The Tau Psyche: Advice Needed!

[BigToof]

Hi All,
It was recently commented to me that I have difficulty writing memorable Tau characters.

One of the things that I had noticed is that I just don't have a good foundation for the Tau psyche.

I can assume they are "sort of" like feudal Japan/China with imperialistic overtones, but with a strange amount of naivete that seems out of place for 40k.

But individual characters aren't making a lot of sense without "humanizing" them too much.

Also umm... I'm not too familiar with the Tau literature out there and wanted to know what people consider to be accurate/appropriate vs inaccurate/garbage in terms of depictions.

Best,
-BT

[Wargamer]

Tau are all about the Greater Good. That's pretty much all you need to keep in mind.

Just try to frame everything around that central ideal. Think about how the characters see themselves in connection with the greater whole. You might, for example, have a Shas'O who feels humbled by the trust the Tau'va place in him by giving him an entire world's forces to control, or perhaps you might have a Shas'ui who feels that his talents are not being put to best use within the rigid structure of the Fire Caste (a prime candidate for a Stealth Team character).

The 'feudal Japan' model is useful to some extent, but not as much as you might think. Yes, there's obvious links between the Samurai way of life and the Fire Caste, but the Samurai are about making yourself the ultimate bad-ass warrior. The Fire Caste are more about making yourself part of a flawless fighting unit.

As for 'humanising', don't be afraid to do that. Just make sure that it happens in ways that feel right for the Tau. For example, a Firewarrior might bemoan his situation, but he would likely always trust in his superiors and their plans; where a Human might resent being 'the bait' in a trap, the Shas might instead lament that the enemy did not fall for the trap as quickly as they would have liked, resulting in needless deaths.

The naivety is also something tricky to pull off. Myself, I would suggest thinking of the Tau in terms of children who are just old enough to begin questioning their parents. They have these wonderful ideals that they cling to so desperately, yet they can't really adjust their thinking when the world turns those ideals on their heads. Remember, 40K is about contrast and contradiction: the Adeptus Mechanicus behave like medieval monks, yet command technology far beyond anything we can comprehend. It is a science fiction setting where magic is real and prayer can stop bullets, or more often open a hole to Hell for Daemons to emerge. It is a place of tragedy and of the great brought low by arrogance, and the Tau do have a place in that. Their place is in the clash between their high ideals, and the means by which they enact it.

Take the core ideal of the Tau'va; the dream that the entire galaxy can be united under the Tau banner, with all races living together in peace to serve each other and bring prosperity to all. Now think on just how brutally the myriad of 40K races shut that down. How does one make peace with the followers of the Dark Gods without becoming slaves to darkness? How does one make peace with an Ork, who lives only for war, or with a Tyranid, which exists only to consume and procreate its own race at the expense of all other life? They face the Eldar, who might seek to destroy them for trespassing onto a world they abandoned before the Tau race existed, yet still claim as their own. The Dark Eldar would enslave them, torture them and consume their souls to continue their barbarous way of life. The Necrons have enough trouble accepting the rule of another of their own kind, and would never suffer anything so primitive as a Tau to command them.

In essence, the Tau'va is a falsehood - a dream that cannot be made real. This fact is presented to the Tau in a thousand bloody and terrible ways, yet still they cling to it, believing  that somehow their vision can be made real. Perhaps it is naivety, or perhaps it is desperation; the Tau fear the time of darkness, the Mont'au, and there are easy comparisons between that dark age and what the rest of the 40K universe throws at them. The Tau perhaps see themselves as the last beacon of light in a galaxy of darkness, and they must be prepared to defend that light, for evil is drawn to it like moths to the flame...

[BigToof]

Thanks for the great reply!

Is there anything I should avoid when depicting the Tau?

I know many people (i.e. the Ward) have used Tau as doormats for depicting the awesomness of other races, but is there anything in particular that I should try to avoid?

Best,
-BT

[Wargamer]

I think you just need to make sure they feel real. People often carry strong convictions about things they believe in, but when those beliefs are called into question you can get some great character development. How would a Tau react when encountering a religion older than his entire species? How would he deal with the horrors of the Warp and the corrupted servants of the Dark Gods? These things may cause him to question himself, and thus his own beliefs.

