Nicassar

The Nicassar are a species of psychic beings who were the first to join up with the Tau in their Tau Empire. Because they are highly psychic entities, the Tau have carefully kept them hidden from the Imperium of Man for fear of igniting the worst excesses of Human xenophobia. The species are driven by an insatiable curiosity to explore and travel, and have become semi-nomadic and are the most content only when traveling. They have the ability to put themselves into a state of hibernation in order to survive for long periods, although whether this is natural or more in the case of technology-based Hyper Sleep is unknown, at least to man. They are described as having limited mobility and being unfit for ground combat, and so find their means of furthering the Greater Good by providing the Tau fleets with ships, especially those fit for the roles of scouts and explorers.

One of the best known ships built by the Nicassar are the Dhows. Dhows are small and maneuverable yet elegant yachts propelled by the psychic powers of the vessel's captain; however, they lack any real interstellar capability as a result of this. As such, they are often towed by Tau ships, and are also often provided with upgraded Tau weaponry; otherwise they will travel slowly for centuries while the crew is in hibernation. Often for longer journeys a Nicassar family will join together to form a larger community, with crews alternating between hibernation in a similar manner to mankind's Elysium sleeper-ship.