The Laws of the Night

[Psychlonic]

From the scrapped guide, this was the one thing I wanted to keep from the Way of the Shadow as they were the most important things. If you forgot everything else in that guide, if you remembered and adhere to "The Rules", you would be fine. They were re-written as to elaborate a bit and get the idea across smoother, but the core concepts are still the same:




While uncertainly generally prevails in the night, there are certain rules which will always apply, regardless of the situation. The breaking of even one law may very well be the end of your freedom, maybe even your life. They are not optional.

The Law of Readiness - Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
"The operative is the epitome of preparedness. He expects the unexpected so that should adversity strike, it will be but a footnote in his story..."

Never assume anything on your operations except for the worst. Expect everything to go wrong on your operation, expect to be seen, expect to get injured, expect to have equipment fail. Once you've done this, you can prepare by ensuring you have back-up plans and equipment to fall back on in times of need. Plan the shit out of the entire operation, improvising only when necessary. Improvising is an important skill but when you're in a chase, seconds count. You won't have time to rethink your plan when you realize you've made a stupid choice, so do it before you go out. If you're already outside, plan before entering new areas. This law is better known as Murphy's Law - what can go wrong will go wrong.

The Law of Humility - Assume You are Always Being Watched
"The operative, invisible as he may be, knows that chance encounters may reveal him to others. To compensate, he masks his identity in an impenetrable shroud..."

Regardless of how well you've planned for the worst, random variables can happen out of nowhere and there isn't a thing you can do to prevent them. A path that was once clear may now be occupied by someone taking a walk, or a couple sitting down. A building you ran reconnaissance on for weeks may have a camera so well hidden you never found it. As careful as you can be, you can never be 100% positive there isn't anyone watching your every move. You need to accept this and takes measures to protect yourself. Take every measure possible to conceal your identity, and never remove these measures until you are back at your base with the blinds closed.

The Law of Courage - Never Panic in the Face of Adversity
"The operative is fearless and as patient as stone. He is a master of the mind and uses his absolute calm to overcome otherwise stressful situations..."

It doesn't matter if you've read every file on the internet, bought the best gear, and planned at your base for months. If you freak out and run when somebody flips on a light switch or asks "Is anyone there?!", it doesn't mean shit. Keeping cool when things don't go your way is key, because a lot of times they won't. Panic leads to poor decision making and acting just like your confronting party wants you to. There's a bit of psychology involved in this. People are so used to an individual fleeing when they are caught doing something wrong that they simply aren't expecting anyone to stick around when they are confronted. By staying calm and breaking this profile, you've got a huge edge over the masses.

The Law of Awareness - Always Keep Your Guard Up
"The operative is restless. So tuned is he to his surroundings and the likelihood of change that it is impossible to surprise him..."

Underestimating your operational situation is a common mistake made. What you need to realize is that no matter how good you are, unknown variables can pop up and surprise you if you aren't paying attention. Just because you've been through an area ninety-nine times does not mean the hundredth time will not be suddenly more difficult. You might run into someone who is smarter, faster, and stronger than you are. Regardless of how small the chances of some things occurring may seem, the chances increase every time you go out at night. If you want to operate hundreds of time, eventually something is going to happen. If you are not prepared when it does, you are fucked.
Be confident, but not too confident. Don't underestimate anything.

The Law of Solitude - Travel in Small Squads or Alone
"The operative is most comfortable while solo. He shuns companions so that he may more effectively concentrate on the task at hand..."

When moving through the night clandestinely, less is more. Never travel in groups of more than three operatives whenever possible. Large numbers create chaos and miscommunication, not to mention a bigger target to see. It will give people who might have seen movement positive identification on what exactly it was, whereas a single person may be dismissed as an illusion, an animal, or just some crazy person. If you are going to travel in a small group, keep the group tight-knit and make sure everyone is able to preform all necessary tasks. One skilled operative cannot make up for a lack of skill among the others, this has been proven time and time again.

The Law of Silence - What Happens in the Shadows, Stays in the Shadows
"The operative is the unknown legend. His legacy is known only by himself, and those who may be fortunate enough to accompany him in the shadows..."

