#harlequin troupe master

[magnifigal]

Ina / Kel Valentines Card

[taryn40k]

The main target has arrived! :DD We can start soon! :D

[clownaddict]

Troupe master Buggy: hee hee hoo hoo you can’t touch me I’m the most special boy

Mihawk, Incubi, 5 minutes out of Commoragh: I know and understand this but that will not prevent me from sending your ass straight back to Cegorach

[magua-vida]

[Death's Mercy excerpts] A Death Jester Spares A Guardswoman + Outcome

(art is probably by AKIMBLYA just like the art for A Deadly Wit, but I couldn't see in the gallery)

Context: Harlequins encounter an unarmed injured guardswoman while on the hunt for humans invading Nequofendi, the main characters being: a grounded but sadistic Death Jester named Adroniel, a forgetful but bold Troupe Master whose name is Duruthiel, and a cryptic Shadowseer called Echo who's often high. They banter about many things in the story, but one of the arguments that stood out to me is whether a "mon'keigh" is worth sparing.

[...] Duruthiel: ‘There’s scarce a patch of unsullied floor to place my feet. Bodies everywhere.’ Adroniel: ‘If you’d been precise, you are stepping on parts of bodies, not whole corpses.’ Echo: ‘And yet in the carnage stirs a soul.’ Duruthiel: ‘What do you mean?’ Echo: ‘In the search of fear a spark of hate…’ Adroniel (enthusiastically): ‘Look! Oh! Oh! This one! I can see it is still breathing, ahahah! (grimly) But not for long.’ (FX - ECHO PREVENTS ADRONIEL FROM SHOOTING) Adroniel (angrily): ‘Ah, what is this, Shadowseer?! Do not interrupt me at the moment of releasing death’s mercy.’ Echo: ‘By your own admission it is spite that moves you.’ Duruthiel: ‘This conversation bored me the first time. I will have no further part of it again.’ (FX - WOUNDED GUARDSWOMAN MOANING FROM PAIN ON THE FLOOR) Echo: ‘Did you see? The eyes desire life and so by your argument it would be spite to end it.’ Adroniel: ‘Did I ever assert that I was above spite?’ Echo: ‘The splinter of your past life can never be fully drawn while you harbor this mood.’

Echo and Adroniel continue to disagree with one another. The guardswoman vocalizes pain. The Shadowseer asks the Death Jester if she's afraid that the human's words would spark her conscience. Adroniel denies, aiming her weapon at her. The wounded person begs to be spared as she is without a weapon, but the Death Jester calls her an animal. She and Adroniel have a brief sass exchange with the former angrily asking the latter to just kill her already. Adroniel is amused by the feisty sass. Echo chimes in that the "blade that hangs is worse than the one that drops swiftly".

A distant explosion sounds off in the distance, signalling that the fight is still going on.

Adroniel: ‘Events are moving on without us. It is time to rejoin the company so I must end its miserable life.’ Echo: ‘Or… spare it?’ Adroniel: ‘Why?’ Echo: ‘Must there be a reason? Think of possibilities, of endless fates yet unplayed. A simple act, the execution of which costs you nothing, might one day bring great harm to She-Who-Thirsts. It is in your gift to deliver a deadly fate, but equally to grant extended life. Is that not powerful to you?’ (FX - WOUNDED GUARDSWOMAN SOBS ON THE FLOOR) Echo: ‘Act without reason for we are the Harlequins of the Laughing God. As a spirit is snatched at whim from damnation, why not spare this life?’ Adroniel (thinking that over and finally taking the gun away): ‘Hm, you may go back to your companions. If our paths cross again, you will die.’

The guardswoman stands and runs away. After just having taken out a Titan from the inside and having gotten out of it, the trio receives a battle report from the Autarch of Yme-Loc and spy the same human they spared returning to her fellow people.

[...] Adroniel: ‘And see there, scrambling through the mud? A lone trooper of the foe, the one I spared?’ Echo: ‘A ripple on the skein set free to the embrace of Morai-Heg once more.’ (FX - IMPERIAL GUARDSMEN REJOICE AT THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPARED GUARDSWOMAN) Duruthiel: ‘They are pleased for your gift, Adroniel.’ Adroniel: ‘Indeed, I… Wait, I spy one among them… garbed differently. See the black coat and gold decoration?’ Duruthiel: ‘A leader of some kind?’ Echo: ‘The others draw back. I smell fear more than duty.’ Adroniel: ‘Why does it raise its weapon towards its own? Ahahahah, do they think it cowardly perhaps?’ Duruthiel: ‘Or tainted by your mercy.’ (FX - DISTANT GUNSHOT) Duruthiel (angrily): ‘Kin slayer!’ Echo: ‘Truly the ways of the mon-keigh are barbaric. What of you, Adroniel? To see your choice made mockery?’ Adroniel: ‘Ahahah, I hope you see the truth now. I am the Death Jester. There is nothing of me that is turned to life, only its ending. My work shall never cease until I claim myself and another steps up to the role.’ Duruthiel: ‘You are not saddened?’ Adroniel: ‘Why should I be sad knowing myself, Duruthiel? Does the rampant ego of the Red Swan depress you? And I am glad for fate has guided me to my next target.’ Echo: ‘To avenge the slaying of the one you spared?’ Adroniel: ‘Do not be so sentimental, Shadowseer. It is merely a glimmer from the skein that has caught my eye. Perhaps, it is a sign, the will of the Laughing God... but, probably not! Ahahahaha!’

