diff --git a/scripts/verify.mjs b/scripts/verify.mjs
index 4b1e8b7..a9fd401 100644
--- a/scripts/verify.mjs
+++ b/scripts/verify.mjs
@@ -329,6 +329,14 @@ if (
   )
 )
   throw new Error('missing rules responsive contract');
+if (
+  ![
+    'body{min-width:320px;margin:0;color:var(--ink);background:var(--paper);font-family:var(--font-sans)}',
+    'max-width:75ch;font-size:var(--step-24)',
+    'max-width:75ch;font-size:var(--step-20)',
+  ].every((token) => builtCss.includes(token))
+)
+  throw new Error('rules page lost its global font or 4K prose scale');
 if (
   !['font:700 var(--step-18) var(--font-mono)', 'font:500 var(--step-48) var(--font-mono)'].every(
     (token) => builtCss.includes(token),
diff --git a/src/components/blocks/SiteFooter.astro b/src/components/blocks/SiteFooter.astro
index 4c258b2..65761fa 100644
--- a/src/components/blocks/SiteFooter.astro
+++ b/src/components/blocks/SiteFooter.astro
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const { navLabel = 'Chapter navigation' } = Astro.props;
     color: var(--ink);
     border: 1px solid var(--ink);
     text-decoration: none;
-    font: var(--step-0) monospace;
+    font: var(--step-0) var(--font-mono);
     text-transform: uppercase;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/components/blocks/TopBar.astro b/src/components/blocks/TopBar.astro
index 70372c3..13e3c00 100644
--- a/src/components/blocks/TopBar.astro
+++ b/src/components/blocks/TopBar.astro
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const { id } = Astro.props;
     gap: 20px;
     padding: 24px 0;
     border-bottom: 1px solid var(--line);
-    font: 700 var(--step-0) monospace;
+    font: 700 var(--step-0) var(--font-mono);
     letter-spacing: 0.08em;
     text-transform: uppercase;
   }
diff --git a/src/components/islands/RulesInteractive.astro b/src/components/islands/RulesInteractive.astro
index b3f09b3..a654011 100644
--- a/src/components/islands/RulesInteractive.astro
+++ b/src/components/islands/RulesInteractive.astro
@@ -498,15 +498,15 @@ fix(api): scope session query</code></pre>
   .rules-root :global(*) {
     box-sizing: border-box;
   }
-  .rules-root :global(html) {
+  :global(html) {
     scroll-behavior: smooth;
   }
-  .rules-root :global(body) {
+  :global(body) {
     min-width: 320px;
     margin: 0;
     color: var(--ink);
     background: var(--paper);
-    font-family: Manrope, Arial, sans-serif;
+    font-family: var(--font-sans);
   }
 
