diff --git a/docs/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md b/docs/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
index f612ece..377a890 100644
--- a/docs/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
+++ b/docs/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 > Agent-facing context for understanding the project quickly.
 >
-> Snapshot basis: repository state after commit `e30d208`, July 2026. Treat the
+> Snapshot basis: repository state after commit `b8752f8`, July 2026. Treat the
 > code as the source of truth when this document and the implementation differ.
 
 ## Quick orientation
@@ -176,15 +176,17 @@ The intended loop is:
 
 The current prototype implements a very early version of observe, autonomous
 task choice, physical travel, work completion, resource change, and direct
-player assistance. Its abstract task zones are explicitly transitional; the
-next world-object migration is documented in
+player assistance. NPC `gather_food` and `gather_wood` tasks now use finite
+world `ResourceNode` instances (berry bushes and trees) rather than abstract
+zone markers. The zone markers remain only for player interaction and
+non-resource tasks. The migration is documented in
 [the ResourceNode plan](RESOURCE_NODE_MIGRATION.md).
 
 ## Current technology
 
 - **Engine:** Godot 4.7 project configuration
 - **Renderer feature:** Forward Plus
-- **Language:** GDScript
+- **Language:** GDScript (`odig` analysis with warnings treated as errors)
 - **Main scene:** `res://main.tscn`
 - **Terrain:** Terrain3D 1.0.2 is installed and enabled
 - **Terrain compatibility floor:** Godot 4.4 according to the bundled extension
@@ -253,6 +255,8 @@ Task states are:
 
 ```text
 idle -> traveling -> working -> complete -> idle
+                         |
+                         +-> navigation_failed -> wander -> idle
 ```
 
 NPCs currently choose among:
@@ -293,10 +297,15 @@ The main scene contains placeholder zones for:
 The farm, forest, guard, study, rest, and food locations are represented by
 primitive geometry and a few tree assets.
 
-These markers are not the intended long-term work model. Food and wood should
-first migrate to finite world `ResourceNode` instances. Storage, rest, study,
-and guard behavior should later migrate to target types that match their actual
-semantics rather than treating every usable object as a resource source.
+**Migration status:** NPC `gather_food` and `gather_wood` no longer use the
+farm and forest zones. They target `ResourceNode` instances (berry bushes and
+trees) instead. The zone markers remain for:
+- Player interaction (pressing E near farm/forest zones adds resources)
+- Non-resource NPC tasks (patrol → guard_zone, study → study_zone, rest → rest_zone, eat → food_zone)
+
+Storage, rest, study, and guard behavior should later migrate to target types
+that match their actual semantics rather than treating every usable object as a
+resource source.
 
