diff --git a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Client/aetheria-rts-contract.ts b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Client/aetheria-rts-contract.ts
index 998bb3487..428cf0671 100644
--- a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Client/aetheria-rts-contract.ts
+++ b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Client/aetheria-rts-contract.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,46 @@ import type {
 
 export type Viewport = CultMeshViewportRequest;
 
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceRequest = {
+  surfaceId?: string;
+  inGame?: boolean;
+  canOpenRuntimeInputScreen?: boolean;
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument = {
+  providerId: string;
+  providerKind: string;
+  title: string;
+  version: number;
+  updatedAtUtc: string;
+  surface: AetheriaMenuSurfaceTree;
+  commands: AetheriaMenuSurfaceCommand[];
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceTree = {
+  id: string;
+  root: AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent;
+  styles: AetheriaMenuStyleToken[];
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent = {
+  id: string;
+  kind: string;
+  props: Record<string, string>;
+  children: AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent[];
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuStyleToken = {
+  name: string;
+  value: string;
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceCommand = {
+  command: string;
+  label: string;
+  transport: string;
+};
+
 export type AetheriaRuntimeSetMoveVectorRequest = {
   actorEntityKey: string;
   directionX: number;
@@ -305,5 +345,6 @@ export type AetheriaRtsApi = {
   setTarget(request: AetheriaRuntimeSetTargetRequest): Promise<AetheriaRuntimeDaemonCommandReceipt>;
   surfaceCatalog(): Promise<CultMeshSurfaceCatalogDiagnostic>;
   surfaceCatalogIndex(): Promise<CultMeshSurfaceCatalogIndexDiagnostic>;
+  mainMenuSurface(request: AetheriaMenuSurfaceRequest): Promise<AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument>;
   health(): Promise<unknown>;
 };
diff --git a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Client/app.ts b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Client/app.ts
index 4664b6192..33612d055 100644
--- a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Client/app.ts
+++ b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Client/app.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import type {
   AetheriaRtsApi,
+  AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent,
+  AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument,
   AuthorityStatusDocument,
   AetheriaRuntimeViewportFeedSnapshot,
   BodyView,
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ let latestReceivedAt = 0;
 let latestPollMs = 0;
 let refreshInFlight = false;
 let viewportFeedUnsubscribe: (() => void) | null = null;
+const mainMenuMode = window.location.hash === "#main-menu";
 
 function requiredElement<TElement extends Element>(selector: string): TElement {
   const element = document.querySelector<TElement>(selector);
@@ -87,6 +90,117 @@ function setStatus(text: string): void {
   statusEl.textContent = text;
 }
 
