History Literature / SoulDrinkers

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/51soddcls4l_ac_uf10001000_ql80.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Purity through hate. Dignity through rage. Let the fire within light the fires without.'']]

[[quoteright:653:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/51soddcls4l_ac_uf10001000_ql80.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:653:"Purity through hate. Dignity through rage. Let the fire within light the fires without.'']]

Please resist the urge to put examples on this page or link to this page on tropes unless you are citing from 40K '''novels''' in which the Soul Drinkers feature. Examples which are specific to rulebooks or other in-universe fluff should go on either the [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} 40K page]] or in the [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Space Marines character page]].

[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/souldrinkeromni_5436.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:''Purity through hate. Dignity through rage. Let the fire within light the fires without.'']]

* DescriptionPorn: Happens a lot, especially when Chaos rituals and daemons are involved.

** [[spoiler:That nice Chaplain Iktinos? Why does he have a psyker perpetually locked in a box at the bottom of a pool, in a giant spacehulk for months on end? To carry out a complex millennia long scheme to cripple the Imperium.]]
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Sarpedon seems to be making a habit of it.
* DueToTheDead: [[spoiler:Having been convinced that the Soul Drinkers were indeed loyal Astartes, the Imperial Fists inscribe the names of the Soul Drinkers who died fighting off Abraxes's army onto a memorial in the Apothecarion.]]
* DuelToTheDeath: More like "duel to the spontaneous spiderleg mutation impalement".

* GambitPileup: The Soul Drinkers just keep running into these.
* GenghisGambit: Abraxes' invasion of the ''Phalanx'' involves daemons of Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Khorne, who don't get along at the best of times. [[spoiler:As Abraxes is being sucked back into the warp in defeat, it's strongly implied that the Chaos Gods have been watching the whole time and are quite displeased at his failure.]]

* ItsRainingMen: ...and they're zombies. Lucky us.

* KneelBeforeZod [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Or Stab Zod In The Heart!]]

* NumberedHomeworld: Typical of ''40k''.
* {{Pride}}: The recurring theme of the series.

* RedRightHand: or Red Spider Legs. Or Huge Right Hand. Or Heals Insanely Fast. Or...
** Practically a pun considering their relationship with the Crimson Fists...

* ShroudedInMyth: The Soulspear. All we know is that it's scarier then any other weapon wielded by a Primarch and coded to Dorn's blood. [[spoiler:...and then it's revealed that it's ''not'' coded to Dorn's blood since his geneseed isn't in the Soul Drinkers]].

* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs

* IGaveMyWord: Sarpedon's bound by it. [[spoiler:Averted in ''Chapter War'', as he completely double-crosses Eumenes. Though as Sarpedon points out, Eumenes broke his word first. And we all know how Space Marines like to [[KillEmAll deal with traitors]].]]

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler: At the end of ''Phalanx'', only three severely wounded members of the Soul Drinkers are still alive, and they march into a warp portal to face death on their own terms rather than remain in the Imperium.]]

* SceneryGorn: Bad enough normally, but the [[BodyHorror Daemon]] [[EnemyToAllLivingThings Princes]] [[{{Plaguemaster}} of Nurgle]] take this up to eleven.
* ShroudedInMyth: The Soulspear. All we know is that it's scarier then any other weapon wielded by a Primarch and coded to Dorn's blood. [[spoiler:...and then it's revealed that it's ''not'' coded to Dorn's blood since his geneseed isn't in the Soul Drinkers.]]

* SceneryGorn: Bad enough normally, but the [[BodyHorror Daemon]] [[EnemyToAllLivingThings Princes]] [[{{Plaguemaster}} of Nurgle]] take this UpToEleven.

** [[spoiler:Special mention has to go to Librarian Tyrendian in ''Phalanx'' who, after being swallowed by a [[PhysicalGod Greater Daemon]], [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome overloads himself and self destructs with the force of a small nuke.]]]]

The Soul Drinkers are a TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} chapter of renegade {{Space Marine}}s, a successor chapter to the Imperial Fists.

