The T'au Caste System (Warhammer 40k Lore)

[@beastalchemistVA]

If you enjoyed this video then please don't forget to like, subscribe, and comment! It literally helps make more of these! *Clarification* Some of the Demiurg of the Leagues of Votann are auxiliaries. My mistake. Should've written that better.

[@angrycrusader3926]

Idea for a video: Ranks of the Astra Militarum?

[@MrWhateverfits]

At the end you should have flashed a fan art of The Greater Good as a god in the warp cause I think thats whats happening.

[@SeyniFauconier]

11:45 OK I’m starting to think that the Ethereal are the only tau that can’t be trusted. Maybe the imperium actually noticed this they could have xenos be loyal to the god Empire.

[@ArcaneMaiden]

The moment T'au gets a chaos faction, the caste system will be: *The Greater Bad* Fire - The Greater Blood Water - The Greater Cuss Air - The Greater Brrrrrrrtt Earth - The Greater Flex

[@IsmaelSantos-xv9qf]

They got close. Farsight saw a vision of himself n his red armor, covered in blood, with lots of skulls and leading legions of rampaging firewarriors and bloodletters. There's also that Firewarrior, Kas, from the game Firewarrior, who shouts "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"

[@alex-uw4mm]

@@IsmaelSantos-xv9qf well luckily their presence in the warp is next to nothing, so the archenemy can only tempt them

[@Ike_of_pyke]

Mon'tau : we can do so much worse

[@doombybbr]

The Tau word for good is "Tau" So "the greater good" means "the greater tau" Chaos tau would likely be "the greater me" an inversion of the collectivist mindset of the Tau, where they are all out for themselves. And I am willing to bet, the Tau word for "individual" is the same word as "bad"

[@galling2052]

khorne is down bad for farsight.

[@Jack-0-lantern]

Than everything changed when the fire nation..... decided to leave and do its own thing. Random Ethereals: DAMM YOU FARSIGHT!!!

[@DeathMessenger1988]

I am convinced that the only hope for peace in the Grimdark Galaxy is an alliance between Roboute Guilliman (and other returned Primarchs, like Lion, Clone-Fulgrim or Jaghatai Khan), Commander Farsight, Yvraine and either Szarekh the Silent King or Trazyn the Infinite (if only out of self-interest or amusement).

[@RaikoTechnologies]

@@DeathMessenger1988 or just the Blue toiletseat boy and Szarech, others can be thrown off airlock.

[@aleanddragonITA]

​@@DeathMessenger1988 Add in the Daemon King as you cannot erase Chaos But DK would be a far better alternative than the Chaos Gods

[@frostbyte2384]

@@DeathMessenger1988 I really hope Clonegrim gets SOME sort of role to play.

[@Rebelcommander6]

I sent this to the players in my D&D game. 2 of them are playing Tau with an Earth Caste Mech Pilot and an Air Caste Ranger

[@beastalchemistVA]

Thank you for doing that!

[@ethrsag735]

I would very much like to join that game!!!

[@moderndavinci6599]

I'm running the FFG Rogue Trader ttrpg + Dark Heresy 2e, wishing I had some T'au in them

[@DecadeMinato]

Should have been an Earth Caste Artificier for lore accurate but that is just my W40k fanboy nitpick. Whatever funnier to play is always better.

[@Rebelcommander6]

@@DecadeMinato They are an Artificer. Mech Pilot is some Homebrew I found and modded to make it more akin to the XV8

[@martinratagris]

There are some moments of dark humor in the history of the T'au, like the time a T'au diplomat thought he would be the one to tame the brutal Orks and add them to tbe empire. He even spent time learning the Greenskins language. Let's just say that he failed.

[@beastalchemistVA]

Commander Farsight once artificially lowered his voice with his battlesuit to speak Orkish to taunt a bunch of Orks into coming out of their cover to charge him

[@sembarangjaknama]

and what happen to the diplomat?

[@martinratagris]

@@sembarangjaknama it was actually sad because we got to see his POV and how he was sure he was going to be the one to talk sense into the Orks and go down in history as the guy that ended such a threat to the Greater Good. The Orks found him funny and immediately killed him very orkily. As a side note, Ciaphas Cain has picked up a bit of orkish. Mostly curses and insults but there is an argument to be made that most of the lenguaje consist of those.

