Harlequin

"All theatres are theatres of war. War must needs be theatrical."

- Farseer Ro-fhessi of Craftworld Ulthwe, describing a Harlequin performance

A Harlequin, known in the Eldar Lexicon as a Rillietann, is a member of a very distinct sub-group of the Eldar race that belongs to none of the existing Eldar sub-races, including the Craftworld Eldar, the Exodites or the Dark Eldar. They are the keepers of the Black Library and serve the enigmatic Eldar deity called the Laughing God. The Harlequins see no distinction between art and war, and their outlook can best be explained by reference to the legend of the Fall; one of their self-appointed duties is to keep this legend alive through their performances. The central figure of Harlequin belief is Cegorach, the Great Harlequin –- also known as the Laughing God. None truly know how this strange being survived the birth of Slaanesh where the other Eldar gods did not. However, every Harlequin is firm in the belief that Cegorach escaped into the bounds of the webway, existing there still behind myriad disguises and mocking She Who Thirsts from behind the veil. The Laughing God is the only authority that the Harlequins recognise, and their every deed is thought to be in furtherance of his own inscrutable agenda. Harlequins are undeniably part of the Eldar race, yet they owe no allegiance to any given Craftworld or Kabal. These enigmatic warriors are often credited with supernatural powers, and many amongst both Eldar and Dark Eldar society believe that the Harlequins know most, if not all, of the secret paths through the endless maze of the Webway. They are welcomed by all of the other Eldar factions, including the Dark Eldar of Commorragh and the Webway, and are known for their brightly coloured clothing, incredible agility (even for an Eldar), and use of unusually powerful weapons. Harlequins always organise themselves into groups they call Troupes, which are led by a Troupe Master.

History
The Harlequins are an ancient faction of the Eldar, and the most enigmatic members of that mysterious alien race. They roam the Webway, fighting Chaos and its influence. Their sole purpose is to seek out Chaos and destroy its power wherever they can, and Chaos and its minions are their most hated enemies. For the warrior dancers of the Harlequins, there is no distinction between art and war. Followers of the cunning deity known as the Laughing God, they are the strangest and most inscrutable of all the Eldar race. Their mastery of the physical arts, twinned with their incredible speed, makes the Harlequins truly deadly fighters. Every moment is a performance, and they perform their legendary masques with puissant skill, flair and passion –- their hallmarks upon the field of battle.

When an Eldar dies, his essence is caught within his crystal Spirit Stone and so escapes the Chaos God Slaanesh who would otherwise consume it. The craftworld Eldar release this spirit into the Infinity Circuit, and the souls of the Exodites find similar refuge within the World Spirit of their home planets. The Harlequins, however, belong only to the Laughing God. The Harlequins doubtless possess countless secrets that would be of great benefit to the Archons of Commorragh were they to know of them, not least how they keep their souls from the grasp of She Who Thirsts. Newly inducted Harlequins must pass a trial known only as "The Ritual" upon initiation into a Harlequin band. This ritual enables their dying spirits to merge together with their patron, strengthening his power. This ritual is said to free them from the fear normal Eldar have of She Who Thirsts, who would steal their souls away for an eternity of hellish torture in the Immaterium. This is why they need not wear a Waystone when they travel in the Webway, and do not have to endure the tiring soul-draining that other Eldar endure when in the Webway for prolonged periods of time. The story goes that while Slaanesh fought with Kaela Mensha Khaine, the Laughing God escaped into the webway and hid amongst its myriad tunnels. He lives there still, laughing at the gods of Chaos, dancing through the strands of fate and consequence as he makes his secret plans. Known to the Harlequins as Cegorach, he cannot be caught, for he is too fast and subtle, and he knows all the secrets of the webway.

Much like their ever-shifting god, the Harlequins are not tied to any particular craftworld, but wander from world to world through the interspatial tunnels of the webway as if guided from place to place by some unknown purpose. In peacetime, the Harlequins weave spells of song and dance, enacting the mythic cycles of the Eldar in mime and music. They occasionally grace other Eldar with impressive performances and acrobatic displays, and are even rumoured to stage their performances for the cursed Dark Eldar in their twilight city of Commorragh. In these pageants, each Harlequin plays the role of one of the figures from Eldar legend, acting out stylised versions of Eldar mythic cycles. The plays and songs of the Harlequins are full of subtle meanings and significances that only the Eldar can fully appreciate. The roles within each performance are always taken by the same players; thus the role of the Laughing God is always played by the Troupe Master himself, whilst that of Fate is played by the Shadowseer, Death by the Death Jester, and so on. The majority of roles are played by the Harlequins who make up the bulk of the troupe. Having no individual names or identities, they have become the players of the troupe in a quite literal way.

Harlequins wear exotic multi-coloured costumes at all times, and employ shimmering holosuits they call domino suits or dathedi. Similar in function to the holo-fields used by Eldar battle tanks, a holo-suit breaks up the outline of the wearer. Every time he moves, his outline explodes into a scintillating cloud of tiny fragments, and when he stops the image coalesces into a solid likeness once again. The Harlequins never show their real faces, but conceal them beneath a shifting mask that can assume any image at the will of the wearer. When the followers of the Laughing God bend their formidable skills to the art of murder, their masks reflect the worst nightmares of those who gaze upon them. When the call to war is heard, the Harlequins lend their strength to the might of the Warrior Aspects and Guardians. The fact that they will as readily fight alongside the warhosts of the craftworlds as the cruel Kabals of the Dark Eldar speaks of an allegiance to the Eldar as a race rather than to any specific caste or offshoot, yet their aid is never refused. The Harlequins invariably appear upon the eve of momentous events, whether for good or ill, and their appearance is seen as a portent of the shifting tides of fate.