* KangarooCourt: The Trial of the Soul Drinkers in ''Phalanx'' sounded to be set up as one, but Vladamir Pugh was pretty damn adamant about trying to avert this in spite of Reinez and Borganor's best efforts. Having ''[[{{Badass}} Darnath Lysander]]'' as your bailiff helps a lot.

* {{Unperson}}: After being declared traitors and excommunicated, the Inquisition's deletion order results in the Soul Drinkers being scrubbed from Imperial history, down to the archives on Holy Terra. [[spoiler:Ultimately subverted; see DueToTheDead above.]]

* AxeCrazy: Tellos. How crazy? After losing his hands and the damaged nerves being unable to take prosthetics he decides the best idea is jam fan blades into the stumps and run around topless. He later upgrades the fan blades to ''chainswords''.

Please resist the urge to put examples on this page or link to this page on tropes unless you are citing from 40K '''novels''' in which the Soul Drinkers feature. Examples which are specific to rulebooks or other in-universe fluff should go on either the [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} 40K page]] or in the Space Marines section of the [[Characters/Warhammer40000CurrentImperialFactions Imperial factions page]].

They are the subject of a series by novels by BenCounter: ''Soul Drinker'', ''The Bleeding Chalice'', ''Crimson Tears'', ''Chapter War'', ''Hellforged'', and ''Phalanx'', which have been collected into two omnibus editions, ''Redemption'' and ''Annihilation''. In the first, they are nearly seduced into the service of Chaos, but reject it. Nevertheless, afterwards, they do not return to the service of the Imperium but forge their own path.

* AboveGoodAndEvil: [[spoiler: Iktinos thinks that his work for Daenyathos and Abraxes is important to the Chapter, regardless of motive]]

** ''Chapter War'', at the climax Sarpedon tells Eumenes that the position of Chapter Master is not a prize for the {{pr|ide}}oud but a position of responsibility. Then they DuelToTheDeath.
** Arguably, Sarpedon qualifies as an AbsentFather, in that he never seems to have a clue what's going on in his own chapter. Notable examples include [[spoiler: Tellos' turn to Khorne, Eumenes' mutiny, Iktinos's Tzeentch cult, and Daenyathos being still alive.]]

** The Necron tomb interior is so unnerving that the Soul Drinkers have a hard time just walking in a striaght line - which doesn't help the fact that you're being killed by ghost zombie robots.

* BackForTheFinale: ''Phalanx'' features the return of Sister Aescarion and Lord Inquisitor Kolgo of the Inquisition, Reinez of the Crimson Fists, Captain Borgannor of the Howling Griffons, and [[spoiler: Abraxes]].
* BadassCreed: Inquisitor Thaddeus gets a great one - bellowing the Inquistiorial version of the Miranda Rights while blasting bolts into a Nurglitch demagouge.

* BigBad: Each book has its own. The overall Big Bad of the series, however, is [[spoiler: a BigBadDuumvirate composed of Abraxas and Daenyathos, who have been manipulating the Chapter for ''millennia''.]]
* BigBookOfWar: The ''Catechisms Martial'', written by Daenyathos which formulates the Soul Drinkers combat philosophy. [[spoiler: May or may not have been designed to induce subconscious Chaos corruption.]]

* BlueBlood: ''Chapter War'', Lord Sovelin Falken. At one point, he throws his weight around, pointing out that the governor is his great-aunt -- but that's because he has vital information, and he has to use anything he can to get it through.

* DarkIsNotEvil: Of course, it's still very violent and angry. [[spoiler: Averted with Iktinos and Tellos, who are both very dark and very, very evil.]]

** In ''Soul Drinker'' [[spoiler: If you don't have a long time interest in the game, you wouldn't get the hint about the Architect of Fate, which is Tzeentch's most oft quoted title.]]
** [[spoiler: That nice Chaplain Iktinos? Why does he have a psyker perpetually locked in a box at the bottom of a pool, in a giant spacehulk for months on end? To carry out a complex millennia long scheme to cripple the Imperium.]]

* DueToTheDead: [[spoiler: Having been convinced that the Soul Drinkers were indeed loyal Astartes, the Imperial Fists inscribe the names of the Soul Drinkers who died fighting off Abraxes's army onto a memorial in the Apothecarion.]]

