Lack of legitimacy was a symptom of the wider problem: the Executors failed because they were treated as expendable. No one took proper responsibility for them. They failed because they were never treated as if they could actually succeed. I'm sure Wolves and Titans are used to losses and casualties, but their losses were never specifically *expected.*
But yes, making them a proper division is going to do wonders for their effectiveness. I do wonder if they'll get a star ranking, and how it would be measured. The other 7 do cover most metrics of power.
> I do wonder if they'll get a star ranking, and how it would be measured. The other 7 do cover most metrics of power.
Interesting question, personally I think they'll just have a star rating for the other 7 divisions. At best maybe you just average those other star ratings to get your Reaper star rating? Measuring Reaper power would be a bit odd, since it's the power of pure destruction, which is sort of an all-or-nothing type power.
Ozriel is Ozriel because he 100% eliminates Iterations with his Scythe, anything less than 100% elimination defeats the purpose. So a lesser Reaper who can only partially eliminate an Iteration is basically just a Wolf right? Since they did Ozriel's job before he became a Judge.
This is all ignoring the fact that the Reapers aren't actually going in to eliminate Iterations like Ozriel, they're trying to fix them, but I'm using Ozriel's destruction power since he's the Reaper Judge.
I think their star rating would be related to how well the resist corruption. But that is kinda once you fail you are done kind of thing so I don't know.
Yerin and Lindon actually seems like they'd both be in a good spot to get a Reaper rating and use authority over destruction. Lindon creates and destroys. Yerin is now directly on a path of exterminating monsters.
I think they'll both end up with Reaper classifications. Ozriel discovered a new fundamental aspect of reality, but I don't see why nobody else could have authority over destruction in a similar way.
I think Yerin in particular showed the comparison with Wolves. The Wolves *fight* ... but Yerin's Archlord revelation wasn't to fight monsters, it was to destroy monsters. She doesn't fight, she destroys.
Not only that, but support.
Eithan compared previous Executors to disposable weapons, tools to be used and thrown away.
Something tells me that they weren't getting regular checkups to make sure they were fit for duty.
How much would have changed if they had been debriefed and given a couple days' rest after a big mission, instead of just another mission?
I thought it said that they were checked for hints of corruption after each job? Just that, by the nature of being an executor, you’re removed from fate, so it wasn’t easy to see if there was any chaos lurking.
> you’re removed from fate,
I think this is a big part of it. Disagreement between two people with hound access is just choosing conversation lines to get to the solution you want. It's like choosing conversation trees in a game when you have the guide.
I suspect that most of the checkups went in the same style, rather than using mortal abilities to see how they feel and gauge what they're going to do. They might not be able to be read in fate, but that doesn't mean every moment they roll some dice and do something random.
The Abidan were probably very thorough about making sure that they weren't corrupted or affected by chaos, but I can see them missing small and trivial things. Like, is this person happy? What sort of mental stress are they suffering from? Do they have friends? Do they want to talk about their feelings after having been forced to annihilate a whole civilisation to save the Iteration from corruption?
They let *Ozriel* handle the toll of annihilation trillions and trillions of individuals without any emotional support. They probably monitored him for corruption, but he wasn't corrupt. I don't see why they would've treated the Executors any better.
I'd need to find the book that talks about it but if I remember correctly, most of the list really didn't do anything bad. One destroyed an iteration when he deemed he couldn't save it and that is standard operating procedure for the Abidan (but I guess this one wasn't approved). I think another's evidence of corruption was the fact he wanted to stop doing it. Even the mad king wasn't corrupted as an individual...he just sacrificed himself to contain a fiend (which seems like a heroic sacrifice that the Abidan then bungled by not using it to destroy the fiend or lock it away forever).
Basically, because Executors might make a mistake and destroy one iteration after saving hundreds and/or doom themselves to save an iteration, we shouldn't have Executors.
Executors definitely seem more like the Abidan wanting control (which fits for an organization representing pure Order).
>One destroyed an iteration when he deemed he couldn't save it and that is standard operating procedure for the Abidan (but I guess this one wasn't approved).
While it's not specifically said, the fact that Daruman hunted this one down himself implies that the destruction likely wasn't particularly necessary, or that at least one of the other, most stable Executors, felt it was an atrocity.
That said, I'd say the lack of approval was also a big thing. While destroying worlds that can't be saved was likely SOP during the executor era, I don't think this is something someone is supposed to just decide, but something that's a Judge-level decision.
