Bug Description

Goals created via /goal are stored with goal:<session_id> as the key in state_meta table, binding them to the session lifecycle. When a session ends or gets pruned, the goal data is deleted along with it.

This contradicts the documented intent in the codebase:

"Persistent goal tracking across sessions" "Goals survive session boundaries"

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start a Telegram session with Hermes
2. Create a goal: /goal Configure OpenClaw on Mac Mini
3. Add tasks to the goal
4. Close the Telegram session (or wait for it to be pruned)
5. Start a new Telegram session
6. Try /goal list — no goals shown
7. Check state_meta table — goal data is gone

Expected Behavior

• Goals should persist across sessions
• /goal list should show all active goals regardless of which session created them
• Goals should have their own lifecycle, independent of sessions

Actual Behavior

• Goals are keyed as goal:<session_id> in state_meta
• When session is pruned/cleaned, goal data is deleted
• /goal list only shows goals for the current session
• No cross-session goal indexing mechanism

Root Cause

In hermes_state.py, goals are stored with session-specific keys:

# Goal key pattern
key = f"goal:{session_id}"

There is no separate goal registry or cross-session index.

Suggested Fix

1. Separate goal storage: Move goals to their own table or use session-independent keys
2. Global goal index: Add a goals table with columns: goal_id, title, status, created_at, updated_at, tasks
3. Cross-session listing: /goal list should query all active goals, not just current session
4. Goal lifecycle: Goals should persist until explicitly completed/cancelled, regardless of session lifecycle

Environment

• Hermes Agent: latest (as of 2026-05-03)
• Platform: Telegram gateway
• OS: macOS (Apple Silicon)

Impact

Users who set up long-term goals (like configuring OpenClaw) lose their task tracking when sessions end. This undermines the purpose of the /goal feature for multi-session workflows.