The Masque of Ash Winter

The Harlequin Masque of Ash Winter

History of the Masque:

The Masque of Ash Winter is largely seen as a joke. Now you might say "of course, They are Harlequins. Are they not intended as a joke?" And you, dear reader. Would not, necessarily, be wrong. But perhaps it is more fair to say that Ash Winter is seen as a bad joke. At least by a large portion of their Craftworld and Commorite Kin, and even several sibling Masques. Ash Winter is known primarily for two things. The first of them tragic, the second more so to some.

Firstly, they are known as a Masque that died. On the human world of Galvanis VI they did battle with the forces of the Great Enemy whilst simultaneously trying to veil their involvement from the local Imperium aligned humans. Due to fate this was not to be, however. The Imperium of Man discovered this shadow war and reacted with predictable brutality, burning the locations in fire, smoke and radiation. Truly it seemed the moniker of Ash Winter was well deserved as the humans sacrificed a world to nuclear fire to kill both the Xenos and the forces of the great enemy. The Masque of Ash Winter died that day, every member perishing, or so it was thought.

Reality, as is often the case. Was not so dramatic. Ash Winter would receive no such clean and heroic ending. A seer lived, surviving the fires relatively unscathed and retreating to the webway to mourn and ponder the tides of fate that had guided his masque to this devastating turn.

Time saw the Masque rebuilt. One seer found another, and together the two spent almost fifty years rebuilding the Masque, guided by their visions of the Laughing God.


The second reason the Masque of Ash Winter is not well-liked by their kindred, and it must be said with emphasis. Is that they do not see a particular difference between the lives of humans and Aeldari. Or Aeldari and T'au, or really any other unit of measurement. They say that Cegorach himself has instructed them on the meaning of life, and that against the great enemy the only metric that counts is souls saved and souls lost, with no significant distinction as to the species of the soul. Consequently their Masque is relatively small due to their beliefs, as well as their heavy use of non-Aeldari Auxiliaries and agents. Perhaps most galling, they do not consider these creatures as mere "pawns" and instead consider them as full members of their Masque.

These actions have had the predictable response of alienating Ash Winter from multiple potential allies. But at least outwardly, Ash Winter is recalcitrant and stubborn, sticking by its claims of whispered words from the Laughing God himself and ignoring detractors.


Society and Traditions:


The first tradition of Ash Winter, and perhaps their most notable aside from their use of non-Aeldari members. Is that all members of the Masque are recruited in almost the same fashion. This recruitment is carried out, if whispers are to believed, by the Laughing God himself. Almost universally, they are approached in their former life by another being, always different in each description and obstinately difficult to recall with any degree of true accuracy. This figure poses a question, always of a private nature that few are willing to talk about. Those that answer the question in a (Presumably) agreeable fashion are then directed towards the webway. The Seers of Ash Winter receive visions of where to go, and are within that portion of the webway to greet the newcomers. Oddly, in many cases this is a story that is repeated by even the non-Aeldari members of the Masque. Though for some they are offered a position within the Masque first, often while being detained as prisoners, and then shortly thereafter they experience a similar encounter that culminates in their agreement to join.

Aside from that, the three Troupes of Ash Winter are as the children of Dromlach, the Cosmic Serpent. Darting away from one another upon missions unknown and then collapsing together again for great undertakings or significant meetings. The Seers of Ash Winter exist almost apart from the three Troupes, walking their own path and darting from Troupe to Troupe as required, letting the Laughing God ordain their path.

Each Troupe has a mixture of Aeldari of all walks of life, but they also generally conform to a pattern.

Within the Troupe of Light one would find many former Aspect Warriors of the Craftworlds, as well as a strange amount of artisans and musicians.

Within the Troupe of Dark lie the majority of the Drukhari Kin, Wyches, Kabalites and even three former Incubi from the Shrine of Desecrated Sorrow.

Finally the Troupe of Twilight bears the most eclectic mixture. Here are Corsairs, pain crafters of shattered Haemonculi covens, wild and extravagant dancers from the Craftworlds, and, if rumors and whispered half-truths are to be believed, several Mandrakes from Commoragh itself.




Ash Winter within the Haven System


Strangely, the Masque of Ash Winter keeps a watchful eye upon the Haven system at the behest of their most senior Seer. One of the Troupes made a yearly stop in the system to observe and report, passing unseen in the wilderness of Haven's Garden or through the dark alleys of Laramie's Hope, and then returning from whence they came. Since the birth of the Cicatrix Maledictum they have had generally more pressing duties, but recently several of their members have embarked upon . . ."Vacations" to the system. Likely this is at the behest of one or both of their Seers, and it is reported that they keep a small presence of non-Aeldari in the system to act as support and intelligence gathering. But for the time being, their true motives for visiting the system are as of yet, unrevealed.


Rules for the Masque of Ash Winter

- Please contact Fates for more in depth information upon the Masque if you'd like to write a character hailing from Ash winter