feat: Enable and configure figment mode via new CLI flags, update documentation, and improve Cairo library detection on macOS.

- Add figment mode to intro paragraph
- New Figment Mode section: enabling, assets, trigger protocol, deps
- Architecture table updated with engine/figment_render.py,
  figment_trigger.py, and effects_plugins/ directory breakdown
- Dev setup: separate uv sync --extras entries (mic vs figment)
- Testing section: mentions figment test coverage and Cairo skip
- Roadmap: adds figment follow-up items (CLI flag, intensity wiring,
  ntfy trigger)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

README.md

@@ -2,7 +2,37 @@
 
 > *Digital consciousness stream. Matrix aesthetic · THX-1138 hue.*
 
-A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large OTF-font block characters with selectable color gradients (Verdant Green, Molten Orange, or Violet Purple). Headlines auto-translate into the native script of their subject region. Ambient mic input warps the glitch rate in real time. A `--poetry` mode replaces the feed with public-domain literary passages. Live messages can be pushed to the display over [ntfy.sh](https://ntfy.sh).
+A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large OTF-font block characters with selectable color gradients (Verdant Green, Molten Orange, or Violet Purple). Headlines auto-translate into the native script of their subject region. Ambient mic input warps the glitch rate in real time. A `--poetry` mode replaces the feed with public-domain literary passages. Live messages can be pushed to the display over [ntfy.sh](https://ntfy.sh). **Figment mode** overlays flickery, theme-colored SVG glyphs on the running stream at timed intervals — controllable from any input source via an extensible trigger protocol.
+
+---
+
+## Contents
+
+- [Using](#using)
+  - [Run](#run)
+  - [Config](#config)
+  - [Feeds](#feeds)
+  - [Fonts](#fonts)
+  - [Color Schemes](#color-schemes)
+  - [ntfy.sh](#ntfysh)
+  - [Figment Mode](#figment-mode)
+- [Internals](#internals)
+  - [How it works](#how-it-works)
+  - [Architecture](#architecture)
+- [Extending](#extending)
+  - [NtfyPoller](#ntfypoller)
+  - [MicMonitor](#micmonitor)
+  - [Render pipeline](#render-pipeline)
+- [Development](#development)
+  - [Setup](#setup)
+  - [Tasks](#tasks)
+  - [Testing](#testing)
+  - [Linting](#linting)
+- [Roadmap](#roadmap)
+  - [Performance](#performance)
+  - [Graphics](#graphics)
+  - [Cyberpunk Vibes](#cyberpunk-vibes)
+  - [Extensibility](#extensibility)
 
 ---
 
@@ -15,6 +45,8 @@ python3 mainline.py                      # news stream
 python3 mainline.py --poetry             # literary consciousness mode
 python3 mainline.py -p                   # same
 python3 mainline.py --firehose           # dense rapid-fire headline mode
+python3 mainline.py --figment            # enable periodic SVG glyph overlays
+python3 mainline.py --figment-interval 30 # figment every 30 seconds (default: 60)
 python3 mainline.py --refresh            # force re-fetch (bypass cache)
 python3 mainline.py --no-font-picker     # skip interactive font picker
 python3 mainline.py --font-file path.otf # use a specific font file
@@ -50,6 +82,7 @@ All constants live in `engine/config.py`:
 | `FRAME_DT` | `0.05` | Frame interval in seconds (20 FPS) |
 | `GRAD_SPEED` | `0.08` | Gradient sweep speed (cycles/sec, ~12s full sweep) |
 | `FIREHOSE_H` | `12` | Firehose zone height (terminal rows) |
+| `FIGMENT_INTERVAL` | `60` | Seconds between figment appearances (set by `--figment-interval`) |
 | `NTFY_TOPIC` | klubhaus URL | ntfy.sh JSON stream endpoint |
 | `NTFY_RECONNECT_DELAY` | `5` | Seconds before reconnecting after a dropped SSE stream |
 | `MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS` | `30` | How long an ntfy message holds the screen |
@@ -95,6 +128,39 @@ curl -d "Body text" -H "Title: Alert title" https://ntfy.sh/your_topic
 
 Update `NTFY_TOPIC` in `engine/config.py` to point at your own topic.
 
