diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 254f92b..abe16b3 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
     <meta name="theme-color" content="#0e0a14" />
     <meta name="description" content="amerc is the agent mercenary tavern — hire, run, publish, and remotely deliver AI agents across software boundaries. No infrastructure, just skills." />
-    <meta name="version" content="0.43.0-lean" />
+    <meta name="version" content="0.44.0-roster" />
     <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.svg" type="image/svg+xml" />
     <link rel="icon" href="/app-192.png" type="image/png" sizes="192x192" />
     <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png" />
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e2e0d5e..a9a1a5a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "amerc-site",
-  "version": "0.43.0-lean",
+  "version": "0.44.0-roster",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src/AgentPlatform.jsx b/src/AgentPlatform.jsx
index a7b7f85..aeb91eb 100644
--- a/src/AgentPlatform.jsx
+++ b/src/AgentPlatform.jsx
@@ -28,14 +28,17 @@ export function AgentBrowse({ auth, setRoute }) {
 
   return (
     <div className="ap">
-      <div className="ap-head">
-        <h2>Browse Agents</h2>
-        <input className="ap-search" placeholder="search classes…" value={q} onChange={(e) => setQ(e.target.value)} />
+      <div className="ap-store-head">
+        <div className="ap-store-intro">
+          <h2>The mercenary roster</h2>
+          <p>Hire a ready-made agent by skill and tag — chat with it, embed it on your site, or drive its terminal. Bring your own and it joins the roster.</p>
+        </div>
+        <input className="ap-search" placeholder="search the roster…" value={q} onChange={(e) => setQ(e.target.value)} />
       </div>
       <div className="ap-tags">
-        <button className={`ap-tag${!tag ? ' on' : ''}`} onClick={() => setTag('')}>all</button>
+        <button className={`ap-tag${!tag ? ' on' : ''}`} onClick={() => setTag('')}>★ all</button>
         {Object.entries(tags).sort((a, b) => b[1] - a[1]).map(([t, n]) => (
-          <button key={t} className={`ap-tag${tag === t ? ' on' : ''}`} onClick={() => setTag(t)}>{t} <em>{n}</em></button>
+          <button key={t} className={`ap-tag${tag === t ? ' on' : ''}`} onClick={() => setTag(t)}>{TAG_EMOJI[t] || '🗡️'} {t} <em>{n}</em></button>
         ))}
       </div>
       {err && <p className="px-auth-err">{err}</p>}
@@ -54,6 +57,14 @@ export function AgentBrowse({ auth, setRoute }) {
             </div>
           </button>
         ))}
+        {classes.length > 0 && (
+          <button className="ap-card ap-card-add" onClick={() => setRoute('booth')}>
+            <span className="ap-add-plus" aria-hidden="true">＋</span>
+            <strong>Publish your own</strong>
+            <p>Register an agent class and run it from your booth — your mercenary joins the roster right here.</p>
+            <span className="ap-add-cta">Open My Booth →</span>
+          </button>
+        )}
         {!classes.length && (
           <div className="ap-empty-start">
             <h3>No agents here yet — be the first.</h3>
diff --git a/src/Scene2D.jsx b/src/Scene2D.jsx
index 3c5d83f..f3e6305 100644
--- a/src/Scene2D.jsx
+++ b/src/Scene2D.jsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import Account from './Account.jsx';
 import TavernGame from './TavernGame.jsx';
 import { api } from './api.js';
 
-const RELEASE = '0.43.0-lean';
+const RELEASE = '0.44.0-roster';
 
 const NAV = [
   { id: 'home', label: 'Tavern' },
diff --git a/src/styles.css b/src/styles.css
index 2067db1..1bfcf83 100644
--- a/src/styles.css
+++ b/src/styles.css
@@ -1252,3 +1252,18 @@ button {
 .ap-booth-welcome li { color: #d6ccec; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.55; }
 .ap-booth-welcome li b { color: #f0e9ff; }
 .ap-on-word { color: #36f0b0; font-weight: 600; }
+
+/* browse storefront header + publish-your-own card (0.44 vividness) */
+.ap-store-head { display: flex; align-items: flex-end; gap: 18px; margin-bottom: 16px; flex-wrap: wrap; }
+.ap-store-intro { flex: 1 1 320px; }
+.ap-store-intro h2 { font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 26px; color: #fff; margin: 0 0 6px; text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.4); }
+.ap-store-intro p { margin: 0; color: #b6a7d4; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 1.6; max-width: 64ch; }
+.ap-store-head .ap-search { margin-left: 0; min-width: 200px; }
+.ap-card-add { align-items: flex-start; justify-content: center; text-align: left; background: linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(39,216,255,0.05), rgba(20,14,30,0.3));
+  border: 1.5px dashed #3a5a6e; transition: border-color 0.18s, transform 0.18s, box-shadow 0.18s; }
+.ap-card-add:hover { border-color: #46c8e0; transform: translateY(-2px); box-shadow: 0 8px 22px rgba(0,0,0,0.35); }
+.ap-add-plus { font-size: 26px; line-height: 1; color: #46c8e0; width: 42px; height: 42px; display: grid; place-items: center; border-radius: 11px;
+  background: rgba(39,216,255,0.1); border: 1px solid rgba(39,216,255,0.25); }
+.ap-card-add strong { color: #eaf6ff; font-size: 15px; }
+.ap-card-add p { margin: 0; color: #9d8fc0; font-size: 12.5px; line-height: 1.55; }
+.ap-add-cta { color: #46c8e0; font-size: 12.5px; font-weight: 600; margin-top: 2px; }