T'au Empire

The T'au Empire.

The T'au Empire is an empire that features in Warhammer 40,000.

History

The Tau Empire in Codex: Tau Empire 3rd Edition.

The T'au Empire was an intergalactic empire founded by the Tau and was based on their homeworld of T'au that was located in the Ultima Segmentum near the Eastern Fringe. During their prehistory, the Tau lived in tribes on the desert plains where they hunted and gathered their food. As their race aged, they expanded to all environments of T'au, adapting to each new environment. The Tau of the plains became strong and skilful hunters, larger and stronger than most other Tau. The Tau of the mountains developed the ability to soar high above the baking deserts on thermals. The Tau of the river valleys developed agriculture and metallurgy, forming the first true settlements. The development of settlements led to the need of trade, and wandering Tau began to negotiate and mediate between the disparate tribes. During the 35th Millennium, an Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet Land's Vision, had discovered the Tau homeworld and determined that its population were a primitive people at the Stone Age level of development who had mastered the use of primitive weapons and fire. Before the planet could be cleansed and colonized by the Imperium, however, a violent Warp-storm erupted around the planet. This continued for 6,000 years, making the Tau's homeworld utterly inaccessible. For reasons unknown, the Tau technological advancement preceded at unusually rapid rate then would be expected for a newly emergent race. The Tau of the river valleys developed the first fortresses and crude blackpowder weapons to ward off the aggressive Tau of the plains. During this time inter-tribal conflict escalated. These fledgeling skirmishes led to the darkest period in Tau history, the Mont'au during the end of the 37th Millennium. The numerous wars that broke out lasted for years. Each year thousands died, squalid conditions and lack of access to fresh food and water created a plague that killed more Tau than were dying in the wars. The Tau were on the verge of wiping themselves out.

During this time, the Tau legends tell of the first appearance of Ethereals at Fio'taun. The Tau builder fortress city of Fio'taun was under siege by an alliance of warriors from the plains and air Tau. Though negotiation had been attempted, the fierce plain warriors would settle for nothing less than the annihilation of Fio'taun. For five long years the inhabitants held off the savage assaults with their thick walls and plentiful cannon. However, disease and starvation began to take their toll. As the tide of the siege turned, two mysterious Tau appeared. One made his way into the camp of the plain Tau, exuding a quiet authority that no Tau was able to resist. Soon, the leader of the plain warriors was persuaded to parley with the Tau of Fio'taun. Similarly, the other mysterious Tau made his way deep into the fortress. Within a few short hours, the gates stood wide open, and the Tau stood ready to talk. The Ethereals spoke of the importance of peace and understanding between all Tau. They described a Greater Good that each Tau must strive towards. The besiegers and the besieged quickly agreed with the Ethereals and a truce was reached. Across T'au, Ethereals emerged, each with the same quiet authority and message of harmony and cooperation. With the Tau united, the Tau empire was founded.

First contact with the Imperium of Man with the Tau came in 789.M35 when an Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator vessel named Land's Vision discovered and categorised the T'au homeworld. The initial Adeptus Mechanicus teams explored the planet where they noted the savannah dwelling natives had mastered the use of fire. However, nothing was perceived that required their continued existence with the world marked for routine cleansing and colonisation. Seeding ships were dispatched to begin colonisation but suffered from freak warp storms that engulfed them where even their skilled Captains an Navigators were unable to save them with the entire colony fleet being lost. Continued warp storms made further space travel into the region impossible and eventually the Imperium abandoned their efforts to claim the region where they turned their attention to more pressing matters. (Codex: Tau 3rd Ed)

In time, their race matured and expanded to every corner of their world where they adapted to each environment. The Tau on the plains came to be strong and skilful hunters with them being both larger and stronger than the rest of their kin. Meanwhile, those Tau that resided in the mountains developed the ability to soar high above the deserts on thermals. The Tau by the river valleys developed agriculture and metallurgy leading to them forming the first true settlements. The development of settlements led to a need for trade with the wandering Tau beginning to negotiate and mediate between the different tribes.

