Court of Harl

With silent stares and deadly grace does these masked fiends kill you without a second thought. For it is more then game that they play, more then a job that they must complete. It is a play where all the world is a stage and we are puppets that just happen to be apart of it. - Testimony of a eye witness of an assassination by a Harlequin.

Structure

Apprently the only evidence of oragniaztion for them is something called the Court which is similar to a ruling council that governs the Harlequins. How is made up and their rule in maintaining the court remains to be a mystery.

Public Agenda

Assassination is their game and they enjoy it. The art of the kill seems to be the only thing that matters to them, not the money or the fame just to enjoy taking the life of their target and anyone who get in their way.

Assets

The financial records of this group is none existent as very few things are mentioned about it. All that is known is the the Harlequins that they uses are highly trained and extremely dangerous.

History

Madness Begins

No one really knows when this infamous group has orginated from, but all would know what they were capable of. The first assassination by a Harlequin took place in 442 CA in the Kingdom of Henderm during as party of all places. All seems normal to say the least with food and performers for noble to enjoy. But when the part was at it most active a screech echo throughout the halls and then all hell was let loose. As the first one who was killed was the King, Kezof the Fat with him holding his own instestines and his kill stood before him wear a fools outfit with a smiling mask on. Then he began killing the guest one by one. It didnt seem to matter who it was to the masked assassin as everyone who was in reach died right then and there. Not even the guards seemed to stand a chance either as the assassin seemed to be too quick for them and they died before they even realized it. By the time more guards showed up everyone was dead or dying as they walked into what looked like a massascre took place. The assassin was in the middle of a pile of corpses with Kezof's head in his arms and was laughing uncontrolably. It was a laugh that would haunt the dreams of those who heard it as was that of a madman. The assassin then jump out through a window that was five stories up and vanished without a trace. Not even a body was found at the ground level. The total dead was up to fourty seven and six were wounded. The news of massacre was a shock all across the Western Lands as no one could imagine such savagery could be done by one indivudal. Soon after mask fools appeared all across the land as they assassinated their targets, but they were much less brutal. Soon enough all across the land all would fear the Harlequins from that day forth.

Secerts Shed in Light

It would be two centuries before any actual information of the court would actual be revealed by anyone due no evidence be found on the origins of the Harlequins. It would be descovered by a Inquisitor know by the name of Vigo Cestrel and was considered the first person to ever kill a Harlequin. I was all by accident really, Vigo was actually on assignment investigating the whereabouts of a cult in the city of Castovi when he encountered a Harlequin trying to kill a priest he was questioning. After a what seemed to be a duel that lasted forever he managed to stab a knife though Harlequin's head to finally kill it with him being wounded himself. After that he had autopsy conducted on the body to reveal a that the man who tried to kill him had several stab and slash wound that would have considered fatal to any normal person and had smile on his face even after he died. Among the assassins belongs were several pairs of throwing knives, two daggers, vials of poison and an unknown substance. Along with a journal that contained personal testimony on all the people he kill and ramblings that seemed to that of a madman. After that incident he made it his personal goal to finally reveal the truth of these masked killers.
Years would pass in search of these elusive kills until he finally found evidence on a possible location that may be a base of operations. After a raid on a abandoned warehouse, he and his men found what seemed to something out of nightmare. Blood, bones and paintings that seemed made of human skin were found. Along with several books that seemed revolve around a group known as the Court of Harl and the mad god, Narand. During that time he and his group was attacked by more then a dozen Harlequins. The fight left most of his men dead and they managed to capture one of them alive. Though the Harlequin bite his own tongue of before he was made to talk. After the Inquisition got a hold of the evidence they soon revealed that the Court of Harl was name that the assassins officially went by and that they enjoyed killing and spreading chaos where ever they went. Though any evidence on how the grouped or their leadership worked was never really found. But after that raid nothing else was never really found afterwards. As for Vigo it became an obsession to him and he never gave up on it and went on to continue his search even after he was expelled from the Inquisition. Then he one day vanished without a trace, with many people believing that the Court got him in the end. But at least now people know some facts about these still elusive killers.

Putting the Pieces Together

From what evidence that was found on the court, many scholars have put the pieces together on the origins of this shadowy group, such as the individual known as Harl. It is believed that that Harl was actually Harl the Mad who was sadistic killer and cultist that exist three centuries before the first Harlequin sighting was recorded. The reason that this was not discovered in the first place was that he deeds were so heinous that Damnatio memoriae done on him after his death destroying mostly all known records on him so that his infamy would be lost to time and completely forgotten. Some of these records did survive though and were managed to be keep same by the Inquisition.
As for the devotion to Narand it seems that they are nothing more then sick individuals that are obsessed with killing and causing chaos where ever they strike. But their lack of empathy and resistance to pain are are something else to behold. When they kill it seems that they enjoy it and as for feeling pain it seems to be like a funny joke to them. Whether it’s done with drugs or something else entirely is something most people don’t want to find out at all. To live life like that seems to something out of stories of circles of hell and could not even be possible. Those who try to find out more often are never seen again. Making theses psychopaths to be avoided if you can possibly do so.

We All Wear Masks

Founding Date

?

Type

Guild, Assassins

Alternative Names

The Harlequins

Demonym

Harlequins