diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 57597d8..5707329 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -260,7 +260,10 @@ function M.spawn(rig, pos)
     -- Per-bone live state (current angle, current world-pos cache).
     local bone_state = {}
     for bid, b in pairs(rig.bones_by_id) do
-        bone_state[bid] = { angle = b.rest.angle, world_x = 0, world_y = 0 }
+        bone_state[bid] = {
+            angle = b.rest.angle,
+            world = { x = 0, y = 0, angle = b.rest.angle },
+        }
     end
 
     all_puppets[handle] = {
@@ -387,56 +390,155 @@ function M.write_bone(handle, bone_id, values)
 end
 
 -- ====================================================================
--- Update pipeline (per-frame)
+-- World-transform query (public API; reads from cached bone_state.world)
+-- ====================================================================
+function M.bone_world_transform(handle, bone_id)
+    local p = all_puppets[handle]
+    if p == nil then
+        error("puppet.bone_world_transform: handle " .. tostring(handle) .. " not spawned")
+    end
+    local ws = p.bone_state[bone_id] and p.bone_state[bone_id].world
+    if ws == nil then
+        error("puppet.bone_world_transform: bone '" .. tostring(bone_id) .. "' has no cached world-transform")
+    end
+    return ws.x, ws.y, ws.angle
+end
+
+-- ====================================================================
+-- Test-only: direct bone-angle write bypassing track-conflict guard.
+-- Not for production module use.
+-- ====================================================================
+function M.write_bone_test_only(handle, bone_id, angle_rad)
+    local p = all_puppets[handle]
+    if p == nil then
+        error("puppet.write_bone_test_only: handle " .. tostring(handle) .. " not spawned")
+    end
+    if p.bone_state[bone_id] == nil then
+        error("puppet.write_bone_test_only: bone '" .. tostring(bone_id) .. "' not in rig")
+    end
+    p.bone_state[bone_id].angle = angle_rad
+end
+
+-- ====================================================================
+-- Forward-declared recursive helper (forward decl required for child-recursion).
+-- ====================================================================
+local update_bone_recursive
+
+-- ====================================================================
+-- Update pipeline (per-frame, depth-first traversal).
+--
+-- For each puppet:
+--   1. Reset all bones to rest pose
+--   2. Advance keyframe-anim sample-times
+--   3. Depth-first traversal root -> children:
+--      a. Sample keyframe for bone if on active track
+--      b. Apply look-at if bone has look_at=true (uses parent's already-cascaded world)
+--      c. Run procedural callbacks (once per puppet at root-visit)
+--      d. Compute world-transform from parent.world + own rest + own angle
 -- ====================================================================
 function M.update(dt)
     for handle, p in pairs(all_puppets) do
-        -- 1. Reset bones to rest pose.
+        -- 1. Reset to rest pose.
         for bid, b in pairs(p.rig.bones_by_id) do
             p.bone_state[bid].angle = b.rest.angle
         end
 
-        -- 2. Apply look-at constraint (writes to bones marked look_at: true).
-        if p.look_target ~= nil then
-            for bid, b in pairs(p.rig.bones_by_id) do
-                if b.look_at then
-                    -- Compute bone's world-pos by chaining parents.
-                    -- For minimal v0.1: assume bone's parent is at puppet origin (torso).
-                    -- Simplified: bone world-pos = puppet pos + bone.rest offset.
-                    local bone_world_x = p.x + b.rest.x
-                    local bone_world_y = p.y + b.rest.y
-                    local dx = p.look_target.x - bone_world_x
-                    local dy = p.look_target.y - bone_world_y
-                    p.bone_state[bid].angle = math.atan(dy, dx)
-                end
-            end
-        end
-
-        -- 3. Advance + apply keyframe animations.
+        -- 2. Advance keyframe sample-times.
         for anim_id, play_state in pairs(p.playing) do
             local anim = p.animations[anim_id]
             play_state.t = play_state.t + dt * play_state.speed
             if play_state.loop and play_state.t > anim.duration then
                 play_state.t = play_state.t % anim.duration
             end
-            local frame = M.sample_animation(anim, play_state.t)
-            for bid, bone_kf in pairs(frame) do
-                p.bone_state[bid].angle = bone_kf.angle
-            end
         end
 