[@professionaldaft7403]

1:57 Water Caste (poor) funniest line in the whole video

[@oligb1469]

I really want more Auxiliaries like a full army's worth, I love the idea of them so much they just need more lore and models other than the Kroot.

[@MetalGearUltima]

W-Water Caste Tau p-pretty... Jokes aside, awesome video. A really good introduction onto what a Tau is.

[@dumboi5369]

I mean, she does look awfully cute compared to the usual descriptions of tau female I have heard, idk, heard something about tau women looking haggish or sumshit

[@DylanJo123]

​@@dumboi5369 just like humans. You have pretty ones and dog ugly ones

[@TheHorsemanOfTheApocalypse]

Not canon!

[@cordak_Blaster]

FOUL XENOPHILE!

[@Neo2266.]

-It’d stick it in that forehead hole just like Kitten did-

[@alexhaney5641]

Let a Klingon insult a water caste and see what happens.

[@Keilink]

-"You dirty xeno, I will never-" -"We have hoof pics" -"For the greater good!" Water cast in action is terrifying xD

[@spacedude5208]

By the emperors will we must stay focus brothers but hear me out

[@_NIKOS9_NIKOS]

Covenant: I am interstellar alien Empire that is made out of 11 different alien species! T'au Empire: Those are rookie numbers! I have way over 45 different aliens as part of my faction! Covenant: Well shit that is impressive. Are they just as fleshed out as ours? T.E.: LMAO, NAH! All of them putt together have roughly the same amount of lore and art as the Drones.Remove the Kroot and the freaking Yonhet have more stuff than them! Covenant: Damn, that's...very sad actually. Seems like a complete waste of potential as well T.E.: It really is...

[@frostbyte2384]

Don’t forget how one of their members might not exist because the Demiurge were supposed to be replacements for the Squats but now we have the Leagues of Votan so who knows what is going on there. (Might have gotten some names wrong)

[@elxenologoimperial184]

@@frostbyte2384 Games Workshop configured the Demiurgs to be allies of only one family from the Votann leagues, which maintains good relations with the Tau but is not part of their empire.

[@GamesWorkshopsFlyingCircus]

Love the Tau, great faction and I'm a weeb so Alien Gundam are appreciated

[@zico739]

The Tau have one of the best aesthetics in the franchise.

[@Dat_boi43]

I love this series. Keep up the good work.

[@ACEE-ee2xr]

Man, I love the art, the presentation, each character was really cool.

[@kaitracksmalgom]

Not even 30 seconds in and the intro got me

[@bradypus55]

I love this video and the cute art. But there is a detail about the Ethereal that i find many tau lore video forget to mention. See it is very true that the Ethereal hold all political powers that when they speak, everyone stops and listen. However, this is only true to a certain rank. Those rank apprentice, prince and prelate do not hold such power except only to those of other caste of the same rank or lower. This means that an Earth caste Overseer (rank 4) can order an Ethereal caste prince (rank 2) and the Ethereal will have to obey. But then again, an Ethereal caste prince has more connection to a Ethereal Supreme (max rank) then anyone on the earth caste can have. And the earth caste member who gave such an order will have to explain to an ethereal why he gave that order (Say, the prince was about to press a big red "DO NOT TOUCH" button and had to be stopped?). So events like these are situational and rare. But they do happen as this is how a young Ethereal caste member learns how the society around them works over time. Despite popular beliefs, Ethereal are not born all knowing and with unlimited political powers. They are born young, learn over time and then earn the ranks like anyone else in Tau society. I bring this up cause i seen too many people say that the Tau caste are "just like the Indian caste system" (where a child of a upper caste can order an elder of a lower caste around) but that's simply not true here. Even the highest rank of the ethereal caste listen to the equally ranked members of the other caste before making the final decision. They can't just barge in and demand the impossible right away without knowing what resources they have first... this isn't the Imperium! And don't get me started when two equal ranked ethereal have a disagreement (see how the ethereal of the core septs reacted to the disastrous Fourth Sphere of Expansion and finally decided they had to send Shadowsun to stop them physically). But that's another story. Also not a really important detail but regarding the auxiliary forces, it is true that they are allowed to work for any of the caste branches (and even earn ranks!). However, they rarely choose these positions. It is mostly chosen for them based on their skills, attributes and if the situation calls for more members of that caste (example: the earth caste needs more engineers, the air caste needs more pilots, ork invasion is coming and we need more fire warriors, etc...). It's for this reason that the title "Gue'vesa" given to the human living in their society literally mean "Human helper". And fun lore bits too, a human regardless of their faction affiliation are called "Gue'la" in general and a space marines are called "Gue'ron'sha" (literally "engineered human warrior"). If you are curious, humans in tau society who has commanding power, be it politically, military or as engineer team leaders, are called "Gue'vesa'vres" (literally "trusted human helper"). Technically the other xenos races also have a similar system but it is mostly the humans, vespid and the kroot who fall in that rule... at least that we know of (Come on GW, give us an auxiliary codex or more stories about them!). Still over all, like it is said in the video, xenos living in the Tau empire have more social mobility then say the average human in the Imperium have. But all must live under the whim of the Tau ethereal caste, with their good intentions or evil ones.

