Harlequins are the Aeldari’s warrior poets, travelling performers who serve Cegorach, the Laughing God. They belong to no Craftworld or Kabal, and many consider them the deadliest fighters the Eldar have.
What harlequins actually are
They’re a faction of Aeldari who treat war and theatre as the same thing. Their name in the Eldar tongue is Rillietann, a word that’s basically interchangeable with “Troupes”, and outsiders sometimes call them the Cegorachi after their god.
They live outside normal Aeldari society. No Craftworld, Kabal, or other authority commands them, and they answer only to Cegorach. The one thing they guard jealously is the Black Library, and the Webway routes that lead to it.
Why they matter
Harlequins keep the Eldar’s history alive by performing it. They tour Aeldari worlds and other species’ domains, telling the old stories on what they call the Great Stage, because they believe everyone should hear them.
They’re also terrifying in a fight. Their acrobatics, misdirection, and strange wargear make them so hard to pin down that some younger races have folded them into their own myths as spirits or monsters.
And they’re a living link to the Fall. Cegorach is one of the few Eldar gods reckoned to have survived it, and the Harlequins believe his light-hearted nature kept him clear of the corruption that became Slaanesh.
Cegorach and the Fall
The Harlequins’ whole belief system hangs on the Fall and on Cegorach’s survival. They think he still walks the galaxy, often disguised as one of their own. People who meet him in that guise usually only realise who it was after he’s gone.
They reappeared as a faction after the Fall of the Eldar, and they’ve been touring and fighting ever since. Their duties are self-appointed, and they take them seriously.
How they get around
The Webway is their highway. It’s a quasi-dimensional network built by the Old Ones, and the Harlequins move through it freely, using it to reach audiences and battlefields across the galaxy.
That access is also why they’re the Black Library’s keepers. They don’t just protect the place, they hide the paths to it, both inside the Webway and out.
- Servants of Cegorach, the Laughing God
- Known as Rillietann, or Troupes, in the Eldar tongue
- Outside Craftworld and Kabal society, loyal to no one else
- Guardians of the Black Library and its hidden routes
- Warrior poets: performers first, but among the deadliest Eldar
Key facts
- Harlequins are Aeldari warrior poets who serve Cegorach, the Laughing God
- They’re also called the Cegorachi, and Rillietann in the Eldar language
- They answer to no Craftworld, Kabal, or other authority
- They guard the Black Library and hide the Webway routes to it
- Many consider them the deadliest combatants among all the Eldar
FAQ
Are Harlequins part of the Craftworlds?
No. They exist outside normal Aeldari society and hold no allegiance to any Craftworld, Kabal, or other authority. The only thing they’re tied to is the Black Library, which they guard.
Who do Harlequins worship?
Cegorach, the Laughing God. They believe he survived the Fall because his light-hearted nature kept him apart from the corruption that became Slaanesh, and that he still walks among them in disguise.
Why do Harlequins put on performances?
They see theatre and war as the same calling. Performing Eldar history keeps it alive, and they tour other species’ worlds too because they think everyone should hear the old stories.