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They were called Tenno. Warriors of blade and gun: masters of the Warframe armor. Those that survived the old war were left drifting among the ruins. Now they are needed once more. The Grineer, with their vast armies, are spreading throughout the solar system. A call echoes across the stars summoning the Tenno to an ancient place. They summon you. Allow the Lotus to guide you. She has rescued you from your cryostasis chamber and given you a chance to survive. The Grineer will find you; you must be prepared. The Lotus will teach you the ways of the Warframes and the secrets to unlocking their powers. Come Tenno, you must join the war. —Official website

While we were able to find solid and legitimate supporting evidence for essentially the whole story as it is written, this interpretation comes from a variety of sources, and each of those pieces of information was likely written by a number of different people. This article strives to be more than a simple compendium of disparate lore tidbits. We took in all of the various bits of lore information and documented them in a chronological and readable way to produce the most complete story possible.

This page will be regularly updated as the developers, Digital Extremes, release more information.

History Edit

Orokin Era Edit

Long before current events the Origin System was controlled by an highly advanced and stratified human civilization called the Orokin Empire, whose capital was on Earth's moon, now known as Lua. The eponymous aristocratic ruling class of this civilization was dominant for an extended period over the System — perhaps for centuries or millennia.

They were known for their mastery of biotechnology and gene manipulation, to the degree that they created a caste of cloned workers, the Grineer, that were genetically programmed to obey their Orokin masters.[1] They were also known for their skill in merging organic material with the inorganic, as seen with the living Orokin Towers or the Infestation — an engineered infectious techno-organic parasite that subverts, mutates, and assimilates any biological or synthetic matter into a new infested lifeform.[2] They spent a great deal of time building large outposts throughout the Origin System[3] as well as performing numerous genetic experiments of creatures found on Earth.[4][5] It was during this era that the Void was discovered, a parallel dimension whose contents allowed for further developments of Orokin technology into fantastical heights[6], spearheaded by the famous Entrati family.[7]

The benefits of the Orokin's advancements were, however, not shared equally among all members of their society. The rigid hierarchy allowed for only a few lucky individuals to live fairly comfortably as servants, scholars, and enforcers for the Orokin elite. Though these servants were still subjected to the whims of their often cruel masters, the rest of the population were exploited for labor and used as disposable soldiers, as well as subjects for experiments.[8] There were families of farmers who toiled for their Orokin masters for generations, the Orokin exploiting their harsh manual labor to build their empire and fuel their whims, giving little compensation of their honest work in return.[9] Many of these farmer families — and others belonging to the lower classes — would eventually congregate together under the teachings of Parvos Granum, forming the Corpus and adopting its doctrine: the belief that anyone has the right to achieve fortune regardless of their social status.[10]

Orokin culture was centered around aesthetics, elegance, and beauty.[11] Among the Orokin ruling class there was also a focus on youth and extravagance.[12][13]

At some point the empire began to look to populate other star systems, particularly Tau, presumably to quell their problems of overpopulation, overconsumption of resources, and pollution of the natural world[14].

The Orokin continued experimenting with the Void. At some point, an experiment was conducted where a military ship containing a large group of people and their families was directed into the Void in an attempt to travel to and populate the Tau System.[15] The ship was lost and it was many days before the ship resurfaced.[16]

Due to Void exposure, the adults on the ship became crazed, hunting down the children.[17] The children, however, had survived exposure to the Void, retaining their sanity, but they had changed during the process. The children developed uncontrollable Void related powers that were capable of mutilating or killing anyone who came into contact with them. In self-defense, the children killed the unhinged adults, even their own parents, being traumatized for what they did.[18][19]

After the rediscovery of the ship, the Zariman children were deemed dangerous by the Orokin. They were hidden away[20] and forgotten out of shame and fear, being known as "Void demons". The Zariman children became known later as the Tenno, called such for the Zariman ship's designation of Ten-Zero (Ten-0).[21]