[@Epickate368]

The tau is such a cool faction

[@SynthswaggerYT]

I should report this to the Inquisition… but I don’t get paid enough to snitch

[@ashardalondragnipurake]

good job on the watercaste voice actor earned you a like

[@skye-yn5nk]

Love your art and lore, great video

[@animegirl8415]

Love your narration good work 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@Aircastegamer]

Your qoute at 11:57 is literally from book 📖 that i owned from the novel call "warhammer 40k, Farsight empire of lies" that seen was kinda funny 😂in my head cause the Ethereal calm everyone in the train soo much that someone broke their own bones in the cramp trained.

[@ReinaSaurus]

the combat form MONAT is always forgotten...lone operatives do not seek glory on the battlefield

[@bloo_jahy]

Just as good as the last few! Still calling for Eldar to be next though!

[@beastalchemistVA]

Someday

[@dinoz2113]

Someday in the future maybe

[@dinoz2113]

Hopefully

[@Warmaster2001]

Well with cutie Eldars it will be slightly complex because of paths and aspect factors. But first rank will be Guardian and the last will be Autarch (the supreme commander of Craftworld) but it is also unstable. Because every Craftworld ruling regime is different. Biel-Tan for example because of their Militaristic style of life can be leaded by Autarch, Ulthwe is most likely to be leaded by council of seers.

[@andrewcrane5105]

I sent this to my colleague, who works at the Inquisition. You will be contacted, heretic.

[@be1394]

I just realized, Tau are chaos tainted, each caste represents a different god, water are slaanesh, fire khorne

[@mystermothman3092]

Wind is Tzeentch, Earth is Nurgle, and Chaos Undivided is the Ethereals

[@matthewpinner9419]

What about tzeench and nurgle?

[@Uutron]

@@matthewpinner9419, earth and air respectivelly, i think.

[@averageeughenjoyer6429]

As much of a stretch as the Ogryn origin story

[@Aircastegamer]

What's the rest?

[@popbomb6528]

silky bean, you can not synthesize a pure element.

[@joevanbegata6364]

The into is perfect

[@tabbywolf801]

The Tau Caste System is Somewhat a Net Negative for the Tau as a Whole to be Honest

[@bannawithamic2018]

Dispite the fact they advanced faster than any other civilization

[@beastalchemistVA]

To compare, humans created fire over a hundred thousand years ago

[@tabbywolf801]

True @@beastalchemistVA, True. but the Farsight Enclaves Started out as a Rebelion Against the Ethereal Caste and their Supporters in the Tau Empire.

[@beastalchemistVA]

It actually started out as an expedition to reclaim Tau worlds across the Damocles Gulf. In their horrible first ever encounter with Chaos demons, Farsight lost the 3 Ethereals that were a part of the expedition. And he took note of the Ethereal's blatant denial of demons and made it so that the Farsight Enclaves wouldn't get anymore assistance from the core T'au worlds as he wanted to avoid any clearly suspicious Ethereal influence

[@tabbywolf801]

Fair Enough@@beastalchemistVA, Not Going to Argue with a Well-Constructed Argument

[@Scorp_2]

Wow! Such an obvious and beautiful intro that nobody did before 😂 Bravo!

