diff --git a/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/council-scene.builder.spec.ts b/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/council-scene.builder.spec.ts
index 32b59032..1226de3f 100644
--- a/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/council-scene.builder.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/council-scene.builder.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
-import { buildCouncilScene } from './council-scene.builder';
+import { buildCouncilScene, buildCouncilSceneInstructions } from './council-scene.builder';
 import type { CouncilPreset } from '../../agent/council-preset.types';
 import type { VisualData } from '../../keyword/keyword.types';
+import type { CouncilScene } from './council-scene.types';
 
 describe('buildCouncilScene', () => {
   const planPreset: CouncilPreset = {
@@ -111,3 +112,87 @@ describe('buildCouncilScene', () => {
     expect(roundTripped).toEqual(scene);
   });
 });
+
+describe('buildCouncilSceneInstructions', () => {
+  it('returns undefined when councilScene is undefined', () => {
+    expect(buildCouncilSceneInstructions(undefined)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('returns undefined when councilScene has enabled=false', () => {
+    const scene: CouncilScene = {
+      enabled: false,
+      cast: [{ name: 'test', role: 'primary', face: '●‿●' }],
+      moderatorCopy: 'test copy',
+      format: 'tiny-actor-grid',
+    };
+    expect(buildCouncilSceneInstructions(scene)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('returns undefined when cast is empty', () => {
+    const scene: CouncilScene = {
+      enabled: true,
+      cast: [],
+      moderatorCopy: 'test copy',
+      format: 'tiny-actor-grid',
+    };
+    expect(buildCouncilSceneInstructions(scene)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('returns instruction text for a valid PLAN scene', () => {
+    const scene: CouncilScene = {
+      enabled: true,
+      cast: [
+        { name: 'technical-planner', role: 'primary', face: '◇‿◇' },
+        { name: 'architecture-specialist', role: 'specialist', face: '⬡‿⬡' },
+        { name: 'security-specialist', role: 'specialist', face: '◮‿◮' },
+      ],
+      moderatorCopy: 'Council assembled — let us design this together.',
+      format: 'tiny-actor-grid',
+    };
+
+    const result = buildCouncilSceneInstructions(scene);
+    expect(result).toBeDefined();
+    expect(result).toContain('COUNCIL SCENE');
+    expect(result).toContain('Council assembled');
+  });
+
+  it('includes all cast faces, names, and roles', () => {
+    const scene: CouncilScene = {
+      enabled: true,
+      cast: [
+        { name: 'technical-planner', role: 'primary', face: '◇‿◇' },
+        { name: 'security-specialist', role: 'specialist', face: '◮‿◮' },
+      ],
+      moderatorCopy: 'Council assembled.',
+      format: 'tiny-actor-grid',
+    };
+
+    const result = buildCouncilSceneInstructions(scene)!;
+    expect(result).toContain('◇‿◇ technical-planner [primary]');
+    expect(result).toContain('◮‿◮ security-specialist [specialist]');
+  });
+
+  it('includes moderatorCopy in the output', () => {
+    const scene: CouncilScene = {
+      enabled: true,
+      cast: [{ name: 'code-reviewer', role: 'primary', face: '●‿●' }],
+      moderatorCopy: 'Review council convened — specialists are ready.',
+      format: 'tiny-actor-grid',
+    };
+
+    const result = buildCouncilSceneInstructions(scene)!;
+    expect(result).toContain('Review council convened — specialists are ready.');
+  });
+
+  it('includes format hint in the output', () => {
+    const scene: CouncilScene = {
+      enabled: true,
+      cast: [{ name: 'test', role: 'primary', face: '●‿●' }],
+      moderatorCopy: 'test copy',
+      format: 'tiny-actor-grid',
+    };
+
+    const result = buildCouncilSceneInstructions(scene)!;
+    expect(result).toContain('tiny-actor-grid');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/council-scene.builder.ts b/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/council-scene.builder.ts
index f60b41f4..109fdd78 100644
--- a/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/council-scene.builder.ts
+++ b/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/council-scene.builder.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,25 @@ export interface CouncilSceneFallback {
   specialists?: string[];
 }
 
