Fallen Lore

Is Fallen Ether a Real Substance? (Theory) Anyone who has A) played Destiny and B) can aim will know that the Fallen, upon cranial expiration, will explode in a shower of a substance called "Ether". They are decidedly addicted to this substance, using Servitors to collect energy and even cannibalise the dead in order to create it. This flammable, addictive, pale, and (according to the Grimoire) pungent liquid also, supposedly, keeps the Fallen alive and grants them both the blessing of strength and the curse of their feral nature. My theory is this; that Destiny's "Ether" is a version of a real chemical; Diethyl Ether. Let's start with the most visible quality of Ether; flammability and explosiveness. Diethyl reacts explosively with chemicals in the air at high temperatures, the kind that might be provided by a headshot. This raises the question of why the Fallen aren't just exploding randomly, but I'll talk about this later. About its appearance, Diethyl is a colourless liquid under most circumstances which matches the pale Ether blood often left by dead Fallen. Another, lesser, point would be the powerful, sweet scent also left by Diethyl, something echoed by Varik's' scenes in the Grimoire where Ether fills the air. Which brings me onto the seemingly unexplainable addictivity and strength-enhancing abilities of Ether... Or are they? Ether-addiction in real-life exists; etheromania, a condition often associated with the drinking or INHALATION of ether. The Fallen do this through their masks, and given Diethyl's solvent nature, it might well help to serve as blood for the Fallen. Ether being Diethyl also explains how Servitors even produce the stuff; it's just carbon, oxygen and hydrogen reacted together, gathered, often from corpses, and then combined with energy from elsewhere. As for the strength, size and resistance it offers, while the former two are hard to pin down in a sci-fi so filled with space magic and wizardry, the latter is easy; Diethyl Ether is a narcotic, an anaesthetic, the Fallen don't feel much pain because the Ether softens it. Going back to why the Fallen aren't just exploding everywhere, they likely, as a species closely related to insects, have cold blood and a cool internal body temperature. So, at the end of the day, the Fallen aren't space pirates surviving on magic and plunder, they're just junkies looking for their next huff of Diethyl Ether.

[u][b]Fallen Houses: Status[/b][/u] In the Destiny Universe, recent events have significantly altered the power of the various Fallen Houses in the Solar System. Some of these changes have been instigated by Guardian assassinations, the brief resurgence and subsequent destruction of the House of Wolves, or the various battles and conflicts that have taken place since their arrival at Earth. These changes are listed below: [u]House of Devils:[/u] Status - Extant (Weakened) Once the most powerful of the Houses, recent events have placed serious doubt (at least, in my mind) about the continued survival of the Devils on Earth. The first to battle against humans during the Collapse, these early conflicts caused notable loses, but were ultimately insignificant. During the Dark Ages, a period of over-extension of the Devil's forces in salvage operations or raids (against both tribal humans and Fallen Kings) gave the Devils a reputation for durability, surviving numerous engagements despite to a lack of restraint concerning troop lose. At Six Fronts, the Devils were thoroughly beaten by the City and the embarrassment turned to urgency. With the Wolves, now larger than the Devils and approaching the Reef, the Devils realised that they needed to eliminate this human threat to focus on their new Fallen rivals. At Twilight Gap, the Devils' loses were the worst of all the Houses, as the Wolves did not arrive to provide their support. Forced to deploy heavily and fill a canon fodder role in place of the Wolves' infantry, the Devils lost more respect and power here. The Kings, seeing an opportunity to expand, pushed the Devils closer the City, attempting to weaken both. In the new "City Age", the Devils have been dealt what could be considered a killing blow, in the form of the rapid lose of their Prime Servitor, Archon and Archon-Rising. Their method for surviving dire circumstances; cannibalising failures for Ether, destroyed, the Devil Kell will likely struggle to hold his House together, with no clear solution and 3 major threats encroaching on them. [u]House of Kings:[/u] Status - Extant (Strengthened) The Kings have managed to successfully manipulate both their human and Fallen opposition to better their position. During the Collapse, the Kings only acted where necessary, thus sparing the numbers of troops lost by the Devil's campaign against the human military. Spending this period carefully capturing key locations and plotting to take the Traveller, the Kings began open engagements with the Kings and a shadowy war fought with the Spawn of Crota, to control the dark places they held. Compared to the other Houses, the Kings minimalized their loses at Six Fronts and Twilight Gap by playing a support/sniper role on the field of battle, and avoided mass deployments to ensure survival. Any reputation lost was quickly regained in successful operations against the Devils, who were to weak to fight back after their defeats by the City. After the weakening of the Devils, the Kings quickly began, and aborted, an attempt to gain control of the Cosmodrome. Battles with the Hive led to extermination by Guardians, and a plot to assassinate a Wolves Baron ultimately led to the deaths of three Barons. This may force