Now that he's dead, is the Tau Empire fucked?
Soon enough, the council of Riptides will meet in an unnecessarily small warehouse, and once the green smoke from the burned ork flesh is visible we will know a new Space Pope has been elected.
>>43927434
Was the Empire fucked when his predecessor Aun'Wei passed away? No.
Aun'shi will probably take his place and reform the Empire.
>>43927464
>Space Pope
Can someone explain who the fuck died and what he was?
>>43927473
He was the leader of the Tau Empire Aun'va
He was killed in the most recent 40k campaign book War Zone Damocles: Mont'ka when a Culexus Assassin got into his bunker. His end was described as "neither swift or painless"
Not really. They're already using simple AI holograms and good old fashioned propaganda and information control to keep news of his death quiet, IIRC. Once things have settled down, the council of Ethereals will probably issue a statement claiming Aun'Va died peacefully of old age and go on to name his successor.
What are you talking about Gue'la? He's the Eternal President.
>>43927494
>His end was described as "neither swift or painless"
40k books are so fucking awful.
>Ruled by a rotting corpse.
Not so different now. You are quick learners.
>>43927494
Honestly I would have preferred a callidus.
>Aun'va is sitting on his hover throne or whatever being chill
>One of his honour guards suddenly turns on the rest, killing them with ease
>Honour guard slowly has his form shift to that of a human, and in a swift blow beheads Aun'va
>>43927516
Age of Sigmar is only slightly better, due to being more unexpected only.
Fantasy used to be good, so there's that.
>>43927471
>shi
>wei
>va
>all these one syllable names
I feel like the castes must be full of dudes with the same damn name
>>43928059Asians
>>43928059
Tonal languages when translated to Latin alphabet have a tendency to do that. It's not the same to say Shi, Shì,Shí, Shï etc...
If they can put Puretide on a chip and stuff it in tau's heads then they're gonna be fine.
>>43927434
Nothing will change: his death will be covered with holograms and pheromones emitters on the drone
Now go, good ungulates, keep fighting for the greater good
>>43928106
>Shi, Shì,Shí, Shï
Those are diacritic marks. They don't indicate tone at all.
>>43927494
Edgy, you'd think an assassin would favor efficient means of ending life
>>43927835
The Callidus was sent after Shadowsun. She was meeting with an Ethereal when it came at her with a laser sword, though she survived.
The Vindicare/Eversor both go after Farsight
>>43927494
>>43927516
>>His end was described as "neither swift or painless"
YEAH MOTHERFUCKERS, HUMANS ARE SO BADASS WE'RE SENDING OUR SHITTIEST ASSASSINS TO HANDLE YOU DURING THEIR VACATION TIMES.
>>43928284
>you'd think an assassin would favor efficient means of ending life
I think maybe only the vindicares of all death temples are about that
>>43927434
Hold up I'm calling Char, he's gonna have a laff at this.
>>43928246
Why not just say he died a hero and make him a martyr? or say he died naturally? Why not just elect a new space pope?
>>43928309
Yet out of all the assassins, he was the only one to succeed.
>>43928369
Only one sent, really.
>>43928402
No, all were sent. Each one managed to kill a lot of Tau, but only the edgiest of them managed to actually kill his target through mind fuckery and the fact he was killing a weak old man.
>>43928348
>Martyr?
Dying violently fucks with the Tau in a bad way. Farsight. Nuff said
>Say he died naturally
Once they figure out why his corpse is stuck in that look of terror and how to spin that in a good way, they will
>Elect a new space pope
Thing is Farsight came back. This could lead to civil war, as Farsight is seeking to free his people from the influence of the space bishops. This could be his best opportunity to remove them from power so...
>>43927464
>>43928419
>but only the edgiest of them managed to actually kill his target through mind fuckery and the fact he was killing a weak old man.
Why do I have the impression you think it was somehow unfair or easy to assassinate the religious head of a whole empire?
Why did they send a Culexus after Tau?
>>43928472
Compared to the other two targets, he was the easiest. A cadre of firewarriors and a few body guards skilled in hand to hand. Any of the assassins could have dealt with that easy. The other assassins had to deal with Crisis suits. As much ass they kicked, Assassin + mech = nasty assassy mess.
>>43928419
Look, I've read the reports.
We had exactly one assassin in that sector.
Bob.
He was 5 days from retirement, called in from vacation for one last job. Which he was terrible at. From what I understand he was a chronic drunkard who usually mistook his spoon for a his knife. His success rate was... 1 in 50. Mostly he drunkedly walked into a bar instead.
So it was either a minor miracle that he managed this, or Tau are just that pathetic. Considering what the Tau have been spouting, I'm leaning towards the latter.
Look, I liked Bob. Everyone liked Bob. But he wouldn't have been able to pull off a subtle assassination. By all accounts, he would've drunkedly stumbled into the scene, wearing an ill-fitting uniform stolen from someone he drunk under the table, he'd make stabbing motions in the air with his spoon and if the target didn't start moving away in a speed above inches per second, he'd cut their feet off and then try to remember how to kill the target.
He's not good, is all I'm saying.
Great dancer though.
>>43928501
They sent one of every assassin to eliminate 3 key targets
2 went to Farsight, 2 went to Shadowsun, and 2 to Aun'va. All but the Culexus failed to take down their target. The others got shot/bisected by Farsight's sword.
>>43928472
It was easy.
The other assassins had to work to get to their targets and engage them. That guy did not.
The Etherium allowed him to walk undetected to the bunker where he revealed himself. The body guards could do nothing but scream and spasm while the assassin walked towards Aun'va.
Alk he did was walk forward, really.
>>43928524
You mean 2 went to Farsight. 1 went to Shadowson and 1 for Aun'va.
