The pot-head in me and the author I'm trying to be started thinking of how Tau could pass the time in those long hours in between direct service to the Tau'va- so what do you think- do the Tau have drugs? If so- what are they?

We know that the tau have alcohol and have incorporated it into some rituals while player made fluff has them drinking on off hours- and so on.

But what else would they have in terms of recreational substances? We know that the Tau are a species with an advances olfactory system which means they would probably appreciate strong aromatics (we also know their blood smells really bad on a side note). Would it be feasible that Tau 'drugs' would be much like the drugs the Greeks utilized in their own societies (burning varieties of herbs in order to get the proverbial 'high'). I wouldn't think they would have cigarettes, as the smoke burning would probably be too potent in congress with inhalation, but would they have 'chewables.'

I'm going to throw out there that the Tau probably have a nicotine type chemical which they could chew on in, perhaps, a gum form or a packed leaf that could be consumed by Fio and Shas in the majority while more 'sit-down' events would have something like hookah and herb burnings in a bowl...

For the greater good, I doubt this thread will last.

Community based society's generally frown highly upon recreational drug use. but snuff is an olfactory drug.

Now one could write a fiction on a Tau Crisis warrior that was addicted to the wound denying drug in the stim injectors. and meth was invented by the military during WWII for pilots to fly extremely long missions, and thus produced a fair amount of addicts.

I doubt this thread will last at all, as O'Deepview has said. In terms of tau drugs, I'd ask doom.

In writing a response, I realized there were two facets to this questions: substance use and substance abuse.

Substance use:
Yeah, I could see the Tau unwinding by smoking "high-grade tobacco," alone or in groups. Especially if they've come into contact with foreign cultures that promote such a thing. I mean, Tau are an unusually driven race, but maybe they have time to unwind sometime?


Substance abuse:
In one of Calmsword's fiction pieces, there's an alcoholic Por; he's a great character. I can't help but feel that the Tau would look down upon any substance, willfully ingested, that would degrade one's ability to function (for the Greater Good).

That being said, I think some Tau would (despite everything) engage in this (self-destructive) behavior. Perhaps it's a hardened Tau commander, trying to compensate for the inroads of battlesuit neurosis. Or a front-line Shas, unable to deal with the ungodly demands of urban combat. Or a Fio who has seen true horror, and has begun to doubt the Tau'va.

EDIT: WAIT you are Calmsword!

In the USA, our socially acceptable drugs are nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine. Nicotine is on the way out, as smoking has become less and less "socially acceptable", but the other "drugs" are going strong. In my experience, societies frown on the use of the "wrong" drugs, or abuse of the "right" ones. [hint]The reason this thread is not "out of bounds" is because we're not advocating the use of illegal substances in the real world.[/hint].

With the Tau focus on efficiency and service, it seems to me that they would reject things which reduced the efficiency and capability of an individual Tau, and anything which produced anti-social behavior. On the other hand, any substance which resulted in, for example, calmer, more relaxed and alert Tau would probably be embraced.

To be honest, I'd have to also agree that Tau might incorporate certain non-addictive low-health-risk "feel good" aromatics on occasion (given their very olfactory-based communication), but I'd have to say they'd would be extremely apprehensive towards using substances that have significant long-term negative effects that might impede their ability to function and promote the Greater Good.

The cardinal rule in the Tau Empire is that you're allowed moderate "freedom", but you aren't allowed to like doing anything more than serving the Empire. If any "feel good" drugs start to knock 'serving the Empire' out of its #1 spot on a Tau individual's to-do list through addiction, then you'd have a problem that needs to be treated by Fio professionals and the mental correction facility.

On the topic of said drugs though, I'd have to say that there's the chance that Tau might prefer using said substances for the social advantages alone. Any recreational drug use that, perhaps, brought the Castes closer together in casual social environments would in the end serve to strengthen the bonds between them. As long as the drug in questions wasn't killing the Tau involved however slowly or quickly, I don't see how it could possibly be viewed as "wrong" as long as it wasn't highly addictive.

Also, I'm not quite sure alcohol would affect Tau the same way it does humans. To Tau, alcohol might not really have any long-term negative health risks thanks to the Tau's rather efficient natural toxin-removal systems (more advanced than the human's analogue; the liver). Again, there's no telling if Tau would also be affected by alcohol's "feel good" aspects themselves; as their brains are built differently and might not have any analogues for human NMDA receptors (the stimulated receptors causing the signature euphoria which in turn promotes recreational drinking among us humans )...