The Death Jester readies her cannon.

___________________________________________________________

This is one of those times where we get to see Aeldari-Human interactions that aren't totally negative (roughly), but I do like how much nuance they're given in certain stories like this one. Compared to A Deadly Wit (and likely also because the Death Jester is the main character this time), Adroniel has shown special sadistic spite towards humans that seem to stem from her past compared to when she was slaughtering Orks.

Not art this time, but I just want to share some Harlequin lore that isn't brought up much.

[soraka-in-warhammer40k]

Our second entry for Grotmas #13 is a lot more interesting than the first. It reads complicated for rulin purposes but it's fairly simple: the Harlequin and Drukhari units in your army have a bet running on who is better at killing. Whoever has most most recently killed an enemy unit has "won the wager", and that makes the other side so mad they get a boost while trying to catch up.

Given that is both a soup deatchment and aso to be measured against Skysplinter assault this one will probably not see much play, but it sure gets a "it's cute" ranking from me on concept alone. So what you want to do is delete units in alternating order, first with a Harlequin unit, then with an Drukhari unit, then with an Harequin again, and so on - and there's an enhancement to cheat around this a little. Overall the rest is pretty basic for this type or army: advance&charge, fight-on-death, some minor combat trickery, and, curiously, disable overwatch.

The Harlequin part somewhat builds itself: Troupe Masters and Death Jesters are pretty useless due to not getting Fate Dice, so I expect some Troupe led by Shadow Seers, with a Solitaire to back them up. This gets rounded out by Skyweavers geared for anti-vehicle combat. Whatever the Dark Eldar part of the army is can check what these units are doing and cover the rest which would mostly be "delete everything that's not a big horde or a chonky vehicle".

[kit-williams]

Holding Hands

Male Lead: Eldar!König Universe/AU: Warhammer 40k & Cod AU/Everyone is an elf/eldar Canon Status: ???

Originally I was going to do one for every type, Exodite, Craftworld, Harlequin, and Drukhari but Exodite is literally just him with a dinosaur and Craftworld probably we wouldn't get to hand holding.

@lycheedr3ams I want to thank you for your recent analysis of König that helped me kinda get an idea for him.

As well as @wordstome and @kneelingshadowsalome

You needed some air... it was madness what the corsair had done. The ship was swarming with Fairweather allies and two cabals that only recently went from going at each others throats to working together. Oh by Yaneed it was madness as suddenly the ancient feud had to be forgotten and it made your whole body ache as you couldn't relax at all being around so many Drukhari whom many still looked at you murderously. Then there were the enigmatic harlequin troupe that operated beyond her knowledge as they were in direct contact with their god.

You sigh as you enter the meditation chamber lucky for you... you kept odd hours so no one would miss you for a few hours...

Drukhari Incubus

König opened an eye as he was in the midst of meditation and his instincts screamed for blood which only meant that you were in his presence. His bloodstones had been taken away as per agreement of joining up though he always could make more but that might not be... tasteful. He remembers spying you by the Corsair captain... Price if he remembers right being introduced as one of the ships farseers.

He could taste your distress as you hadn't even noticed him yet. Oh you would be so easily to kill... so easy to wring your frail little neck and make a new bloodstone out of your... no wait I didn't need a soulstone any more. Konig lazily opened his other eye moving to a lounging position as he watched you try your best to relax and enter meditation but failing again and again.

You jump as someone touches you and you normally hold your emotions in check but seeing the Incubi being the one to touch you... you reacted out of a panic. Your cheek pressed into the floor at the behemoth of a Drukhari just chuckled down at you with his reddish hair tied back with bones laced into his hair. Surprisingly his face was scarred and lacking much makeup making his skin slightly pallor minus the smudged remains of eye black around his eyes.

"Jumpy little maus aren't you?" He cooed, "You going to attack me again or be a good girl?"