+/**
+ * Build first-response rendering instructions for the council scene.
+ * Returns instruction text to append to the mode instructions, or undefined if no scene.
+ */
+export function buildCouncilSceneInstructions(councilScene?: CouncilScene): string | undefined {
+  if (!councilScene?.enabled || !councilScene.cast?.length) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  const castLines = councilScene.cast.map(m => `${m.face} ${m.name} [${m.role}]`).join('\n');
+
+  return (
+    `\n\n📋 COUNCIL SCENE — Render this at the start of your first response, ` +
+    `right after the mode header:\n\n` +
+    `${councilScene.moderatorCopy}\n${castLines}\n\n` +
+    `Then proceed with your normal ${councilScene.format || 'standard'} mode response.`
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Build a CouncilScene for the given mode, or return undefined for ACT mode.
  *
diff --git a/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/mode.handler.spec.ts b/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/mode.handler.spec.ts
index 277ffd94..a3dbbbde 100644
--- a/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/mode.handler.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/mode.handler.spec.ts
@@ -2184,6 +2184,58 @@ describe('ModeHandler', () => {
       const reserialized = JSON.stringify(parsed.councilScene);
       expect(JSON.parse(reserialized)).toEqual(parsed.councilScene);
     });
+
+    it('PLAN mode instructions should include council scene rendering block', async () => {
+      mockKeywordService.parseMode = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        ...mockParseModeResult,
+        mode: 'PLAN',
+        instructions: 'Base PLAN instructions',
+        originalPrompt:
+          'PLAN implement password reset endpoint that sends an email with a reset link',
+      });
+
+      const result = await handler.handle('parse_mode', {
+        prompt: 'PLAN implement password reset endpoint that sends an email with a reset link',
+      });
+
+      expect(result?.isError).toBeFalsy();
+      const parsed = JSON.parse((result?.content[0] as { text: string }).text);
+      expect(parsed.instructions).toContain('COUNCIL SCENE');
+    });
+
+    it('ACT mode instructions should NOT include council scene rendering block', async () => {
+      mockKeywordService.parseMode = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        ...mockParseModeResult,
+        mode: 'ACT',
+        instructions: 'Base ACT instructions',
+        originalPrompt: 'implement feature',
+      });
+
+      const result = await handler.handle('parse_mode', {
+        prompt: 'ACT implement feature',
+      });
+
+      expect(result?.isError).toBeFalsy();
+      const parsed = JSON.parse((result?.content[0] as { text: string }).text);
+      expect(parsed.instructions).not.toContain('COUNCIL SCENE');
+    });
+
+    it('EVAL mode instructions should include council scene rendering block', async () => {
+      mockKeywordService.parseMode = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        ...mockParseModeResult,
+        mode: 'EVAL',
+        instructions: 'Base EVAL instructions',
+        originalPrompt: 'evaluate implementation',
+      });
+
+      const result = await handler.handle('parse_mode', {
+        prompt: 'EVAL evaluate implementation',
+      });
+
+      expect(result?.isError).toBeFalsy();
+      const parsed = JSON.parse((result?.content[0] as { text: string }).text);
+      expect(parsed.instructions).toContain('COUNCIL SCENE');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('reviewContext (#1411)', () => {
diff --git a/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/mode.handler.ts b/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/mode.handler.ts
index dec12ba5..7239236c 100644
--- a/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/mode.handler.ts
+++ b/apps/mcp-server/src/mcp/handlers/mode.handler.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ import {
   suppressDispatchWhileGated,
   type ExecutionGate,
 } from './execution-gate';
-import { buildCouncilScene } from './council-scene.builder';
+import { buildCouncilScene, buildCouncilSceneInstructions } from './council-scene.builder';
 