Masques
The Harlequin lifestyle is very like the life of a roaming mime or troubadour of the medieval times. They wander the Webway and occasionally appear at Eldar settlements: on a Craftworld, on Commorragh, an Exodite Maiden World, or even a human world in the Imperium of Man. They perform frenetic, acrobatic dances for the spectators there which are called Masques. Their artistic works portray the Fall, the legendary decline that destroyed the Eldar empire, the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh, and many other tales from the long history and ancient mythology of the Eldar people. Troupes of Harlequins usually only treat with other Eldar the night before a particularly auspicious battle. They emerge unbidden from hidden portals, staging dazzling performances that tell of the legends of the Eldar race. The Harlequins’ masque is spellbinding; such extremes of emotion are reached in these stunning displays that a troupe can hold an audience of Dark Eldar completely in thrall as surely as any gladiatorial bloodbath. In these pageants, each Harlequin plays the role of one of the figures from Eldar legend, acting out stylised versions of Eldar mythic cycles. When presenting their stories upon the stages of the Dark City, a Harlequin troupe's performance will always culminate with the tale of the Fall. This is a story of particular significance to the oldest Archons, many of whom find Act One gratifyingly familiar.

The Black Library
The Black Library is spoken of as a craftworld, which in form it may be, yet it is very different from the other craftworlds of the Eldar, for the Black Library exists only within the webway itself. To reach this fabled realm it is necessary to travel secret passages through the webway, to pass its terrifying sentinels, and to find one of the hidden entrances that lead within. The Black Library houses all the Eldar's most precious knowledge, and in particular focusses upon all that they have learned about the perils of Chaos. It was Chaos that destroyed their once great civilisation, and which threatens them still from the Warp. The secrets of the library are not for the unwary or the merely curious; within its psychically locked rooms lie grimoires of dark magic, black tomes of daemonic lore, and records of countless Chaos cults scattered across the stars. The expertise within has been gathered from every corner of the galaxy, and includes many alien works. There can be little doubt that, were the sanity-blasting secrets of this repository laid open to the Dark Eldar, the consequences would be bloody. Yet none amongst the aristocracy of the Dark City are foolish enough to waylay the visiting troupes of Harlequins openly, and the Laughing God's servants seem able to predict those snares that are laid for them in secret. Only Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect has ever dared to publicly cross these enigmatic warrior artists, for a terrible doom indeed is believed to fall upon those who do. Of all humans, only a handful of Inquisitors have ever entered the confines of the Black Library, and then only in the company of Harlequins and under the closest supervision. None have ever described their experiences in this mystical realm. These Inquisitors share a common bond with the Harlequins, for both are sworn enemies of Chaos and understand only too well the nature of the threat that faces Eldar and Humanity. As to the sentinels of the Black Library, their true nature remains unspoken, yet they are described as the most terrible of all the perils to be encountered in the webway.

During the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler in 999.M41, the Chaos Sorcerer Ahriman of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion was able to penetrate the Webway and forcibly enter the Black Library, attempting to gain access to the arcane lore hidden within as part of his quest to better understand the very nature of Chaos itself. However, a guard of Harlequins and Eldar warriors were able to drive the Chaos Sorcerer back.

