Tau physiology

[TTT]

I'm just wondering about tau feet, or, to the point, hooves. It just struck me the other day how strange it is that the tau infantry have such exposed legs, from just below the knee, with unprotected feet. In the setting's of death words and debris strewn battle fields, they seem underdressed. Any explanations? Are their hooves hardy enough to keep their flesh above hazards, and do the individual tau have their personnel hoof care kits? Also, the whole hooves thing seems to be neglected in all fiction... aside from the models and art you wouldn't think they had hooves, and I would have thought it would arise, if only in derogatory slang, in the fiction.

[Leonix]

Well knowing the Tau they have kits for all of that I'm sure... Even though it doesn't look it, I'm sure they have plenty of hoofy protection...

See the Tau FW armour is designed to provide maximum protection while in the firing (kneeling, or standing behind a kneeling teammate) position... Thats why their armour looks "skimpy".

[rehdjac]

Well, I guess you could say the fiction that is written from the Tau perspective would not mention their feet anymore than we typically would, which is to say, never. And the rest of the fiction, almost invariably written from the perspective of a dogmatic xenophobic dystopia, are probably less interested in what you correctly identify as an interesting evolutionary trait, hooves on a biped, than various ways to make them die.

[The_Peacemaker]

To me it looks like they have some kind of boot on because their cloth looks like its tucked into their boot just below the knee.

As for their hoof, it sort of looks like their heel is exposed and the bottom is not covered. But its so minute a detail that you could paint it anyway you want.
Kinda like how you can paint a models hands a dark color to represent gloves or paint flesh to show no gloves.

[Shas'O Ke'lshan Adam]

To think that the female Tau have to deal with hooves... I wonder if they get sensitive about it... I wonder what the Tau with toe sucking fetishes do...

[Leonartes]

To think that the female Tau have to deal with hooves... I wonder if they get sensitive about it... I wonder what the Tau with toe sucking fetishes do...

could be worse, they might have camel toes to deal with. or moose knuckle...

[Shas'O Ke'lshan Adam]

I don't think you saw the rather R rated comment I made...

[rehdjac]

This isn't the wastes.



On topic: I've always read the models' feet as being in a boot of sorts.

[Shas'O Ke'lshan Adam]

A special kind of boot. All you have to do is closely examine the pictures.

[TTT]

Having looked at illustrations, i have realised how differently i have interpreted the Fire warrior legs - I would paint the lower leg as skin, while all the 'eavy metal models have it as material, ditto hands. I'm now unsure whether some repainting is in order. With my conceptions blown, they do seem to have a more suitable 'armour and layers of leather equilavent material' thing going.
To a point though, the only derogatory slang in fiction of tau i've seen is greyskin.... a weak effort by the orks methinks.

Edit:removed bad spacing, add example

[Shas'O Ke'lshan Adam]

The Imperial guard call them Bluies (Ciaphas Cain, novel one)

[Gkjester]

So, since we're talking about physiology, I have a question.

Would the Tau be considered humanoid? I guess what I'm asking is are they mamalian in nature?

Also, are there significant differences between the males and females, or are they mostly androgenous?

[Shas'O Ke'lshan Adam]

Tau would be humanoid, in the humanoid is basically a bipedal mammal. Females are described as far more lithe.

[rehdjac]

"Mammalian" is not a necessary component of "humanoid" at all. Humanoid meas generally human in structure, that is, bilaterally symetiical, bipedal locomotive limbs, a pair of grasping / manipulative limbs and some kind of head.

That's pretty lenient. You could add another set of upper limbs and a second head and still be pretty much "humanoid".

I think I've seen some hair on the occasional Ethereal, am I wrong? Very little however. Also, the acid test, I've only ever seen one canonical image of a Tau female and she's wearing full armor: so hard to tell. No tits? Not a mammal.

[Shas'O Ke'lshan Adam]

Tau are mammals, though.

[rehdjac]

Ok... can you point to source? Not saying you're wrong, but I haven't read it.

[Shas'O Ke'lshan Adam]

They do breath oxygen. Source is codex. They have their noses inside their mouths (more mucus?)

[rehdjac]

Jesus Christ dude... Snakes breathe oxygen.

Does this makes snakes mammals?

[Shas'O Ke'lshan Adam]

I have no idea. I define mammal as an oxygen breather, so that would probably be my answer. (I suppose I did fail biology).

[rehdjac]

Fish breathe oxygen. :eek: