Aun'Va

"Our Conquest is inevitable, our ascension a matter of time. Let none who are wise deny our destiny."

- Aun'Va^[2b]

Tau Portal
Aun'O T'au Acaya'Va'Denta
Aun'va and his Honour Guards[1b]
Title(s)	Master of the Undying Spirit Aun'Va
Born	c. M41
Active Period	M41 - Present
Death	c. 999.M41, Mu'gulath Bay (Continues on as AI program)[3]
Cause of Death	Killed by an Eversor Assassin[3]
Species	Tau (Former) A.I.[3]
Type	Aun
Gender	Male
Occupation(s)	Ethereal Supreme of the Tau Empire
Affiliation(s)	Tau Empire Ethereal Caste
Preceded by	Aun'Wei (As Ethereal Supreme)

Aun'Va is the most recent known T'au Ethereal Supreme, the Aun'o of the T'au Empire and Master of the Undying Spirit.^[1a]

His full name was Aun'o'T'au'Acaya'Va'Denta and his title included Master of the Undying Spirit and stood as supreme Ethereal in the new Spheres of Expansion with Commander Shadowsun at his side at all times. He led them forward to new frontiers and enemies.^[1a]

History

Replacing the aging Aun'wei, he was said to be the oldest of Ethereals and it was easy to see his effect on the expansion of the T'au Empire. He sat upon the highest councils governing not just Septs but also the entire empire. Any advice he gave was always followed as his experience surpasses anything any other T'au has.^[1a] It was said that none could deny his will, and that to even show disagreement with him seemed the most crass and boorish admission of ignorance.^[2a]

Although he was the spiritual leader of the T'au, he has also served on the very front lines in the early expansionist phase of the T'au Empire. He was instrumental in T'au planning during the Farsight Expedition and Great War of Confederation. His presence at the Si'coa system allowed the Fire Warriors to destroy the Reek and upon the flanks of Mount Scion he described the fate of the Ork Waaagh! Grognik, which the T'au swiftly followed, utterly destroying the Orks. During the Battle of Mu'gulath Bay during the Third Sphere of Expansion, he personally accompanied Commander Shadowsun in the battle, which turned into one of the greatest Tau victories over the Imperium.^[1a]

The death of Aun'va and his entourage at the hands of a Culexus Assassin

During the Second Agrellan Campaign, Aun'va became stranded on Mu'gulath Bay due to an Imperial blockade and took shelter in a hidden command bunker. However, his position was eventually discovered by the Officio Assassinorum, which dispatched a Culexus Assassin to deal with him. The Culexus successfully infiltrated Aun'va's bunker, killing his bodyguards before pursuing and catching the Ethereal Supreme. Aun'va's end was neither swift or merciful. The Ethereal Council covered up his demise, using holograms of Aun'va to broadcast a victory speech after the loss of Mu'gulath Bay.^[3]

Few know of Aun'va's fate; instead, the Ethereal Supreme continues his duties as a hologram, with the original's personality and memories implanted into a AI-like device.^[4] New edicts were declared to hide this deception, including forbidding any to touch Aun'Va and making sure his Honour Guards never leave him at any time.^[6] This projection later appeared on Arthas Moloch to the embattled Commander Farsight in the Arks of Omen Campaign. Farsight had requested aid from the Tau Empire against common Ork and Chaos foes, but Aun'va informed the Commander that he was cursed for turning his back on the Greater Good and that all of his people were condemned with him.^[5]

Wargear

• Aun'va was armed with the staff Paradox of Duality^[2b]

Images

Aun'Va on his hover chair with his Honour Guard

Sources

• 1: Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition):
  • 1a: pgs. 28-30
  • 1b: pg. 60
• 2: Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition):
  • 2a: Ethereals - Ethereal Aun'Va
  • 2b: pg. 80 - Aun'va - Master of the Undying Spirit
• 3: War Zone Damocles: Mont'ka - Spectre of Death
• 4: Codex: Tau Empire (8th Edition), pgs. 33-36
• 5: Arks of Omen: Farsight, pg. 24-25
• 6: Codex: T'au Empire (10th Edition), pg. 19

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