The USA is not community based but founded on the principle of individual freedom. Thus use of drugs which destroy the body but feel good, like smoking and alcohol, are legal. I am drinking Gin as I type....

Now I should point out that the "illegal" drugs are only banned for political reasons. But to go down that road and to study why Big Pharmaceutical Powers would make Cannabis and Opium illegal, even as they were the number one medicines at the time, would stray far from the limits of this websites scope. Unless, Calmsword wants to write about how the Ethereals make all the plants that can be grown in the yard with your water-hose illegal so they can sell manufactured medicine as a means of control..... I have poppies growing in my yard, but I don't smoke them.

But from sci-fi, we have a lot of good stuff. The Dune series covers the spice which gives long life and the ability to see the future and be immune to poisons, but if you stop taking it you die; semuta which is a deep hypnotic that functions with music to relese stress, sappho which improves brain function, stim pills, and other elaboration's of how drugs have huge effects on culture. In Star Wars there is the spice mines of kestrel with again makes a mind reading drug (like the spice in Dune) to allow regular folks to act somewhat like Jedi, and there is Bacta which heals necrotic (dead) tissues. Bacta is interesting because the Dark powers of the force drain your personal soul and life force and Bacta allows Sith Lords to heal after they do this. Without Bacta the rise of the Sith would not have been possible, though it is ignored in the movies, except when Luke heals from frost-bite in the Bacta tank. A key ficitonal piece with these drugs is to stop taking them results in death. This could be something to work with in Tau fiction.

There is quit a bit of fiction you can come up with for a caste based class system and drug use. Another place for you to look for fictional inspiration Calmsword would be to research India and how the various class strata use drugs.

that's a good point, as usual, DB. Alcohol might be just another concentrated calories source to them, with no beer goggles nor compass effects.

For some reason I could picture Tau sat / lounging round in a very morocan setting. In the centre of the room expensive insense fills the room with gentle aromas that hints back to the warm breeze that blows off the mountains in early summer......


Now considering the connection between aroma and memory in humans, I would expect there to be a greater effect with Tau. Why cant their coffee etc be an insense type affair ?

Don't forget in the iron man series the drugs that Major Tom Aramaki was taking in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Stimtensity, Sleepfree, and Libidoshunt. If you have anyone with shadowrun RPG books you could probably find a wealth of ideas of drugs and stimulants that the tau would have created to help in battle. (I could see some form of drugs used with all pilots to help them get that extra attack)

i'm glad this topic has picked up (nay to you nay-saying naysayers!)

In a society that is constantly driven there have to be moments of extreme fatigue and self-reflection. The Tau still have art, music, and forms of entertainment which, one could deduce, are necessary for the running of their society. We know they experience stress related maladies such as battlesuit neurosis, but we also know that they require therepy after intense encounters with some of the horrors that run around the galaxy (i specifically mean DOW's aftermath when Tau defeat Chaos along with the Medusa Campaign and Firewarrior).

Addiction would, obviously, be something shunned but we know that individual failings for Tau in the service to the Greater Good are not unheard of. Individuals who suffer from this would be instituted in the hopes of rehabilitation.
-on a side note I completely believe that, as Iantzkev brought up, the Tau use some kind of combat drugs to improve performance such as 'sleep free' and there is always the danger of possible addiction to those kinds of stimms, (this isn't at all a stretch since an upgrade for a commander is drugs).

But lets not talk about combat drugs, yet, what would the Tau have as a recreational stimulant (thanks Deepview for the directed research material). I also believe that Tau culture is incredibly modular and incorporates a variety of customs from member races of the Empire (we know that they do so with materials for furniture and dress attire) so if a race has a recreational drug it might make its way into the rest of the Empire (it's basically a chance to get Star Wars in 40k).

I'm going to just throw some out there, from my own fluff mind (Elliot you continue to make me feel all fuzzy whenever you bring up my work)- tell me what you think.