   .progress {
@@ -723,6 +723,10 @@ fix(api): scope session query</code></pre>
     background: transparent;
     text-align: left;
     cursor: pointer;
+    transition:
+      color 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1),
+      background-color 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1),
+      transform 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1);
   }
   .pipeline button span {
     color: var(--accent);
@@ -746,6 +750,9 @@ fix(api): scope session query</code></pre>
     background: var(--blue);
     box-shadow: inset 0 -6px var(--gold);
   }
+  .pipeline button:hover {
+    transform: translateY(-2px);
+  }
   .pipeline button.active span,
   .pipeline button.active small {
     color: var(--gold);
@@ -765,6 +772,11 @@ fix(api): scope session query</code></pre>
     color: var(--paper);
     background: var(--deep);
   }
+  .stage-detail > *,
+  .skill-detail > * {
+    /* purpose: make a replaced detail panel legible as a state change */
+    animation: rules-detail-in 200ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1) both;
+  }
   .stage-number {
     color: var(--white-14);
     font:
@@ -849,6 +861,10 @@ fix(api): scope session query</code></pre>
     background: var(--paper);
     text-align: left;
     cursor: pointer;
+    transition:
+      color 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1),
+      background-color 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1),
+      transform 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1);
   }
   .skill-list button strong {
     font:
@@ -864,6 +880,20 @@ fix(api): scope session query</code></pre>
     background: var(--accent);
     box-shadow: inset 6px 0 var(--gold);
   }
+  .skill-list button:hover {
+    transform: translateX(3px);
+  }
+
+  @keyframes rules-detail-in {
+    from {
+      opacity: 0.01;
+      transform: translateY(6px);
+    }
+    to {
+      opacity: 1;
+      transform: translateY(0);
+    }
+  }
   .skill-list button.active small {
     color: var(--accent-paper-active);
   }
@@ -1056,6 +1086,19 @@ fix(api): scope session query</code></pre>
     .hero h1 {
       font-size: clamp(150px, 7vw, 220px);
     }
+    .hero-foot > p {
+      max-width: 75ch;
+      font-size: var(--step-24);
+    }
+    .intro > p {
+      max-width: 75ch;
+      font-size: var(--step-20);
+    }
+    .stage-detail p,
+    .skill-detail p {
+      max-width: 75ch;
+      font-size: var(--step-18);
+    }
     .pipeline button {
       min-height: 170px;
     }
@@ -1196,5 +1239,13 @@ fix(api): scope session query</code></pre>
     .progress span {
       transition: none;
     }
+    .pipeline button,
+    .skill-list button {
+      transition: none;
+    }
+    .stage-detail > *,
+    .skill-detail > * {
+      animation: none;
+    }
   }
 </style>
diff --git a/src/components/islands/SkillPackageExplorer.astro b/src/components/islands/SkillPackageExplorer.astro
index 4132bfb..6cd4778 100644
--- a/src/components/islands/SkillPackageExplorer.astro
+++ b/src/components/islands/SkillPackageExplorer.astro
@@ -148,9 +148,7 @@ const packageFiles: PackageFile[] = [
   .package-preview > span {
     margin: 0 0 14px;
     color: var(--gold);
-    font:
-      700 var(--step-0) / 1.35 ui-monospace,
-      monospace;
+    font: 700 var(--step-0) / 1.35 var(--font-mono);
     letter-spacing: 0.1em;
   }
 
@@ -188,16 +186,12 @@ const packageFiles: PackageFile[] = [
   .package-tree code {
     min-width: 0;
     overflow-wrap: anywhere;
-    font:
-      700 13px / 1.4 ui-monospace,
-      monospace;
+    font: 700 var(--step-13) / 1.4 var(--font-mono);
   }
 
   .package-tree small {
     color: var(--muted);
-    font:
-      11px / 1.25 Arial,
-      sans-serif;
+    font: var(--step-0) / 1.25 var(--font-sans);
     text-align: right;
   }
 
@@ -229,9 +223,7 @@ const packageFiles: PackageFile[] = [
     border: 1px solid var(--muted);
     background: var(--deep);
     color: var(--line);
-    font:
-      12px / 1.55 ui-monospace,
-      monospace;
+    font: var(--step-12) / 1.55 var(--font-mono);
   }
 
   .package-preview.is-swapping {
diff --git a/src/layouts/BaseLayout.astro b/src/layouts/BaseLayout.astro
index aa6c077..e0de031 100644
--- a/src/layouts/BaseLayout.astro
+++ b/src/layouts/BaseLayout.astro
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const { title, description, lang = 'en' } = Astro.props;
 // bundled CSS because the legacy stylesheets @import the same file, so there
 // is exactly one copy of the faces. See public/fonts/fonts.css.
 import tokensStylesheet from '../styles/tokens.css?url';
+import baseStylesheet from '../styles/base.css?url';
 
