History Characters / CiaphasCain

* GoodIsNotSoft: While he is a comparatively benevolent example of a commissar, Cain favors bombing worlds that have been occupied by the Ta'u and assimilated their culture and will still not hesitate to execute Imperial soldiers and citizens when the alternatives are worse. For example, in ''For The Emperor'' he immediately executes two suspicious Guardsmen who survived a battle with Genestealers, on suspicion that [[ZombieInfectee they were infected and allowed to escape.]] A quick inspection of their bodies [[ProperlyParanoid proved him right.]]

* GoodIsNotSoft: While he is a comparatively benevolent example of a commissar, Cain will still not hesitate to execute someone who is a threat. For example, in ''For The Emperor'' he immediately executes two suspicious Guardsmen who survived a battle with Genestealers, on suspicion that [[ZombieInfectee they were infected and allowed to escape.]] A quick inspection of their bodies [[ProperlyParanoid proved him right.]]

** Her plan in ''Choose Your Enemies'', [[spoiler: is pretty much the same; she intends to turn the forge world of Ironfound into her personal daemon world, though with the added benefits of gaining access to the Webway through a portal left over when Ironfound was an Eldar Maiden World, and getting to devour plenty of Eldar soulstones collected by her cultist dupes to both increase her power exponentially and protect her from Jurgen's abilities, since she inevitably expected another confrontation with Ciaphas]].

* ArmchairMilitary: He is a commanding and sensible headquarters soldier who wields a lot of influence but, like many generals, is InnocentlyInsensitive about having Cain attach himself to a dangerous operation as an overseer.

* CloserToEarth: She behaves more human-like than most tech priests, lacking a titled voice and taking the time to shake hands with Cain.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: He narrowly survives some pretty intense fighting only for one of Amberley's footnotes to mention that he died later in the battle without Cain's knowledge.

!!Civilians

[[folder:Kolfax]]
A Perlia local and desert prospector used by Cain and the other refugees to navigate the desert during the First Siege of Perlia.

* NativeGuide: A local road worker and desert expert who guides the group to sources of water.
* SacrificialLion: He's KilledOffScreen near the end of the book after having made enough of an impression that Cain finds himself missing the man and even thinks of him a time or two in later books.

[[folder:Ariott]]
A veterinarian on Perlia who is among the liberated prisoners who join Cain's convoy.

* ClosestThingWeGot: Due to the lack of an actual medical he ends up caring for the injured.
* KindlyVet: He is a humble, and sympathetic veterinarian.

[[folder:Captain Mires]]
Captain of a civilian vessel that once transports Cain and the Valhallans.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: His incompetence and general cost-cutting gets the ship infested by a demon, damaged and put in mortal danger along with its passengers. He then works hard with his crew to find a way to get them down to the planet safely, but breaks his neck in the landing.

[[folder:Kolyn]]
A member of Mires' bridge crew.

* IgnoredExpert: As things go badly, Kolyn is quick to point out about how he's been warning Mires about the need for equipment repairs and the reconsecration of wards for some time.
* ResignInProtest: Fed up with Mires ignoring his recommendations for so long, Kolyn declares his intention to quit as soon as the mission is over. Some {{Retirony}} is teased when the ship ends up being destroyed instead, but Kolyn survives (albeit with a broken arm).
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Kolyn and the other surviving crewmen are last seen separating from Cain and his men while they flee their ship before it can sink into the lake where they've crashed. Cain speculates that their knowledge of the ship will allow them to escape faster than his party, but they are never seen or mentioned again.

[[folder:Demara and Tamworth]]
Two members of the Perlia group, a former cop and criminal respectively, who first fight each other, then are forced to cooperate by Cain.

* FireForgedFriends: They go from trying to kill each other over some spilled water to goofing off together when not on duty and being an effective fire team and BackToBackBadasses going up against an Ork ZergRush.
* TattooedCrook: Demara is a former gang enforcer with a tattooed cheek.

[[folder:Artur Morel]]
Head of the miner's guild of Simia Orirchalacae.

* BenevolentBoss: When some of Morel's men disappear, he refuses to ignore it and wants an investigation to protect his remaining workers. Morel also shows anger when it is (falsely) suggested that the culprits might be among his staff.

[[folder:Durant]]
A merchant ship captain who ferries Imperial Guards.

* CyborgHelmsman: Durant has so many cyborg parts that Cain almost mistakes him for a servitor, and his mechanical parts are entwined with the ship itself.
* GoodParents: He's quite warm toward his daughter (his ship's Tech-Priest) and feels that she has the potential to do a lot more than stick around his ship.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When Cain fills his ship with refugees, Durant demands an explanation, but once he gets one, he's mollified and accommodating.

[[folder:Kimeon Slabbard]]
A freight hauler on Adumbria who is bribed by heretics.

* InelegantBlubbering: He spends most of his brief appearance crying and frantically protesting throughout an interrogation for potentially capital charges.
* SuspiciousSpending: His corruption is detected after he spends three times his salary on HookersAndBlow.

[[folder:The Cleff Family]]
Residents of Nusquam Fundumentibus who are briefly mentioned in an InUniverse news article.

* NotEnoughToBury: When their great-grandmother is attacked by a Tyranid, all her family can save of her is her spectacles.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: It's slightly PlayedForLaughs, but the surviving family members describe their ravaged settlement as not being "a fit place to bring up kids in now" and announce their intention to move elsewhere.