Millennia of Mystery
Since the Fall, the Harlequins have pursued their trickster god's veiled agenda. Though their own records are hidden deep within the Black Library, the deeds of the Laughing God's servants are laced throughout the histories of their kin. The masques' appearances are the stuff of legends, and have become ever more frequent as the end of the 41st Millennium approaches:
 * The Fall (c.M31) - The civilisation of the ancient Eldar is annihilated by the catastrophic birth of Slaanesh.
 * Cergorach's Summons (c.M32) - In the wake of the Fall, the surviving worshippers of the Laughing God disappear into the webway without a word of explanation.
 * The War Begins (641.M33) - After centuries of isolation, Cegorach's followers return in spectacular fashion. The Masque of the Midnight Sorrow burst from the webway at Llayen Nuadh to fall upon a horde of Slaaneshi Daemons. Their intervention rescues the embattled warhost of Ulthwé, and with their strengths combined the Eldar hurl their daemonic foes back into the Warp. This is but the first of many such grand entrances, the masques announcing their return to war with great showmanship.
 * The First Solitaire (666.M33) - The Dance Without End give the first ever performance of the Fall. Their audience are horrified, not least by the disturbing figure of the galaxy's first Solitaire as she brazenly bestrides the stage.
 * The Shattering of Lugganath (764.M34) - Craftworld Lugganath is invaded in force by the Emperor's Children Traitor Legion. Thousands die as the devotees of Slaanesh defile much of the craftworld and drive the defenders back. The reeling Eldar rally at the Plaza of Reflection, where the Emperor's Children use their sonic weapons to collapse much of the craftworld's graceful architecture upon the defenders, crushing hundreds of Eldar to death amidst splintered spars of wraithbone. Seeing the devastation wrought by the terrible weapons of the Chaos Space Marines, the Autarchs of Lugganath authorise the use of Hemlock Wraithfighters. The Emperor's Children eventually retreat before the resultant barrage of necromantic energy, abandoning their dead and pursued every step of the way by vengeful Harlequins and unflinching, tireless ghost warriors.
 * In Conflict's Wake (984.M35) - Asdrubael Vect seizes power in Commorragh. Few know of his dealings with the Masque of the Veiled Path at this time, or of the dreadful pact he seals with them upon ascending to his throne.
 * The War of Mirrors (358.M40) - The Silent Shroud face WAAAGH! Gutrippa on Sheng's World. Impossibly outnumbered, the Harlequins use the planet's many webway portals to run circles around their Ork foes. Only a handful of Harlequins survive the six-month conflict, but they sow such confusion that the WAAAGH! furiously tears itself apart.
 * Rhildol's Salvation (454.M40) - The Chaos warband of Lord Fulgulus attacks the Exodite world of Rhildhol. Yet his attempts to desecrate the world bring him to ruin. The Masque of Soaring Spite, aided by the Wych Cult of Strife, falls upon the Nurgle worshippers at the peak of their ritual and slaughters them wholesale.
 * The Cull (988.M40) - Imperial forces attempt to plunder forbidden archeotech on the dying world of Karadox. The Midnight Sorrow strike without warning, orchestrating a blistering campaign of hit-and-run attacks. Eventually the terrified humans flee, abandoning their tainted prize without ever learning the horrors it would have unleashed.
 * Giant Slayers (056.M41) - Knights of House Terryn claim the maiden world of Velos for the Imperium. In response, the Frozen Stars deploy swarms of Voidweavers in the saedath known as the Giants' Lament. Though the cost is high, the invaders are finally wiped out.
 * The Daemon's Dance (113.M41) - A Solitaire duels the infamous Bloodletter known as Skulltaker before the Gate of Souls, mirroring the hatred between Khorne and Slaanesh. At the duel's height, the Solitaire drops his guard and is slain, the psychic echo of his self-sacrifice resonating through the Warp to banish a horde of Slaaneshi Daemons about to breach the gate.
 * The Last Laugh (215.M41) - The Veiled Path make a surprising offer of aid to defend the Imperial naval base at Roth against pirates. However, as battle is joined, they turn upon their erstwhile human allies, ending this seemingly unprovoked attack by venting the surviving defenders into space.
 * The Maedrax Encore (785.M41) - The Masque of the Dreaming Shadow begin a decade-long campaign against the tomb worlds of Maedrax, fighting to stem the rising Necron tide after craftworld Ulthwé's failure to do so.
 * The First Sign (899.M41) - As the Thousand Sons Sorcerer Ahriman learns the first of several truths that will lead him to an attack upon the Black Library, the first clasp of light around Cegorach's crystal tome flickers and disappears.
 * Curiosity's Cost (948.M41) - Tau explorers board the empty husk of Craftworld She'enshar. However, just days after their arrival, the Tau are driven off by Harlequins of the Frozen Stars, who surge from the craftworld's webway portals to violently evict the interlopers.
 * A Dangerous Debt (987.M41) - Led by a conclave of Shadowseers, the Midnight Sorrow aid Inquisitor Sophia Vilimas in defeating the Alpha Legion on Safehaven. A massive daemonic incursion is prevented, yet in the battle's wake the seers inform Vilimas that she now owes them a debt -- one they will soon collect.
 * A Mysterious Victor (990.M41) - A Great Harlequin wins the Commorrite Dance of the Blinding Blade, fighting with impossible speed and skill. Whispers abound that this shadowy figure, who vanishes soon after his victory, was none other than Cegorach himself.
 * The Black Prelude (991.M41) -
 * Twilight Falls (992.M41) - In the midst of Craftworld Iyanden's most desperate battle for survival, Prince Yriel takes up the cursed Spear of Twilight. He is compelled to seize his destiny in this way by a Shadowseer of the Masque of the Veiled Path. The enigmatic seer vanishes soon after, Iyanden's fate assured and the role of the Veilwalker played to its conclusion.
 * A Promise Kept (992.M41) - While battling Tyranids on Deshil, Ultramarines Strike Force Apollon find their senses clouded by visions. The swarm is driven back by spectral figures, even as the Astartes slump into unconsciousness. Upon awakening, they are horrified to find themselves strapped to the surgical tables of the Haemonculi. Of their captors there is no sign, but the Haemonculi croon delightedly of a debt settled in blood.
 * Faolchú's Wrath (993.M41) - Several masques combine their forces into a grand masque in order to topple the Echospire on the Shrine World of Baedros. In the process, they earn the undying enmity of the Space Wolves, whose honour is besmirched by this bloody disaster.
 * The Seven Sorrows (994.M41) -
 * A Dark Harvest (996.M41) - In several bloody battles, the Midnight Sorrow trap sixty-six Heralds of Slaanesh within runic stones. The purpose of this sinister harvest remains unclear.
 * Bloodied Shards (997.M41) - Amid the crystalline deserts of Jai'Hallaer, the Masque of the Veiled Path meet a vast Khornate warband in battle. Using illusion and guile, the outnumbered Harlequins lead their rage-blind foes into the Shattered Rift, before crushing them in a razor-edged landslide.
 * The Seeker Denied (998.M41) - Furious battle erupts in the twilight realm of the Webway as Chaos Space Marines of the Thousand Sons legion fight their way to within sight of the Black Library. Their leader, the master Chaos Sorcerer Ahriman, is thwarted by a powerful force of Eldar Harlequins and allies from both Craftworld Ulthwé and Craftworld Lugganath. Several major arteries of the webway are choked with the dead before the warrior-psykers of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion are driven from the secret paths by a concerted attack. The breach caused by the rampaging Chaos Sorcerers is runically sealed, but as a result, a section of the webway is lost forever.
 * The Death of Dûriel (999.M41) - The maiden world of Dûriel, conquered long ago by the Imperium, faces invasion by splinters of Hive Fleets Leviathan and Kraken. To prevent the swarms combining their strength, a band of Harlequins brokers an alliance between Craftworlds Biel-Tan and Iyanden, along with the Dark Eldar of Commorragh. The ensuing war is fought on a truly apocalyptic scale.
 * The Curtain Rises (999.M41) - The galaxy burns, the fires of war lighting a bloody stage. The veil thins: a curtain soon to be ripped aside. According to the Laughing God's will, the Harlequins take their places to act out their last, greatest performance -- or die in the attempt.