"Get off of me." You huffed and he did helping you up. The male was nearly eight feet tall and when you saw him in full regalia you remember seeing the mon-keigh astartes helms decorating his armor; even if they were his favorite kills he was still a skilled killer.

You watched as he easily sunk to the ground in a meditative position. "You were distracting me with how high strung you are maus. While delicious, "He can't help but give his sharp toothed grin at you as his icy blue eyes look absolutely predatory, "I came here to meditate and clear my thoughts not be surrounded by anxiety. I would simply just have to take a walk through some slave holds. So why not tell me what is wrong?"

You huffed at that not watching him remove his gloves as you debate and you are suppose to try and be friendlier to them. You swallowed up your misgivings as the Drukhari on board have cleaned up nicely. "Well... some of your kind just make me anxious... given how I suppose your kind always tried to kill me first.... what are you doing." You say noticing how he is slowly wrapping his large hands around one of your own.

"A meditative technique my master taught me. Keep speaking."

"You're not going to inflict pain on me are you?"

"Nein. Not everything is about pain." He says pulling away the cloth from around your hand. You feel his bare fingertips against yours slowly moving down your fingers to your palm. You cant stop the shivering you can swallow up the blush on your face. You should yell at him for this inappropriate hand touching but... "continue what you were saying."

"I'm um... " You swallow again, "nervous and anxious as everyone looks at me like I'm a chew toy or a piece of meat."

He chuckles softly as his bare hands continue to play with your own. "Well you are fraulein. You are a rather young farseer and we can tell." He ignores your huff, "but that doesn't mean we are going to act on it. I certainly wont."

"See you say that but how can I trust you?"

You soon feel a familiar tracing on the palm of your hand as one of his hands pulls away pulling down his collar showing an ugly brand mark against his throat. A mark of khaine, "Shall I swear upon our war god? Shall I swear that my hands should forever bleed? We Incubi are a different breed then our kin... you should know that liebling." He leans in and you lean back ending up on your back with him looming over you with a smile. Your hand entwined with his, "I swear to Khaine that I will not act upon such baser desires and will actually try to get over my... distrust and hatred of you. I mean me touching you is akin to you touching me. A discomfort we both must get over." You glance down at your hand tightly holding his now and neither of you feel like letting go. "Well I am going to nap. I will guard you liebling." He says with a smile as you both return to sitting cross legged and just closing your eyes as you can feel the calmness wash over you... even if you're still holding his hand.

taglist @bispecsual @the-californicationist @egrets-not-regrets @libraryshadow @bleedingichorhearts @liar-anubiass-blog

[oc-smashorpass]

Nuadan, my Warhammer 40k Harlequin Shadowseer.

He/him but will also put up with it/its given the nature of how humans talk about Aeldari in the setting, and probably has entirely different pronouns in the Aeldari language, but you know how it is with underdeveloped official lore. Either way. Cultural gender of man (feminine) due to his role as a Shadowseer positioning him as the 'nurturing counterpart to his Troupe Master. He will use his magic to make you see visions of your own death for funsies, though, so if he's the more nurturing of the pair, god fucking help you. Enjoys egging on his Troupe's Death Jester, talking in riddles, contortionism/acrobatics, and one night stands with non-Aeldari that will leave them wanting more.

Dislikes shoes, people who don't appreciate physical comedy or wordplay, and performing at Exodite colonies. Also he's like seven feet tall.

oc by @chemos-factories !

[zmasters]

Warhammer OC Poll Part 5 - Eldar Unit

Part 1 - Setting

Part 2 - Imperium, Chaos, Xeno

Part 3 - Race

Part 4 - Subrace

Unexpectedly, the winner of the best eldar race poll was the necrons. As such, I have decided that I will make both an eldar and necron OC. This poll will be on the eldar, the necron will be available here.

The winner (of the eldar options) was the harlequins. A clown will be the counterpart to a space tomb king. But there are different kinds of funny lads, and who is the funniest?

[homestuckreplay]

Clown Con Is Serious Business

In a delightful parallel to John's conversations with TT, TG and GG, yesterday we got to see some messages from Dad's friends! I hope that grayslacks66 is okay - Dad might have been able to help him out if John hadn't stolen the PDA! Dad literally makes his son's birthday a part of his screen name, and this is how John repays him. Unbelievable.

Anyway, these names - grayslacks66, 2busy4this, officeurchin1280, wellPressedAttire - as well as the application name and Dad's professional outfit, suggest on the surface that Dad is a boring office guy. BUT WAIT. There's something suspicious about this. grayslacks66 dunked their necktie in the coffee pot while reaching for their hat, presumably as they were leaving the house to go to work, as they then returned for a fresh tie, indicating that they needed to wear a tie for the rest of their day. And this happened at twenty past five?? What kind of office job could this person have that doesn't begin until at least 5:30pm??

