diff --git a/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/ames.hoon b/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/ames.hoon
index fb09a2ebea..41742600b3 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/ames.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/ames.hoon
@@ -1567,7 +1567,7 @@
         =|  =point
         =.  life.point     life
         =.  keys.point     (my [life crypto-suite public-key]~)
-        =.  sponsor.point  `(scry-for-sponsor ship)
+        =.  sponsor.point  `(^^sein:title rof our now ship)
         ::
         (on-publ-full (my [ship point]~))
       ::
@@ -1670,7 +1670,7 @@
       =.  sponsor.peer-state
         ?^  sponsor.point
           u.sponsor.point
-        (scry-for-sponsor ship)
+        (^^sein:title rof our now ship)
       ::  automatically set galaxy route, since unix handles lookup
       ::
       =?  route.peer-state  ?=(%czar (clan:title ship))
@@ -1680,14 +1680,6 @@
         (~(put by peers.ames-state) ship %known peer-state)
       ::
       event-core
-    ::  +scry-for-sponsor: ask jael for .who's sponsoring ship
-    ::
-    ++  scry-for-sponsor
-      |=  who=ship
-      ^-  ship
-      ;;  ship
-      =<  q.q  %-  need  %-  need
-      (rof ~ %j `beam`[[our %sein %da now] /(scot %p who)])
     --
   ::  +on-take-turf: relay %turf move from jael to unix
   ::
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/sys/zuse.hoon b/pkg/arvo/sys/zuse.hoon
index 955872e500..9ff5e68ba9 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/sys/zuse.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/sys/zuse.hoon
@@ -4847,9 +4847,23 @@
 ::    (both hed ((..^$ +.b) +.a))
   --  ::wired
 ::                                                      ::
-::::                      ++title                       ::  (2j) namespace
+::::                      ++title                       ::  (2j) identity
   ::                                                    ::::
 ++  title
+  ::  deep core: for vane use, with $roof for scrying
+  ::
+  ::    TODO: refactor to share high-level gates like +saxo
+  ::          among the three cores
+  ::
+  =>  |%
+      ++  sein
+        |=  [rof=roof our=ship now=@da who=ship]
+        ;;  ship
+        =<  q.q  %-  need  %-  need
+        (rof ~ %j `beam`[[our %sein %da now] /(scot %p who)])
+      --
+  ::  middle core: for userspace use, with .^
+  ::
   =>  |%
       ::                                                ::  ++clan:title
       ++  clan                                          ::  ship to rank
@@ -4888,6 +4902,8 @@
           %pawn  (end 4 who)
         ==
       --
+  ::  surface core: stateless queries for default numeric sponsorship
+  ::
   |%
   ::                                                    ::  ++cite:title
   ++  cite                                              ::  render ship