>>43928267
>at all
Shì and Shí are how you'd write the 2nd and 4th tone of Mandarin in pinyin.
>>43928608
Yeah I'm exhausted so my brain is screwing up the numbers.
>>43928524
That really doesn't answer the question. A Culexus assassin is optimized against psykers, which Tau are not. So again, why send one of each temple instead of a bunch from the same, more fitting one?
>>43928654
The Mont'ka book says that Culexus were sent to kill ordinary humans before (governors and the such).
They are optimized for killing psykers but can still be lethal against non-psykers.
>>43928450
>Dying violently fucks with the Tau in a bad way.
What do you mean? I thought the Tau were all about honorably dying in battle?
>>43928654
Who rules the Imperium again?
>>43928681
Dying pissing and shitting yourself from terror doesn't send a good inspiring image to all the little Tau kids everywhere.
>>43928681
No, they usually send in Kroot to die violently in melee and shit. And if an Ethereal dies the Tau basically lose their fucking shit. An Ethereal dying is what led to Farsight making his own enclave for some reason. Not sure why, though. Probably saw the fucking brain worms or some other weird shit that the Ethereals are and wanted to get away from that.
>>43928348
because they lost so much in the second Damocles crusade they can afford to say their leader died
>>43928826
No, the Tau are all about dying selflessly, you git.
It's the whole idea behind the Breachers
>>43928679
That's because as blanks they naturally inspire fear into everyone around them, much better for sending a message not to fuck with the Imperium or the Inquisition.
>>43927434
Yes - without a strong uniting figure, the Septs will begin to fragment, following the pattern that Farsight started.
They'll remain loosely allied, but they won't be able to expand any farther because they don't have the strength to on their own. They'll have to rely heavily on the weaknesses of the Imperium during their troubles, and alliances they might make with xenos-loving humans, Eldar, or Dark Eldar.
>>43929062
what are you even on about
>>43928681
>>43928712
>>43929062
The reason Ethereals dying fucks the Tau up is because they are reminded of the "time before the Ethereals" when all they did was kill each other nonstop. If the Ethereals all disappeared the Tau race would likely collapse
>>43928284
Considering who he was, chances are good that there may have been information he would have that could be of use to the Imperium that they tortured him for. Alternately, it might serve as a method of demoralizing the heads of government, showing that their foe had such an easy time getting to their emperor that they could afford to take their sweet time with it.
>>43928348
They're probably going to wait until they have a clear successor before turning off the hologram and telling everyone he died naturally. They'd want the transition to be as smooth as possible.
>>43928348
They don't want anybody to know that an assassin managed to sneak unnoticed into his hidden bunker and kill him. Once they Ethereal council has decided who among them will be the new leader, they'll probably make up something about him being wounded while heroically inspiring the troops in battle and later dying of the wounds, or just say he passed away due to old gae (he is extremely old, even by the standrds of Ethereals, who live longer than other Tau), and claim the guy who they've decided on as the ne Ethereal Supreme was personally named as his successor.
>>43928654
Bceuase the Execution Force consists of one of each. Besides, while the Culexus is specialized in killing psykers, he's quite useful against other targets as well. The other effect of his wargear, aside from amplifying his soulless aura to the point where it liquifies the brains of any psyker in the vicinity, is effectively generating "somebody elsese problem field"; in other words, a Culexus assassin can walk right into the enemy HQ, right past the guards, in broad daylight, and nobody sees him because his presence doesn't register in their minds. That's how he managed to get to Aun'va's secret command bunker: he hitched a ride inside a Tau transport, and none of the passagers saw him, and then just walked up to Aun'va. Only when he started to actually attack did anybody even notice he was there.
>>43930328
Man, it must be so awkward being a Culexus and trying to get service anywhere.
>>43928059
Just look at China, half their damn Emperors were named "Wu". Wu meant "Martial" and was given after death to Emps known for conquest and war.
>>43928059
Also Tau are named by their fellow Tau for their deeds and character. Sure, they have a name at birth but change it for whatever they get after having accomplished anything.
>>43928059
Not too weird. According to the Purging of Kallidus, Scout Sergeant Namaan is simply the twenty-seventh marine to have borne that name. It wasn't his birth name, but was given to him by the chapter.
>>43927434
To be honest, I reckon the Tau are in a better place than ever now he's dead. Maybe not from a purely practical perspective, but certainly morally. Aun'va's breed of "I choose what the Greater Good is and sacrifice you for it" was everything wrong with the grimmer and darker Tau that GW was trying to get us to accept ever since the Imperium fanboys started bitching at the Tau for being too moral and good.
>>43927494
>Culexus Assassin
>His end was described as "neither swift or painless"
So you could say...he had a really bad time.
>>43927434
If the Imperium attacked again probably, the Fire Caste can't get reinforcements from the other side of the Gulf and their forces on Agrellan got fucked by the fire-torpedo thing.
>>43930385
Most Culexus die of starvation waiting to be served at restaurants
>>43931372
I think this was just a big massive "fuck off" to the tau so the imperium could focus on the eye of terror. And the newest nid invasion.
Honestly I just like the idea of the naive tau getting a proper taste of just who they have been fucking with. But I'm an IG player so I'm biased
>>43927434
Aun'va was not first leader of the Tau, nor will he be the last.
>>43931360
go back to /vg/, Carlos
>>43931529
At the same time, the Imperium has 101 ways that they could have fucked up the Tau without flushing a one of a kind irreplaceable archeotech superweapon down the drain. One which, kept stationed on Cadia, would be the perfect "in case of defeat, press this button to destroy chaos fleet" fallback. Or, you, know, utterly trivialize a Hive fleet.
Out of all of the enemies that this weapon could have been used on, the only one I can think of that it would be an even bigger waste on is the Dark Eldar, because they don't even live here. Its not just an asspull superweapon, its one that was used in the dumbest possible way.
