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These are a few of my pet theories about the tau race. Not solidly backed by official sources, so take it how you will.

Tau and the Warp

We know that tau have far less of a presence in the warp than other races, but we don't know exactly why that is. We know that the warp is composed of and powered by sentient emotional energy. This leads me to believe that the tau do not experience emotions as powerfully as other races. Their current cultural mindset is based on order, logic and technology, rather than passion.

But I don't believe this to be the natural state of their race. When in doubt, blame the Ethereals. It is strongly suspected that the Ethereal caste exercises a form of control over other tau which goes beyond mere loyalty and extends into mind control/brain chemical alteration. I would go so far as to say that they are the cause of this dampening of emotion, because a docile population is that much easier to control.

The Tau Lifespan

Tau have one of, if not the shortest lifespan of any sentient race in the galaxy. Their average lifespan is around 40 years. This is quite strange for a race at such an advanced level of technology, since they must have excellent medical tech. The notable exception to this short lifespan is O'Shovah. We don't know how old he supposedly is, only that he has been around for far longer than the normal lifespan. A common theory is that Farsight is actually more than one person, with each one taking the name after the death of the previous.

I don't buy it. I think his long lifespan has to do with the fact that his forces contain no Ethereals. They are the only tau force anywhere in the empire that contains 0 Ethereals.

Tau are going to gain more experience and wisdom as they get older. They may even get to the point where they begin to question the wisdom of the Ethereals. So, in addition to their mind-control pheromones, it is my belief that the Ethereals also produce a sort of 'death' pheromone, which limits the lifespan of their species. Keep them young and idealistic, don't allow them to grow old and practical.


Mecha Design

So, I have been watching a lot of anime lately. Ok, for those of you who are still reading, here is my point: In the giant robot genre, there are basically two schools of design:

There are Realistic Robots, such as the gundam series. These robots are mass-produced weapons of war, just like tanks or aircraft. They have set performance parameters that cannot be exceeded. They are armed with conventional weaponry and are based on real, practical technology. As of now, all tau battlesuits fall into this category.

Then there are Super Robots. They are often based on experimental technology. They are highly individualistic, sometimes even one of a kind. They do not have set parameters, with the limits of their power expanding in conjunction with the emotional state of the pilot. They are supremely powerful, in some cases being able to crack a planet in half or possibly even destroy the universe.

What does all that sound like to me? Warp Tech. I believe the tau are going to discover warp technology, and, not really understanding what it is, they will use it to construct giant robots. Said robots may or may not be formed by combining vehicles/smaller robots/robot lions.

The first 2 points are fine.

But giant robots?

Sooner or later they will suffer from their independent AI's.

Machines and the warp sounds more like dark mechanicum. The take on tech is kept different with the races available now,
and I doubt GW moves T'au from "clean" to "tainted".

Tau and the warp do not mix. During the medusa V campaign they researched the warp and observed its horrors. Thus they concluded they would have little or nothing to do with the warp at all.

Tau and the Warp

I think you may have a good idea here, but I'm not sure if it was the Ethereals all along- it could have been just a quirk of their race or some kind of genetic altering prior to the Ethereals taking control...
We'll hopefully get some more hints in the next codex.

Tau Lifespan

This is the one I agree with the most, while the "successors taking up the Farsight mantle" excuse sounds like Ethereal propaganda, I think the Ethereals really may be limiting Tau potential on purpose.
I also believe that the Ethereals have specifically forsaken hand-to-hand combat for the rest of the race to prevent a Fire Warrior finding out the truth and brutally clubbing an Ethereal. Surely Tau weapons have some sort of 'safety' where it won't shoot at Ethereals or at least the Ethereals are confident they can evade gunfire and escape.

If the Tau race disdains hand-to-hand, why do the Ethereals settle disputes in ritual duels? They're the only Tau regularly training in close combat, so I think there's something there.

Lifespan makes sense if the Ethereals are some sort of sinister controlling force.

Mecha Design

I think you're right on realistic designs, but the "warp" technology Tau would discover may not ever be grasped fully. I think the relics held by Farsight and Aun'Va may very well be Necron artefacts (didn't Farsight recover the Dawn Blade on a dead world?) that because they're not based on warp influences, are perfectly suited to the 'null' race.

Whether or not the necrons are aware of these artefacts being lost is another story.

As for the Tau finding and using warp technology, it is likely they will enlist a psyker race to pilot experimental suits with the new weapons...

1.) Warp presence is linked to emotions. Tau are a rational race with low emotions, so don't feed the warp. History knows a time with higher emotions (Mont'au), but then ethereals arrived and changed the culture. Culture has strong effects, just compare USA and Canada, similar historical, geographical and social background, but totally different in e.g. degrees of everyday violence. And that without the Canadian Premier emitting pheromones (I guess ).

2.) Biologies are different. There is no law that all bipedal sentient races must have an average life span of 60-80 years. I am certain that humans and Orks also have a lower life san in the 40k universe. And the reason you give ("to produce more emotional than rational Tau") contradicts your own theory on Tau and Warp.

