Ciaphas Cain - Notable Associates

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 (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 Baldrick, who shares many similar traits.

• Inquisitor Amberley Vail – an inquisitor 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, Cain's Last Stand and The Last Ditch, 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 CO) and remains with the 597th for a good third of his career.

• 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 post-retirement memoirs are interspersed by Inquisitor Vail in the novels as background material, usually with a derogatory remark about Sulla's "purple prose" 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.