Margulis, the Zariman Children, and Ballas Edit

Margulis was an Archimedian, a human of great intellect, and a prominent geneticist. Margulis discovered the Tenno and adopted them as her own, empathizing with their suffering. She sought out a means for the Tenno to control their powers and interact with the world normally.[22] Margulis received some opposition for her work and was advised by her secret lover, the Orokin Executor Ballas, to cease her research and forget the Tenno. She refused and continued her research. Eventually, Margulis imposed "gates" on the Tenno's powers which helped bring their uncontrollable Void powers under some control, but this was not before an incident where she was maimed by the same Void powers which left her blind.[23]

Margulis' research eventually led her to work with an Archimedian specializing in Infestation manipulation named Silvana.[24] Together they intended to develop a substitute body for the Tenno and allow them to move freely and interact with the world. However, while the research was a partial success at the time, Margulis came at odds with the Orokin, refusing to develop war machines that exploited the children's powers. It was demanded that she recant before The Seven, members of the judicial branch of the empire. Despite Ballas' pleas that she recant, Margulis continued to refuse and asked Ballas to save her. Ballas either would not or could not save Margulis and as a result, she was executed using the Jade Light.[25] Ballas was filled with grief and realized that he wanted Margulis back. Heartbroken at Margulis' execution, Ballas began planning to overthrow the Orokin.[26]

The Birth of the Sentients Edit

The Orokin came to realize that they were bringing harm to the Origin System and sought a solution. It was proposed by Archimedian Perintol that the Orokin could populate another star system called Tau. However, Tau would need to be terraformed for habitation as would a means of traveling there need to be developed. The Orokin created a race of synthetic beings, which later became known as the Sentients, to spearhead an expansion of Orokin influence beyond the Origin System into the Tau System. By terraforming the Tau System using the Sentients, the Orokin sought to expand and prevent their empire's destruction.[27]

These original creations could adapt to any kind of damage and reproduced by fission while developing resistance to whatever had harmed them. They could also use any materials surrounding them to repair themselves. The Sentients were perfect to enter the hostile terrain of Tau and begin the terraforming process, but there was a risk that these new lifeforms could pose a serious threat to the Orokin, with their adaptability and reproductive capability making them nigh unbeatable. The Archimedian who proposed the technology said that there was a "flaw" in their design; the Void was poisonous to them and so they would not be a danger to the Orokin should something go wrong.

The Sentients in Tau evolved and grew, eventually gaining sentience.[28] Realizing that their Orokin creators would only bring ruin to Tau eventually as well, they rebelled.[29] Exposure to the Void, which they needed to travel through to return to the Origin System, did not kill the Sentients but merely rendered them sterile, unable to reproduce.[30][31] The Sentients under their leader Hunhow would start an invasion on the Origin System, thus what would become known as The Old War began.

The Old War Edit

From this point, The Old War erupted between the Orokin and the Sentients. With their ability to subvert high levels of technology, the Sentient quickly overwhelmed the Orokin.[32] There were attempts to militarize their Grineer slaves[33] which also failed as a countermeasure. The Orokin quickly discovered that their method of fighting proved ineffective against the faction.[34]

The Corpus faction grew to the point where they were in the business of war-profiteering, developing and selling technology for the war effort. As such, the Orokin were aware of the Corpus existence, calling them "Industrialists" and a "merchant cult", and monitored their movements, due to their potential influence over the Orokin System.[35][36]

Development of Warframes Edit

Faced with losing the war and with their technology useless, the Orokin needed to create something new with that could adapt to fight the Sentients. In desperation, the Orokin was forced to unearth their forbidden knowledge of the Infestation that once destroyed their colonies in the past due to an uncontrolled outbreak.[37]

At some point, Ballas began researching new uses for the Infestation by experimenting on willing and unwilling subjects drawn from Orokin warriors and other castes. Ultimately, this research led to the creation of Warframes — human subjects mutated through a specially engineered strain of the Infestation called Helminth.[38] However, while the new Warframes were powerful and initially did well against the Sentients, they retained some remnants of their former consciousness. The echoes of their lost selves manifested as intense rage and despair, making them unpredictable and just as likely to turn against their Orokin masters.[39]

