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Just this once let's say screw cannon and vote on which way Tau players would like Ethereals to maintain control of the Tau Empire. Choose the option you would pick if you could write the next codex.

If I was writing it, I'd leave it hinted that it was pheromone control. I wouldn't make it explicit

I don't particularly want Pheromones or Psychic control, it would ruin them a little for me. Hinting is fine though, or if it's just something to keep them calm (which i think is what it currently is, not sure)

I have been of the opinion that is is largely spiritual, but that pheremones offer even greater control. Think of it like this, if an Ethereal was talking to you over a radio or whatever and wanted you to run into a machinegun nest to distract them (we assume he is a sadist or stupid) you would probably subtly refuse and suggest a different course of action. If the Ethereal was right in front of you the pheromones would make you instinctively obey the order regardless of what it was.

The Deathwatch rule book calls the pheromone thing a hoax, but only time will tell if the dew codex follows suit.

My opinion (formed from my interpretation of Xenology) is that the Eldar created the Ethereals, and the pheromone control allowed initial control with years of indoctrination doing the rest.

Now whether the Eldar retain control over the Ethereals or even maintain contact with them? Who knows...

Pheremones combined with ingrained sociological/psychological control.

I just find it odd how passionate I am about this. I would literally sell my army and never play Tau again if the pheromone theory proved true. And I don't even know why, it would just make them unplayable for me... I think maybe it is best it be left unspecified, it seems like GWs best option.

Charisma, supported by the social structure of Tau society.

@Melissa-Nah, its their Spirituality/Faith in the greater good.

The belief in an Ideal rather than an individual is what makes them unique and IMO superior to SOB. Sisters get small miracles on the battlefield, the Tau get Guadian Warp Storms and perfectly timed Tyranid invasions

Seriously, I vote for their faith in the greater good. I find the thought of such thourough indoctrination much more GrimDark and befitting of the setting than the lame pheremone thing. To me its the difference between Orwellian Horror and Bradury Sci-fi.

@Captain Avatar

I could not agree more. The whole Japan/Brave New World combo is what had me hooked on them. I absolutely love the concept.

Yep, I think their faith in the Greater Good is waht's keeping them in line, being a young race and not having time to see just how hopeless the galaxy really is.

Kroothawk wrote:Charisma, supported by the social structure of Tau society.

This for me, too.

I guess "spirituality" is the closest thing to that answer, so I voted for that, even though it doesn't fit 100%.

Maybe it was the whole "communism" trait that the community (controversially) attributed to them, complete with those fan-made propaganda posters, but this is indeed how I got to view them eventually. Little blue Space Soviets convinced of their way of life and with utter faith in their "party" leaders, ready to sacrifice themselves or do bad stuff in the name of a greater good, perhaps reluctantly, yet in the end driven by an almost Imperial pragmatism.

FR33Kandy wrote:The Deathwatch rule book calls the pheromone thing a hoax, but only time will tell if the dew codex follows suit.

I don't think the studio material has ever either confirmed nor denied the whole pheromone stuff presented in Xenology in the first place, and I wouldn't expect that to change.
Remember folks, stuff isn't actually meant to be consistent/compatible to each other ... and GW likes to keep things like these pretty vague, at best throwing out suggestions, so that players can decide themselves whether to follow such a theory or not.

Captain Avatar wrote:@Melissa-Nah, its their Spirituality/Faith in the greater good.

Which doesn't explain why those who would have immunity to pheremones (such as suit drivers, whom are protected by the environment of their suits) tend to deviate more.

Melissia wrote:

Captain Avatar wrote:@Melissa-Nah, its their Spirituality/Faith in the greater good.

Which doesn't explain why those who would have immunity to pheremones (such as suit drivers, whom are protected by the environment of their suits) tend to deviate more.

Just on a sidenote, isn't every Tau miniature wearing a suit?

And wouldn't it be somewhat counter-productive of the Tau Empire to develop something that make their people go rogue?

If I'd prefer the whole pheromone idea, I suppose I would explain it with the Empire secretly embedding canisters with it into their troops' equipment to ensure control/complacency in the field. That way, one could explain Farsight by assuming that supply lines had his unit run dry of this "drug" or something. It's slightly more grimdark in implementing a technological aspect into the whole deal, I guess.

Culture, plain and simple. If someone wants to rebel against biopsychological compulsion, they probably can. The trick therefore is to give them no reason to rebel. And if the "force" of culture is that strong then the pheromones aren't necessary in the first place. As a matter of narrative economy, the pheromone idea is kind of dumb unless you explicitly want to make the Tau sinister. Since that was the apparent goal of Xenology, it's no wonder that this pheromone business only appears there.

Charisma and oratory skill combined with brainwashing Tau citizens from birth.

