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In the universe of Games Workshop's table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Tau are an alien race, inhabiting a small but dense region of space on the eastern edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, roughly 300 light years in diameter. The Tau were first introduced to Warhammer 40,000 in late 2001, the result of Games Workshop's plan to introduce a new race to the game }}.
The Tau have evolved and advanced rapidly since their first encounter with the Imperium of Man in the 35th millennium, rising from a hunter-gatherer level of technology to a starfaring race in less than six thousand years. Tau society has also advanced rapidly, from warring tribes to a unified caste system working towards common goals, known by the Tau as "the Greater Good".
As well as the five castes of the Tau, multiple alien species are incorporated into the Tau Empire; the most significant of these being the Kroot.
The Tau were the fourth army to receive a Codex updated for Fourth Edition rules (Codex: Tau Empire - Hoare, 2006). In addition, the Tau have been the focus of an Imperial Armour rules supplement (Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign - Kinrade, 2005).
Fictional perspective
Physiology
The Tau's physiology is closely tied to their society, with the Tau of each caste effectively being a subspecies of the Tau race. This was initially a result of adaptation and evolution to suit the environment each group of the proto-Tau species found themselves in, although interbreeding between castes was later forbidden by the Ethereals.Every Tau is humanoid in shape, with two arms, two cloven feet, four-digit hands (three fingers and one thumb), and a single head. Their skin is grey-blue (although this can vary in pigmentation between worlds), rough in texture, leathery, and exudes almost no moisture. Their faces are flat, wide around the eyes, with an "I"-shaped slit running from the centre of the forehead to where a human's nose would be. Tau vision is considered slightly superior to humans, as their receptive visual spectrum extends slightly into the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, although the advantages of this are countered by the lack of a dilation capability of the pupil, which in turn results in poorer depth perception and a slower focusing reflex. The olfactory organs are located inside the mouth. On average, Tau are slightly smaller than humans in stature, and are slender in build, although this varies between castes.
However, the only female Tau ever illustrated, Commander Shadowsun, can be seen to have a very much more human-like face, being smoother, sleeker, with larger eyes, a nose-like facial feature, and a "Y" shaped facial slit instead of the "I" shaped one previously seen. However, it is uncertain if Shadowsun is a standard example for all female Tau.
There are, at this point, no psykers amongst the Tau. As a result, the Tau have little information on the Immaterium beyond its existence, and are unaware of the perils of the Immaterium. This is why the Tau are researching the Warp on Medusa V.
History
The first contact the Imperium of Man had with the Tau occurred late in the 35th millennium, when an Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet came across an inhabited star system in the Damocles Gulf. Studies of the life-supporting planet of this system, which would later come to be known as T'au, revealed an arid world with abundant xenodiversity. One species of savannah-dwellers had mastered the use of tools and fire, but the Adeptus Mechanicus teams decided that there was no worth in their continued existence, and T'au was marked for cleansing and colonisation. A colonisation fleet was dispatched, but freak warp storms destroyed the starships, and isolated the system for some time.While the Age of Apostasy troubled the Imperium, the primitive tool users that would one day become the Tau began to spread out from the plains as hunting grounds grew scarce. Each tribe of proto-Tau adapted to their new environments with significant speed; while those that migrated to the river deltas developed their metalworking and agricultural skills, the groups that remained on the plains became skilful and aggressive hunters.
Along with the rapid adaptation came an equally rapid level of technological development. The Tau quickly came to use black powder weapons and stone fortifications. Soon, the tribes that inhabited the plains and the mountains fell into conflict with the groups dedicated to agriculture and trade. Vast intertribal wars were fought across the main continent, lasting for years at a time. Thousands died on each side of the conflict, while squalid conditions and lack of access to fresh food and water created a plague that killed more Tau than were dying in the wars.
By the end of the 37th millennium, the Tau were on the verge of wiping themselves out. At the same time as war and disease reached their most deadly levels, strange events began to occur. Flickering lights in the night sky and half-glimpsed figures seen in the mountains were interpreted as portents, pointing towards the end of their race. On the plateau of Fio'taun, an alliance of mountain Tau and plains Tau laid siege to the greatest fortress-city of the builder Tau. The siege had lasted five seasons, but supplies were running low, disease was running rampant within the city, and the plains Tau would accept no resolution other than victory through conflict.
