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As you all know, Tau is a caste-society. You could image that all other castes live a mirror to our normal daily life (but in more harmony since Tau is more or less an utoptian empire) and within each caste the "normal" family group would work as a mirror to ours. One that would differ from the rest is propobly the Fire Caste. And it is here we would find less equality compared to the other castes, mainly that the majority of women stay at home, educating the young, teenagers and young grown ups, with the majority of the teachers being female and the more elite ones being veteran Shas'ui (and up) males and females.

Would it be sane to think that this caste would be a reflection of "old" european/american thinking of "woman stay at home, men go and fight wars" ? Of course with exceptions here and there, assuming that the Tau are a pretty equal society. In the novel Firewarrior there are only one female sha'la for example, which would indicate that a big portion of the Tau Fire Caste women are not in the military.

I haven't read the Tau codex, but I dont know how the castes are assigned. Are the Tau born into them? Or are they placed into one at a certain age? Or do they choose?

If it were either of the latter two, then I could see how gender might affect the caste breakdown. Assuming that Tau genders have fundamental differences that make them better suited to one thing or the other.

Jimsolo wrote:I haven't read the Tau codex, but I dont know how the castes are assigned. Are the Tau born into them? Or are they placed into one at a certain age? Or do they choose?

If it were either of the latter two, then I could see how gender might affect the caste breakdown. Assuming that Tau genders have fundamental differences that make them better suited to one thing or the other.

Tau castes are actually individual genetic subspecies with genes that give them traits that make them better at what they do. Therefore, I would imagine they are born into them.

In THAT case, if there is a difference between the gender percentages in castes, then it would probably be a genetic predisposition towards one gender. Another interesting question: can two castes breed? And, is it a genetic difference like...say...two different species? Or, could two fire caste have a water caste child?

Jimsolo wrote:In THAT case, if there is a difference between the gender percentages in castes, then it would probably be a genetic predisposition towards one gender. Another interesting question: can two castes breed? And, is it a genetic difference like...say...two different species? Or, could two fire caste have a water caste child?

The Tau are one species, with the castes as subspecies. The genetic differences cause them to have traits that make them more effective at what they do, but they are still all Tau. Think of all the races of people as subspecies, with humanity as the species, and you've got the Tau. And yes, they can interbreed, although they normally don't because the greater good is better served by having offspring with genes entirely devoted to their caste.

Deathbot wrote:

Jimsolo wrote:In THAT case, if there is a difference between the gender percentages in castes, then it would probably be a genetic predisposition towards one gender. Another interesting question: can two castes breed? And, is it a genetic difference like...say...two different species? Or, could two fire caste have a water caste child?

The Tau are one species, with the castes as subspecies. The genetic differences cause them to have traits that make them more effective at what they do, but they are still all Tau. Think of all the races of people as subspecies, with humanity as the species, and you've got the Tau. And yes, they can interbreed, although they normally don't because the greater good is better served by having offspring with genes entirely devoted to their caste.

Fire Warriors are often lab-born from what I understand. As for cross-breeding: In a Caste system, breeding between Castes is forbidden by law. So a Fire Warrior could not have children with a member of the Water or Air Caste. The Tau are no different from a real-world Caste System, and the 5th Ed codex clearly states this. Your occupation is also chosen in this way. Your role is chosen before you're even concieved. In a caste system, your predecessors' occupation will become your occupation. So if your parents were pilots, you'll be a pilot. If your parents were sewage technicians, you'll be a sewage technician.

Long story short: Caste systems suck

It's funny. Fire warriors are the product of centuries of selective breeding, physically the best warriors the Tau can possibly produce, and raised as warriors from birth. Then you see their stat line is no better than an ordinary human who joined the PDF in his teens and has a couple years of experience. Worse in a couple areas, in fact.

But all members of the Tau are valued equally because no matter what your profession, you are seen as futhering the cause of the Greater Good.

And metallifan is right, no intermixing between Castes. Water caste only pair with Water caste, etc etc.

Raxmei wrote:It's funny. Fire warriors are the product of centuries of selective breeding, physically the best warriors the Tau can possibly produce, and raised as warriors from birth. Then you see their stat line is no better than an ordinary human who joined the PDF in his teens and has a couple years of experience. Worse in a couple areas, in fact.

Probably because the Imperium has been fighting multiple galaxy-ending horrors on millions of fronts for the past 10,000 years. They know warfare. The Tau have got nothing on that. All they've fought is a Tyranid splinter fleet and the occasional Ork raid.

Of course the Imperium could bring down the Tau Empire, but they were impressed by the resistence of the Tau during the Democles Crusade that more or less ended as a failure for the Imperium.

...Or their statline is that way for balance purposes. Look at Space Marines. Do you really think A Guardsman's lasgun could kill one as easily as the Space Marine's statline denotes?

Point is: Never use the statlines as a referance to fluff matters - they're on completely different ends of the spectrum.