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Edited by Hynox Xitio:
6/19/2015 11:33:14 PM
83
[LORE] The True Nature of The Fallen. [Update 6-19-15]
My friends and I have concocted our own theories on the Fallen, supported of course by Grimoire information. I'll try to regurgitate the information here, for you guys to critique and theorize about.
Disclaimer: This TL;DR was stripped directly from an email, specifically from me to Destiny YouTuber Wally.(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwU531b_ZqUe_YXQRL7asQ)
As we already know, The Fallen are essentially interstellar transients. Bandits, scavengers, pirates, all these terms and more describe their actions and ranks. Like human nature, they band together under different flags and fight amongst each other as they strive for dominance. Yet, there is a symbol that all Fallen factions seem to display. Be it the House of Winter on Venus or the Devils pillaging Earth, this symbol (http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130219132206/destinypedia/images/9/97/Fallen_Logo.png) can be found on banners, as if to be shown as a sign of pride or glory. Now, it's very possible that it's simply a common message that alludes our understanding, but the frequency and transparency of it's appearance leads me to believe it's the symbol of their old empire, an emblem hearkening back to a greater time long passed. This is not unlike the prevalence of the American flag accompanying allusions to old world found in the Fallout series, as all factions revere the old world is a similar fashion, regardless of ideologies or beliefs.
Transitioning into my main theory however, is the connection between the Fallen "Golden Age" and their Servitors. The Grimoire cards repeatedly state that the Servitors were one of, if not the pinnacle achievement of Fallen society. They are shown to be given a near-godlike societal status in the eyes of The Fallen, who will sacrifice themselves for their safety at a moments notice. The question must then be asked, why are these spherical automatons so precious to The Fallen? The Grimoire states that they provide Fallen troops with "Ether," a substance they need to survive, but I believe this dependence goes far further than one would assume. Since playing the beta, I found it odd that Fallen foot soldiers seemed to have no blood/fluid that emitted upon their death, only white light. While I initially shrugged this off as the game's T-rating, I eventually started questioning this assumption in the full release. The Hive decay into ash upon death, the Vex emit the white bloodlike-fluid that gives them life, and the Cabal clearly bleed, albeit with black blood. However, despite the organic nature of The Fallen, their deaths simply involve a white gas, evaporating from their wounds upon fatal injury. The Grimoire states that it is their souls leaving them behind, and thats about the time where my theory came into fruition. Perhaps The Fallen don't bleed because their blood is already gone, all thats left in them is the Ether distributed by the servitors. The Fallen don't breathe in ether like an alternative to oxygen to avoid suffocation, it literally keeps them alive. My friends and I strong believe The Fallen are all physically dead, and have been for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The Servitors give them the greatest gift imaginable, the gift of eternal life. The lack of bodily fluids leaves me to believe that The Fallen are but shambling corpses, cold skeletons with their consciences and life sustained perpetually by Ether.
[b]EDIT[/b]: The Cabal's black blood appears to instead be fuel for their suits, as it is shown to also be inside their vehicles and infrastructure.
This is supported by the Sepiks Prime and Archon Aksor strike descriptions, which both reference the alleged link between Servitors and souls. Cayde tasks you with killing the Archon Priest "before his soul can be restored." I suspect this to be the Servitors reanimating his corpse (or near-death husk), pumping the pod he is encased in full of Ether. Similarly, the Prime Servitor in the Devil's lair is told to be holding the souls of the Devils, inferring that it is able to revive them as dregs to battle the city once again. While it could just be a figure of speech involving devil mythology, Commander Zavala may have been speaking somewhat literally when he instructed you to "send their souls screaming back to hell." Perhaps killing Servitors (or just primes) will destroy the souls of slain fallen they were holding, denying them from reviving ever again. It's very probable that Fallen lose both their memories and strength upon death, as Kells and higher-rank Fallen seem to display more self-preservation. It's also possible though that stronger Fallen leaders can be revived with memories and strength intact, as Aksor is revived and appears to retain his memories prior to his imprisonment.
To be continued in Part 2
Edit: lolsorryforDestiny'sinvertedthreadformat.