One night, a Tau of unusual appearance entered the attacker's camp and asked to see the army's commander. Despite being softly spoken, the sentries found themselves unable to resist the stranger, and escorted him to their leader. At the same time, another mysterious Tau presented himself to those guarding the walls of Fio'taun, asking to speak to the castellan. Again, this mysterious individual was obeyed, and within the hour he led the castellan and the other leaders of the fortress-city outside the gates. Outside, the party from the fortress were met by the first mysterious Tau, himself leading a group from the besiegers' camp. Commanding the two groups to sit, the pair of mysterious Tau, calling themselves Ethereals, began to explain how the talents of the different tribes could be harnessed. They spoke of a "Greater Good" that could be achieved through unification of the tribes, and by sunrise, the two forces had declared a truce. Over the next year, more of the Ethereals appeared, preaching the messages of peace and the Greater Good across the planet, and by the end of the year, the wars were over and the Tau began to flourish like never before. Having saved the Tau from extinction, the Ethereals were revered with the utmost devotion by the other Tau, who readily adapted to the new caste system established by the Ethereals.
The Tau Empire quickly developed over the next thousand years, both scientifically and in size. Within a short period of time, the Tau developed rocket technology, and quickly established colonies on the moons of T'au. Access to space allowed them to develop larger vessels, which in turn allowed the Tau to travel to nearby planets. Air caste stellar cartographers discovered that the Tau homeworld resided in a dense cluster of stars, prompting further expansion. The Tau discovered the existence of the Immaterium and warp technology, but as their race had no psykers, they were unable to tap into the full potential of warp travel. They were able to develop limited faster-than-light technology by modifying their gravitic propulsion system to allow a starship to 'dive' towards the Immaterium, the resulting expulsion throwing the starship a significant distance. With this new technology, the Tau began to expand into interstellar space, claiming new systems and discovering alien species. In most cases, these species were incorporated into the Tau Empire, although some (such as the Orks), resisted.
The Tau Empire came into contact with the Imperium in the middle of the 41st millennium. A Tau colony ship entered an Imperial system, and was destroyed by the Imperial Navy. At the same time, Rogue Traders made contact with several outlying Tau sept worlds, and began trade between these worlds and Imperial settlements on the Eastern Fringe. Alarmed by the rapid development of this xenos race and the threat of alien contamination, the Administratum declared war on the Tau, launching the Damocles Gulf Crusade. After months of stalemate, the Imperial commanders accepted the Water caste's offers of peace, and withdrew from Tau space.
In the final quarter of the 41st millennium, the Tau Empire has been assaulted by splinters of Tyranid Hive Fleet Kraken. The weakening of Imperial space by the need to defend the Cadian sector against Abaddon the Despoiler has also made open the way towards a new period of Tau colonial expansion, and the Wars of the Third Sphere are beginning.
Society
Tau society is centred around the concept of "the Greater Good"; a unifying philosophy similar to Utilitarianism. The castes, although different in role and organisation, work together for the benefit of all Tau: the Earth caste provide and produce, the Water caste communicate and distribute, the Air caste connect the worlds of the Tau Empire, and the Fire caste protect. The external image of the Tau is that they are altruistic and idealistic, believing in the unification of all "for the Greater Good".The Greater Good also encompasses other races, and any races the Tau come into contact with are invited to integrate themselves into Tau society and place themselves under the guidance of the Ethereals. The races and groups that choose to incorporate themselves earn the benefits of mutual protection, trade, and access to the technology of the Tau.
Although accepting of other races, the Tau believe that their own way is superior to any other, and harbour extreme confidence in their manifest destiny to unite the stars. They are more likely to peaceably integrate races that show similar qualities to those promoted by the Greater Good.
