The Silent Shroud
| Masque of the Silent Shroud | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Performance Specialties | Mime, but spooky | |
| Tactical Specialties | Psychological Warfare | |
| Colours | Orange and Cream. | |
"Ugh, that... it's a Mr Mime. They're the worst."
- – Detective Pikachu
The Masque of The Silent Shroud are a Harlequin masque for whom the phrase "Silent but Deadly" is not just a way to get the entire troupe cackling, but is in fact an accurate descriptor.
Overview[edit | edit source]
The Silent Shroud is a masque who lives up to their billing in a big way. Unlike most other Masques, who are usually full of cackling giggling clown boys and girls looking to yuck it up and also maybe cause planetary homicide, the Silent Shroud are the dedicated mimes of the Laughing God's grand performance. Everything they do is done in complete, dead silence which none can break, even their own weapons. Their dedication is such that all their performances are done with absolute silence; they often pop up completely unannounced among their Aeldari brethren without need for music or even a stage, and seem to be in perfect synch, no matter what form of performance they would be doing that day. All of this in spite of the fact that they wear a truly obnoxious and fucking bright combo of colors, which means Eldar must not be especially observant.
Other Eldar sort of feel a little uneasy around The Silent Shroud, normally because being creeped out by coordinated, completely silent mimes who show up without any warning is considered a normal healthy reaction to such creatures, but it also goes a little deeper in that even their fellow Harlequin is a little confused as to why they're like that. If other clowns are confused as to what the bit is, one can only imagine just how spooky their goals must truly be. Some theorize that Cegorach himself granted them their impressive powers, while others assume they just found some cool neurotech somewhere in the Black Library that the ultra-clown decided should be their schtick. Some even believe that they aren't even alive at all, but in fact ghosts who are trapped in the webway, stuck wearing the masks that they wore in life. And they'll keep speculating for eternity, it seems, for these garishly dressed elf-mimes will be taking the truth to their graves.
Whatever the case, The Silent Shroud fight the enemies of the Eldar without complaint or concern, dropping their foes into an endless morass of psychological warfare and tactical blunders, leaving only white-haired, terrified corpses in their wake. Chaos seems to be a particular favorite target for the Silent Shroud, as being spooky and quiet enough to scare even Khorne worshippers must be a particular joy.
On the Tabletop[edit | edit source]
These clowns are debuffers in the extreme, with almost everything they do being built to fuck with Leadership tests, force the enemy to reconsider fighting your Warlord, while also making the auras your Warlord has better. Loading up with certain detachments such as Death Jesters and a Troupe Master, combined with all the other leadership de-buffs the Harlequins can put out, will make fighting them an absolute chore. Will need some dedicated transports to get them within range, however, but Harlequin vehicles can move, so there's no real issue there. An interesting Masque to experiment with, if nothing else.