+### Figment Mode
+
+Figment mode periodically overlays a full-screen SVG glyph on the running ticker — flickering through a reveal → hold (strobe) → dissolve cycle, colored with a randomly selected theme gradient.
+
+**Enable it** with the `--figment` flag:
+
+```bash
+uv run mainline.py --figment                   # glyph every 60 seconds (default)
+uv run mainline.py --figment --figment-interval 30  # every 30 seconds
+```
+
+**Figment assets** live in `figments/` — drop any `.svg` file there and it will be picked up automatically. The bundled set contains Mayan and Aztec glyphs. Figments are selected randomly, avoiding immediate repeats, and rasterized into half-block terminal art at display time.
+
+**Triggering manually** — any object with a `poll() -> FigmentCommand | None` method satisfies the `FigmentTrigger` protocol and can be passed to the plugin:
+
+```python
+from engine.figment_trigger import FigmentAction, FigmentCommand
+
+class MyTrigger:
+    def poll(self):
+        if some_condition:
+            return FigmentCommand(action=FigmentAction.TRIGGER)
+        return None
+```
+
+Built-in commands: `TRIGGER`, `SET_INTENSITY`, `SET_INTERVAL`, `SET_COLOR`, `STOP`.
+
+**System dependency:** Figment mode requires the Cairo C library (`brew install cairo` on macOS) in addition to the `figment` extras group:
+
+```bash
+uv sync --extra figment   # adds cairosvg
+```
+
 ---
 
 ## Internals
@@ -109,6 +175,7 @@ Update `NTFY_TOPIC` in `engine/config.py` to point at your own topic.
 - The mic stream runs in a background thread, feeding RMS dB into the glitch probability calculation each frame
 - The viewport scrolls through a virtual canvas of pre-rendered blocks; fade zones at top and bottom dissolve characters probabilistically
 - An ntfy.sh SSE stream runs in a background thread; incoming messages interrupt the scroll and render full-screen until dismissed or expired
+- Figment mode rasterizes SVGs via cairosvg → PIL → greyscale → half-block encode, then overlays them with ANSI cursor-positioning commands between the effect chain and the ntfy message layer
 
 ### Architecture
 
@@ -131,12 +198,25 @@ engine/
   scroll.py             stream() frame loop + message rendering
   viewport.py           terminal dimension tracking (tw/th)
   frame.py              scroll step calculation, timing
-  layers.py         ticker zone, firehose, message overlay rendering
+  layers.py             ticker zone, firehose, message + figment overlay rendering
+  figment_render.py     SVG → cairosvg → PIL → half-block rasterizer with cache
+  figment_trigger.py    FigmentTrigger protocol, FigmentAction enum, FigmentCommand
   eventbus.py           thread-safe event publishing for decoupled communication
   events.py             event types and definitions
   controller.py         coordinates ntfy/mic monitoring and event publishing
   emitters.py           background emitters for ntfy and mic
   types.py              type definitions and dataclasses
+  themes.py             THEME_REGISTRY — gradient color definitions
+
+effects_plugins/
+  __init__.py           plugin discovery (ABC issubclass scan)
+  noise.py              NoiseEffect — random character noise
+  glitch.py             GlitchEffect — horizontal glitch bars
+  fade.py               FadeEffect — edge fade zones
+  firehose.py           FirehoseEffect — dense bottom ticker strip
+  figment.py            FigmentEffect — periodic SVG glyph overlay (state machine)
+
+figments/               SVG assets for figment mode
 ```
 
 `ntfy.py` and `mic.py` have zero internal dependencies and can be imported by any other visualizer.
@@ -204,11 +284,15 @@ See `Mainline Renderer + ntfy Message Queue for ESP32.md` for the full server +
 Requires Python 3.10+ and [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/).
 
 ```bash
-uv sync                              # minimal (no mic)
+uv sync                              # minimal (no mic, no figment)
-uv sync --all-extras                 # with mic support (sounddevice + numpy)
+uv sync --extras mic                 # with mic support (sounddevice + numpy)
+uv sync --extra figment              # with figment mode (cairosvg + system Cairo)
+uv sync --all-extras                 # all optional features
 uv sync --all-extras --group dev     # full dev environment
 ```
 
+Figment mode also requires the Cairo C library: `brew install cairo` (macOS).
+
 ### Tasks
 
 With [mise](https://mise.jdx.dev/):
@@ -226,7 +310,7 @@ mise run run-firehose    # uv run mainline.py --firehose
 
 ### Testing
 
-Tests live in `tests/` and cover `config`, `filter`, `mic`, `ntfy`, `sources`, and `terminal`.
+Tests live in `tests/` and cover `config`, `filter`, `mic`, `ntfy`, `sources`, `terminal`, and the full figment pipeline (`figment_render`, `figment_trigger`, `figment`, `figment_overlay`). Figment tests are automatically skipped if Cairo is not installed.
 
