diff --git a/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
index 02bb07f..f5d67a7 100644
--- a/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
+++ b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -83,8 +83,9 @@ vault_salt ────────►│                  │
 
                     ┌──────────────────┐
 master_key ────────►│  XChaCha20-      │──────► manifest.enc
-empty manifest ────►│  Poly1305        │
-                    └──────────────────┘
+empty manifest ────►│  Poly1305        │        settings.enc
+default settings ──►│  encrypt (×2)    │        (parallel artifacts;
+                    └──────────────────┘         independent nonces)
 
                     ┌──────────────────┐
                     │  git init        │──────► vault repo
@@ -92,6 +93,14 @@ empty manifest ────►│  Poly1305        │
                     └──────────────────┘
 ```
 
+Item creation, the typed-item envelope (`Item` + per-type `ItemCore`),
+attachment encryption, and field-history tracking are not shown above —
+they are described in [`crates/relicario-core/ARCHITECTURE.md`](../crates/relicario-core/ARCHITECTURE.md).
+The flow above covers only the crypto-pipeline shape that vault init
+establishes; the per-item lifecycle reuses the same `master_key` +
+XChaCha20-Poly1305 primitives against `items/<id>.enc` and
+`attachments/<item-id>/<aid>.enc`.
+
 ## Unlock Flow (every vault operation)
 
 ```