Caste System

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Targetdrone.gif This article is about the Tau caste system. For other uses of Fire Caste, see Fire Caste (disambiguation).
T'au from each of the castes. Left to right: Fire Caste, Earth Caste, Ethereal Caste, Water Caste, and Air Caste[17]

The T'au caste system is a system of social division that divides all T'au into five distinct groups.[2]

Overview

Each caste is named after an element of nature, symbolising the purpose and temperament of the caste's members. A T'au's caste is determined at birth and inherited by one's parents. Inter-breeding is forbidden by the Ethereals. For a T'au to choose another caste for himself seems to be impossible, and held contrary to the notions of the Greater Good. The castes are based upon the racial and political divisions that separated the Tau on their homeworld of T'au during the time of the Mont'au. The Castes were first formally established after the Ethereals brokered peace between warring T'au factions at Fio'taun. Emphasizing the need for the Greater Good, the Ethereals decreed that the T'au would be formalized into castes, each known by the element that most befitted its role in the new T'au society.[6a]

Overstepping ones lot in their Caste and undertaking actions relegated to another is one of the most grievous crimes in Tau society. For instance, an Earth Caste engineer is usually forbidden from using Fire Caste-issued weapons in a pitched battle without special permission from the Ethereals. Violation of this law commonly results in the accused being sent to a Re-education Facility.[15]

Caste\Rank Trainee rank — SAAL[1] Lowest rank — LA Second lowest rank — UI Middle rank — VRE Second highest rank — EL Highest rank — O
Fire - Shas Underling Warrior Veteran Hero Noble or Knight Commander
Earth - Fio Apprentice Worker Senior Overseer Engineer Planner
Water - Por Assistant Bureaucrat Envoy Magister Diplomat Ambassador
Air - Kor Deliverer Messenger Carrier Pilot Captain Admiral
Ethereal - Aun Lord Prince Prelate King Holy Ones Highest

Shas - Fire Caste

Fire Caste symbol[6a]

Members of the Fire Caste are the warriors of the T'au Empire, and as such are most often seen on the field of battle. They have been bred to be the strongest and most aggressive T'au, and weak strains are quickly weeded out. These traits come from the Fire Caste's origin on the plains of T'au, where they were hunters and warriors. Fire Warriors, as soldiers of the Fire Caste are known, spend their entire lifetimes in battle or preparing for it, constantly honing their tactics and working to improve their skills. The strongest of the strong are those T'au from the world of Vior'la, who have slightly greater muscle mass because of the stronger gravity of that planet.[6a] The Fire Caste are guided by the Code of Fire — a doctrine of loyalty, martial arts and merciless war tempered by wisdom.[6a][9a]

Fio - Earth Caste

Earth Caste Symbol[6a]

This caste provides for the manufacturing, agricultural, industrial, artisans, and engineering needs of the T'au Empire. By far the largest caste in sheer numbers, it is they who erect dwellings, provide food, and produce new technology. Members of the Earth Caste are often described as plain and dour, possessing a rather stoic outlook on life in general. They were originally the first T'au to build cities and practice agriculture. The city of Fio'taun is an example of this, being the first place where the Ethereals appeared.[6a]

Por - Water Caste

Water Caste Symbol[6a]

The Water Caste serve the T'au Empire as traders, merchants, public servants, bureaucrats, administrators, diplomats, and ambassadors. They interact with other races when such affairs are not handled by the Fire Caste, and often act as administrators of T'au worlds in the absence of an Ethereal governor. Like water, Water Caste bureaucrats fluidly move between other Castes and alien races incorporated within the Empire to make sure that it flows smoothly. The Water Caste are known for their great linguistic, diplomatic, and negotiation skills. Members of the Water Caste are often the ones who initiate first contact with new species encountered by the Empire, skilfully negotiating their union with the T'au.[6a] The members of the Water Caste have a gift for linguistics that has become more and more developed over time, so they able to learn alien languages with ease and show a remarkable ability to emulate and pick up subtlest of communication features.[9a]

The Water Caste also employs criminal investigators known as Kar'tyr.[11]

Kor - Air Caste

Air Caste Symbol[6a]

The Air Caste is charged with holding the T'au Empire together through the Kor'vattra, the T'au Empire's merchant and war-fleet in addition to operating Tau Orbitals and Fortress Stations. Formerly functioning as messengers, these days they are the T'au Navy and are sometimes called the "Invisible Caste", for they rarely if ever set foot upon planets. Living in Orbital Cities, T'au of the Air Caste are the tallest and most slender of all T'au, with long, skinny limbs and hollow bones developed due to lives lived mostly in low- and zero-gravity ships and space stations. In the past, before the time of the Mont'au, the T'au that originally became the Air Caste had membranes stretching between their limbs, allowing them to glide on air currents. T'au pilots tend to be superior pilots compared to their human counterparts because they have a better depth perception and higher G-tolerance, but lack battle-experience compared to the best Imperial fighter-pilots.[6a]

The Air Caste also operates air defences within T'au territory.[13]

Aun - Ethereal/Celestial Caste

Ethereal Caste Symbol[6a]

The Ethereals serve as "philosopher kings", and guide the other castes, as well as alien member-races of the T'au empire, towards the enlightenment of the Tau'va, the Greater Good. They serve as the undisputed rulers of the T'au Empire. Their unique role is a combination of spiritual and political duties, and their declarations shape and steer every action of the Empire. Were an Ethereal to order a T'au to kill himself, he would be met with instant obedience.[6a] Ethereals themselves rule from the Ethereal Council, with the Ethereal Supreme being the highest ranked of the Caste. They are in turn protected by the Ethereal Guard.[16]

Sources

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Tau Empire
Castes

Ethereal • Air • Earth • Fire • Water

Allied Races

Anthrazod • Boaburi • Brachyura • Charpactin • Demiurg • Domati • Formosian • G’nosh • Galg • Greet • Humans • Hrenian • Jagordian • Ji'atrix • Kroot • Morralian • M'uh'ja • Nagi • Nicassar • Ostense Council • Phosiab • Pohu-Agg • Ranghon • Tarellians • Thraxians • Vespid • Vorgh • Yabi-Yabi

Military

Fire Warriors • Kor'vattra • Merchant Fleet • Auxiliaries • Information Awareness

Culture

Sept • Greater Good • Tau Lexicon

Notable Characters

Aun'Va • Aun'shi • O'Shaserra • O'Shovah • Puretide • El'Myamoto • T'au Sha'ng

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