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Far in the galactic east, the Tau Empire expands further into space. This continued growth has brought the Tau into conflict with the Imperium and other alien races on numerous occasions. With high technology weaponry and an all-pervading self-confidence, they are united in the common cause of expanding their empire in the name of the Greater Good.

In appearance, the Tau are humanoid, with two arms, two legs and a single head. Their skin is a pale, bluish grey colour, though this can vary in tone and pigmentation from world to world. For example, Tau from the world of Vior'la have much darker skin than those hailing from B'orkan. Their skin is rough in texture, dry and leathery, exuding almost no moisture. On average, smaller than a human, the majority of Tau are of slender build, having a strength equivalent to an Imperial Guardsman with comparable tolerances for heat, cold and pain. The Tau face is flat and wide across the eyes and, in some respects, their vision is believed to be slightly superior to humans, able to see further wavelengths in both the ultra-violet and infrared ends of the spectrum. However, their lack of a dilatory pupil results in poorer depth perception and a slower focusing reflex. They have no external olfactory organs, rather, these are located on the inside of the mouth, and, at short distances appear to be much more sensitive than a human's. A Tau can therefore taste the air with its tongue and deposit the air sample on its sense organs.

Much can be gleaned from studying a Tau's appearance; its caste, rank, home world and status within society. It is common for a Tau to bear a single scalp lock, adorned with ornamented ringlets and baubles indicative of rank and position. The more elaborate the decoration on the scalp lock, the higher the Tau's rank and position are likely to be. There are also more specific ways one can establish from which caste a Tau originates. For example, Tau from the Fire caste (the warrior caste) are likely to be heavily battle-scarred, and it is not uncommon to find its senior members with limbs replaced by cybernetic implants. Fire Warriors tend to originate from the hottest worlds in the Tau empire and thus their skin tones are generally darker than others, with ritual scarring and tattoos of battle honours. The workers and builders of the Tau come from the Earth caste, and have 'blunter', more prosaic features than most other Tau. They are stouter than other Tau, tending to have heavily callused hands and a pragmatic outlook on life. The Earth caste are less given to ornamentation and only very rarely indulge in any form of personal decoration, which they see as frivolous and unnecessary.

The Air caste form the pilots and messengers of the Tau and spend a great deal of time in space. As such their skin is usually paler and their bone structure far lighter than other Tau. Indeed, some of the bones in the Air castes' upper body are hollow, perhaps a genetic throwback to the days when these Tau are said to have sported wings and could fly. If members of the Air caste are ever forced to spend any time on the surface of a planet, they are exceptionally careful in their movements, as long-term exposure to weightlessness or artificial gravity reduces skeletal strength and makes their bones extremely brittle. The Water caste are the traders and diplomats, and Tau of this caste are generally the most cosmopolitan and well travelled. As such their features are softer and much more expressive than other Tau. The respect these Tau have for other cultures makes them more open to diversification of dress and the integration of alien cultural idioms. It is not unusual for a Tau merchant to enter into negotiations clad in the dress of those he is dealing with. A Tau diplomat will frequently adopt mannerisms and cultural mores when in the company of those he deals with. Of course, while these may be indulged in for practical purposes, it is never at the expense of the Tau way, which they hold as manifestly superior to anything non-Tau.

The final Tau caste is also the most mysterious. Their faces bear the same typically flat features of the Tau, but in the centre of their forehead is a diamond shaped ridge of raised bone. The purpose of this, if it even serves a purpose, is a mystery and despite every attempt, the Inquisition has been unable to obtain an Ethereal's body for further study. The lack of knowledge concerning this, potentially most powerful and important, caste is a source of much consternation amongst the Ordo Xenos and any scraps of information that can be gleaned are eagerly seized upon.

The Tau empire encompasses over seventy-five worlds, an area some three hundred light years in diameter, deep in the Ultima Segmentum in the galactic east. Their planet of origin, T'au, is a hot, arid world primarily covered in dusty savannah and scattered mountain ranges. What fertile ground there is on T'au is occupied by efficiently run farming collectives managed by the Earth caste. Cities of gleaming marble, white stone, steel and glass rise from the plains, close to the farming collectives and well defended by warriors of the Fire caste. The largest settlement on T'au is located on the equator, and despite frequent entreaties to the Tau, no human has been known to tread its streets. What information there is on this city, has been gained from orbital surveys and even these are not 100% reliable as the Tau appear to have some form of technology that confounds the spirits of Imperial augers. The city is large, though not as large as a hive city and appears to be divided into a number of distinct areas. The heavily defended centre of the city is completely segregated and appears to be some kind of holy place for the Tau. It is believed that the high council of Tau Ethereals are located here and that this un-named city within a city may be the seat of power of their empire.