 ```bash
 uv run pytest
@@ -258,6 +342,8 @@ Pre-commit hooks run lint automatically via `hk`.
 - **Parallax secondary column** — a second, dimmer, faster-scrolling stream of ambient text at reduced opacity on one side
 
 ### Cyberpunk Vibes
+- **Figment intensity wiring** — `config.intensity` currently stored but not yet applied to reveal/dissolve speed or strobe frequency
+- **ntfy figment trigger** — built-in `NtfyFigmentTrigger` that listens on a dedicated topic to fire figments on demand
 - **Keyword watch list** — highlight or strobe any headline matching tracked terms (names, topics, tickers)
 - **Breaking interrupt** — full-screen flash + synthesized blip when a high-priority keyword hits
 - **Live data overlay** — secondary ticker strip at screen edge: BTC price, ISS position, geomagnetic index

effects_plugins/figment.py

@@ -0,0 +1,200 @@
+"""
+Figment effect plugin — periodic SVG glyph overlay.
+
+Owns the figment lifecycle: timer, SVG selection, state machine.
+Delegates rendering to render_figment_overlay() in engine/layers.py.
+
+Named FigmentEffect (not FigmentPlugin) to match the *Effect discovery
+convention in effects_plugins/__init__.py.
+
+NOT added to the EffectChain order — process() is a no-op. The overlay
+rendering is handled by scroll.py calling get_figment_state().
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import random
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from enum import Enum, auto
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from engine import config
+from engine.effects.types import EffectConfig, EffectContext, EffectPlugin
+from engine.figment_render import rasterize_svg
+from engine.figment_trigger import FigmentAction, FigmentCommand, FigmentTrigger
+from engine.themes import THEME_REGISTRY
+
+
+class FigmentPhase(Enum):
+    REVEAL = auto()
+    HOLD = auto()
+    DISSOLVE = auto()
+
+
+@dataclass
+class FigmentState:
+    phase: FigmentPhase
+    progress: float
+    rows: list[str]
+    gradient: list[int]
+    center_row: int
+    center_col: int
+
+
+class FigmentEffect(EffectPlugin):
+    name = "figment"
+    config = EffectConfig(
+        enabled=False,
+        intensity=1.0,
+        params={
+            "interval_secs": 60,
+            "display_secs": 4.5,
+            "figment_dir": "figments",
+        },
+    )
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        figment_dir: str | None = None,
+        triggers: list[FigmentTrigger] | None = None,
+    ):
+        self.config = EffectConfig(
+            enabled=False,
+            intensity=1.0,
+            params={
+                "interval_secs": 60,
+                "display_secs": 4.5,
+                "figment_dir": figment_dir or "figments",
+            },
+        )
+        self._triggers = triggers or []
+        self._phase: FigmentPhase | None = None
+        self._progress: float = 0.0
+        self._rows: list[str] = []
+        self._gradient: list[int] = []
+        self._center_row: int = 0
+        self._center_col: int = 0
+        self._timer: float = 0.0
+        self._last_svg: str | None = None
+        self._svg_files: list[str] = []
+        self._scan_svgs()
+
+    def _scan_svgs(self) -> None:
+        figment_dir = Path(self.config.params["figment_dir"])
+        if figment_dir.is_dir():
+            self._svg_files = sorted(str(p) for p in figment_dir.glob("*.svg"))
+
+    def process(self, buf: list[str], ctx: EffectContext) -> list[str]:
+        return buf
+
+    def configure(self, cfg: EffectConfig) -> None:
+        # Preserve figment_dir if the new config doesn't supply one
+        figment_dir = cfg.params.get(
+            "figment_dir", self.config.params.get("figment_dir", "figments")
+        )
+        self.config = cfg
+        if "figment_dir" not in self.config.params:
+            self.config.params["figment_dir"] = figment_dir