Several of the novels published by the Black Library division of Games Workshop have provided more information and detail about the Tau psyche. The novel Kill Team (Thorpe, 2001) reveals that their number of digits has led them to use a base-8 number system and that their food is similar to that of humans, although varying in taste and colour. The protagonist of the novel, Kage, notices their intricate artwork, which is so subtle that it almost goes unnoticed by humans. The Tau characters in the novel also contrast with the brutish, militant humans with their calm, patient and quiet personalities which expose philosophies similar to the real-world religion that is a homonym of their name: Taoism.
Caste system
- Fire (Shas) -- The Fire caste are the military of the Tau Empire. It is their duty to defend the other castes, and as such are the Tau most often used in the tabletop game. They are slightly shorter than, but as broad as, a human. They have relatively large muscles compared with the rest of the castes, an evolved trait from their time as hunters on the Tau homeworld. Fire caste Tau are motivated by a code of honour, and prefer to use their advanced weaponry to defeat opponents, as opposed to brute force.
- Earth (Fio) -- The Earth caste is primarily made up of farmers, labourers, and technicians; responsible for building the machines, cultivating the food, and erecting the dwellings that allow the Tau to survive. The Earth caste also includes artisans, scientists, and engineers. Members of the Earth caste are stout of build, and tend to have calloused hands and a pragmatic outlook on life.
- Water (Por) -- The Water caste is made up of merchants, diplomats, and administrators. They are responsible for maintaining effective interaction between the castes, as well as communicating with and supervising the integration of alien species into the Tau Empire. Members of the Water Caste tend to be taller and more slender than other Tau, and their features are softer and more expressive. Water caste Tau will frequently adopt mannerisms and cultural habits of the races they deal with, although this is often done to promote communication with other races.
- Air (Kor) -- The Air caste of the Tau traditionally functioned as messengers, but now fill the ranks of the Tau Navy (Kor'vattra), working as pilots and starship crews. The Air caste lives almost entirely off-world, and as such have developed long, slender limbs, but possess a skeletal and muscular structure of reduced strength. Prior to the unification of the Tau castes, the Air caste were said to possess membranous wings, allowing them to glide.
- Ethereal (Aun) -- Aun is translated as either Ethereal or Celestial, and describes the mysterious Tau subspecies that ended the intertribal warfare of the Tau and established the doctrine of the Greater Good. The Ethereals are the leaders of the Tau, and appear to combine the roles of priesthood and royalty in Tau society. Ethereals resemble the Fire and Water Castes in build, but are marked by a diamond-shaped ridge of raised bone in the centre of their foreheads. Ethereals are obeyed without question by the other castes, and the Imperium suspects that this control is the result of a latent psychic or pheromone-based power.
Tau Language
The language of the Tau is a complex, highly evolved form of communication. In sound it is deeply lyrical and soft, with many words and meanings dependent on intonation, glottal emphasis and even posture. Its multiple arrangements of polysyllabic word groups make it difficult in the extreme for human vocal chords to pronounce. Only a skilled linguist would have any hope of speaking even the most basic tau phrases and words.The Tau have many ways of addressing each other. To the tau, the most important part of their name is the caste that they are born into and this forms the first portion of their identity. Broadly speaking, the tau are divided into four main castes, each corresponding to the four elements, Fire (Shas), Water (Por), Earth (Fio) and Air (Kor), and a ruling caste, the Ethereals (Aun). The Tau word meaning insect or insectoid appears to be Mal, as 'spider' is Mal'caor, which is linked with the Air caste's name in the Tau term for their Vespid allies, Mal'Kor.
With the caste of a Tau established, the second portion of the name refers to their rank within society. The tau are unusual as a culture in that there is no stigma attached to any rank or profession. Each Tau has his or her place in society, and enjoys the respect of their peers no matter how menial the tasks that they perform. Each role is recognized as being part of the greater whole and a furtherance of the common good. There are five major levels of Tau rank, each of which has a subtly different meaning dependent on the caste to which it is suffixed. In ascending order of seniority, these ranks are as follows(including the best imperial equivalent of each rank based upon the nuances of the Fire caste).
