Post by PitYak Studios on Oct 26, 2005 11:43:15 GMT 12
I thought this was worth stealing;
Hrythar had seen a Harlequin troupe only once before - as a child several decades ago - but now he had been chosen as Iavair, to welcome the Masque of the Dance Without End to Saim Hann craft-world. He fought down tension as the warpgate opened and two dozen figures stepped out of the shifting, coruscating colours. It was said that Harlequins could smell fear, and as the spokesman for his craft-world, it was not seemly to show any.
The newcomers' appearance certainly lived up to the stories. Three little knots of troupers each manhandled a trunk like a garishly-coloured coffin, which hovered just above the deck on suspensors. Three skull-masked margorach Death Jesters glided forward with their great reapers and flame lances on their backs, moving automatically towards the chamber's cardinal defence points. Four esdainn Warlocks strolled forward in a group, their masks bobbing in an animated discussion that had evidently begun on the other side of the warpgate. The athair - the Avatars, who played the Laughing god in the masque - and led each troupe in battle - emerged last, the fixed ironic half-smiles on their masks seeming to comment on what had come before.
"Lavair." said one of these. It was a statement, not a question. Hrythar struggled to seem relaxed and slightly offhand, as courtesy demanded.
"Hrytbar Dreamweave," he answered. "Saim-Hann is gladdened by your presence."
"Dreamweave," the voice was rich and even. despite the mask's distortion, "A fortunate name." Unsure whether this was compliment or mockery Hrythar held an expression of bland courtesy. Inclining his head to the Avatar, he turned to lead the Harlequins to the quarters set aside for them. Even though he concentrated on his movements as he walked, beside their fluid. gliding figures he felt clumsy as an Ork. He burned to ask if and when the masque would perform, but it was for them to say. and for none to ask.
The Harlequins (Eldar: Rillietann) are a uniquely Eldar social and military institution - a caste of fighters and entertainers who exist beyond conventional Eldar social structure. They owe no allegiance to any craft-world or other Eldar community and travel amongst Eldar - and other races - at will.
The Harlequins see no distinction between art and war, and their outlook can best be explained by reference to the legend of the Fall of the Eldar; one of their self-appointed duties is to keep this legend alive through their performances.
The central figure of Harlequin belief is the Cegorach - the Great Harlequin, also known as the Great Fool, the First Fool or the Laughing god. According to legend, this deity survived the Fall because his mocking nature distanced him from the corruption and decadence that became Slaanesh. The Great Harlequin is the only authority that the Harlequins recognise. There are stories about Harlequins and other Eldar who have met the Laughing god in the guise of a Harlequin without realising his identity until afterwards.
Harlequins travel constantly, presenting entertainments based on Eldar tradition and centred on the body of lore which has sprung up around the Laughing god. They have been known to stage their dance-dramas for Humans and other non-Eldar, since they believe that the Fall of the Eldar holds a lesson from which all races may benefit.
As well as being entertainers, Eldar Harlequins are the deadliest fighters of their race. In battle, they use their acrobatic skills and a range of specialist equipment to devastating effect. Among many of the less intelligent races they are regarded as wizards, malevolent warp entities, or worse.
Harlequins are thought to wear their masks at all times. Their clothing is tight-fitting and brightly-coloured, with bold stripes, zigzags, spots, checks and other colourful designs. Multiple belts, studs, straps, buckles, scarves and other adornments are common, and the symbol of the masque is often incorporated into the clothing design. Death Jesters are an exception to this practice, preferring to wear predominantly black clothing, often with white skull and bone designs.
A device known as a holo-suit, dathedi shield (dathedi: "between colours"), or visual disruption field, is incorporated into each Harlequin's body-suit; projecting a holographic field around the wearer's body. This produces various costume effects in performance, and operates in battle like a programmable form of cameleoline, breaking up the Harlequin's outline. Refractor and conversion fields are also widely used as well. In addition the Death Jesters commonly wear carapace and other armour types.