The Orokin came to the conclusion that the Warframes alone were as uncontrollable as the Sentients, but realized that, through Transference technology, the process developed by Margulis and Silvana for the Tenno, another mind could take control of a Warframe. As only the Zariman children were capable of carrying out Transference safely, being able to empathize with the Warframe's traumatic experiences, they were able to become the new "operators" of the Warframes, a distant mind synchronized with a surrogate body.[38]

The Zariman children were trained into the fighting force known as the Tenno, serving their Orokin masters but bounded by honor. Through Transference, they wielded Warframes to wage war against the Sentients, proving to be highly effective. Abiding by combat disciplines taught by the newly founded Tenno Focus Schools, Tenno-operated Warframes were equipped with melee and ballistic weapons to circumvent the Sentient interference of high-tech weaponry.[40] With the help of the Tenno, the Orokin managed to turn the tide of war, leaving the Sentients helpless against the combination of archaic combat techniques and Void powers employed by the Tenno, that is until Ballas defected.

Ballas' Rebellion and Allying With Hunhow Edit

Ballas, with the intention of destroying the Orokin Empire, began to conspire with Hunhow. In a series of Vitruvian recordings, Ballas revealed to Hunhow the secret weakness of the hitherto unstoppable Warframes — the Tenno operators themselves. The Tenno, sequestered in a semi-conscious Transference state in the Reservoir on Lua, would be unable to protect themselves without their surrogate Warframes. Hence, Natah, Hunhow's daughter, was born as last-ditch attempt to destroy the Tenno. Being a unique breed of Mimic Sentients, she is able to visually morph into whatever form she likes.[41] So she mimicked Margulis' appearance[42], allowing her to serve as a spy and infiltrate the Orokin backlines.

According to the Sentients' master plan, their leader Hunhow was left to be slain in a final battle over the waters of Uranus[30], marking the Orokin supposed victory at the time. As high-ranking Orokin gathered to celebrate their 'victory' against the Sentients in the Outer Terminus of Pluto, the Tenno betrayed them, in retaliation for executing Margulis[43], killing most of the Executors and members of the Council[44]. This triggered a historical event known as The Collapse which led to the fall of the Orokin Empire.[45][46]

The Collapse Edit

With the Orokin leaders dead or missing, Natah's final goal was to finally destroy the Tenno. However, she was caught by the Orokin and was reprogrammed to develop feelings for them, exploiting a "gap" in her systems from crossing through the Void.[47][48][49][50] Natah's identity was subverted as a result, becoming the Lotus, human mother and guide to the Tenno.

As such, she did not kill the Tenno[51] and used them against her Sentient brethren instead.[49] The Orokin imprisoned the Lotus in an isolated chamber on Lua where she commanded the Tenno forces.[52] Abandoning her final objective, she sent the moon, which also housed the Reservoirs, into the Void, masking its location with some sort of cloaking technology to protect the Tenno from any remnant Sentients.[53] After fending off against what was left of the Sentient forces in the system, the Lotus commanded most Warframes around the Origin System to be put into cryosleep to preserve their bodies and the Tenno's memories, effectively ending The Old War. Some Warframes still roam about, with the occasional mission to hunt down remaining Orokin leaders as seen with Grendel.[54]

Without centralized power, groups of people who were once oppressed were now free from the empire's shackles. In a state of anarchy, the Origin System saw conflict between many factions to claim domination over the territory and resources once controlled by the Orokin. There were attempts to rebuild the collapsed empire[55], but these plans were squandered by descent groups that would eventually evolve into the Grineer and Corpus factions we know today.

The Grineer took advantage of the chaos to initiate revolts all across the system.[44] They stole Orokin ships[55], weapons, and managed to secure the cloning technologies that created them. During this period, the outcast Orokin Twins used this opportunity to enact revenge and began to amass armies of loyal Grineer to their cause, which eventually led to their joint ruling of the Grineer.[56]

The Corpus, in the name of profit, eventually made a grab for the system shortly after the Grineer rose to power, quickly occupying wrecks and crash sites on various planets to scavenge Orokin technology and grow.[57] The two factions eventually grew in strength and became equals. While the Corpus began to trade technology with the Grineer in exchange for raw materials and currency[58], the two groups continued to compete and skirmish intermittently[57], with planetary invasions occurring to this day.