>>43931476
>tfw you are the culexus at a restaurant
>>43932220
Not even that, from all the archeotech and other secret weapons the Imperium could use as a one trick pony, they use the one that keeps the Tau isolated for a few years. Just enough for them to invent aplot armor Deus Ex Machina
Maybe the tau will all suffer some sort of mentally imprinted backlash from it.then commit mass soppoku
>>43928059
The more important you are, the shorter your name is. More people have to say it so they want to make sure it's easy to pronounce.
>>43931529
I kinda wonder why they didn't just open with the firebombing.
>>43932490
Because I'm pretty sure they at least wanted the planet back without having to resort to using a one of a kind superweapon.
>>43932405
I think this might be true. At least it is in real world heraldry: the simpler the coat of arms, the more privileged.
>>43932490
if the navy just nukes everything from orbit, there's no chance for the primitives to counterattack
That's always been the problem with GW trying to force tau as a minor xenos race. We know what the imperium does to minor xenos races. It bombs them into paste. And the Tau STILL have absolutely no way of stopping an imperial fleet from warping into their home system and dropping the hammer.
>>43932591
At the moment logistics
>>43932661
>logistics
I'm sorry what part of "warp travel" do you not understand. T'au isn't even particularly far out of reach or even unknown to the Imperium. They ere planning on colonizing it, after all.
>>43932591
Their current solution is "We can't stop you from warping in, but you can't stop us from shooting your ship with an ion cannon bigger than a blackstone fortress"
After the original damocles crusade, the Tau started investing heavily in their space defenses and are currently building fortresses that are basically tau-brand craftworlds.
>>43932490
Admech are the true winners. They came to steal Tau shit and test nukes. Everyone else in the Imperium was humiliated by the Tau AND the Admech.
>>43932591
Just like how there isn't any way to stop Chaos fleets from warping to Terra and dropping the hammer there, right?
Demon Farsight shall claim Prefectia and from there conquer everything beyond the Firewall.
>>4393282
chaos uses warp travel, and the Imperium is quite well stocked in psychics to give them an early warning. They've also got the two stable warp routes out of the eye blockaded (cadian gate, gothic sector)
It's raw FTL that they can't predict, as shown by the necrons landing on mars unopposed back when they had FTL.
>>43931476
>>43932328
who could ignore these abs tho?
>>43932727
I mean do they have enough ships not engaging other threat
Can the IOM afford to leave worlds u defense did they don't
Are the available ships enough to handle the taus own without having to retreat for whatever reason is what I mean
>>43932979
I've never understood WHY Chaos needs to give a shit about the Eye of Terror having dudes posted outside it.
They live in the warp. That is their domain.
The CSM and other traitors brought ships with them.
Ships that can open up temporary doors between the warp and realspace for travel.
What stops them from just fucking off away from the eye on the warp side, and bringing their fleet through literally anywhere else in the galaxy? Sure, flying your fleet out of the eye of terror like a bat out of hell would be convenient, but the moment that stops being convenient due to interference...
There doesn't seem to be any reason why they should actually give a shit about Cadia. Indeed, the smartest thing they could do would be to ignore it since the Imperium has devoted so much manpower to protecting it. Manpower that goes to waste if you just fuck off to attack somewhere else.
>>43927434
Did the Imperium of Mon-Keigh collapsed when their Mon-Keigh-Emperor was slain by Horus? If such weaklings can survive being decapitated by Chaos, you can do it as well.
>>43933110
The problem is that the fleets are scattered and disorganized making them easy pickings for imperial patrols and local defenders
Is it explain everywhere if the Warp is teleporting or just ridiculous speed through another dimension?
>>43933074
People who are more focused on the bulge?
>>43932777
"continent-sized space fortresses" more or less.
Craftworlds have the surface area of planets, aren't they?
>>43933210
But that's gotta be bullshit. If you can organize your big grand black crusade at the Eye of Terror to go into realspace and wreck face... just organize it a couple lightyears to the left and go on your rampage unopposed. Congrats, you just bypassed Cadia entirely and left a major chunk of Imperial might sitting on its ass in the wrong place.
>>43933289
If they leave the eye of Terri anywhere except the gate which is likely completely covered they'll be thrown way to far of course to be able to effectively organize
Anyone have the screenshot of the actual assassination with text and all?
If the Warp really works by teleporting, then I don't understand the organization of the Space Marines. Just teleport to a plant that you know there are zero space marines and raid it. By the time the Space Marines come to the rescue, you have already left.
Char/Farsight will take over sooner or later
>>43931372
>by the fire-torpedo thing.
The what now?
>>43932979
Necrons still have that Inertialess FTL
>>43933517
Teleporting is tricky. Some marines ended up in the walls, and one became a screaming face on the floor. They were 30k Ultramarines and Rowboat considered this a success. One marine in 40k ended up in a bolder.
>>43930328
Damn Grey Men
>>43933593
>Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kais Mont'yr says let the purge begin!
>>43932554
You may want to actually look things up before saying what you think sounds true.
>>43927569
Why does the Emperor have two left arms?
>>43934296
Horus messed him up, and Dorn probably had to stitched everything back together.
>>43929828
He means that Breachers personally volunteer for more dangerous assignments (even with a plasma shotgun I wouldn't want to roll up next to that Assault Marine) because it demonstrates a greater level of self-sacrifice for the greater good. But it's also not the same, because a Breacher Shas'la does not have the same cultural and biological importance as an Ethereal. For one, he dies selflessly for the good of all Tau, for the other it is a herald of the Mont'au returning.
>>43933251
It's going Ludicrous Speed through the Warp...kinda. You could also go backwards. Or in directions unknown to us. Or so slow that it'd have been quicker to punt along on sublight engines. Normally the Navigators can read the currents and slide the ship along the right path to get it to another hole in reality much faster than light, but any ocean has its storms.
