The game of assassins consists of a string of universally-tasteful practical jokes perpetrated by the `assassin' on the `victim' with or without the presence of other `players', `accomplices' or happenstance `witnesses' (who may come from all walks in life).

What these jokes are is to be regulated by rules of three sorts:

Gold for good conduct,

Silver for avoidance of trouble,

and bronze for trivial choices of which interpretations of which jokes permitted by Gold and Silver are to count for the present game.

Aside from springing the joke, there is its preparation, its monitoring, the extra-curricular joke and the reaping of social rewards from jokes. As staying out of trouble and being of good conduct are factors in many of these parts of the jokes, it makes sense to sharply delineate which are the official game activities to which these apply. Below are some suggestions for this which could be turned on or off by typing in Yes/No/Caveat after each. Our choice for ALSO activities follows below.

1) when you are openly `bearing weapons' within a game.

2) events between you and anyone you intend to kill in the recent future, and reciprocally.

3) when you are in the vicinity of an address you have been given or got hold of in connection with finding a player for the intent of shooting, meeting, pacting, or sharing game information (`honourably' or otherwise for the last 3), and reciprocally.

4) when organizing a game or activity (incl socfair, umpiring, organizing police raids, getting prospective mafia members to sign up and the informal discussion of rule options.)

5) when signing up for a game, submitting a report, figuring out what happened, reaching a decision on a dispute or close call.

6) when participating in a short-term activity (battle, set of duels, party with or without shootout).

ALSO currently solely provides short-term events at carefully picked place-times. Our range of activities is then:

4) preliminary notice sent out, replies and fairly small-volume discussion of rules.

6) the event itself [which includes ALSO's versions of 1), 2), 3) and wherein the close calls of 5) will be friendlily resolved on the spot], including any tidying up or aftermath.

5') any submission of reports that people wish.

A crucial point about assassins is that the participants L consent L to be met. This makes assassins a useful service for the shy people of Cambridge: the freshers, those who wish to make further friends, those who feel isolated, or different. ALSO and the writing of these rules are dedicated to you, past, present and future shy people of Cambridge.

Toward meeting people and making friends, ALSO believe that the assassinesque should be principally made out of people meeting people in person, killing people in person and gathering for activities in person. While indirect attempts and cyberspace dealings are useful, it is more exciting when people turn up rather than packages or pop-up messages. ALSO further believe that the assassinesque distinguishes itself by having many meetings between two or several people, and that this is irreplaceable by large social gatherings because many people will find a crowd many of whom already know each other to be a daunting prospect, just yet another disappointing place where too many people overlook them. We also believe that there should be a quota of assassinesque gatherings, announced to the whole emailing list of the assassin society in question, which are to include assassinesque doings rather than being entirely extraneous socials just like any other group's. People should be up for a shoot-out outside, to ambush newcomers, to build, test-fire and dodge various contraptions. Why put off the new people who are keen in the assassinesque itself by having no element of it in official parties? These offer many additional ways of making newcomers welcome than ordinary parties. The allotment to a noncompetitive team, the sharing of equipment, `cover my back', `well done you shot me' are useful openings, particularly so in a non-serious and well-tempered activity...

We also believe crucially that all assassinesque activities should carry the guarantee of the Golden Rules of Real-Life Conduct. Else, Inclusion and the Consent of Meeting are tarnished. Similarly it is crucial for assassinesque activities to never have anything to do with getting into Trouble, hence the Silver Rules should be taken very seriously indeed.

All participants should be disposed to meet new people in a kindly way, regardless of whether they think, act, look or oppine differently from you. All who wish to participate are welcome bar those who would use ALSO activities as an excuse to bully or behave inappropriately and those who are persistently and irremorsefully getting into Trouble.

Because there are many different effective ways of participating in assassinesque activities, these promote a wide range of participants so it is a strong means of meeting many different sorts of people. We are concerned however that that the diversity of activities and of people is on the decline. Thus we provide a catalogue of L subtle, secretive, intra-societal and entirely passive L ways of playing, or of L other ways of being involved L, foremost the L charter of accomplices L. It is the duty of the participants not to disregard people who think, say or do differently, within what is allowed by the Gold and Silver rules.

We believe that assassinesque activities should be promoted so as to appeal to all manner of people. We believe that the organizers of assassinesque activities should have the depth to include all who would be part rather than to exclude, neglect or ignore good people.

Here it is false to ever say that so and so is useless full stop. Anyone who cares enough can learn to use their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses at ALSO. ALSO Vocally Proclaim This! Male or female, weak or strong, tall or short, with whatever sporting, social and monetary background, we can help you find that expert assassin that lies inside you if you are bothered or curious enough to find out and adherent to the Gold and Silver rules whenever engaging in our assassinesque activities. Our personnel have, and will again, assist disabled or injured participants in assassinesque activities on request.

That all can do well is, preliminarily, helped by assassins being a "non-contact" sport (c.f. the no force rule). Principally, the richness of reality and of the rules means that everyone has that part of the stage they shine on. This is easily compoundable by rotating some rules around between games or rounds so that different people are most suited in each game or event, and by having activities with a wide variety of `strike partners' and teams which can be evened out by rules and redistribution of weaponry.

For the participant, and on the right occasion for the general public (duels, in Mayweek). This requires discipline: that random passers by are not fired at or feel fired at. It also requires it to be fairly clear what's going on and that there are a variety of skills in it rather than it being a bunch of untalented people being randomly stupid. Dodging, coordinated manoevres, blocking, counterambushing rather than merely running away, the sudden involvement of further hitherto unsuspected people who suddenly produce weapons `out of nowhere' and pile in, such things will portray the assassinesque to some passers-by as an interesting possibility that they may try sometime.

This is "RAG" assassins, usually done at college level. Is exception to "is free" albeit for a good cause. Is likely (and recommended) to have greatly simplified allowed procedures and weapons. That makes it more suitable (but not foolproof) to be run by people inexperienced with assassins security/safety/nondamage issues. We may provide a suggested ruleset for this purpose, based on a simple symbolism for killing and to be done on fixed private premises with no play 10pm-8am. This activity *may just* permit negotiation with the (now few) security and disciplinary figures such that *people properly adhering to this game's rules* is included within *people properly adhering to college rules*. But this is speculation, will vary from RAG assassin college to RAG assassin college and is very vulnerable to losing this "protection by autonomy" if any college members living in "street properties" are involved.