With the collapse of the Orokin empire, the Infestation was left uncontrolled in isolated Orokin ships to spread freely across the Origin System with the occasional outbreaks.[59] The extent of their reach is unknown, but their presence was not insignificant.[60]

Current Warframe Era Edit

Some indeterminate number of millennia later[61][62][63], the Corpus are widely considered the governing force in economics and research, with the Grineer dominating the system with their military might and brutality. The Grineer both fight with the Corpus for power and buy manufacturing supplies to support their military development.[64] At one time, the Infested had all but conquered a few of the Origin System's planets but have been pushed back to their residence on drifting ancient Orokin Derelicts and recently conquered Eris, apart from the occasional outbreak on populated planets.[citation needed] All that is left of the Orokin are their terraforming efforts such as on the Orb Vallis, Venus, the few standing structures such as the Orokin Tower Unum, forgotten Prime weapons they built, and Tower ships stranded in the Void.

The Tenno are being reawakened by the Lotus, not remembering anything of their past. These Tenno awake from cryosleep already connected to a Warframe that the Lotus informs them how to use, unaware of their true nature. They are then set loose upon the Origin System, either alone or in small squads to tackle a wide variety of missions designated by the Lotus to maintain a balance between the Grineer and Corpus factions or to quell Infested uprisings.

The Corpus now exist as money-worshiping corporations with workers worshiping the very idea of a profit. Individuals like Nef Anyo act as religious leaders for the normal Corpus worker. In the meantime, the Grineer research ways to overcome their genetic degradation caused by many generations of repeated cloning. At one point, Grineer researcher Tyl Regor finds and breaks open a tomb on Uranus where an ancient Sentient was held within, unknowingly reawakening an old enemy of the Origin System.[65]

Syndicate factions also emerged, each with their own idealogy on the fate of the Origin System amidst the glaring conflict between Grineer and Corpus empires from seeking the restoration of humanity on Earth to a system-wide purge to restore peace.

Main Story Edit

Tenno's Awakening Edit

Vor's Prize Edit





Once Awake Edit

Main article: Once Awake



A Grineer doctor has been experimenting with a bio-weapon of some sorts and the player is tasked to investigate. The player discovers that this bio-weapon the Grineer was working on was a strain of the Infestation that survived the events of The Old War. After a failure in a testing lab, the Infested broke out from quarantine and invaded Grineer outposts and ships on Mercury. As the possibility of an Infested outbreak was a threat to the Origin System, the Lotus commands the player to eradicate the Infestation. With the help of a Cascade Bomb infused with Void energy, the player successfully eliminated the source of the Infestation.





The Archwing Edit

Main article: The Archwing



The threat of a Grineer Balor Fomorian, the capital ship of the Fomorian fleet, tips the balance of power within the Solar System. Councilor Vay Hek declares war on the Corpus and the Chairman of the Corpus Board of Directors, Frohd Bek, in an attempt to seize total control over the Origin System.

The player is forced to construct an Orokin-era mechanical wings, an Archwing, along with an Arch-gun and Arch-melee, to destroy it in space combat. To do so they will need to find the Odonata component blueprints that are scattered across Orokin archives throughout Venus. After obtaining their new gear, the player tries to sabotage the Fomorian, only to realize that they do not have enough firepower to do so. After destroying dozens of Grineer fighters, the player performs a tactical retreat, leaving the real battle with the Fomorian to happen another day.





Discovery of the Arcane Machine Edit

Stolen Dreams Edit

Main article: Stolen Dreams



Lotus tasks the player to search for the mysterious Arcane Codices. Their importance is unknown, but the Grineer had sought it for a potential cure to the Cloning Decay Syndrome that has plagued its faction and the Corpus had sought to strike riches with them.