>>43933990
"T-that Crisis Suit...it has three times the output of any other I've seen!"
*Charsight slams his foot through the armour plating of the Sentinel*
>>43928059
Aun'Va's full name is Aun'o'T'au'Acaya'Va'Denta. Same-names are common though, due to what >>43931018 said. For instance, two well-known Tau video game characters are both called Kais (and often assumed to be the same person because of it), Farsight himself is a Kais, and there are several more mentioned here and there.
I was under the impression, that the best assassins in 40K were the ones from the schools of poison, and "tragic accidents"
The tabeltop assassins have piss-poor success rates.
>>43935146
"Shadowsun...don't you know the Ethereals are the parasites that infest the Tau?!"
Aun'va looked pretty calm here for a dude who subsequently ran out of the bunker pissing himself.
>>43928419
I thought Eversor were the edgiest.
>>43937121
Cant think of a named character that went out like a bitch as much as Aun'va did.
>>43937589
eldrad before they retconned it
>>43933680
When the Imperium decided "fuck it, this is taking too long" and decided to leave, a Tech Priest came up to the Fleet Admiral and gave him the said fire-torpedo thing, and was like "Hey, here is a parting gift for the Tau. Complements of Mars!" The Torpedo made the planets atmosphere explode and killed everything on the surface that wasn't in a shield dome. Then the AdMech used some sort of super weapon from their own ship to set the Damocles Gulf on fire.
>>43937589
Not much an old man Tau can do against a fucking Culexus. Tau are weak in that kind of fighting, even guys like Farsight and Shadowsun struggled against their assassins and were saved by bodyguards.
>>43927494
Why would they send a fucking culexus to kill something with ALMOST NO WARP SIGNATURE. GODDAMNIT FUUUUUUUUCK
>>43937121
Without the Culexus in the picture it's like he's mentally harming the the Tau going "REEEEEEEE!!!!".
>>43937857
Because he came with the package. Wherever the other three go, he goes. And Ethereals may be psykers, and have you not seen the art here? He's hurting the Tau. >>43937121
>>43938367
That's just because his mask is so ridiculous
>>43938367
Culexus are blanks on steroids so I guess it would be painful for even non psykers to be around them.
Im just saying why send a culexus, an anti psiker unit, to kill something thats not a psyker when you have Eversors or Callidus more suitable for the job.
>>43938457
The fluff given is that they had 1 Assassin of each type, and the other types were all charged with trying to kill guys who could fight back. Might as well use him for the easy job, and have the others give Farsight and Shadowsun a good ol' college try.
You know, other faction should have their dedicated assassins. Or something close.
I guess it would be easy to have a chaos assassin for each god, special eldar exarchs and so on.We could even have something nice for lictors.
I could even see a stealth variant specialised in Information warfare for the tau(also murder).
Got nothing for orks, but I'm sure they will manage.Grot kommandos!
>>43927434
We just can't fight imperial plot armor.
>>43927434
When Emperor 'I'll Live Forever and Ever' Qin died, was 1st dynasty China fucked?
They even had his son pose as him for several years because they were afraid that after all the wars, all of China was going to re-fracture into trillions of kingdoms again.
They finally gave the news he had died and guess what?
China is still around today.
I personally think GW is just using the same thing here. Hologram for some time, some time after the campaign say he died in his sleep.
What rewards do Assassins get for succeeding on assignments like this?
>>43928419
>all were sent
No Vanus or Venemen assassins were mentioned, so no, not all were sent.
>>43937679
>shadowsun....
Isn't that Kittens girlfriend?
>>43937589
He's not even a combatant. He's a civilian.
>>43938901
Being sent on another mission until they die of course.
>>43928059
They're all replaceable cogs in a communist regime. No individuality needed passed what is needed for basic distinctions.
>Old pope was named shi
>New pope is named wei
>was shi now wei. different. got it. move on.
>>43927434
Wait a second, last time I checked this guy was a huge badass who can kill Orks in close combat, and that's why they promoted him to space pope in the first place. Did his age catch up with him or something? And more than that, why the actual fuck would you send a psyker killer into Tau territory? That's just a waste.
>>43939115
Maybe the Tau are more psychic than we have been led to believe.
Or maybe bad writing.
>>43939115
You are talking about Aun´shi. That guy is a fucking jedi. In the end if Aun´shi is promote, the space pope assassination will be a good trade for the Tau.
>>43939115
>>43939372
Well, if he actually escape Commorragh
>>43937121
>"you good damned pieces of shit, you're not even psychic, pussies."
>>43939115
Because they can kill anything just as easy as the others. Their big head-gun works on soulless Necrons and even Blanks.
They Excell in killing Psykers.
>>43939115
You are aware that Tau live 40 to 80 years right?
Space Pope was what? Pushing 150?
>>43939450
Tabletop fluff has mechanical reasons to function.
Making a psychically diminished race vulnerable to a Culexus is just plain dumb.
>>43939438
> "I already know you can't stand me, you can stop pretending being incapacitated."
Man.. didn't you fags learn your lesson with WHFB? Setting, not story, etc etc.
>>43939438
First thing I thought of.
3 minutes in gimp
>>43939490
All life is vulnerable to a culexus.
It's what soulless-ness entails in the setting. His anti-psyker tricks won't work, but the rest of his gear, like the etherium (which makes him essentially undetectable), and his superhuman physique certainly will.
>>43937121
He was too busy pooping himself
>>43939751
There's a difference between being vulnerable, and writhing in Agony.
>>43937121
Why was he even in theatre.
