Identity

Configuration File	Purpose	Location	Scope
SOUL.md	Defines the agent's "soul": personality, tone, communication style, core values, and hard boundaries.	~/.hermes/SOUL.md (or $HERMES_HOME/SOUL.md)	Global – applies to all projects and sessions.
AGENTS.md	Defines the project's "skeleton": project-specific coding standards, file paths, common commands, architecture, and workflows.	Root directory of your project repository.	Project-level – only takes effect within that specific project.
USER.md	Stores your user profile: name, communication style, preferences, skill level, and other facts about you as the operator.	~/.hermes/memories/USER.md	Global – applies to all sessions.
/personality command	Enables temporary "costume changes": adjusts the agent's style or role for the current session without modifying SOUL.md.	Entered directly in the chat.	Session-level – only affects the current conversation.