Do you think Ballas set the stage for the fall of the Orokin?

[KisaPrime]

After reading the Detron crewmen codex that's where it would have started, all with Margulis death. You can tell he loved her deeply and dedicated the warframes in her honor and saved the Tenno from being killed since he knew she loved them like her own kids. Sure he calls them devil minds and all that but I don't blame him since he didn't want to lose her because of them. Even though he lost her he still continued with Margulis' work on Transference and developed the Warframes. That kind of shows how intelligent Ballas is to be able to finish what Margulis started. Then the detron crewmen codex suggests that Ballas was involved with creating the sentients. Even with when he created Ordis, he did it to have something to help the Tenno. 

Plus he talks different in front of the other Executors than he does with others, which you see in that codex. 

Spoiler

They opened the chamber door just in time for me to see it happen; the Archimedian erupting into a flash, jade-like and blinding. I knew her. She was the greatest scholar of genetics who ever lived. Except now she was nothing but mist and gore.

A voice boomed from within, “The Crewmen project is cancelled. Send in the next.”

The rifles at my back tried to urge me inside. Old faces filled the dome’s projections, immense and god-like. I walked into the center of the room and the scorched scent choked my lungs. All around me they watched, bored, as I knelt upon the darkened judgement disc.

The projection of Executor Ballas swelled large in front of me. I could see his purity, his symmetry, the beauty of his glittering gold irises. His voice thundered, “The principles are clear. Your sentence is death. May the Void forgive you.”

As the judgement disc began to light I stood, took a deep breath and spoke, “She will not forgive you.”

Laughter broke out among the faces of the dome. Other’s asked “what did he say?” Ballas only smiled, “You challenge us, Archimedian?”

“I do. Kill me and the Empire you are sworn to uphold dies with me.”

Ballas turned his head as the judgement disc went suddenly dark, “An appeal comes at a price. Should you fail, you and your corpus will pay dearly.”

“They already suffer in this growing wasteland. They have already paid. Will you also sacrifice the royal futures by ignoring my solution?”

“Your solution is an abomination, like you, it will be annihilated.” Ballas motioned to a guard in the corner, “Present the evidence.”

The chamber doors opened and a mass of guards entered, guns trained inward. As they reached the center, they parted, revealing a small cart. Atop the cart was a motionless creature, no larger than a hand. Its body was symmetrical, star-shaped with a seamless, matte-black shell.

A new projection, that of Executor Tuvul ballooned into the space, “It looks harmless.”

“Harmless?” Ballas boomed in Tuvul’s direction. He turned to the center of the dome, “Show them.”

On command, the guards backed away from the cart and readied their weapons. Their leader took careful aim and fired a whisper round into the body of my creation. Two of the limbs tore off the frame revealing a glossy, gelatinous interior.

Silence gripped the dome as Tuvul shook his head. Then suddenly, the creature moved, convulsed, the hard surface started undulating. In a moment the wound closed and the thing was whole again. Beside it another machine had grown from its severed parts. Their surfaces had changed however - brighter, harder, resilient to whisper rounds now.

Ballas looked triumphant as voting lights began to appear on the judgement disc.

My green death was coming, so I roared at them, “Did our ancestors, burned by fire, reject its power? No. They conquered their fear and learned to control it. The Seven Principles are a joke.”

His projection swooped down to me, “The Orokin is the law and the law is the Orokin. We are unbending. Your appeal is denied.”

Tuvul interrupted, “Our laws are sacred but do not forget The Plan, Ballas.” His visage turned down to me, “Countless other ventures have failed The Plan, how will this machine fulfill its design?”

I tried to catch my breath and speak, “The crossing to the Tau system is perilous. Adaptation and replication are the only way a terraforming journey can be made. They will build an interstellar rail as they travel, they will adapt to the host planet and prepare it for our arrival. They will save you.”

Tuvul peered down at me, “And when it completes its task, what will prevent it from turning against us, as the Seven Principles say?”

“The flaw.”

Tuvul’s eyes narrowed, “The flaw?”

“The Void is poison to them. Once they have reached Tau they will be marooned there. To travel the rail here would destroy them. Whatever the risks, the Origin system will be-”

Ballas shouted, “Enough! Dereliction of the law threatens the entire empire. Which one of you will risk this?” Ballas was growing increasingly frustrated.

“The empire is already at risk,” cried the shrill voice of another Executor, “Or perhaps you haven’t noticed from your cozy position on Mars.” To this there was a round of applause and the judgement disk remained unchanged.

“Ballas, you lack consensus.” shouted Executor Tuvul.

His projection seemed to shrink smaller until he finally broke his silence, “Archimedian Perintol, against my better judgement,” his disgust was palpable, “Your appeal has been accepted. You are free to go.”

One by one the projections of each Executor in the Tribunal flickered off and the guards ushered me into the hall. There I stood, rapt with shock when I heard his footsteps behind me.

“You did better than I thought you would,” it was Ballas, the man, not the projection. “It would seem nobody truly knows they want a thing until you threaten to take it away.” He broke into a smile, “Wouldn’t you agree, Archimedian?”

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by KisaPrime

[N7-CommanderShepard]

nah the orokin empire already was balls deep in corruption with stealing kids from the sand people doing weird experiments having slaves mind tranceferance grineer clones and all they where playing god and it bit them in the buttox

[Marine027]

Well, i know its a videogame but it seems to easy to blame only one person on the Orokin's fall.

They borught alot on themself, they made the infestation as weapon and were nto able to control it as exampel, so there wo narrogance in not seeing enemys inside there own people or thinking they are better and strogner then others brought this upon them.