Kroothawk wrote:Charisma, supported by the social structure of Tau society.

I agree completely with Kroothawk, thought i have a feeling they are going to go the phyker route......

Kroothawk wrote:Charisma, supported by the social structure of Tau society.

This, and CA's post as well. Farsight's "rebellion" didn't have anything to do with their Etherial dying, IMO. The etherial may have died BECAUSE of the rebellion, or because of whatever happened to him on Arthas Moloc, but I doubt that "Oops, the Etherial died and everything makes sense now!" was exactly how everything played out. At least from my interpretation.

Actually I wouldn't be terribly upset if Farsight just so happens to have a Mindshackle Scarab imbedded in the base of his skull.

Then again, I also don't believe Tau immediately bow to everything told them, either. I think that disagreements happen, they're just handled calmly and by debate and matters are settled before they escalate.


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Vladamyr wrote:

Kroothawk wrote:Charisma, supported by the social structure of Tau society.

I agree completely with Kroothawk, thought i have a feeling they are going to go the phyker route......

They will if MW writes the book...

Vladamyr wrote:I agree completely with Kroothawk, thought i have a feeling they are going to go the phyker route......

Would this not conflict with their whole "no warp presence" deal?

Ach, please don't bait the War-haters!

Nagashek wrote:

Kroothawk wrote:Charisma, supported by the social structure of Tau society.

This, and CA's post as well. Farsight's "rebellion" didn't have anything to do with their Etherial dying, IMO. The etherial may have died BECAUSE of the rebellion, or because of whatever happened to him on Arthas Moloc, but I doubt that "Oops, the Etherial died and everything makes sense now!" was exactly how everything played out. At least from my interpretation.

Actually I wouldn't be terribly upset if Farsight just so happens to have a Mindshackle Scarab imbedded in the base of his skull.

Then again, I also don't believe Tau immediately bow to everything told them, either. I think that disagreements happen, they're just handled calmly and by debate and matters are settled before they escalate.


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Vladamyr wrote:

Kroothawk wrote:Charisma, supported by the social structure of Tau society.

I agree completely with Kroothawk, thought i have a feeling they are going to go the phyker route......

They will if MW writes the book...

The First part I couldn't agree with more.

The second part is also likely correct, I just don't like evoking the name or even the initials of the "Fluff-Killer"

If I could right the fluff, Tau would control their empire spiritually. Alpha Legion would resurface, and would be close allies of the Tau. The plan of the remaining twin prinarch would be to use the Tau to wipe out the Imperium. The Tau would then begin there next expansion. After all Alpha Legion haters the Imperium and wants to murder all humans to atop the warp, and the Tau have no warp presence so they are the natural predecessors of the humans as far as Alpha Legion is concerned. Besides according to fluff Alpha Legion is in the exact same area of space right now. Of and ultimar would fall, I am tired of smurfs...


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The Taros Campaign book states an Imperial general tried the null soul assassin on an Ethereal and it had no effect...I like this ruling.

What if the aun maintained leadership status by being good leaders?

@nomotog I wish I could like your post...

nomotog wrote:What if the aun maintained leadership status by being good leaders?

That seems to be what most people here believe.

FR33Kandy wrote:@nomotog I wish I could like your post...

You can, thanks to the "Exalt" feature at the lower right of his post.

They control them "mysteriously" and that's good enough for me. The main thing is they do have absolute control over them. They Tau don't follow them "just cuz".

Manchu wrote:

nomotog wrote:What if the aun maintained leadership status by being good leaders?

That seems to be what most people here believe.

FR33Kandy wrote:@nomotog I wish I could like your post...

You can, thanks to the "Exalt" feature at the lower right of his post.

Most people seem to be saying charisma and or social structure. (Well most people seem to just be agreeing with kroot) No one really mentioned things like sound judgment, good planing, insightful knowledge, or having a 18 in wis. That's more what I meant.

I don't think you can strip that out of the social structure. I mean, I don't think the castes have an objective view of the Etherals.

I don't think that GW will go the ethereals=psykers route, on the contrary. I believe that GW goes the Tau=immune-to-Chaos route, making them essential allies to the Imperium in their fight against Chaos (reason behind SM being battle brothers). And I don't think that Mat Ward will write the background of the next Tau Codex. The Necron Codex shows that the whole GW team is writing the Codex, with one person just having the lead. Mat wouldn't have been able to make such a complex redirection of Necron fluff that works.

I also want to point out that "The Greater Good" is not something like the Imperial Faith. It is a principle usually called utilitarianism, basically meaning a.o. that working together is better than killing each other. See my sig for a more detailed description. The lack of Western Individualism is not a sign that tau are mindless robots, but a sign that Tau society is inspired by East Asian society.