To enhance their speed and agility, Harlequins are equipped with suspensor belts known as Flip Belts, Inertia Pivots or geirgilath (Eldar: "belt of speed"). These devices allow the Harlequins to pivot effortlessly about hip-level, and permit undiminished use of their spectacular acrobatic abilities even when encumbered with battle-gear. Harlequins use a range of specialist equipment (described in detail below), as well as conventional kit.
Vehicles attached to a Harlequin force are brightly painted in the same patterns as the Harlequins themselves, and festooned with flags and bunting - a strangely cheerful sight on the battlefield. It is also common for Harlequin vehicles to be equipped with visual disruption fields.
A hush descended as the performance began.
The first work was performed by a single troupe. It was one of the many stories about the Great Harlequin, the Harlequins' only master. The Warlock stood to one side, his dathedi suit cycling through the shifting reds, greens and golds of the Storyteller as he wove a commentary with the projectors of light, sound. psychic impulse and programmed hallucinogen from the creidann unit on his back. The Avatar danced the part of the Laughing god. with his suit projecting the ever-changing lozenge pattern of the Great Harlequin.
Death entered, his suit cycling through the decomposition of a corpse from flesh to bone to dust to nothingness and back again. Troupers danced around him, falling at his touch. The Laughing god danced around the outside.
Suddenly, the performance stopped. The High Avatar of the Dance Without End walked to the front of the stage, and looked out into the audience. Then he bowed - a bow of courtesy to a superior.
The audience sat in stunned silence. Then one figure rose.
Those few who recognised him knew him only as an undistinguished Infinity Matrix technician. He had lived on Saim-Hann for over a century; humbly tending the circuitry that maintained the countless Ancestors as the spirit in the body of the great ship. Now the High Avatar of a Harlequin masque had bowed to him. He nodded - curtly, as to a subordinate - and walked toward the stage.
"Saim-Hann is fortunate." The High Avatar s voice seemed uncomfortably loud after the silence. "We shall perform The Dance."
Harlequin Organisation
Harlequins are organised into two basic units: the troupe and the masque. A masque is composed of a number of troupes plus certain additional personalities.
Avatars (Eldar: athair) are the officers of the Harlequins; each troupe is led by an Avatar. In performance, the Avatar dances the part of the Laughing god.
Some Avatars wear long coats to indicate their rank. They are usually armed with two close combat weapons (one of which is often a shuriken pistol), and equipped with visual disruption and conversion fields. In addition, some Avatars may have psychic abilities. Occasionally, an Avatar may be armed with vortex grenades, delivering them 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 (rillietann) 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 structure of Harlequin troupes.
Typical equipment for a trouper consists of two close combat weapons (one of which is often the shuriken pistol), a visual disruption field and a refractor field.
Warlocks (esdainn) are specialist psykers. While other personalities may or may not have psychic powers, the Warlocks contribute most to the psychic capacity of Harlequin force. Many Warlocks favour masks which do not feature a face design.
In performance, the Warlock takes the roles of the Wizard and the Storyteller, and adds to the performance by using his psychic powers and the release of programmed hallucinogen from the creidann mini grenade launcher strapped to his back. In battle, this is used as a conventional grenade launcher laying down a pattern of grenade fire to cover the Harlequin advance into close combat. Blind, hallucinogen, scare, smoke and stasis grenades are particularly favoured. Vortex grenades may be used in spectacular solo attacks.
Apart from the mini grenade launcher Warlocks and Avatar are equipped in similar fashion - with two close combat weapons, a visual disruption field and a conversion field Some Warlocks have been known to have a Gyrinx for a companion.
Death Jesters, or Death-heads (margorach), are heavy weapons specialists who tend to stand somewhat aloof from other Harlequins - and even from each other. They a renowned for their morbid and ironic sense of humour something not normally considered an Eldar trait. On the battlefield, they stand off from the rest of a Harlequin force firing their heavy weapons in support. Their costumes and equipment nearly always feature skulls, bones and other symbols of death, and the death's-head mask has almost become a uniform for them.