Universal Empire Drug: "Da'io": an edible root originally cultivated on T'au but can now be found on almost every Tau world. Da'io has a variety of uses such as a culinary addition but is most commonly used as a mild stimulant, used across all castes. The root is often dried and shredded in varying strips, which determines potency and flavor, and is then chewed. The resulting juice from the Da'io provides a convenient, euphoric sense of heightened awareness for up to half a Dec. After the strips are dried of the juice most Tau throw out the root as it becomes bitter and incredibly dry. Da'io has been used for centuries however its method of consumption has remained fairly the same with one notable exception, mostly found in the Kor, who have turned the root into a slow dissolving gum...

OK- so I just thought that up, do you think that jives?

Sounds good to me, Calmsword.

To further flesh out said "drug" though, are there any health risks involved? What kind of euphoria are we talking about? Is it addictive? How common is it? Used throughout the Empire? Shunned on certain worlds?

Might be interesting to also note that Da'io could be a valuable commodity among Vior'lans. Given the harsh, hot climate, it is impossible to grow anything outside of the rather sparse agri-domes scattered about the planet, which are already hard-pressed to keep up simply feeding the populace and storing enough food for the real Trial by Fire (a seasonal planetwide plasma storm where the Tau are forced to raise protective domes around the eight major cities).

Also, perhaps the Vior'lans have a drug all of their own... It is common belief that Vior'lan Tau are larger and darker-skinned than others in the Empire, perhaps their widespread increase in muscle mass is in part due to some form of traditional steroid or growth hormone given to the Shas who grow up in the Vior'lan Battledomes?

I guess a health risk could be that it is a possible habitual with withdrawal risks (such as a caffeine crash) which would lead to head aches and fatigue with over use. I think it should be found on every Tau world and in every Tau community, but much like smoking it is considered a 'bad habit' which some might consider a flirtation with a divergence from healthy living- thus a divergent from service. As to euphoria, think the little 'high' from cigarettes.

I like the idea that Vior'la grows it- but I also wanted Da'io to be something of a unique plant to each Sept (each sept having their own style of cut and flavor)

I'd love to expand on this.


Anyway- another drug I've been playing around with is a little more intense: L'sh'il (think morphine)

L'sh'il is a derivative that was discovered during early trade agreements with the Kroot of Pech, the original plant being called pwrrka'ji (lit: broken suffering). The plant was used by Kroot Shaman, or Shapers, to stifle wounds and relieve individuals from internal suffering by chewing the leaves and then regurgitating them on the wound. The Fio took this plant and fashioned a medicine to treat front line warriors, especially as part of a cocktail of chemicals given to XV pilots. L'sh'il entirely numbs the pain of an individual after being injected into an artery. The subject is calmed and their heart rate slows, in the case of blood loss this can save an individual from bleeding out.

After a generation of use the drug began finding its way into the other castes in milder doses and has been known to be used as a pseudo treatment for those experiencing terminal illness and debilitating physical ailments. The drug is incredibly dangerous however as many Tau find themselves addicted, it is up to physicians and society leaders to ensure individuals do not succumb to this short coming.

-so yeah, what do you think?

No, I think you misunderstood me - I'd like to think that Da'io is forced to be imported to Vior'la due to its harsh climate. It would be a commodity due to its relatively short supply at any one point in time since it would be impossible to grow on the surface, and any agri-domes are already at 100% capacity just trying to grow food for the populace.

---

I like what you've done with L'sh'il. It isn't so much "recreational" as it is medicinal, but still carries the risk of addiction among certain Tau.

Way to run with it, guys, and I like where this is going. This is the kind of fluff business that makes the Tau seem more like a "real" culture and less like a generic alien race in a game. Nicely done.

oh i see- okay, there could be a necessary trade shipment that goes to the Vior'la Sept and Vior'la itself... okay- i don't have a problem with that but then I think Vior'la needs a lot of luxury goods as it can't generate its own.

so we have Di'io and L'sh'il- one is recreational the other one is essentially morphine. I like the idea that older veterans and wounded have a need for L'sh'il which is an unfortunate addiction while, in the other Castes, milder doses are used- i'd like it if we expanded on this aspect of the drug.

I like the idea of a unique 'smuggling' aspect in the Empire in that those involved in the illegal moving of drugs (say to one Sept which has made something illegal) can involve some kind of utopian reprimand. Instead of prison time, or something like that, Tau that do things that illegal are shifted from positions of advancement. For example: A Kor captain is moving Ha'gatask (a drug i'm working on which is kind of like LSD) and is discovered. He is stripped from his captaincy and reassessed for a suitable role in Tau society such as scrubbing the side of Air Caste cities- what do you think.

