Ciaphas Cain
Encyclopedia
The Ciaphas Cain series is a collection of science fiction
novel
s set in the Warhammer 40,000
universe. They center on the eponymous character, an Imperial
Commissar
of the Imperial Guard
, and his varied and colorful career.
. The Cain series currently stands at eight titles:
The novels are presented as Cain's personal and often rambling notes. After his death, a third party edited them into a more coherent form, interspersed them with footnotes or snippets of other accounts where Cain's first-person (and self-centered) perspective does not provide sufficient context, and made them available for use by the Holy Inquisition. This editor is revealed over the course of the first account to be Inquisitor Amberley Vail of the Ordo Xenos, Cain's long-time collaborator and herself a prominent figure in the accounts.
Cain also appears in three short stories (featured respectively in the anthologies What Price Victory, Crucible of War, and Bringers of Death):
In April 2007 the first three books in the series and the 3 short stories were collected in a volume entitled Ciaphas Cain : Hero of the Imperium.
In October 2010 Defender of the Imperium, an omnibus compilation of "Death or Glory", "Duty Calls" and "Cain's Last Stand" was released, and also contains the short stories Traitor’s Gambit and Sector Thirteen.
of the Imperium of Man's troops. Commissars are charged with maintaining the morale and loyalty of Imperial troops, an important matter when one considers the horrific odds and staggering casualties most soldiers face in the "grim dark future" of the WH40K milieu. Despite holding no standard rank and being outside the chain of command
, they have wide discretionary powers, including summary execution or even decimation
, in pursuit of their duties. Cain, having observed the tendency of many members of the Commissariat to fall victim to "accidental" friendly fire
, prefers to lead by example and encouragement instead of fear, and has gained a reputation for charismatic leadership, self-effacing heroism and concern for the common trooper. This has spiraled rather out of Cain's control, as he is now regarded as a "Hero of the Imperium
", and is frequently assigned to dangerous and unusual circumstances. The truth, as presented in the novels, is that Cain is the sort of person he himself is supposed to execute: self-serving, incredibly paranoid, a truly skilled liar, and happy to put as many bodies between him and the enemy as possible in order to save his own skin. The author has stated that the character of Cain was inspired by both Harry Flashman and Edmund Blackadder
.
It should be pointed out that Cain is an unreliable narrator
. His memoirs are completely self-centered, containing nothing on the context of his adventures, forcing Vail to intersperse his narrative with secondary sources. Vail must also add occasional footnotes to some of his recollections to point out that Cain has just glossed over something another man might take pride in. For instance, Vail at one point praises Cain's marksmanship, pointing out that he had just made quite a remarkable long-range shot with an inaccurate pistol, while Cain himself writes onward without acknowledging (or possibly even being aware of) his own skill. Likewise, Cain views himself as a cowardly figure of little worth, often wondering why various enemy generals are so fixated on defeating him—leaving us completely ignorant (until Vail points it out) of the morale boost caused by the mere presence of a genuine "Hero of the Imperium", much less any acts of heroism that may be forthcoming. In the end, Vail's limited interjections indicate that she believes Cain is too hard on himself; author Sandy Mitchell has stated that he himself is not sure if Cain is truly a coward, or a genuine hero with a massive inferiority complex
or a case of impostor syndrome
.
Even though Cain has always sought to find some safe, quiet post (it could be argued that is in fact all he has ever wanted), he is one of the most combat-experienced commissars in the Imperium. Some of his many notable exploits include being a liaison to Space Marine
chapter which involved various first hand contact to Genestealer
s that killed various Terminators of The Reclaimers who were clearing a space hulk of Tyranids
; visiting and surviving two different Necron
tombs; fighting and bringing together the scattered PDF
from a world and then driving off the Orks, and escaping on a Dark Eldar
slave ship. He frequently refers to such experiences as invaluable as they taught him to fight (or more frequently, run away from) the enemies of the Imperium
. Inquisitor Vail believes (albeit with a certain amount of irony) that it is precisely this quality that has made him such an effective leader and agent of the Imperium. He is aided in these exploits by his martial skill, which is quite significant, as demonstrated by his ability to temporarily stalemate a Chaos Space Marine in melee with his chainsword. Vail's footnotes in the second novel indicated Cain was probably one of the finest swordsmen in his region of the galaxy.