In performance, the Death Jester dances the role of Death and performs daring stunts of escapology and risk - 'dicing with Death', as they are fond of saying. In battle, the Death Jester delivers his punchline with las-cannon and shuriken cannon. Carapace armour, enhanced by visual disruption as conversion fields, is worn. The encumbrance of the equipment is countered by their Flip Belts. They have bet known to use vortex grenades.
The High Avatar (ardathair) is the leader of the masque. He takes the role of the Laughing god only when the whole masque is involved in a performance, while Avatars from the individual troupes play lesser 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.
The High Warlock (athesdan) is the overall commander of a masque's Warlocks, and may over-rule commands issued to Warlocks by their Avatars; 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 Warlock advises the High Avatar on all psychic matters.
In performance, the High Warlock leads and co-ordinates the other Warlocks as they play the role of a supporting chorus to his Storyteller; in battle, the High Warlock may coordinate their grenade barrages, or act as a completely independent personality.
Mimes (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, their system of hand-signals.
It is customary for Mimes to go in advance of a masque or troupe to announce their arrival. Frequently they simply appear on a craft-world or elsewhere, 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 speciality.
The Master Mime (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 mystic role.
Solitaires (arebennian) are outside the masque, and roam the universe alone, occasionally joining a masque for a single performance or battle as the fancy takes them. They are the only Harlequins who can play the role of Slaanesh in the great Harlequin masterwork known as The Dance; various stories exist of other Harlequins who have tried, and been driven mad by the experience. They almost always fight as Individuals.
Among the Eldar it is said that Solitaires are Harlequins who have been touched directly by the Great Harlequin, and have his insight into the fall of the race and the nature of the universe. A Solitaire may live unknown among Eldar (or even members of another race) for years or decades, and there are many rumours and folk-tales telling of Eldar who have met a Solitaire, and realised later that this was the Great Harlequin himself. Solitaires represent the very pinnacle of the Harlequin ideal, and are formidable foes.
The message flashed around the craft-world at the speed of thought. All normal functions were suspended. and every Eldar on Saim-Hann came to the talaclu hall. Even the Ancestors in the Infinity Matrix watched through the craft-world's internal sensors. At least once in their lives every Eldar should witness The Dance - the greatest of the Harlequins' works. retelling the story of the fall of the Old Race - and keep the lessons of the Fall alive in the spirits of the survivors. But The Dance is rarely performed. since the key part cannot be danced by any member of a masque. Only the mystic Solitaires - those touched by the Laughing god himself, who pass unrecognised as whim or design moves them - only these may dance the part of Slaanesh.
The nine troupers bounded into the centre of the stage, their dathedi suits projecting a weaving pattern of colours as they danced the part of the Old Race. The four Warlocks took up positions around the outside: emotions were monitored, amplified and returned by their equipment as the Eldar lived the fall of their ancestors: felt their joys, their prides, their petty rivalries and their driving passions. Three Avatars danced the parts of the Fallen gods, leaping, cartwheeling and somersaulting around and among the dancers of the Old Race.
The dancers of the Old Race became wilder; their passions stronger and their joys more extreme, more menacing. They came together like a whirlpool. and broke upon something unseen - hurled back as the Solitaire leaped into view, somersaulting from his unseen entrance to the centre of the dancers.
An involuntary shock ran through the audience at the sight of the allegorical figure of the Chaos god Slaanesh. His Suit projected a constantly-writhing mass of figures in attitudes of decadent pleasure.
From behind Slaanesh. seven figures appeared one by one to mingle with the Old Race. First came the four Mimes. passing their sensual and disturbing movements to the other dancers as the Daemons they represented had spread the corruption of Slaanesh. One by one, the dancers of the Old Race began to project the pattern of writhing figures on their suits. Next came three dark figures: the Death Jesters' suits displayed skeletons as they leaped and slew dragging the inert forms of the Fallen gods to the feet of Slaanesh. As the last fell, a psychic scream from the Warlocks echoed through the minds of the audience. It shifted and writhed like the patterns on the dancers' suits, gradually coalescing into a chilling, gibbering laugh of madness, corruption and depravity.