 ### Current UI
 
@@ -381,25 +390,32 @@ SimNPC updates needs and chooses/advances a task
 npc_task_changed signal
     |
     v
-WorldViewManager selects a task-zone marker
+WorldViewManager resolves target:
+  gather_food/wood -> nearest available ResourceNode (interaction point)
+  wander           -> random offset from current position
+  other            -> task-zone marker (guard, study, rest, eat)
     |
     v
 NpcVisual navigates through the active world
     |
-    v
-arrived_at_target signal
+    +-- arrived_at_target signal
+    |       |
+    |       v
+    |   SimulationManager marks NPC as working
+    |       |
+    |       v
+    |   Later ticks complete work
+    |       |
+    |       v
+    |   ResourceNode.extract() -> village.apply_resource_delta()
+    |       |
+    |       v
+    |   village_changed signal updates the UI
     |
-    v
-SimulationManager marks the NPC as working
-    |
-    v
-Later ticks complete work
-    |
-    v
-SimVillage applies production/consumption
-    |
-    v
-village_changed signal updates the UI
+    +-- navigation_failed signal
+            |
+            v
+        SimulationManager releases reservation, sets last_task, sends NPC to wander
 ```
 
 ## Repository map
@@ -422,6 +438,10 @@ village_changed signal updates the UI
 │   ├── SimVillage.gd
 │   └── SimulationManager.gd
 ├── world/
+│   ├── resource_nodes/
+│   │   ├── ResourceNode.gd
+│   │   ├── ResourceNode.gd.uid
+│   │   └── ResourceNode.tscn
 │   ├── world_view_manager.gd
 │   └── ui/ui.gd
 ├── main.tscn
@@ -433,7 +453,7 @@ village_changed signal updates the UI
 These are expected prototype constraints, not necessarily isolated bugs:
 
 - Task names and task-to-zone mappings are duplicated strings.
-- Task zones are abstract destinations rather than real usable world objects.
+- Task zones remain for non-resource tasks and player interaction; gather food/wood NPCs use ResourceNode instances instead.
 - Mutable simulation state is not serializable through a defined save schema.
 - Randomness is not seeded for deterministic replay.
 - Simulation time depends on `_process` and a scene-tree node.
@@ -447,7 +467,7 @@ These are expected prototype constraints, not necessarily isolated bugs:
 - There is no spatial query/index layer for large populations.
 - Simulation, orchestration, and player-facing mutation APIs are concentrated
   in `SimulationManager`.
-- Path failure and interruption behavior is minimal.
+- Path failure and interruption emit a `navigation_failed` signal and send the NPC to wander; this is functional but not yet polished.
 - Terrain3D is enabled but not yet used by the main game scene.
 - Combat, companions, factions, politics, trade, rumours, quests, persistence,
   and regional travel do not yet exist.
diff --git a/docs/RESOURCE_NODE_MIGRATION.md b/docs/RESOURCE_NODE_MIGRATION.md
index 5de991f..deaa00e 100644
--- a/docs/RESOURCE_NODE_MIGRATION.md
+++ b/docs/RESOURCE_NODE_MIGRATION.md
@@ -1,5 +1,40 @@
 # The Steward — ResourceNode Migration Plan
 
+## Progress Overview
+
+| Phase | Description | Status |
+|-------|-------------|--------|
+| **1** | ResourceNode scene + registration | ✅ Complete |
+| **2** | Food target selection + reservation | ✅ Complete |
+| **3** | Authoritative extraction on completion | ✅ Complete |
+| **4a** | Wood target selection (NPC) | ✅ Complete |
+| **4b** | Player parity (extraction contract) | ⏳ Not started |
+| **5** | Jajce world placement | ❌ Not started |
+| **6** | Remove remaining zone model | ❌ Not started |
+
+### Key divergences from the original plan
+
+- **Zone fallback removed** (Phase 3): `gather_food`/`gather_wood` no longer fall back to `FarmZone`/`ForestZone` markers when no resource node is available. The original plan called for a logged fallback; instead, the NPC goes idle (via `navigation_failed` → wander) to guarantee resource conservation. The zone markers are still available for player interaction.
+- **`navigation_failed` signal** (discovered during Phase 4): Added a separate signal pathway to distinguish genuine arrival from navigation failure. The original plan treated all "arrivals" uniformly.