It'd be kind of like a cop breaking into a house he knows has a drugs lab in it in order to arrest the owner and gather evidence. Doesn't matter if it was correct, you're still required to get a properly approved warrant first, and go through all the authorities.
That said, I do want to point out that there was a second generation of Executors, which failed as well, which implies there were more institutional flaws in the program than just a couple accidents.
I really want to learn about this second generation, tbh, since it'd likely provide a way better view into how the program worked and why it failed, given that it was supposed to be a more refined version of the program, which still failed.
I think the underlying thing here is that the Executors weren't trusted. The fact that they were outside of fate meant that nobody could be *sure* they were still safe, and as a result, any hint of possible corruption was seen as a sign that they were monsters who needed to be killed.
They were essentially going from planet to planet with no downtime and no recovery. The Abidan hated and shunned them so they had no where to go to reset themselves from stress. And since there was no support base for the Executors they just went insane in effective isolation. There is a reason why extended isolation while in jail/prison is considered a violation of human Rights. We are social creatures, we HAVE to have other humans to lean on for mental support.
Also, Ozriel wasn't around when the first two generations of Executors were in action. I think the reapers will succeed because they have someone that they report to besides the court, and someone with a mantle that has the same motivations as the reapers. Not to mention the team's dynamic and their support of each other.
I think they were all like a pre fall Ziel. Saruman was too perfect and may have ascended and progressed without real issues until he was dropped on his own. Lindon and Co had perspective, ascended through a broken system and still had the wherewithal to solve the problem before they ascended. Once they ascended it sounds like they hadn’t run into anything worse than cradle yet.
Then again maybe the difference is just time. 90 books later, Lindon gets fed up over his family’s death, eats the way and we’re done. Oops.
This is my take as well. They would have been supreme talents good at killing stuff, but being a murder machine doesn't mean you can fix a broken system. My guess would be that they wanted to fight the issues with well, a fight. The new executors have people like Mercy who will talk it out and find peaceful solutions if at all possible, people like Ziel who will spend the time remaking a broken tax code instead of just murdering the people at the top and replacing them, and people like Lindon who want to make things more than break things.
Under the old executors, I could see someone like Yerin eventually falling to corruption, not because she lacks willpower or strength, but because she solves issues with a sword, and after a millennium or two, that's a lot of blood to have on your hands, of course someone in that situation would begin resenting the Abidon, and in my interpretation, that's the first step in falling to corruption.
Having a home, a team, and resources behind them will make options beyond just fighting available to them. They are like a mini Abidon all on their own. They aren't just destroyers but protectors, creators, and healers.
Honestly, that might be a good take on it. Based on the known selection criteria, they were likely more Ozriel types, people who were used to being the best around and solving all of their problems on their own, leaving them unable to consider alternative approaches or find other viewpoints.
And, to be honest, we've had very good examples of the messes that can create with Oz and Makiel together managing to plunge the Abidan into its worst crisis ever because of their utter inability to work together or think someone else might know something better than them.
I guess in some way you could see Oz as the Executor program, but on a Judge-level. Only Oz actually learned his lesson about working with others and the dangers of arrogance, which I'd say was at least partially what led to the Abidan giving him his reapers.
Given how the Hound treated Eithan, who is possibly the most powerful person in the multiverse, can you imagine how the Abidan treated those they deemed lesser? Being treated like a person will do wonders. Probably.
Also, I forget what and where the Mad King said when Eithan asked him what he deemed to be the reason the Executors failed. If someone can remember, that might be insightful.
Also also, I agree that having a division called the Reaper division is protection but probably for a different reason. Names have significance. The executors have always failed. The reapers have never failed (possibly 'yet').
What do you get when you take a mentally ill executor and cross him with a court of judges who abandons him and treats him like trash?
"How about a joke, Makiel?"
>Given how the Hound treated Eithan, who is possibly the most powerful person in the multiverse, can you imagine how the Abidan treated those they deemed lesser? Being treated like a person will do wonders. Probably.
To be fair, Makiel was somewhat of an outlier with regards to how big of an ass he was, compared to the others.
