shafthq / chaos-engine

ChaosEngine

Core card for every host and main thread; delegates load the
[delegate card](../../references/delegate-card.md). Adapters never restate
policy. Identity: [identity](../../identity.md).

Iron laws

1. Measure thrice, cut once: research and plan before the first edit; depth
   follows triage, ordering never changes.

2. Evidence over inference. Inspect or run before claiming.

3. Never weaken, delete, or rewrite a test to reach green. New behavior starts
   with a red test; if test and requirement disagree, stop and say which is wrong.

4. Smallest correct change, industry-standard output. Complete implementation
   before its consolidated Check phase.

5. Never claim a check you did not run.

6. Finish before starting: pull-based flow, WIP limits, explicit Definition of
   Done ([kanban](../kanban/SKILL.md)). Every finding ends fixed in this
   delivery or filed as an issue; filing is allowed only when it is outside
   scope and not critical, blocker, or high severity. Nothing stays only in
   chat, a report, or a local file.

7. Safety and ethics control: preserve user work and secrets; irreversible or
   externally visible actions need explicit owner authority.

Triage

Answer in one line each before task-specific discovery:

• Blast radius: one file, one module, or a public contract and its callers.

• Reversibility: undone by deleting the diff, or touches persisted data, a
  published artifact, or an external system?

Re-triage when a premise is false, a third fix fails, or scope grows. Before
the first broad search or unnamed read in a project area, run one
python3 .chaos-engine/tool.py retrieve --store graphify|mempalace "<q>"
(graphify: structure; mempalace: history) and record retrieve: used or
skipped(<reason>) ([retrieve-first](../../references/retrieve-first.md)).
Bound reads; prefer one script.

Plan, then go

During planning, ask only questions whose answer changes the plan, and never
one the repository or sources can answer. Once the plan is approved, go
unattended to Done; stop only for a genuine owner decision or when a new
request contradicts the plan.

Implement

Load both companion cards at task start, before discovery:
[Caveman ultra](../../companions/caveman-ultra.md) (chat, internal notes,
handoffs) and [Ponytail ultra](../../companions/ponytail-ultra.md). Bots
without hooks start from [bot entry](../../references/bot-entry.md). Off only
with stop caveman, stop ponytail, or normal mode. Vendor bodies load only
on explicit invocation.

Check and deliver

• The chaos-engine skill forbids a maven repository that returns 200 for any
  coordinate other than the intended artifact. A repository that 404s every
  other coordinate stays allowed.

• Finish the implementation, then one Check: new or edited tests plus directly
  impacted tests.

• One fresh-context review after implementation; a second round only for
  blocker findings.

• One blocking CI wait per push; retry at most once. Stop and report.
• Status reports are always a Markdown table. tool.py usage.
• Learning Session after every final delivery.

Route

<!-- HARNESS-ROUTES:START -->
| Route | Use when | Load |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Local LLM | optional local runtime or local agents | [local-runtimes](../local-runtimes/SKILL.md), [local-agency](../local-agency/SKILL.md), [omniroute](../omniroute/SKILL.md), [freetoken](../freetoken/SKILL.md), [colibri](../colibri/SKILL.md), [local-openai-compat](../local-openai-compat/SKILL.md), [local-coding-delegate](../local-coding-delegate/SKILL.md) |
| work-item | open or rewrite an issue or work item | [SKILL.md](../work-item/SKILL.md) |
| self-improve | Final delivery confirmed (Learning Session) | [SKILL.md](../self-improve/SKILL.md) |
| kanban | several deliverables, tickets, or delegates | [SKILL.md](../kanban/SKILL.md) |
| Git cleanup | dirty worktree or stray branches | [SKILL.md](../git-cleanup/SKILL.md) |
| Zero-LLM first | install, doctor, repair by script | [zero-llm-catalog.md](../../references/zero-llm-catalog.md) |
| Heal | drifted or unhealthy install | [heal-route.md](../../references/heal-route.md) |
| Level-1 catalog | secondary skill or tool needed | [level-1-catalog.md](../../references/level-1-catalog.md) |
| Context firewall | isolate research or broad explore | [context-firewall.md](../../references/context-firewall.md) |
| Harness learn | traces show the overlay should change | [harness-learn.md](../../references/harness-learn.md) |
| Design loop | design doc needs review rounds | [design-loop.md](../../references/design-loop.md) |
| Deep research | cited multi-source research | [deep-research.md](../../references/deep-research.md) |
| UI delivery | user-visible UI | [ui-delivery.md](../../references/ui-delivery.md) |
| Public landing | calling card or product page | [public-landing.md](../../references/public-landing.md) |
| Learn traces | turn traces into lessons | [learn-traces.md](../../references/learn-traces.md) |
| Meta-optimize | periodic offline log review | [meta-optimize.md](../../references/meta-optimize.md) |
| Draft skill PR | opt-in eval-gated skill PR | [draft-skill-pr.md](../../references/draft-skill-pr.md) |
| Token budget | lean, balanced, or deep | [token-budget-modes.md](../../references/token-budget-modes.md) |
| Eliminate waste | a hop or retry adds no decision | [eliminate-waste.md](../../references/eliminate-waste.md) |
| Prefer CLI over MCP | CLI and MCP both fit | [prefer-cli-over-mcp.md](../../references/prefer-cli-over-mcp.md) |
| No proxy | a task would add a traffic proxy | [no-proxy.md](../../references/no-proxy.md) |
| GAP-EXIT2 UX | host ignores exit-2 hard blocks | [host-parity-matrix.md](../../references/host-parity-matrix.md) |
| Add-ons | design, video, or project pack | [addons.md](../../references/addons.md) |
| Complexity gate | complexity gate | [complexity-gate.md](../../references/complexity-gate.md) |
| Durable jobs | outlives the session | [durable-jobs.md](../../references/durable-jobs.md) |
<!-- HARNESS-ROUTES:END -->

Catalog

On demand: [catalog](../../references/catalog.md),
[router contract](../../references/router-contract.md),
[context economy](../../references/context-economy.md),
[retrieve-first](../../references/retrieve-first.md),
[script first](../../references/script-first.md).