T'au Empire

A young, expanding alien empire built on the ideology of the Greater Good.

The T'au Empire is a small but growing realm of young, blue-skinned humanoid aliens on the edge of the Imperium of Man. Its ideology, the Greater Good, aims to unite every other race under it, and it is the only playable faction in the setting that brings other alien species into its own society. Some human worlds have left the Imperium to join it, and their people tend to live better than Imperial citizens because the T'au keep humane ethics and support scientific progress.

Background

T'au society is split into five castes whose members marry only within their own caste: the Ethereals are the spiritual leaders, the Fire Caste is the military, the Air Caste crews starships and aircraft, the Water Caste trades and negotiates, and the Earth Caste supplies scientists, engineers and labourers. On the tabletop the T'au favour ranged combat and avoid melee. Their pulse rifle outguns the Space Marine boltgun, and the railgun on their Hammerhead battle tank is stronger than its Imperial counterparts. They have no psykers, and most of their vehicles are flyers or skimmers that cross rough ground quickly. The army also fields alien auxiliaries.