* IDieFree: According to WordOfGod, the entire series is turning into this for the chapter. [[spoiler: They do.]]
* IGaveMyWord: Sarpedon's bound by it. [[spoiler: Averted in ''Chapter War'', as he completely double crosses Eumenes. Though as Sarpedon points out, Eumenes broke his word first. And we all know how Space Marines like to [[KillEmAll deal with traitors]].]]

** Averted with [[spoiler: Thaddeus, although he's killed before his investigations can come to fruition.]]
* LightningBruiser: The Soul Drinkers as a whole are this even by the standards of usual Space Marine chapters, being specialised in assault orientated boarding actions and close range firefights.

* TheReveal: In ''Phalanx'': [[spoiler: Daenythos, who is still alive, has manipulated the Soul Drinkers' course since his "death" to become a force against the Imperium, using the Chaplains and the ''Catechisms Martial'' to ultimately turn the Soul Drinkers against the Imperium.]]

* TakingYouWithMe: Turns up a lot in the series, often as a HeroicSacrifice. [[spoiler: Lygris, Sarpedon.]]
** [[spoiler: Special mention has to go to Librarian Tyrendian in ''Phalanx'' who, after being swallowed by a [[PhysicalGod Greater Daemon]], [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome overloads himself and self destructs with the force of a small nuke.]]]]

* UndyingLoyalty: Even after the Imperium has turned its back upon them, Chaos has corrupted their bodies, and the loss of hundreds of battle brothers, all Soul Drinkers remain loyal until the bitter end. [[spoiler: Some to the Emperor, others to their true masters...]]

* The UnReveal: We never find out [[spoiler:which Primarch's geneseed is actually in the Soul Drinkers, only that it's not Dorn's like they originally believed]].
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Daenythos's last words are a mindless scream of terror as he is dragged into the Warp by Sarpedon. Given [[YouHaveFailedMe what he can expect]], this is perfectly justified.]]

* BlessedWithSuck: The Soul Drinkers' mutations are just one more strike against them in the eyes of everyone else in the Imperium, but some of them actually are beneficial:
** Tellos' flesh change and increased healing make him almost impossible to kill.
** Graevus' mutated hand allows him to wield a massive power axe one-handed.
** Sarpedon's spidery legs give him increased speed, a unique climbing ability, and attack/defense moves that come in very handy at times. Overall they end up saving his life many times over.

** ''Chapter War'', at the climax Sarpedon tells Eumenes that the position of Chapter Master is not a prize for the [[{{Pride}} proud]] but a position of responsibility. Then they DuelToTheDeath.

* AxeCrazy: Tellos. How crazy? After losing his hands and the damaged nerves being unable to take prosthetics he decides the best idea is jam fan blades into the stumps and run around topless.

* BigBookOfWar: The ''Catechisms Martial'', written by Daenyathos which formulates the Soul Drinkers combat philosophy. [[spoiler: May or may not have been designed to induce subconscious Chaos Corruption.]]

-->'''[[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Lord General Xarius]]:''' ''(Informing officers of the recently arrived [[MoreDakka artillery spam]])'' "We now posess the most effective way of killing our own men and creating plenty of rubble for the enemy to hide behind."

** [[spoiler: That nice Chaplain Iktinos? Why does he have a psyker perpetually locked in a box at the bottom of a pool, in a giant spacehulk for months on end? To carry out a complex millenia long scheme to cripple the Imperium.]]

* HealingFactor: Space Marines naturally have this, Tellos cranks up to 12 though.

They are the subject of a series by BenCounter: ''Soul Drinker'', ''The Bleeding Chalice'', ''Crimson Tears'' (collected in a omnibus), ''Chapter War'', and ''Hellforged'' and the serialized-but-later-compiled-into-a-book ''Phalanx'', . In the first, they are nearly seduced into the service of Chaos, but reject it. Nevertheless, afterwards, they do not return to the service of the Imperium but forge their own path.

* AFatherToHisMen: ''Chapter War'', at the climax Sarpedon tells Eumenes that the position of Chapter Master is not a prize for the [[{{Pride}} proud]] but a position of responsibility. Then they DuelToTheDeath.

