Tau Empire

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The Tau Empire is an interstellar nation-state in the Warhammer 40,000 setting. Located in the Damocles Gulf, it includes several species, the most notable and dominant of which is the Tau.

Attributes

Tau are blue-skinned humaniods with hooved feet, no noses, and four digited hands. Unlike many sapient races in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Tau have no Telepathic abilities. The species is divided into five distinct castes, with interbreeding between said castes being forbidden. Each has a particular role in Tau society. As well, there are various vassal species in the Tau Empire, including the Kroot and populations of conquered humans. They also make large-scale use of robots.

History

The Tau Empire is notable for its unusually fast technological growth (in a setting where progress is largely non-existent elsewhere). The Imperium of Man first discovered the Tau at a neolithic level of development six thousand years ago and had planned on conquering them, but a series of freak warp storms destroyed the Imperial Fleet en route and isolated the Damocles Gulf from interstellar traffic. Four thousand years later, after considerable technological evolution, the various Tau clans were united under the rule of the Ethereals and -- shortly after that -- the Tau developed their own interstellar travel and established themselves as a small but powerful empire able to resist a crusade by the Imperium of Man.

Organization

As stated above, the Tau Empire is organized into several castes.

• The Earth (Fio) Caste, serving as engineers, scientists, technitions and farmers.
• The Air (Kor) Caste, serving as spacers, both for civilian merchant ships and for the Tau Navy, the Kor'vattra
• The Water (Por) Caste, serving as administrators, merchents, ambassadors and bureaucrats
• The Fire (Shas) Caste, serving as soldiers
• The Ethereal (Aun) Caste, serving as the leaders of government in the Tau Empire

Each caste is specialised for it's role in Tau society. For example: Tau Firewarriors are physically stronger than Tau from the other castes, while members of the Air Caste are lightly built and well adapted to spending most of their lives in zero gravity.

On the whole, Tau society is highly collectivist in it's operation. The Tau believe that they should work for for the Greater Good of the Tau Empire as a whole in their own way -- be it as an infantryman or an engineer -- and that all shall benefit from this collectively. The Tau Empire generally believes that this applies to other species as well and that they can and should be brought into the Tau Empire to help strive for the Greater Good.

As the Tau Empire is generally not xenophobic towards other races, they generally come off as the "good guys" in Warhammer 40,000. Nevertheless, the Tau Empire can be quite intolerant of deviant beliefs and is more than willing to eradicate entire populations who do not submit to the Greater Good.

Threat Assessment

The Tau Empire on the whole is a minor power in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, controlling a relatively small part of the galaxy. This is somewhat offset by a level of technology that surpasses that of the Imperium of Man at it's current state and is constantly being refined. The average Tau Firewarrior is far better equiped than an Imperial Guardsman. Tau Tactics are geared towards mobility and long ranged firepower. Along with Fire-caste forces, the Tau Empire makes heavy use of non Tau forces, including Gue'vesa (human helper) militias -- the decendants of captured Guardsmen -- and forces of combat robots.

Besides their numerical limitations, the Tau Empire's biggest weakness is FTL travel. Lacking psionic navigational abilities, the Tau are only capable of making short-ranged jumps through the warp, severely limiting their capacity for force projection. Never-the-less, the Tau Empire is still expanding and claiming new worlds for colonization.

Tau of Note

• Aun'o'T'au'Acaya'Va'Denta-Master of the Undying Spirit, Highest and most revered of all Tau
• O'Shaserra (Commander Shadowsun)-Current commander of the Tau Military
• O'Shovah (Commander Farsight)-Legendary Tau Commander notable for the creation of a renegade splinter faction on the borders of the Tau Empire

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