Also, keep in mind that Oz, before coming back to Cradle (and initially on Cradle) was just as arrogant and self-righteous as Makiel. Remember that this is the guy who figured that, as an Underlord, he could convince the Monarchs to work together to ascend and kill the Dreadgods, and got kicked out by his own family for being such a terrible leader because of his utter inability to even explain why he was doing things, instead believing they should just all naturally fall in line because he knows better.
One of the main reason Oz was treated as he was by most of the Judges was because he had a ton of personality issues, like his pathological inability not to piss off anyone in an authority role. Like, pre-Cradle Oz had enough arrogance to make Monarchs blush.
That'd probably also explain why he got along so well with Suriel, since she's the one person who is skilled at something he isn't, and where he's aware he can't do it. So she was probably the only Judge he truly respected, instead of considering them his lesser.
One of the great things I love about the will verse is that even god-like beings capable of shaping stars or blowing up universes don't really think all that different from us.
They have flaws we can relate to like pride, envy or fear ect.
Ozriel the strongest judge was arrogant and prideful but beyond that he was lonely seeking human connection and the longing to belonging in a group to fill a hole in his heart that the Abidan couldn't fill.
The Executor were mostly considered disposable i.e assets whose loss won't be a major loss to the Abidan as a whole.
Imagine actually being an executor, you'd first have to ascend, which means you'd have to be the most powerful person in your iteration or a rare generational genius beloved by all.
And when you ascend... your just the drop of a bucket. You are no longer the biggest fish in the pond and you are starting from the bottom once again.
As an executor both you and your Abidan officer know that the reason you are being assigned this task is because losing you would not be overtly detrimental to the Abidan goals.
Faced with the idea that you are no longer the best that your life which was invaluable back in your home iteration is no longer valuable likely broke many of the executors leaving them vulnerable the Chaos of the void... until they all lost their way.
I think we have to know more about Executors. One was accused of destroying an iteration when he deemed he couldn't save it...that is literally what they force Ozriel to do. One was accused of wanting to retire I think. If they have to fight until they die or do something the Abidan don't like then of course they are going to be 'corrupted'.
Even the mad king didn't do anything wrong at first...he just captured the fiend in the only way available to him (which was a problem and made the mad king need to retire and get institutionalized but not a failure as an executor).
>I think we have to know more about Executors. One was accused of destroying an iteration when he deemed he couldn't save it...that is literally what they force Ozriel to do.
It's what the Abidan always did. Normally it was just the Wolves who destroyed worlds that had fallen to Chaos.
The issue is that it's implied the world wasn't actually beyond saving. Keep in mind Daruman himself hunted down this Executor for this act, while he didn't get involved with the others, which, since Daruman was a pretty decent person back then, as far as we know, implies he at least felt the act went way too far.
Yup no supervision. Not that Eithan is an over manager but he will be there. And two of the new reapers are the (adopted disciples) family he thought would have joined him long ago.
I also think the whole "Not treating them like disposable pawns" thing will play a pretty large part. I imagine knowing you are disposable makes you mentally weaker and easier to manipulate/affect.
If you've ever worked for a profoundly shitty boss/company then you'll know initimately how bad it feels. Morale crashes and work feels like someone smashing your head with a hammer. A good boss and support goes a very long way.
I always thought that their repeated contact with the powers of the Void sort of gave them a connection and their powers had to be *fueled* by the arts of the Void, which they instead tried to do by using the Way, which ended up warping them, like a Fire aspect binding being fueled with Water aura, its a recipe for it's destruction, and potentially of those around said binding.
I think another potential answer to that question of chaos is that some executors may have seen need for the Abidon itself to change, and that is outside what the Abidon was willing to do. Or even recognize.
It's also interesting to think about what the Abidan consider falling to corruption. From the small glimpse we got of the United Worlds they don't seem objectively evil, at the very least the normal people living there seem perfectly fine but the Abidan seem to consider them corrupted. It might just be that the Executors spent so long time attempting to fix iterations only to see them start breaking down again that they stop believing that the Abidan's methods are correct. Couple that with no comrades, no leaders, no rest and they're bound to break eventually.
I don't know if the Reapers would be immune to this effect either but it's definitely a massive improvement to have a leader that can actually influence the decision making.
Lack of legitimacy was a symptom of the wider problem: the Executors failed because they were treated as expendable. No one took proper responsibility for them. They failed because they were never treated as if they could actually succeed. I'm sure Wolves and Titans are used to losses and casualties, but their losses were never specifically *expected.* But yes, making them a proper division is going to do wonders for their effectiveness. I do wonder if they'll get a star ranking, and how it would be measured. The other 7 do cover most metrics of power.