Harlequin Masques
Most of the Eldar live with the bitter knowledge that their gods are gone, having abandoned them or been destroyed in the Fall. Almost unique among their kind, the Harlequins know that Cegorach survived the Fall, and even now plans for the salvation of the Eldar race. With every passing year more Eldar are drawn towards the way of the Harlequins, erasing their past identity and taking up the mask and motley of the Laughing God. A masque is an army and a company of players both. It has no formal leaders, being instead a collective of like-minded devotees of Cegorach. All know their duties through their familiarity with the traditional roles of the characters they have adopted. No Harlequin rules their fellows for long, for all possess an equal voice. A Harlequin masque unleashed upon the battlefield is a thing of boundless fury and mind-boggling precision, the ultimate melding of cold, alien wrath and preternatural agility. It is a spectacle of destruction as beautiful as it is murderous, as Troupes of warriors leap and bound through the enemy, slaughtering the foe even as Skyweavers cut off lines of retreat, herding the enemy onto the waiting guns of the Voidweavers and Death Jesters. A masque possesses a synergy unmatched in almost any other fighting formation, an instinctive bond grown between the Harlequins as they travel and perform together and unleashed on the battlefield in times of war and strife.

The organisation of a Harlequin masque is unusual by the standards of the most of the forces fighting in the Dark Millennium -- after all, it is formed from multiple bands of dancers, mimes and other performers. The organisational strictures of a masque hail from ancient days, when Cegorach's devotees were theatrical performers first and foremost. Since the Fall, a place has traditionally been reserved in a masque's structure should a Solitaire lend their considerable abilities to a cause, but they are otherwise unchanged, centred around three distinct Troupes: the Light, the Dark, and the Twilight. Each contains a different cast of characters, grouped by outlook and symbolism. The Light, for example, is especially associated with swift action, the heroic protagonist, the sky and the day. By comparison, the Dark represents villainous antagonists, violent endings, and the night, while the Twilight is transitory, like the webway or the fateful journey, comprising characters that bestride multiple or shifting worlds. This structure ensures that each member is aware their fellows' roles, upon both stage and battlefield.

This mutual understanding allows Harlequin masques to fight with near-prescient efficiency. Without the need for orders, each warrior knows both his own and his comrades' duties, as well as who will require support and who can provide it. Indeed, despite the lack of a formal military chain of command, masques are capable of acting with far greater synchronicity and discipline than most standing armies. In battle, a masque seems less a group of individuals, and more a single, perfectly coordinated entity. Further enhancing this incredible efficiency is the fact that each of a masque's mythic plays has its battlefield counterpart, known by the Eldar as its saedath. Essentially a strategic battle plan with an allegorical edge, these inform target priority, overall strategy, and whether the conflict should be led by the Light, Dark, or Twilight. The appropriate saedath will be chosen based upon a range of factors; in some cases, masques specialise in certain mythic cycles, and will rely upon these to the exclusion of all else. In others, the ritual significance of the foe, the battlefield, or even such factors as time of day or quality of light will inform this decision. Whatever the choice, each saedath is an intricate and brilliantly conceived strategy.

While Harlequin masques tend to follow a time-honoured structure, established by the followers of Cegorach in ages past, each also has a distinct identity that reaches from their performances and onto the battlefield. For instance, the Masque of the Leaping Stars go to war heralded by the same kaleidoscopic displays that accompany their performances, while the Mourning Mist advance in ghostly silence, as ominous as the shadow of Ynnead from Eldar legend. This adherence to tradition and connection to their ancient legends strengthens the masques in battle. Every tactic they implement is a counterpart to the mythic plays, known as a saedath, a battlefield plan with an allegorical edge. These inform the masque's tactics and which Troupes will take the lead. Each Harlequin knows these saedaths on such an intricate level they are able to enact these strategies with flawless precision.

Structure of a Masque
The organisation of a Harlequin masque is almost as old as time, a deeply-engrained aspect of Eldar culture that, while subject to small differences from one masque to the next, has otherwise remained fundamentally unchanged for thousands of years. The heart of each masque is the cadre of three Troupes, each of which is led by a Troupe Master. Appended to the three Troupes are the Skyweavers and Voidweavers. A full Masque will feature two squadrons of Skyweaver jetbikes and one of Voidweavers. Masques also usually include at least one Shadowseer and Death Jester, and it is common for one of each to fight alongside each of the three Troupes and, on rare occasions, a masque may also be joined by a Solitaire. This final Player is not bound to the masque, and will serve with it only as long as his own agenda and that of the masque are aligned.