But in the laugh there was another voice. A clearer laugh, an ironic laugh. A laugh which laughs because it chooses not to weep.
Then, at one side of the stage, the High Avatar entered. His suit projected the ever-shifting multicoloured lozenges of the Laughing god as he strolled casually onstage, still laughing at the cosmic folly of the Fallen. He looked at the triumphant form of Slaanesh atop the mound of writhing dancers, and he laughed. He looked at the Mime-Daemons and the Death Jesters as they bore down upon him. And he laughed.
For a moment, he could not be seen among the press of Slaanesh's minions, but with a cry he flew above their heads. tumbling in flight to land facing them. As they turned he leaped again: two figures dropped as he touched them, and five more clawed the empty air as he somersaulted across the stage.
His laugh now was one of glee as he leaped and tumbled, evading the hunters and turning now and then to strike back. He picked up the body of a Death Jester and hurled it at the figure of Slaanesh, who reeled slightly at the impact. With a wild cry the Great Harlequin leaped forward, pulled a single dancer from the feet of Slaanesh. and withdrew. At his touch, the writhing figures on the dancer's suit dissolved into the lozenge pattern. and the dancer also began to laugh as he danced the dance of the Harlequin. The two of them put the remaining Daemons to flight, and as last fell. Slaanesh joined the battle.
The confrontation between Slaanesh and the Great Harlequin seemed to go on for ever. Other dancers melted from the stage as the two figures leaped, cartwheeled and somersaulted around each other. Slowly, in the background. the Mime-Daemons and the Harlequin troupers took up the dance, reflecting the movements of the two principals in perfect unison.
The Dance ended abruptly, with the struggle unresolved.
It was indeed the Dance Without End. The hall was quiet.
The dancers left the stage. The audience sat stunned.
Hrythar had seen a Harlequin troupe only once before - as a child several decades ago - but now he had been chosen as Iavair, to welcome the Masque of the Dance Without End to Saim Hann craft-world. He fought down tension as the warpgate opened and two dozen figures stepped out of the shifting, coruscating colours. It was said that Harlequins could smell fear, and as the spokesman for his craft-world, it was not seemly to show any.
The newcomers' appearance certainly lived up to the stories. Three little knots of troupers each manhandled a trunk like a garishly-coloured coffin, which hovered just above the deck on suspensors. Three skull-masked margorach Death Jesters glided forward with their great reapers and flame lances on their backs, moving automatically towards the chamber's cardinal defence points. Four esdainn Warlocks strolled forward in a group, their masks bobbing in an animated discussion that had evidently begun on the other side of the warpgate. The athair - the Avatars, who played the Laughing god in the masque - and led each troupe in battle - emerged last, the fixed ironic half-smiles on their masks seeming to comment on what had come before.
"Lavair." said one of these. It was a statement, not a question. Hrythar struggled to seem relaxed and slightly offhand, as courtesy demanded.
"Hrytbar Dreamweave," he answered. "Saim-Hann is gladdened by your presence."
"Dreamweave," the voice was rich and even. despite the mask's distortion, "A fortunate name." Unsure whether this was compliment or mockery Hrythar held an expression of bland courtesy. Inclining his head to the Avatar, he turned to lead the Harlequins to the quarters set aside for them. Even though he concentrated on his movements as he walked, beside their fluid. gliding figures he felt clumsy as an Ork. He burned to ask if and when the masque would perform, but it was for them to say. and for none to ask.
The Harlequins (Eldar: Rillietann) are a uniquely Eldar social and military institution - a caste of fighters and entertainers who exist beyond conventional Eldar social structure. They owe no allegiance to any craft-world or other Eldar community and travel amongst Eldar - and other races - at will.