The law that all the foolish ones break, then pay for later. If you get yourself into any remotely serious situation, you need to keep your mouth shut. Time and time again have novices shared their exploits with ordinary people, only to be surprised when they are incarcerated. Few will be impressed while many will be uneasy. Upon successful completion of an operation, lay low and shut the hell up.
Furthermore, do not bring your night life into the daylight. Don't act suspicious, don't use your skills in public, and don't even think about wearing the same gear you've used on an operation while out and about. You want to seem like the last person on Earth anyone would expect of committing a crime, and you want to always project an image of being elsewhere while you were out.

The Law of Labor - Do Everything the Hard and Unobvious Way
The operative's work ethic is flawless. He sacrifices the path of ease for the path that presents the lowest chance of being seen in the shadows..."

Security tends to be based on assumption. People assume we enter buildings through the door, and if the door doesn't work or is inconveniently located - the window. People also assume that laziness prevails in the night, that if something is seemingly too difficult or flat out unheard of there's nothing to worry about. This is your biggest exploit. If you can overcome security measures, obvious routes can be used as they are thought of as "impervious". You can also avoid these measures by taking unconventional actions, such as going through vents, use of highly specialized equipment to overcome obstacles, etc. Taking long, indirect routes is also a good way to avoid a lot of trouble. The thing to remember here is that, most of the time, safe but longer and harder work is better than shorter and more risky work.

The Law of Confidence - Never Second Guess Yourself
"The operative possesses a shadowy instinct that accompanies him at all times. This instinct guides him through the toughest situations when no options seem ideal..."

While you are out at night, you may begin to feel paranoid, see illusional movements and hear imaginary sounds. The night cares not for your demeanor you may carry during the day. You develop a shadowy instinct to stay aware, and as you continue to enter the night and hone your skills, so too is this instinct honed to a fine point. You must learn to trust this instinct. Visibility will often be poor, sounds echo for miles, and you will often have no way of identifying what sudden movements belong to. You will have nothing else to rely on as to what you should do except this instinct. If you question it, you can land yourself into dire consequences. If you think you see or hear something, take cover and be silent every time. By no means do you use this as an excuse to turn around and quit, but you simply can't afford to shrug off what you think might be a false alarm. Always investigate. Always listen to yourself.

The Law of Discipline - Haste Makes Waste
The operative is the ultimate perfectionist. Never does he forsake stealth for speed, always remaining silent, hidden, and untraceable..."

There will be times when you may find yourself held down in a position because movement will most likely lead to you being discovered. To become impatient and try to spring away could easily result in the police being called and mission failure. As difficult as it will be to remain still for long periods of time, it is often necessary when venturing into densely populated areas. For this reason, you must learn to move only when you are confident you will not be seen, no matter how long the wait. You must also suppress the desire to hurry through open areas at times, because while conventional wisdom suggests that being in a visible area longer is to risk exposure, we also remember that fast movement is the best way to catch the eye. People simply aren't expecting someone to be standing or walking slowly in an area for seemingly no reason at night. Also, visibility is limited at night, so a still figure is harder to distinguish from it's background.
In addition, always maintain noise and shine discipline. Take preparations before hand to make sure no gear is jingling or no metal is left shining. During the operation, make as little noise as possible. This is especially important when more than one operative is involved. Save the chatting for later and focus on your mission.

The Law of Dedication - Perform at Your Best and Nothing Less
"The operative approaches even the most routine situation with utmost precision, so that he may never become a victim to complacency..."

Complacency frequently leads to the demise of the novice operative. You need to realize that as soon as you equip your gear and step out into the night, you are in grave danger. You may run into an armed group of criminals who could see and attack you, you may find yourself chased down by police dogs, perhaps you might even walk around a corner inside a building only to discover the owner has a shotgun pointed at you. These are very real scenarios, and although you may have the skill to get yourself out of them, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure. You simply cannot afford to slack off in the shadows and let yourself slip into these situations. With all the advantages of an operative, you have no excuse whatsoever to have this happen. While out, you better move, hide, and infiltrate like you mean it.
If you aren't screaming at yourself in your mind to move fast and perform better, you are wrong. Operate like your performance is being marked on a score sheet because if you get too many bad marks on it you fail the mission, or even worse.

