Editing Harlequin (section)

== Masques ==
7th Edition introduced numerous subfactions of the Harlequins known as Masques. Masques are pretty small compared to most Warhammer subfactions, only consisting of about three squads or Troupes, each lead by a Troupe Master, plus support in the form of vehicles and specialist performers like Death Jesters and Shadowseers. To get an idea for the scale, the novella "The Masque of Vyle" stated that a Masque consisting of two dozen Harlequins was unusually large. The 8th Edition codex retconned this a little by saying that the named Masques were actually "Grand Masques" that contained multiple Masques within them, with each Masque acting as its own autonomous unit and the Midnight Sorrow being said to consist of "many dozens of Masques". Below is a list of the most well-known Masques.

*[[The Midnight Sorrow]]: The blue and red ones you see on the box covers. Are the most dedicated to fighting Chaos, and embrace their roles to the point where they lose all trace of their original identities. All their performances are about the dangers of Chaos to the point where the only acts they put on anymore are depictions of the Fall. Helped Eldrad with his ritual to summon Ynnead, and thus became the first Harlequins to support the Ynnari.
*[[The Veiled Path]]: Manipulative bastards, with a history of betrayal so great even other Harlequins don't trust them. Their most famous member is Sylandri Veilwalker, AKA clown Eldrad, whose schemes have manipulated figures ranging from [[Fabius Bile]] to [[Belisarius Cawl]]. Helped the Ynnari, but also helped Vect who views them as his greatest enemy so who the fuck knows what they're planning.
*The [[Frozen Stars]]: [[Noblebright|Strongly believes that the Eldar race can be saved and their empire rebuilt]]. [[Grimdark|Also believes all non-Eldar races are vermin who should be killed for the Laughing God's amusement]].
*[[The Dreaming Shadow]]: Dedicated not to fighting Chaos but the [[Necrons]]. They are known to resent other Harlequins over their disagreement on who the true enemy is, but this sentiment is deliberately exaggerated. Most Harlequins see through this act and hold the Dreaming Shadow in high esteem regardless. 
*[[The Soaring Spite]]: Dedicated to telling the tales of Cegorach's close ally known as the Cosmic Serpent. As such, are known for using a wide array of jetbikes and skimmers, Harlequin vehicles being named after the Cosmic Serpent's spawn. Are very close to the Craftworld [[Saim-Hann]], supposedly because Saim-Hann's symbol is the Cosmic Serpent but really because both like to go fast.
*[[The Silent Shroud]]: A incredibly secretive masque that performs in complete silence. Not only do they not say a word, their weapons are muffled by technology and illusion, making battle against them disorientating and unnerving. As such, they specialize in stealth and terror tactics, like the Night Lords except specializing in the "bad LSD trip" form of horror instead of jumpscares and torture porn.
*[[The Dance Without End]]: This Masque specializes in performances that recount the deeds of Cegorach himself, and as such are believed to be the closest to the Laughing God of all his disciples. They were the first Masque to perform the dance representing the Fall of the Eldar. After all of this, they are also ''the'' Masque defending the webway and the Black Library more than any other, and if they don't know a path in the webway, no one does. Despite how this lore makes them sound really fucking important, don't have rules in 8th edition.
*The Shattered Mirage: Compared to The Frozen Stars, The Shattered Mirage believe the Eldar are totally fucked, performing dances that are extremely dark and fatalistic. Thanks to their outlook on life, their preferred tactics are to do as much damage as possible, with little regard for their own lives.
*[[The Twisted Path]]: These guys are known for letting their audience members into their plays, only to be spirited away by the Harlequins and never seen again. In battle, they often kidnap both enemies and allies as well as strike in the middle of warzones, sometimes leaving right before victory. They explain their actions with complex riddles and illogical analogies.
*[[The Reaper's Mirth]]: The most bloodthirsty of Masques, the Harlequins of The Reaper's Mirth see the battlefield as a canvas for their gory arts. Because of this, they have a larger proportion of Death Jesters among their ranks. They are known for committing atrocities like the [[Grimdark|Fountain of Crimson Tears, which was so horrible that an entire world had to be exterminatused.]] We can only guess what it was. Given stuff like that, it's doubtful the Craftworld or Exodite Eldar want anything to do with them. I mean, ''fuck'' that's Khornate if ever there was any.