Notable Masques

 * Masque of the Dance Without End - The Masque of the Dance Without End falls upon its foes like an avalanche, appearing as if from thin air with guns already blazing. Full of passion and verve, the Players of this masque are renowned for their performances of the Spiral of Mirth and Madness. This is the cycle of dances, plays and monologues that recount the deeds of Cegorach himself -- a specialism that is said to bring these Harlequins closer to their deity. Indeed, so deep is their connection to the Laughing God that it is rumoured the webway itself flexes and shifts at this masque's behest. Certainly, the Dance Without End seem always to attack from the most unexpected quarter, vanishing on the breeze should matters go awry.
 * The Masque of the Dreaming Shadow - The Masque of the Dreaming Shadow act as self-appointed guardians against the awakening Necrons. They appear morbid of spirit, resentful towards other masques, who perhaps surprisingly hold them in high regard. The Players of the Dreaming Shadow are bound together by their morbid demeanour, and by a simmering resentment of the other masques. This sentiment, however, is deliberately exaggerated -- part act and part truth, deriving from the fact that the war against the Necrons distracts from Cegorach's true battle with She Who Thirsts. For their part, most other Harlequins hold the Dreaming Shadow's selflessness in high esteem, though some are scornful of this masque's inherent bitterness toward them, dismissing their war against the Necrons as nothing but a sad sideshow.
 * Masque of Frozen Stars - Playful and sinister in equal measure, the Masque of Frozen Stars is well known for its Players' irrepressible sense of humour. Standing secret vigil over the maiden worlds of the Eastern Fringe, these Harlequins possess a genuine hope for the future of their race. They believe that there is a path to be trod through the horrors of the Rhana Dandra that leads to a bright fortune beyond. Following destinies gleaned by their Shadowseers from a tangle of potential futures, the masque seeks to restore the balance of fate through the destruction of their many enemies. Across maiden worlds scattered along the edges of the Eastern Fringe, they wage a war against the slow rot of Chaos, the arrogant might of the Imperium and the reckless expansionism of the Tau Empire. However, the Masque of Frozen Stars care only for the resurgence of the Eldar, and no one else. They view the galaxy's other races as vermin, there only to serve as the butt of its shockingly violent pranks and jests. Humanity, the Tau and countless minor alien empires have all suffered under the sudden attacks of this masque. Often believing the motley-clad warriors were coming to their aid, more than one race has discovered that the enemy of their enemy is by no means their friend. Over the millennia, this masque's Players have overloaded the reactors of hive cities, plunged mighty spacecraft unshielded into the Warp, and even depopulated whole worlds, all in the name of the Laughing God's malicious amusement.
 * Masque of the Midnight Sorrow - The Harlequins of the Midnight Sorrow are the ultimate enemies of Chaos, sworn to fight Cegorach's endless battles against the Ruinous Powers of the Warp. This razor-sharp focus drives the masque to pursue their agenda to the extent that no action is too extreme. On one hand they strike alliances with the pawns of the Corpse God, and on the other they slaughter his slaves without mercy. This seems capricious in the extreme to those who must deal with the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow, but to them it is all a part of Cegorach's great plan. In recent years this masque has been drawn increasingly into conflict with the servants of She Who Thirsts. The Farseers of the Eldar craftworlds watch the masque with growing concern, perceiving that the frenzied and daring nature of the Midnight Sorrow's actions are proof the end is at hand. Regardless, these single-minded Harlequins dance on, whether in the beautiful displays for their kinsmen, or the bloody dance of death on the battlefield. The symbol of the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow is a spear driven into the inverse heart of Twilight. To alien observers there is no easy interpretation of this icon, but Eldar know it represents the Midnight Sorrow's desire to strike their foe when daylight is slain, but before darkness reigns once more. A literal interpretation of this might lead some to think they favour attacks at dusk, but there is a more poignant reading, too. The day of the Eldar has come and passed, and the Midnight Sorrow strike now, before the long night begins.
 * Masque of the Reaper's Mirth - All Harlequins are masters of ironic murder, though some are undeniably more talented than others. The Masque of the Reaper’s Mirth takes the Laughing God's bloody humour to an extreme. Every battlefield is a gory canvas upon which they can paint their masterpieces of death. It is not enough to simply kill their enemies -- they must be made examples of in the most extravagant manner. The Palace of Crystal Bones, Hall of Echoed Screams and Fountain of Crimson Tears are all works of the Reaper's Mirth. Because of their penchant for inventive cruelty, the masque attracts a higher proportion of Death Jesters. These macabre warriors take sardonic pleasure in fighting alongside the Players of the Reaper's Mirth as they enact their performances of genocide and horrific destruction.
 * Masque of the Shattered Mirage - There are those among the Eldar who have accepted the doom of their race. Far from welcoming oblivion, these lost souls rage against the slow destruction of their people, choosing to take the galaxy with them when they go. The Masque of the Shattered Mirage are ghosts of the webway, the embodiment of the Laughing God's maudlin mirth in the face of his race's demise. Both their kin and their enemies fear this masque's Players. Their performances are dark and terrible to behold, conveying only fatalistic despair to their audiences. In battle, they fight with a reckless abandon that is horrific to bear witness to, and even in death they take dozens of the foe screaming with them to the grave. To fight the Shattered Mirage is to fight a foe with no fear of death, intent only on the destruction of their enemies no matter the cost.
 * Masque of the Silent Shroud - This masque acts in absolute silence, its Players speaking not a word. Their movements are but the softest sigh of silk upon the air. Even their weapons are muffled through technology and illusion, the hiss of gunfire and the clash of blades echoing dimly as through piercing the veil from another realm. Needless to say, this disorients and unsettles the masque's foes, only adding to the sensory confusion of the Harlequins’ assault. Everything this masque does is veiled in secrecy and stealth, and it often appears from nowhere to stage impromptu performances without need for stage or accompaniment. Whether this be amid the bladed spires of Commorragh, or the blood and horror of the battlefield, it matters not to the Silent Shroud.
 * Masque of the Soaring Spite - This masque bases its entire existence upon the tales of the Cosmic Serpents brood. It performs and fights in an almost exclusively airborne fashion, soaring into battle like the Weaver Serpents of the mythic tales. The Soaring Spite is frequently seen in the company of the Saim-Hann Eldar, with whom its Players share a spiritual bond. Its performances are also wildly popular within the toroid arenas of the Commorrite Wych Cults. Here, the masque's Skyweavers swoop and soar, shedding very real blood as they engage in ritual dances and duels with the best challengers the Wych Cults have to offer.
 * Masque of the Twisted Path - The Masque of the Twisted Path are some of the most sinister of all Harlequins, luring friends and foes into the webway never to be seen again. They are also some of the most well-travelled of all Eldar and have been seen fighting alongside humans, Tau and even Orks, though to what end remains a mystery, for those that question their motives invariably disappear soon after. The Twisted Path have a strange affinity with Craftworld Telennar and have often been seen performing there. Curiously, no one has ever disappeared from the Craftworld following a performance, though whether the inhabitants are cursed, blessed or simply not of interest to the Harlequins of the Twisted Path is unknown. Unsurprisingly, no one has stopped them to ask. Players in the Masque of the Twisted Path wear a bright ensemble made up of reds, oranges and purples.
 * Masque of the Weeping Dawn - The Masque of the Weeping Dawn are artful assassins of fate, choosing their targets with meticulous care. Guided by the whispered words of their Shadowseers, the masque weave a bloody path across the stars, seeking out the greatest enemies of the Eldar. Chaos tyrants, Space Marine commanders, Tau Ethereals and Ork warlords are all among those who have fallen under the flashing blades of the Weeping Dawn. Trespass upon a maiden world, collaboration with the Dark Gods -- whether wittingly or not -- or even the killing of a single Eldar: all are acts that might draw the attentions of this vengeful masque. All that is known for sure of the Weeping Dawn is that, once they have chosen a target, they do not rest until its life has been extinguished and its soul offered up to the Laughing God.
 * Masque of the Winter Sun - The Masque of the Winter Sun is one of the smallest Harlequin groups that guard the webway. While most Harlequin masques are willing to ignore the animosity between their divergent kin, the Winter Sun have not performed for, or fought with, the Dark Eldar for many millennia. Quite why is unclear, but their signature dance, the Broken Chalice, is a tale of treachery and hints at an ancient slight by their dark cousins. The Masque of the Winter Sun were most recently seen alongside forces from Craftworld Mymeara and Craftworld Alaitoc fighting in the Maiden's Veil, known to Imperial cartographers as the Karina Nebula. On Betalis III their holo-suits made them virtually invisible in the never-ending blizzards that dominate the Tormus Delta, enabling them to quickly bypass the Imperial defence lines. Only the intervention of Bran Redmaw's Great Company saved the Imperial Guard stationed there from certain death. The Masque of the Winter Sun are painted in a complementary colour scheme of blue and orange with details picked out in black and white. Players of the Masque of the Winter Sun wear the Eldar rune of Unseen Mysteries, a combination of two Eldar runes. At the top can be seen the rune of enigmas, which is followed by the rune of the seer, its eye missing to signify the blindness of the ignorant.
 * The Soaring Spite - The Soaring Spite favour rapid warfare, utilising Skyweavers, Starweavers and Voidweavers in large numbers. The diamond rune signifies oneness with the mythological beasts they represent in their performances. The Harlequin masque known as the Soaring Spite is renowned for its affiliation to the Eldar Craftworld Saim Hann and the intense spiritual bond they share. As such they frequently field far more Skyweaver squadrons than other masques. They are also renowned for their visits to Commorragh, where their Skyweavers engage in incredible aerobatic duels against the Reaver gangs in contests that shed no small amount of real blood.
 * The Veiled Path - Harlequins of the Veiled Path are merciless tricksters who cruelly exploit other races to achieve their aims, feigning alliance when in truth they care for none but their own. Master manipulators, the Masque of the Veiled Path achieve their aims by any means necessary. It was they who caused Prince Yriel of Iyanden to take up the Spear of Twilight. This baleful weapon has a heavy curse upon it and once removed from its stasis chamber within the Shrine of Ulthanash, it cannot be set aside before death. When Yriel fought the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Kraken he bested several of the Hive Mind's greatest warriors in personal combat, but many have questioned why a great noble of such status would draw a weapon that will claim his life. The answer to this lies with the Masque of the Veiled Path, who manipulated him into this fateful duty. For what reasons, they will not say. Even after the tragedy which befell the craftworld, and the sorrow it caused, the Eldar of Iyanden do not hesitate to answer their call to arms -- providing legions of automatons to march into war alongside the Veiled Path.