* AlienGeometries: Whenever Abraxes shows up the material world seems to screw itself. Given that he's a Daemon Prince of Tzeentch, this is justified. Also, the Necron tomb interior is so unnerving that the Soul Drinkers have a hard time just walking in a striaght line - which doesn't help the fact that you're being killed by ghost zombie robots.

* BittersweetEnding: Phalanx. [[spoiler: The Soul Drinkers are killed to the last man by fighting off a daemonic army summoned onto the Phalanx but but prove beyond a doubt their loyalty to the Emperor. Sarpedon, mortally wounded, dies dragging the architect of the chapter's downfall, Daenyathos, into the warp.]]

* DidntSeeThatComing: In ''Soul Drinker'' [[spoiler: If you don't have a long time interest in the game, you wouldn't get the hint about the Architect of Fate, which is Tzeentch's most oft quoted title.]]

* IGaveMyWord: Sarpedon's bound by it. [[spoiler: Averted in Chapter War, he completely double crosses Eumenes. Though as Sarpedon points out, Eumenes broke his word first. And we all know how Space Marines like to [[KillEmAll deal with traitors]].]]

* LawfulStupid: The inquisitor and his interrogator from the first book should really think about who they're trying to kill. [[spoiler: Averted with Thaddeus from the second book.]]
* LightningBruiser: The Soul Drinkers as a whole are this even by the standards of usual space marine chapters, being specialised in assault orientated boarding actions and close range firefights.
* {{Mutants}}: While initially proud for it, the Soul Drinkers now thinks a bad idea. Some of the more notable examples include: Sarpedon's spider legs, Tello's regeneration speed, Pallas's snake scales, and Graevus' mutated hand.

* PrimalFear (really, the entire point of Sarpedon's "The Hell" psychic power)

* TheReveal: In ''Phalanx'': [[spoiler: Daenythos, who is still alive, has manipulated the Soul Drinkers course since his "death" to become a force against the Imperium, using the Chaplains and the ''Catechisms Martial'' to ultimately turn the Soul Drinkers against the Imperium.]]

* ShroudedInMyth: The Soulspear. All we know is that it's scarier then any other weapon wielded by a Primarch and coded to Dorn's blood.

** [[spoiler: Special mention has to go to Librarian Tyrendian in Phalanx who, after being swallowed by a [[PhysicalGod Greater Daemon]], [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome overloads himself and self destructs with the force of a small nuke.]]]]

* TooDumbToLive: Archmagos Khobtov, the Inquisitor and Interrogator from Soul Drinker. Pretty much any Imperial character that is going after them without any assistance from the Astartes.
* UndyingLoyalty: Even after the Imperium has turned its back upon them, Chaos has corrupted their bodies, lost hundreds of battle brothers - All Soul Drinkers remain loyal until the bitter end. [[spoiler: Some to the Emperor, others to their true masters...]]

* WeHaveReserves: Chaos loves this as much as the Imperial Guard, though in the first three novels the Guard never actually try this.
** Actively defied by ''Crimson Tears'" [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Lord General Xarius]], who goes out of his way to not spam the men (not pawns) under his command.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler: The fate of those who leave after the second chapter war is never revealed.]]
* ZombieApocalypse: About 75% of ''Bleeding Chalice'', including ships redesigned as zombie-plague hypodermic needles and another set up to provide a zombie apocalypse ''orbit drop''.

Please resist the urge to put examples on this page or link to this page on tropes unless you are citing from 40K '''novels''' in which the Soul Drinkers feature. Examples which are specific to rulebooks or other in-universe fluff should go on either the [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} 40K]] page or in the Space Marines section of the Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFactions page.

* DidNotDoTheResearch: ''Crimson Tears''. A Kabal of Dark Eldar that had given up and sworn to Slaanesh? ''Just'' possible, the little bastards enjoy changing allegiances almost as much as other people's pain, but one must remember that if Dark Eldar go anywhere near Slaanesh their soul are MindRape - d for eternity. Calling Grotesques "Haemonculi"? Mistake, pure and simple.