoth_documenter`	Create structured documentation	After building features

Architect Persona

The Architect enforces a "search-then-write" pattern that prevents hallucinated code.

Activation

/prompt quoth_architect

Behavior

Search Quoth - Before generating any code, Claude searches for relevant patterns

Read Documentation - Fetches full content of matching documents

Generate Compliant Code - Writes code following documented patterns

Cite Sources - References which documents influenced the output

Example Session

You: /prompt quoth_architect

Claude: Architect persona activated. I will search Quoth before
generating any code to ensure compliance with documented patterns.

You: Create a Vitest test for the login function

Claude: [Searching Quoth for "vitest testing patterns"...]
        [Reading patterns/backend-unit-vitest.md...]

According to your documented patterns, I'll create a test following:
- describe/it blocks with descriptive names
- vi.fn() for mocks (not jest.fn())
- Arrange-Act-Assert pattern

[generates compliant test code]

Key Rules

Never generates code without searching first
If no patterns exist, asks whether to create documentation
Always cites which docs influenced the output

Auditor Persona

The Auditor distinguishes between violations (code that breaks patterns) and new patterns (legitimate innovations).

Activation

/prompt quoth_auditor

Behavior

Analyze Code - Examines the code or PR for review

Search Patterns - Finds relevant documented standards

Classify Deviations - Sorts findings into violations vs. new patterns

Generate Report - Produces structured audit output

Classification Logic

Finding	Classification	Recommendation
Uses `jest.fn()` when docs require `vi.fn()`	Violation	Fix to match docs
Introduces new retry logic not in docs	New Pattern	Document if approved
Missing error boundary per docs	Violation	Add per documentation
New caching strategy	New Pattern	Review and document

Example Session

You: /prompt quoth_auditor

Claude: Auditor persona activated. I will compare code against
documented patterns and distinguish violations from new features.

You: Review this file for pattern compliance

Claude: [Searching Quoth for relevant patterns...]
        [Analyzing code against patterns/backend-unit-vitest.md...]

## Audit Report

### Violations (2)
1. Line 45: Uses jest.fn() — docs require vi.fn()
   Source: patterns/backend-unit-vitest.md
   Fix: Replace with vi.fn()

2. Line 89: Missing try-catch per error-handling.md
   Source: patterns/error-handling.md
   Fix: Wrap in error boundary

### New Patterns (1)
1. Line 120: Introduces exponential backoff retry
   Not documented in current patterns
   Recommendation: If approved, use /prompt quoth_documenter

Documenter Persona

The Documenter creates structured documentation following your templates.

Activation

/prompt quoth_documenter

Behavior

Analyze Code - Understands what was built

Determine Type - Classifies the documentation type needed

Fetch Template - Gets the appropriate template from Quoth

Generate Doc - Creates documentation in your format

Propose Update - Submits to Quoth via quoth_propose_update

Example Session

You: /prompt quoth_documenter

Claude: Documenter persona activated. I will help document your code
using Quoth templates.

You: Document the new retry utility I built

Claude: [Fetching template list from Quoth...]
        [This appears to be a utility pattern]
        [Reading template: patterns/utility-template.md...]

I'll create documentation following your utility pattern template:

---
id: retry-utility
type: pattern
related_stack: [typescript, api]
---

## Retry Utility

### Purpose
Provides exponential backoff retry logic for failed API calls.

### Usage
[code examples following your style]

### Parameters
| Param | Type | Description |
...

Shall I propose this update to Quoth?

Switching Between Personas

Each /prompt command replaces the current persona. You cannot stack personas.

Good workflow:

1. /prompt quoth_architect → Write new feature
2. /prompt quoth_auditor → Review the code
3. /prompt quoth_documenter → Document the pattern

Important: Personas persist for the entire conversation until:

You start a new conversation
You activate a different persona
You explicitly reset

Personas vs Tools

Tools (Automatic)

quoth_search_index, quoth_read_doc, quoth_propose_update — Claude calls these automatically based on context

Personas (Manual)

quoth_architect, quoth_auditor, quoth_documenter — You activate these with /prompt to set behavior

Troubleshooting

"Persona isn't working"

Check: Did you use /prompt quoth_architect or try to call it as a tool?

Correct: /prompt quoth_architect
Wrong: "Use quoth_architect to generate code"

"Claude isn't searching Quoth"

The persona activated but Claude decided not to search. Try:

You: Before generating any code, search Quoth for relevant patterns

"Which persona should I use?"

Task	Persona
Writing new code	Architect
Reviewing a PR	Auditor
Creating documentation	Documenter
Running Genesis	Architect
Fixing violations	Architect

Best Practices

Activate Early

Start with /prompt before making your request

One Persona Per Task

Don't try to mix personas in one conversation

Trust the Process

Let the persona guide the workflow

Complete the Loop

When Auditor finds new patterns, use Documenter