Cain maintains his reputation of heroism primarily for its benefit to him; most soldiers around him obey his orders without question, and he is constantly invited to parties and upscale social functions. It is, strangely, aided by his habits of self-preservation; in trying to seek out the last place the enemy is likely to be, he frequently wanders into the exact place they're pulling off the most secret or critical part of their schemes. Of course, this habit has become so ingrained in his and the public's conscious that everyone expects him to volunteer for whatever particularly dangerous duty has just come along. He is also humanitarian in his dealings with Imperial Guardsmen. Cain does not do this out of altruism, but rather because soldiers who like him are more likely to willingly fight for or protect him and less likely to shoot him from behind. Cain notes that he has tried to teach commissar cadets this alternative style of morale-boosting, with only marginal success.
Cain's past is shrouded in mystery. Vail's footnotes indicate that, despite her research into the subject, she could find no official documentation on where he was born or what his childhood was like. 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. The situation is exacerbated by his habitual lying; so accomplished a dissembler is he that even nearby telepaths
felt no urge to distrust him when he lied in their presence. He has become so good at lying that he is sometimes unsure of where the lies stop and the actual Ciaphas Cain begins, and it is possible that no one ever truly knew him. The closest to doing so would probably be Amberley Vail, not only due to her stewardship of his memoirs but through over a century of both professional and romantic entanglement.
According to Vail's footnotes, Cain retired from service (something very few people live long enough to do in WH40K) and took up service at a military academy on Perlia, where he trained potential Commissars, participated in the Thirteenth Black Crusade, and published an official biography: To Serve the Emperor: A Commissar's Life. Passing away of natural causes, he was buried with full military honours—though, due to the many false allegations of his death, there is a standing order that Cain remain listed as on active duty at all times, an order which has not been revoked even though he is documentably dead and interred. The much longer and more self-critical "Cain Archive," from whence Inquisitor Vail publishes her accounts, were unorganized at the time of his death; for instance, Vail makes reference to having had to assemble at least one volume ("Cain's Last Stand") by stitching together several vignettes scattered throughout the document. Vail's introductions to each excerpt indicate that she is circulating them amongst fellow members of the Inquisition, with a strong caution not to make them available for public consumption so as to leave Cain's legacy untainted.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s set in the Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
universe. They center on the eponymous character, an Imperial
Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire of over a million planets that contains the vast majority of humans in the forty-first millennium, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop....
Commissar
Commissar
Commissar is the English transliteration of an official title used in Russia from the time of Peter the Great.The title was used during the Provisional Government for regional heads of administration, but it is mostly associated with a number of Cheka and military functions in Bolshevik and Soviet...
of the Imperial Guard
Imperial Guard (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperial Guard are a specific army or faction in the Warhammer 40,000 and Epic tabletop games and universe. The army itself is characterised by being capable of fielding a multitude of lightly armoured, average infantry in combination with some of the toughest and most powerful tanks in the game...
, and his varied and colorful career.
Novels
Cain is the main character of Sandy Mitchell's novels published by the Black LibraryBlack Library
The Black Library is a division of Games Workshop which is devoted to publishing novels and audiobooks set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes...
. The Cain series currently stands at eight titles:
- For The Emperor
- Caves of Ice
- The Traitor's Hand
- Death Or Glory
- Duty Calls
- Cain's Last Stand
- The Emperor's Finest
- The Last Ditch
The novels are presented as Cain's personal and often rambling notes. After his death, a third party edited them into a more coherent form, interspersed them with footnotes or snippets of other accounts where Cain's first-person (and self-centered) perspective does not provide sufficient context, and made them available for use by the Holy Inquisition. This editor is revealed over the course of the first account to be Inquisitor Amberley Vail of the Ordo Xenos, Cain's long-time collaborator and herself a prominent figure in the accounts.
Cain also appears in three short stories (featured respectively in the anthologies What Price Victory, Crucible of War, and Bringers of Death):
- The Beguiling
- Fight or Flight
- Echoes of the Tomb
In April 2007 the first three books in the series and the 3 short stories were collected in a volume entitled Ciaphas Cain : Hero of the Imperium.
In October 2010 Defender of the Imperium, an omnibus compilation of "Death or Glory", "Duty Calls" and "Cain's Last Stand" was released, and also contains the short stories Traitor’s Gambit and Sector Thirteen.