>>43939899
That's just part of the supercharged-pariah package, bro. Normal people can't stand it.
here's the relevant quote from the Assassin dataslate;
>The helm is only partially effective at muffling the Assassin’s null-presence, even when operating at full power; most people can barely stand to be in the same room as the wearer due to the nauseous, head-spinning effect that is the trademark of a Culexus Assassin’s presence. When it is switched off altogether, the mayhem that ensues is terrifying to behold. Victims in close proximity may flee in wild-eyed terror, or freeze in place, hyperventilating and shaking uncontrollably. Others collapse, clutching their heads as bloody froth oozes from tearducts and gaping mouths. Psykers scream in horror as their connection to the Warp is
severed, the Assassin’s powers snuffing out their own like the flame of a candle.
>>43939943
I haven't read it yet, but I seem to remember the imperial invasion being faster than expected, and bypassed the Tau's early warning pickets.
He was probably overseeing their latest glorious conquest.
>>43938659
Ork stealthies. Lootas who learned that its easier to loot something when you are being shot at. So their orky skills make theor tools good at being sneaky boyz and break in like thuggish burglars and krump da boss' head
>>43939946
also just for funsies, or "why would you send him against normal targets"
>Perhaps most unsettling of all, the Etherium also renders the Culexus Assassin nearly impossible to detect, whether by conventional senses or via complex mechanical sensors. For this reason, the advance of the Culexus is more of a relentless prowl than a headlong rush, as
the Assassin stalks towards the target with the inevitability of death itself. A Culexus can stand in the very same room as his target yet remain hidden, his victims feeling only a mounting sense of unease, and glimpsing nothing but phantoms haunting their peripheral vision.
>With the enemy in sight, the Animus Speculum is used – an unnaturally powerful
weapon that is deadly to all, but especially horrifying to those with psychic ability.
>>43939946
Brutal
>>43940105
purple orks
>>43940129
Certainly explains why Aun'va didn't see the assassin calmly following him as he ran, only 'hallucinations'.
>>43937121
>Can't I take a nape for 10 goddamn minutes without you idiots fucking everything up?
Alright guys, here's an actual insert from the Horus Heresy about a Culexus assassin.
"The Culexus watched the world through the sapphire eye of the psionic weapon, feeling the pulse
and throb of it on the periphery of her thoughts like a coldness in her brain. Humans moved through
the arc of fire and she tracked them. Each of them would register her attention without really knowing
it; they would shiver involuntarily and draw their sandcloaks tighter, quickening their step to reach
warmth and light and safety a little faster. They sensed her without sensing her, the ominous, everpresent
shadow of null she cast falling on them. Children, when she turned her hard, glittering gaze in
their direction, would begin to cry and not know the reason. When she passed close to tents full of
sleeping figures, she could hear them mutter and moan under their breath; she passed over their
dreams like a windborne storm cloud, darkening the skies of their subconscious for a moment before
sliding beyond the horizon.
Iota’s pariah soul – or lack thereof – made people turn away from her, made them avert their eyes
from the shadowed corners where she moved. It was a boon for her stealth, and with it she entered the
sanctuary encampment without raising an alarm."
In the same book they show a psyker who almost immediately collapses to cough up blood the moment she puts on the helmet.
>>43932220
That was just one that came out of nowhereor maybe GW's ass
Odds are the Mechanicus is just sitting on a pile of super weapons on Mars and they'll 'conveniently' pull something up from below to use on one of the invading nasties.
>>43937121
>>43939115
Aun'Va is so old that his profile is actually worse than a normal Ethereal (at least in terms of WS, S, I, and A, though he has W4 for some reason, either from his throne or just because he's important, and a 5+ save as opposed to none). Plus what >>43939372 said.
>>43939472
He was already the second-highest Ethereal several decades before the 742.M41 Damocles Crusade. In addition, the codex mentions both that Ethereals can reach 300, and that Aun'Va has lived "many times beyond" the oldest ones.
>There has even been evidence – unique signature signals from his personalised early-model Crisis battlesuit and a few far-ranged visuals – that Farsight himself still lives. This is, itself, a great and confounding mystery, for it would mean that Farsight has lived for at least three centuries, considerably longer than the ordinary lifespan of any Tau, save only the unknowable Ethereals.
>Aun’Va is the oldest and wisest of the venerated Ethereal caste, and his hand can be seen at work behind many of the great successes throughout Tau history. Ethereals have longer life spans than other castes, but the fact that their Great Leader continues to live many times beyond even the most venerable of Ethereals is never questioned; it is merely another part of Aun’Va’s legend.
>>43939943
Being inspiring.
>Despite his advanced age and position as spiritual leader to his race, Aun’Va much prefers to be amongst his people – feeling he is most effective when he can lead from the front. History is replete with examples of Aun’Va in the midst of conquest, inspiring the Fire caste to great deeds or arriving in battle zones to bolster morale.
>>43928518
underrated post
>>43939420
Wait, he's in Commorragh? When did that happen?
>>43939751
Yeah anything with a connection to the warp but the Tau have an incredibly weak connection, shouldn't they at least be somewhat resistant to them.
I mean I can understand him taking out 1 or 2 tau but a room full of honor guard can't even do shit against him.
>>43940313
Iota's a QT
>>43940945
Blanks have a negative affect on non psychics as well. When weaponized, that negative effect can even turn the bluntest of the blunt into a nervous wreck
See
>>43939946
>>43927434
they were already fucked, now they're just doubly so
>>43940945
>but a room full of honor guard can't even do shit against him
an entire complex full of honor guard can't stop an eversor from giving an ethereal the hug of death
making those honor guard vomit bloody foam out of all their orifices won't improve their effectiveness
>>43927434
>tau honor guard
>armed with close combat weapons
>Wonder why the space pope died when assaulted by an assasin
GEE. I WONDER WHY.
>>43940957
Why no female Culexus Assassin model GW?