+        self._scan_svgs()
+
+    def trigger(self, w: int, h: int) -> None:
+        """Manually trigger a figment display."""
+        if not self._svg_files:
+            return
+
+        # Pick a random SVG, avoid repeating
+        candidates = [s for s in self._svg_files if s != self._last_svg]
+        if not candidates:
+            candidates = self._svg_files
+        svg_path = random.choice(candidates)
+        self._last_svg = svg_path
+
+        # Rasterize
+        try:
+            self._rows = rasterize_svg(svg_path, w, h)
+        except Exception:
+            return
+
+        # Pick random theme gradient
+        theme_key = random.choice(list(THEME_REGISTRY.keys()))
+        self._gradient = THEME_REGISTRY[theme_key].main_gradient
+
+        # Center in viewport
+        figment_h = len(self._rows)
+        figment_w = max((len(r) for r in self._rows), default=0)
+        self._center_row = max(0, (h - figment_h) // 2)
+        self._center_col = max(0, (w - figment_w) // 2)
+
+        # Start reveal phase
+        self._phase = FigmentPhase.REVEAL
+        self._progress = 0.0
+
+    def get_figment_state(
+        self, frame_number: int, w: int, h: int
+    ) -> FigmentState | None:
+        """Tick the state machine and return current state, or None if idle."""
+        if not self.config.enabled:
+            return None
+
+        # Poll triggers
+        for trig in self._triggers:
+            cmd = trig.poll()
+            if cmd is not None:
+                self._handle_command(cmd, w, h)
+
+        # Tick timer when idle
+        if self._phase is None:
+            self._timer += config.FRAME_DT
+            interval = self.config.params.get("interval_secs", 60)
+            if self._timer >= interval:
+                self._timer = 0.0
+                self.trigger(w, h)
+
+        # Tick animation — snapshot current phase/progress, then advance
+        if self._phase is not None:
+            # Capture the state at the start of this frame
+            current_phase = self._phase
+            current_progress = self._progress
+
+            # Advance for next frame
+            display_secs = self.config.params.get("display_secs", 4.5)
+            phase_duration = display_secs / 3.0
+            self._progress += config.FRAME_DT / phase_duration
+
+            if self._progress >= 1.0:
+                self._progress = 0.0
+                if self._phase == FigmentPhase.REVEAL:
+                    self._phase = FigmentPhase.HOLD
+                elif self._phase == FigmentPhase.HOLD:
+                    self._phase = FigmentPhase.DISSOLVE
+                elif self._phase == FigmentPhase.DISSOLVE:
+                    self._phase = None
+
+            return FigmentState(
+                phase=current_phase,
+                progress=current_progress,
+                rows=self._rows,
+                gradient=self._gradient,
+                center_row=self._center_row,
+                center_col=self._center_col,
+            )
+
+        return None
+
+    def _handle_command(self, cmd: FigmentCommand, w: int, h: int) -> None:
+        if cmd.action == FigmentAction.TRIGGER:
+            self.trigger(w, h)
+        elif cmd.action == FigmentAction.SET_INTENSITY and isinstance(
+            cmd.value, (int, float)
+        ):
+            self.config.intensity = float(cmd.value)
+        elif cmd.action == FigmentAction.SET_INTERVAL and isinstance(
+            cmd.value, (int, float)
+        ):
+            self.config.params["interval_secs"] = float(cmd.value)
+        elif cmd.action == FigmentAction.SET_COLOR and isinstance(cmd.value, str):
+            if cmd.value in THEME_REGISTRY:
+                self._gradient = THEME_REGISTRY[cmd.value].main_gradient
+        elif cmd.action == FigmentAction.STOP:
+            self._phase = None
+            self._progress = 0.0