The first Tau encountered were discovered nearly six thousand years ago by the Adepts on the Explorator vessel, Land's Vision. At this point in their evolution, many of the Tau were little more than savannah dwelling savages who had mastered the use of simple tools and fire-making, but not much else. It was noted that the planet was teeming with all manner of life, but none were judged worthy of continued existence and the planet was earmarked for routine cleansing and colonisation. The seeding ships were despatched from Triplex Phall, but before they arrived they were caught in a terrifyingly fierce warpstorm and every vessel in the fleet was destroyed. Before more ships could be despatched, the Imperium descended into anarchy as Goge Vandire, the 361st High Lord of Terra, began what has become known as the Age of Apostasy.

The horrors unleashed in this terrible time are only ever spoken of in hushed whispers and some legacies from these dark days remain to this day. By the time Vandire was overthrown, the new leaders of the Imperium were more concerned with rebuilding and undoing the damage Vandire had wrought than expanding the Emperor's realm. Thus it was not until a Tau ship entered the Devlan system that Imperial authorities were to again encounter the Tau. The system defence ships immediately attacked the alien vessel, pursuing it to the system's edge and destroying it with aid from the Imperial Navy. When Adeptus Mechanicus Genetors examined the bodies onboard the wrecked ship, they discovered that gene samples taken from the corpses matched those of the primitive aliens discovered by the crew of Land's Vision nearly six thousand years ago.

Further contact with the Tau was made rapidly as the warp storms isolating their empire finally abated. Rogue Traders and frontier outposts frequently encountered the aliens in a trading capacity. This contact was to continue for nearly a century before the Damocles Crusade smashed into Tau space. Tau colony ships, continually forcing their way into Imperial held systems ignited a number of brushfire wars that escalated into a full scale Imperial crusade. Months of fighting ensued, with appalling casualties on both sides and no end in sight. The crusade was only halted when a truce was negotiated by the Water caste and the impending arrival of hive fleet Behemoth forced Imperial forces to withdraw.

Continuing Tau expansion has resulted in more small-scale engagements being fought, though none with the same ferocity as the Damocles Crusade. There are still those who deal with the Tau, but these are generally limited to those with hereditary trade licences or pursuing legitimate Imperial business. It is important to remember that although the Tau are not overtly hostile in the same way as, for example, the Tyranids, they are dangerous aliens and should be treated with extreme caution whenever encountered.

The Tau are a dangerous foe and no Imperial servant can afford to dismiss their skills in warfare. Preferring long-range firefights rather than close assaults, the Tau are lethal when allowed to employ their devastating weaponry. The Fire caste often take to the battlefield in armoured battlesuits that are at least the equal of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. These battlesuits are capable of mounting a myriad array of heavy weaponry and are almost impervious to small arms fire. Their tanks are capable of mounting a powerful weapon known as a rail gun, which fires a hypervelocity projectile that can smash through the thickest armour with ease. The Tau Ethereals have been observed on relatively few battlefields, but on those rare occasions they have been recorded, it was observed that the Tau Fire Warriors fought with much greater resolve and courage. It can be surmised that these individuals represent the physical manifestation of each Tau's desire to further the greater good of their culture and, therefore, the highest priority must be given to their elimination in battle.

The one area of weakness of the Tau is their lack of ability in close quarters combat. It appears that the Tau regard close combat as a brutal, uncivilised affair and they avoid it wherever possible. In battle, the Tau are no more skilled or stronger than a human. The battlesuits boost their strength, but do not increase their fighting ability. If engaged at close range, they are vulnerable to assaults and to offset this, part of the Tau empire encompasses the worlds of an alien race known as the Kroot. These mercenaries are a ferocious, cannibal race who excel in close combat, fighting alongside vicious, snapping hounds and lumbering gun-beasts. These creatures should be destroyed as a matter of course, as they will often feast on the dead flesh of their foes. Instances of these aliens infiltrating the battlefield are far from uncommon and Imperial commanders should ensure that scouts and sentries are on their guard for these aliens attempting to creep forward unobserved.

The Earth caste is responsible for the construction and maintenance of Tau technology and it is thanks to their innovations that the Tau have expanded their empire so rapidly. Tau military technology is extremely advanced and is predominantly a mixture of high energy plasma and pulsed laser weaponry. The aforementioned rail gun is particularly potent and its technology is eagerly sought by members of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Anti-grav technology similar to that of the Eldar is widely employed by the Tau in their 'Hammerhead' tanks and 'Devilfish' APCs. These technology bases are carried over into non-military applications and are frequently found on Tau worlds where humans have been allowed to set foot.