>>43941127
the 2nd edition models were male
also the culexus is probably the best of the new plastics
>>43937121
A colexus? this is kind of stupid, I mean wouldnt the Tau just be invulnerable to them? Because they are not even psykers.
>>43941216
>>not reading threads: the post
>>43941178
I like the Vindicare with his hide behind wall, I like to head cannon that he actually carries it around with him, which is the source of bonus Cover.
>>43941360
>I'm a sniper and these guys hate melee combat.
>So how the fuck did we get this close?
>>43941360
It's sort of funny because at the moment of that interaction they were both wounded and the vindicaire was only armed with a pistol.
>>43938949
>dat sore forehead
>>43932821
The Imperial Fists would like to have a word
>>43933483
>>43941394
Exitus pistol still should've decided it, named character or not. That thing is a monster.
>>43938659
Eldar Pathfinders and Striking Scorpions sort of act like Vindicares and Eversor assassins. Orks have Kommandos. Tyranids have Lictors and Genestealers. Tau have enough long ranged it doesn't really matter, and Dark Eldar focus more on the fast assault.
>>43940945
Doesn't matter, even if they are weak they still have souls/
The only army that legit can't be harmed by blanks as strong as a Culexus are probably Necrons or drones.
Aun'va's undoing was his fleshy honor guard.
>>43938659
No race really does the whole superpowered single operative, outside Tyranid Lictors and Harlequin Solitaires.
Typically (and even in the case of the Imperium) assassinations in 40k would be handled by commando units. Things like Kommandos, Scorpions, Stealth teams, Storm Troopers,Terminator teleport assault squads. Temple Assassins are rare as fug.
>>43941705
>his hover drone banging off pristine corridors as he fled
that is a fucking hilarious picture
>>43941784
>being vanilla assault marines is suffering
>>43939512
Setting doesn't automatically mean everything has to stay in stasis and can't change.
>>43940006
That's exactly it, the Tau weren't expecting the Imperium to mount a counterattack so soon and underestimated how fast they can travel via the warp.
>>43941804
They were pretty fun to use in the original kill-team rules. Once you started jumping the alarms counters would pile up really fucking quick.
>>43941784
Necrons have an entire branch of their armies dedicated to deathmarks.
>>43941947
>deathmarks
Yes, and they are a commando unit, not a singular super-assassin.
>>43941784
Kommandos are enough. If they can slip past heat detection and movement sensors by splattering some pain on their faces and saying 'sneeeky sneeky sneeky', they are pretty damn good.
>>43941985
Part of why temple assassin-types are so rare. If some black greasepaint and large enough biceps can do the job, no sense spending more money.
>>43938949
They broke up because of conflicting loyalties
>>43928284
Considering past fluff it would seem that culexus are unsurprisingly fucked in the head sadists.
>>43940129
>The Culex is watching you taint yourself
>>43933261
Bulge? what bulge?
OH MY EMPEROR! WHERE THE FUCK DID THAT COME FROM?
I'm not sure I understand. If these assassins are basically invisible, and can just cause everyone's head to explode if they do get found out, why not find a way to mass produce them, or use them against important leaders like Abaddon, or shoot them into Eye to give the gods a hug, or something?
>>43939472
Has there been any solid fluff on why Tau have short lives? I remember the 5th edition rulebook states that Tau living short lives is linked to the greater good ideology. Leaders of the Tau were said to live for hundreds which would imply Tau do have the potential to live a while.
>>43931256
I like the idea of Chapters doing the same thing as some people used to do with their servants; calling them by a set name so they never needed to remember another name for their butler even if he was replaced.
>>43928531
So....why didn't the Imperium just send Culexus assassins after Shadowsun and Farsight? Wouldn't they just be able to use the Etherium to walk up to their targets, whose bodyguards would be rendered helpless, then cut the target into pieces?
>>43942783
It could be as simple as eugenic program to keep the generations short-lived and encourage rapid adaptation in just a few decades. Air-caste used to have wings before getting rid off them for space tasks. There's also evidence of synthetic proteins in their body. The same could explain their lack Psykers as a protection against Chaos.
On the other hand, the Ethereals came from nowhere, so it is highly likely that someone has being directing and protecting their rise.
>>43942831
Pariahs are very rare.
>>43942779
>why not find a way to mass produce them
Culexus assassins are the rarest of the rare.
first, you need someone to be born without a soul
next, you need to have them survive to adolescence without someone smashing their head against a rock for being a pariah
then, you need to have them be discovered by an agent of the inquisition/assassinorum/high-lords
finally, they need to actually survive the horrifying training and modification required by all temple assassins
Even then, dangerous motherfuckers like abaddon and his ilk are impossible to pinpoint and even harder to kill. They're surrounded by badass motherfuckers who can take their brain liquefying on them and keep on trucking.
>>43942834
>On the other hand, the Ethereals came from nowhere
>>43942779
>Imperium
>Innovation
>>43933196
Eldrad, go away plz.
>>43938757
>They finally gave the news he had died and guess what?
>China is still around today.
Well, they call it "China"...
>>43937624
How did he die pre-retcon?
>>43941386
they both ran to the bathroom and fate fell ill for them
>>43942831
The imperium doesn't have too many Culexus, and they're expensive as fuck to equip. Everyone else is just "look for the murderous rugrats who seem to have a talent for the trade" as I understand it. Or at the very least "train the dude some inquisitor found and thought could be further trained." which happens with the death cult assassins who aren't khornates sometimes.
>>43938913
>Vanus
>Venenum
>Ever appearing in this book/movie/tv series/game
Arguably the only time we ever see a proper Vanus assassin is Zygmunt "Gary Stu" Molock from Ravenor doing his shit.
>>43928690
Who controls the Golden Throne?
Who stops gene-seed being grown?
We do! We do!
Who keeps the Ghoul Stars off the maps?
