diff --git a/crates/aura-cli/src/research_docs.rs b/crates/aura-cli/src/research_docs.rs
index 7c68e64..3504575 100644
--- a/crates/aura-cli/src/research_docs.rs
+++ b/crates/aura-cli/src/research_docs.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,17 @@ impl DocIntrospectCmd {
     }
 }
 
+/// Parse `--parallel-instruments` in domain terms: clap's built-in
+/// `NonZeroUsize` parser would leak the Rust type name ("number would be
+/// zero for non-zero type") at exactly the moment a user needs guidance.
+fn parse_parallel_instruments(s: &str) -> Result<std::num::NonZeroUsize, String> {
+    s.parse::<usize>().ok().and_then(std::num::NonZeroUsize::new).ok_or_else(|| {
+        "must be a whole number of at least 1 — it bounds how many distinct \
+         instruments are resident in parallel"
+            .to_string()
+    })
+}
+
 /// Exactly one introspect mode (the graph-introspect guard idiom: usage
 /// error on stderr, exit 2).
 fn guard_one_mode(cmd: &DocIntrospectCmd, family: &str) {
@@ -320,7 +331,11 @@ pub enum CampaignSub {
         target: String,
         /// Bound on distinct instruments resident in parallel (the RAM
         /// lever; 1 reproduces the sequential loop's footprint).
-        #[arg(long, default_value_t = aura_campaign::DEFAULT_PARALLEL_INSTRUMENTS)]
+        #[arg(
+            long,
+            default_value_t = aura_campaign::DEFAULT_PARALLEL_INSTRUMENTS,
+            value_parser = parse_parallel_instruments,
+        )]
         parallel_instruments: std::num::NonZeroUsize,
     },
     /// List stored campaign realizations, or dump one campaign's records
diff --git a/crates/aura-cli/tests/research_docs.rs b/crates/aura-cli/tests/research_docs.rs
index 75978e0..afb143a 100644
--- a/crates/aura-cli/tests/research_docs.rs
+++ b/crates/aura-cli/tests/research_docs.rs
@@ -4083,4 +4083,7 @@ fn campaign_over_a_gapped_archive_records_the_uncovered_cell_and_continues() {
 fn campaign_run_rejects_a_zero_parallel_instruments_bound() {
     let (out, code) = run_code(&["campaign", "run", "unused", "--parallel-instruments", "0"]);
     assert_eq!(code, Some(2), "clap usage error expected, got: {out}");
+    // Domain prose, not clap's raw NonZeroUsize wording ("number would be
+    // zero for non-zero type") — the fieldtest friction finding.
+    assert!(out.contains("at least 1"), "domain guidance expected, got: {out}");
 }
diff --git a/docs/authoring-guide.md b/docs/authoring-guide.md
index 74c09fb..4216c9e 100644
--- a/docs/authoring-guide.md
+++ b/docs/authoring-guide.md
@@ -609,4 +609,9 @@ Exit codes: a clean run exits 0; a usage error exits 2; a refusal before any
 cell runs (invalid document, missing project, unresolvable strategy) exits 1;
 a run that **completes with one or more failed cells** exits 3 — the run record
 and every healthy cell persist, and the failed cells are named on stderr
-(#272).
+(#272). A **gate-emptied cell** — a `std::gate` stage that filters out every
+member — is a *successful* cell, not a failed one: the gate legitimately
+answered "no survivors", so the run still exits 0, the cell's realization is
+recorded as truncated at that stage, and an informational `aura:`-prefixed
+note names the cell on stderr. Exit 3 is reserved for cells that could not be
+evaluated (faults), never for an empty-but-valid result.