Character
Ciaphas Cain is a "Commissar," a political officerPolitical commissar
The political commissar is the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and organisation, and loyalty to the government of the military...
of the Imperium of Man's troops. Commissars are charged with maintaining the morale and loyalty of Imperial troops, an important matter when one considers the horrific odds and staggering casualties most soldiers face in the "grim dark future" of the WH40K milieu. Despite holding no standard rank and being outside the chain of command
Chain of Command
Chain of Command may refer to:* Chain of command, in a military context, the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed* "Chain of Command" , the fifth episode of the first season of Beast Wars...
, they have wide discretionary powers, including summary execution or even decimation
Decimation (Roman Army)
Decimation |ten]]") was a form of military discipline used by officers in the Roman Army to punish mutinous or cowardly soldiers. The word decimation is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth".-Procedure:...
, in pursuit of their duties. Cain, having observed the tendency of many members of the Commissariat to fall victim to "accidental" friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
, prefers to lead by example and encouragement instead of fear, and has gained a reputation for charismatic leadership, self-effacing heroism and concern for the common trooper. This has spiraled rather out of Cain's control, as he is now regarded as a "Hero of the Imperium
People's Hero
People's Hero or National Hero may refer to:* a Folk hero* People's Hero aka Yan man ying hung, a 1987 Hong Kong film* People's Heroes, a Russian superhero team from DC Comics* Honorific title or decoration of some states:...
", and is frequently assigned to dangerous and unusual circumstances. The truth, as presented in the novels, is that Cain is the sort of person he himself is supposed to execute: self-serving, incredibly paranoid, a truly skilled liar, and happy to put as many bodies between him and the enemy as possible in order to save his own skin. The author has stated that the character of Cain was inspired by both Harry Flashman and Edmund Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder is the single name given to a collection of fictional characters who appear in the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder, each played by Rowan Atkinson. Although each series is set within a different period of British history, each character is part of the same familial...
.
It should be pointed out that Cain is an unreliable narrator
Unreliable narrator
An unreliable narrator is a narrator, whether in literature, film, or theatre, whose credibility has been seriously compromised. The term was coined in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in The Rhetoric of Fiction. This narrative mode is one that can be developed by an author for a number of reasons, usually...
. His memoirs are completely self-centered, containing nothing on the context of his adventures, forcing Vail to intersperse his narrative with secondary sources. Vail must also add occasional footnotes to some of his recollections to point out that Cain has just glossed over something another man might take pride in. For instance, Vail at one point praises Cain's marksmanship, pointing out that he had just made quite a remarkable long-range shot with an inaccurate pistol, while Cain himself writes onward without acknowledging (or possibly even being aware of) his own skill. Likewise, Cain views himself as a cowardly figure of little worth, often wondering why various enemy generals are so fixated on defeating him—leaving us completely ignorant (until Vail points it out) of the morale boost caused by the mere presence of a genuine "Hero of the Imperium", much less any acts of heroism that may be forthcoming. In the end, Vail's limited interjections indicate that she believes Cain is too hard on himself; author Sandy Mitchell has stated that he himself is not sure if Cain is truly a coward, or a genuine hero with a massive inferiority complex
Inferiority complex
An inferiority complex, in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. Such feelings can arise from an imagined or actual inferiority in the afflicted person...
or a case of impostor syndrome
Impostor Syndrome
The impostor syndrome, sometimes called impostor phenomenon or fraud syndrome, is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. It is not an officially recognized psychological disorder, but has been the subject of numerous books and articles by...
.
Even though Cain has always sought to find some safe, quiet post (it could be argued that is in fact all he has ever wanted), he is one of the most combat-experienced commissars in the Imperium. Some of his many notable exploits include being a liaison to Space Marine
Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000)
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000 setting created by Games Workshop, Space Marines are genetically modified "super human" soldiers created by the Emperor to conquer the galaxy and defend mankind. According to Games Workshop, there are over a thousand recorded chapters of Space Marines,...
chapter which involved various first hand contact to Genestealer
Genestealer
Genestealers are a fictional alien species in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and the opponents of the marines in the Space Hulk board game...
s that killed various Terminators of The Reclaimers who were clearing a space hulk of Tyranids
Tyranids
The Tyranids are a fictional race from the Warhammer 40000 tabletop game and its spin-off media. They are known to the Imperium generally as Tyranids, because Tyran is the first known planet they devoured and where they were first encountered...
