[Wargamer]

I seriously need to get back to writing, and one of the story series I most enjoyed penning up was the Tau'va series.

So, I need to do another. Thing is, I want to try and make sure it's something people want to read about, possibly things that don't get covered much. So, I'm going to throw this open to the Tau board. I would like you all to provide me with some info on what area of the Tau you would like to see explored.

A few examples; are you interested in what happens when Tau "do a Farsight"? Would you be interested in seeing how the Fio and Por cope with invasion? List for me, if you will, the things about the Tau you'd like to see explored in greater detail.

[Dom of Gears]

Hmm, things I'd most like to see in a Tau story...

I'd quite like to see something exploring possible conflict between the Tau and their auxiliary races like the Kroot and the Vespid, I'm sure that often commanders don't agree and that Tau-Alien relations aren't quite as perfect as propaganda would have us believe. As you mentioned, Tau going rogue would also be an interesting concept to look into..

[Col.Angus]

If anything Id like to read a novel about the aux. Humans that join the Tau.

-what motivates them to join?
-how does it happen?
-What conflicts to they encounter internally and externally for their choices?
-how are they treated by the Tau?
-How do they wash away all those years of pollitical brain washing?
-what personal sacrifices do they make and how are they effected by what they left behind?
-what hopes do they have to grow as people in an empire of aliens? Do they see how the tables are turned?
-Do they all accept their fates or do some fall back to their imperial ways of hating aliens?
-what new bonds do they create in the unit and with the tau?
-Are the Tau really just nice, or are they hiding their motives with a smile?

Plenty of dynamics to go into. I dunno if you can make it a good read, but in general Id read a book about that if it was talented.

[Bubgum]

Originally Posted by Wargamer

A Tau becomes a Pathfinder the same way a Guardsman becomes a Sniper; if you are good at a specialist area, you are sent to perfect that role.

Stealth Teams are an exception; they are loners by nature who do not work well within the rigid heirarchy of the Shas military. As such, they are given more leeway to work as "Lone Wolves", rather than chained heavily to command.

Saw that in another thread. I've always been wondering what it meant by Lone Wolves. There's a task for yah. ;D How are they lone wolves? What kind of freedom are they given?

[khanaris]

Not really about the Tau, but I would love to see what happens when you get a very small number of Tau trying to a coordinate a strike force consisting of equal parts Kroot and Vespids. :shifty:

Alternatively, anything exploring the Air Caste would be interesting.

[Genmotty]

Well I write fluff for what I'm interested in and that normally revolves around non-combat forces or specail characters in the army rather than actual soldiers in the think of it. I dunno, fluff like that always seems more real, than the heroics that many fans write about.

If you want to combine ideas already outlined in this thread already. What about a rescue mission for some Fio being led by some kroot while the Tau in charge has a certain amount of disrespect and impatience in the kroot leading to a botched job as the Gue'vesa can't do the job either and are breaking up because of it. Thus there are tensions in the rescue party. That way you can write about all that has been outlined already .

Genmotty

[sionnach19]

I second Genmotty's recommendation.

Definitely pick out the grittier aspects of the Tau Empire, even make the higher up chain of Fire Caste/Ethereal command seem very negative. It think a rescue mission would be really good, a way to incorporate different castes into the conflict. Have stealthsuits or kroot lead the mission, maybe a few of both.

Most important is going to be the Tau's enemy. I would recommend blurring that line drastically: The Tau invaded (making them aggressive) a small human farming settlement, and finding no force that could contribute to the Empire decide to quickly capture the capital and destroy the civilization. So the warriors fighting the Tau shouldn't be hardened veterans, more like scared farmers. Think Vietnam or something. It says somewhere in the codex that the Tau only choose auxiliaries that are able to provide something they lack. By messing up the archetype of relatively "good", peaceful Tau the story becomes far more interesting.

The rescue-ees could even be reporters that witnessed terrible acts of violence and are secretly trying to be killed so the brutality does not reach the public.

[enderwiggin]

Originally Posted by sionnach19

I second Genmotty's recommendation.

Definitely pick out the grittier aspects of the Tau Empire, even make the higher up chain of Fire Caste/Ethereal command seem very negative. It think a rescue mission would be really good, a way to incorporate different castes into the conflict. Have stealthsuits or kroot lead the mission, maybe a few of both.

Most important is going to be the Tau's enemy. I would recommend blurring that line drastically: The Tau invaded (making them aggressive) a small human farming settlement, and finding no force that could contribute to the Empire decide to quickly capture the capital and destroy the civilization. So the warriors fighting the Tau shouldn't be hardened veterans, more like scared farmers. Think Vietnam or something. It says somewhere in the codex that the Tau only choose auxiliaries that are able to provide something they lack. By messing up the archetype of relatively "good", peaceful Tau the story becomes far more interesting.

The rescue-ees could even be reporters that witnessed terrible acts of violence and are secretly trying to be killed so the brutality does not reach the public.

Just because they can't fight for the Tau Empire, it doesn't mean they'll go all Darfur on the local populace.

I would personally like to see a more scientific outlook, fluff-wise like a journal of a group exploring new areas. I'd be most interested in the explorations of the Vespid home planet or any artifact world(s) you could come up with.

[khanaris]

I have noticed that the definition of "interesting" varies quite a bit among people who don't play the army on a regular basis.

[Kasrkin]

I wouldn't mind seeing something about the subjugation / integration of an alien world into the Empire, possibly a new race of your own creation. Could allow for lots of interesting possibilities involving all five Castes (really the only Castes I've read much about in player fluff are the Shas and Aun, and very occasionally the Por), and allow the "greyer" elements of the Empire to be explored.