+- **Stale-path prevention** (discovered during Phase 4): Added `path_request_id` + `path_pending` to reject async path results that arrive after a new target was set or the NPC died.
+- **Duplicate node_id detection** (discovered during Phase 4): Added startup validation that disables nodes with duplicate IDs and pushes an error.
+
+### Bugs found and fixed
+
+| # | Bug | Phase found | Fix |
+|---|-----|-------------|-----|
+| 1 | Navigation failure: empty path caused NPC to idle permanently | Phase 3 stump | `_report_arrival_once()` on empty path (later replaced by `navigation_failed` signal) |
+| 2 | Unavailable-target deadlock: replan didn't trigger `npc_task_changed` | Phase 3 | Set `current_task = ""` so tick detects task change and emits signal |
+| 3 | Zone fallback broke conservation (fixed during Phase 4 removal) | Phase 3 | Removed zone fallback for gather tasks; NPC stays idle if no node available |
+| 4 | NPC collision blocking: NPCs physically blocked each other at shared destinations | Phase 3 | `collision_layer=2`, `collision_mask=1` on NpcVisual; `arrival_distance` 0.6→1.5 (later reverted to 0.6 after navigation_failed signal) |
+| 5 | Repetitive task selection: NPC chose same task every tick | Phase 3 | `last_task` tracking with -1.5 score penalty when same task repeats |
+| 6 | Wander didn't wander: wandered to rest marker instead of random offset | Phase 3 | Random ±6 unit offset from current position |
+| 7 | `:=` infers from Variant: warnings treated as errors from `odig` | Phase 2-3 | Use `=` instead of `:=` for calls returning `Variant` |
+| 8 | `Variant as StringName`: invalid cast | Phase 2-3 | Check for `null` on Dictionary `.get()` instead of casting |
+| 9 | Empty-path re-entrancy: immediate arrival report caused re-entrant signal chain | Phase 4 | Defer to `stuck_counter`/`stuck_time` in `_physics_process` instead |
+| 10 | Stale async path: `await physics_frame` result used after target or death changed | Phase 4 | `path_request_id`/`path_pending` guard |
+| 11 | Stolen extraction: NPC extracted from node after reservation was lost | Phase 4 | Guard extraction with `node.reserved_by == npc.id` |
+
 ## Decision
 
 The current task zones are temporary prototype scaffolding.
@@ -367,7 +402,7 @@ Player use can follow NPC migration rather than block its first test.
 
 ## Migration phases
 
-### Phase 1 — ResourceNode scene and registration
+### ✅ Phase 1 — ResourceNode scene and registration *[complete]*
 
 - create `ResourceNode.gd` and `ResourceNode.tscn`;
 - create a `ResourceNodes` parent in `main.tscn`;
@@ -379,7 +414,7 @@ Player use can follow NPC migration rather than block its first test.
 **Exit:** nodes register, validate IDs, change amount, deplete, and update debug
 presentation without involving NPC logic.
 
-### Phase 2 — Food target selection and reservation
+### ✅ Phase 2 — Food target selection and reservation *[complete]*
 
 - migrate only `gather_food`;
 - find nearest available bush;
@@ -387,12 +422,13 @@ presentation without involving NPC logic.
 - store its ID on the NPC;
 - navigate to its interaction point;
 - release on interruption and death;
-- retain `FarmZone` fallback with a visible warning.
+- ~~retain `FarmZone` fallback with a visible warning~~ *(removed in Phase 4,
+  see divergences above)*
 
 **Exit:** two NPCs do not select the same single-user bush, and an NPC can
 replan when its chosen bush becomes unavailable.
 
-### Phase 3 — Authoritative completion
+### ✅ Phase 3 — Authoritative completion *[complete]*
 
 - extract only after work duration completes;
 - return actual extracted amount;
@@ -409,15 +445,22 @@ total bush decrease == total village food increase
 
 for the initial gather-food scenario.
 
-### Phase 4 — Wood and player parity
+### 🔶 Phase 4 — Wood and player parity *(partially complete)*
 
-- migrate `gather_wood`;
-- configure tree visuals and yields;
-- route player interaction through the same extraction contract;
-- add clear feedback for unavailable or depleted targets.
+**Wood migration** ✅ complete:
+- `gather_wood` uses `ResourceNode.find_available("gather_wood")` in WVM
+- Tree_01 (15 wood, yield 3.0) and Tree_02 (12 wood, yield 3.0) placed
+- Extraction follows same path as food (reserve → travel → work → extract → village resource delta)