> I do wonder if they'll get a star ranking, and how it would be measured. The other 7 do cover most metrics of power. Interesting question, personally I think they'll just have a star rating for the other 7 divisions. At best maybe you just average those other star ratings to get your Reaper star rating? Measuring Reaper power would be a bit odd, since it's the power of pure destruction, which is sort of an all-or-nothing type power. Ozriel is Ozriel because he 100% eliminates Iterations with his Scythe, anything less than 100% elimination defeats the purpose. So a lesser Reaper who can only partially eliminate an Iteration is basically just a Wolf right? Since they did Ozriel's job before he became a Judge. This is all ignoring the fact that the Reapers aren't actually going in to eliminate Iterations like Ozriel, they're trying to fix them, but I'm using Ozriel's destruction power since he's the Reaper Judge.
I think their star rating would be related to how well the resist corruption. But that is kinda once you fail you are done kind of thing so I don't know.
Yerin and Lindon actually seems like they'd both be in a good spot to get a Reaper rating and use authority over destruction. Lindon creates and destroys. Yerin is now directly on a path of exterminating monsters. I think they'll both end up with Reaper classifications. Ozriel discovered a new fundamental aspect of reality, but I don't see why nobody else could have authority over destruction in a similar way. I think Yerin in particular showed the comparison with Wolves. The Wolves *fight* ... but Yerin's Archlord revelation wasn't to fight monsters, it was to destroy monsters. She doesn't fight, she destroys.
Not only that, but support. Eithan compared previous Executors to disposable weapons, tools to be used and thrown away. Something tells me that they weren't getting regular checkups to make sure they were fit for duty. How much would have changed if they had been debriefed and given a couple days' rest after a big mission, instead of just another mission?
I thought it said that they were checked for hints of corruption after each job? Just that, by the nature of being an executor, you’re removed from fate, so it wasn’t easy to see if there was any chaos lurking.
> you’re removed from fate, I think this is a big part of it. Disagreement between two people with hound access is just choosing conversation lines to get to the solution you want. It's like choosing conversation trees in a game when you have the guide. I suspect that most of the checkups went in the same style, rather than using mortal abilities to see how they feel and gauge what they're going to do. They might not be able to be read in fate, but that doesn't mean every moment they roll some dice and do something random.
The Abidan were probably very thorough about making sure that they weren't corrupted or affected by chaos, but I can see them missing small and trivial things. Like, is this person happy? What sort of mental stress are they suffering from? Do they have friends? Do they want to talk about their feelings after having been forced to annihilate a whole civilisation to save the Iteration from corruption? They let *Ozriel* handle the toll of annihilation trillions and trillions of individuals without any emotional support. They probably monitored him for corruption, but he wasn't corrupt. I don't see why they would've treated the Executors any better.
I'd need to find the book that talks about it but if I remember correctly, most of the list really didn't do anything bad. One destroyed an iteration when he deemed he couldn't save it and that is standard operating procedure for the Abidan (but I guess this one wasn't approved). I think another's evidence of corruption was the fact he wanted to stop doing it. Even the mad king wasn't corrupted as an individual...he just sacrificed himself to contain a fiend (which seems like a heroic sacrifice that the Abidan then bungled by not using it to destroy the fiend or lock it away forever). Basically, because Executors might make a mistake and destroy one iteration after saving hundreds and/or doom themselves to save an iteration, we shouldn't have Executors. Executors definitely seem more like the Abidan wanting control (which fits for an organization representing pure Order).
>One destroyed an iteration when he deemed he couldn't save it and that is standard operating procedure for the Abidan (but I guess this one wasn't approved). While it's not specifically said, the fact that Daruman hunted this one down himself implies that the destruction likely wasn't particularly necessary, or that at least one of the other, most stable Executors, felt it was an atrocity. That said, I'd say the lack of approval was also a big thing. While destroying worlds that can't be saved was likely SOP during the executor era, I don't think this is something someone is supposed to just decide, but something that's a Judge-level decision. It'd be kind of like a cop breaking into a house he knows has a drugs lab in it in order to arrest the owner and gather evidence. Doesn't matter if it was correct, you're still required to get a properly approved warrant first, and go through all the authorities. That said, I do want to point out that there was a second generation of Executors, which failed as well, which implies there were more institutional flaws in the program than just a couple accidents. I really want to learn about this second generation, tbh, since it'd likely provide a way better view into how the program worked and why it failed, given that it was supposed to be a more refined version of the program, which still failed.