Harlequin Troupes
Harlequin Players perform with breathtaking skill, whether their stage is a wraithbone and glass amphitheatre bathed in crystalline light, or the firelit hell of the battlefield. They tumble, sprint and leap, every squeeze of the trigger and slash of a blade bringing death to the enemy. No Eldar is born a Harlequin, and all manner of strange tales persist concerning how this metamorphosis occurs. Some are supposedly drawn from amid bustling crowds, beckoned into the shadows by a masked figure only they can see. Others simply vanish from their personal chambers, their precious spirit stone discarded in their wake. To become a Harlequin means erasing all that has come before, be it friends, family, path or purpose. However it happens, once an Eldar becomes a Harlequin every aspect of their old identity is erased. Each joins a Light, Twilight or Dark Troupe, and assumes a new role at the behest of their Troupe Master. These roles -- each known by a ritual character name such as the Webway Witch, the Sun Prince, or Shaimesh the Poisoner -- inform every aspect of the Harlequin's personality from that moment on.

The difference between these three Troupes to a non-Eldar observer would be hard to distinguish by visual clues alone. Save for a rune badge that is either a prism, heart or four-sided star, there is little else to distinguish them from each other. The true difference between them is how the Players act. Harlequins from Light Troupes embody the heroic aspects of the Eldar (and typically play such heroes in their grand displays). They launch brave charges, fight with boldness and hurl themselves into the fray like heroes of myth. Dark Troupes, on the other hand, appear sinister and vindictive in their actions and the ways in which they finish off their enemies seem cruel, flamboyant and often very violent. The Twilight Troupes are the strangest, their actions dictated apparently by some unknown motive. They appear capricious or obsessive, and their actions are hard to read, until the moment their true genius is unveiled.

A peculiarity that sets the Harlequins apart from their craftworld and Exodite kin is that they do not bear spirit stones. Normally, when an Eldar dies, their unprotected soul is devoured by Slaanesh unless it is preserved inside one of these mysterious gems and joined with an Exodite World Spirit or Craftworld Infinity Circuit. Yet the Harlequins alone possess a secret that allows them to escape Slaanesh's jaws, and it is not one they seem willing to share.

Harlequin Troupe Markings
There are three Harlequin Troupes within a masque: Light, Dark and Twilight, and each player in the Troupe will wear the markings of that Troupe. These icons are largely standard across the masques, with Light Troupes wearing a prism, Dark a four-sided star and Twilight a heart. Each Troupe is led by a Troupe Master, who wears the master rune, an ornate version of the same basic device worn by his Troupe, often hollowed out and bordered by curved arcs.

