diff --git a/.claude/board/STATUS_BOARD.md b/.claude/board/STATUS_BOARD.md
index 716696670..43bf9f653 100644
--- a/.claude/board/STATUS_BOARD.md
+++ b/.claude/board/STATUS_BOARD.md
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Decision (operator, 2026-10-13): the contract's only dependency becomes mask-ris
 | D-id | scope | status | gate / falsifier |
 |---|---|---|---|
 | **D-FOLD-CORE-a** | `lance-graph-r2il` becomes a workspace member; it, `lance-graph-nal` and `r2il-mask-abi-probe` take OGAR by git `main` (the `lance-graph-ogar` coordinate) instead of `../../../OGAR` paths; the root patches the contract's git URL to the member | Shipped #1534 `0a6708b` | `cargo metadata`: one `lance-graph-contract`, one `ogar-loco`, one `ogar-r2il`; tests: r2il 19, nal 8, probe 40, all green |
-| **D-FOLD-CORE-b** | `crates/lance-graph` depends on mask-risc, quack and R2IL by default | Queued | core builds and tests green with the three in the default graph |
+| **D-FOLD-CORE-b** | `crates/lance-graph` depends on mask-risc, quack and R2IL by default | In PR | core builds and tests green with the three in the default graph; `tests/fold_path.rs` runs a Quack query and an R2IL count through `lance_graph::fold` against row loops (disable run: dropping one row range turns it red, 303 vs 201) |
 | **D-FOLD-CORE-c** | NAL as a module of `crates/lance-graph`; `crates/lance-graph-nal` removed; W2 tests moved unchanged | Queued | the 8 W2 tests pass unchanged in core |
 
 ## D-PROD-V4 — production build tiers (2026-10-13)
diff --git a/crates/lance-graph/Cargo.toml b/crates/lance-graph/Cargo.toml
index 3d9a35104..2a909efb3 100644
--- a/crates/lance-graph/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/lance-graph/Cargo.toml
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ datafusion-functions-aggregate = { workspace = true }
 futures = "0.3"
 lance-graph-catalog = { path = "../lance-graph-catalog", version = "0.5.4" }
 lance-graph-contract = { path = "../lance-graph-contract" }
+# The fold path, as a core capability (D-FOLD-CORE-b): mask-risc is the only
+# bulk execution engine; Quack and R2IL are the two frontends that lower onto
+# it (Quack for set/aggregate queries, R2IL for procedures such as NAL).
+# Unconditional on purpose: the polyfill is part of core, not an add-on.
+# Re-exported as `lance_graph::fold`.
+lance-graph-mask-risc = { path = "../lance-graph-mask-risc" }
+lance-graph-quack = { path = "../lance-graph-quack" }
+lance-graph-r2il = { path = "../lance-graph-r2il" }
 lance = { workspace = true }
 lance-linalg = { workspace = true }
 lance-namespace = "13.*"
diff --git a/crates/lance-graph/src/fold.rs b/crates/lance-graph/src/fold.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..733f59a59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/lance-graph/src/fold.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+//! The fold path: mask-risc and the two frontends that lower onto it.
+//!
+//! - [`mask_risc`]: the bulk execution engine. Programs over resident mask
+//!   planes and value lanes; compiled once, run over a row extent.
+//! - [`quack`]: the set/aggregate frontend. A `Query` (filter + aggregate)
+//!   lowers to one mask-risc program.
+//! - [`r2il`]: the procedure frontend. R2IL calls emit mask-risc programs
+//!   through `FoldDialect`; NAL operations are procedures over it.
+//!
+//! These are re-exports, not wrappers: core adds no second algebra over them.
+//! A capability that is missing here is missing in one of the three crates.