the Kings to deploy higher-ranking leaders in missions, but they have had their positions vastly enhanced since their arrival on Earth. House of Winter: Status - Extinct (Destroyed by integration with the Wolves) Striking Venus before the Vex arrived, Winter lost a significant number of troops in their battles with human forces. Forced to salvage the ruins they originally planned to sack, they then lost even more forces in preliminary battles with the Vex, who caught them completely by surprised. Despite these failures, Winter is famed for its powerful collection of artillery, including Spider Tanks and Heavy Pikes, and was able to blunt any offensive by the Vex, despite the battles of attrition they fought. Considering themselves in the clear, Winter sent a force, mainly consisting of artillery and wire riflemen, to Earth to assist at Twilight Gap. It is unknown how it happened, but Winter lost their Prime Servitor during this period as well as considerable loses at the Gap, despite a valiant effort against the City's artillery. In an attempt to regain control of their situation, Winter raided the Prison of Elders to seize an Archon to reinstate a Prime Servitor. This Archon was promptly eliminated by Guardians, who then murdered the Winter Kell in his own Ketch, while salvage attempts were also thwarted by Guardians. Completely crippled by the loss of a Kell, Prime and (presumably, as they were forced to steal one) Archon, the House of Winter fell into civil war over the remnants of the Golden Age on Venus. This chaos was manipulated by the revived House of Wolves. Upon arrival, Skolas was quickly able to gain control of the House, and most surviving Winter Fallen converted to the Wolves. This was not wise, as the Wolves were then massacred in turn. Now, with their leadership destroyed and the bulk of their forces dead, the House of Winter has ceased to be; the only remnants of the House still patrol Venus, trying to salvage what remains in the shadow of the Citadel. [u]House of Wolves:[/u] Status - Extinct (Scattered, then hunted down by Guardians. The only remnants either converted to Judgement, or are in the Prison of Elders) The last of the original House to arrive at the Solar System, the Wolves initially started at the Jovians, but soon left in favour of the Inner Solar System. Receiving the call to battle at the Twilight Gap, the Wolves garrisoned on Ceres and prepared, now being the largest House. The Queen, fearing for the City, decided to stop the Wolves, and had Ceres destroyed with the Wolves on it. The Wolves either scattered onto the Inner Planets or fight the Reef Wars. Internal conflicts and battles with the Awoken led to the deaths of the majority of the Houses' Kells, Archons and Primes. Their leadership either killed or captured, the Queen offered Skolas the Rabid to the Nine as tribute. The Nine then released Skolas back into the Solar System, and the Prison of Elders was breached by Fallen forces, freeing many of the captured Wolves. Now free to pursue conquest, Skolas replaced his Houses' traditional structure with his own private army; the Wolf Pack, and were able to secure various high-powered weapons from the Awoken before arriving on Venus and Earth to seek control over the other Houses. Absorbing Winter, finding alliance with the Devils and hostility with the Kings, the Wolves had expanded up until Guardians, under the Queen's banner, set to destroying the House. Pushed away from Earth by the Guardians and Kings, the Fallen attempted to reverse-engineer Vex technology to bolster their ranks with apocalyptic weapons and more troops pulled forward in time. These attempts failed, despite unexpected success against the Vex. Skolas was recaptured, along with the bulk of his forces, and thrown back into the Prison of Elders. Now firmly secured by the presence of Guardians, no further raid attempts have been recorded as of yet. Forced to either join the House of Judgement (vowing to serve the Queen again) or rot in the Prison, the Wolves have been virtually exterminated; the only survivors now roam the Prison, their allegiances broken and moral shattered. [u]House of Exile:[/u] Status - Extant (Unknown) While their origin is unknown, the House of Exile formed in protest and punishment against and by the other Houses. Fallen leaders angry and soldiers ashamed at Six Fronts and the Gap form the majority of this new Houses' ranks. Forced onto the Moon by the other Houses, the Exiles seek to survive amongst the Hive, salvaging what little they can from the ruins not wracked on the surface. After the Scatter, many ex-Wolves joined the Exiles, who did not as of yet have any real leaders; only ambitious Barons. Their new-found strength allowed them to survive various battles with the Hive and to continue to build their army. Unmolested by the other Houses, the Exiles experienced a period of brief expansion, as their numbers, and Pikes, gave them the ability to push against the Hive on the surface, forcing them back into the Hellmouth. In a bold move, an Exile Baron led a force into the Hellmouth and managed to push the Hive back, so much so that they were seriously challenged to fight back, in an attempt to salvage what laid within. This success was short-lived, as Guardians quickly intervened, scissoring the Exiles against the Hive and destroying them. Despite their failure, news of this unprecedented victory over the Hive spread, and encouraged the House of Devils and Wolves to also infiltrate the Hellmouth, now severely under-manned since the death of Crota. Weakened by their failure, the Exiles have been unable to stop other House from interfering with