In search of these codices, the player captures a thief named Maroo who recently stole a piece of the codices and went into hiding. Upon interrogating Maroo, the player finds out that she has been hired by Grineer scientist Tyl Regor to steal them from an Orokin Derelict. However, after the Corpus outbid the Grineer for the codex, she broke her contract and deceived Regor, swapping the real codex with a fake one, and sold the real codex to Corpus hands.

In exchange for protective custody, Maroo reluctantly join forces with the Tenno after cheating the Grineer. Maroo then revealed the locations of the codices, and after a series of Spy missions, the player successfully retrieved all six codices with Maroo's guidance. After Ordis' musings on transcribing the codices, she then informs the player that she had found a machine in the Orokin Derelict where she found an Arcane Codex. Upon entering an Orokin Void gate on Mars, the player reached the Derelict that housed the enigmatic Arcane Machine. Uploading the codices to the machine yielded a cryptic message, to which the Lotus cannot ascertain its meaning. In confusion, the player returns to their ship, empty-handed, while Maroo sets off in her own path.





The New Strange Edit

Main article: The New Strange



Cephalon Simaris, a Cephalon construct that seeks to immortalize creatures into data for knowledge, requires the Tenno's assistance to free his Sentinels from custody of the Grineer. After freeing his Sentinels, the Lotus discovered "fragments of a biological signature" within the prison's security logs. Ordis plays the log and a mysterious message came up, with a voice similar to the one found from the Arcane Machine from the end of Stolen Dreams.

After refusing the answer on the subject, Simaris tells the Tenno that, in exchange for deciphering this mysterious biological signature, they must assist him in Synthesis, the process of scanning targets to be uploaded for storage in his Sanctuary. After helping Simaris, he says that the signature is of Tenno origin. A blueprint for a beacon derived from the signature is given to the player to help track down this creature. Crafting this beacon sends a signal which turns out to be a transmission from the Arcane Machine:

ALL IS SILENT IN THE CALM. HUSHED AND EMPTY IS THE WOMB OF THE SKY.

The Lotus informs the Tenno that this creature has been going to locations where the Arcane Codices were found, slaughtering Grineer and Corpus to cover somebody's tracks; somebody doesn't want people to know the existence of such codices or the Arcane Machine. After extracting information from a Corpus network, this creature turns out to be the Warframe Chroma who has gone rogue — not controlled by any Tenno. The hunt leads the Tenno back to the Arcane Machine where they encounter a hostile Chroma who destroyed the machine. Simaris asks the Tenno to synthesize it for its unusual behavior. However, Chroma escapes being synthesized after being scanned once. As a result, Simaris reveals to have a piece of the Arcane Codices of his own and discloses another location that holds an Arcane Machine. Luring Chroma to this particular machine results in a successful Synthesis and the Tenno receives a Chroma blueprint for their troubles. Unbeknownst to the Lotus and the Tenno, this second Arcane Machine contains a projection of a Sentient relic, hinting at future events to come.





Natah Edit

Oculyst Edit

Main article: Natah



On Uranus, the Tenno encounters strange drones that seem to be looking for something... or someone. Upon scanning them, the Lotus will ask the Tenno for their assistance. Assuming that they are of Corpus origin, Lotus sends the Tenno to Earth to investigate these drones, only to discover an Old War wreckage which heightens her confusion. In an epiphany, the Lotus realizes these drones are Sentient Oculysts, cutting off transmissions immediately with the Tenno. An individual of the Orokin-era, Conclave master Teshin offers his aid to unravel the truth about the mysterious Lotus, suspicious of her true motives.

The Lotus seduced the Tenno. Led them on a complacent path like oxen. I failed the Orokin but I will preserve their legacy. The Tenno. Now is the time for action. Cast off your harness and become a pupil of The Conclave. Through trial combat, I will prepare you for the evils beyond the Outer Terminus. A warrior only grows if they face the ultimate enemy. Themselves. —Teshin's introduction to Conclave

In search for information on these drones, Grineer scientist Tyl Regor has lead efforts in excavating a tomb from the Old War in the depths of Uranus. The Lotus suddenly reappears, pleading to the Tenno to stop Regor from entering this tomb. Their efforts were in vain as Regor accidentally awakens a Sentient, that being Hunhow, destroyer of worlds:

...Natah, where are you? You cannot hide from me.