Who keeps the Necrons under wraps?
We do! We do!
Who holds back the Tyrannic swarm?
Who makes grim darkness, the norm?
We do! We do!
Who stops Chaos in their tracks?
Who repels the Tau attacks?
We do!
We dooooooooooooo!
>>43940313
Holy shit it's like I'm really in a Yahoo roleplaying chat.
>>43932220
>At the same time, the Imperium has 101 ways that they could have fucked up the Tau without flushing a one of a kind irreplaceable archeotech superweapon down the drain. One which, kept stationed on Cadia, would be the perfect "in case of defeat, press this button to destroy chaos fleet" fallback. Or, you, know, utterly trivialize a Hive fleet.
I think it was described as igniting the nebula gases of the Damocles Gulf. In other words, it wouldn't work in most situations, because you'd need a handy nearby store of nebula-sized clouds of gas.
>>43927434
No. What kind of idiotic spacefaring faction would focus the entirety of their survival on a single leader?
Did anyone even use him on tabletop
The ethereal powers aren't that great that I'd want to cough up that much extra to do two of them
>>43943000
Imperium and Tau. Also Eldar and maybe tyranids with their hive mind
>>43943023
I think it was a rhetorical question directed to the Imperium.
>>43943000
Literally every faction aside from the Orks.
>>43943045
You're a rhetorical question directed at the Imperium
>>43942963
Bretty gud/10
>>43942904
>I sure hope there's nothing bad waiting for me in this corrupted Blackstone Fortress's heart
>aw no
>>43942831
Really it's because GW wanted to include rules for all four Assassins and the Execution Force detachment in Mont'ka.
You could possibly make the argument that they figured the Culexus may not have been very effective against Farsight or Shadowsun and those they surround themselves with.
>>43942877
The Mechanicus does innovate sometimes.
>>43943021
I don't think I've honestly seen anyone really give a damn about Aun'va, which is likely part of the reason he got killed.
>>43943146
How did he die post-retcon?
>>43937121
I'm sorry, but it looks more like the assassin just turned on his stereo, and the worst music in the history of forever started playing at an uncomfortably high volume.
"OH YEAH! THIS SHIT'S MY JAMS!"
>"By the greater good! What the fuck is this?"
"YEAH, THIS IS A DEATH METAL COVER OF TOUHOU MUSIC PERFORMED ON MIDI SEQUENCED BAGPIPES AND ACCORDIONS, DONE BY A VAPORWAVE ARTIST! IT'S JUST THE FUCKING BEST THING EVER!"
>"My non-existant ears are bleeding!"
"THAT MEANS IT'S WORKING! OH WAIT! HERE COMES THE SCREAMO PART!"
>>43943170
He doesn't
>>43943194
Laaame
>>43927434
Nah, this looks like the set up for a new campaign
>Farsight fighting to get rid of Ethereals as they fight
>Shadowsun attempts to defend the Etherals as they debate who should lead the Tau now
>Every Ethereal thinks they should do it
>Every other race converges on Tau space to influence a side they have chosen or to just stir shit up.
>>43942959
wasn't there also a vanus in execution force
I mean he didn't do anything, but he was there
>>43933593
>>43943258
>what's the deal with plasma anyways
>>43943235
>I mean he didn't do anything, but he was there
Somebody needs to hold the towels, bring coffee and provide general moral support.
>>43943217
Aun'va wasn't the boss he was just the wisest Ethereal. There is no power vacum because he didn't have more power than the other ethereals.
>>43943264
>Seinfeld theme intensifies
>>43927516
Rife with spelling and grammatical errors, they are...
>>43943289
>Aun'va wasn't the boss he was just the wisest Ethereal
he was the ethereal supreme, dude
>>43943339
Aun'shi is called the Ethereal supreme too, nitwit.
>>43933289
Basically >>43933449 is more or less right.
Which doesn't make it impossible to just roll out and stomp face. Angron did exactly that during the Dominion of Fire and it was like 70 years before the Imperium could finally defeat enough of it to be considered a victory.
Also, most chaos warbands DO just fly about all over the Galaxy as they please. Even ones sworn to Abaddon (it was Ygethmorr who attacked Medusa V and that's all the fucking way over on the Eastern Fringe). Some are even particularly noted for it, like Fabius Bile and his warband.
In the case of Abaddon's Black Crusades, though, the point isn't to take Cadia (is what they now say): the point is to bleed the Imperium as they funnel ever-greater resources into defending it, resulting in much more potent mass-slaughters to feed the Chaos Gods and make them (and by extension, himself and his own forces) ever stronger.
Also, Chaos Space Marines don't use Navigators for safe warp travel, they use bound Daemons... which tends to be riskier.
>>43943170
>>43943194
>>43943202
It's a case of retcon by omission. While there's no fluff saying "Eldrad DEFINITELY DID NOT have his soul gobbled up by a Blackstone Fortress when he tried to stop it from destroying Cadia", the 6th edition Eldar codex made no mention of it whereas the 4th edition one did (pic related). That and since 5th edition, GW have rolled back the clock on the 13th Black Crusade so that it's in its early stages or in full swing, not sort-of-over as it was after the Eye of Terror worldwide campaign.
>yfw they still say Eldrad thwarted the Necrons (just change "gods" to "dynasties") even though he's only ever been shown failing against both Oldcrons and Newcrons
>>43938457
Are blanks affected by Culexus?
>>43942783
It's mentioned that Tau grow up fast and remain in peak health for most of their life, but once they start suffering from the effects of aging, they die shortly afterwards. Probably just how their biology works.
Ethereals are supposed to live much longer, though, but they're pretty mysterious in general.
