PART 3: ARCHONS If Servitors really can grant immortality, then it must be asked: why do standard Servitors present themselves so frequently? Shouldn't the Fallen revere and treasure them with unparalleled precaution? The answer (in my eyes) is rather simple. The Fallen use lesser Servitors in the field because they are of less importance, and can possible be reconstructed. While the nature of Prime Servitors remains elusive to us and The Fallen, it seems apparent that they are able to create or restore lesser version. These common Servitors carry less Ether, hold less computational power, or perhaps cannot even function without the existence of the Primes. However, Simiks-3 seems to give question to this thought process. The Grimoire states that Simiks-3 was allegedly constructed with remaining parts of the destroyed Simiks-Prime, giving it greater Ether reserves and power compared to lesser variants. This indeed proves that new Servitors can be created, and seems to allude to Servitors not being dependent on a Prime. This however is subject to debate, as reports of the Prime's death are conflicted and unconfirmed. This addition to the Grimoire leads me to believe that Simiks-Prime is alive and functional, albeit possibly in a damaged or immobile state. To further analyze the nature of Servitors and the meaning behind their names. Simply put, Servitor means "servant or disciple to a greater power." This poses more questions than it answers unfortunately. If these god-like machines capable of miracles are but mere servants, what power lies above them that they act on behalf of? Their affiliation with life leads me to believe that they may be symbolic servants of what they deem to be their god, be it tangible or not. If they were reverse engineered from the Traveler, then it could very well be that The Fallen praise (or used to praise) the Traveler as their deity. Whether they see it as benevolent and guiding or malevolent and wrathful has yet to be seen. It seems apparent though that the Servitors acquired their names through their creation being due to the Traveler, as their technology and society alludes to the Traveler's influence. It is also apparent that, while Ether bears the same life-granting properties as light, the two remain separate entities. Light restores the body and mind of Guardians, nursing them to health after death to fight once again. Ether restores consciousness and control of the body, but it appears inherently flawed. The Fallen depend on Ether for their own existence, lest they lose control of the shambling corpses they inhabit. Ether is by no means a permanent solution, as it is required perpetually to continue the host's life. Ether seems like a sort of dilution of the Traveler's light, an imperfect substance bearing some of it's miraculous abilities, but not all. To analyze this further, we must refer to the Archons, and their relation to Greek history. Archons, simply put, are leaders. In ancient Greece, city-states held 9 chief magistrates, each given the title of "Archon." It can be inferred from this that The Fallen follow a similar structure, but the similarities cannot be fully elaborated on at this time. Does each house hold 9 ruling Archons, in addition to (or including) a Kell? Does each House hold a separate Archon, and there are nine in total? We can only assume that the 9 leaders is relevant somehow at this point and time. (As a side note, the 9 Archons may hold similarities to "The Nine" and their affiliation with Xur, but thats a completely different subject.) Whatever the case, it's apparently that Archons are inherently tied to Servitors, yet the relation remains illusive. Do Servitors serve the Archons? Or do the Archons simply interpret and execute the will of the Servitors? I believe it to be the former, yet in a more subtle way. Archons are shown to be given high reverence in Fallen society, possible placed even above the mighty Kells. I believe that Archons may in fact be the few Fallen who remember long before. They are the handful of Fallen that hold memory of their previous empire, which has not been seen or heard from in hundreds of years at the very least. The Archons manipulate the Servitors (or possibly create new ones) based on the pre-collapse knowledge of their society. They recite ancient and complex algorithms or programming that allows them to manipulate the machines in ways lesser Fallen no longer remember, as their memory of the world before has dwindled to nothing. It is for this reason that Archons are kept alive at all costs, to the point of warring Houses refusing to kill enemy Archons. These ancient minds hold the keys to relocating and contacting the empire that left their grasp centuries ago. Kells may be mighty kings, and Servitors may revered gifts of immortality, but the Archons are the prophets and saints of Fallen society. They seek to lead the Houses to salvation, to reach out to the vastness of space they lost knowledge of so long ago. Ketches and skiffs are vessels, and the the ancient minds of the Archons hold the way back to the home they lost. Edit: If you have any suggestions or recommendations for Part 4, I'm all ears. Feel free to critique, question, or contribute in other ways below.