It's so clear to me that these people are Dad's clown troupe, and this is all part of their act. I've been reading a book on clowning technique, The Art of Clowning by Eli Simon, and I'm learning about how diverse clown personas can be, and the huge variety in their routines.

[Clowns] also address serious issues such as political assassinations, family strife, and drug wars. (Simon, p.5)

The Strife sequence between John and his dad (Homestuck, p.90-92) is our best example of Dad's clowning technique. It's a short sequence, but it has all the deliberate and emotion-driven physical comedy that is central to clowning.

Dad appears to be a silent clown rather than speaking, and some of his primary persona's characteristics are 'confrontational', 'zany' and 'outgoing' (this last one as we know he tends to initiate interactions). I'd also describe him as an 'in-clown' rather than an 'out-clown', meaning he's confident, commanding, talented, and knows how great he is on stage. As well as being a master of the prankster's gambit and an incredible baker, we can guess he's a talented musician (as the piano is in his study) and knows how to do DIY (the tire swing and Slimer pogo ride), and he might also be good at card tricks, lockpicking (the safe), and/or art (if he painted some of his own harlequins).

Dad clearly uses a lot of cake and food themed props, but with his troupe he probably uses more business themed props, like legal pads, ballpoint pens, telephone receivers, document wallets, printer ink, and so much more. I bet they have incredible routines based on the absurdity of office life, and the incident grayslacks66 describes above is either something that really happened to them as they were leaving the house for clown practice (that they'll now incorporate into their clowning) or an idea they came up with to work into the group's performance. I want to see their show SO badly.

Costume-wise, the only facial feature in Dad's design is a nose. While it's not the bulbous red nose we typically associate with clowns, there's no reason why it couldn't be an oversized prop nose. Dad's hat, pipe and tie - which we see on p.79 are common features of his - could easily be the costume elements that Dad needs in order to get into clown mode.

If, for example, you are offered a piece of cake but refuse it, the potential for cake exploration is squelched and you will have no one to blame but yourself. (Simon, p.18)

I think Dad really wants to give John some clown training - he sees John's interest in amateur magic, a distinct but related field to clowning, and thinks John would be a great clown. I agree with him here, and it's very sweet that Dad wants to pass on his passion. When Dad pies his son in the face, it's not an act of hostility, it's an opportunity for John to get in on the routine and for the two of them to start clowning together. But instead of saying yes - a key rule of clowning - John is constantly saying no, shutting down the opportunity both to connect with his dad and to discover new things about himself through artistic exploration. It would probably be better if Dad just talked to John about this directly, but, 'clowns "think" on an entirely different plane than non-clowns' (Simon, p.33).

The book also talks a lot about direct audience connection, and clowns as performers who break the fourth wall. Given all the meta elements in Homestuck so far, I can see this becoming more relevant as time goes on and Dad (and his friends?) hopefully become bigger characters.

[chemos-factories]

Could you tell me a bit more about your Harlequin-OCs?

Alas, I haven’t developed them too terribly much. I can offer that my Shadowseer, Nuadan, is the type to talk in riddles and wordplay in regular conversation! I can offer that his Troupe Master is smitten, head over heels, ‘yes dear of course whatever you say 😍’ type of man. I can offer that Nuadan often encourages whatever atrocities the troupe’s Death Jester is getting up to. I can offer that they’re all very flexible and hate wearing shoes. But that’s all I can offer. Utmost apologies

[magnifigal]

BLACKMASSQUE VALENTINES CARD

[tearofisha]

Deeds of the Players.

Below are the muses of the blog with their adventures and achievements listed in no particular order. Enjoy and see my Asks or DM's if you wish to contribute to any below.

Rishaeron Wayfinder. Ranger Veteran.

Attended a Corsair beach party, ended up working. Assisting a human recover secrets from her past. Became the leader of a Ranger band. Investigated rumours of an Aeldari superweapon with Drukhari help, survived the difficult elements. Acheron IV. Prevented the death of a human doctor in the Underhive. Eliminated threats to Craftworld Ulthwé. Discovered unused Webway Gates and partially mapped their locations. Helped a human psyker on a journey to find her son. Survived a Daemonette ambush with a lasting wound. Made mortal enemies with a Rogue Trader. Infiltrating a pirate stronghold. In the midst of getting over a romance. Destabilised Ork Waaaghs by killing Warbosses. Helped a fellow Ranger, Virlandril, escape a Guard ambush. Developed survival and cooking skills. Got badly beaten up by an Aeldari mercenary. Fought alongside Exodite Rangers the "Nightstalkers" to kill a Traitor Legion Warlord. Survived an encounter with a Daemon Prince when leading a detachment of Guardians. Assisted a Chapter of Space Marches kill an Ork Warboss. Stopped a runaway train destroying a Hive. Rescued a Gyrinx. Escorted a high value human away from Inquisition attention. Assisted a human warrior fight an Underhive gang. Became a teacher for warriors on Neni'Shelwe after healing his spiritual wound. Forgave himself for the deaths of his Rangers.

