The Arbiter

A hierarchical AI orchestration system that extends Claude's effective context through delegation. When tasks exceed what one session can hold, use the Arbiter to manage a chain of workers while keeping the vision intact.

Install

npm i -g arbiter-ai
arbiter

Requires Claude Code login (run claude once to authenticate).

Usage

Arbiter is for one-shotting apps or features too big for a single Claude Code session. Come with a plan, not a question.

Prepare your requirements first. A detailed markdown file describing what you want. Use Claude Code to help plan, then bring that plan to Arbiter.

How It Works

You ↔ Arbiter ↔ Orchestrators ↔ Subagents

It's fractal: the same delegation pattern as subagents in Claude Code. Arbiter just adds another level using a second agent.

The Arbiter holds your vision. It clarifies requirements, delegates work, and coordinates all handoffs.

Orchestrators are summoned workers. They dialogue with the Arbiter before starting and after finishing. They work until context fills, then hand back to the Arbiter for the next worker.

Subagents do the actual file edits, searches, and commands.

The result is millions of effective context tokens. Many hours of work under one unbroken understanding.

Conceits

1. Conversational handoff beats static handoff. Static briefs get misinterpreted. Dialogue finds alignment. The transitions—onboarding and wrap-up—are where understanding actually transfers.

2. Coherence beats compression. Compacting is just lossy handoff to yourself. One context that never summarizes will outperform a larger context that forgets.

3. Ritual creates intention. The gamification is a forcing function for intentionality. One does not summon the Arbiter lightly.

Controls

Vim-like control modes.

| Mode | Key | Action | |------|-----|--------| | INSERT | Type | Enter text | | INSERT | Enter | Send message | | INSERT | Esc | Switch to NORMAL | | NORMAL | i / Enter | Switch to INSERT | | NORMAL | j / k | Scroll chat | | NORMAL | g / G | Top / bottom | | NORMAL | o | Toggle logbook | | Any | Ctrl+C | Quit |

CLI Options

arbiter            # Start fresh
arbiter --resume   # Resume previous session (if <24h old)

Troubleshooting

If the TUI gets into a funky state (frozen, weird rendering, unresponsive), you can often fix it by suspending and resuming:

1. Press Ctrl+Z to suspend
2. Type fg and press Enter to resume

This resets the terminal state and redraws everything. Similar to the fix for Claude Code terminal issues.

Disclaimer

This software runs AI agents with unrestricted system access (bypassPermissions). It can read, write, and execute anything on your machine.

Use only in environments where you accept full responsibility for any actions taken.

Designed for development machines and controlled environments—not production servers with sensitive data.

Credits

• Built on Claude Code
• Music: Hail the Arbiter (yes, just serendipity)
• Tileset: 16x16 Fantasy Tileset
• Sound Effects: 512 Sound Effects (8-bit style)

License

FSL-1.1-MIT — Free to use, modify, and share. Just don't use it to compete with Arbiter. Converts to MIT on 2027-01-21.

Copyright 2025 Lucian Hymer LLC