engine/app.py

@@ -413,6 +413,14 @@ def main():
     if config.FIREHOSE:
         boot_ln("Firehose", "ENGAGED", True)
 
+    if config.FIGMENT:
+        try:
+            from effects_plugins.figment import FigmentEffect  # noqa: F401
+
+            boot_ln("Figment", f"ARMED [{config.FIGMENT_INTERVAL}s interval]", True)
+        except (ImportError, OSError):
+            boot_ln("Figment", "UNAVAILABLE — run: brew install cairo", False)
+
     time.sleep(0.4)
     slow_print("  > STREAMING...\n")
     time.sleep(0.2)

engine/config.py

@@ -196,6 +196,8 @@ MODE = (
     else "news"
 )
 FIREHOSE = "--firehose" in sys.argv
+FIGMENT = "--figment" in sys.argv
+FIGMENT_INTERVAL = _arg_int("--figment-interval", 60)  # seconds between appearances
 
 # ─── NTFY MESSAGE QUEUE ──────────────────────────────────
 NTFY_TOPIC = "https://ntfy.sh/klubhaus_terminal_mainline/json"

engine/figment_render.py

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+"""
+SVG to half-block terminal art rasterization.
+
+Pipeline: SVG -> cairosvg -> PIL -> greyscale threshold -> half-block encode.
+Follows the same pixel-pair approach as engine/render.py for OTF fonts.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import sys
+from io import BytesIO
+
+# cairocffi (used by cairosvg) calls dlopen() to find the Cairo C library.
+# On macOS with Homebrew, Cairo lives in /opt/homebrew/lib (Apple Silicon) or
+# /usr/local/lib (Intel), which are not in dyld's default search path.
+# Setting DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH before the import directs dlopen() to those paths.
+if sys.platform == "darwin" and not os.environ.get("DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH"):
+    for _brew_lib in ("/opt/homebrew/lib", "/usr/local/lib"):
+        if os.path.exists(os.path.join(_brew_lib, "libcairo.2.dylib")):
+            os.environ["DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH"] = _brew_lib
+            break
+
+import cairosvg
+from PIL import Image
+
+_cache: dict[tuple[str, int, int], list[str]] = {}
+
+
+def rasterize_svg(svg_path: str, width: int, height: int) -> list[str]:
+    """Convert SVG file to list of half-block terminal rows (uncolored).
+
+    Args:
+        svg_path: Path to SVG file.
+        width: Target terminal width in columns.
+        height: Target terminal height in rows.
+
+    Returns:
+        List of strings, one per terminal row, containing block characters.
+    """
+    cache_key = (svg_path, width, height)
+    if cache_key in _cache:
+        return _cache[cache_key]
+
+    # SVG -> PNG in memory
+    png_bytes = cairosvg.svg2png(
+        url=svg_path,
+        output_width=width,
+        output_height=height * 2,  # 2 pixel rows per terminal row
+    )
+
+    # PNG -> greyscale PIL image
+    # Composite RGBA onto white background so transparent areas become white (255)
+    # and drawn pixels retain their luminance values.
+    img_rgba = Image.open(BytesIO(png_bytes)).convert("RGBA")
+    img_rgba = img_rgba.resize((width, height * 2), Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
+    background = Image.new("RGBA", img_rgba.size, (255, 255, 255, 255))
+    background.paste(img_rgba, mask=img_rgba.split()[3])
+    img = background.convert("L")
+
+    data = img.tobytes()
+    pix_w = width
+    pix_h = height * 2
+    # White (255) = empty space, dark (< threshold) = filled pixel
+    threshold = 128
+
+    # Half-block encode: walk pixel pairs
+    rows: list[str] = []
+    for y in range(0, pix_h, 2):
+        row: list[str] = []
+        for x in range(pix_w):
+            top = data[y * pix_w + x] < threshold
+            bot = data[(y + 1) * pix_w + x] < threshold if y + 1 < pix_h else False
+            if top and bot:
+                row.append("█")
+            elif top:
+                row.append("▀")
+            elif bot:
+                row.append("▄")
+            else:
+                row.append(" ")
+        rows.append("".join(row))
+
+    _cache[cache_key] = rows
+    return rows
+
+
+def clear_cache() -> None:
+    """Clear the rasterization cache (e.g., on terminal resize)."""
+    _cache.clear()

engine/figment_trigger.py

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+"""
+Figment trigger protocol and command types.
+
+Defines the extensible input abstraction for triggering figment displays
+from any control surface (ntfy, MQTT, serial, etc.).
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from enum import Enum
+from typing import Protocol
+
+
+class FigmentAction(Enum):
+    TRIGGER = "trigger"
+    SET_INTENSITY = "set_intensity"
+    SET_INTERVAL = "set_interval"
+    SET_COLOR = "set_color"
+    STOP = "stop"
+
+
+@dataclass
+class FigmentCommand:
+    action: FigmentAction
+    value: float | str | None = None
+
+
+class FigmentTrigger(Protocol):
+    """Protocol for figment trigger sources.
+
+    Any input source (ntfy, MQTT, serial) can implement this
+    to trigger and control figment displays.
+    """
+
+    def poll(self) -> FigmentCommand | None: ...

engine/layers.py

@@ -57,9 +57,7 @@ def render_message_overlay(
     else:
         msg_rows = msg_cache[1]
 
-    msg_rows = msg_gradient(
+    msg_rows = msg_gradient(msg_rows, (time.monotonic() * config.GRAD_SPEED) % 1.0)
-        msg_rows, (time.monotonic() * config.GRAD_SPEED) % 1.0
-    )
 