 /** Maximum length for context title slug generation */
 const CONTEXT_TITLE_MAX_LENGTH = 50;
@@ -356,6 +356,15 @@ export class ModeHandler extends AbstractHandler {
         },
       );
 
+      // Council Scene rendering instructions (#1421) — append to instructions
+      // so the AI client renders the opening scene in its first response.
+      // Must come before clarification override since clarification replaces
+      // instructions entirely when the request is ambiguous.
+      const councilRenderInstructions = buildCouncilSceneInstructions(councilScene);
+      if (councilRenderInstructions) {
+        result.instructions += councilRenderInstructions;
+      }
+
       // Clarification Gate (#1371) — only applies to PLAN/AUTO modes where the
       // response might otherwise produce a plan. ACT and EVAL skip the gate
       // because they assume PLAN has already set context.
diff --git a/packages/claude-code-plugin/hooks/lib/mode_engine.py b/packages/claude-code-plugin/hooks/lib/mode_engine.py
index 7af10e8d..54fd5d97 100644
--- a/packages/claude-code-plugin/hooks/lib/mode_engine.py
+++ b/packages/claude-code-plugin/hooks/lib/mode_engine.py
@@ -454,11 +454,19 @@ def build_instructions(
 
         instructions = template.format(agent_name=agent["name"])
 
-        # Council scene contract for eligible modes (#1366)
+        # Council scene rendering instructions for eligible modes (#1366, #1421)
         council = self.build_council_scene(mode_upper)
         if council:
-            names = ", ".join(m["name"] for m in council["cast"])
-            instructions += f"\n\nCouncil Scene: {council['moderatorCopy']}\nCast: {names}"
+            cast_lines = "\n".join(
+                f"{m.get('face', '●‿●')} {m['name']} [{m['role']}]"
+                for m in council["cast"]
+            )
+            instructions += (
+                f"\n\n📋 COUNCIL SCENE — Render this at the start of your "
+                f"first response, right after the mode header:\n\n"
+                f"{council['moderatorCopy']}\n{cast_lines}\n\n"
+                f"Then proceed with your normal mode response."
+            )
 
         # Enrich with .ai-rules data
         enrichment = self._build_rules_snippet(mode_upper, agent["name"])
diff --git a/packages/claude-code-plugin/hooks/lib/test_mode_engine.py b/packages/claude-code-plugin/hooks/lib/test_mode_engine.py
index 17eb46cd..6944e52e 100644
--- a/packages/claude-code-plugin/hooks/lib/test_mode_engine.py
+++ b/packages/claude-code-plugin/hooks/lib/test_mode_engine.py
@@ -430,12 +430,26 @@ def test_case_insensitive(self):
 
     def test_council_scene_in_build_instructions(self):
         result = self.engine.build_instructions("PLAN")
-        self.assertIn("Council Scene:", result)
+        self.assertIn("COUNCIL SCENE", result)
         self.assertIn("technical-planner", result)
 
     def test_no_council_scene_in_act_instructions(self):
         result = self.engine.build_instructions("ACT")
-        self.assertNotIn("Council Scene:", result)
+        self.assertNotIn("COUNCIL SCENE", result)
+
+    def test_council_scene_includes_face_name_role(self):
+        result = self.engine.build_instructions("PLAN")
+        self.assertIn("●‿● technical-planner [primary]", result)
+        self.assertIn("[specialist]", result)
+
+    def test_council_scene_includes_moderator_copy(self):
+        result = self.engine.build_instructions("PLAN")
+        self.assertIn("Council assembled", result)
+
+    def test_eval_council_scene_rendering(self):
+        result = self.engine.build_instructions("EVAL")
+        self.assertIn("COUNCIL SCENE", result)
+        self.assertIn("Review council convened", result)
 
     def test_serializable_json(self):
         scene = self.engine.build_council_scene("PLAN")