'Saal = Cadet
'La = Warrior
'Ui = Veteran
'Vre = Hero
'El = Knight or Noble
'O = Commander
Tau Empire
The Tau Empire, like many large governments, is divided into sub-regions. The first 'tier' of regions below the all-encompassing Empire are the Expansion Spheres. These regions represent the territories claimed during each of the three periods of expansion the Tau Empire has experienced since its establishment, and are referred to as the First through Third Sphere Colonies (although the term Sphere is interchangeable with Phase). In turn, each Expansion Sphere is divided into multiple septs, which are small regions of space focused around a fully established Tau colony-world. Each sept governs the minor Tau colonies and the worlds of other races found within its region of space.The Tau of each sept are characterised by a number of influences, including but not limited to the relative strength of the castes that inhabit the worlds of that sept, the location of the sept in proximity to the homeworld of T'au, climate of the inhabited worlds, and exposure to other races cultures. These influences combine to affect the culture and attitudes of the Tau from that Sept. For example, the First Sphere sept of Dal'yth is characterised as a cosmopolitan society welcoming to non-Tau, based on the sept’s location near several alien worlds and the large proportion of Water caste Tau in the population. In contrast, the attitude of stoicism and tenacious refusal to accept defeat that characterise the Third Sphere sept of Fi'rios is a result of the bloody battles required to take these worlds from the Orks.
Warfare
- See Weapons, Equipment, and Vehicles of the Tau Empire for a detailed list of the various weapons and technologies used by the Tau to make war.
Fire caste tactics are based on the concept of the 'hunter'. The two main schools of warfare are Mont'ka (killing blow), and Kauyon (patient hunter). Mont'ka focuses on the hunter running the prey to the ground; identifying a target of opportunity and attacking it swiftly at the right moment. A Hunter Cadre will often stand at readiness for days, waiting for the right opportunity to strike in a well coordinated and rehearsed plan of battle. Kauyon is the opposite; the hunter lures the prey into a trap through the use of bait (often a team of Fire Warriors). The bait is exposed to the enemy, who, while moving to destroy the bait, are drawn into a position where they can be eliminated by the rest of the Cadre.
The Tau prefer not to hold positions against enemy assault, and only construct bunkers to act as emergency shelters, or to use as a hidden observation post. Attacks against Tau installations and cities are protected primarily by the efforts of a Hunter Cadre to draw the enemy away. If this fails, the Cadre will perform attacks intended to stall the enemy while the location is evacuated, then fall back to the deserted city and use an urban warfare variant of Kauyon to defeat the enemy. In extreme circumstances, Mont'ka and Kauyon can be adapted to defend a vital location, but this type of warfare is discouraged.
The Tau prefer to carefully plan their assaults, and tend to fight only after carefully coordinating their troops and weapons for the mission at hand. Destruction of the enemy is more of a concern for Tau commanders than the possession of territory, as once the enemy is eliminated, any territory ceded to that enemy in a strategic retreat can be re-occupied with minimal effort.
Player perspective
The Tau are a relatively new race to the Warhammer 40,000 game, having been first released in October 2001. Unlike most of the races in Warhammer 40,000, which were developed from a comparable race in Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the Tau are one of only two playable races that do not possess an analogue in the Fantasy fictional universe.
History and development
The Warhammer 40,000 Design Team selected the Tau as one of two new race ideas from hundreds of possible concepts (The Kroot were the other, and the two were eventually combined into the one fictional organisation).According to Andy Chambers, the chief designer at the time, the Tau were intended "to be altruistic and idealistic, believing heartily in unification as the way forward." part of the reason for choosing the Tau was their clean, 'manga' image.
Graham McNeill was responsible for much of the background material produced for the Tau, developing what Andy Chambers described as "...their proud, quiet but determined character * to the point where they actually became a rather likeable, if slightly naive addition to the cosmos."
The Tau were updated in early 2006 with the release of a new Codex. as the background story of the Tau portrays them as constantly adapting and improving their technology, several new vehicles were included, the rail rifles available to Tau Pathfinders had their special rules changed, and numerous 'Special Issue' items appeared in the equipment list, to represent devices and technologies undergoing field testing.