+async function showMainMenu(surfaceId = "aetheria.main_menu.root"): Promise<void> {
+  document.body.classList.add("main-menu-mode");
+  viewportFeedUnsubscribe?.();
+  const surface = await window.aetheriaRts.mainMenuSurface({
+    surfaceId,
+    inGame: false,
+    canOpenRuntimeInputScreen: false,
+  });
+  installMenuFonts(surface);
+  renderMainMenuSurface(surface);
+}
+
+function installMenuFonts(surface: AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument): void {
+  const googleFont = surface.surface.styles.find(token => token.name === "font.web.google")?.value;
+  if (!googleFont || document.querySelector(`link[data-aetheria-menu-fonts="${googleFont}"]`)) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const preconnect = document.createElement("link");
+  preconnect.rel = "preconnect";
+  preconnect.href = "https://fonts.gstatic.com";
+  preconnect.crossOrigin = "anonymous";
+  document.head.append(preconnect);
+
+  const link = document.createElement("link");
+  link.rel = "stylesheet";
+  link.href = googleFont;
+  link.dataset.aetheriaMenuFonts = googleFont;
+  document.head.append(link);
+}
+
+function renderMainMenuSurface(surface: AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument): void {
+  let host = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>("#main-menu-host");
+  if (!host) {
+    host = document.createElement("section");
+    host.id = "main-menu-host";
+    host.className = "main-menu-host";
+    document.body.append(host);
+  }
+
+  host.replaceChildren(lowerMenuComponent(surface.surface.root, surface));
+}
+
+function lowerMenuComponent(
+  component: AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent,
+  surface: AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument,
+): HTMLElement {
+  const kind = component.kind || "surface";
+  if (kind === "control.button") {
+    const button = document.createElement("button");
+    button.id = component.id;
+    button.className = "eve-control-button";
+    button.type = "button";
+    button.textContent = component.props.label ?? "";
+    button.addEventListener("click", () => handleMenuCommand(component.props.command ?? "", surface));
+    return button;
+  }
+
+  if (kind.startsWith("text")) {
+    const label = document.createElement("div");
+    label.id = component.id;
+    label.className = kind === "text.title" ? "eve-text-title" : "eve-text";
+    label.textContent = component.props.value ?? component.props.text ?? "";
+    return label;
+  }
+
+  if (kind === "metric") {
+    const metric = document.createElement("dl");
+    metric.id = component.id;
+    metric.className = "eve-metric";
+    const term = document.createElement("dt");
+    term.textContent = component.props.label ?? "";
+    const value = document.createElement("dd");
+    value.textContent = component.props.value ?? "";
+    metric.append(term, value);
+    return metric;
+  }
+
+  const element = document.createElement("div");
+  element.id = component.id;
+  element.className = [
+    kind === "surface" ? "eve-surface" : "",
+    kind === "column" ? "eve-column" : "",
+    kind === "row" ? "eve-row" : "",
+  ].filter(Boolean).join(" ");
+  for (const child of component.children ?? []) {
+    element.append(lowerMenuComponent(child, surface));
+  }
+  return element;
+}
+
+function handleMenuCommand(command: string, surface: AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument): void {
+  switch (command) {
+    case "aetheria.main_menu.root.show_settings":
+      void showMainMenu("aetheria.main_menu.settings");
+      return;
+    case "aetheria.main_menu.settings.show_input_settings":
+      void showMainMenu("aetheria.main_menu.input_settings");
+      return;
+    case "aetheria.main_menu.settings.back_to_settings":
+      void showMainMenu("aetheria.main_menu.settings");
+      return;
+    case "aetheria.main_menu.settings.back_to_main":
+      void showMainMenu("aetheria.main_menu.root");
+      return;
+    default:
+      setStatus(`${surface.title}: ${command || "no command"}`);
+      return;
+  }
+}
+
 function startViewportFeed(): void {
   const viewport = currentViewport();
   viewportFeedUnsubscribe?.();
@@ -585,6 +699,10 @@ function roleText(session: StarbridgeSessionDocument): string {
     .join(", ");
 }
 
-updateZoomLabel();
-void refreshRuntimeSurfaces();
-void refresh();
+if (mainMenuMode) {
+  void showMainMenu();
+} else {
+  updateZoomLabel();
+  void refreshRuntimeSurfaces();
+  void refresh();
+}
diff --git a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/aetheria-cultmesh.ts b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/aetheria-cultmesh.ts
index e3886df46..f4a5ce562 100644
--- a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/aetheria-cultmesh.ts
+++ b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/aetheria-cultmesh.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,46 @@ export type AetheriaCultMeshClientOptions = {
   snapshotTimeoutMs?: number;
 };
 
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceRequest = {
+  surfaceId?: string;
+  inGame?: boolean;
+  canOpenRuntimeInputScreen?: boolean;
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument = {
+  providerId: string;
+  providerKind: string;
+  title: string;
+  version: number;
+  updatedAtUtc: string;
+  surface: AetheriaMenuSurfaceTree;
+  commands: AetheriaMenuSurfaceCommand[];
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceTree = {
+  id: string;
+  root: AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent;
+  styles: AetheriaMenuStyleToken[];
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent = {
+  id: string;
+  kind: string;
+  props: Record<string, string>;
+  children: AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent[];
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuStyleToken = {
+  name: string;
+  value: string;
+};
+
+export type AetheriaMenuSurfaceCommand = {
+  command: string;
+  label: string;
+  transport: string;
+};
+
 export type {
   BodyView,
   EntityStatus,
@@ -232,6 +272,13 @@ export class AetheriaCultMeshClient {
     return this.aetheria.daemon.assetManifest();
   }
 
+  public async mainMenuSurface(request: AetheriaMenuSurfaceRequest = {}): Promise<AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument> {
+    return buildMainMenuSurface(
+      request.surfaceId || "aetheria.main_menu.root",
+      request.canOpenRuntimeInputScreen === true,
+      request.inGame === true);
+  }
+
   public queryDiagnostics(): Readonly<Record<string, AetheriaRuntimeRtsQueryDiagnostic>> {
     return describeAetheriaRuntimeRtsQueryHandles(this.queries);
   }
@@ -449,6 +496,141 @@ export class AetheriaCultMeshClient {
   }
 }
 
