Ciaphas Cain

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Ciaphas Cain is a character in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe; an Imperial Commissar of the Imperial Guard.

Contents

[edit] Novels

Cain is the main character of Sandy Mitchell's novels published by the Black Library. The Cain series currently stands at five titles; For The Emperor,[1] Caves of Ice,[2] The Traitor's Hand[3], Death Or Glory,[4], Duty Calls[5] and an upcoming book titled Cain's Last Stand[6]. He also appears in three short stories, The Beguiling, Fight or Flight and Sector 13 (featured respectively in the omnibuses What Price Victory[7], Crucible of War[8], and Bringers of Death[9]). In April 2007 the first three books in the series and the short stories Fight or Flight, Echoes of the Tomb, and The Beguiling, were collected in a volume entitled Ciaphas Cain : Hero of the Imperium[10].

The novels are written from a first person perspective of the main character in a memoir style similar to Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn trilogy, although the novels are written in a more light-hearted style, which injects an element of dark humour into the proceedings that isn't usually found in Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

[edit] The Character

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.

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. It is at this time at which he started writing his memoirs. Eventually he died of natural causes and was buried with full military honors. (Ironically, due to the many false allegations of his death during his time as a Commissar, Cain remains listed as on active duty long after his actual death. Yet many people Speculate that he really didn't die of natural causes yet and is still alive. Also rumored to Father a Son yet could be part of Imperium propaganda)

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, Tyranids 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.

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 Notable exploits include being a liaison to Space Marine chapter which involved various first hand Contact to GeneStealers that killed Various Terminators of The Reclaimers who where clearing a space hulk of Tyranids, visiting and surviving a Necron tomb, fighting and bringing together the scattered PDF from a world and then driving off the Orks, and escaping a Dark Eldar slave ship. which he frequently refers to as experiences which have proven invaluable in helping him fight (or run away from) the enemies of the Imperium. Cain also makes reference to various other adventures he has been on, and various footnotes left by Amberley mention incidents such as Cain later visiting a Tau sept world or his rallying a defense of the world he is taken out of retirement during the Thirteenth Black Crusade.

The author has stated that the character of Cain was inspired by both Harry Flashman and Edmund Blackadder. [10]

[edit] Notable Associates

  • Gunner Ferik Jurgen – Cain's personal aide. 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. In addition to his lasgun, Jurgen usually carries a heavy meltagun when he thinks they're heading into trouble. 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. Jurgen is also noted for his fear of flying and his exceptionally aggressive driving style; he routinely drives Cain's personal scout Salamander in a manner generously described as "insane" and, coupled with his literal-mindedness and loyalty, he will often crash through walls or drive straight up shuttle boarding ramps without hesitation.
  • Inquisitor Amberley Vail – an inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos who worked with Cain on many occasions. It has been strongly suggested that their relationship is more than just a professional one[11], and Cain appears to care for her a great deal. However, like all inquisitors, Amberley 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 Duty Calls and also contributes to the other books in the series, acting as editor of Cain's memoirs.
  • 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. Numerous extracts from her memoirs (after retiring as General Jenit Sulla) are interspersed by Inquisitor Vail in the novels as background material, usually with a cutting remark about Sulla's "purple prose" writing style. Unlike Cain's own writing, Sulla's writings are lacking in any literary talent, and she is unable to see that Cain dislikes her. Cain dislikes Sulla due to her aggressive and gung-ho attitude, which would most likely get him killed, and often finds her annoying.
  • 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.
  • Toren Divas - A Lieutenant and later the Major of the 12th Valhallan Artillery Regiment, Cain's unit prior to being reassigned to brigade HQ and the 597th, Divas is probably the closest thing Cain has to a best friend. 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. Cain remarks several times in his memoirs that this enthusiasm is quite probably due to the fact that Divas' posting in an artillery company means he fights those enemies from miles away where they can't shoot back, which was in fact Cain's reason for seeking out the post.

[edit] Amberley Vail's entourage

  • Rakel - A nervous and excitable female psyker who Cain describes as "almost completely round the bend" and having "a voice like fingernails on a blackboard."[12]
  • Caractacus Mott - A savant with numerous bionic augmentations who frequently suffers logorrhea on any number of subjects, often at inopportune moments. Nevertheless Cain seems to enjoy Mott's company, and Mott will at times help him cheat in gambling houses.

[edit] 597th Valhallan Soldiers

  • Sergeant Lustig and his squad Described by Cain as a capable squad leader, he and his squad make their first appearance in For The Emperor as honour guard for Kasteen and Cain, later helping them in bringing a group of Tau diplomats safely back to their HQ. They appear again in Caves of Ice being led by Cain in search for missing miners.
  • Trooper Penlan is the only named member of Lustig's squad. She appears in all the books dealing with the Valhallan 597th and seems to be a magnet for accidents, gaining her the nickname "Jinxie". In For the Emperor she is the only trooper of the squad to get injured, in Caves of Ice she accidentally drops into a ice tunnel, and in The Traitors Hand, her accidents developed into a long list, too large to name them all in short time yet her the notable ones that are mentioned include throwing a tincan at a minefield that the squad was about to walk through, a grenade in the latrine, and moving the squad 10 feet away from a shell launched from a Rebel-captured Basilisk.
  • Sergeant Grifen and her squad first appear in Caves of Ice. She and her squad accompany Cain on an expedition into the tunnels beneath the mining facility, where they encounter a series of hostile animals, Ork "Kommandos" and a force of Necrons. She and Magot also appear in The Traitor's Hand assisting Cain again, this time against Chaos cultists. In The Traitor's Hand Cain indicates that Magot is a lesbian, and he also suggests that Magot and Grifen have a relationship deeper than squadmates, which is backed up by their treatment of each other.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mitchell, Sandy (2003-11-03). For the Emperor. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844160501. 
  2. ^ Mitchell, Sandy (2004-01-05). Caves of Ice. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844160709. 
  3. ^ Mitchell, Sandy (2005-05-19). The Traitor's Hand. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844161874. 
  4. ^ Mitchell, Sandy (2006-02-28). Death or Glory. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844162871. 
  5. ^ Mitchell, Sandy (2007-04-30). Duty Calls. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844164653. 
  6. ^ Mitchell, Sandy (2008-11). Cain's Last Stand. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1-84416-555-1. 
  7. ^ Gascoigne, Marc (Editor) (2004-04-05). What price Victory. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844160778. 
  8. ^ Gascoigne, Marc (Editor) (2003-05-05). Crucible of War. The Black Library. ISBN 978-0743443555. 
  9. ^ Gascoigne, Marc (Editor) (2005-07-14). Bringers of Death. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844162321. 
  10. ^ a b Mitchell, Sandy (2007-04-30). Ciaphas Cain, Hero of the Imperium. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844164660. 
  11. ^ Latest Novel: Duty Calls, page 174
  12. ^ Duty Calls, p.74
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