A massive Ork fleet invades Vior'la Sept but is defeated by a masterful campaign. Vior'la annually passes through a gap between its two stars, a time called the Trial by Fire. It causes deadly plasma storms to ravage the planet, whose inhabitants survive by closing protective domes around their cities. Ork Warlord Garskrak and his invading army are lured into this deadly storm where they are utterly destroyed by the raging plasma radiation.
The greatest Water caste envoy, Por'O Dal'yth Kais Twi Lui'tan, better known as the Golden Ambassador, leads the effort to recruit alien worlds into the Tau Empire. During this period the Thraxians, Greet, and Formosians are welcomed into the fold. The Hrud and Arachen reject the proposals and are driven out of the region.
The birth of Commander Puretide: the pride of the Dal'yth Sept occurs. His brilliant campaigns later conquer half a dozen star systems. Under his authority the Tau envelop those who can be embraced, seize what can be conquered, and obliterate those who defy Greater Good.
The elderly Commander Puretide is urged to view the new colonies across the Damocles Gulf before retiring. While inspecting a colony Puretide is wounded during a raid. Unable to walk again, the most revered of military leaders spends his remaining years atop Mount Kan'ji, on Dal'yth, where he is kept alive for many more decades. Only those who attain perfect scores at the Fire caste academies are sent to sit at Puretide's hover-throne and learn his wisdom. Thanks to Earth caste holographic technology, this tradition is still maintained, although few students are deemed worthy of receiving this high honour.
The Tau Empire comes under attack by an armada of the Imperium's warships on a crusade to reclaim their long neglected territory. It is a bloody campaign, which is finally stymied at Dal'yth Prime. The retreat of Imperial forces marks the end of the Second Sphere Expansion.
Aun'Va makes the decision to place the favoured pupils of the rapidly declining Commander Puretide into stasis using prototype technology being developed for deep space travel - This allows O'Shaserra and a few select other to be recalled at later need.
Following the Damocles Crusade, Commander Farsight recaptures much of the lost territory. However, the famed Commander defies orders to return, instead establishing a string of fortified planets known as the Farsight Enclaves. He is officially declared an Outcast for his defiance of orders.
The Tau world of Cano'var is overwhelmed. Transmissions show robotic creatures using unidentified energy weapons before going dark.
An Ork invasion under Warlord Grog advances into the Tau Empire. The populated Tau world of Atari Vo bears the brunt of the attack before finally defeating the Orks with the combined forces of Dal'yth Sept and an unlikely ally - Commander Farsight and his bodyguard cadre.
Tyranid Hive Fleet Gorgon smashes into the fringe of the Tau Empire and claws inwards before being ultimately defeated upon the sept world of Ke'lshan with the help of very unlikely allies in the form of a fleet of ships from the Imperium of Mankind. The two sides each realize the greater threat and band together to defeat it; once this occurs, however, the sides quickly turn on one another.
The Tau complete their annexation of what was previously the Imperial planet of Taros. It becomes the prime planet of a new sept; its remaining humans are considered gue'vesa citizens of the Tau Empire and are congratulated on the wisdom of their decision.
It is unknown when Shas '0 'Kais, another of Puretide's former proteges, emerged from stasis, but it is he that leads the victories that establish the Fi'rios Sept at this time.
An Imperial counterthrust attacks the colonies in the Zeist sector. The Space Marines drive the Tau from many worlds in the sector. While the losses are regrettable, the gains elsewhere are on such a scale that, even to the casualty-conscious Tau, Shadowsun's diversion seems not just acceptable, but shrewd.
In the largest battle of the Third Sphere Expansion, Commander Shadowsun leads the attack at Mu'gulath Bay, beginning the rout of human forces now known as the "Path of Blood." It is a bright day for the Tau, who saw a foe with vastly superior numbers crushed. No less than twelve advanced weapon prototypes were successfully deployed in the campaign, with only the fusion reactor· meltdown that destroyed Mu'gulath 's moon proving a failure.