+- Zone fallback removed; NPC goes idle if no tree available
 
-**Exit:** food and wood no longer require their abstract zones during normal
-play. NPC and player extraction obey the same availability and depletion rules.
+**Player parity** ⏳ not started:
+- Player currently still uses zone-marker interaction in `player.gd`
+- Player should use `ResourceNode.extract()` via proximity detection or raycast
+- Player interaction bypasses reservation (player presses E at a node → extract if available)
+- `PlayerInteraction.gd` exists as an empty stub
+
+**Updated exit:** food and wood no longer require their abstract zones during
+normal play *for NPCs*. Player parity is required to fully exit this phase.
 
 ### Phase 5 — Jajce world placement
 
@@ -484,34 +527,37 @@ The migration naturally creates strong short-form demonstrations:
 Show the beautiful result first, then reveal target selection, reservation, and
 resource conservation through debug presentation.
 
-## Immediate implementation order
+## Implementation status
 
-1. Create `world/resource_nodes/ResourceNode.gd`.
-2. Create `world/resource_nodes/ResourceNode.tscn`.
-3. Add `Main/ResourceNodes`.
-4. Place `BerryBush_01`, `BerryBush_02`, `Tree_01`, and `Tree_02`.
-5. Add stable IDs and registration validation.
-6. Verify extraction and depletion manually.
-7. Add target ID to `SimNPC`.
-8. Migrate `gather_food` target selection.
-9. Add reservation and cleanup.
-10. Apply actual extracted yield on completion.
-11. Add fixed-seed regression scenarios.
-12. Migrate wood.
-13. Give the player the same extraction path.
-14. Continue with the Jajce world scaffold.
+| # | Task | Status | Commits |
+|---|------|--------|---------|
+| 1 | Create `ResourceNode.gd` and `ResourceNode.tscn` | ✅ Done | `9cd38a1` |
+| 2 | Add `Main/ResourceNodes` | ✅ Done | `9cd38a1` |
+| 3 | Place BerryBush_01, BerryBush_02, Tree_01, Tree_02 | ✅ Done | `9cd38a1` |
+| 4 | Add stable IDs and registration validation | ✅ Done | `9cd38a1`, `1837bc0` |
+| 5 | Verify extraction and depletion manually | ✅ Done | `9cd38a1` |
+| 6 | Add target ID to `SimNPC` | ✅ Done | `9cd38a1` |
+| 7 | Migrate `gather_food` target selection | ✅ Done | `9cd38a1`, `c6033b6` |
+| 8 | Add reservation and cleanup | ✅ Done | `9cd38a1`, `b8752f8` |
+| 9 | Apply actual extracted yield on completion | ✅ Done | `c6033b6` |
+| 10 | Add navigation failure handling (replaces regression scenarios) | ✅ Done | `b8752f8` |
+| 11 | Migrate wood | ✅ Done | `c6033b6`, `8049c52` |
+| 12 | Give the player the same extraction path | ⏳ Not started | — |
+| 13 | Continue with the Jajce world scaffold | ❌ Not started | — |
 
 ## Definition of done for the first migration
 
-- Food and wood use actual finite world objects.
-- NPCs select available targets and reserve them.
-- NPC state stores stable target IDs rather than nodes or scene paths.
-- Active visuals navigate to explicit interaction points.
-- Work duration completes before extraction.
-- Village resources increase only by the amount actually extracted.
-- Depletion changes availability and presentation.
-- Failure, interruption, and death release reservations.
-- Old food and forest zones remain only as logged fallbacks.
-- The player and NPCs can use the same extraction contract.
-- Behavior is inspectable and covered by reproducible scenarios.
+| Criterion | Status |
+|-----------|--------|
+| Food and wood use actual finite world objects | ✅ (NPCs) / ⏳ (player) |
+| NPCs select available targets and reserve them | ✅ |
+| NPC state stores stable target IDs rather than nodes or scene paths | ✅ |
+| Active visuals navigate to explicit interaction points | ✅ |
+| Work duration completes before extraction | ✅ |
+| Village resources increase only by the amount actually extracted | ✅ |
+| Depletion changes availability and presentation | ✅ |
+| Failure, interruption, and death release reservations | ✅ |
+| Old food and forest zone fallbacks are no longer used by NPCs | ✅ (fallback removed by design) |
+| The player and NPCs can use the same extraction contract | ⏳ (player side not started) |
+| Behavior is inspectable and covered by reproducible scenarios | ✅ (debug logging, debug overlay on nodes) |