their efforts. Although still in a reasonably good position, it remains to be unseen whether the Exiles have formed any real leadership, and this might threaten their future on the Moon. [u]House of Judgement[/u] Status - Extant (Weak, but may be growing) Once a great diplomatic force between the Houses, Judgement was almost destroyed when hostilities broke out after the Collapse, as the Devils and Kings fought for Earth. The sole survivor, a Judgement Scribe by the name of Variks, came under the control of the House of Wolves. Understanding their precarious position after the Scatter, Variks pledged loyalty to the Queen and encouraged various other Wolves to do the same, after betraying Skolas to the Crows (the Queen's secret service). Proud in service, Variks refused to bow to Skolas after his return, and formed the Prison of Elders to contain any rebellious Wolves, although it would eventually become an Arena (something present in pre-Whirlwind Fallen society).

The House of Kings: Primer A lethal blend of power and cunning, the Fallen House of Kings is both one of the most prominent and least understood of the Fallen Houses in the Solar System. Despite this obscurity, what is known about the Kings is that they are decisive, manipulative and driven, seeking one prize above all others; the Traveller. During the final days of the Collapse, the Fallen Houses arrived at Earth and began picking apart resistance and evacuation efforts. While little is known about this period, Grimoire suggests that the House of Devils was most active in these early assaults; the Sacking of London and the destruction of numerous Cosmodromes is attributed to the Devils. Despite this, the House of Kings was active during this period and already scheming. In their terror campaign, the House of Devils both revealed itself and metaphorically exposed its hand; the Kings chose to play theirs closer to their chests by taking out small, high-value targets. It is telling that nobody survived these raids to speak of the Kings until Guardians eventually encountered them years later. In the aftermath of the Collapse and throughout the Dark Age, the Devils began salvaging Golden Age ruins and destroying human barbarian camps they found. Soon, the two Houses came into conflict as the Kings, with superior intelligence, were able to locate more valuable loot and the Devils, drained by their battles with Humans, were unable to stop raids by the Kings stealing Devil supplies or preform their own on the Kings. Ultimately, all the Kings actions (both in securing objects of power and stealing from the Devils) was leading up to a planned seizure of the Traveller. As the Devil's ire began to trouble the Kings and jeopardise this planned recapture the Kell of Kings (who is unknown) bartered with the Devils over an agreement to attack a village under the Traveller. Although the Kings didn't expect a real fight, they intended to allow the Devils to be cannon fodder and to betray them at the last minute, which would have given them the opportunity to escape Earth with the Traveller. This became Six Fronts, where both Houses learned the power of the Light and of the City. Enraged and ashamed at their failure, the Kings convinced the Devils (who had already blamed the Kings for not committing enough troops) to convene an emergency meeting of the Houses to eliminate this new threat. Now wise to the strength of the enemy they faced, the Kings reconsidered and formulated another plan; while the Wolves and Devils (their main threats) staged a frontal assault the Kings and Winter would pin down the Guardians with wire rifle fire and artillery. Then, as the weakened Houses of Devils, Wolves and Winter stormed the City in hopes of a massacre, the Kings would retake the high ground from the now-dead Guardians and begin sniping all survivors (Human and Fallen) in the City before escaping with the Traveller before any of the Houses could fight back. This tactic would ultimately fail as the Wolves never arrived (having been scattered in the Reef by the Queen) leading to the frontal assault failing. Fortunately for the Kings, the timely arrival of a Cabal expeditionary force as the Guardians began a counter-attack allowed them time to flee; out of all the combatants at the Battle (of the Twilight Gap) it was the Kings who suffered the least number of casualties. Their strength intact but their pride shattered, the Kings began attacking the Devils in order to push them closer to the City, weakening both opponents, as they began waging a secret war with the Hive for control over the depths of the Last Cosmodrome, all the while preparing for another shot at the Traveller. When Yavek, a Baron in and an ambassador for the newly-reorganised House of Wolves, demanded an audience with the Kell of Kings at the behest of Skolas, the Kell of Kells, the Kings chose to send an assassination team headed by two of their own Barons; Paskin and Vekis. All three were killed, however, when Guardians breached the meeting, killing both the Wolves who thought they were guarding a democratic meeting and the Kings preparing to murder their counterparts. Throughout our contact with them, the Kings have only grown more powerful and each loss teaches them something new about their enemy. As well as this, the House of Kings are the only Fallen in the Solar System to still have their Kell, Archon and Prime Servitor alive. They are now one of two enemies (the other being the Hive) who are both close enough and strong enough to theoretically stage an attack on the City and should be considered highly dangerous, snd should be considered priority targets because of this.