+function buildMainMenuSurface(
+  surfaceId: string,
+  canOpenRuntimeInputScreen: boolean,
+  inGame: boolean,
+): AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument {
+  const updatedAtUtc = new Date().toISOString();
+  if (surfaceId === "aetheria.main_menu.settings") {
+    return surfaceDocument(
+      surfaceId,
+      "Aetheria Settings",
+      updatedAtUtc,
+      [
+        command("aetheria.main_menu.settings.show_player_settings", "Player Settings"),
+        command("aetheria.main_menu.settings.show_verse_settings", "Verse"),
+        command("aetheria.main_menu.settings.show_input_settings", "Input"),
+        command("aetheria.main_menu.settings.back_to_main", "Back"),
+      ],
+      text("aetheria.mainMenu.settings.title", "SETTINGS", "text.title"),
+      buttonColumn(
+        "aetheria.mainMenu.settings.actions",
+        button("aetheria.mainMenu.settings.playerSettings", "Player Settings", "aetheria.main_menu.settings.show_player_settings"),
+        button("aetheria.mainMenu.settings.verse", "Verse", "aetheria.main_menu.settings.show_verse_settings"),
+        button("aetheria.mainMenu.settings.input", "Input", "aetheria.main_menu.settings.show_input_settings"),
+        button("aetheria.mainMenu.settings.back", "Back", "aetheria.main_menu.settings.back_to_main"),
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (surfaceId === "aetheria.main_menu.input_settings") {
+    const children = [
+      text("aetheria.mainMenu.input.title", "INPUT", "text.title"),
+      metric("aetheria.mainMenu.input.bindingOverrides", "Binding Overrides", "0"),
+      metric("aetheria.mainMenu.input.actionBarInputs", "Action-Bar Inputs", "0"),
+      text(
+        "aetheria.mainMenu.input.note",
+        canOpenRuntimeInputScreen && inGame
+          ? "The runtime Eve input screen owns low-level InputSystem rebinding and action-bar input edits."
+          : "This title shell reports typed player-settings state. Launch a run to open the runtime Eve input screen that owns low-level InputSystem rebinding."),
+      buttonColumn(
+        "aetheria.mainMenu.input.actions",
+        button("aetheria.mainMenu.input.back", "Back", "aetheria.main_menu.settings.back_to_settings"),
+      ),
+    ];
+    return surfaceDocument(
+      surfaceId,
+      "Aetheria Input Settings",
+      updatedAtUtc,
+      [command("aetheria.main_menu.settings.back_to_settings", "Back")],
+      ...children);
+  }
+
+  const actionButtons = [
+    ...(!inGame ? [button("aetheria.main_menu.root.continue", "Continue", "aetheria.main_menu.root.continue")] : []),
+    button("aetheria.main_menu.root.newGame", "New Game", "aetheria.main_menu.root.new_game"),
+    button("aetheria.main_menu.root.settings", "Settings", "aetheria.main_menu.root.show_settings"),
+    button("aetheria.main_menu.root.quit", "Quit", "aetheria.main_menu.root.quit"),
+  ];
+  return surfaceDocument(
+    "aetheria.main_menu.root",
+    "Aetheria Terminus",
+    updatedAtUtc,
+    [
+      ...(!inGame ? [command("aetheria.main_menu.root.continue", "Continue")] : []),
+      command("aetheria.main_menu.root.new_game", "New Game"),
+      command("aetheria.main_menu.root.show_settings", "Settings"),
+      command("aetheria.main_menu.root.quit", "Quit"),
+    ],
+    text("aetheria.main_menu.root.title", "AETHERIA", "text.title"),
+    text("aetheria.main_menu.root.subtitle", "TERMINUS", "text.subtitle"),
+    buttonColumn("aetheria.main_menu.root.actions", ...actionButtons),
+  );
+}
+
+function surfaceDocument(
+  surfaceId: string,
+  title: string,
+  updatedAtUtc: string,
+  commands: AetheriaMenuSurfaceCommand[],
+  ...children: AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent[]
+): AetheriaMenuSurfaceDocument {
+  return {
+    providerId: "aetheria",
+    providerKind: "game.menu",
+    title,
+    version: 1,
+    updatedAtUtc,
+    surface: {
+      id: surfaceId,
+      root: node(`${surfaceId}.root`, "surface", {}, ...children),
+      styles: [
+        { name: "font.title.family", value: "Montserrat" },
+        { name: "font.title.style", value: "Thin" },
+        { name: "font.title.weight", value: "100" },
+        { name: "font.body.family", value: "Ubuntu" },
+        { name: "font.body.style", value: "Regular" },
+        { name: "font.body.weight", value: "400" },
+        {
+          name: "font.web.google",
+          value: "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Montserrat:wght@100&family=Ubuntu:wght@400&display=swap",
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    commands,
+  };
+}
+
+function command(commandId: string, label: string): AetheriaMenuSurfaceCommand {
+  return { command: commandId, label, transport: "cultmesh" };
+}
+
+function node(
+  id: string,
+  kind: string,
+  props: Record<string, string>,
+  ...children: AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent[]
+): AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent {
+  return { id, kind, props, children };
+}
+
+function text(id: string, value: string, kind = "text"): AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent {
+  return node(id, kind, { value });
+}
+
+function metric(id: string, label: string, value: string): AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent {
+  return node(id, "metric", { label, value });
+}
+
+function button(id: string, label: string, commandId: string): AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent {
+  return node(id, "control.button", { label, command: commandId });
+}
+
+function buttonColumn(id: string, ...children: AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent[]): AetheriaMenuSurfaceComponent {
+  return node(id, "column", {}, ...children);
+}
+
 function stableToken(value: string): string {
   return value
     .replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]+/gu, "-")
diff --git a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/main.ts b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/main.ts
index 9930f3ecd..6622065ba 100644
--- a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/main.ts
+++ b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/main.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const rtsCultMeshAdvertiseHost = process.env.AETHERIA_RTS_CULTMESH_ADVERTISE_HOS
 const peerCultMeshEndpoints = parseEndpointList(process.env.AETHERIA_RTS_PEER_CULTMESH_ENDPOINTS);
 const electronSmoke = process.env.AETHERIA_RTS_ELECTRON_SMOKE === "1";
 const electronSmokeResultPath = process.env.AETHERIA_RTS_ELECTRON_SMOKE_RESULT;
+const rendererView = process.env.AETHERIA_RTS_VIEW?.trim() ?? "";
 