The Harlequins see no distinction between art and war, and their outlook can best be explained by reference to the legend of the Fall of the Eldar; one of their self-appointed duties is to keep this legend alive through their performances.
The central figure of Harlequin belief is the Cegorach - the Great Harlequin, also known as the Great Fool, the First Fool or the Laughing god. According to legend, this deity survived the Fall because his mocking nature distanced him from the corruption and decadence that became Slaanesh. The Great Harlequin is the only authority that the Harlequins recognise. There are stories about Harlequins and other Eldar who have met the Laughing god in the guise of a Harlequin without realising his identity until afterwards.
Harlequins travel constantly, presenting entertainments based on Eldar tradition and centred on the body of lore which has sprung up around the Laughing god. They have been known to stage their dance-dramas for Humans and other non-Eldar, since they believe that the Fall of the Eldar holds a lesson from which all races may benefit.
As well as being entertainers, Eldar Harlequins are the deadliest fighters of their race. In battle, they use their acrobatic skills and a range of specialist equipment to devastating effect. Among many of the less intelligent races they are regarded as wizards, malevolent warp entities, or worse.
Harlequins are thought to wear their masks at all times. Their clothing is tight-fitting and brightly-coloured, with bold stripes, zigzags, spots, checks and other colourful designs. Multiple belts, studs, straps, buckles, scarves and other adornments are common, and the symbol of the masque is often incorporated into the clothing design. Death Jesters are an exception to this practice, preferring to wear predominantly black clothing, often with white skull and bone designs.
A device known as a holo-suit, dathedi shield (dathedi: "between colours"), or visual disruption field, is incorporated into each Harlequin's body-suit; projecting a holographic field around the wearer's body. This produces various costume effects in performance, and operates in battle like a programmable form of cameleoline, breaking up the Harlequin's outline. Refractor and conversion fields are also widely used as well. In addition the Death Jesters commonly wear carapace and other armour types.
To enhance their speed and agility, Harlequins are equipped with suspensor belts known as Flip Belts, Inertia Pivots or geirgilath (Eldar: "belt of speed"). These devices allow the Harlequins to pivot effortlessly about hip-level, and permit undiminished use of their spectacular acrobatic abilities even when encumbered with battle-gear. Harlequins use a range of specialist equipment (described in detail below), as well as conventional kit.
Vehicles attached to a Harlequin force are brightly painted in the same patterns as the Harlequins themselves, and festooned with flags and bunting - a strangely cheerful sight on the battlefield. It is also common for Harlequin vehicles to be equipped with visual disruption fields.
A hush descended as the performance began.
The first work was performed by a single troupe. It was one of the many stories about the Great Harlequin, the Harlequins' only master. The Warlock stood to one side, his dathedi suit cycling through the shifting reds, greens and golds of the Storyteller as he wove a commentary with the projectors of light, sound. psychic impulse and programmed hallucinogen from the creidann unit on his back. The Avatar danced the part of the Laughing god. with his suit projecting the ever-changing lozenge pattern of the Great Harlequin.
Death entered, his suit cycling through the decomposition of a corpse from flesh to bone to dust to nothingness and back again. Troupers danced around him, falling at his touch. The Laughing god danced around the outside.
Suddenly, the performance stopped. The High Avatar of the Dance Without End walked to the front of the stage, and looked out into the audience. Then he bowed - a bow of courtesy to a superior.
The audience sat in stunned silence. Then one figure rose.
Those few who recognised him knew him only as an undistinguished Infinity Matrix technician. He had lived on Saim-Hann for over a century; humbly tending the circuitry that maintained the countless Ancestors as the spirit in the body of the great ship. Now the High Avatar of a Harlequin masque had bowed to him. He nodded - curtly, as to a subordinate - and walked toward the stage.
"Saim-Hann is fortunate." The High Avatar s voice seemed uncomfortably loud after the silence. "We shall perform The Dance."