In broader terms... just don't fall into the trap GW did of granting the Tau a Deus Ex Machina button to save them every time something remotely threatening showed up. Tau are not interesting when all they face are conveniently small Ork warbands who brought nothing but choppas to a gunfight.

[The Man They Call Jayne]

I think it is worth mentioning that in several cases (although possibly less often now) is that if the Tau are readying their battlesuits, its because their attempts at diplomacy have failed. The Tau will actually to negotiate with the enemy in the way (unless they are Orks or Nids) by sending Water Caste envoys. The Tau don't seem to mind what religion you follow aslong as you submit to The Greater Good. Most Gue'la that defected from the Imperium still worship the Emperor and the Tau don't mind that. They don't even force them to fight against their former friends.

When the Tau go to war, it is because playing nice has failed. Because behind the curtain the Tau are going to expand whatever it takes.

In the service of the greater good there is no shame in being a Shas'la your whole life because that is your position. While you take orders you are not looked down upon. Shas'Os are not towering beacons of arrogance with a "throw men at it until we win" mentalities. Every Tau is not expendable and a single loss is a terrible thing for them.

Everybody knows their place, and there is little in the way of desire as we would recognise it. A Shas'la is tested after 4 years to become a Shas'ui. If he passes he passes and thats great. If he fails he fails and he will never be mocked or belittled. The only "shame" in the Empire is not working towards the greater good. Selfishness and desire for personal gain is against everything the Tau believe. Everyone is an essential cog in the machine of the Tau'va.

Whent hey go to war it is with total conviction because that is what now must be done for the Greater Good of the Tau. I daresay that they even regret having to do it to a degree because it is fewer people who could be persuaded to join them.

[knightperson]

The Black Library novel Courage and Honor had some Tau in it, and for the most part it is an example of how NOT to treat a race that you care about, but there are moments of reasonable treatment. Basically, when you see the Tau not in battle, they are fairly well handled. The ethereal's ability to interact and negotiate with humans is fairly well portrayed, and I liked the description, through human eyes, of the crisis suits. Something like "That machine moves too smoothly to be a purely mechanical construction. Is there an organic creature inside it?"

The only bit of Tau psyche I remember (I only read the book once and didn't much like it) was a battlesuited Tau telling a human "if it were my choice I would kill you, but Aun-something has commanded otherwise." There was minimal resentment about that fact and no thought from the Tau of having the human "have an unfortunate accident" because that's not the way things work. When an ethereal makes his wishes known, you do all you can to make them happen. Or maybe her wishes. Has it ever been determined that ethereals even have genders?

[The Man They Call Jayne]

Well if you were writing a veteran Shas'Vre or higher, you could write in a bit of Battlesuit Psychosis. The Neural link the suit has with the pilot can cause lots of problems. Maybe even a form of multiple personality disorder in extreme cases. One personality would be the Tau himself, humble to the greater good and waiting for the Ethereals commands. The other could be the Tau in the 'Suit, always thinking, planning, strategising, weapons always ready and always on edge.

Could make for an interesting character.

[Waaaghpower]

I think it is worth mentioning that in several cases (although possibly less often now) is that if the Tau are readying their battlesuits, its because their attempts at diplomacy have failed. The Tau will actually to negotiate with the enemy in the way (unless they are Orks or Nids) by sending Water Caste envoys. The Tau don't seem to mind what religion you follow aslong as you submit to The Greater Good. Most Gue'la that defected from the Imperium still worship the Emperor and the Tau don't mind that. They don't even force them to fight against their former friends.

Why wouldn't they negotiate with Orks? We will gladly make a deal. I recall one heartwarming story about a city that agreed to supply Orks with thousands of guns a month in exchange for not being completely wiped out. See? Negotiation.

[The Man They Call Jayne]

It has been mentioned before that the Orks will never ever come around to the Greater Good. There can be no peace between the two races in the long run. Small trade agreements and temporary deals only last as long as the Orks want them to.

[Naser Al-Istikhara Cyrus]

BT, if you want some solid content, give this page a browse. While not a university-worthy resource, it depics the general social structure which the tau follow (utilitarian; for the greater good) The only real difference is that the Tau aren't striving to be "Happy", but instead are motivated to simply be one.

We are the race of Unity, and the race of Utilisers. Our focus is to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. It is right to do what is good, over what is right. We do not believe in universality, because we are the best race.
~ Ethereal Aurakul