Editing Tau (section)

=== Castes ===
[[File:Commander HawkEye.jpg|thumb|290px|right|<s>Join the Greater Good, lose your virginity to a hot alien babe!</s> Non-approved sexual contact is an offence to the Greater Good, Gue'la. Now get back to work or you won't get your overtime pay! TAU GET OVERTIME PA{{BLAM}}{{BLAM|Asking questions is heresy!}} <span style='color:blue;font-size:115%;font-family:serif'>*PEW* You are an affront to the Greater Good, gue'ui.</span>]]
Tau society after the arrival of Ethereals was organized into castes; everyone with a place, and a place for everyone. [[Love Can Bloom|Interbreeding between castes and Xenos races]] is one of the most severe crimes in the Empire, in other words, <s>eugenics</s> [[Heresy]]. This was outlawed by the [[Ethereal]]s presumably to preserve the biological differences between castes; the result is the creation of 5 sub-species. Tau society does have many examples of romance, and there are designations of 'pair' bonding at least amongst the Earth Caste. The Tau have children which they both raise and also send to the creches but they seem to monitor birth rates (likely to match resource levels as well as provide an additional level of social engineering).

There also seems to be a tribal system that remains from pre-Caste days that we don't know too much about. We know that bloodlines have some kind of importance, but as a meritocracy, it does not have a bearing on social constraints. They also can have relatively large families, Shadowsun had three sisters for example.

Breeding is managed by the Earth Caste, but, there is at least one instance where a pair-bond has their own child, so perhaps there is a degree of choice ''(if real caste systems are any guide, the Earth Caste probably only cares about the castes and septs the pair come from)''. Otherwise, Tau are paired in a way that will create the best biological result. An Imperial genetor's report in the fourth edition Tau codex observes the presence of synthetic proteins in Tau internal organs and suggests them as evidence that their evolution has been accelerated, though he might have been confused by synthetic proteins that the Tau were given as the Tau make extensive use of things like advanced medicines and treatments. [[/tg/]] seems to be under the strong impression that they are mammals, as you can see in the picture further down the page, despite the complete implausibility of this theory. The frequent [[/d/|sexualization]] of the Tau by fa/tg/uys remains a mystery.

It is very important to note that a Tau's caste is inherited from the parents, and under no circumstances can a Tau's caste be changed. On one hand, this helps explain why Tau forbid inter-caste mating. On the other, it means that the Caste system applies ''only'' to the Tau themselves. Aliens have no caste to inherit, and thus can never be inducted into a Tau caste. This remains true no matter how many generations pass. Therefore, while aliens within the Tau Empire are certainly able to rise to positions that hold great responsibility and respect while living lives of relative freedom, they will forever remain outside the caste system. And because the caste system inherently favors the Tau, it is an ugly little secret of the Empire that for all their talk of equality, aliens remain somewhat second-class citizens compared to the Tau themselves. Obviously, the Tau don't care to discuss such topics.

Not just genes but also certain knowledge and skills are forbidden from exchange in Tau society. A Fire Warrior attempting to learn how to repair his Battlesuit just as likely to be {{BLAM}}'d as a Guardsman who tries to fix his own Sentinel instead of begging a Tech Priest. Unlike the Imperium for the Tau, this is not a question of religious dogma. But Etheral control, by segregating the society it becomes impossible for the Tau to ever unify without their masters and leaves each caste at the mercy of its siblings. [[Time_of_Rebirth|Sound]] [[Second_Founding|familiar?]]

==== {{anchor|Fire|Fire Caste}} Shas (Fire) ====
The '''Fire Caste''' consists of the various [[Fire Warrior|warriors]] of the Tau Empire. The miniatures of a Tau army in a [[Warhammer 40,000]] game are almost exclusively Fire Caste. Other castes think Shas are overly-aggressive hotheads due to their tendency to solve all problems by applying more plasma (when the Tau first encountered other sentient species, Fire Caste representatives immediately voted to hunt down and exterminate them, just like they hunted down dangerous local life forms on the other world they colonized). Whether or not Fire Caste members are ''actually'' "overly aggressive" compared to other [[Wyches|kinky]], [[Haemonculus|horrid]], [[World_Eaters|Earthshatteringly mad]], [[Night_Lords|batshit insane]], [[Blood Angels|bloodthirsty]] individuals and groups is a matter of debate. On the other hand, it also shows how calm and disciplined other castes are as well as the importance of the balance that the Ethereals bring to the Tau. 
Part of this aggression might be down to the Tau concept of being [[Heresy|"between spheres"]] where Tau who act too much like a member of a caste they aren't part of are punished. Leading to an army with few to no diplomatic officers because if you don't fight like a constipated World Eater your not seen as manly enough to survive.