 const fonts = `${import.meta.env.BASE_URL}fonts/fonts.css`.replace('//', '/');
 ---
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ const fonts = `${import.meta.env.BASE_URL}fonts/fonts.css`.replace('//', '/');
     <meta name="description" content={description} />
     <link rel="stylesheet" href={tokensStylesheet} />
     <link rel="stylesheet" href={fonts} />
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href={baseStylesheet} />
     <slot name="styles" />
   </head>
   <body>
diff --git a/src/pages/index.astro b/src/pages/index.astro
index 2f52d3c..85ffb91 100644
--- a/src/pages/index.astro
+++ b/src/pages/index.astro
@@ -84,9 +84,7 @@ const cards = data.cards ?? [];
     padding: 12px 16px;
     background: var(--ink);
     color: var(--paper);
-    font:
-      700 var(--step-12) ui-monospace,
-      monospace;
+    font: 700 var(--step-12) var(--font-mono);
     letter-spacing: 0.06em;
     text-decoration: none;
     text-transform: uppercase;
@@ -118,9 +116,7 @@ const cards = data.cards ?? [];
 
   .landing-note span {
     color: var(--red);
-    font:
-      700 var(--step-0) ui-monospace,
-      monospace;
+    font: 700 var(--step-0) var(--font-mono);
     letter-spacing: 0.1em;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/pages/skills-review.astro b/src/pages/skills-review.astro
index 84fc3dc..458f67e 100644
--- a/src/pages/skills-review.astro
+++ b/src/pages/skills-review.astro
@@ -155,3 +155,88 @@ const serializedCatalog = JSON.stringify(catalog).replace(/</g, '\\u003c');
     import '../../legacy/skills-review/app.js';
   </script>
 </BaseLayout>
+
+<style is:global>
+  /* The catalog is a filing cabinet: its controls stay visible while only
+     the submission rows scroll. This prevents a long review set from making
+     the adjacent reading surface unusably tall. */
+  .catalog > aside {
+    position: sticky;
+    top: 24px;
+    display: flex;
+    align-self: start;
+    max-height: calc(100dvh - 48px);
+    overflow: hidden;
+  }
+
+  #skill-list {
+    min-height: 0;
+    overflow-y: auto;
+    overscroll-behavior: contain;
+    scrollbar-color: var(--blue) var(--paper);
+  }
+
+  #skill-list button,
+  .file-tabs button,
+  .switch button,
+  .preview button {
+    transition:
+      color 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1),
+      background-color 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1),
+      transform 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1);
+  }
+
+  #skill-list button:hover,
+  #skill-list button:focus-visible {
+    transform: translateX(3px);
+  }
+
+  .detail > * {
+    animation: review-detail-in 200ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1) both;
+  }
+
+  .detail a,
+  .research a {
+    text-decoration-color: color-mix(in srgb, currentColor 45%, transparent);
+  }
+
+  .detail a:hover,
+  .research a:hover {
+    text-decoration-color: currentColor;
+  }
+
+  @keyframes review-detail-in {
+    from {
+      opacity: 0.01;
+      transform: translateY(6px);
+    }
+    to {
+      opacity: 1;
+      transform: translateY(0);
+    }
+  }
+
+  @media (max-width: 800px) {
+    .catalog > aside {
+      position: static;
+      max-height: none;
+    }
+
+    #skill-list {
+      max-height: 50dvh;
+    }
+  }
+
+  @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+    #skill-list button,
+    .file-tabs button,
+    .switch button,
+    .preview button {
+      transition: none;
+    }
+
+    .detail > * {
+      animation: none;
+    }
+  }
+</style>
diff --git a/src/styles/base.css b/src/styles/base.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..580dbe0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/styles/base.css
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/* Typography belongs to the document, not browser defaults. Components may
+ * opt into the mono token for code and editorial labels. */
+body {
+  font-family: var(--font-sans);
+}
+
+button,
+input,
+textarea,
+select {
+  font: inherit;
+}
+
+code,
+kbd,
+pre,
+samp {
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+}
+
+/* Text links read as editorial references. Page-level navigation can still
+ * deliberately remove the decoration. */
+a {
+  text-decoration-thickness: 1px;
+  text-underline-offset: 0.18em;
+  transition:
+    color 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1),
+    text-decoration-color 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1);
+}
+
+a:hover {
+  text-decoration-color: currentcolor;
+}
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  a {
+    transition: none;
+  }
+}