     elapsed_s = int(time.monotonic() - m_ts)
     remaining = max(0, config.MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS - elapsed_s)
@@ -258,3 +256,101 @@ def get_effect_chain() -> EffectChain | None:
     if _effect_chain is None:
         init_effects()
     return _effect_chain
+
+
+def render_figment_overlay(
+    figment_state,
+    w: int,
+    h: int,
+) -> list[str]:
+    """Render figment overlay as ANSI cursor-positioning commands.
+
+    Args:
+        figment_state: FigmentState with phase, progress, rows, gradient, centering.
+        w: terminal width
+        h: terminal height
+
+    Returns:
+        List of ANSI strings to append to display buffer.
+    """
+    from engine.render import _color_codes_to_ansi
+
+    rows = figment_state.rows
+    if not rows:
+        return []
+
+    phase = figment_state.phase
+    progress = figment_state.progress
+    gradient = figment_state.gradient
+    center_row = figment_state.center_row
+    center_col = figment_state.center_col
+
+    cols = _color_codes_to_ansi(gradient)
+
+    # Build a list of non-space cell positions
+    cell_positions = []
+    for r_idx, row in enumerate(rows):
+        for c_idx, ch in enumerate(row):
+            if ch != " ":
+                cell_positions.append((r_idx, c_idx))
+
+    n_cells = len(cell_positions)
+    if n_cells == 0:
+        return []
+
+    # Use a deterministic seed so the reveal/dissolve pattern is stable per-figment
+    rng = random.Random(hash(tuple(rows[0][:10])) if rows[0] else 42)
+    shuffled = list(cell_positions)
+    rng.shuffle(shuffled)
+
+    # Phase-dependent visibility
+    from effects_plugins.figment import FigmentPhase
+
+    if phase == FigmentPhase.REVEAL:
+        visible_count = int(n_cells * progress)
+        visible = set(shuffled[:visible_count])
+    elif phase == FigmentPhase.HOLD:
+        visible = set(cell_positions)
+        # Strobe: dim some cells periodically
+        if int(progress * 20) % 3 == 0:
+            dim_count = int(n_cells * 0.3)
+            visible -= set(shuffled[:dim_count])
+    elif phase == FigmentPhase.DISSOLVE:
+        remaining_count = int(n_cells * (1.0 - progress))
+        visible = set(shuffled[:remaining_count])
+    else:
+        visible = set(cell_positions)
+
+    # Build overlay commands
+    overlay: list[str] = []
+    n_cols = len(cols)
+    max_x = max((len(r.rstrip()) for r in rows if r.strip()), default=1)
+
+    for r_idx, row in enumerate(rows):
+        scr_row = center_row + r_idx + 1  # 1-indexed
+        if scr_row < 1 or scr_row > h:
+            continue
+
+        line_buf: list[str] = []
+        has_content = False
+
+        for c_idx, ch in enumerate(row):
+            scr_col = center_col + c_idx + 1
+            if scr_col < 1 or scr_col > w:
+                continue
+
+            if ch != " " and (r_idx, c_idx) in visible:
+                # Apply gradient color
+                shifted = (c_idx / max(max_x - 1, 1)) % 1.0
+                idx = min(round(shifted * (n_cols - 1)), n_cols - 1)
+                line_buf.append(f"{cols[idx]}{ch}{RST}")
+                has_content = True
+            else:
+                line_buf.append(" ")
+
+        if has_content:
+            line_str = "".join(line_buf).rstrip()
+            if line_str.strip():
+                overlay.append(f"\033[{scr_row};{center_col + 1}H{line_str}{RST}")
+
+    return overlay

engine/scroll.py

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from engine.frame import calculate_scroll_step
 from engine.layers import (
     apply_glitch,
     process_effects,
+    render_figment_overlay,
     render_firehose,
     render_message_overlay,
     render_ticker_zone,
@@ -53,6 +54,18 @@ def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor, display: Display | None = None):
     msg_cache = (None, None)
     frame_number = 0
 
+    # Figment overlay (optional — requires cairosvg)
+    figment = None
+    if config.FIGMENT:
+        try:
+            from effects_plugins.figment import FigmentEffect
+
+            figment = FigmentEffect()
+            figment.config.enabled = True
+            figment.config.params["interval_secs"] = config.FIGMENT_INTERVAL
+        except (ImportError, OSError):
+            pass
+
     while True:
         if queued >= config.HEADLINE_LIMIT and not active:
             break
@@ -123,6 +136,13 @@ def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor, display: Display | None = None):
             firehose_buf = render_firehose(items, w, fh, h)
             buf.extend(firehose_buf)
 
+        # Figment overlay (between effects and ntfy message)
+        if figment and figment.config.enabled:
+            figment_state = figment.get_figment_state(frame_number, w, h)
+            if figment_state is not None:
+                figment_buf = render_figment_overlay(figment_state, w, h)
+                buf.extend(figment_buf)
+
         if msg_overlay:
             buf.extend(msg_overlay)
 