; visiting and surviving two different Necron
Necron
In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Necrons are a mysterious skeletal robot-like race that have lain dormant and largely unknown by the other races of the universe for sixty four million years, and are reemerging in the distant future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe...
tombs; fighting and bringing together the scattered PDF
Planetary Defence Force
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000 each planet has a corps of troops known also known as the Planetary Defence Force.- Overview :Every populated world in the Imperium is required to possess its own government military forces for the planet's own defense...
from a world and then driving off the Orks, and escaping on a Dark Eldar
Dark Eldar
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. Their armies usually have the advantages of speed, though they are often lacking in resilience...
slave ship. He frequently refers to such experiences as invaluable as they taught him to fight (or more frequently, run away from) the enemies of the Imperium
Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire of over a million planets that contains the vast majority of humans in the forty-first millennium, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop....
. Inquisitor Vail believes (albeit with a certain amount of irony) that it is precisely this quality that has made him such an effective leader and agent of the Imperium. He is aided in these exploits by his martial skill, which is quite significant, as demonstrated by his ability to temporarily stalemate a Chaos Space Marine in melee with his chainsword. Vail's footnotes in the second novel indicated Cain was probably one of the finest swordsmen in his region of the galaxy.
Cain maintains his reputation of heroism primarily for its benefit to him; most soldiers around him obey his orders without question, and he is constantly invited to parties and upscale social functions. It is, strangely, aided by his habits of self-preservation; in trying to seek out the last place the enemy is likely to be, he frequently wanders into the exact place they're pulling off the most secret or critical part of their schemes. Of course, this habit has become so ingrained in his and the public's conscious that everyone expects him to volunteer for whatever particularly dangerous duty has just come along. He is also humanitarian in his dealings with Imperial Guardsmen. Cain does not do this out of altruism, but rather because soldiers who like him are more likely to willingly fight for or protect him and less likely to shoot him from behind. Cain notes that he has tried to teach commissar cadets this alternative style of morale-boosting, with only marginal success.
Cain's past is shrouded in mystery. Vail's footnotes indicate that, despite her research into the subject, she could find no official documentation on where he was born or what his childhood was like. 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. The situation is exacerbated by his habitual lying; so accomplished a dissembler is he that even nearby telepaths
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
felt no urge to distrust him when he lied in their presence. He has become so good at lying that he is sometimes unsure of where the lies stop and the actual Ciaphas Cain begins, and it is possible that no one ever truly knew him. The closest to doing so would probably be Amberley Vail, not only due to her stewardship of his memoirs but through over a century of both professional and romantic entanglement.
According to Vail's footnotes, Cain retired from service (something very few people live long enough to do in WH40K) and took up service at a military academy on Perlia, where he trained potential Commissars, participated in the Thirteenth Black Crusade, and published an official biography: To Serve the Emperor: A Commissar's Life. Passing away of natural causes, he was buried with full military honours—though, due to the many false allegations of his death, there is a standing order that Cain remain listed as on active duty at all times, an order which has not been revoked even though he is documentably dead and interred. The much longer and more self-critical "Cain Archive," from whence Inquisitor Vail publishes her accounts, were unorganized at the time of his death; for instance, Vail makes reference to having had to assemble at least one volume ("Cain's Last Stand") by stitching together several vignettes scattered throughout the document. Vail's introductions to each excerpt indicate that she is circulating them amongst fellow members of the Inquisition, with a strong caution not to make them available for public consumption so as to leave Cain's legacy untainted.
Notable Associates
- Gunner Ferik Jurgen – Cain's personal aide. Noticeable for his powerful body odour and chronic psoriasisPsoriasisPsoriasis is an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system mistakes the skin cells as a pathogen, and sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious. However, psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of...
(which discourage others from getting too close to him), Jurgen is also a "blank", or a psychic null (which might account for other people's dislike of Jurgen as much as his hygiene problems, as can be surmised from how badly the more susceptible psykers respond to Jurgen even in friendly situations); this trait saved them both on more than one occasion. Jurgen has complete loyalty to Commissar Cain, and his unwavering dedication to him has helped both of them through many dangerous situations. Cain finds Jurgen an excellent aide, as Jurgen doggedly follows Cain's orders, always thinking 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 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. Jurgen also makes an excellent secretary, as very few people are able to get past him to see Cain unless it is very important (reducing the amount of office work done by Cain and allowing him to take "breaks" without his absence being noticed). Despite his otherwise dogged adherence to authority, Jurgen's appearance has often been remarked as being extremely shabby for a soldier. He has never been able to find a uniform that fit him properly, maintains a shabby beard (which he has medical dispensation for due to his skin diseases) and believes hygiene is something that happens to other people. Since Cain is largely based on Edmund Blackadder, it is likely that Jurgen is based on Blackadder's aide BaldrickBaldrickBaldrick is the name of several fictional characters featured in the long-running BBC historic comedy television series Blackadder. Each one serves as Edmund Blackadder's servant and sidekick and acts as a foil to the lead character...
