Games - Eldar Harlequins

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	Games - Eldar Harlequins

In the fictional universe of the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Harlequins comprise a sub-group of the Eldar race. They are the keepers of the Black Library and serve the Laughing God. They see themselves as a unifying force for the Eldar, dedicated to preserving their race, and often acting as mediators and coordinators between the various Eldar factions. The other Eldar view the Harlequins with a mixture of awe, fear and respect.

History and Society

The Harlequins are a faction of the Eldar, and the most enigmatic of that mysterious race. They roam the Webway, fighting Chaos and its influence. Their main purpose is to seek out Chaos and destroy it wherever they can, and Chaos is their most hated enemy. As a corollary to this mission, they also compile all knowledge about Chaos, the source of its power, and how to defeat it. This knowledge is kept in the Black Library.

Harlequins must pass a trial known only as "The Ritual" upon initiation into a Harlequin band. The details of this trial are not known to outsiders, however, this ritual is said to free them of the fear of the Chaos god Slaanesh, the eternal enemy of the Eldar race. This is why they need not wear a soulstone (also known as a waystone) when they travel in the Webway (although they once did wear soulstones), and do not have to endure the tiring soul-draining that other Eldar (especially the Dark Eldar) endure when in the Webway for prolonged periods of time.

Harlequin lifestyle is very much like the life of a roaming mime or troubadour of the medieval era. They wander the Webway as members of a group called a 'troupe', and occasionally appear at Eldar settlements: on a Craftworld, on Commoragh, or on an Exodite Maiden world. They perform dances for the spectators there: Masques, as they are sometimes called. Their performaces portray the history of their race, preserving it so as to prevent the Eldar from forgetting their past. Subjects of the dances tend to include the myths of the Eldar before the Fall, the Fall itself and the rise of Slaanesh, and the destruction of the Eldar pantheon by Slaanesh.

Way of War

The Harlequins are highly accomplished warriors; each Harlequin takes to the battlefield as a "Trouper", and is a formidable warrior. Much of the Harlequin way of war revolves around mobility, quick strikes, and psychological attacks on the enemy.

Each troupe is led, both in peace and war, by a Great Harlequin (also sometimes called a "Harlequin Avatar"— not to be confused with the Avatar of Khaine), who performs the role of the Laughing God during the Masque performances. Other important figures in the troupe, which are described later, include the Death Jesters, the Solitaire, and the Shadowseers.

Equipment

The Eldar race is renowned (or reviled) for their grace and agility; the Harlequins are moreso, due to their lifestyle. However, in battle, these characteristics are enhanced by so-called flip-belts, which generate a small anti-gravity field. This allows them to perform impossible feats of athleticism, moving faster and jumping higher than even other Eldar.

In addition, the Harlequins, rather than wear cumbersome armor, carry personal versions of the holo-field (known as a "dathedi" in the Eldar language), a device which Craftworld-dwelling Eldar often use to protect their tanks and other large vehicles. The holo-field protects by generating a distorted holographic image of the wearer; this is then used to mislead an opponent, causing him to strike empty space rather than the Harlequin. A more sophisticated version of the holo-field exists, known as a domino field (or "d-field"); this version creates a more complex pattern, complete with dazzling shards of light, making the wearer virtually impossible to hit.

The Harlequins prefer to use equipment designed to instill fear and terror in their foes. One of the primary ways they do this is to wear specially designed masks; these masks are able to detect an opponent's fears and augment them. There are more specialized variants of these masks, which have effects such as creating an aura of death, or projecting an image of the opponent's fears upon the wearer, causing the opponent to be forced to fight his most feared adversary. Harlequins are sometimes seen wielding grenades which contain a powerful hallucinogen; victims of these grenades then see illusory opponents (as well as the Harlequins themselves), and are subsequently easier to defeat.

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Games - Eldar Harlequins

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Way of War

Equipment

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