Harlequin Troupe Warriors

 * Troupe Master - Troupe Masters, also known as Avatars and called athair in the Eldar Lexicon, are the officers of the Harlequins, with each troupe being led by a Troupe Master. In performance, the Avatar dances the part of the Laughing God. Some Avatars are known to wear long coats to indicate their rank. An Avatar is usually armed with two close combat weapons (one of which is often a Shuriken Pistol), and equipped with a visual disruption Holo-field and Conversion Field emitter. In addition, some Avatars may have psychic abilities. In combat, an Avatar may be armed with Vortex Grenades, which he delivers on-target by running forwards alone while the rest of the troupe supplies covering fire. The Avatars of some Harlequin troupes carry a number of lightweight batons, which unfold into a flag bearing the symbol of their masque. This is commonly left as a "calling card" after the destruction of enemy units and installations.
 * Troupers - Harlequin Troupers, called rillietann in the Eldar Lexicon, form the backbone of a Harlequin force. In performance they dance the chorus roles, and in battle they form the rank and file of the Harlequin troupe, if such a term is appropriate to the unique and free-wheeling structure of Harlequin society. The typical wargear of a Trouper consists of two close combat weapons (one of which is often a Shuriken Pistol), a visual disruption Holo-field and a holographic Refractor Field.
 * Shadowseers - Shadowseers, known in the Eldar Lexicon as esdainn, are powerful Harlequin psykers whose abilities are centred around spreading confusion and fear. During a Masque the Shadowseers act as storytellers, releasing programmed hallucinations from their creidann grenade launcher backpacks which form scintillating phantoms that dance and duel in the air. In battle, they can force visions of unholy terror upon the foe, or even remove the recognition of the Harlequins' presence from their enemies' minds altogether. The Shadowseers are the only psykers permitted open passage within the bounds of Commorragh, for the Dark Eldar know that these warrior mystics are shrouded from the sight of She Who Thirsts. It is believed that every Shadowseer works to their own, private agenda, giving or withholding information in whatever way best suits their needs.
 * Death Jesters - At the present time, most Harlequins make no use of heavy weapons or heavy armour like grav tanks, save for the Harlequins called the Death Jesters. The Death Jesters or Deathheads, called in the Eldar Lexicon the margorach, are the heavy weapons specialists of the Harlequin. They make use of a wide-array of heavy weaponry; from the humble Shuriken Cannon of the Craftworld Eldar, to the specialised Firepike, or the morbid Shrieker Cannon. The Shrieker Cannon is the trademark weapon of the Death Jesters, as only they can create and maintain them. They are a variant of the Shuriken Cannon, but instead of firing a hail of projectiles, they fire only a single shot. This shot is impregnated with a virulent acid that causes the victim's blood vessels and insides to expand violently. This usually results in a small explosion that showers enemy squad mates with pieces of their companion, thus earning the shrieks that give the weapon its name. These sinister warriors stand apart from their fellow Harlequins, for they play Death in the masque and thus must walk aloof from their brethren. They often perform daring stunts of escapology and risk -- "dicing with Death," as they are fond of saying. Their costumes feature skulls and death's head masks, decorated with the bones of their predecessors. Their morbid sense of humour is appreciated throughout the Dark City, for they are as every bit as inventively cruel as the most black-hearted Commorrite. To a Death Jester, the madness of the battlefield presents infinite inspiration and boundless opportunities for lethal practical jokes. A Death Jester may wait until an enemy squad believes themselves safe within a bunker, before placing a single shot through the closing door with his shrieker cannon. The explosive effects of the weapon turn the haven into a tightly packed death trap, eliciting screams that are music to the Death Jester's ears. In the name of sating their desire for morbid amusement, these strange sadists have been known to dress up unconscious foes in the charred skin and bone of their fallen comrades. They have arranged the bodies of the fallen in bleakly amusing positions, and perpetrated any number of other awful acts of inexplicable humour. Even the Death Jester's own troupe find his antics distasteful, but they understand the role that he plays.