[@psychokozel9916]

all guardsmen squat referance? Nice

[@firelordeliteast6750]

I’m not gonna lie… this system actually seems like an upgrade to certain real life governments. The concentration of power is a little fishy, but considering everybody has a role and protected rights, that already puts them up higher. The lack of racism, sexism, corruption and religious persecution is also a plus.

[@beastalchemistVA]

That's the point! In the grim darkness of 40k, you would most likely choose to join a faction that treated you with some kind of dignity

[@cyrusmann5443]

From what I've heard, it seems auxiliaries are treated as lesser than tau, however it's still leagues better than almost anything in 40k

[@beastalchemistVA]

Farsight, in his books, is kind of space racist. But he is trying to get better. Shadowsun once told a Kroot that she found his cannabilism obscene and unnatural

[@Lightscribe225]

Yeah on paper there seems to be no discrimination. But as many things that sound good on paper...

[@theloweffortchannel7211]

Only because the tau speciated enough to be fully distinguishable into their castes

[@Rapture-nv5vj]

Great video. I love your voice

[@neongenesisevangelion587]

Fire Caste: Warriors and Nobles Earth Caste: Scientists and Workers Air Caste: Pathfinders, Explorers, and Travelers Water Caste: Bureaucrats/Politicians/Merchants (original would be rulers of the Tau) Ethereal Caste: Religious and Cultural Philosophers/Leaders (basically had preemptively usurped all leadership roles over the Tau from their Water Caste)

[@LjSeymour-t4i]

you should do chaos daemons next

[@evanbelisle8464]

Your art is incredible.

[@beastalchemistVA]

Please check out the artist in the description

[@OceanWilks]

can you do the eldar ranks

[@beastalchemistVA]

I could do one about eldar jobs.

[@megamente7849]

​@@beastalchemistVACan you do Orks to? :D

[@OceanWilks]

@@beastalchemistVA good to know thanks

[@cyrusmann5443]

​@megamente7849 chances are it'll be a size comparison

[@maximemillaire]

Can you try the Orks ranks next

[@averageeughenjoyer6429]

There are only three tho

[@Warmaster2001]

Well probably the start will be grots, than Boyz/Mekz/Pain Boyz, after Nobz, then Warboss

[@maximemillaire]

@@Warmaster2001 ok

[@vinzilla9486]

ORKZ ORKZ ORKZ!!!!!!

[@Spoinkus_thy_doinkus]

WAAAAAAGH!

[@vinzilla9486]

@@Spoinkus_thy_doinkus DAKADAKADAKA

[@Warmaster2001]

1st stage: Grots and BOYZ 2nd stage: NOBZ 3rd stage: *WARBOSS!* 4th stage: *WARLORD GHAZGHKULL! WAAAAAAGH!*

[@mrdigzs]

There’s a lot of WAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! going on here BOYZ. BUT THAT’Z BECAUZE DA ORKZ IZ DA BEZT!!!

[@muaowa]

So the Tau basically have the biggest marketing department in the galaxy?

[@grover7378]

Not Shure if someone already told you this, but the votann are not part of the tau empire they gave the tau some of there out dated tech and are friends with them to a degree but there not part of the empire

[@beastalchemistVA]

Yeah, I didn't write that out well. I'll admit to that. Some of the Demiurg in the Leagues are auxiliaries of the T'au

[@DamanHillard]

"Caste Member" 🌝

[@internetuser320]

Hoof pic??

[@teobratuteodor1728]

If is something i wish i could tell to the whole tau race it would be to humanity was just like them but there was no one to save them in time.

[@_uchiha]

Early gang>>>>>>>>>

[@QueenPancake-]

THEY'RE A CASTE SYSTEM??? AW COME ON MAAAAN

[@daha1214]

I would Tau Ideologie is pretty based

[@tahamoukhliss8420]

1:55 I'm sorry, they have WHAT!?

