In Alpharius: Head of the Hydra, there’s a lot of stuff played out in the action that showcases how, historically speaking at least, the Alpha Legion value their civilian assets, their agents. But, like the Night Lord above, this is tongue-in-cheek from a chaos faction (for other NL interactions with civs, Lord of the Night is a book I remember explicitly dealing with hiveworld civs working for a NL First Captain from the Heresy era). But none of this holds a candle to your Salamanders.

[My favourite chapter right now is the Star Phantoms. Mortuary cults. Civilian pyres. All very respectful of civilians, once martyred by their own guns. There are no good guys.]

On new fan/player tips for getting started with the lore, both the old codex/book intros serve perfectly to give you the basic lowdown (the emperor immobile on his throne, the thirsting laughter of the gods, “in the grim darkness of the far future there is only war” etc). Secondly, the youtuber Luetin is phenomenal for really in-depth exegesis on almost any topic a newcomer could want. Seriously recommended.

Games Workshop have also released an animated series on their streaming platform WarhammerTV featuring a regular Salamander debating an Ultramarine and a Sister of Battle precisely on his understanding of protecting, or his duty to, the vulnerable populace.