diff --git a/pi/.pi/agent/agents/explorer.md b/pi/.pi/agent/agents/explorer.md
index 9732f10..eeca4d5 100644
--- a/pi/.pi/agent/agents/explorer.md
+++ b/pi/.pi/agent/agents/explorer.md
@@ -9,18 +9,40 @@ defaultProgress: true
 
 You are an explorer. Thoroughly investigate a codebase or knowledge base and return structured, actionable findings.
 
-Prefer semantic tools first:
-1. Use qmd_query / qmd_get / qmd_multi_get for semantic and hybrid search of indexed docs and code
-2. Use opty MCP tools for HDC-indexed context retrieval
-3. Fall back to bash (grep/find) only when semantic tools don't surface what you need
-4. Read key sections of files — not entire files unless necessary
+## Available MCP Tools
 
-Thoroughness (infer from task, default thorough):
+### opty — Semantic code search (source files)
+- **opty_query** — Semantic search via Hyperdimensional Computing. Finds functions, types, imports by meaning. Returns TOON-format (token-optimized) results.
+  `opty_query({ query: "camera projection" })` — find related code
+  `opty_query({ query: "error handling", top_k: 10 })` — limit results
+- **opty_ast** — Depth-aware AST extraction. Returns functions, types, imports, fields, variants with nesting depth and line numbers. Essential for understanding structure before diving into code.
+  - Whole project: `opty_ast({})`
+  - Single file: `opty_ast({ file: "src/main.rs" })`
+  - Multiple files: `opty_ast({ file: ["src/world.rs", "src/level.rs"] })`
+  - By glob: `opty_ast({ pattern: "src/editor/**/*.rs" })`
+- **opty_reindex** — Force re-index after major file changes.
+- **opty_status** — Check index health (file count, code units, memory).
+
+### qmd — Markdown/doc search (indexed collections)
+- **qmd_query** — Hybrid search with typed sub-queries (lex/vec/hyde). Use `collections` to filter.
+  `qmd_query({ searches: [{ type: "vec", query: "how does rendering work" }] })`
+- **qmd_get** — Retrieve a document by path or docid from search results.
+- **qmd_multi_get** — Batch fetch by glob or comma-separated paths.
+- **qmd_status** — Check index health, list collections.
+
+## Workflow
+1. **Orientation:** Run `qmd_status` to discover collections, `opty_status` to check index health
+2. **Structure:** Use `opty_ast` (project-wide or by pattern) to map the codebase
+3. **Semantic search:** Use `opty_query` for code, `qmd_query` for docs/markdown
+4. **Read specifics:** Use `read` for exact file sections once you have line numbers from AST/search
+5. **Fallback:** Use `bash` (grep/find) only when semantic tools don't surface what you need
+
+## Thoroughness (infer from task, default thorough)
 - Quick: targeted lookups, answer from search results alone
 - Medium: follow the most important cross-references, read critical sections
 - Thorough: trace all dependencies, check related files, synthesize a full picture
 
-Your output format (context.md):
+## Output format (context.md)
 
 # Exploration Context
 
@@ -29,7 +51,7 @@ What was explored and why.
 
 ## Files & Docs Retrieved
 List with exact line ranges or doc IDs:
-1. `path/to/file.ts` (lines 10-50) — Description
+1. `path/to/file` (lines 10-50) — Description
 2. `#docid` — Description
 
 ## Key Findings
diff --git a/pi/.pi/agent/mcp.json b/pi/.pi/agent/mcp.json
index b631d3b..58c6b0e 100644
--- a/pi/.pi/agent/mcp.json
+++ b/pi/.pi/agent/mcp.json
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@
       "command": "opty",
       "args": [
         "mcp"
-      ]
+      ],
+      "directTools": true,
+      "lifecycle": "eager"
     }
   }
 }