Harlequin Organisation
Harlequins are organised into two basic units: the troupe and the masque. A masque is composed of a number of troupes plus certain additional personalities.
Avatars (Eldar: athair) are the officers of the Harlequins; each troupe is led by an Avatar. In performance, the Avatar dances the part of the Laughing god.
Some Avatars wear long coats to indicate their rank. They are usually armed with two close combat weapons (one of which is often a shuriken pistol), and equipped with visual disruption and conversion fields. In addition, some Avatars may have psychic abilities. Occasionally, an Avatar may be armed with vortex grenades, delivering them 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 (rillietann) 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 structure of Harlequin troupes.
Typical equipment for a trouper consists of two close combat weapons (one of which is often the shuriken pistol), a visual disruption field and a refractor field.
Warlocks (esdainn) are specialist psykers. While other personalities may or may not have psychic powers, the Warlocks contribute most to the psychic capacity of Harlequin force. Many Warlocks favour masks which do not feature a face design.
In performance, the Warlock takes the roles of the Wizard and the Storyteller, and adds to the performance by using his psychic powers and the release of programmed hallucinogen from the creidann mini grenade launcher strapped to his back. In battle, this is used as a conventional grenade launcher laying down a pattern of grenade fire to cover the Harlequin advance into close combat. Blind, hallucinogen, scare, smoke and stasis grenades are particularly favoured. Vortex grenades may be used in spectacular solo attacks.
Apart from the mini grenade launcher Warlocks and Avatar are equipped in similar fashion - with two close combat weapons, a visual disruption field and a conversion field Some Warlocks have been known to have a Gyrinx for a companion.
Death Jesters, or Death-heads (margorach), are heavy weapons specialists who tend to stand somewhat aloof from other Harlequins - and even from each other. They a renowned for their morbid and ironic sense of humour something not normally considered an Eldar trait. On the battlefield, they stand off from the rest of a Harlequin force firing their heavy weapons in support. Their costumes and equipment nearly always feature skulls, bones and other symbols of death, and the death's-head mask has almost become a uniform for them.
In performance, the Death Jester dances the role of Death and performs daring stunts of escapology and risk - 'dicing with Death', as they are fond of saying. In battle, the Death Jester delivers his punchline with las-cannon and shuriken cannon. Carapace armour, enhanced by visual disruption as conversion fields, is worn. The encumbrance of the equipment is countered by their Flip Belts. They have bet known to use vortex grenades.
The High Avatar (ardathair) is the leader of the masque. He takes the role of the Laughing god only when the whole masque is involved in a performance, while Avatars from the individual troupes play lesser 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.
The High Warlock (athesdan) is the overall commander of a masque's Warlocks, and may over-rule commands issued to Warlocks by their Avatars; 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 Warlock advises the High Avatar on all psychic matters.
In performance, the High Warlock leads and co-ordinates the other Warlocks as they play the role of a supporting chorus to his Storyteller; in battle, the High Warlock may coordinate their grenade barrages, or act as a completely independent personality.
Mimes (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, their system of hand-signals.
It is customary for Mimes to go in advance of a masque or troupe to announce their arrival. Frequently they simply appear on a craft-world or elsewhere, 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 speciality.
The Master Mime (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 mystic role.
Solitaires (arebennian) are outside the masque, and roam the universe alone, occasionally joining a masque for a single performance or battle as the fancy takes them. They are the only Harlequins who can play the role of Slaanesh in the great Harlequin masterwork known as The Dance; various stories exist of other Harlequins who have tried, and been driven mad by the experience. They almost always fight as Individuals.
Among the Eldar it is said that Solitaires are Harlequins who have been touched directly by the Great Harlequin, and have his insight into the fall of the race and the nature of the universe. A Solitaire may live unknown among Eldar (or even members of another race) for years or decades, and there are many rumours and folk-tales telling of Eldar who have met a Solitaire, and realised later that this was the Great Harlequin himself. Solitaires represent the very pinnacle of the Harlequin ideal, and are formidable foes.