Afterwards, the Farsight Expedition was launched by the empire with this force being led by Commander Farsight. They came to engage the Orks along an asteroid belt when the entire fleet came to vanish. Following the campaign, Farsight continued his advance despite orders for him to return to T'au space. He was noted to had encountered an unknown enemy at Arthas Moloch after which he established his own regime separate from the empire with these being known as the Farsight Enclaves.

Overview

Society

In appearance, the T'au Empire was an interstellar civilisation founded by the Tau species that was centred on their homeworld of T'au in the Milky Way galaxy.

Their civilisation was noted for being less than two thousand years old. It was underpinned by the concept that it was only right and noble for an individual to set their own desires aside to work together for the Greater Good. (Codex: Tau 3rd Ed)

Leadership of the empire was centred around the Ethereal Council that consisted of members of the ruling caste with the head of the group being the Ethereal Supreme.

A central tenet of the empire was that of the Greater Good (Tau: Tau'va) which was the founding principle of their society.

Air Caste pilot.

Tau civilisation was based around a rigid system of castes based on the elements of fire, water, air and earth with a mysterious fifth caste being the Ethereals that bound the others together. (Codex: Tau 3rd Ed)

T'au society was divided on caste lines that included:

• Earth Caste :
• Fire Caste :
• Water Caste :
• Air Caste : Originally, they had wing membranes that allowed them to fly but over time their bodies gradually evolved after living in low/zero gravity environments for so long. Vestiges of these membranes remained with the Air Caste possessing hollow bones along with tall, slender physiques compared to the other T'au. Long term exposure to lower gravity meant that they had developed a superior depth awareness along with a greater acceleration and gravitational tolerances when compared to other races. These traits made their pilots physically better suited for the rigours of air-to-air combat when compared to humans. Traditionally, they served as messengers with them becoming the sole source of pilots and ship crews of the T'au Empire. As they lived almost exclusively off-world in orbital stations or in space transit they tended to be referred to as the invisible caste as they were rarely seen on the ground.
• Ethereal Caste :

The Tau empire encompassed several alien races who had been subsumed into their empire voluntarily or whose services had been bought through trade agreements. (Codex: Tau 3rd Ed)

The empire consisted of a number of member races that included:

• Vespids : Within the empire, they served in the auxiliary forces and operated as a mobile cavalry for the T'au.
• Nicassar :
• Demiurg :
• Kroots :
• Tarellians :

The Edification Corps was a body in the empire that consisted of T'au political officers. They were responsible for cross-examining their military forces for signs of dissent where they could sequester warriors and disperse hunter cadres. (Codex: Tau 8th Ed)

A key body within the T'au Empire was that of the Shas'ar'tol that was the High Command of the Fire Caste. It operated under the oversight of the Ethereal Council and was responsible for all strategic planning. Tau Warriors who reached the rank of Shas'O may retire and become advisors to the Shas'ar'tol.

Their military consisted of the following units:

• Fire Warrior Strike Teams :
• Fire Warrior Breacher Teams :
• Pathfinder Teams :
• Cadre Fireblades : the most grizzled and seasoned Fire Warriors of their cadre, whose skill at the Fire Warrior's art leads them to eschew battlesuit technology. They are excellent field leaders and their long experience has taught them exactly where to place shots to maximise damage.
• Kroot Carnivore Squad :
• Vespid Stingwings :
• Armoured Interdiction Cadre : a specialised hunter cadre designed to combat enemy formations that lacked anti-tank weaponry. Composed of at least three Hammerhead and Sky Ray Gunships, this Cadre has the speed to intercept the enemy while remaining well-protected. The Cadre is lead by a Commander in a specialized command tank, which includes advanced communications and sensor technology. This allows the commander to network with the entire Cadre and concentrate their fire to the fullest effect.
• Farstrike Battlesuit Force : a unique formation of Tau Fire Warriors who wear Crisis Battlesuits as part of a singular mission. Normally, the Tau Empire practices the art of strategic withdrawals instead of giving ground to the enemy. However, certain occasions require a supreme sacrifice to be made to the Greater Good which sees a Mission Denial Force being assembled. This team of Fire Warriors volunteered for missions which they will likely not survive and, on the morning of the battle, they swear a solemn promise before an Ethereal that they will not retreat unless ordered to do so. A simple ceremony follows this moment as the pilots of the Battlesuit formation forge a warrior brotherhood that is bonded to one another unto death. These teams are typically dispatched on missions such as capturing key enemy positions prior to the arrival of the main Tau force which will breach the main enemy line. Such targets are always strategic ones as the Tau seldom hold ground for the sake of it. Motivations can vary from capturing an individual to force the capitulation of the enemy alien race, to keeping the planetary infrastructure intact where the enemy seeks to demolish it as part of their retreat. The deployment of Mission Denial Forces allows the Tau Empire to maintain the element of surprise and though it costs the lives of the entire Battlesuit force, their end furthers the goals of the Greater Good which is considered an acceptable sacrifice.