Vior'la



That's fine with me.

The Vior'lans have only a small percentage of arable land on their planet, and just about all of it is dedicated to growing T'au-native crops and fruits; any excess going into vast subterranean stockpiles in the event of an emergency. I'd imagine Vior'lans are quite practical, then, and don't require a whole lot of luxuries compared to Tau of other Septs, but a few imported commodities/luxury items would exist to put a little bit of excitement into an otherwise entirely spartan lifestyle.

---

L'sh'il



Well, given Stimulant Injector's rather widespread use among Tau of higher ranks, I'd imagine the potent cocktail wouldn't be too dreadfully harmful. I mean, we aren't talking about instant death after only a few doses after all, right?

Given this, l'sh'il's theoretical inclusion in Stimulants would mean that its addictiveness would be less than the cocktail itself. (The part cannot be greater than the total sum, and all that...)

Regardless, the euphoria caused by l'sh'il probably turns into somewhat of a 'comfort feeling' for injured patients, and many would naturally (psychologically) develop a habit of using it even if only to quell recurring ghost pains conjured up by the mind of the user in order to get more.

Like you said though, it's up to the practitioners and society leaders to deem what is acceptable for the Empire - so they're the ones who need to be keeping a watchful eye on any Tau given said drug.

---

Smuggling



Well, I'll gladly admit that some kind of 'smuggling ring' could theoretically present itself within the Empire, but I can't under any circumstances see it getting to be too big, widespread, or last too incredibly long.

Tau, for the most part, are diligent and honorable citizens who - if they overheard something along the lines of an illegal drug ring existing - would gladly report it to the local authorities in the name of the Greater Good of the Empire/Sept/City/what have you.

---



I don't mean to be nitpicky, but I'd like to clarify something here for the masses and I'd like your input as well!

Reprimand or Punishment?

While it is perfectly permissible in the canon for a Tau to lose rank by doing something unbecoming of his or her current one or perhaps to be reassigned to a less-than-desirable duty station/post (cf. Kill Team), I don't necessarily think Tau even understand the concept of 'punishment' (such as forcing them to perform hard or manual labor).

These are things that drones would do - and it would be more harmful than helpful to the cause of the Tau Empire to have an esteemed Kor'O get busted down and punished in such a manner. Also, reprimands for Tau of higher rank (say, 'El and up, with 'Vre being the 'middle ground' or 'grey area') would likely be kept out of eye and earshot from the lesser ranks so as to not cast doubt in the Tau'va.

Wargamer's example from TO worked quite well - an especially overzealous Shas'O who prefers field duty might be reassigned to a desk job back at his Sept's Shas'ar'tol as punishment for not following proper procedure. It's a quick, clean, and efficient form of censure that keeps the lower ranks out of the loop (in turn keeping morale high and faith in the Tau'va and their leaders strong), lets the Shas'O know that what he did was wrong, and prevents him from doing it again.

Fire Warrior explained that in the Tau society, even a verbal reprimand was something to be feared and taken to heart. Manual labor would not be necessary in most cases, because in this alien culture, even the mildest of rebukes work in most cases.

El'Lusha also made it pretty clear that those few Tau who were still deemed "socially incompatible" with Tau society, even after all normal forms of reprimand were exhausted, are sent to special facilities to undergo intensive mental correction and rehabilitation. A Kor'O addicted to, or attempting to smuggle ha'gatask (or some other illegal substance/object) would be perfect clientèle for such a facility, as this does not seem to be a simple minor infraction. Rather than forcing him to scrub the side of an Air Caste city, he would undergo intensive hypnotherapy, psychiatric assistance, and possible medical treatment. He would then be more thoroughly assessed by physicians for suitability performing his prior duties at his present rank, and rehabilitated into the Empire at a rank reflecting his mental capacity for responsibility, be it as a Kor'O or Kor'la.

Prisons?

Please note (to all) that these Mental Corrections Facilities are not, by any means, prisons. While Tau undergoing treatment are likely contained in a manner similar to a prison, and likely sometimes against their will, no form of punishment in the Empire has a Tau forced to undergo a prison sentence for any length of time - they are simply treated for their ailments (if possible) and released back into the Empire as soon as said treatments have been completed.



