# The true origins of the Ethereals



## Rarka (Nov 15, 2011)

The Tau Ethereals are supposed to be of 'unknown origin' right?
Well, I think I figured out where they came from 

There's a race called the Q'orl, basically a bug-race. They got sick with a (presumably Nurgle) disease, and the Eldar helped cure them. In return, the Eldar demanded their Queen, and took it anyway.
Their reasoning for needing the Queen was to create an 'incorruptable race' - Tau are incorruptable by chaos.
Ethereals also share some of the unique organs as the Q'orl, and both Tau and Q'orl are (mostly) incapable of warp travel, and both have their own versions of "The Greater Good".

Not to mention the fact that Eldar like the Tau, and have their high hopes on them.

So yeah, I think I figured out the Tau's origins:



My theory, is the Eldar saw that the only hope for the galaxy was an incorruptible race with the intent of unity for any race willing to join them. This was the idea the ethereals preached.
I'm guessing, the eldar abducted some tribal Tau during the warp storm period (or earlier, or can Eldar even cause them?), used the Q'orl queen and genetic engineering to create Ethereals, then dropped them back on T'au to set things in motion.


Thoughts?


(Heres link to Q'orl on Lexicanum, it was in the Xenology book).

*http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Q'orl#.Twk1Q9VjW0d


*


----------



## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

It is certainly a common theory.



Rarka said:


> Tau are incorruptable by chaos.


No, they are not.


----------



## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

The Tau are _less_ corruptible to chaos, and their souls are kind of hidden away, as I understand it.

Yeah, Xenology puts forward some interesting facts that link the Eldar to the Tau. When coupled with the _Codex: Tau Empire_ depicting Ethereals descending from a storm on high to unite the warring clans (read: castes)...yeah, it seems likely.


----------



## Nightside (Jan 8, 2012)

Isn't Commander Farsight possibly corrupted?


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

The blade in his possession is supposedly Chaos in origin or some claim Necron. 

I think whatever it is, it just severed the connection he had to the Ethereals, allowing him to see the truth.


----------



## Rarka (Nov 15, 2011)

Nah, he's just not a communist 

Shows no signs of following Chaos anyway.

I think the new Tau codex will probably explain a lot more in fluff... I call dibs on being the first with this theory!! haha, if the codex points to my theory, Im gonna laugh haha


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Rarka said:


> Shows no signs of following Chaos anyway.


How would you know that?


----------



## Rarka (Nov 15, 2011)

Ok, I re-read the lexicanum entry on O'shavah, and theres speculation that the blade is either Chaos or C'tan related. I doubt he's working for chaos, just doesn't have the insanity issue or thirst for death.

I could see how the C'tan could be involved however, makes a lot more sense.


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

We know nothing of his plans or what he is currently up to. Plus it's stated that he fights for his people, just not its leaders.

And you don't have to be frothing at the mouth and praising khorne to be a follower of Chaos. Look at Abbadon, he's like a suave James Bond.


----------



## General-jwj (Sep 22, 2011)

Malus Darkblade said:


> We know nothing of his plans or what he is currently up to. Plus it's stated that he fights for his people, just not its leaders.
> 
> And you don't have to be frothing at the mouth and praising khorne to be a follower of Chaos. Look at Abbadon, he's like a suave James Bond.


A suave James Bond dressed all in black with spikes and skulls jutting out of his armour like it's Halloween 

I just think Farsight managed to escape the Ethereal's influence and decided he wanted to do his thing. Since his blade is mounted on his Exo-Armor and not actually carried around by him in battle I'm not sure it could influence him that much anyway. Unless the armor is somehow connected to his nervous system by a neural interface, then I guess if the blade is connected to the armor it's connected to him.

I'm mostly just basing this theory on the fact Fulgrim was corrupted by his Laer sword after carrying it everywhere with him for a while, whereas the blade not only seems impractically large compared to the average Tau so he woulddn't carry it, but also probably hardly ever actually touched Farsight.

There are probably loads of examples of artifacts corrupting someone in the blink of an eye as soon as they lay a digit upon them though so it's a pretty flimsy theory.


----------



## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

A daemon-infused blade would infect its user regardless of whether or not they wore armor. I would imagine the same with a C'tan blade. Both entities are too powerful to be resisted by mere armor.


----------



## General-jwj (Sep 22, 2011)

I guess I was making a subconscious parallel to the "Faraday cage" ... it's just a bit of wire wrapped around you, but it keeps the lightning away from you.

It'd figure super powerful immortal entities would scoff at this :/


----------



## Nightside (Jan 8, 2012)

How come nobody seems to think that the blade is an Old Ones Tech?

They did say that he found it inside ruins...but am i really the only one thinking that those ruins might be connected with the Old Ones?


----------



## Creon (Mar 5, 2009)

The blade can also be simply an Eldar Artifact. If you accept that the Eldar did the meddling with the Tau, and the blade severed the link the Etherials have over Farsight, then that also makes sense.


----------

