Shepherd Skill

VCS Provider

This skill uses VCS operations through Exarchos MCP actions (check_ci, list_prs, merge_pr, get_pr_comments, add_pr_comment, etc.). These actions automatically detect and route to the correct VCS provider (GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps). No gh/glab/az commands needed — the MCP server handles provider dispatch.

The merge_pr invoked here is the remote PR merge primitive (synthesize-phase). It is distinct from merge_orchestrate (@skills/merge-orchestrator/SKILL.md), which is the local git merge orchestrator used during the upstream merge-pending substate. This skill never invokes merge_orchestrate.

Iterative loop that shepherds published PRs through CI checks and code reviews to merge readiness. Uses the assess_stack composite action for all PR health checks, fixing failures and addressing feedback until the stack is green.

Note: Shepherd is not a separate HSM phase. It operates as a loop within the synthesize phase. The workflow phase remains synthesize throughout the shepherd iteration cycle. Events (shepherd.iteration, ci.status) and the shepherd_status view track loop progress without requiring a phase transition.

Position in workflow:

/exarchos:synthesize → /exarchos:shepherd (assess → fix → resubmit → loop) → /exarchos:cleanup
              ^^^^^^^^^ runs within synthesize phase