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36 RepliesEdited by Hynox Xitio: 11/11/2014 9:06:55 PMPART 2: THE FALLEN GOLDEN AGE This theory would also explain their ruthless nature and selflessness. Dregs and sworded Fallen charge forward with no hesitation. Captains kill their underlings at the slightest disobedience. Perhaps their desensitization towards death stems from their gifted immortality. Being the outcasts and disgraced of the Fallen ranks, Dregs charge forward because they no longer fear death, they have nothing to lose aside from physical pain. Likewise, the Fallen grow physically larger and stronger with their doses of Ether, so it stands to reason that the Archons and Kells we see were also Dregs at one point. It's very possible that Ether is not plentiful, and needs to be reserved to Fallen that have proven themselves, as apposed to the Dregs who have not proven that they are worthy of anything other than the bare minimum form of existence. As Fallen show acts of valor or heroism in battle, their Ether supply increases, granting them greater strength and size. Upon death however, they are reborn as lowly dregs once again. It's ironic that, while the Hive are literal beings of death and decay, it is The Fallen who seem to be the dead ones, as they appear to be but shells, kept marching towards their goals indefinitely through the Servitors. Truly the only threat to the Fallen is the death of their Servitors, as they seem incapable of producing new ones, similarly to how humanity seems to be unable of creating new ghosts. It is for this reason that even the mighty Kells are below a Prime Servitor, who is protected and safeguarded by the Archon Priests, beings given by far the most Ether in proportion to other Fallen, so that they may safeguard both the will of and survival of the servitors. Naturally, these leads into the question of how the Servitors were created, and what gives them their supposed ability to restore life into what was once dead. While this branches off into pure conjecture, I believe that this power was gifted or taught to them by none other thanThe Traveler. The Traveler has displayed it's ability to revive the dead with Ghosts, who will resurrect guardians to fight for humanity. It stands to reason that The Fallen in their golden age were able to reverse engineer this technology. Giving further evidence to this idea is the similarities between Fallen technology and the Traveler in design. It's no secret that whether it be data pods, Servitors, or even their vehicles, Fallen architecture appears spherical in nature, as if it was influenced by the travelers design.The popular forum theories suggest that The Fallen are those which The Traveler abandoned, as they now appear to seek it wherever it wanders to. Whether it be Ether having a bright light-filled glow, or it's association with spirituality and inherent light, Ether's association with light is very plain and transparent, lending evidence to the idea that they once used the light we are now gifted by The Traveler, before they eventually turned to the Darkness. My final ideas in this theory of tinfoil hat proportions ends with how Fallen society ended in the first place. Abiding by the other theories presented, it would stand to reason that The Fallen were decimated by the departure of The Traveler, and society simply fell into disarray. However, there is another, and more intimidating thought process to be considered. Perhaps Fallen society did not crumble as we had assumed. Perhaps it merely expanded, seeking the traveler wherever it journeyed out to. Saint-14's theory on the nature of The Darkness states that it was not a sentient being, but instead force(s) of incredible, yet tangible power. Perhaps the collapse was a war, a colossal war, but a tangible one, between the Fallen's empire and an unknown external force. It's possible that they may have fought the Cabal, the Hive, or perhaps some other race that is unknown to us. While their theoretical foe remains illusive, the results do not. My theory goes that this massive armada of invading Fallen, was bested at the hands of either The Traveler, or some unknown foe. The fleet was left cut off from access to the main empire, potentially thousands of lightyears away from even the slightest extent of reinforcements. With no home to return to, the survivors of the fleet collapsed into the Houses we know today. While their Servitors grant them eternal life, it came at a great cost. Their civilization and order as they knew it were gone, the fleet left to shamble around the solar system aimlessly, helpless at the hands of whatever had bested them. The fear lies in what The Fallen have been trying to do since then. Be it the House of Winter or mysterious House of Kings, The Fallen seem to be fixated with both communications and interstellar travel. While the House of Devils cling to the rocket yards of old Russia, the Kings seek to commandeer the lost arrays of the Cosmodrome. It's very possible that they are trying to once again make contact with their empire, no doubt to announce their survival and demand reinforcements to come harboring their salvation. Does this main empire still exist? Is it possible for The Fallen to contact it once again? Regardless of the answers, it's in the best interests of humanity to ensure that this communication never gets established. My next major post will be discussing mainly allusions to Greek society, and the function of Archons in Fallen leadership. However, I will happily reply to critiques and questions.