The message flashed around the craft-world at the speed of thought. All normal functions were suspended. and every Eldar on Saim-Hann came to the talaclu hall. Even the Ancestors in the Infinity Matrix watched through the craft-world's internal sensors. At least once in their lives every Eldar should witness The Dance - the greatest of the Harlequins' works. retelling the story of the fall of the Old Race - and keep the lessons of the Fall alive in the spirits of the survivors. But The Dance is rarely performed. since the key part cannot be danced by any member of a masque. Only the mystic Solitaires - those touched by the Laughing god himself, who pass unrecognised as whim or design moves them - only these may dance the part of Slaanesh.
The nine troupers bounded into the centre of the stage, their dathedi suits projecting a weaving pattern of colours as they danced the part of the Old Race. The four Warlocks took up positions around the outside: emotions were monitored, amplified and returned by their equipment as the Eldar lived the fall of their ancestors: felt their joys, their prides, their petty rivalries and their driving passions. Three Avatars danced the parts of the Fallen gods, leaping, cartwheeling and somersaulting around and among the dancers of the Old Race.
The dancers of the Old Race became wilder; their passions stronger and their joys more extreme, more menacing. They came together like a whirlpool. and broke upon something unseen - hurled back as the Solitaire leaped into view, somersaulting from his unseen entrance to the centre of the dancers.
An involuntary shock ran through the audience at the sight of the allegorical figure of the Chaos god Slaanesh. His Suit projected a constantly-writhing mass of figures in attitudes of decadent pleasure.
From behind Slaanesh. seven figures appeared one by one to mingle with the Old Race. First came the four Mimes. passing their sensual and disturbing movements to the other dancers as the Daemons they represented had spread the corruption of Slaanesh. One by one, the dancers of the Old Race began to project the pattern of writhing figures on their suits. Next came three dark figures: the Death Jesters' suits displayed skeletons as they leaped and slew dragging the inert forms of the Fallen gods to the feet of Slaanesh. As the last fell, a psychic scream from the Warlocks echoed through the minds of the audience. It shifted and writhed like the patterns on the dancers' suits, gradually coalescing into a chilling, gibbering laugh of madness, corruption and depravity.
But in the laugh there was another voice. A clearer laugh, an ironic laugh. A laugh which laughs because it chooses not to weep.
Then, at one side of the stage, the High Avatar entered. His suit projected the ever-shifting multicoloured lozenges of the Laughing god as he strolled casually onstage, still laughing at the cosmic folly of the Fallen. He looked at the triumphant form of Slaanesh atop the mound of writhing dancers, and he laughed. He looked at the Mime-Daemons and the Death Jesters as they bore down upon him. And he laughed.
For a moment, he could not be seen among the press of Slaanesh's minions, but with a cry he flew above their heads. tumbling in flight to land facing them. As they turned he leaped again: two figures dropped as he touched them, and five more clawed the empty air as he somersaulted across the stage.
His laugh now was one of glee as he leaped and tumbled, evading the hunters and turning now and then to strike back. He picked up the body of a Death Jester and hurled it at the figure of Slaanesh, who reeled slightly at the impact. With a wild cry the Great Harlequin leaped forward, pulled a single dancer from the feet of Slaanesh. and withdrew. At his touch, the writhing figures on the dancer's suit dissolved into the lozenge pattern. and the dancer also began to laugh as he danced the dance of the Harlequin. The two of them put the remaining Daemons to flight, and as last fell. Slaanesh joined the battle.
The confrontation between Slaanesh and the Great Harlequin seemed to go on for ever. Other dancers melted from the stage as the two figures leaped, cartwheeled and somersaulted around each other. Slowly, in the background. the Mime-Daemons and the Harlequin troupers took up the dance, reflecting the movements of the two principals in perfect unison.
The Dance ended abruptly, with the struggle unresolved.
It was indeed the Dance Without End. The hall was quiet.
The dancers left the stage. The audience sat stunned.