The Lotus reveals that her old name was Natah when she in her Sentient form, ordered to eliminate the Tenno during the Old War. From the Tau System, where the Sentient stronghold resides, she crossed the Void to reach the Origin System and complete her mission. However, because the Sentients were programmed by their Orokin creators to be vulnerable to the Void as a safeguard against a rebellion, the Lotus subsequently lost her ability to procreate. With the Old War coming near at the end, there was no need to kill the Tenno. Wanting children on her own, the Lotus decides to hide them away in the "second dream".

Natah was the daughter until I destroyed her. Now I am the Lotus. Now I am the mother. —Lotus

Once the daughter of Hunhow, the Lotus betrayed her own kind out of selfishness to become a mother. Hunhow will soon finish where the Lotus had failed: elimination of the Tenno.





The Second Dream Edit

Main article: The Second Dream



The Sentient Hunhow awakens from his slumber, seeking revenge on the Tenno for their actions during The Old War. Allying with the Stalker, they seek to destroy the "womb in the sky", later revealed as the Tenno's weakness: a Reservoir on Lua that was hidden within the Void by the Lotus to protect the Tenno from the Sentients.

The player is tasked with finding Hunhow, who infiltrated the Lotus' mind during the events of Natah. With the unexpected help of Alad V, all traces lead to a Sentient relic on Uranus, dug up by the Grineer. Interacting with the relic, the Lotus tries to ascertain the location of Hunhow, only to be foiled by allowing Hunhow to know the location of the Reservoir. With the Stalker en route, the player chases after him to prevent him from reaching the Reservoir first. The player follows the Stalker through a Void Gate into an Orokin Tower in the Void, realizing that this Reservoir is on Earth's moon that was hidden within the Void. Disabling the Orokin Tower's Void mask mechanism allows the moon, known as Lua, to reappear in the Solar System. Successfully thwarted the Stalker's attempt to destroy the moon from a Void collapse, the only thing left to do is to protect the Reservoir.

The truth behind the Reservoir is that in it lies the Tenno's true form, the Operator. In the Reservoir, the Operator directs their Void energy to control the Warframes remotely, a process called Transference. The Stalker rendezvous with the player but upon seeing the Operator, he hesitates to kill, leaving the player to deal with hordes of Sentient fighters with their newfound power: the ability to channel Void energy to fight in their Operator form.

Upon the Orbiter, the player has to put their Operator into a new Transference vessel: the Somatic Link at the back of the ship. In the final clash between the player and the Stalker, the player proves victorious and subsequently encounters the Lotus in-person for first time. As the Lotus carries the Operator into the Somatic Link, the player regained their memories as a Tenno, remembering one of the five great schools that they once belonged to in the Orokin Age.

This is who you really are. A Tenno. More than human... but once a child like any other. —Lotus





The War Within Edit

Main article: The War Within



A disturbance on Reservoirs in Lua prompts the Tenno to investigate the problem. Turns out Teshin has intruded Lua to lure the Tenno out, revealing that he is a double agent for the Grineer Queens. In pursuit of the truth, the Tenno follows Teshin's deployed Specters who leads them to a supposedly uninhabited asteroid field. Disabling the security matrix exposes the Kuva Fortress, the central base of Grineer operations and home to the Twin Queens. The Tenno realizes the base's mobile state prevented them from encountering it.

Infiltrating the fortress, the Tenno discovers the Queen's lair, along with Teshin, under control of Queens' Kuva Scepter due to his status as an Orokin Dax soldier. The Dax were biologically programmed to not disobey those with Orokin blood, Kuva. So, unrelentingly, Teshin has brought the Tenno to the Queens for Continuity, the ritual of transferring consciousness between bodies for everlasting life. Due to repeated cloning, the Queens' bodies had suffered the Cloning Decay Syndrome with each cycle of Continuity, so to preserve their immortality, they need a new, young body. Before they capture the Tenno, Ordis cuts off Transference, in an attempt to protect the Operator while leaving their Warframe behind. However, the Queens will start the process of Continuity, burrowing into the Tenno's mind through their Warframe surrogate.