, who shares many similar traits.
- Inquisitor Amberley Vail – an inquisitorInquisition (Warhammer 40,000)The Inquisition is an organisation in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. They act as the secret police of the Imperium, hunting down any and all threats to the stability of the God-Emperor's realm. In fiction relating to the games, Inquisitors are usually represented by extremely powerful,...
of the Ordo Xenos who worked with Cain on many occasions. She is described as an attractive blonde & blue eyed woman with an easy personality, in stark contrast to the stereotypical expectation of Inquisitors (which Vail noted was exactly the point). In the novels, it is strongly suggested that their relationship is a romantic one, 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 posed a threat to the Imperium. Inquisitor Vail appears as an active character in For The Emperor and Duty Calls, makes brief cameos in Caves of Ice and Cain's Last Stand, and also contributes to the other books in the series, acting as editor of Cain's memoirs. Despite temptation, Vail generally resists opportunities to annotate or justify her own portrayal in Cain's notes.
- Colonel Regina Kasteen and Major Ruput Broklaw - The regimental commander and second-in-command of the 597th Valhallan. They are introduced in the first novel of the series as former company commanders in the 296th and 301st Valhallan, respectively, both of which fought in the defense of Corania against the tyranids and sustained such heavy casualties that bureaucrats in the Munitorium decided to simply merge the two units into one. Cain is assigned the unenviable job of unifying the newly-christened 296/301st, one half of which was once an all-male front-line Guard unit and the other an all-female reservist outfit. Amongst other actions, Cain integrates the regiment at squad level, putting men and women side-by-side, and renames it the 597th (the sum of 296 and 301). Despite earlier animosity, Kasteen and Broklaw develop a respectful and functional working relationship, not only with each other, but with Cain as well, who becomes deeply integrated into the command structure (serving almost as a third COCommanding officerThe commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
) and remains with the 597th for a good third of his career.
- Jenit Sulla – Sulla is a LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
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 post-retirement memoirs are interspersed by Inquisitor Vail in the novels as background material, usually with a derogatory remark about Sulla's "purple prosePurple prosePurple prose is a term of literary criticism used to describe passages, or sometimes entire literary works, written in prose so extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself. Purple prose is sensually evocative beyond the requirements of its context...
" and complete lack of literary talent. Sulla sees Cain as a mentor, and remains oblivious to Cain's dislike for her due her aggressive and gung-ho attitude, which unnecessarily puts people (such as Cain) in danger. However, even Cain cannot deny her efficiency and competence, and Vail's footnotes point out that Sulla's soldiers had complete confidence in her.
- Toren Divas - A Lieutenant and later the Major of the 12th Valhallan Artillery Regiment, Cain's unit prior to being reassigned to regimental HQ and the 597th. Divas is probably the closest thing Cain has to a best friend. He is an enthusiastic 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 because 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.
Amberley Vail's entourage
- Rakel - A nervous and excitable female psykerPsykerPsykers are individuals with psychic abilities in the Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe. Psykers draw their powers from the Warp, an immaterial dimension with huge potential energy, but one that is also full of peril, and hence they are often in danger of daemonic possession and insanity.-...
whom Cain describes as "almost completely round the bend" and having "a voice like fingernails on a blackboard." Upon meeting Jurgen, Rakel suffers an extreme physical and mental reaction to his presence, prompting Amberley to suspect Jurgen of being a psychic blank.
- Caractacus Mott - A savantSavantSavant may refer to:* An expert or wise person* Savant syndrome* Marilyn vos Savant* Savant publications* Doug SavantIn popular culture:* Characters in the Noble Warriors Trilogy...
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 at times helps Cain cheat in gambling houses using an intuitive grasp of probability.
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". It is noted in Caves of Ice that other soldiers believe having her nearby would redirect their own bad luck to her. In The Traitor's Hand, some of her accidents are listed, with the observation that they often indirectly benefited the mission or the soldiers around her.
- 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 suggests that Magot is perhaps not interested in men, and he also suggests in Caves of Ice that Magot and Grifen have a relationship deeper than squadmates.