3.) This paragraph is not remotely logical.
a.) Gundams are not Robots, but bipedal vehicles, piloted by a human. And I wouldn't call 35m high Mechas realistic.
b.) Your Super Robots also seem to be vehicles after your description, being piloted and powered by the emotions (!) of their pilot. Good thing that those planet killers are often one of a kind . BTW never seen a Mecha with these powers.
c.) Now you conclude from these Mangas that Tau must want Warp technology? Any evidence that ethereals want to increase emotions in their fellow Tau, any other evidence? I find it more conclusive that they would achieve that by technology, not sorcery. Current background points at the fact that they counter Titans with flyers, not Tau Titans (although personally I like the idea of Tau Gundam Titans in Apocalypse games).

On your first and second points, I think you've shown a remarkable degree of insight. While a sentient race may NOT have an average lifespan comparable to human beings, a shorter lifespan does lead to less time to study, learn, and advance the species. Tau technology is indeed a bit far advanced for such a short lived species. I also think your theory about the 'death pheromones' is not only logical, but genius. I always suspected the Tau of being far shadier than they were given credit for.

Now, as far as the anime giant robot things go, I don't watch anime. I hate anime. I can't contribute anything on the subject, only my fervent hope that Warhammer 40k avoids any and all things anime.

Chicks dig giant robots.

5 internets to the one who ges the reference.

Jimsolo wrote:On your first and second points, I think you've shown a remarkable degree of insight. While a sentient race may NOT have an average lifespan comparable to human beings, a shorter lifespan does lead to less time to study, learn, and advance the species. Tau technology is indeed a bit far advanced for such a short lived species. I also think your theory about the 'death pheromones' is not only logical, but genius. I always suspected the Tau of being far shadier than they were given credit for.

Now, as far as the anime giant robot things go, I don't watch anime. I hate anime. I can't contribute anything on the subject, only my fervent hope that Warhammer 40k avoids any and all things anime.

I like the idea of the death pheremone.

While Tau have a shorter lifespan they also sleep a lot less and probably mature physically and mentally more quickly than humans.

For example, human lifespan is 70 years and sleep period is 8 hours per day =1/3rd. So 'effective' human lifespan is only 46.6 recurring years.

Tau sleep about 2-3 hours a day so effective lifespan is 35 years.

Humans become physically and mentally mature (including education to degree level) after 18-22 years, so their adult lifespan can be taken as about 25 years.

We only need assume that Tau mature in 11 years and we arrive at an adult lifespan of 24 years which is practically the same as humans.

Kroothawk wrote:And the reason you give ("to produce more emotional than rational Tau") contradicts your own theory on Tau and Warp.

Yes, the ethereals want other tau to be rational enough to work together, and avoid killing each other. But they don't want them to reach the point where they start to question the status quo (particularly questions like "Why do we need castes?" and "Who exactly put the ethereals in charge, anyway?").

As far as the giant robot thing, sorry if that thoroughly enraged anyone. Mostly meant that as a joke. No, I don't believe the tau are going to build Voltron. I do, however, think that they would discover warp tech, and only see the positive side of it (tau are getting more grimdark, but at this point, they are still the most naive race by far). Didn't know they had already done research on the subject.

ashrog wrote: But they don't want them to reach the point where they start to question the status quo (particularly questions like "Why do we need castes?" and "Who exactly put the ethereals in charge, anyway?").

Read the history of Mont'au, nothing to hide there.
Maybe it's an American thing, but in most other countries, stopping people to kill each other is considered a good thing, not vile oppression

Did you just call Gundams realistic?

Kroothawk wrote:Read the history of Mont'au, nothing to hide there.
Maybe it's an American thing, but in most other countries, stopping people to kill each other is considered a good thing, not vile oppression

The Mont'au is an example of the suspicious circumstances that surround the Ethereal caste. During that period, the various tribes of tau didn't really get along, to the extent of making all-out war upon each other. Just before a great battle between the tribes that would later become the fire and earth castes, a couple of Ethereals appear out of thin air, and convince the warring factions (in one night) not only to call off their attacks on one another, but also to live and work together in perfect peace and harmony. And that's not strange?

I don't know if it's an "American thing", but I can't think of any orator on Earth with enough skill to convince every single soldier in two warring forces to lay down arms.

It doesn't matter how much peace, love, and flower-power you want to spread around, ending a war overnight is indeed suspicious. I think you're trying to drag some real world politics into the game, Kroothawk.

I agree something is up with the low death age. With their level of technology the only thing killing them should be destruction of the brain.( I'm studying cybernetics and unless the brain is destroyed we can keep you going forever if you can hold out for ~30 years) The robots going to super style doesn't fit with the Tau design.

VikingScott wrote:Chicks dig giant robots.

5 internets to the one who ges the reference.

Is that from MEGAS?

S_P