Prepare Minecraft 26.3 technical alpha 1.0.1.2-alpha.1

docs/MINECRAFT_26_3_ALPHA_1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# Rivencraft 1.0.1.2-alpha.1 — Minecraft 26.3
+
+Experimental **NeoForge 26.3** port preview. This is a separate artifact from
+the supported Minecraft 1.21.1 release, and it does **not** have feature
+parity. Use a disposable test world or make a backup first. Do not migrate a
+1.21.1 Rivencraft world to this alpha.
+
+## Working in this alpha
+
+- Rivencraft loads on Minecraft 26.3 / NeoForge 26.3.0.99 with Java 25.
+- The first-party runtime Age backend creates separately seeded, persistent
+  prototype dimensions. The operator-only `/rivencraft_port age` commands can
+  create and inspect them.
+- Runtime Age catalogs are synchronized and acknowledged before cross-dimension
+  travel. A missing or unacknowledged destination is refused.
+- Operator-created Descriptive Books can enter prototype Ages.
+- Handheld Linking Books can be named and bound to a location, then used from
+  their book GUI to return there. The destination data survives a restart.
+- The Crystal Block and Crystal Shard are registered with reused art.
+
+## Not yet ported
+
+Normal authored Age generation, book crafting and workstations, Page symbols,
+most blocks and items, portal systems, Link modifiers, the rotating destination
+preview, instability, and optional mod integrations. The Linking Book GUI shows
+a placeholder destination panel rather than a live scene. Generated Ages use
+prototype vanilla terrain, not the player's authored Pages.
+
+The [26.3 port status](MINECRAFT_26_3_PORT.md) and [open port issues](https://git.paddedcell.org/dnorberg/rivencraft/issues)
+track the remaining work. The stable 1.21.1 release remains available
+separately. Please file alpha bugs with the exact Minecraft, NeoForge and
+Rivencraft versions, plus the relevant client/server log.
+
+## Verification
+
+- Clean 26.3 Gradle build passed.
+- Disposable dedicated-server smoke test passed: two distinct Age seeds and
+  their terrain persisted across a restart.
+- The user verified the handheld Linking Book GUI click and travel in-game on
+  2026-10-27.
+
+These checks are **not** the full port acceptance matrix or a stability claim.

docs/MINECRAFT_26_3_PORT.md

@@ -365,6 +365,15 @@ The player confirmed the `0.0.0.7-port-dev` bound Linking Book click/travel
 path passes in game on 2026-10-27. The 26.3 target remains incomplete and is
 not ready for a public release or closure of the parent port issue.
 
+### Explicit technical alpha exception
+
+At the player's request, `1.0.1.2-alpha.1` packages this limited 26.3 port as
+an experimental alpha. It is **not** the full mod and does not pass the stable
+release gate above. The alpha label and release notes must state that Ages use
+prototype vanilla terrain, normal authoring and most content are absent, and
+worlds should be disposable or backed up. The 1.21.1 stable release remains
+independent; issues #96–#104 stay open until the full port and validation pass.
+
 ## Verification of this first slice
 
 The 1.21.1 `compileJava` and `build` tasks passed offline after the backend