Generations of Etheral mandated eugenics have bred the Fire Warriors taller than Earth Caste Tau, and physically stronger than the Air and Water Castes, though they remain slightly shorter than the average human and about as strong. A far cry from the [[Space_Marines|Gue'ron'sha]] they consider their human equivalent.

==== {{anchor|Earth|Earth Caste}} Fio (Earth) ====
The '''Earth Caste''' are the laborers and engineers; they are the "civilians" of Tau society. Their appearance can vary widely, though other Tau would describe them as "plain." They all have a stoic outlook, with little ambition other than to excel in their career of choice and work for the Greater Good. Unlike the Imperial worker classes, whose quality of life generally ''starts'' at working 14-hour days seven days a week while living off of dried recycled dung chips and goes [[Such is life on Volg|''downhill from there'']], the Earth caste is mostly concerned with technological planning and engineering as well as artwork which they incorporate into their creations. They are also scientists and work hand in hand with the Water Caste to develop new technologies (like the rail rifle).

The Farsight Enclaves field some Earth Caste pilots for their battlesuits, demonstrating their more flexible caste systems and/or their desperation for manpower but there are examples of Earth Caste work teams being able to defend themselves in a pinch.

==== {{anchor|Air|Air Caste}} Kor (Air) ====
The '''Air Caste''' are the aerospace specialists of the Tau. In more primitive times they served as messengers and couriers, and sometimes scouts/explorers, gliding on membranous anatomical wings like flying squirrels through T'au's atmosphere (although this might be a myth). When the Tau started exploring offworld, it was the Air Caste that took charge of the vessels traveling between the stars and became tall with super frail physiques due to zero-g living. Now the Air Caste are the Tau stellar navy/airforce/mailmen, piloting the Empire's various carriers, warships, and emissary cruisers. Air caste Tau tend to be tall and slender like runners or dancers, and this is frequently exaggerated by the years the Tau navy spends in low-gravity.

Despite their slender stature and lack of muscle mass, Air caste pilots are extremely resistant to G-force, making them excellent void and atmospheric fighter pilots (simultaneously, as small Tau voidcraft also double as atmospheric craft). They also, clearly, have engineer and military classes as they live in Air Caste cities made up of their own population; going to show that Castes have multiple cross overs for responsibilities rather than anything as rigid as the Farsight books describe.

==== {{anchor|Water|Water Caste}} Por (Water) ====
The '''Water Caste''' are the emissaries of the Tau. They are diplomats, merchants, and civil servants. The most open-minded Tau can be found among the Water caste, with some even showing individual ambition (but still for the greater good of the Tau Empire). When a new culture is encountered, the Water caste are sent in first to negotiate. If talks break down, the Water caste are withdrawn so that the Fire Caste can start negotiating with pulse weapon fire. Also, unlike their Imperial equivalents in bureaucracy, the [[Administratum]], they are brisk, efficient, and very good at their jobs. No dumping valuable ammo on an uninhabited dust world because no one signed the paperwork not to.

It's a lesser known fact that Pors also run the Tau intelligence and espionage network, and Por'Os and Por'Els from this branch are pretty much Tau Inquisitors except more competent, much saner, and not nearly as good at kicking asses personally. As of the second Damocles Crusade the Imperium has designated the Water caste as a primary threat above any other Tau caste. This is because the Water caste's skill in subterfuge, diplomacy and propaganda has cost the Imperium more worlds and manpower than the Fire and Air caste's military prowess combined. They even managed to totally outplay the Inquisition on its own field, which royally pissed them off, even turning an Inquisitor (O'Va'Dem) to their side, as seen in the novel ''Broken Sword''.

The Air Caste also do a quite a lot of things like leading exploration initiatives like the one that discovered the Kroot empire as it was getting rickrolled by the Orks, and fought for their liberation for 12 years.

==== {{anchor|Ethereal|Ethereal Caste}} Aun (Ethereal) ====
The '''Ethereal Caste''' are basically the philosopher-kings described by Plato in "The Republic". In theory, they are selfless and always focused on what is best for the Greater Good ("Tau'va") for all Tau without exception. The Ethereals are inspirational to all Tau caste members, and merely being near one will inspire a Tau soldier, engineer, pilot, or diplomat to work harder.

