Topic: question about the Solitaire

[Sol-assiah]

Yes, I want to know all about him and particulary how does he becomes a Solitaire and what happen too his soul?
I plane to base my craftworld's story upon a Solitaire so  please, any help is welcome.

[Rasmus]

The fluff has changed somewhat, but the most current fluff is that found in the blurb on the side of teh Soiatire in CJ 39. You can get  this in the Harlequin section of GWs Eldar site.

The Solitaire, basically, has been touched by a living god. Not one of those pretend-things like the C'tan, encased in a shell, or the incarnation of one, like the avatar, but a real god; Cegorach - the Laughing God. This has changed him forever. His spirit is bound to Cegorach's power, and once he dies Cegorach must try to trick it away from Slaanesh (as teh Solitaire will not carry a spiritstone) or else it is lost forever.

Read the article; I am sure you will find more there.

[Sol-assiah]

Thanks Rasmus but I have a few more questions:

-Does anyone has an Idea of how the Solitaire (actually the eldar who gonna become a Solitaire) can be physically "touched" by the laughing god? (I mean: does he need to pass through a portal or a kind of altar)

-Does he choose himself to "become" a Solitaire?

-And as Eldar's soul is immortal, what happen to his soul?  (the soul of the Eldar who was about to become a Solitaire. Does it stay in a spirit stone in the Laughing god's drawer or anywhere else in the world? Or is it let to Slaanesh)
 

[Rasmus]

1. The Laughing God could well physically prject somewhere in the Webway where it is in hiding, and thus touch whoever it wants.

2. I guess some are called, summoned, or deemed worthy in some way. There is nothing written about this.

2. I can venture three guesses here.
   a) The kept spirit of the Solitaire becomes a companion-spirit of the Laughing god.
   b) The spirit is absorbed into the deity, to add to its power.
   c) The spirit is placed as one of the guardians of the Black Library.

[Wurzelmaniac]

1. The Laughing God could well physically prject somewhere in the Webway where it is in hiding, and thus touch whoever it wants.

That sounds about right (better than my idea about it happening if the Ritual is messed with certainly).

2. I guess some are called, summoned, or deemed worthy in some way. There is nothing written about this.

2. I can venture three guesses here.
   a) The kept spirit of the Solitaire becomes a companion-spirit of the Laughing god.
   b) The spirit is absorbed into the deity, to add to its power.
   c) The spirit is placed as one of the guardians of the Black Library.

I would assume c to be the  most likely option. This would be a rare occurence though as, solitaires being rare enough as it is rarely get taken by Cegorach anyhow.

[Black Storm]

Well I don't know about the recent changes but he can't have changed that much since 2nd edition

Anyway we all know that Harlequins are a trope of entertainers who perform acts of eldar history, stories etc. amongst many other things

Each troupe has only 1 solitaire who plays the role of Slaanesh. Although part of the troupe, he lives by himself and stays away from the rest. He is also only ever really spoken to in ritual form. Because he plays the part of Slaanesh, he must follow the path of damnation which means he doesn't get a spirit stone and that his soul must be fought over between the laughing god and Slaanesh; the laughing god can only win if he somehow tricks Slaanesh, something which rarely happens.

Due to all this, he is the most dangerous of all Harlequins; to cross his path is to invite damnation, and that if you accidently touched or crossed him, you might as well kill yourself, as you most likely to die a horrible death otherwise.

On a side note, they have never been allowed to lead squads of troops, the name somewhat gives it away.

[Tegadil]

Actually, I think Solitaires aren't part of troupes. They wander the webway and might join with a troupe for a single performance or a battle, but that's it. They're pretty much unafilliated.

[Black Storm]

Well as I said, what I am giving is 2nd edition fluff, so I'm afraid I don't know if the fluff has changed much or not. I don't think it has changed much though. There is no disputing the fact that he performs with a troupe and he is the only one who can perfom the role of Slaanesh.

[Rasmus]

Nope, not even in RT or 2nd ed was teh Solitaire part of the Troupe. The very first story about Harlequins ever was that a Troupe came to a Craftworld and was about to start their performance when they discovered a Solitaire living in disguise and altered their performance to include this rather special individual in it.

[Black Storm]

Well the info I am using is from the 2nd codex page 13, 3rd paragraph lines 2-4 where it says "a troupe only has one Soliataire" and "although he is part of the troupe he lives aside from the other Harlequins".

I am not disputing the fact they don't have to be part of a troupe, but I am saying they can sometimes be.

[Rasmus]

So the part about speaking to or crossing paths with a Solitaire meaning damnation does not give a subtle hint as to how many wants to be friends with a Solitaire?

"Forever apart from the Eldar, even in death" - so it is said about the Harlequins Soltiaire.

[Kage2020]

The Laughing God could well physically prject somewhere in the Webway where it is in hiding, and thus touch whoever it wants.

Personal preference would suggest that the Cegorach (Laughing God) is not physically manifest in the Webway, but rather spiritually integrated into the Webway (remembering that this is the medium of the Eternal Matrix).

I guess some are called, summoned, or deemed worthy in some way. There is nothing written about this.

It is worth remembering that some people argue that the Solitaires are 'pariah'.  I wouldn't agree with this myself, but there we go.  I'd go for the fact that they are created.  They are, in some ways, avatars of the Cegorach.

c) The spirit is placed as one of the guardians of the Black Library.

I actually like this one, but one must also remember that there is also some form of conflict between the Solitaire, Slaanesh and the Laughing God.  Whether this is just upon death and you believe that the spirit enters the warp is up for grabs... One might consider Draco's predicament at the end of Chaos Child[/] though.

[Scythe]

If the Solitaire is created and Cegorach has his soul, why would Cegorach need to trick Slaanesh to get it, he aready has it?

[Kage2020]

<grin> That's not my problem.  None of the above really conforms to how I approach the Solitaires.  Just trying to stay OnT for once!

[Brylidassian]

From what I remember, the Laughing God does not own a Solitaires' soul.  As a Solitaire I believe his role lies outside the threads of the future which Farseers can read.  The downside is that when a Solitaire dies his soul is consumed by Slaanesh unless the Laughing God can "trick" Slaanesh.

I agree with the Laughing God selecting/"touching" those that would become Solitaires, though I think this happens long before the he actually becomes a Solitaire, probably sometime while he is a member of the troupe.  I've always envisioned that at some point decades or even centuries later, the eldar who would be a Solitaire is drawn to the Black Library to learn its secrets.  When he emerges he is no longer the same being that entered and his fate is no longer tied to the threads of the future, becoming something more but at the cost of his own soul.

[Captain F. Bunny]

Somehow my interperation of Solitare fluff is a bit warped, perhapse someone can help me straighten it out?
What i had gathered was that a solitare was sorta "damned", and the eldar beleived that whoever has contact with them should immediately commit suicide because their life has been damned. that was why they lived alone. and their souls went to the laughing god after their death. and don't need soulstones.

[Rasmus]

They are shunned for being touched by Fate and Doomed, as their souls will be "lost" when they die, either go to slaanesh or to the Laughing God, never to be part of the Infinity Cirtuit where ALL the other souls go.
The suicide-bit is something your head made up all on its own I think.