 let daemonProcess: ChildProcessWithoutNullStreams | null = null;
 let mainWindow: BrowserWindow | null = null;
@@ -39,7 +40,10 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
   showStartup("Preparing Aetheria RTS", "Building daemon if needed.");
 
   try {
-    if (launchLocalDaemon) {
+    if (rendererView === "main-menu") {
+      showStartup("Launching Aetheria Menu", "Lowering the CultUI main-menu surface.");
+      mkdirSync(runtimeRoot, { recursive: true });
+    } else if (launchLocalDaemon) {
       await ensureDotnetBuild();
       showStartup("Launching Aetheria RTS", "Starting the Aetheria daemon.");
       mkdirSync(runtimeRoot, { recursive: true });
@@ -73,9 +77,13 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
       "aetheria-rts-electron",
       { publicationMode: launchLocalDaemon ? "local" : "remote" });
 
-    showStartup("Launching Aetheria RTS", "Waiting for the daemon CultMesh frame.");
-    await rtsClient.waitForFrame(30000);
-    await mainWindow.loadFile(rendererIndex);
+    if (rendererView === "main-menu") {
+      await mainWindow.loadFile(rendererIndex, { hash: "main-menu" });
+    } else {
+      showStartup("Launching Aetheria RTS", "Waiting for the daemon CultMesh frame.");
+      await rtsClient.waitForFrame(30000);
+      await mainWindow.loadFile(rendererIndex);
+    }
     if (electronSmoke) {
       const result = await runElectronSmoke(mainWindow);
       writeElectronSmokeResult({ ok: true, result });
@@ -291,6 +299,8 @@ function registerIpc(): void {
       daemonRunning: daemonProcess != null && !daemonProcess.killed,
       daemonMode: launchLocalDaemon ? "local" : "remote",
     }));
+  ipcMain.handle("aetheria-rts:main-menu-surface", async (_event, request) =>
+    requireClient().mainMenuSurface(request));
 }
 
 function parseEndpointList(value: string | undefined): string[] {
diff --git a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/preload.cjs b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/preload.cjs
index 7dc4513ca..2b095b9c9 100644
--- a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/preload.cjs
+++ b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/Electron/preload.cjs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ const channels = {
   setTarget: "aetheria-rts:set-target",
   surfaceCatalog: "aetheria-rts:surface-catalog",
   surfaceCatalogIndex: "aetheria-rts:surface-catalog-index",
+  mainMenuSurface: "aetheria-rts:main-menu-surface",
   health: "aetheria-rts:health",
 };
 