+
+pub use lance_graph_mask_risc as mask_risc;
+pub use lance_graph_quack as quack;
+pub use lance_graph_r2il as r2il;
diff --git a/crates/lance-graph/src/lib.rs b/crates/lance-graph/src/lib.rs
index 8f6dfd978..5d90b3379 100644
--- a/crates/lance-graph/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/lance-graph/src/lib.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ pub mod csr_index;
 pub mod datafusion_planner;
 pub mod dev_s3_env;
 pub mod error;
+pub mod fold;
 pub mod graph;
 pub mod lance_native_planner;
 pub mod lance_vector_search;
diff --git a/crates/lance-graph/tests/fold_path.rs b/crates/lance-graph/tests/fold_path.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..40c0f67fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/lance-graph/tests/fold_path.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+//! D-FOLD-CORE-b: the fold path is a core capability.
+//!
+//! `lance-graph` reaches mask-risc, Quack and R2IL through `lance_graph::fold`
+//! with no extra dependency or feature. Each test runs a query through one
+//! frontend and checks it against a plain row loop over the same lane.
+
+use lance_graph::fold::mask_risc::{self, Foreign, LaneRef, Planes, Pred, Scratch, Value};
+use lance_graph::fold::quack::{self, Agg, Cmp, Col, Filter, Query};
+use lance_graph::fold::r2il::{procs, FoldDialect, Val};
+
+/// A deterministic lane whose values cover `0..1000` in scrambled row order,
+/// so a value predicate selects scattered rows, not a row range.
+fn lane() -> Vec<i32> {
+    (0..4096i32)
+        .map(|i| (i.wrapping_mul(7919)) % 1000)
+        .collect()
+}
+
+/// A range of ROWS (`Cmp::Range` is a row range on the ordered axis, not a
+/// value range).
+fn rows(lo: u32, hi: u32) -> Filter {
+    Filter::Cmp(Col(0), Cmp::Range { lo, hi })
+}
+
+/// FAILS IF: core cannot lower a Quack query and run it on mask-risc, the two
+/// row ranges are not intersected, or the value predicate is not applied
+/// inside the intersection.
+#[test]
+fn quack_through_core_equals_the_row_loop() {
+    let v = lane();
+    let lanes = [LaneRef::I32(&v)];
+    let planes = Planes {
+        n_rows: v.len(),
+        masks: &[],
+        lanes: &lanes,
+    };
+    let q = Query {
+        filter: Filter::and([
+            rows(100, 700),
+            rows(300, 900),
+            Filter::Cmp(Col(0), Cmp::GeI32(500)),
+        ]),
+        agg: Agg::Count,
+    };
+    let program = quack::lower_fused(&q).expect("lowers");
+    let mut scratch = Scratch::for_program(&program, v.len()).expect("scratch");
+    let got = mask_risc::execute(&program, &planes, &mut scratch, None).expect("runs");
+
+    let want = (300..700).filter(|&r| v[r] >= 500).count();
+    // Anti-vacuity: the value predicate cuts inside the row intersection.
+    assert!(want > 0 && want < 400, "want = {want}");
+    assert_eq!(got, Value::Count(want));
+}
+
+/// FAILS IF: core cannot run an R2IL procedure over mask-risc: a row range
+/// counted through the fold dialect must equal its width.
+#[test]
+fn r2il_through_core_counts_a_row_range() {
+    let v = lane();
+    let lanes = [LaneRef::I32(&v)];
+    let planes = Planes {
+        n_rows: v.len(),
+        masks: &[],
+        lanes: &lanes,
+    };
+    let foreign = Foreign {
+        planes: &[],
+        lanes: &[],
+    };
+    let (lo, hi) = (130u32, 3001u32);
+    let mut d = FoldDialect::new(&planes, &foreign);
+    let mut stack: Vec<Val> = Vec::new();
+    d.emit_pred(Pred::Range { lo, hi }, &mut stack);
+    procs::count(&mut d, &mut stack).expect("count");
+    assert!(d.poison().is_none());
+    match stack.as_slice() {
+        [Val::Scalar(n)] => assert_eq!(*n, i64::from(hi - lo)),
+        other => panic!("expected one scalar, got {other:?}"),
+    }
+}