[@mrdigzs]

I couldn’t understand her either

[@francisharkins]

For the Tau themselves the system works really well. Its an improved form of government to most systems and allows for uplifting races and maintaining their systems and trade routes to be a relatively easy and smooth process. Though the issue arises when the Tau face other ideologies or forces strong enough to say no to joining their empire. Even if given a peaceful rejection they immediately jump to violence to force the planet they were rejected by into the fold of the Greater Good. They also have issues with other races cultures and beliefs, or even military might due to how deep the propaganda and subtle brainwashing of the superiority of the Greater Good is instilled on them. As shown in a book (forgot the title will check afterwords if someones curious) where Farsight mocks Imperium Titans for being crude imitations of their mechs when in reality the Titans are far far older than the Tau's Empire, and a Dreadnought is even older than the Tau. But it makes them a well written faction at times that they do have flaws, I just feel like the caste system would be way to easy of a target for Subterfuge. Thankfully the Tau don't have much in the way of a Warp presence so they don't need to worry about Chaos just yet.

[@ch3rp1]

1:52 I thought that drone was a Botafumeiro, zamn, I hate living in Galicia frfr 💀💀💀

[@pierrecoudret2439]

It is said in the Empire of Mankind that the people conquered by the Tau will indeed find some sort of confort living under their rule BUT they all get neutered. Every single one of them. Should a pregnant mom join the greater good, they will let the baby live, but as soon as its out of the womb, snip snip, sterilisation.. So, on one hand, they dont kill you and they let you keep most of your possessions, on the other hand, that doesnt apply to the family jewels. And so, once the last autochton on a conquered planet dies of old age, only the Tau and their auxiliaries remains. Do you still think it's the greater good?

[@smurphy8881]

Which cast would have artists, animators, and chefs?

[@beastalchemistVA]

Probably earth

[@Inactive_Account29283]

@@beastalchemistVAconsidering the tau goverment is rather authoritarian i feel like the water caste would be the artist and animators to create propoganda for the goverment

[@OceanWilks]

nice video

[@Walter_Jr.69420]

Do guardsmen!

[@Warmaster2001]

Well it will be much easier because they will have rank system like in our millenium. But it depends which country system is standard because every regiment can have different rankings. For example Cadians probably are Muricans (knowing their legendary Planet fall before the Guard) will have US rank system, while Kriegers being Germans will use or Modern day Bundeswehr ranks or WW1 Reichswehr rank system which is more authentic because Kriegers are WW1 Germans. Pretorians will use British rank system, Vallhalans and Vostroyans will use Russian one.

[@thylacinepunic5582]

Yo!!! Xenos!!!!!! Purge them!!!!!

[@italiansauce4779]

Random commisar: on a scale of heresy to non heresy of this video, HErEsY!!! Blam... Jk I like your vids bro. Could you tell us what other vids you have planed?

[@alBoorack]

Divide and conquer social order. I bet it's effective.

[@EskraxTheSleepless]

What about a Tyranid hierarchy?

[@cordak_Blaster]

funny

[@Blundabus1337]

Love your videos, but there's one issue: "Anyone can join the Empire" Orks, Necrons, and Space Marines are kill on sight, refusing to even attempt diplomacy with them. For context, the Imperium at times parlays with the Orks(especially Blood Axe Orks) and the necrons seem to work with the Imperium more than against them in major conflicts, such as during the defense of Cadia and the Blood Angel incident. The Tau are unironically more intolerant than the Imperium, they're just better at propaganda.

[@beastalchemistVA]

Actually. They first tried diplomacy with them. And when the obvious results happened, they deemed them nonnegotiable. Same thing happened the first time they encountered demons of Chaos

[@Blundabus1337]

@@beastalchemistVA True, but current Tau procedure is kill on sight. ...and they did the same with nids, twice. That part confuses me, one instance with orks, two with nids.

[@beastalchemistVA]

Ok, but I think willfully working alongside other aliens all of the time makes them thevmore tolerable than the other factions. They've even worked alongside Imperial Guard before

[@Dushess]

@@Blundabus1337 do you really think 'nids need any explaination? A real galaxy scale bioweapon, what negotiations will you apply if they only want to consume and move to next target?

[@Inquisitor-Yog-Sothoth]

I smell heresy.