Harlequin Masque Troops

 * High Troupe Master - The High Troupe Master, also known in ancient texts as High Avatars and called in the Eldar Lexicon the ardathair, is the leader of a Harlequin masque. During The Dance, he takes the role of the Laughing God only when the whole masque is involved in a performance, while Avatars from the individual troupes of his masque play the lesser Eldar deities and other mythological roles. High Avatars dress and behave in the same way as lesser Avatars, but they show a distinct preference for face-designs on their masks, especially the smiling face of the Laughing God, a snarling face of daemonic aspect, or a beautiful but impassive Eldar face.
 * High Shadowseer - The High Shadowseer, sometimes referred to in older texts as the High Warlock and called in the Eldar Lexicon the athesdan, is the overall commander of a masque's Shadowseers, and may overrule commands issued to Warlocks by their Troupe Masters -- though this rarely happens in practice. It is not unknown for a High Warlock to take the Warlocks from the troupes and form them into a separate unit under his (or her) own command. The High Shadowseer advises the High Troupe Master on all psychic matters pertaining to a masque. In performance, the High Shadowseer leads and coordinates the other Shadowseers as they play the role of a supporting chorus to his Storyteller; in battle, the High Shadowseer may coordinate the Shadowseers' grenade barrages, or act as a completely independent warrior.
 * Master Mime - The Master Mime, called in the Eldar Lexicon the athistaur, commands the Mimes of his or her masque, and advises the High Avatar on all matters of espionage, infiltration and politics. In performance, the Master Mime joins the other Mimes, generally playing the most prominent and demanding Daemon or deity.
 * Mimes - Mimes, called in the Eldar Lexicon the distaur, are under the direct command of the Master Mime, instead of being allocated to individual troupes. In performance, the Mimes play mystical and daemonic roles, using movement and gesture only. Even in everyday life, the Mimes speak little, communicating among themselves by lambruith, the name given to their system of hand-signals. It is customary for Mimes to go in advance of a masque or troupe to announce their impending arrival for a performance. Frequently they simply appear on a Craftworld or in Commorragh, without anyone knowing when or how they arrived. This skill is also used in warfare -- the oft-repeated stories of enemy commanders suddenly and unaccountably finding a Harlequin "calling card" in their command centres are typical examples of the tactics Mimes use to undermine enemy morale. Infiltration and assassination are their specialties.
 * Solitaires - The most chilling of all the Eldar Harlequin are those individuals known as a Solitaire, called in the Eldar Lexicon the arebennian. The Solitaires, as their name implies, are solitary individuals who roam the universe alone for most of his life, occasionally joining a masque for a single performance or battle as the fancy takes him. He speaks and is spoken to only in ritual form, and when he is not performing he rarely communicates with the other Eldar. The most startling truth of the Solitaires is that, unlike other Harlequins, who are protected by their faith in Cegorach, their souls are doomed to be devoured by Slaanesh, although the Laughing God attempts to intercede on the Solitaire's behalf after their death and force the Prince of Chaos to compete for his or her soul. Whenever Solitaires are with a Harlequin troupe, they prefer to distance themselves from the others, and one is considered cursed if one exchanges words with a Solitaire. A Solitaire never shows any sign of emotion, either with other Harlequins or on the battlefield. Psykers of every race, even other Eldar, are known to be very depressed in the presence of a Solitaire. The mental landscape of the Solitaire is obviously disturbing to them. Psychic attacks on Solitaires will almost always fall short, and weapons which attack the enemy's mind, such as the Neuro-disruptor, will simply have no effect. During the performance of the great Harlequin performance or Masque that dramatises the ancient Fall of the Eldar known simply as The Dance, Solitaires are the only Harlequins that can play the role of the Chaos God Slaanesh who brought the Eldar low. Various stories exist of other Harlequins who tried to perform the role, and were driven mad by the experience. In battle, Solitaires almost always fight as individuals. A Solitaire may live unknown among the Eldar (or even members of another intelligent race) for years or decades, and there are many rumours and folk-tales telling of Eldar who have met a Solitaire, and realised only later that this was actually the Great Harlequin, Cegorach himself. Solitaires represent the pinnacle of the Harlequin ideal, and are truly formidable foes in combat.

Wargear
The Harlequins are highly accomplished warriors and each Trouper, as their warriors are called, can be considered almost a one-man army in melee combat. In place of the thick armour plates used by less advanced races, all Eldar warriors use psychically activated bodysuits. Guardians wear armour formed from complex psychoplastics which stiffen with the impact of a shot or swordblow. Aspect Warrior armour is similar in design but incorporates moulded plates to better reinforce the suit, leading to a far greater degree of protection. Both are constructed of a psycho-sensitive material that reacts to the movements and thought-forms of the wearer, moulding and reshaping itself to fit like a glove as the warrior fights. Even the heaviest and most ornate of these suits, worn by the Exarchs, are still lightweight enough for the wearer to kill without hindrance. The Eldar also make use of powerful force fields varying from personal shield projectors to the holo-fields employed by Eldar grav-tanks and towering titans. Some are stranger in function still, including the psychic shielding of rune armour, said to pulse in time with the wearer's heartbeat, and the dathedi holo-suits used by the mysterious Harlequins.

They are already graceful and lithe from their lifestyle and dances and Harlequin augment their prowess with so-called "Flip-Belts" that generate a small anti-gravitic field around them and allow them to leap unnaturally high. They also make use of Eldar Holo-fields and a technology known as "Masks of Fear." Holo-fields are a sophisticated substitute for armour: whenever the Harlequin moves, their image is shattered into a holographically-projected cloud of crystal shards that dance and swirl around with vigour proportional to the speed that the Harlequin is moving.

The Mask of Fear is a small holographic device worn like a mask. It projects daemonic visages and scenes of death onto the mask and has a short-range psychic amplifier which increases enemies' sensitivity to fear and despair. Other versions of the Mask of Fear include the Rictus Mask, which projects an aura of death in the general vicinity of the wearer, or the Dread Mask, which senses an enemy's worst fears and displays them on the mask, along with a more potent psychic amplifier like the ones used on the Mask of Fear.

Harlequins are also noted for their brutal combat weapons. The most gruesome of these is the Harlequin's Kiss. The Harlequin's Kiss resembles a sharpened tube, tapering to a wicked point, fixed to a warrior's forearm. The tube is actually filled with monofilament wires. When the Kiss is punched into a victim, the wires uncoil and flail around, slicing the victim apart from the inside. Less disturbing is the Storm Glove. The Storm Glove is a Harlequin adaption of the Power Weapons used by Eldar and humans alike. It is a set of powered blades worn on the forearm, or more typically, on the hand as a glove.

Although Harlequins do not currently use armoured vehicles or heavy equipment, when Harlequins were first encountered by the Imperium, they did make use heavy equipment of all kinds. This equipment was scavenged by the Harlequins during their travels, incorporated into the Troupe and then used without much thought as to its maintenance. As a result, the earliest known Harlequin armies were equipped with a wide variety of armoured vehicles, brightly colored and bedecked with Harlequin banners, yet prone to sudden, unexpected maintenance problems in the midst of battle. Harlequins of the time also often made use of Jetcycles.

Remnants of Glory
Remnants of glory are items of incredible rarity and power:
 * Mantle of The Laughing God - Every few decades, the Harlequins converge upon a particular craftworld, in search of a champion who will bear the mantle of the Laughing God in pursuance of some dire task. Whilst he bears the mantle, the champion will surely walk in dark and perilous places, but he will not do so alone –- the Laughing God was ever sentimental of his followers, and watches with keen interest those who do him honour.

Gallery
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