tests/test_figment.py

@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+"""Tests for the FigmentEffect plugin."""
+
+import os
+from enum import Enum
+
+import pytest
+
+pytest.importorskip("cairosvg", reason="cairosvg requires system Cairo library")
+
+from effects_plugins.figment import FigmentEffect, FigmentPhase, FigmentState
+from engine.effects.types import EffectConfig, EffectContext
+
+FIXTURE_SVG = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "fixtures", "test.svg")
+FIGMENTS_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "fixtures")
+
+
+class TestFigmentPhase:
+    def test_is_enum(self):
+        assert issubclass(FigmentPhase, Enum)
+
+    def test_has_all_phases(self):
+        assert hasattr(FigmentPhase, "REVEAL")
+        assert hasattr(FigmentPhase, "HOLD")
+        assert hasattr(FigmentPhase, "DISSOLVE")
+
+
+class TestFigmentState:
+    def test_creation(self):
+        state = FigmentState(
+            phase=FigmentPhase.REVEAL,
+            progress=0.5,
+            rows=["█▀▄", " █ "],
+            gradient=[46, 40, 34, 28, 22, 22, 34, 40, 46, 82, 118, 231],
+            center_row=5,
+            center_col=10,
+        )
+        assert state.phase == FigmentPhase.REVEAL
+        assert state.progress == 0.5
+        assert len(state.rows) == 2
+
+
+class TestFigmentEffectInit:
+    def test_name(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        assert effect.name == "figment"
+
+    def test_default_config(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        assert effect.config.enabled is False
+        assert effect.config.intensity == 1.0
+        assert effect.config.params["interval_secs"] == 60
+        assert effect.config.params["display_secs"] == 4.5
+
+    def test_process_is_noop(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        buf = ["line1", "line2"]
+        ctx = EffectContext(
+            terminal_width=80,
+            terminal_height=24,
+            scroll_cam=0,
+            ticker_height=20,
+        )
+        result = effect.process(buf, ctx)
+        assert result == buf
+        assert result is buf
+
+    def test_configure(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        new_cfg = EffectConfig(enabled=True, intensity=0.5)
+        effect.configure(new_cfg)
+        assert effect.config.enabled is True
+        assert effect.config.intensity == 0.5
+
+
+class TestFigmentStateMachine:
+    def test_idle_initially(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        effect.config.enabled = True
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(0, 80, 24)
+        # Timer hasn't fired yet, should be None (idle)
+        assert state is None
+
+    def test_trigger_starts_reveal(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        effect.config.enabled = True
+        effect.trigger(80, 24)
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(1, 80, 24)
+        assert state is not None
+        assert state.phase == FigmentPhase.REVEAL
+
+    def test_full_cycle(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        effect.config.enabled = True
+        effect.config.params["display_secs"] = 0.15  # 3 phases x 0.05s
+
+        effect.trigger(40, 20)
+
+        # Advance through reveal (30 frames at 0.05s = 1.5s, but we shrunk it)
+        # With display_secs=0.15, each phase is 0.05s = 1 frame
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(1, 40, 20)
+        assert state is not None
+        assert state.phase == FigmentPhase.REVEAL
+
+        # Advance enough frames to get through all phases
+        for frame in range(2, 100):
+            state = effect.get_figment_state(frame, 40, 20)
+            if state is None:
+                break
+
+        # Should have completed the full cycle back to idle
+        assert state is None
+
+    def test_timer_fires_at_interval(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        effect.config.enabled = True
+        effect.config.params["interval_secs"] = 0.1  # 2 frames at 20fps
+
+        # Frame 0: idle
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(0, 40, 20)
+        assert state is None
+
+        # Advance past interval (0.1s = 2 frames)
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(1, 40, 20)
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(2, 40, 20)
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(3, 40, 20)
+        # Timer should have fired by now
+        assert state is not None
+
+
+class TestFigmentEdgeCases:
+    def test_empty_figment_dir(self, tmp_path):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=str(tmp_path))
+        effect.config.enabled = True
+        effect.trigger(40, 20)
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(1, 40, 20)
+        # No SVGs available — should stay idle
+        assert state is None
+
+    def test_missing_figment_dir(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir="/nonexistent/path")
+        effect.config.enabled = True
+        effect.trigger(40, 20)
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(1, 40, 20)
+        assert state is None
+
+    def test_disabled_ignores_trigger(self):
+        effect = FigmentEffect(figment_dir=FIGMENTS_DIR)
+        effect.config.enabled = False
+        effect.trigger(80, 24)
+        state = effect.get_figment_state(1, 80, 24)
+        assert state is None