In the case of the Fire Caste, some Ethereals accompany hunter cadres in battle during important deployments so as to better lead/inspire the troops, which works because all Tau in the combat zone will fight to their bitter deaths. They also seem to have semi-magical powers (don't ask how they work, none of the Tau know themselves) that allow Tau around them to do special things, like running while shooting. The [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] theorizes that the respect the Ethereal Caste gets from all other Tau is caused by a pheromone. <b>ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTAU......</b>. The Tau laugh at this suggestion, of course.
Also, ''[[Xenology]]'' relates a story from a major, insectoid race called the [[Q'Orl]] which alleges that the [[Eldar]] stole one of their queens. Given that these queens have a magic, yellow, diamond-shaped sack that produces mind-control pheromone... well, let's just say the characters in the story figure it out quickly enough. There is a theory that the Ethereals themselves are also affected by their own pheromones, which could explain why they're so selfless and uncorrupted despite their absolute power (although being uncorrupted no longer seems to apply after 7th/8th edition).

This can also be supported by the (old as fuck and likely retconned) novelization of [[Warhammer_40,000:_Fire_Warrior|Fire Warrior]], where the Ethereal character has a pretty level head and chipper demeanor despite having been [[Anal_Circumference|repeatedly captured and tortured by both the Inquisition and Chaos, watching his diplomatic retinue chopped up by a Chaos Lord, and mind-raped by said Chaos Lord all in the span of roughly two days.]] Either he's a stoic old motherfucker, or he's just too busy tripping his blue balls on his own pheromones to give a shit.

8th ed has a particularly interesting story in it and it proves without a shadow of a doubt: the Ethereal caste does use some kind of mind-altering substance or influence on the Tau. During a meeting with Commander O'Ryn and Aun'Va (who is a solid hologram controlled by an AI at this point) in the planet of Junica, their location was ambushed by Chaos forces and Aun'Va (or the AI acting like Aun'Va) ordered O'Ryn to send her forces on what's essentially a suicide mission. O'Ryn, not seeing the point of throwing her and her soldiers' lives at such a hopeless battle, actually ''defied'' the command of an ethereal (and the space pope himself, no less) and retreated. It could've been an interesting and pretty terrifying critique of how manipulative a totalitarian system can be and that the Ethereals don't shy away from anything to keep the people in line. But no, it was explained with mind control, which is way lazier and honestly way less terrifying (that's because Phil Kelly wrote it). Yet, then there is another example of Aun'shi who hides his ridge crest so that none of the other Tau know he's an Ethereal.

You pick which is more likely- clearly GW can't.

O'Ryn was eventually declared a renegade and Farsight took her in, but it does indeed prove that the unflinching and unquestioning loyalty and fanaticism that the Ethereals' physical presence inspire on nearby Tau aren't due to their charisma or the Tau's indoctrination, and instead on something more sinister. To put this into perspective: O'Ryn has been the first Tau since Farsight to actively defy an ethereal's command and the main reason she was able to do so was because she was speaking to an AI-controlled drone, instead of the actual space pope.

...so it doesn't matter.

Additionally, in the novel Farsight: Crisis of Faith by Phil Kelly (detailing the Farsight Expedition) not only is a Tau Water Caste Magister possessed by a daemon of Tzeentch (which is bullshit), but the Magister is then banished [[Mary Sue|by Farsight carving a bloody hexagram into its chest with his bonding knife]] (Imperium Hexagrammic Wards don't even work that way, but fuck other writers, am I right phil?). Aun'Va uses mind control to have the Magister's superior kill herself. Why? Because he'd dared to say the truth out loud, that the Ethereals were eager to send Farsight off to Damocles so that the immensely popular golden boy won't become a challenge to their rule back home. The ambassador went to her death thinking the ever reasonable Ethereals would let her off with a slap on the wrist for what was basically a breach of etiquette, instead she was dominated into committing suicide for ''being the mentor of someone who'd cast the tiniest bit of doubt on Ethereal motives''.

...Which begs the question, "Why?" Why would the Ethereals care about revealing the truth about Daemons when the Tau have been fighting Daemons for hundreds of years? They don't have religion, they don't feed the Warp, daemons should have nothing to fuck-do with the Tau except as a speed bump to somewhere-else-ville. This replay of the Emperor's rule book is just more lazy writing.

Farsight originally lost his Ethereals and kept going because he though he knew better than them and because he was still butthurt from Arkunasha. He's guilty of believing he knows what is best for his fellow renegades, and he's probably not wrong... so he stays out beyond the Gulf so that he can continue the fight.