Aelinor Fatereader. Lost Farseer.

Attended the invite to a mystery Corsair adventure. Lead the Ulthwé forces to destroy Da Boss and survive the shadow war on Acheron IV. Allied with the Ghosts of Vaudeville Harlequin Troupe. Personal enemies of a renegade Chapter Master. Fought in the Eldanesh memorial duel against a Corsair Princess. Trusted with personal military resources to adjust the skeins of fate. Fought the Chapter Master of a successor chapter to a standstill in single combat. Earned the epiphet Fatereader after saving an Exodite colony. Survived single combat with a T'au Commander of the Farsight Enclave. Left behind Ulthwé to find a life of purpose, travelling with Rishaeron. Assisted a Chapter Master in destroying a Genestealer threat to a world, made enemies with said Chapter Master in the process.

Eldrin Shadewalker. Wise Spiritseer.

Guided the Wraiths of Ulthwé in the Shadow War. Discussed the nuances of life and death with a Ynnari Corsair. Led the charge that beheaded Da Boss and ended the Freebooter development. Guided countless souls in the Infinity Circuit, including his sister. Fought on every front line his Wraiths have. Destroyed a Daemon Prince that was ready to kill Rishaeron. Found solace in the kind words of an Iyabresil Seer. Guided a lost soul to help her find a home. Crystallising from years of battlefield injuries and the healing process, struggling to disguise the issue anymore. Met a Daemon Primarch and lived. Discovered the most prestigious, ancient art of tea brewing as a legacy. Provided refuge for a lost human that found her way on Ulthwé. Defended an Exodite world from a Slaanesh incursion, gained a new wooden staff as a result.

Green events are things that happened when the muse interacted with someone else's OC.

Blue events are things that the miniature stand-ins achieved in a game of Warhammer 40,000.

Black, or unchanged events are backstory.

Updated: 9/11/2023.

[clownaddict]

Buggy the clown as a cringefail Troupe Master who takes his role as Cegorach a little bit too seriously and the troupes calling card is basically the entire battlefield looking like someone set off thirty live cannons at the end of the performance (because they did)

He has died and gone to Slaanesh multiple times but Cegorach finds him too silly to lose so he keeps fist-fighting her for his soul

[magua-vida]

Harlequins Argue About Humans [Heirs of the Laughing God: A Deadly Wit & Death's Mercy excerpts]

A Deadly Wit audiobook cover art by Akim Kaliberda (idk if Death's Mercy is also done by him, but I couldn't find the artist name behind it and can't see it in his socials)

These are excerpts of three Harlequins, namely (in case you haven't listened or read the two Heirs of the Laughing God audiobooks yet): Duruthiel, the self-aggrandizing but mostly warmhearted Troupe Master of the Masque of the Fading Dawn who banters a lot with his two companions— most often with the (comparatively) sensible but cynical Death Jester Adroniel. The calmest one of the three is Echo, the sometimes-high Shadowseer who confounds even his fellow Harlequins with his vague sage words.

________________________________________

A Deadly Wit

Context: Duruthiel and the others go battle orks because someone from the Masque of Reaper's Mirth insulted his leadership. The Masque of the Fading Dawn encounter a prison full of malnourished human slaves along the way. He decides to free them regardless of the risk, no strings or backstabbings attached, much to Adroniel's dismay.

As the Harlequins entered on foot, the anti-grav craft of the masque slid away across the town luring the vengeful mob on a false chase into the depths of the gorge. Inside was pitch-black, lit only by the ghost gleam of their holo-suits. After a plain entrance hall they came out into the starlight again, a small rectangle of pinpricks in the velvet night above bounded on three sides by the silhouette of the buildings and on the forth by the jagged rampart of the citadel wall. In the faint illumination they saw rows and rows of barred openings in the walls. Above, floor after floor of cells mounted up through ramshackle scaffolding, ladders and precarious stairs until the view faded into the distance. Adroniel: ‘A prison, castoffs from the warlord’s favor, perhaps, kept close at hand for easy gloating.’ Duruthiel: ‘Children of the Emperor, forsaken against their fate, bound into terror unto death and death is the release they long for. A clamor of torment lies in this place, a torture of souls in pain. Slaves…’ Adroniel: ‘Of no concern to us, Red Swan. We are sent to your destiny, remember?’

