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 five titles; For The Emperor,^[1] Caves of Ice,^[2] The Traitor's Hand^[3], Death Or Glory,^[4] and Duty Calls^[5] . He also appears in three short stories, The Beguiling, Fight or Flight and Sector 13 (featured respectively in the omnibuses What Price Victory^[6], Crucible of War^[7], and Bringers of Death^[8]). In April 2007 the first three books in the series were collected in a volume entitled Ciaphas Cain : Hero of the Imperium^[9]. This article is about the tabletop miniature wargame and the fictional universe in which it is set. ... Commissar is a term used in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe to represent a political field officer in the regiments of the Imperial Guard. ... The current Imperial Guard sourcebook. ... Alex Stewart is a British writer, who also goes by the pseudonym Sandy Mitchell, best known for his Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 novels, including the Ciaphas Cain series. ... The Black Library is a section of BL Publishing (itself a division of Games Workshop) devoted to publishing novels, art books, background books and graphic novels set in the Warhammer Fantasy world and the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ... April 2007 is the fourth month of the year. ...

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. Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is a fictional character in the science-fantasy game Inquisitor by Games Workshop. ...

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.

In many ways Cain is the equivalent of George MacDonald Fraser's character, Flashman.^[10][11][9] 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." George MacDonald Fraser, OBE (born 2 April 1926 in Carlisle) is a British author of both historical novels and non-fiction books. ... Harry Paget Flashman is a fictional character originally created by the author Thomas Hughes in his semi-autobiographical work Tom Browns Schooldays, first published in 1857. ... The Emperor of Mankind The Immortal God-Emperor of Mankind is the leader of the Imperium in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the largest human organization within that universe. ...

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 two centuries old. Eventually he died of natural causes and was buried with full military honours. (Ironically, due to the many false allegations of his death during his time as a Commissar, Cain was only officially confirmed dead by the Munitorium long after his actual death.)

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 Imperial Guard is a fictional military organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ... The cover of the current Codex: Orks sourcebook The Orks are a race from the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ... The Cover of the Current Necron sourcebook, Codex Necrons. ... In Games Workshops Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often malevolent entities which live in some sort of parallel universe, known as the Warp in Warhammer 40,000 and as the Realm of Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy. ...

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 Space Marine chapter The Reclaimers, 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. The current Space Marine sourcebook (codex) cover The Space Marines are one of the major forces available in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000. ... This is a list of known canonical Space Marine Chapters from the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ... A small swarm of Tyranids, including a Warrior and several Termagaunts and Genestealers. ... It has been suggested that Necron Monolith be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Imperium (Warhammer 40,000). ... A squad of Dark Eldar Warriors In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Dark Eldar are a Kindred of the Eldar, an ancient and advanced race of elf-like humanoids. ... The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire that contains the vast majority of humanity in the forty-first millennium, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop. ...

Notable Associates

• Gunner Ferik Jurgen – Cain's faithful aide, this veteran guardsman never let his commander down. Cain introduces him as "Gunner First Class", even though there is no such rank in the Imperial army. 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 usually carries a meltagun when he thinks they're heading into trouble, which has gotten him and Cain out of many tight spots, but he always has his lasgun with him as his primary weapon. 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.

• 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 Duty Calls 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.

• 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'.
  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.

• 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. 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. However, like many of his personal relationships, Cain may have a deeper connection to Divas than he realizes or admits.

Members of Inquisitor Vail's entourage also appear in the novels: Body odor is the smell of sweat and whatever bacteria are growing on the body. ... A Genestealer Brood In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000 by Games Workshop, a Genestealer (scientific name Corporaptor Hominii) is an alien creature associated with the Tyranids. ... The Inquisition (The Holy Orders of the Emperors Inquisition) is a secret organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ... In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Ordo Xenos, (more commonly known as the Alien Hunters) are one of the three Ordos of the Inquisition, faced with counteracting the threat of alien species. ... The Inquisition (The Holy Orders of the Emperors Inquisition) is a secret organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... The Imperial Guard is a fictional military organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ... A memoir, as a literary genre, forms a sub-class of autobiography. ... Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (Latin: L·CORNELIVS·L·F·P·N·SVLLA·FELIX)[1] (ca. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Dictator is originally the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. ... A term of literary criticism, purple prose is used to describe passages, or sometimes entire literary works, written in prose so overly extravagant, ornate or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself. ...

• Rakel - A nervous, and excitable female psyker (it was her reaction to Jurgen that revealed that he was a blank) 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.

Logorrhoea (US logorrhea) (Greek λογορροια, logorrhoia, word-flux) is defined as an excessive flow of words and, when used medically, refers to incoherent talkativeness that occurs in certain kinds of mental illness, such as mania. ...

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. ^ Gascoigne, Marc (Editor) (2004-04-05). What price Victory. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844160778. 
7. ^ Gascoigne, Marc (Editor) (2003-05-05). Crucible of War. The Black Library. ISBN 978-0743443555. 
8. ^ Gascoigne, Marc (Editor) (2005-07-14). Bringers of Death. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844162321. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Mitchell, Sandy (2007-04-30). Ciaphas Cain, Hero of the Imperium. The Black Library. ISBN 978-1844164660. 
10. ^ Fraser, George MacDonald. McAuslan Complete. Akadine Press, 1999
11. ^ Ibid. Flashman series, various books
12. ^ Duty Calls, p.74