@@ -51,5 +52,6 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("aetheriaRts", {
   setTarget: request => ipcRenderer.invoke(channels.setTarget, request),
   surfaceCatalog: () => ipcRenderer.invoke(channels.surfaceCatalog),
   surfaceCatalogIndex: () => ipcRenderer.invoke(channels.surfaceCatalogIndex),
+  mainMenuSurface: request => ipcRenderer.invoke(channels.mainMenuSurface, request),
   health: () => ipcRenderer.invoke(channels.health),
 });
diff --git a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/wwwroot/index.html b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/wwwroot/index.html
index d7b4ed865..af5300ba5 100644
--- a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/wwwroot/index.html
+++ b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/wwwroot/index.html
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
       </section>
     </aside>
   </main>
+  <section id="main-menu-host" class="main-menu-host" aria-label="Aetheria main menu"></section>
   <script type="module" src="app.js"></script>
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/wwwroot/styles.css b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/wwwroot/styles.css
index 412129f4d..bd69a6fd1 100644
--- a/Aetheria.Rts.Web/wwwroot/styles.css
+++ b/Aetheria.Rts.Web/wwwroot/styles.css
@@ -19,6 +19,111 @@ body {
   overflow: hidden;
 }
 
+.main-menu-host {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode {
+  background:
+    radial-gradient(circle at 76% 66%, rgba(255, 213, 112, 0.74) 0, rgba(247, 121, 88, 0.36) 13%, transparent 31%),
+    radial-gradient(circle at 61% 37%, rgba(240, 45, 201, 0.54) 0, rgba(176, 38, 174, 0.28) 19%, transparent 45%),
+    radial-gradient(circle at 40% 45%, rgba(145, 21, 122, 0.42) 0, rgba(54, 8, 41, 0.4) 34%, transparent 62%),
+    #050407;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .shell {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .main-menu-host {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+  justify-content: flex-start;
+  min-height: 100%;
+  padding: 92px 96px;
+  background:
+    radial-gradient(ellipse at 78% 64%, rgba(255, 194, 95, 0.36) 0, rgba(255, 148, 92, 0.18) 16%, transparent 35%),
+    radial-gradient(ellipse at 59% 38%, rgba(238, 56, 216, 0.28) 0, rgba(164, 37, 160, 0.2) 22%, transparent 52%),
+    linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), transparent 48%);
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-surface {
+  width: 720px;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-text-title {
+  width: 720px;
+  color: rgba(209, 242, 255, 0.96);
+  font-family: "Montserrat", sans-serif;
+  font-weight: 100;
+  line-height: 0.95;
+  text-align: right;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode #aetheria\.main_menu\.root\.title {
+  margin: 0 0 -12px;
+  font-size: 86px;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode #aetheria\.main_menu\.root\.subtitle {
+  margin: 0 0 36px;
+  font-size: 39px;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-text,
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-metric,
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-control-button {
+  font-family: "Ubuntu", system-ui, sans-serif;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-column {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-control-button {
+  width: 220px;
+  min-width: 0;
+  height: 32px;
+  padding: 0;
+  border: 0;
+  border-radius: 0;
+  background: transparent;
+  color: rgba(219, 250, 255, 0.96);
+  font-size: 24px;
+  line-height: 32px;
+  text-align: left;
+  letter-spacing: 0;
+  transition: letter-spacing 160ms ease, color 160ms ease;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-control-button:hover,
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-control-button:focus-visible {
+  background: transparent;
+  color: white;
+  letter-spacing: 8px;
+  outline: 0;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-metric {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: 180px minmax(0, 1fr);
+  gap: 8px;
+  width: 520px;
+  margin: 0 0 8px;
+}
+
+body.main-menu-mode .eve-text:not(.eve-text-title) {
+  width: 520px;
+  margin: 0 0 14px;
+  color: rgba(219, 250, 255, 0.9);
+  font-size: 16px;
+  line-height: 1.25;
+}
+
 button {
   min-width: 36px;
   height: 32px;