Unlike most alien races, the Tau were not overtly hostile but will fiercely protect the territories claimed by them. The sheer dynamism of the race pushed them into occupied areas of the galaxy bringing them into inevitable with other races. (Codex: Tau 3rd Ed)

In battle, the Air Caste was responsible for bombarding the enemy from the sky and providing air superiority for the ground forces. In addition, they worked alongside the Earth Caste and Ethereal Caste in developing new aircraft along with policies that ensured victory for the T'au Empire.

Technology

The Empire made use of AI-controlled Drones that performed a variety of civilian and military roles for the Tau.

Vehicles used by the Tau forces included:

• XV15 Stealth Battlesuit : the smallest Battlesuit ever used by the Tau - indeed the XV15 is hardly larger than a Fire Warrior in his typical armour - but that only enhances its role as infiltrator and saboteur. XV15 teams specialized in ambushing isolated enemy troops and intervening in support of friendly units, operating with a great deal of independence and along broad parameters as opposed to specific strategic objectives. As with other battlesuits the XV15 incorporates multi-spectrum sensors and recoil absorption technology, but in addition it is also equipped with a jetpack and stealth field generator, a holographic disruption field making the suit harder to spot. The suit increases the user's strength, allowing them to hit harder in close combat and carry a burst cannon into battle. The XV15 is an older Stealth suit design, and has since been supplanted by the Third Sphere-era XV25 as the most common model. However the XV15 is still in widespread use due to its intermediate role between infantry and battlesuit.
• XV25 Stealth Battlesuit :
• Crisis Battlesuit :
• XV46 Vanguard Void Battlesuit :
• XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit : a huge and deadly battlesuit that was near undetectable that was a display of formidable T'au war technology. A single hand-picked T'au warrior piloted the Ghostkeel who could appear out of nowhere and unleash its firepower at a target before disappearing into the chaos of the battlefield. They were equipped with advanced countermeasures that made it invisible to enemy sensors preventing enemies from getting a weapon-lock on it with any that did fire having their armaments being disrupted by flares and electronic countermeasures.
• KV128 Stormsurge : a extreme heavy-weapons platform piloted by graduates of the Ves'oni'Vash. Not as manoeuvrable as a Riptide, the Stormsurge instead relied on thick armour and devastating loadouts allowing these hulking, squat ballistic suits to change the course of a battle in seconds with a decisive volley of astonishing firepower. Thrusters were fitted to counter recoil with the suit bristling with pulse weaponry and missile pods making it the T'au Empire's Titan-killer.
• KX139 Ta'unar Supremacy Armour :
• Piranha Skimmer :
• Drone Harbinger :
• Hazard Close Support Armour :
• Devilfish :
• Sun Shark :
• Swordfish :
• Razorshark :
• Tiger Shark :
• Hammerhead Gunship :
• Sky Ray Gunship : the TX78 Sky Ray Gunship was a specialised variant of the Hammerhead that replaced its turret gun with an array of deadly seeker missiles.
• Remora Drone Stealth Fighter :
• Barracuda :
• Orca Dropship :
• Manta :

The Tau fleet was known as the Kor'vattra that was responsible for the empire's defensive and expansion.

Classes of ships used by the T'au Empire included:

• Or'es El'leath Class Battleship :
• Gal'leath Class Battleship :
• Il'fannor Class Cruiser :
• Il'Porrui Class Cruiser :
• Nao'Sak'Oraes Missile Cruiser :
• Kir'la Carrier Escort :
• Kass'l Class Gunship :

Territory

T'au Expansions.

