diff --git a/assets/setup-splash.txt b/assets/setup-splash.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e4b77ecb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/setup-splash.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+
+     ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠰⣄⠘⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+     ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⡆⢸⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  °
+     ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡇⢸⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+     ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⣴⠾⠟⠛⠛⠿⢶⣦⣾⠇⣾⠁⠀⠀⠀⢀⣤⣤⠀⢀⣄⠀   
+     ⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⡿⡋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢤⣾⣿⢛⢿⣏⠀⠀⠀⢰⣟⣽⡏⠀⣸⡿⣧   
+   o ⠀⠀⢀⣾⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⠈⣧⣀⣿⣧⠀⠀⣿⣼⣿⣇⣾⠋⢠⣿   
+     ⠀⠀⣾⢃⠀⢲⣷⡋⣰⡀⢀⣀⣀⡀⠠⣿⣿⣠⣿⣇⠀⣿⢻⣉⠉⠙⠠⣼⠇   
+     ⠀⣼⡏⠃⠀⢸⣿⣿⡿⠃⣾⣷⣻⣿⡏⢹⠿⠿⣿⣿⢀⣿⣐⠙⣷⣦⡾⠋⠀  o
+     ⢠⣿⡃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠀⠀⠉⠙⠁⠀⠀⠀⠐⣿⣿⣟⠁⣿⣿⠟⠋⠀⠀⠀   
+   ° ⢸⣿⣧⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣀⣨⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+     ⢸⣿⣿⣷⣤⣤⠀⣀⢀⠀⢀⣀⣠⣴⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+     ⣿⢋⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠿⠿⣿⣅⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  O
+     ⣿⣿⠙⢾⣽⣟⣿⣿⣼⣿⣿⣿⣩⣶⣶⣦⠀⠀⠩⢻⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+     ⠘⣿⣶⣤⣿⣿⣿⣿⣵⢖⡀⠉⠹⡛⢷⣝⡿⠁⠀⠀⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+     ⠀⢹⣯⣽⣟⣛⣻⣿⣿⣾⣽⢶⣽⣿⣿⣿⣏⠀⠠⣤⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+     ⠀⠀⠻⣿⣶⣾⣿⢿⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣏⣛⣧⣦⣿⣿⣧⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+   o ⠀⠀⠀⠈⠻⣿⣶⣥⣼⣿⣿⣽⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣾⣿⣿⣯⣘⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+     ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠤⣤⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠿⠿⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
+
+ _  _                 ___ _             
+| \| |__ _ _ _  ___  / __| |__ ___ __ __
+| .` / _` | ' \/ _ \| (__| / _` \ V  V /
+|_|\_\__,_|_||_\___/ \___|_\__,_|\_/\_/ 
+
+                 Small.
+         Runs on your machine.
+            Yours to modify.
+
+════════════════════════════════════════
diff --git a/nanoclaw.sh b/nanoclaw.sh
index 058dbbf66..a3e5c1d0e 100755
--- a/nanoclaw.sh
+++ b/nanoclaw.sh
@@ -129,10 +129,13 @@ rm -f  "$PROGRESS_LOG"
 mkdir -p "$STEPS_DIR" "$LOGS_DIR"
 write_header
 
-# NanoClaw wordmark — clack's intro carries the "let's get you set up" framing,
-# so we don't print a subtitle here. setup:auto sees NANOCLAW_BOOTSTRAPPED=1 and
-# skips re-printing the wordmark, keeping the flow visually continuous.
-printf '\n  %s%s\n\n' "$(bold 'Nano')" "$(brand_bold 'Claw')"
+# NanoClaw splash — under-the-sea lobster mascot in truecolor braille,
+# with the figlet wordmark and taglines below. Pre-rendered into
+# assets/setup-splash.txt (built from assets/nanoclaw-icon.png via chafa +
+# figlet); the bash script just streams the literal frame. clack's intro
+# then carries the "let's get you set up" framing — setup:auto sees
+# NANOCLAW_BOOTSTRAPPED=1 and skips re-printing the wordmark.
+cat "$PROJECT_ROOT/assets/setup-splash.txt"
 
 # ─── pre-flight: Homebrew on macOS ─────────────────────────────────────
 # setup/install-node.sh and setup/install-docker.sh both require `brew` on
@@ -188,9 +191,6 @@ BOOTSTRAP_RAW="${STEPS_DIR}/01-bootstrap.log"
 BOOTSTRAP_LABEL="Installing the basics"
 BOOTSTRAP_START=$(date +%s)
 
-# One-line "why" that teaches a differentiator while the user waits.
-printf '%s  %s\n' "$(gray '│')" \
-  "$(dim "Small. Runs on your machine. Yours to modify.")"
 spinner_start "$BOOTSTRAP_LABEL"
 
 # Run in the background so we can tick elapsed time. Capture exit code via