The emaciated prisoners begin to stir, pale hands reach from behind the bars. The Great Harlequin shudders. He signals the Tragedy to move on along with the Troupes without him.

Duruthiel: ‘This clamor shall wake all foes to our progress.’ Adroniel: ‘Then waste no time with pointless words and make more haste.’ Echo: ‘From the lamenting of the disfavored comes the darkness. The great powers sup on the nightmares waxing strong as they drain hope from the misbegotten and unremembered.’ Adroniel: ‘What point in releasing them? They are too starved to fight. The orks will slay them out of hand.’ Duruthiel hesitated at the next ladder. His eyes lingered on a human male pressed close to the bars. The man’s ribs showed through paper-thin skin. His eyes were sunken and devoid of any understanding deeper than a farm beast.

Orks roar from above. A cannon shoots; whether the orks suspect the Harlequins are there or just want silence the ruckus among the slaves is unknown. Adroniel leaps past Duruthiel unto a scaffold bank and flips herself up with one hand.

Adroniel: ‘No time to lose, Duruthiel. The foe has murderous intent for this place.’ Duruthiel pulled himself up to rungs, but hesitated still looking down into the fire that had started on the lower levels. The smell of charred flesh wafted up towards him as the opened space acted as a huge chimney. Adroniel: ‘It is simply mon-keigh killing mon-keigh, just what they always do! This is no place for the Laughing God. It is a death trap.’ Echo: ‘In alliance even the unspeaking beast can carry its burden. What strength is shown to sacrifice the weak save to bolster the grandeur of the benighted gods of the warp?’ Duruthiel: ‘Our corpses would lie beside theirs. Better that the enemy remains distracted.’ The Great Harlequin dropped back to the platform at the base of the ladder drawing his sword. Duruthiel: ‘Cegorach’s mercy, I cannot allow it. Does not the Laughing God dare the grasp of She Who Thirsts to snatch up our fleeing souls even as her grip closes?’ Duruthiel’s sword sang as he lashed out cutting the crude lock from the nearest cell door. (FX - CELL DOOR SLOWLY OPENS WITH A SQUEAK) Duruthiel: ‘Make swift work! A thumb to the eye for the great enemy! Let not desperate prayers rise to the ears of the dark powers but have them answered by a folk more kind to look upon them and more gallant of act.’ Adroniel: ‘Oh, fool, you doom us!’

Duruthiel ignores Adroniel's protest and resumes slashing down more locks. The freed are first unsure what to do as the zooming zephyrs continue to unleash more of them, but the former prisoners manage to get their bearings and exit their cages. They try to express their utmost thanks, but the Harlequins are too fast, swiftly spinning and ducking away from grateful embraces. The orks fire again while the Harlequins quickly move. Hundreds of humans reunite with one another, hugging and kissing as they continue the work left of freeing the rest.

Duruthiel catches up with Adroniel at the jail's summit. Screams shattered the air.

...A few troopers below were less fortunate. The next salvo crashed into a gantry where they still worked to free the slaves incinerating three of Duruthiel’s followers, sending two more tumbling to a messy end far below. Adroniel: ‘Happier now?! Shall I name those that gave their lives for these animals?!’ Duruthiel: ‘They confound the orks and distract from our presence.’ Adroniel: ‘Circumstance, such was not your intent!’ Duruthiel: ‘Reward for a good deed I would like to think. Unwitting, but they repaid their debt.’

Duruthiel's closing lines on the matter while watching humans arm themselves with weapons from their former captors:

Duruthiel: ‘Does the heart good to see the caged run free, whatever the uncertainties are faced that await them. Aye, not all was vanity today.’

________________________________________

Death's Mercy

In-between the fighting, these three colorful companions give different perspectives on humans.

[...] Echo (smiling): ‘The scale of the tale is not in the length, but in the depth.’ Adroniel: ‘As of mass, I agree. These humans have changed the galaxy and not for the better. But as individuals they are a fleeting annoying flicker. Nothing of note can be accomplished in the blink of an eye.’ Duruthiel: ‘I disagree, for in a blink the world changes. A star can be born, a seed spark into life. A miniscule event can occur that would ripple across the skein of fate for a lifetime.’ Adroniel: ‘Hm, you have a strange fondness for these mon-keigh, Duruthiel.’ Duruthiel: ‘And you have contempt unworthy of the Laughing God, Adroniel.’ Adroniel: ‘Unworthy? Since when did Cegorach make judgment upon any of us?’ Echo: ‘In the lesson, perhaps, not the entity.’