The T'au Empire was located in Ultima Segmentum, near the Eastern Fringe and based around the homeworld of T'au.

Their empire was small and based around a densely packed globular cluster of stars. (Codex: Tau 3rd Ed)

It consisted of many worlds that was known as a Sept where each maintained their own cultural identity and history.

Planets held by the empire included:

• T'au :
• Vior'la :
• Dal'yth :
• Ral'eth :

Located in deep space, the T'au maintained Fortress Stations (Tau: Ta'shiro) that were positioned between Septs where enough thrust was used to maintain their permanent position and resist drift. These continent-sized cities were operated by the Air Caste with several patterns being used by the empire. (Codex: Tau Empire 6th Ed)

The Startide Nexus was a recently created vortex in space that acted as a stable dimensional pathway between the Sept Worlds of the T'au Empire and the Nem'yar Atoll, which was located within the Imperium. (Codex: T'au Empire 8th Ed)

Within T'au space, there was a region of space in the empire known as the Zone of Silence. It contained the entrance of the Startide Nexus that led to the Nem'yar Atoll. Due to this, it was heavily fortified and defended by the Tau Empire's forces.

Members

• Aun'va : a male T'au Ethereal known as the Master of the Undying Spirit who had counselled the greatest leaders of the empire for longer than any can recall and whose hand can be seen at work behind much of the T'au history. He was the most senior Ethereal upon T'au, sitting upon the councils that rule not just the sept but the entire empire. His word was heeded by every member of his caste for his counsel had ever proven wise and true.
• Aun'shi :
• Farsight :
• Puretide :
• Brightsword :
• Shadowsun : O’Shaserra was a female Tau who was a superlative warrior and a masterful tactician with her being a undisputed master of Kauyon. On the battlefield, she wore a cutting-edge XV22 battlesuit and was accompanied by a MV37 Advanced Guardian Drone and MV62 Command-link Drone.

Notes

• The Tau were created by Games Workshop and featured in the setting of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
• Early development of the Tau came from Gav Thorpe as detailed on his blog where he intended to create a science fiction counterpart to the Lizard of Warhammer Fantasy. Initially, they were referred to as the Shishell that were divided into five castes based on the elements namely Earth, Air, Water, Fire and the final one being Spirit with the species led by Psykers. Eventually, the idea led to the early creation of the Tao with the name then changing to Tau.
• At the time, their chief designer was Andy Chambers who intended for the Tau, "to be altruistic and idealistic, believing heartily in unification as the way forward." He also described them as, "their proud, quiet but determined character [developed] to the point where they actually became a rather likeable, if slightly naive addition to the cosmos." Writer Graham McNeill was then responsible for much of the background material produced for the Tau and developed the concept described by Andy Chambers.
• Upon the release of the 8th Edition, the Tau faction were rebranded as the T'au Empire.

In other media

Video games

• In Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior, the Tau Empire featured in the setting of the video game. Players took the role of Fire Warrior Shas'la Kais who was dispatched to rescue the captured Ethereal Ko'vash from Imperial Governor Severus.
• In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade, the Tau Empire appeared as a playable faction in the setting of the video game. The Tau Commander Kais led their forces on Kronus where he worked under the Ethereal Shi'Ores in quelling the strife on the planet.
• In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm, the Tau Empire appeared again as a playable faction in the setting of the video game. The Tau Commander Shas'O Fal'shia Or'es'Ka led their forces in the Kaurava system under the direction of the Ethereal Aun'Ro'Yr. From the moon of Orridune, they established a fortified position and created a massive artillery emplacement known as the Ar'Ka Cannon that could fire at targets anywhere within the system.
• In Battlefleet Gothic Armada, the Tau appeared as a playable faction within the multiplayer mode of the space-based strategy video game.
• In Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, the Tau appeared as a playable faction in the setting of the space-based strategy video game sequel. Their fleets were divided into two sub-factions which were the Protector and Merchant Fleets.

Appearances

• Warhammer 40,000:
• Codex: Tau:
• Codex: T'au Empire:

External Links

• Lexicanum Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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