-        -- 4. Apply procedural callbacks (via write_bone -- auto-validated).
-        -- Use pcall per callback so that a track-conflict from one callback
-        -- removes only that offending procedural and re-raises, rather than
-        -- leaving other puppets' callbacks un-executed on subsequent calls.
+        -- 3. Depth-first traversal: roots first, then children, recursively.
+        for _, b_src in ipairs(p.rig.bones) do
+            local b = p.rig.bones_by_id[b_src.id]
+            if b.parent == nil then
+                update_bone_recursive(p, b, dt)
+            end
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+-- ====================================================================
+-- Depth-first update of one bone, then its children.
+-- ====================================================================
+update_bone_recursive = function(p, b, dt)
+    local bid = b.id
+
+    -- 3.a Sample keyframe for this bone from any playing anim on its track.
+    local track_id = p.rig.bone_to_track[bid]
+    if track_id then
+        for anim_id, play_state in pairs(p.playing) do
+            local anim = p.animations[anim_id]
+            if anim and anim.track == track_id then
+                local frame = M.sample_animation(anim, play_state.t)
+                local bone_kf = frame[bid]
+                if bone_kf and bone_kf.angle ~= nil then
+                    p.bone_state[bid].angle = bone_kf.angle  -- already radians per sample_animation
+                end
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
+    -- 3.b Apply look-at constraint if this bone is marked look_at.
+    if b.look_at and p.look_target ~= nil then
+        -- Compute this bone's world-pos from parent's world + own rest offset
+        -- (parent's world has been computed earlier in the traversal).
+        local px, py, pa
+        if b.parent then
+            local pw = p.bone_state[b.parent.id].world
+            px, py, pa = pw.x, pw.y, pw.angle
+        else
+            px, py, pa = p.x, p.y, 0
+        end
+        local cos_a, sin_a = math.cos(pa), math.sin(pa)
+        local lx, ly = b.rest.x, b.rest.y
+        local bone_world_x = px + lx * cos_a - ly * sin_a
+        local bone_world_y = py + lx * sin_a + ly * cos_a
+        -- Direction to target in world-space.
+        local dx = p.look_target.x - bone_world_x
+        local dy = p.look_target.y - bone_world_y
+        -- World-angle for look-at = atan2(dy, dx). Convert to local (subtract parent's accumulated).
+        local world_angle = math.atan(dy, dx)
+        p.bone_state[bid].angle = world_angle - pa
+    end
+
+    -- 3.c Run procedural callbacks at root-visit (once per puppet, before world-transform compute).
+    if b.parent == nil then
         for name, cb in pairs(p.procedural) do
-            local ok, err = pcall(cb, handle, dt)
+            local ok, err = pcall(cb, p.handle, dt)
             if not ok then
                 p.procedural[name] = nil  -- disarm offending callback to avoid repeat errors
                 error(err, 0)             -- re-raise so caller (or test pcall) sees the conflict
             end
         end
     end
+
+    -- 3.d Compute this bone's world-transform from parent + own.
+    local px, py, pa
+    if b.parent then
+        local pw = p.bone_state[b.parent.id].world
+        px, py, pa = pw.x, pw.y, pw.angle
+    else
+        px, py, pa = p.x, p.y, 0
+    end
+    local cos_a, sin_a = math.cos(pa), math.sin(pa)
+    local lx, ly = b.rest.x, b.rest.y
+    local wx = px + lx * cos_a - ly * sin_a
+    local wy = py + lx * sin_a + ly * cos_a
+    local wa = pa + p.bone_state[bid].angle
+    p.bone_state[bid].world = { x = wx, y = wy, angle = wa }
+
+    -- Recurse to children.
+    for _, child_src in ipairs(p.rig.bones) do
+        local child = p.rig.bones_by_id[child_src.id]
+        if child.parent == b then
+            update_bone_recursive(p, child, dt)
+        end
+    end
 end
 
 -- ====================================================================