(some slaughtering later)

[...] Echo (smiling): ‘Death is the means not the arbiter, but you are falling into judgment. The purpose of death is not to crush life, but to fan the spark of its existence into a flame that burns bright.’ Adroniel: ‘There is no spark in the humans, just kindling that disappears with a puff in an instant.’ (FX - ADRONIEL TAKES ANOTHER SHOT) Echo: ‘Not so. For those short-lived that flame burns so brightly, it sets the galaxy aflame for long after. The life long-lived drains the spirit, forcing us to seek greater stimuli for our passions to continue.’

______________________________________

The invaders retreat back, the brutality of war now seem so distant that the battleground seems almost peaceful.

Duruthiel: ‘If it is our role, oh seeker of joyful death, to quash hope from and bring meaning through ending, is it a mercy not spite to pursue these flagging mon-keigh?.’ Adroniel: ‘Hm, an interesting question, Duruthiel. There is a new objective, mercy or spite. Such things exist only at the motive of the act. And the motive is wholly dependent on belief of the subject’s desire. If I believe the humans to desire death, it would be a mercy to give it to them. If I believe they wish to live, it is a spite to slay them.’ Duruthiel: ‘So would you have us chase them down or not?’ Adroniel: ‘Oh, I am not the leader as Echo choses to remind us frequently.’ Duruthiel: ‘I did not say we would enact your choice, but I would hear your opinion and arguments.’ Adroniel: ‘Chase them down! Kill them all, ahahah!’ Echo: ‘For mercy or spite?’ Adroniel: ‘In this case it is neither. They are mon-keigh, beneath mercy or spite. Opportunity presents itself for a cull of their numbers, we should cease it.’ Duruthiel: ‘A cold reasoning with which I am not in total agreement, but we will pursue.’ Adroniel: ‘For mercy.’ Duruthiel: ‘For something to do. I yet have desired to avoid standing sentry at the Webway portals. Onward, Endorieth!’

While Duruthiel does order everyone to attack the retreating human invaders out of boredom, this seems to be circumstantial as they are up against enemies invading a Craftworld. Just a story ago, he freed human slaves and he didn't even know there were others aside from orks present in the first place.

They do even more killing, argue about perspectives on each others' roles, and decided to take out a Titan from the inside. Later on, they encounter an unarmed wounded guardswoman. Adroniel was about to kill her immediately, proving to her comrades that what primarily drives her cruelty towards the humans is spite, for what reasons is unknown. Her two allies accuse that it harkens back to her past in Commorragh, but not much is said. I've already posted an excerpt of that event (and its outcome). But, here's a shorter version if you want just that:

(FX - ECHO PREVENTS ADRONIEL FORM SHOOTING) Adroniel (angrily): ‘Ah, what is this, Shadowseer?! Do not interrupt me at the moment of releasing death’s mercy.’ Echo: ‘By your own admission it is spite that moves you.’

The guardswoman speaks. Echo points out to Adroniel that she can talk despite the latter's assertion and that she just wants to survive. Adroniel is having none of it. The injured begs to be let go. There is a brief sass-off between clown and mon'keigh.

Adroniel: ‘Events are moving on without us. It is time to rejoin the company so I must end its miserable life.’ Echo: ‘Or… spare it?’ Adroniel: ‘Why?’ Echo: ‘Must there be a reason? Think of possibilities, of endless fates yet unplayed. A simple act, the execution of which costs you nothing, might one day bring great harm to She-Who-Thirsts. It is in your gift to deliver a deadly fate, but equally to grant extended life. Is that not powerful to you?’ (FX - WOUNDED GUARDSWOMAN SOBS ON THE FLOOR) Echo: ‘Act without reason for we are the Harlequins of the Laughing God. As a spirit is snatched at whim from damnation, why not spare this life?’ Adroniel (thinking that over and finally taking the gun away): ‘Hm, you may go back to your companions. If our paths cross again, you will die.’

The guardswoman stands and runs away.

Echo (smiling): ‘Is it a sound for the spirit to grant hope as well as crush it?’ Adroniel: ‘Hm, there might be something to be said in its defense. In moderation, of course. Yet the battle goes on and we must still fight it.

In the end of Death's Mercy, they spy on the one they spared flee back to her fellows. The three Harlequin friends are elated to see her welcomed by her allies, at first. The guardswoman is shot by a Commissar. Duruthiel is enraged at the kinslayer. Echo asks what Adroniel thinks.

Adroniel: ‘Ahahah, I hope you see the truth now. I am the Death Jester. There is nothing of me that is turned to life, only its ending. My work shall never cease until I claim myself and another steps up to the role.’ Duruthiel: ‘You are not saddened?’ Adroniel: ‘Why should I be sad knowing myself, Duruthiel? Does the rampant ego of the Red Swan depress you? And I am glad for fate has guided me to my next target.’ Echo: ‘To avenge the slaying of the one you spared?’ Adroniel: ‘Do not be so sentimental, Shadowseer. It is merely a glimmer from the skein that has caught my eye. Perhaps, it is a sign, the will of the Laughing God... but, probably not! Ahahahaha!’