Rank

Now, on the topic of a Tau losing his rank, this too would not be considered 'punishment', but instead simply reassigning the Tau to a more appropriate position of authority and responsibility. If a Kor'vre passed his Trial and was promoted to Kor'el (but wasn't assessed thoroughly enough by his immediate superiors) and later fumbled a small fleet engagement resulting in a drastic loss of life or equipment, he could be deemed unworthy of his rank as a Captain (depending on the circumstances, of course) and demoted back to the rank of Kor'vre - where he will appropriately fill a niche he knows how to properly perform...

An example of this occurring in the canon is in Kill Team, where the Por'O, Ambassador Coldwind, willingly performed an Aun-sanctioned Black Op that, if made public, would have resulted in a rather extreme loss of rank, stature, and respect among his peers. The Por'O did, of course, consider such a risk perfectly acceptable as he was fervent in his belief that his course of actions were in the furtherance of the Greater Good, despite their public illegalities.

wow wow wow- I didn't mean to inject an actual concept- I too try and follow the canon a bit too much. The concept of prison and the like is anathema, I was just kicking around a concept in order to flesh out this aspect a little more...

To begin with, I believe that the Septs rule as local governments and thus have their own priorities and therefor laws but I believe that, universally, the Tau don't really understand 'punishment' for their own. Smuggling would have to be redefined in terms of things 'Tau'- We know that they do 'shady' things such as wolf pact fleets attacking Imperial shipping before the 3rd Sphere (which I've learned- they have bumped the timeline up- i'll post in another topic) and so, perhaps, smuggling could occur with some of the fringe or allied races. But your right, the Tau are all more or less a diligently obedient people- it was just an idea for we Fluff enthusiasts to wrestle with (no Wargamer's here )


The whole scrubbing the side of an orbital was an exaggeration- i take it back whole heartedly- but i think you get the jist of what i'm saying.We do know that there is a reprimand system and I would call into the Por'La Kais'uam- but your right it seems to be generally a reshuffling of proper positions. However, Doombringer- I know you love the idea of Hypnotherapy but it's good to remember it might be that widespread- we just know about it being used for Saal and it only helps in training...

Rank

Concerning a loss of rank- I don't know if this is even possible- just a changing of duties. We know the Tau don't have a problem being shifted to another position. After a campaign a Shas'O is sent to another warzone where he might be placed under the leadership of another commander- the Tau essentially worship the concept of Change, as a result their society isn't plagued by individualism.


SO the long and the short is lets just ax out the concept of smuggling- but i would like to expand on inter-sept relations, I'll start a new post. Back to drugs!

Ha'gatask- In the 40k universe Dreams are the Warp pressing back on the psyche, because of this the Tau don't dream (with the exception of 1 Tau named Broken Eclipse while he was in warp transit). Ha'gatask is a kind of hypo tropic chemical that is harvested from the brain organs of the the Nassjur fish native to the Au'taal Sept on the ocean moon of Al'por. Ha'gatask is used for those Tau who have experienced incredible trauma or are experiencing mental disorders. The ha'gatask allows the individual to experience suspended consciousness in which images and memories are able to be fully studied by both the individual and a specialist who can assist in guiding the 'trance.'

Ha'gatask has it's risks though as Tau are unused to the disorder which the drug induces. In addition, the drug can sometimes remain in the system for cycles causing flashbacks which can occur in times of stress. These flashbacks, like the drug itself, are not necessarily unpleasant but are jarring and can severely hamper one's ability to function properly.

It has been known for several psychically able species in the Empire, especially the Niccassar, to use this drug although Por and Fio have yet to discern the benefits for its use. As a result, authorities often deny this drug from reaching the open market until further studies can be obtained.


-whaddyathink?

An interesting concept to say the least, but one thing I want to know is: Are the drugs (especially those "smuggler drugs") creating physiological or psychological addiction? Also, if physiological are we talking forced endorphin release response (leading to addiction through mentality), or (and more likely in smuggled drugs) a chemical reaction that creates a need by the bodily processes for the chemicals involved (such as with nicotine)?

On the subject of black market drug rings, I'm sure that they last a long time, and wouldn't be surprised to see that they are in fact government run. This would allow control of them, but with out the disdain of the "correct" public by legalizing drugs. One has to take into account that the more "perfect" the society, the more bureaucracy required to keep the wheels moving. By allowing these underground, but organized rings, the Aun can help maintain order through a little pseudo-disorder.