Blood Gorgons

From Tv Tropes

The Blood Gorgons are a Chaos Marine Chapter in the Warhammer 40,000 Universe created by author Henry Zou. Their unique ability is the "bonding" of two brothers, giving them different forms of Twin Telepathy. They prefer to roam the Universe free and have declined joining as Abbadon's "dogs". There are three novels that follow their exploits:

• Emperor's Mercy
• Flesh and Iron
• Blood Gorgons

Note: For clarity sake, when using Blood Gorgons, refer to the group. When using Blood Gorgons, refer to the third novel.

Tropes involved with the Blood Gorgons

• All Of Them.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Oh, Smeagle... I mean Sindul.
• Culture Clash: A Space Marine, a dark eldar and a human are stuck together on a planet... Culture Clash ensues. The Space Marine doesn't understand What Is That Thing Called Caring About Your Fellow Man, how he'd probably psychically crash if he'd care as much as the human, why is he expected to Not Lie and how the hell the eldar thinks betrayal of his own organization is better than capture in the eyes of his own brothers when he'd quickly shoot a traitor as he'd breathe. The eldar doesn't understand what "promise" is or how anyone would be stupid enough to keep it if it wouldn't be in their favor, and takes it as a form of weakness. The human doesn't understand how his God is a complete ass, Manipulative Bastard and later in Berserker mode.
• Death Of A Thousand Cuts: How Barsabbas finally manages to get through Muhr's shield and eventually kill him.
• Earn Your Happy Endings: Barsabbas becomes Gammadin's Bond-Brother. Who'd have guessed?
• Evil Vs Evil bordering on Sadist Show.
• I Lied: Barsabbas does this easily. This may be later subverted in that their treck actually manages to save Gammadin, take back the Cauldron Born and implied to retake their planet - or at least get Nurgle followers away from it.
• Idiotic Partner Confession: As straight as it can be played in this Grimdark universe: a drughead comes to his dealer after the recent system change, insisting to his dealer that he used to say bad things about his current boss. It's hard to say if this is because of the drugs/withdrawal or he tried to blackmail the dealer, but this Too Dumb To Live action ends quickly with a shiv in his belly:

  Culk (or whatever his name was): Mister Menzo?

  Menzo: What? Quickly.

  Culk: Sabtah is dead!

  Menzo: I know that. Quieten your voice.

  Culk: Will this... this affect your trade?

  Menzo: Why would it?

  Culk: You always said Gammadin and Sabtah didn't care enough about the slaves to mind what we did with our sleep shift. You said Muhr'd be a hard bastard to try to sneak by.

  Menzo: Shut your mouth!

  Culk: But you said that. You said Muhr would be a right stiff pri-

  Menzo: *put hands over his mouth, inserts shiv, sees coworkers while hiding evidence*

  Menzo: Long live lord Muhr!

  • Ironically, of the three Mauve Shirts that come into focus in Blood Gorgons, he's the only one implied to survive, or at least not get an on-screen death. Dangerous Genre Savvy indeed!
• Ignored Epiphany: Barsabbas feels loss after he sees Gumede lying dead. That lasts a few seconds at most.
• Kick The Son Of A Bitch: The chaos Barsabbas wreaked on Ur was damn fitting.
• Jerkass God: Barsabbas tries hard to avoid this trope so he can manipulate the poor people attacked by Nurglites. Though after They Have Served Their Purpose, he starts acting a lot more jerkish with Gumede.
• Mercy Kill: Barsabbas to his Bond-Brother.
• My God, Right Or Wrong: Gumede, though by the end he runs more on fumes than on worship. He probably got off easy just dying in the service of his God, believing his world would be saved, which - with no direct intent from said God at the time of the promise - may be a possibility.

  Barsabbas: I am a god to you.

  Gumede: You are a cruel god.

• Not Quite Dead: Gammadin.
• Shapeshifter Identity Crisis: Inverted. After his Bond, Barsabbas is confused with Gammadin by the demons taunting him, who fear him more and more. Justified, in that this is probably the most extensive bonding ever done, including giving a heart.
• Shoot The Shaggy Dog: Gumede and Sindul. Possibly Doomed Moral Victors, since one died for his God and it's implied his world will be saved by their actions, and the second Died Free.
• The Starscream: Anko Muhr.
• Strawman Has A Point: Ngokodjou is a Fat Bastard that wants to break Barsabbas' story that he's a godsend, and we should hate him for that and for eating more than his kin. Only Ngokodjou is rather right, Barsabbas is not a god, and is just using them to get one Space Marine back and would expend women and children in a senseless (tactical for him) slaughter to keep the enemy occupied. That their sacrifice means a lot more for their planet and their gods than anyone expected does not change things much, since the above were Barsabbas' only objectives at the time.
• Twin Telepathy: Their hat, invoked by Gammadin.
• Underdogs Never Lose: Played straight with Barsabbas.
• Unstoppable Rage: Barsabbas when he discovers his Bond-Brother mind wiped.
• The Untwist: Now what were the odds of Barsabbas becoming Gammadin's Bond-Brother? Pretty damn high!
  • This is made blatantly obvious by Gammadin losing his Bond-Brother, Barsabbas losing his, and by the time Gammadin is found to be Not Quite Dead by Barsabbas, you know how it'll end between them.
• Vetinari Job Security: Gammadin does this to the Cauldron Born. Justified and probably back-up'd with his Bond Brother, as, if by any chance he'd get killed, he has enough of his blood/will to continue to command the ship. Also a backup against invaders. This actually happens in the third novel, and the Overlord is pissed he can't control the beast.
• We Want Our Jerk Back: This is rather a PR relation problem by the Affably Evil Plague Marine Overlord that took over the Cauldron Born, who for all his good intent, can't for the hell of him explain to the crew and slaves why Nurgle influence (i.e. death and decay) is a good thing, though some try to explain, but fall on death ears. When Gammadin returns, even the Blood Gorgons' slaves rally against them.
• What If Barabbas was a Crazy Awesome Badass Superhuman and fought out of his imprisonment with great relish, rescued Jesus, destroyed the feeble humans who passed judgement on them, and ascended as His right hand? This is basically The Bible twisted to Satan's POV ON DRUGS!
• Whole Plot Reference: Barsabbas for The Bible/Jesus' crucifixion and Sindul for Smeagel from LOTR.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: think they're living in a Lord Of The Ring story where Gondor Calls For Aid from the Gods and are rewarded with a sorcerer that will smithe your enemy. Sorry guys, you're in the dark grim future where you're the Gods' playthings.
• X Meets Y: Blood Gorgons is The Bible meets Lord Of The Rings. Then remove all morality, good and faith references from both.