tests/test_figment_overlay.py

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+"""Tests for render_figment_overlay in engine.layers."""
+
+import pytest
+
+pytest.importorskip("cairosvg", reason="cairosvg requires system Cairo library")
+
+from effects_plugins.figment import FigmentPhase, FigmentState
+from engine.layers import render_figment_overlay
+
+
+def _make_state(phase=FigmentPhase.HOLD, progress=0.5):
+    return FigmentState(
+        phase=phase,
+        progress=progress,
+        rows=["█▀▄ █", " ▄█▀ ", "█   █"],
+        gradient=[46, 40, 34, 28, 22, 22, 34, 40, 46, 82, 118, 231],
+        center_row=10,
+        center_col=37,
+    )
+
+
+class TestRenderFigmentOverlay:
+    def test_returns_list_of_strings(self):
+        state = _make_state()
+        result = render_figment_overlay(state, 80, 24)
+        assert isinstance(result, list)
+        assert all(isinstance(s, str) for s in result)
+
+    def test_contains_ansi_positioning(self):
+        state = _make_state()
+        result = render_figment_overlay(state, 80, 24)
+        # Should contain cursor positioning escape codes
+        assert any("\033[" in s for s in result)
+
+    def test_reveal_phase_partial(self):
+        state = _make_state(phase=FigmentPhase.REVEAL, progress=0.0)
+        result = render_figment_overlay(state, 80, 24)
+        # At progress 0.0, very few cells should be visible
+        # Result should still be a valid list
+        assert isinstance(result, list)
+
+    def test_hold_phase_full(self):
+        state = _make_state(phase=FigmentPhase.HOLD, progress=0.5)
+        result = render_figment_overlay(state, 80, 24)
+        # During hold, content should be present
+        assert len(result) > 0
+
+    def test_dissolve_phase(self):
+        state = _make_state(phase=FigmentPhase.DISSOLVE, progress=0.9)
+        result = render_figment_overlay(state, 80, 24)
+        # At high dissolve progress, most cells are gone
+        assert isinstance(result, list)
+
+    def test_empty_rows(self):
+        state = FigmentState(
+            phase=FigmentPhase.HOLD,
+            progress=0.5,
+            rows=[],
+            gradient=[46] * 12,
+            center_row=0,
+            center_col=0,
+        )
+        result = render_figment_overlay(state, 80, 24)
+        assert result == []

tests/test_figment_render.py

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+"""Tests for engine.figment_render module."""
+
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+pytest.importorskip("cairosvg", reason="cairosvg requires system Cairo library")
+
+from engine.figment_render import rasterize_svg
+
+FIXTURE_SVG = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "fixtures", "test.svg")
+
+
+class TestRasterizeSvg:
+    def test_returns_list_of_strings(self):
+        rows = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 40, 20)
+        assert isinstance(rows, list)
+        assert all(isinstance(r, str) for r in rows)
+
+    def test_output_height_matches_terminal_height(self):
+        rows = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 40, 20)
+        assert len(rows) == 20
+
+    def test_output_contains_block_characters(self):
+        rows = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 40, 20)
+        all_chars = "".join(rows)
+        block_chars = {"█", "▀", "▄"}
+        assert any(ch in all_chars for ch in block_chars)
+
+    def test_different_sizes_produce_different_output(self):
+        rows_small = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 20, 10)
+        rows_large = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 80, 40)
+        assert len(rows_small) == 10
+        assert len(rows_large) == 40
+
+    def test_nonexistent_file_raises(self):
+        import pytest
+
+        with pytest.raises((FileNotFoundError, OSError)):
+            rasterize_svg("/nonexistent/file.svg", 40, 20)
+
+
+class TestRasterizeCache:
+    def test_cache_returns_same_result(self):
+        rows1 = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 40, 20)
+        rows2 = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 40, 20)
+        assert rows1 == rows2
+
+    def test_cache_invalidated_by_size_change(self):
+        rows1 = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 40, 20)
+        rows2 = rasterize_svg(FIXTURE_SVG, 60, 30)
+        assert len(rows1) != len(rows2)

tests/test_figment_trigger.py

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Tests for engine.figment_trigger module."""
+
+from enum import Enum
+
+from engine.figment_trigger import FigmentAction, FigmentCommand
+
+
+class TestFigmentAction:
+    def test_is_enum(self):
+        assert issubclass(FigmentAction, Enum)
+
+    def test_has_trigger(self):
+        assert FigmentAction.TRIGGER.value == "trigger"
+
+    def test_has_set_intensity(self):
+        assert FigmentAction.SET_INTENSITY.value == "set_intensity"
+
+    def test_has_set_interval(self):
+        assert FigmentAction.SET_INTERVAL.value == "set_interval"
+
+    def test_has_set_color(self):
+        assert FigmentAction.SET_COLOR.value == "set_color"
+
+    def test_has_stop(self):
+        assert FigmentAction.STOP.value == "stop"
+
+
+class TestFigmentCommand:
+    def test_trigger_command(self):
+        cmd = FigmentCommand(action=FigmentAction.TRIGGER)
+        assert cmd.action == FigmentAction.TRIGGER
+        assert cmd.value is None
+
+    def test_set_intensity_command(self):
+        cmd = FigmentCommand(action=FigmentAction.SET_INTENSITY, value=0.8)
+        assert cmd.value == 0.8
+
+    def test_set_color_command(self):
+        cmd = FigmentCommand(action=FigmentAction.SET_COLOR, value="orange")
+        assert cmd.value == "orange"