Influence of the Eye of Terror campaign
Codex: Tau Empire (Hoare, 2006) displayed one of the first major impacts the Eye of Terror Worldwide Campaign had on the fictional universe.As the Tau background material states that they have a limited faster-than-light capability, and the Eye of Terror was located on the far side of the galaxy to the Tau Empire, a separate 'mini campaign' was held specifically for Tau players. In the new background material published with the Codex, it is explained that the weakened state of Imperium worlds on the frontier of Tau space (as these forces were reassigned to the Cadian sector to defend against Abaddon's Thirteenth Black Crusade) prompted the Tau Empire to declare a crusade of their own; the Third Sphere Expansion.
The Tau mini campaign counted all results involving Tau as one of the armies participating in a registered game as contributing to the expansion or contraction of Tau-controlled space. Over eight weeks of gaming, the Tau Empire expanded to almost 133% of its original size}}.
Model design
Tau miniatures were designed to display the high-tech science fiction and manga concepts that had resulted in the choosing of the Tau as the new army-race. The reflection of the Tau's high-technology status was reflected by the lack of cabling and links modelled onto the weapons; instead it was decided that these components were internally integrated.The Tau infantry models, according to sculptor Jes Goodwin, were designed to have subtle influences taken from Japanese Ashigaru foot soldiers, while the Battlesuits and vehicles drew from mecha anime. The Tau vehicles are 'skimmers', however, the design brief specified that the Tau tanks have an impression of being heavier and more solid than the Eldar Falcon and Wave Serpent grav-tanks. }}
The four fingered, cloven-hoofed design for the Tau was established after it was realised that as a minimum of Tau body was exposed, it was difficult to tell that they were a humanoid alien species.
Appeal to Players
One of the main appeal of the Tau army is the heavily customizable mecha-like Battlesuits, which are piloted by veteran soldiers and capable of mounting numerous heavy weaponry. These battlesuits make up the core of a manoeuvrable army with access to a wide variety of powerful weapons.Many players tend to view Tau as a "shooty" army that are terrible at close combat and were created primarily to wage war at a distance; the Tau's extra-long range weapon systems encourages this style. Opponents of Tau incorporate the use of faster units to counter these tactics of long-range warfare.
In game, the Tau strike a balance between the devastating, but very static, raw firepower on the Imperial Guard, and the faster Eldar, who in turn pack less of a punch.
In the last years, the concept of Mont'ka was taken more into focus by the Mech-Tau board, which focused heavily on the background oriented fully mechanised hunter cadres, not on a static firing line. One of the main elements of this tactic was also displayed on Games-Workshops websites, the so called "fish of fury", a squad of firewarriors using their APCs to close on the enemy, unleash a devastating hail of fire and also as cover from counter assaults and fire.
An additional reason for players to support the Tau is their dynamic nature as a race that is closely akin to Star Trek's United Federation of Planets. It is possible for players to get bored of the endless run of races fighting solely for their own survival and prefer an army that seeks unity and peace rather than to be the sole survivor. The Tau represent a move away from the grim, gothic, fantasy based races which alienated some players, and offer a science-fiction based, optimistic alternative.
Notable characters
- Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kaius Mont'yr or Commander Farsight - a renegade Fire caste commander.
- Aun'shi
- Aun'O T'au Acaya'Va'Denta or Aun'Va — Master of the Undying Spirit, the oldest and wisest of the Ethereal caste, and leader of the Tau race.
- O'Shaserra or Commander Shadowsun - Protégé of Aun'Va, Fire caste commander and military leader of the Third Sphere Expansion.
- Shas'la T'au Kais - main character of the Fire Warrior electronic game.
- Shas'O R'myr or Commander Longknife — the supreme commander of the T'au Sept Coalition on Taros. Shas'O R'Myr is a Forge World character and his rules can be found in Imperial Armour Volume 3 - The Taros Campaign (Kinrade, 2005).
Allies
- Demiurg
- Gue'vesa (Humans)
- Kroot (though they also serve as mercenaries for other races)
- Nicassar
- Tallerians
- Vespids
Computer games
- Fire Warrior - a first-person shooter played from the Tau perspective.
- Dawn of War
- It has been announced that the Tau will be a playable race in the second expansion pack, Dawn of War#Dark Crusade THQ press release (Jan 30, 2006).
References
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Footnotes
External links
"Tau (Warhammer 40,000)"