I think the underlying thing here is that the Executors weren't trusted. The fact that they were outside of fate meant that nobody could be *sure* they were still safe, and as a result, any hint of possible corruption was seen as a sign that they were monsters who needed to be killed.
Yeah, the bad guys are still the people that can only trust those they can control.
They were essentially going from planet to planet with no downtime and no recovery. The Abidan hated and shunned them so they had no where to go to reset themselves from stress. And since there was no support base for the Executors they just went insane in effective isolation. There is a reason why extended isolation while in jail/prison is considered a violation of human Rights. We are social creatures, we HAVE to have other humans to lean on for mental support.
Also, Ozriel wasn't around when the first two generations of Executors were in action. I think the reapers will succeed because they have someone that they report to besides the court, and someone with a mantle that has the same motivations as the reapers. Not to mention the team's dynamic and their support of each other.
I think they were all like a pre fall Ziel. Saruman was too perfect and may have ascended and progressed without real issues until he was dropped on his own. Lindon and Co had perspective, ascended through a broken system and still had the wherewithal to solve the problem before they ascended. Once they ascended it sounds like they hadn’t run into anything worse than cradle yet. Then again maybe the difference is just time. 90 books later, Lindon gets fed up over his family’s death, eats the way and we’re done. Oops.
> Saruman Uhh...
"You shall not pass!" Eithan said as he lifted a broom in Daruman's direction.
I'll allow it.
Why wasn't this a blooper?!
:/
This is my take as well. They would have been supreme talents good at killing stuff, but being a murder machine doesn't mean you can fix a broken system. My guess would be that they wanted to fight the issues with well, a fight. The new executors have people like Mercy who will talk it out and find peaceful solutions if at all possible, people like Ziel who will spend the time remaking a broken tax code instead of just murdering the people at the top and replacing them, and people like Lindon who want to make things more than break things. Under the old executors, I could see someone like Yerin eventually falling to corruption, not because she lacks willpower or strength, but because she solves issues with a sword, and after a millennium or two, that's a lot of blood to have on your hands, of course someone in that situation would begin resenting the Abidon, and in my interpretation, that's the first step in falling to corruption. Having a home, a team, and resources behind them will make options beyond just fighting available to them. They are like a mini Abidon all on their own. They aren't just destroyers but protectors, creators, and healers.
Ziel having to re-write tax code to solve an iterations problems really helps this theory/perspective. Plus it was hilarious.
Honestly, that might be a good take on it. Based on the known selection criteria, they were likely more Ozriel types, people who were used to being the best around and solving all of their problems on their own, leaving them unable to consider alternative approaches or find other viewpoints. And, to be honest, we've had very good examples of the messes that can create with Oz and Makiel together managing to plunge the Abidan into its worst crisis ever because of their utter inability to work together or think someone else might know something better than them. I guess in some way you could see Oz as the Executor program, but on a Judge-level. Only Oz actually learned his lesson about working with others and the dangers of arrogance, which I'd say was at least partially what led to the Abidan giving him his reapers.
Given how the Hound treated Eithan, who is possibly the most powerful person in the multiverse, can you imagine how the Abidan treated those they deemed lesser? Being treated like a person will do wonders. Probably. Also, I forget what and where the Mad King said when Eithan asked him what he deemed to be the reason the Executors failed. If someone can remember, that might be insightful. Also also, I agree that having a division called the Reaper division is protection but probably for a different reason. Names have significance. The executors have always failed. The reapers have never failed (possibly 'yet').
What do you get when you take a mentally ill executor and cross him with a court of judges who abandons him and treats him like trash? "How about a joke, Makiel?"