The stuff in the 5th edition rulebook was likely an attempt to justify both Farsight and Shadowsun being considerably older than Tau normal lifespan, due to the retcon that changed the Damocles Gulf Crusade from a minor crusade that occurreda few decades ago into a full-blown crusade that happened centuries earlier.
In the 6th edition codex they retconned Shadowsun into having been put in stasis after the Crusade so she could lead the Taus' next expansion, and Farsight was confirmed to be kept alive by his sword.
>>43943344
>source: my bum
>>43933287
Not really, no. They're much, much smaller - although massively bigger than other (e.g. Imperial) ships, which the more silly ones can be several miles long.
Continent-sized is probably about right. Judging by the population they're said to be able to support (tens or hundreds of millions, so a fraction of an average Imperial Hive, although with more space given over to life support/engines/weapons, and with living conditions nothing like squalor of a typical Imperial Hive).
>>43943363
>Aun’shi, the Ethereal Supreme and speaker of great truths, had told her in person that the Traitor believed the philosophy of Kauyon was only for the weak.
>She shook her head in disgust and despair, her smooth brow creased. The idea of ignoring patience in favour of aggression was utterly alien to her. Surely, demonstrably as far as she was concerned, Kauyon was the path that led to the Greater Good. How else to use the foe’s own confidence against him, to do the maximum damage at minimum cost to the tau race? The Master himself had often said ‘To triumph with the least amount of risk must always be the goal.’ Unlike her headstrong peers, she had listened well.
-From the "Damocles Anthology"
Up your bum.
ロシアのゲームでストーカーと言うのが有る使い捨ての武装ガイドに案内をさせ危険地帯での野生動物の観察、ガイドの武勇伝を元に本の出版、大昔の探検家はそんな仕事をしていた、多分マクロスの観察軍もそのたぐいだろ、よくもうけを独り占めする為に逃げる輩が多い、記録されているのはその話じゃないのか?味を占めたゲスが何回も料金も払わずたかるケースが有る、他の国の事だから詳しく書いたりしているんだろ、自国だと仕事上会社内でもめたりする事が有るから
>>43943379
>The idea of ignoring patience in favour of aggression was utterly alien to her. Surely, demonstrably as far as she was concerned, Kauyon was the path that led to the Greater Good.
Wut? Both paths demand waiting for the right moment to strike/counterstrike and planning in ridiculous deep.
>>43943347
Well, he did attract the murderclowns to a huge Necron dynasty by failing. So he kinda gets the credit if the clowns succeed.
>>43943379
>black library doesn't know what the title "Ethereal Supreme" is
further proof to disregard them entirely, I guess
>>43928309
Welcome to 40k writers.
They are biased as fuck, shit read a tau lore book recently.
Its basically what you wrote but with "muh pure heart in da grim derkness muh tictacs!!!" at the end.
>>43943407
Farsight told Shadowsun that he will rely on her Mont'ka and she must rely on his Kauyon in the "Mont'ka" book.
What Farsight told Aunshi about the Kauyon most likely happened before Farsight understood Kauyon and grew to respect it during his mediation and struggles in the his exile.
>>43943425
Pretty sure that part of the anthology was written by Phil Kelly, you know, one the GW design team.
The High Council is a council of Supreme Ethereals. Aun'shi was promoted yo it recently.
Aw man I'm totally out of the loop.
So is there a summary of the new campaign installment or anything? Did the Imperium job horribly to the Tau again?
>>43943235
He was the operation manager/director.
>>43943446
Admech won and trolled everyone. Everyone else was humiliated and lost.
>>43943461
Seriously? How did they manage that?
>>43943445
Yep, just confirmed it. That quote comes from the story "Blood Oath" written by Phil Kelly aka the GW Eldar designer dude.
He was also the guy who wrote the Farsight Enclave supplement lore and rules.
>>43933110
I think it's symbolism, Cadia was the first place brother turned on brother when the word bearers killed a custodian to summon a daemon. It's also the place where lorgar officially turned to chaos AND the place where argel tal became the leader of the gal'vorbak. As with everything with chaos it relies heavily on symbolism and meaning and Cadia is the birthplace of chaos as the imperium knows it.
Also the eye of terror is the largest warp/realspace crossover in the galaxy making it easier for daemons to enter reality because of how saturated the area is with warp energy
>>43943446
>Did the Imperium job horribly to the Tau again?
On the ground? Yes. The Tau outsmarted, outfought, and outmanoeuvred the Imperial forces and defeated them.
The Imperium decides rather than just accepting that they were defeated, they would blow the world and the whole Damocles Gulf with an experimental weapon. This killed lots of Tau and 50% percent of the surviving Imperial forces.
>>43943481
Wait, they blew up the entire damocles gulf? How the fuck did they do that?
>>43927516
>>43943319
>>43927865
Still not as bad as Forgeworld's "trained xenos predator breasts"
>>43943493
It was filled with celestial gases. The weapon ignited the gases creating a region of space on perpetual fire.
The fire region isolated the Tau Empire from its Third Sphere worlds and the Farsight Enclave.
>>43928518
>>43943504
Shit, that's pretty fucking impressive. Bravo Admech.
>>43943379
>Codex: Tau Empire
>AUN'VA
>MASTER OF THE UNDYING SPIRIT, SPEAKER OF GREAT TRUTHS, FATHER OF HIS PEOPLE, THE GREAT LEADER, THE SHINING LIGHT
>As the highest ranking member of the High Council, or Ethereal Supreme, Aun’va’s word is the ultimate law across not just the T’au sept, but over the whole of the Tau Empire. All Ethereals are given the utmost respect – but Aun’Va is revered beyond others of his caste and even the merest suggestion of a visit to a Tau colony by this esteemed leader is enough to double production in the Earth caste factories and spark planet-wide ceremonies.
I thought you of all people would be able to recognise a mistake like this. Unless, of course, you're just pretending not to.