Adroniel aims her cannon. This isn't the only time Adroniel deliberately made her answer vague.

_______________________________________

While they do still think of humans as barbaric (as many non-humans often do for various reasons good, bad, and neither), these Harlequins differ in opnion when it comes to humans, and for different reasons. It's as if they each represent the different Troupe mentalities and outlooks.

Duruthiel is the most openly compassionate of the three despite his impulsiveness. He risked himself and his fellow Harlequins to save human slaves from imprisonment. And while he does kill humans in Death's Mercy, it's largely due to them being invaders this time (and he has fun doing so as long he isn't bored). I've read a few theories that Duruthiel might be a Light Troupe Master for these reasons. He's forgetful and ready to decapitate a Warlord just because a Harlequin from another Masque taunted him, but he's also bold, heroic, good at improvised tactics, and tries to see the brighter side (to a quixotic degree, in Adroniel's view).

Adroniel views humans as mere mon'keigh animals not worth saving, let alone risking life for them. It takes someone else's convincing to make her drop her aim. This is more apparent when comparing her battle against orks in A Deadly Wit where her attitude towards their slaughter is more joyful while her killing of humans in Death's Mercy sounds more spiteful (although, this could also just be because Adroniel is given focus as the main protagonist in the latter). The others accuse that her special contempt towards humans traces back to her Commorragh past, a rare instance of a Harlequin's past life being brought up. However, not much is said about it still. Duruthiel thinks she ironically worries about certain things too much for a Death Jester.

Echo is somewhere in-between. Sadly, a third audiobook didn't come to be (it was supposed to be a three-parter series), but from what he's shown, he was from Biel- Tan and he's at least likely to spare a human to see if fate would lead to one becoming instrumental (and also seems at least somewhat more sympathetic towards humans compared to Adroniel).

[extravagantfool]

To further detail:

The Orlesian Harlequins are a notoriously picky on who they allow to join their bloody ranks. Namely they only allow women to put upon the mask and cap, for who could trust a man? They doesn't mean there are not the more masculine among their ranks.

Monsieur Truffaldino is a woman, a disgraced Harlequin who failed on a contract on a young Duchess Celene's life. Terribly injured he retreated and began to create his troupe -- allowing more flexibility among his Harlequins. He masks in a more masculine manner and holds plenty a lady lover in his arms -- a true stunner of a ring master.

It is only because Monsieur Truffaldino snubs at the tradition of traditional women became harlequins that he allowed Asha to begin training as an apprentice. The jokes of Asha's name were a delight and Asha's youthful vigor brought back to the edge of the Monsieur's teeth after so many years. It's part of why, when Asha is in Orlais and not working for the Veilguard/Varric as Rook, they go by the name Le Mat.

The name was a gift, a calling card passed from one non-traditional Harlequin to another, and one that Asha does not fecklessly waste.

When Asha was a teenager they joined a traveling Circus Troupe in southern Orlais: the Cirque de l'Etoile. This troupe focused primarily on intimate shows, with smaller to moderate sized crowds, drawing them in with their acts of acrobatics, 'magic' comedy shows, and ariel arts. The flurry of movements and flashy colors hid disgraced or blackballed Harlequins who had fallen from the favor of the nobility. Their skills were no less sharp, but perhaps their motives now even more edged. Asha initially was tasked with crowd control and care, handling food, tickets, signage, and other manual labor. As their sticky fingers caught the notice of the Harlequins and the troupe's ringmaster: Monsieur Truffaldino. They impressed the 'retired' Harlequin with their wit and drive, earning them the right to learn beneath the unscrupulous Harlequins. From there, Asha joined the acrobats and aerialists, honing their performative skills as well as their roguish tricks. When Asha's magic manifested around the age of 14 the Harlequins pushed their training further. Near the end of their time with the troupe they had become a star act, known fondly as Le Mat. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, with the troupe abandoning the young elf during a demon attack. Asha holds no ill will towards their old troupe, but is glad to distance themself from the troupe as a whole as morals took hold in later teenage years.

[fullgrimdark]

♤THE SCHOLARS OF THE MENAGERIE♤

The Solitaire, Jarxinio, Smiling Minnie, Troup Master Liliquar Farsee, Blinksey, Death Jester Stalone, Cegorach's Beloved The Mystifying Mix'leous.

mayhaps I will color them properly later but for now have a nice rainbow :)