:root{
  /* --- Base: warm white → beige ladder (lightest → deepest) --- */
  --pure-white:#FFFFFF;
  --warm-white:#FDFCFA;
  --ivory:#F8F5F0;
  --light-beige:#F1EBE3;
  --champagne-beige:#E7DECF;
  --beige-deep:#D8CCB8;

  /* --- Primary accent: deep, near-black navy --- */
  --navy-900:#0A111D;
  --navy-800:#0F1A2B;
  --navy-700:#16243A;
  --navy-600:#1F3050;
  --navy-500:#2C4468;
  --navy-400:#54637C;
  --navy-300:#8A95A6;

  /* --- Secondary accent: champagne gold / muted bronze --- */
  --gold-700:#8E7647;
  --gold-600:#A8916A;
  --gold-500:#C2A97E;
  --gold-400:#D3BF9B;
  --gold-300:#E1D2B4;
  --gold-100:#F2EADA;

  /* --- Semantic text --- */
  --text-heading:var(--navy-900);
  --text-body:#3C4657;
  --text-muted:#6E7789;
  --text-placeholder:#9BA3B1;
  --text-on-dark:#F3F1ED;
  --text-on-dark-muted:rgba(243,241,237,.62);
  --text-gold:var(--gold-700);

  /* --- Semantic surfaces --- */
  --surface-page:var(--warm-white);
  --surface-alt:var(--ivory);
  --surface-sink:var(--light-beige);
  --surface-card:var(--pure-white);
  --surface-dark:var(--navy-900);
  --surface-dark-alt:var(--navy-800);
  --surface-glass:rgba(253,252,250,.68);
  --surface-glass-dark:rgba(10,17,29,.55);

  /* --- Lines: hairline only, 1px --- */
  --line-hairline:rgba(10,17,29,.10);
  --line-hairline-strong:rgba(10,17,29,.18);
  --line-gold:rgba(194,169,126,.55);
  --line-gold-soft:rgba(194,169,126,.28);
  --line-on-dark:rgba(243,241,237,.16);

  /* --- Status (used sparingly, desaturated to match the palette) --- */
  --status-success:#4F6B54;
  --status-warning:var(--gold-700);
  --status-error:#8C4A45;
  --status-info:var(--navy-500);

  /* --- Futuristic expression: light, not colour --- */
  --grad-navy:linear-gradient(160deg,#16243A 0%,#0A111D 62%,#050A12 100%); /* @kind color */
  --grad-navy-gold:linear-gradient(135deg,#0F1A2B 0%,#1F3050 55%,#8E7647 130%); /* @kind color */
  --grad-ivory-gold:linear-gradient(150deg,#FDFCFA 0%,#F8F5F0 48%,#F2EADA 100%); /* @kind color */
  --grad-gold-line:linear-gradient(90deg,rgba(194,169,126,0) 0%,rgba(194,169,126,.75) 50%,rgba(194,169,126,0) 100%); /* @kind color */
  --grad-hairline:linear-gradient(90deg,rgba(10,17,29,0) 0%,rgba(10,17,29,.16) 50%,rgba(10,17,29,0) 100%); /* @kind color */
  --glow-gold:radial-gradient(60% 60% at 50% 40%,rgba(211,191,155,.34) 0%,rgba(211,191,155,0) 72%); /* @kind color */
  --glow-cool:radial-gradient(55% 55% at 50% 30%,rgba(196,214,235,.30) 0%,rgba(196,214,235,0) 70%); /* @kind color */
  --grad-dark-veil:linear-gradient(180deg,rgba(10,17,29,0) 0%,rgba(10,17,29,.55) 68%,rgba(10,17,29,.82) 100%); /* @kind color */
}