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'''The Laughing God''' is one of only two [[Eldar]] Gods to have survived the [[Fall of the Eldar]]. It is said that during the fight between [[Slaanesh]] and [[Khaine]] the Laughing God hid behind Khaine for protection, in the aftermath of the struggle the Laughing God fled to the [[Webway]] where Slaanesh could not find him. He still resides there, and is the only known being to know exactly where every door in the webway leads.
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{{HarlequinsPortal}}
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'''Cegorach''' — the '''Great Harlequin''', the '''Great Fool''', the '''First Fool''', the '''Laughing God''' is one of the [[Eldar Gods|gods]] of [[Eldar mythology]], and the central figure of [[Harlequin]] belief. He is a trickster god known to be mocking, sinister, vindictive, and enigmatic. His pranks and jokes punish gods and mortals alike for the sin of pride. In Eldar legend, he is said to have stolen [[Khaine]]'s blade and overseen a terrifying event known as the Wedding of Screams.{{Fn|2}}
  
In ancient Eldar myth it was said to be the Laughing God who tricked the [[Outsider]] into eating other [[C'tan]]. Those Eldar who follow him, known as the [[Harlequins]], are protected from Slaanesh in a different way from their [[Craftworld]] brethren. While [[Craftworld Eldar]] wear [[Spirit Stones]] which absorb their souls when they die, Harlequins are directly protected by their God, becoming one with him on death. The only exception to this is the [[Solitaire]] whose soul must be won from Slaanesh by the Laughing God.
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While most of the gods were destroyed during the [[Fall of the Eldar]], according to legend, this deity survived because his mocking nature distanced him from the corruption and decadence that became [[Slaanesh]]. The legend goes that as Slaanesh battled Khaine, the Laughing God escaped into the [[Webway]]. The Harlequins believe that Cegorach continues to protect their souls from the predations of [[Slaanesh]].{{Fn|2}}
  
'''The Laughing God and the Deceiver'''
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Cegorach is the only authority the Harlequins recognize{{Fn|1}} and there are those who claim that the Laughing God walks amongst his children from time to time, wearing the disguise of a Harlequin player.{{Fn|2}}
The Laughing God is sometimes confused with the Deceiver. There are a pair of stories about the Laughing God and the Deceiver respectively which cause this confusion. In one, the Laughing God tricks the Outsider into eating many other C'tan, driving him insane. In the other, the Deceiver consumed several C'tan to increase his own power and convinced the Nightbringer and the Void Dragon to do likewise. Neither of these C'tan, nor the Deceiver, were driven insane; obviously a significant difference.
 
  
Perhaps most significant however is the obvious difference between the origins of the Laughing God and the Deceiver. The Laughing God was created by the belief of the Eldar, in the same way as were Kaela Mensha Khaine, Isha and the other Eldar Gods, and as such is a warp entity. This is supported by his ability to compete for Eldar souls with Slaanesh. The Deceiver however is a C'tan, a being entirely of the material universe. The mysteries of the Immaterium are beyond the C'tan, who find the Warp an entirely uninhabitable place. Thus the Deceiver could not fulfill the role ascribed to the Laughing God.
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==Related Articles==
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*[[Cosmic Serpent]]
  
[[Category:Eldar]]
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==Sources==
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*{{Endn|1}}: [[Warhammer 40,000: Compendium]] (1989), pg. 184, ''Harlequins''
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*{{Endn|2}}: [[Codex: Harlequins (7th Edition)]] — ''Ghosts of the Webway''
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[[Category:Characters (Gods)]]
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[[Category:Eldar Gods]]
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[[Category:Harlequins]]
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[[de:Der Lachende Gott]]

Revision as of 09:13, 17 October 2020

Cegorach — the Great Harlequin, the Great Fool, the First Fool, the Laughing God — is one of the gods of Eldar mythology, and the central figure of Harlequin belief. He is a trickster god known to be mocking, sinister, vindictive, and enigmatic. His pranks and jokes punish gods and mortals alike for the sin of pride. In Eldar legend, he is said to have stolen Khaine's blade and overseen a terrifying event known as the Wedding of Screams.[2]

While most of the gods were destroyed during the Fall of the Eldar, according to legend, this deity survived because his mocking nature distanced him from the corruption and decadence that became Slaanesh. The legend goes that as Slaanesh battled Khaine, the Laughing God escaped into the Webway. The Harlequins believe that Cegorach continues to protect their souls from the predations of Slaanesh.[2]

Cegorach is the only authority the Harlequins recognize[1] and there are those who claim that the Laughing God walks amongst his children from time to time, wearing the disguise of a Harlequin player.[2]

Related Articles

Sources