On the verge of a new era. Third Sphere Expansion is well under way and with the Tau spreading and encountering new challenges, unexplained phenomena, and monstrous foes! The time to prove you are a noteworthy component of the Greater Good, is now!
Though the scourge of the Ork have been almost completely driven out of these septs, there are still sporadic attacks from outlying clans and remainder forces. Though the septs thought they'd get years of peace, it was not to last. Latest reports show growing number of Imperium traffic in the sector. The Space Marines have landed multiple scouting parties and are anticipated to attack soon. The Vior'la sept and its warriors, stand ready to support their neighbor septs.
Old war veterans and heroes of the Tau have grown restless and miss their days of youth and battle. The supreme council, headed by Aun'va, held a private audience with some of the most revered and esteemed Tau, from all castes. The outcome of this meeting was a declaration that the veterans would be better utilized exploring new territories and worlds. Their charge would be to seek out new worlds ripe for settlement, and to help the third sphere expansion the best they can.
Tau scientists and academics have recently returned from the artefact world of Arthas Moloch. They now intended to study and analyze the samples they've brought back, as well as to continue mapping the structure of the small planet.
760.999.M41 Tau'n Completes Orbital Station "Infini"
The engineers from Tau'n have completed the biggest orbital station in Tau history. This design is a prototype and will be used in the future if testing proves successful. Orbital Stations based on this model could be used from anything from advanced mineral mining, deep space exploration, among a litany of other uses conducive to the Greater Good.
The warriors fighting for Bork'an are spread over multiple planets, engaging the waves and waves of Tyranid bioforms that are flooding in from the hive fleet. Hostilities have arose due to the take over of multiple "allied" Imperial Guard outputs and small cities. It is uncertain at this point, whether or not the Space Marines will be called in to intervene/help.
Many third sphere shipping lines around frontier worlds had come under increased pirate attacks. The culprits were stealing supplies, technology, and weaponry. In many cases, entire cargo crews would go missing as well, assumed to be taken for the vile slave trade of other alien species. One such gue'la pirate vessel, The Canterbury, was boarded and taken over by a combination of sector fleet Marines and tau special forces operatives. Shortly after the enemy ship's transition into real space, two separate energy signatures were picked up by The Monat just behind it. After the operation, Strong Tree had the system scanned once more and only one signature remained. Intelligence on the situation is still being gathered.
+Indicates timeline events the PCs have directly affected.
・La'rua - Team: Composed of 6 - 12 fire warriors, led by 1 shas'ui; rhe equivalent to an Imperial Guard squad.
・Kau'ui - Cadre: Up to 6 fire warrior teams that can be joined by a number of allies, led by a cadre commander; the equivalent to an Imperial Guard company.
・Tio've - Contingent: Composed of 3 - 6 cadres, led by the most senior cadre commander; the equivalent of an Imperial Guard regiment.
・Kavaal - Battle: A temporary grouping of contingents.
・Uash'o - Command: Composed of all forces of a given caste in a given location (usually a planet but could be a whole star system), in the case of the Fire Caste it is led by the High Commander.
・Shan'al - Coalition: All tau forces of a given planet or star system (Sept), led by a council of Ethereals or a particular Ethereal.
*Remember the Tau numerical system is an eight based system!
Gue'la: Humans, lit. "Lesser Beings"
Bentu'sin: Demiurg, lit. "Wise-gifted Ones"
Jikita: Kroot, lit. "Spiked Carrion Creature"
Mal'kor: Vespid, lit. "Air Insect"
Mon'var'sin/Mon'cea'sin: Dark Eldar, lit. "Black Raiding People"
Ol'cea'sin: Craftworld Eldar, lit. "Bright Enlightened People"
Be'gel: Orks, lit. "Simple People"
Cha'so'vharra: Tyranids, lit. "Strange Red Monsters" or "Hungry Monsters"
- Alternatively Y'he, lit. "Individuals Without Number"
Updated with some commonly used words. Again, if you haven't yet, totally get the updated Lexicon. It really ups the RP.
Updated with a new link to the most recent Lexicon (2018) and added words for other races.