Separate stage order from invalidation dependencies

docs/internal/manifest.md

@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ failed in both manifests, persisting each transition. On success it records
 outputs, logs, generated configuration references, and metadata. Artifact
 records may include optional contract and external provenance objects; old
 manifests remain compatible when those fields are absent. A successful forced
-rerun marks only succeeded downstream session-stage records stale.
+rerun marks only succeeded transitive dependent session-stage records stale.
+The application owns a fixed dependency relation distinct from execution order;
+dependents are returned in canonical order. Render and extract therefore never
+stale one another, while either can stale analyze, publish, and notify.
 
 Starting an execution clears the current session-stage record's prior outputs,
 logs, generated configuration references, and metadata. Failed and skipped
@@ -139,7 +142,7 @@ where a durable running record can require operator interpretation.
 - running, failed, and self-skipped stages do not retain result payloads from
   an earlier success.
 - stale stages retain prior details until replacement execution starts.
-- force reruns stale downstream succeeded stages.
+- force reruns stale succeeded stages in the fixed dependency relation.
 - run manifest does not replace session manifest as progress authority.
 - remote commitment is established by a verified current pointer and remote
   commit relationship, never by a mutable session-manifest boolean.