The Law of Survival - Do What You Must to Protect Yourself
"The operative does not fail. His health is his success, and he will do anything to preserve it..."

In the shadows, you are always the enemy. Nobody outside of your team is going to help you. If the shit hits the fan, you and/or your team's safety should become the number one priority - you are ALL each other has to rely on. This is where you need to dump all your entry plans and start utilizing all your escape routes, while making sure your pursuers cannot follow. You've probably already failed the mission, so just leave it for another night. Besides, unless you were right next to the target, it's likely nobody will realize what you were after anyhow. All you need to worry about is getting you and your teammates to a safe area. You better be willing to go to the damn extreme on this, too. If your instinct suspects tracking dogs in route, you better loop your trails, hit pavement, and consider the fact that extreme measures may be necessary if you want to remain a free man. If you can't get to base, run into the woods where they don't suspect and wait a couple hours. If you cannot escape by foot, get into whatever vehicle you can, pop that ignition, and mosey away inconspicuously.
Two bad things can happen; you can be caught, or you can die. Dying should never be an option. It doesn't matter if the entire cast of former KGB agents are chasing you down, bust your surroundings up, make some noise, draw attention if need be. Fight back if you have to. You can escape from confinement, but you cannot escape the cold grip of death. With survival as your priority you can then worry about avoiding capture, which is equally as important. Even a year in prison may seem like nothing, but a year wasted is a massive waste of your life. Your freedom is everything.



Many of these rules tie in with one another. These laws alone are the bare minimum to support you. To ignore a law is to place yourself at serious risk. Should you choose to obey these laws of the night with vigor, those who would desire your capture will be lost.

[Ghost]

Looks good, makes sense, and reads very well. For any new oppers reading this, and wondering "is this guy serious, or is he being melodramatic?" i assure you he's dead serious, and this is a practical advice goldmine for anyone new to opping.

Psychlonic, what would you think of having someone take your italicized phrases and string them together/format them somehow to form an "operative's creed" of sorts?

[Xanatos]

The 'Creed' might need a bit more polishing before becoming official, but it would be a good idea to stick these rules on the homepage or something.

[Psychlonic]

Psychlonic, what would you think of having someone take your italicized phrases and string them together/format them somehow to form an "operative's creed" of sorts?

I agree with Xanatos that it's not quite "creed" material as-is. The reason for these admittedly corny lines is simply to drive home the ideal you want to follow in a different way in case the description below doesn't make it click. You'll notice the same italicized sections in "The Alibi" as well.

Feel free to touch it up as you like and work something out with it, though. They would probably be best as quick one-liners in such a case like:

THE OPERATIVE

The operative is the epitome of preparedness.
Expect the unexpected.

The operative is humble in his invisibility.
Prepare to be seen.

The operative is fearless and patient as stone.
Maintain your calm.

The operative is a restless force.
Underestimate nothing.

The operative is solitary by choice.
Less is more.

The operative is the unknown legend.
Keep silent.

The operative is of flawless work ethic.
Take no shortcut.

The operative is master over his instinct.
Trust in yourself.

The operative is the ultimate perfectionist.
Remain disciplined.

The operative is always at his best.
Never slack.

The operative is the most stubborn survivor.
Live at any cost.

The operative does not fail.

I cooked that up fairly quickly so you can probably think up something better, but it's a better format than long, uneven sentences.

[Biohazard]

It does seem a bit melodramatic, but I assure you these things keep you out of trouble. Almost every time I got cocky and decided I don't need to over analyze and respond to everything that happens, something went wrong. All these rules should ultimately become part of your "instinct" but as a new operative, it's better to have to think about them than fuck it up and find yourself in a bad situation. My advice is to follow common sense, but nowadays common sense is so god damn rare it's a fucking superpower. I messed up and learned the hard way in some cases, I'm not perfect but I am always improving. Good writing as always Psychlonic.

[Ysidro]

Maybe it is dorky, but I like how dramatic they are, it is just sort of neat. Many of the laws related to discipline are useful in all aspects of life and can be good life-lessons.

[Ghost]

nowadays common sense is so god damn rare it's a fucking superpower.

LOL! quoted in case i need to refer back to it.