Keep SDXL character tags metadata driven

tools/prompt_smoke.py

@@ -4417,6 +4417,32 @@ def smoke_sdxl_tag_policy() -> None:
     _expect(deps.explicit_tags is sdxl_tag_policy.explicit_tags, "SDXL route deps lost explicit tag policy")
     _expect(deps.softcore_pair_tags is sdxl_tag_policy.softcore_pair_tags, "SDXL route deps lost softcore pair tag policy")
 
+    stale_character_row = {
+        "prompt": "Characters: 99-year-old adult man, stale body, stale skin, stale hair, stale eyes.",
+        "age_band": "27-year-old adult",
+        "subject_phrase": "woman",
+        "body_phrase": "athletic figure",
+        "skin": "warm olive skin",
+        "hair": "short black hair",
+        "eyes": "green eyes",
+    }
+    stale_character_tags = sdxl_tag_policy.normal_character_tags(stale_character_row)
+    _expect("27-year-old adult" in stale_character_tags, "SDXL character tags lost structured age")
+    _expect("warm olive skin" in stale_character_tags, "SDXL character tags lost structured skin")
+    _expect(
+        all("stale" not in tag for tag in stale_character_tags),
+        "SDXL character tags should not parse stale raw prompt character labels",
+    )
+    descriptor_tags = sdxl_tag_policy.normal_character_tags(
+        {
+            "prompt": "Characters: stale prompt descriptor.",
+            "cast_descriptor_text": "Woman A: 30-year-old adult woman, toned figure, fair skin, red hair, gray eyes",
+        }
+    )
+    _expect("30-year-old adult woman" in descriptor_tags, "SDXL character tags lost cast descriptor metadata")
+    _expect("toned build" in descriptor_tags, "SDXL character tags did not normalize descriptor figure tag")
+    _expect(all("stale" not in tag for tag in descriptor_tags), "SDXL cast descriptor metadata should beat stale prompt labels")
+
 
 def smoke_sdxl_tag_routes() -> None:
     row = _fixture_hardcore_row(
@@ -4435,6 +4461,29 @@ def smoke_sdxl_tag_routes() -> None:
         "Typed SDXL row tag route should match legacy wrapper output",
     )
     _expect("sdxl route tag" in typed_row.as_text(), "Typed SDXL row tag route lost route-specific formatter hint")
+    stale_character_route_row = _fixture_hardcore_row(
+        prompt="Characters: stale prompt subject, stale body, stale skin, stale hair, stale eyes.",
+        cast_descriptor_text="",
+        cast_descriptors=[],
+        subject_type="woman",
+        subject_phrase="woman",
+        primary_subject="woman",
+        age_band="27-year-old adult",
+        body_phrase="athletic figure",
+        skin="warm olive skin",
+        hair="short black hair",
+        eyes="green eyes",
+        women_count=1,
+        men_count=0,
+        person_count=1,
+    )
+    stale_character_route_tags = sdxl_tag_routes.row_core_tags_result(
+        sdxl_tag_routes.SDXLRowTagRequest(stale_character_route_row, 1.29),
+        deps,
+    ).as_text()
+    _expect("27-year-old adult" in stale_character_route_tags, "SDXL route lost structured character age")
+    _expect("warm olive skin" in stale_character_route_tags, "SDXL route lost structured character skin")
+    _expect("stale" not in stale_character_route_tags, "SDXL route should not parse stale prompt character labels")
     stale_prompt_row = _fixture_hardcore_row(
         prompt="stale raw prompt mentions fully nude naked pussy penis oral anal semen penetration",
         item="standing portrait setup",