He might have palyed only some part in ti or mabye even tried to prevent it with qeustionable methods as the Orokin did themself anyway by executing Margulis as example.

On top the infestation wasa problem and the sentinents as well, so alot of factors palyed some part in it.

Should be also noted one of the Cephalon Fragments you scan unlocks one entry about the Orokin's downfall i think. That you might want to add here aswell.

Edit: Found it.

Fragment Lore

On the heels of the Tenno's victory against the Sentients, the end of the Old War, the golden structures of the Orokin civilization collapsed. The absolute cause of this ruination is unknown, but speculation has pointed to natural disaster, political uprising and universal warfare as possible agents of cataclysm. Archived details for this event have never been recovered.

 

So natural desasters may have played a factor also.

Edited July 16, 2017 by Marine027

[(PSN)Kamil-the-KamiKa]

1 minute ago, N7-CommanderShepard said:

nah the orokin empire already was balls deep in corruption with stealing kids from the sand people doing weird experiments having slaves mind tranceferance grineer clones and all they where playing god and it bit them in the buttox

i agree, they were playing god until something more powerful then them bite them in the &#!

although it was the fact the origins system was running out of recources which forced them to try to go to tau using the sentients, i mean everything they built was made out of gold and they didnt build little projects mind you.....

[KisaPrime]

10 minutes ago, Marine027 said:

Well, i know its a videogame but it seems to easy to blame only one person on the Orokin's fall.

They borught alot on themself, they made the infestation as weapon and were nto able to control it as exampel, so there wo narrogance in not seeing enemys inside there own people or thinking they are better and strogner then others brought this upon them.

He might have palyed only some part in ti or mabye even tried to prevent it with qeustionable methods as the Orokin did themself anyway by executing Margulis as example.

On top the infestation wasa problem and the sentinents as well, so alot of factors palyed some part in it.

Should be also noted one of the Cephalon Fragments you scan unlocks one entry about the Orokin's downfall i think. That you might want to add here aswell.

Edit: Found it.

Fragment Lore

On the heels of the Tenno's victory against the Sentients, the end of the Old War, the golden structures of the Orokin civilization collapsed. The absolute cause of this ruination is unknown, but speculation has pointed to natural disaster, political uprising and universal warfare as possible agents of cataclysm. Archived details for this event have never been recovered.

 

So natural desasters may have played a factor also.

Ballas took part in the creation of the sentients and made the warframes. 

[Urlan]

And had his lover killed.

[KisaPrime]

1 minute ago, Urlan said:

And had his lover killed.

He didn't want her to be killed and tried to talk her out of having anything to do with the Tenno. 

[NinthAria]

12 minutes ago, KisaPrime said:

He didn't want her to be killed and tried to talk her out of having anything to do with the Tenno. 

At the same time, though, the judgment at her sentencing was unanimous, which means Ballas voted for it too. Whether or not he liked it, he played a direct role in her death.

On topic: I think the Orokin kind of collectively set themselves up for their own downfall. They created a bunch of things they ended up being unable to control, and also alienated pretty much all of their subjects.

[Pizzarugi]

2 hours ago, Marine027 said:

Well, i know its a videogame but it seems to easy to blame only one person on the Orokin's fall.

They borught alot on themself, they made the infestation as weapon and were nto able to control it as exampel, so there wo narrogance in not seeing enemys inside there own people or thinking they are better and strogner then others brought this upon them.

He might have palyed only some part in ti or mabye even tried to prevent it with qeustionable methods as the Orokin did themself anyway by executing Margulis as example.

On top the infestation wasa problem and the sentinents as well, so alot of factors palyed some part in it.

Should be also noted one of the Cephalon Fragments you scan unlocks one entry about the Orokin's downfall i think. That you might want to add here aswell.

Edit: Found it.

Fragment Lore

On the heels of the Tenno's victory against the Sentients, the end of the Old War, the golden structures of the Orokin civilization collapsed. The absolute cause of this ruination is unknown, but speculation has pointed to natural disaster, political uprising and universal warfare as possible agents of cataclysm. Archived details for this event have never been recovered.

 

So natural desasters may have played a factor also.

Key words here are "The absolute cause of this ruination is unknown". The downfall is shrouded in mystery and nobody can truly know how the empire fell.

Except the Tenno, Natah, and the Stalker.

Stalker Lore:
Some have walked these desolate worlds while you have slept. Some like me. I remember what you did. I remember the day.

The Tenno appeared at the Terminus, gleaming and victorious. Our cold and gold Emperors, breathless, bathed you in savior's silk. Then came the sound. Across all our worlds, all at once, the ceremonial Naga drums. A royal salute to the honored Tenno. Ten solemn beats to declare the suffering was over. I watched from a distance, with the rest of the low Guardians. With each beat terror began to crush my throat. The Tenno were not stoic and silent. They were waiting. They were poised. I tried to call out but only a strangled whisper escaped.

When the ninth beat rang a torrent of blood filled the stadium, loosed by Tenno blades. The drums, the Empire, fell silent forever.

Now I hunt, dividing your numbers. Watching from that dark place, cataloging your sins, I am the ghost of retribution. You may forget but you are not innocent.


Natah's Involvement:

Spoiler

Natah, now called the Lotus, was at the center of the empire's downfall. She was a Sentient created by Hunhow to infiltrate and perform 2 tasks: Destroy the Orokin empire and destroy the Tenno. She succeeded in the former, no doubt through coordination using the Naga drums (hinted by Hunhow during Octavia's Anthem), but she failed in fulfilling the latter. She defected from the Sentients and adopted the Tenno as her own.

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by Pizzarugi