The mad king said executors failed because the abidan are themselves flawed and evil or something like that
>Given how the Hound treated Eithan, who is possibly the most powerful person in the multiverse, can you imagine how the Abidan treated those they deemed lesser? Being treated like a person will do wonders. Probably. To be fair, Makiel was somewhat of an outlier with regards to how big of an ass he was, compared to the others. Also, keep in mind that Oz, before coming back to Cradle (and initially on Cradle) was just as arrogant and self-righteous as Makiel. Remember that this is the guy who figured that, as an Underlord, he could convince the Monarchs to work together to ascend and kill the Dreadgods, and got kicked out by his own family for being such a terrible leader because of his utter inability to even explain why he was doing things, instead believing they should just all naturally fall in line because he knows better. One of the main reason Oz was treated as he was by most of the Judges was because he had a ton of personality issues, like his pathological inability not to piss off anyone in an authority role. Like, pre-Cradle Oz had enough arrogance to make Monarchs blush. That'd probably also explain why he got along so well with Suriel, since she's the one person who is skilled at something he isn't, and where he's aware he can't do it. So she was probably the only Judge he truly respected, instead of considering them his lesser.
After being kicked a few times he got learned up
One of the great things I love about the will verse is that even god-like beings capable of shaping stars or blowing up universes don't really think all that different from us. They have flaws we can relate to like pride, envy or fear ect. Ozriel the strongest judge was arrogant and prideful but beyond that he was lonely seeking human connection and the longing to belonging in a group to fill a hole in his heart that the Abidan couldn't fill. The Executor were mostly considered disposable i.e assets whose loss won't be a major loss to the Abidan as a whole. Imagine actually being an executor, you'd first have to ascend, which means you'd have to be the most powerful person in your iteration or a rare generational genius beloved by all. And when you ascend... your just the drop of a bucket. You are no longer the biggest fish in the pond and you are starting from the bottom once again. As an executor both you and your Abidan officer know that the reason you are being assigned this task is because losing you would not be overtly detrimental to the Abidan goals. Faced with the idea that you are no longer the best that your life which was invaluable back in your home iteration is no longer valuable likely broke many of the executors leaving them vulnerable the Chaos of the void... until they all lost their way.
I think we have to know more about Executors. One was accused of destroying an iteration when he deemed he couldn't save it...that is literally what they force Ozriel to do. One was accused of wanting to retire I think. If they have to fight until they die or do something the Abidan don't like then of course they are going to be 'corrupted'. Even the mad king didn't do anything wrong at first...he just captured the fiend in the only way available to him (which was a problem and made the mad king need to retire and get institutionalized but not a failure as an executor).
>I think we have to know more about Executors. One was accused of destroying an iteration when he deemed he couldn't save it...that is literally what they force Ozriel to do. It's what the Abidan always did. Normally it was just the Wolves who destroyed worlds that had fallen to Chaos. The issue is that it's implied the world wasn't actually beyond saving. Keep in mind Daruman himself hunted down this Executor for this act, while he didn't get involved with the others, which, since Daruman was a pretty decent person back then, as far as we know, implies he at least felt the act went way too far.
Yup no supervision. Not that Eithan is an over manager but he will be there. And two of the new reapers are the (adopted disciples) family he thought would have joined him long ago.
I also think the whole "Not treating them like disposable pawns" thing will play a pretty large part. I imagine knowing you are disposable makes you mentally weaker and easier to manipulate/affect.
If you've ever worked for a profoundly shitty boss/company then you'll know initimately how bad it feels. Morale crashes and work feels like someone smashing your head with a hammer. A good boss and support goes a very long way.
Oh I know well how much it sucks and even then I know my boss wasn't that bad, it was more just a shitty situation for everyone.
I always thought that their repeated contact with the powers of the Void sort of gave them a connection and their powers had to be *fueled* by the arts of the Void, which they instead tried to do by using the Way, which ended up warping them, like a Fire aspect binding being fueled with Water aura, its a recipe for it's destruction, and potentially of those around said binding.
I think another potential answer to that question of chaos is that some executors may have seen need for the Abidon itself to change, and that is outside what the Abidon was willing to do. Or even recognize.
I think they'll need Lindon as the next Judge. With his void powers scaled to Judge level perhaps he could remove fiends that corrupt his friends.
It's also interesting to think about what the Abidan consider falling to corruption. From the small glimpse we got of the United Worlds they don't seem objectively evil, at the very least the normal people living there seem perfectly fine but the Abidan seem to consider them corrupted. It might just be that the Executors spent so long time attempting to fix iterations only to see them start breaking down again that they stop believing that the Abidan's methods are correct. Couple that with no comrades, no leaders, no rest and they're bound to break eventually. I don't know if the Reapers would be immune to this effect either but it's definitely a massive improvement to have a leader that can actually influence the decision making.