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I don't read much fluff about the elder because I haven't had much trouble with guesswork. One thing that seems a bit odd to me are the Harlequins. It looks like they'd be more about theatre then war. I guess my question would be this: Why do these jesters have guns and participate in military engagements?


P.S. Fire Dragons. What's up with them, right?

Every story needs inspiration. They dance death...

Also they dream of unifying the eldar (im fairly sure) and have hopes for a brighter future, so just like the Artists and all the other civilians they put their skills to use for the benefit of their kind.

They also are adept at traveling through that circuit and warp etc (I think) so they have some skills that are invaluable to have if you need it.

I dont think the eldar have a standing army. Everyone is a potential soldier depending on the needs of the craftworld. No one is not included in this list of to be soldiers.

They dance to remind people of the Fall and that Chaos is still present. They fight because Chaos is still present, and the Aspect Warriors aren't always the right tools for the job.

Certain Eldar craftworlds DO have standing armies. The guardians are the citizen militia - their unit leaders are often those who were once warriors, but chose a different path afterwards.

Biel Tan comes to mind. They are also more "aggressive" in the "defence" of their lands than the others (showing no mercy to interlopers in their territory).

The harlequins fight because they know the threat chaos holds for all. They fight against chaos. They also act as their race's memory, keeping its tales alive with theatre and interpretive dance.

As for the aspect warriors, they each fulfil a role as well as representing an aspect of the Eldar psyche (as well as an aspect of their god of war - but the one and the other are intertwined).

No craftworld has a standing army. Bieltan has a higher concentration of aspect warriors, but they arent the craftworlds soldiers. They just live a path dedicated to the art of warfare. Its not an army. Craftworlds just have civilians who all have a path to keep themselves busy.

In times of war every single eldar citizen is considered a soldier. They are all a giant militia. Some militia just practice more than others.

I believe Ulthwe has a standing army of Guardians at all times, named the Black Guardians of Ulthwe. They appear to be better trained then other Guardians and more effective.

As for the Harlequins, they are regarded as some of the best fighters of the entire Eldar Race. Lilieth, A Succubus of the Dark City, famed for being the most accomplished fighter in ALL of Commaragh, is shown to be unsure if she could beat the Harlequin King when she meets him. This excites her, and as if the Harlequin is reading her mind, he wags his figure in warning.

They fight because they are the followers of Cegorarch, and he opposes chaos. Harlequins are also seen working as judges to crimes against the Eldar race as a whole, as depicted in Masque The Vyle where a Dark Eldar Archon ranshakes a minor craftworld, stealing thousands of spirit stones. The Harlequins then preform a 'whodunit' until they find the culprit and kill him,