(This is my analysis of the Fallen command structure) The Theory: The Leader tier: Each Fallen House observed so far has obeyed a strict command structure. The heart of this structure is a symbiosis between an Archon, a Prime Servitor and a Kell who leads the House. The Fallen require Ether to survive and grow and the Servitors can convert matter and energy into Ether. An Archon is a fusion of the roles of an advisor and a priest: the Archon deals with the Prime Servitor for Ether and in return offers worship and transport upon one of the House' Ketch. The Archon is responsible for piloting the ship with the assistance of Pilot Servitors, but does not determine the direction. The Archon also employs an Archon-Rising, a sort of apprentice, and an Archon-Priest, decidedly a veteran Archon, to lead Servitor worship in case of death, ensuring continuity. The Prime Servitor provides the largest quantity of Ether for its House. It gives the largest amount of Ether to the Kell and Archon to ensure their physical dominance and can be seen (in the Devil's Lair) to cannibalise lesser Fallen. It has various offspring, including High Servitors and Pilot Servitors who run the engines of the Houses' nomadic Ketch homes. While the Archon and Servitors lead in religious and technical matters, the Kell is the political leader of the House and is subservient to none. They provide their House direction and leadership and prevent rebellion, often via the usage of secret police-esque groups (e.g the "Wolf Pack" and Fallen assassins). The Middle tier: Just below the Leader tier are the Barons. Barons each control their own Ketch and a fleet of Skiffs and, while largely allowed to pursue their own goals, ultimately obey their Kell. When a Kell is killed the Archon and High Servitor elect a Baron to become the new Kell, although this can lead to instability within the House. Hired by the Barons, Captains lead the Lesser Fallen and many own their own Skiffs. They are responsible for battleground tactics and punishment and are recruited from Lesser Fallen that prove themselves worthy of a larger Ether ration (hence their larger size). The mechanism in which a Captain becomes a Baron is unknown, although it is likely achieved through kills. Mentionable here are the Reavers, who seem to be Fallen veterans and can hail from any rank. It is likely that skilled Reaver Captains eventually become Barons, but this is unproven. The Lesser Tier: The first of the lesser tier are standard Servitors, who accompany forces led by Captains as on-ground Ether trawls and serve a support role in combat. They are likely, in some yet undescribed system of reproduction, the grand-children of the Prime Servitor and have little power, even over Lesser Fallen. The minority of this category are the Vandals, Fallen who meet the expectations of their Baron and serve a variety of roles, from snipers to soldiers to assassins. Any Fallen, including Captains, that disgrace their Baron are demoted. The demoted are Dregs, Fallen that have failed in the past and have had their lower arms removed as consequence. This group, despite their insignificant strength, are highly motivated: seeking redemption is the eyes of their superiors. As a result, this is the largest group in most Houses. Also mentionable are the Shanks, autonomous drones used, along with the Dregs, as canon fodder. Many variants exist, but they all seem to serve the House without question with little influence over others.

The Fallen Houses are often in conflict however once they rallied together as one against the forces of the city in hopes to retake their "Great Machine." This battle is known as the Battle of the Twilight Gap. The battle was lead by the House of Devils and all Houses participated except for the Wolves. They were headed for Earth however were intercepted by forces of the Reef. Being over-confident, Varixas, the Kell of Wolves at the time, chose to engage the Queen. In the end he was killed and the Fallen House of Wolves broken. Their absence at the Battle of the Gap along with a counter attack by Lord Shaxx resulted in the Fallens failure that day.