A bit of theological theory
There is an idea that pretty much every form of badness stems from pride.
I haven't seen any real specific counter-examples to that, but my own inclination is to see that most sin derives from self-loathing. I think a case could be made that the thing these guys are really trying to kill is an aspect of themselves. We threaten their order mostly by temptation. If they weren't tempted, we wouldn't be much of a threat.
That perspective doesn't contradict the idea of pride being the root - self-loathing is driven (at least partly) by an exaggerated idea of what that self should be. Pride, in other words.
