Where do black masked Ascians fit in now?

[JeanneOrnitier]

The lesser Ascians in black masks have kind of gone by the wayside (I cant remember seeing any since like, Heavensward), but they definitely existed. You fight one before meeting your first Scion at the start of the leveling experience, and they were also pretty prominent in the ARR SMN questline.

But with what we learned of Ascians, where do the black masked ones fit in? Are they sundered Ancients who were not part of the Convocation? Are they just people who awakened the Echo and sided with the Ascians? Do you think Square has thought about them at all, or forgotten them entirely?