Certain items of Tau technology are now in Imperial possession, mainly confiscated agricultural and construction equipment seized on frontier worlds from settlers who have illegally traded with Tau merchants. Such technology has been transported back to Mars for further study and it is hoped that the Adepts of the Machine God will be able to penetrate their secrets.

It is known that Tau society is divided into four castes, each based on one of the four elements of nature. Tau are born into their caste and breeding between the castes is forbidden under pain of death. The distinction between the castes appears to have been an evolutionary one, which has subsequently been reinforced by the ruling caste. A Tau's caste can be determined by its appearance, as noted previously, but also by name. The first part of a Tau's full name encompasses his caste, while other parts reveal his rank, world of origin and achievements (the entomology of Tau names is dealt with in a separate document). The four castes are:

The Fire caste are the warriors of the Tau and it is their duty to defend the other castes. The Fire caste are the biggest and strongest of the Tau, standing shorter, but as broad as a human. Fire Warriors are strongly motivated by a strict code of honour in battle and see ranged combat as more desirable to the carnage of hand-to-hand combat, preferring to use their advanced weaponry rather than brute force to win battles. Tau Fire warriors serve for many years and if they survive for long enough, they may become commanders. Eventually, they will be allowed to retire from active service, join the council of advisors and play a greater part in Tau politics.

The Earth caste are the artisans and labourers of the Tau. They build the machines, erect the dwellings and provide the food for the rest of Tau society. This caste farm the limited fertile land on their arid worlds and labour in the factories. It is unseemly for any other caste to take part in such labours, though the work the Earth caste performs is in no way looked down upon. They are recognised as performing an essential part of the continued existence of the Tau and their place in the Greater Good is well respected. Engineers and scientists, they are responsible for the construction and maintenance of all aspects of Tau technology.

Water caste members are bureaucrats, politicians, negotiators and administrators. They are the merchants and diplomats, moving in and around the other castes to ensure that society functions smoothly, always in the service of the Greater Good. Water caste members often accompany Tau expeditionary forces to negotiate safe conduct through alien systems and smooth the passage of Tau merchants and colonists. Imperial servants should be aware that these Tau are exceptionally skilled at manipulating weak willed individuals and every remark addressed to a member of the Water caste must be carefully considered and phrased to prevent any sensitive information being divulged.

Air

It is believed that members of the Air caste were traditionally messengers and couriers, but they are now recognised as the Tau equivalent to Imperial Naval officers. They are pilots and starship crews, transporting goods and warriors to where they are needed. They are the unseen force that lay waste to Imperial towns and cities, bombarding them from orbit to pave the way for Tau colonists. Air caste members live almost entirely off world, except for pilots of atmospheric craft (although even they frequently live in orbital stations).

The Tau word for this caste translates variously as Celestial or Ethereal, and originates from the mysterious individuals who are suspected to dwell within the secret city on T'au. They are the rulers of the Tau empire, but where this authority derives from is a mystery. It is suspected that these individuals may have united the disparate tribes of the Tau that fought one another in the past, but exact details are hard to come by. Certainly any Tau questioned on the subject shrouds the Ethereals in such mystery that it is impossible to judge what is fact and what is legend. Some members of the Adeptus Mechanicus believe that the Ethereals utilise some form of latent psychic or innate pheromone based power to rule, and are naturally very interested in this aspect of Tau culture.

The threat of the Tau should not be underestimated on the basis of their non-overtly aggressive nature. Their ever expanding empire continues to push deep into Imperial space and such effrontery must be met with the requisite force in order to push these aliens back into their own space. At present there is no specific policy of extermination aimed at the Tau, and it would take a major effort on the part of the Imperium to destroy the Tau empire, if indeed such a thing is now possible. With the exception of some radical Fire caste commanders, the Tau do not appear to regard the Imperium as a threat and conflict usually only erupts when the encroachments of the Tau become intolerable to local system commanders.

A basic Fire Warrior is, on most occasions, no match for even a newly recruited Guardsman in close quarters combat. Their lack of fighting ability is possibly linked to a slow reaction time, which, in turn, may be a factor of their reduced depth perception and slow focusing reflex. Strength and resilience are at least the equal of a human, while their discipline in battle is generally better than that of an average Guardsman. A Fire warrior is generally equipped with a pulse rifle and this weapon has superior range to most Imperial weapons of comparable hitting power, though this is at the expense of armour penetration. It is an ideal defensive weapon, capable of laying down a formidable hail of fire on attackers. It is also common to see Fire warriors taking the field with the shorter-barrelled pulse carbine. This weapon has a reduced range, but may be fired on the move just as effectively. The carbine is also equipped with an underslung grenade dispenser that fires simultaneously with the pulse shots and this can cause less disciplined troopers to seek cover rather than advance.