Ciaphas Cain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ciaphas Cain is a character in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe; a Commissar of the Imperial Guard. Cain is the main character of Sandy Mitchell's novels published by the Black Library. The Cain series currently stands at 4 titles; For The Emperor, Death Or Glory, Caves of Ice, and The Traitor's Hand. A 5th book, Duty Calls is planned. The novels are written from a first person perspective of the main character in a memoir style similar to Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn trilogy.
For many Cain is a hero, but this is not a view that he agrees with. However, he enjoys this image and holds to it publicly but goes against his better judgment in doing this on several occasions. His view of himself is one of cowardice and lack of luck, forgetting the heroism that he displays on occasion. Ironically, even though most of his actions are based on cowardice and self-preservation, through some strange series of events, all of these actions are considered acts of heroism by those around him.
It has been suggested that in many ways Cain is the equivalent of George MacDonald Fraser's character, Flashman. The awe-inspiring image held by others contrasts with his cowardly nature in excerpts from histories of his time. Cain's cynical views of his society and that which he holds sacred are also reminiscent of his aforementioned counterpart. Although he believes in the Emperor, he must show a piety that he does not truly feel in public. Privately, Cain has the cynical view that the Emperor has better things to do than look out for him or anybody else, like keeping the galaxy together. The style of the books is similar to that of the Flashman series, in that they are presented in the form of edited and footnoted memoirs that tell the seamy underside of history. Another indication that the books are inspired by Fraser's works is the presence of a secondary character, Cain's aide Jurgen. Jurgen has some outward similarities to the eponymous character of Fraser's McAuslan series of short stories, about the "Dirtiest Soldier in the British Army."
Cain's past is shrouded in mystery. There is no official documentation on where he was born or what his past life was. However, from his writings, it can be inferred that he was raised on a hive world and his parents both served in the Imperial Guard. Eventually, after a very eventful tour of duty as a Commissar, Cain retired and was appointed as a tutor to the Schola Progenium. However, he was momentarily pulled out of retirement during Abaddon's Thirteenth Black Crusade and managed to defend a world against Chaos forces with only himself and a handful of his cadets. (This may mirror Flashman again, who was pulled out of retirement for the Boxer Rebellion.) He then retired again after the Black Crusade and began to write his memoirs. At this point, Cain is about a century old. Eventually he died of natural causes and was buried with full military honours.
His most famous actions include his transformation of the 597th Valhallan regiment into a reputable fighting force. With them he fought against many enemies of the Imperium, such as Orks, Necrons and even the forces of Chaos. Before his intervention, the regiment in question was newly formed from the remnants of two older regiments. Unable to co-operate, Cain solved their problem by making himself their common enemy. He gradually gained the respect of troopers and their officers through his actions here.
The cover artwork on the Ciaphas Cain novels show him using a bolter as a personal weapon. Since the books themselves have him using a laspistol as his weapon of choice, it is possible the covers depict "propaganda" images of Cain. This conclusion is bolstered by the heroic theme of the illustrations, which are unreflected in the stories.
Even though Cain seeks to find some safe, quiet post, he is one of the most combat-experienced commissars in the Imperium prior to being attached to the 597th. Some of his many exploits include being a liaison to a Space Marine chapter, clearing a space hulk of Tyranids, assaulting a Necron tomb, fighting and bringing together the scattered PDF from a world and then driving off the Orks and almost being seduced by a Chaos witch, not to mention being stuck on a Dark Eldar slave ship, which he frequently refers to. These experiences have proven invaluable in helping him fight (or run away from) the enemies of the Imperium.
[edit] Notable Associates
- Gunner Ferik Jurgen – Cain's faithful aide, this veteran guardsman never let his commander down. Noticeable for his powerful body odour and chronic psoriasis (which discourage others from getting too close to him), Jurgen is also a "blank", or a psychic null; this trait saved them both on more than one occasion. Jurgen has complete loyalty to Commissar Cain, and his unwaivering dedication to him has helped both of them through many dangerous situations. After a Genestealer uprising on Gravalax, Jurgen always carries a meltagun as his primary weapon, which has gotten him and Cain out of many tight spots. Cain finds Jurgen an excellent aide, as Jurgen has a 'singular lack of imagination', one which he made up in doggedly following Cain's orders, as he always thinks of them as for the good of the Imperium, something which Cain finds extremely useful,especially when doing things of a dubious nature. He is also quite frequently hit on the head in the line of duty.
- Inquisitor Amberley Vail – an inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos who worked with Cain on many occasions. It has been suggested that their relationship is more than just a professional one, and Cain appears to care for her a great deal. However, like all inquisitors, Amberly takes her job very seriously and would not hesitate to kill Cain if he poses a threat to the Imperium. Inquisitor Vail appears as an active character in For The Emperor and also contributes to the other books in the series, acting as editrix of Cain's memoirs. Vail's contributions are confined to editorial forewords and wry footnote comments mainly concerning Cain's poorly disguised attraction to her mingled with fear of her status as an inquisitor, as well as excerpts from other accounts of the campaigns that Cain's writings focus on. She also makes references to other Warhammer 40,000 characters such as those from the Tanith First and Only.
- Jenit Sulla – Sulla is a lieutenant with the 597th Valhallan Regiment during the novels, and rose to become the first and only Lady General of the Imperium. Excerpts from her memoirs are interspersed with the writings of Cain by his editrix, mostly for ironic counterpoint. Unlike Cain's own writing, Sulla's writings are lacking in any literary talent, and she is unable to see that Cain dislikes her. But, even more ironically, she thought of Cain as something of a mentor. Sulla's name may well be a reference to Lucius Cornelius Sulla, a Roman politician and dictator. It is evident that Cain dislikes Sulla due to her aggressive and gung-ho attitude, which would most likely get him killed, and often finds her annoying. Cain continually flings barbs at everything from Sulla's overeagerness to her appearance in his writings, often describing her facial features as being akin to those of 'a petulant pony'.
- Colonel Regina Kasteen and Major Ruput Broklaw - The regimental commander and second-in-command of the 597th Valhallan respectively, Kasteen and Broklaw have both proven to be a very able commanders in combat, whether it be against Tyranids, Orks, or Chaos. Both officers have a very deep respect for Cain, and absolutely trust his opinion on any matter. Both officers also have a deep respect for each other, despite their previous gender and unit animosity.
- Divas - A member of the 12th Valhallan Artillery Regiment, Cain's unit prior to being reassigned to bridgade HQ and the 597th, Divas is probably the closest thing Cain has to a best friend. Actually, he is really the only trooper in the 12th that really has any sort of personal connection to Cain, due to Cain's desire to remain in obscurity. Divas is a young and gung-ho Imperial Guardsman and is always eager to fight the enemies of the Imperium head on, traits that Cain finds annoying and dangerous. However, like many of his personal relationships, Cain may have a deeper connection to Divas than he realizes or admits.
[edit] References
Fraser, George MacDonald. McAuslan Complete. Akadine Press, 1999.
Ibid. Flashman series, various books.