[@Dushess]

no heresy is here, Inquisitor.

[@combinecommando001]

The Ethereal cast is and has always been shady af. It's no wonder why Farsight just up and left and when you read any Tau related stories, you pretty much come to the same conclusion that he has, don't trust them in any way shape or form, they may have united the other castes, but to whose benefit?

[@Conrad-c6w]

and remember tau are weaker at melee even to normal humans exept if they are farsight

[@eiric6958]

Yeaaa, I have agreed and joined due to the 34 rules of Ta'u propoganda.

[@Dushess]

sheesh, there is only 27 of them. we often use up to 19.

[@mrdigzs]

I won’t be surprised if you’re a follower of slaanesh if I’m being honest.

[@mahoganydoughnut6082]

Ok but when do we get the chinese elements cast. Shiw me the metal tau.

[@elyaszabri5007]

DO DE ORK

[@shadowpoet4398]

Yeah yeah, until the Fire Nation came all over our cities and coastlines.

[@cordak_Blaster]

THIS IS XENO PROPAGANDA! IGNORE IT OR IT WILL CONSUME YOUR HEART AND TAKE IT AWAY FROM THE EMPEROR!

[@flakzuludeusex2365]

ok now i get it now its like an avatar legend of Ange or Korra cast system of elements in Warhammer 40k.

[@blam320]

You guessed wrong. The Four Nations in Avatar don’t have set societal roles based on which “element” they belong to, and they’re certainly not forbidden from intermarrying. The Tau’s caste system is more like what you might see in India. Each caste has firmly defined roles in society which are not done by any of the others, and you are completely incapable of leaving the caste you were born into.

[@JKk-dd6ng]

Ironically though they are like the Avatar of James Cameron's movies though.

[@HuxleysShaggyDog]

Caste not Cast

[@beodun]

I now understand why the Imperium wants to eliminate the Tao, they're so annoying -_-'

[@william4889]

more

[@pbpixil417]

Comment tribute

[@RaikoTechnologies]

Everyone wants himself a Water caste wife, but no one asks, why do they have such big holes on their faces compared to others? Also, where you are wrong is: a person can't do "between spheres"(two at the same time to be exact), but it can switch caste if desired. It is very rare(and hard to achieve), but it can be done.

[@abdamit]

I think it's a flaw in the lore-logic, that air-cast dislike planetary gravity + the fact that they have holow bones, but then it's stated, they can withstand higher G-forces than human pilots? does that mean the average "normal" Tau is used to even higher gravity, than a human? So that the air-cast are compared to other Tau weaker, but Tau on average are all stronger than humans? that would be the only explaination I can think of.

[@empyrean5183]

Finally, a more diverse set of racial slurs.

[@lcrow3104]

Calling Tau social hierarchy system as caste is not accurate at all. Real life caste system is actually worse, the lower you are in the hierarchy, the more likely you are to be treated as a sub-human. Tau society is more like modern society, where ruling position is unofficially hereditary, but commoners are entitled to fundamental and equal rights, except the very poor ones naturally, etc

[@beastalchemistVA]

I'm just using what the official lore calls it

[@lcrow3104]

@@beastalchemistVA it's GW's fault XD

[@hirocheeto7795]

Calling them 'castes' is a proper use of the word. The Hindu system isn't the only caste system in existence.

[@lcrow3104]

@@hirocheeto7795 It's as proper as calling just any society with a hierarchical structure, which is basically every society before modern era, a caste system.

[@hirocheeto7795]

@@lcrow3104 Except the T'au have very clearly defined - with particular emphasis on racial traits - organized strata. It's not just 'hierarchical,' that's simplistic. Its specially segmented, fully formed and individual pieces moving in tandem to create a full society. I really don't know how to emphasize any further how much the word 'caste' fits the T'au. Also the modern era still has a hierarchical structure, that hasn't changed.

[@diego6849]

Is there an indian caste ? A separate tau caste that has indians 🤷‍♂️

[@cordak_Blaster]

what are you on about

[@diego6849]

@@cordak_Blaster indians ?

[@kooolainebulger8117]

space commie weebs

[@Dushess]

not commie at all.