After a transitional period into a vision, the Tenno, now in Operator form, appears on an mountain under a snowstorm. There they meet Teshin who instructs them through the mountain pass to regain their memories as a Tenno, which were suppressed by Margulis in an effort to protect them from the Void. The tragic Zariman Ten Zero incident becomes clearer to the Tenno as they regain their ability to manipulate the Void without the need to channel it through a Warframe.

Margulis lied to you, a lie of omission. She did not cure the Zariman children — she erased them. My only hope is that truth still lingers inside you, buried within your mind. The power and the misery... of the Void. —Teshin

With their original powers back, the Tenno return back to the Kuva Fortress to save Teshin from the Queens. After a series of battle with the Queens' guards and Teshin himself, the Tenno finally circumvents the Queens' defense and steals their Kuva Scepter. Now vulnerable, the Tenno and Teshin kill the Elder Queen, leaving Worm Queen to escape the confines of death.

Back at the mountain pass vision, the Tenno decides what to do with the Kuva stolen from the Queens. Regardless of their decision, a mysterious figure whispers in their mind, foreshadowing the outcome of regaining their Void powers.





Chains of Harrow Edit



The Tenno receives a strange transmission from an abandoned Steel Meridian ship that draws their attention. Upon arriving on this ship, they discover its crew murdered in cold blood. Odd messages written in blood are scattered throughout, haunting the Tenno as they track down the suspect. Here, they meet Palladino, the Holy Speaker of the Red Veil, who says that their syndicate is in shambles. Their sacred muse, a Tenno named Rell, abandoned his post in their temple, causing chaos throughout their organization. Unlike other Tenno, Rell did not go into cryosleep in the Lua's Reservoirs for he was cast out by Margulis and his fellow Tenno for having contact with The Man in The Wall, a mysterious manifestation of the Void. Instead, he sacrificed his life, bound his spirit to his Warframe, Harrow, who became a resting vigil towards The Man in The Wall itself.

Requesting protection, the Tenno brought Palladino to the Steel Meridian base, Iron Wake, where she will be watched by Steel Meridian personnel. To contact Rell, Palladino asks the Tenno to bring back a sacred relic in order to complete her seance. Apparently, Rell still retains memories of his humanity despite having a manic episode that resulted from losing control over Transference. To resolve this, the Tenno captures Rell's manifestations of emotion, disturbances made of Transference energy, and return them to the Red Veil temple in the Void.

In order to end Rell's suffering, the Tenno frees Harrow from his chains, allowing Rell to rest in slumber. However, with no vessel to protect against The Man in The Wall, the Tenno will have to deal with the consequences.

Hey kiddo. —The Man in The Wall





The Lotus' Disappearance Edit

Apostasy Prologue Edit

Main article: Apostasy Prologue



A faint purple orb at the end of the Orbiter's Personal Quarters beckons the attention of the Tenno. Upon interacting with it, the Tenno is transitioned to somewhere on Lua where they begin following a purple trail across the desolate Orokin architecture in search for the unknown. As they travel through, they experience the final moments of Margulis before her execution leading up to the discovery of Lotus' enclave at the end of the trail. There, Orokin Executor Ballas appears to apologize to the Lotus and promises to not abandon "Margulis" again. Holding hands, both Ballas and the Lotus disappear into a mysterious light, leaving the Tenno in their Operator form clutching at the remains of Lotus' helmet. The Lotus has left. The mother has abandoned her children.





The Sacrifice Edit

Main article: The Sacrifice



The Tenno hears faint whispers of the recently abandoned Lotus. Her voice directs them towards her helmet within the Orbiter's Personal Quarters. As the Operator touches the helm, visions of a Warframe being restrained by Ballas and Sentient fighters flow in their mind, prompting them towards Earth to investigate.

The Warframe in question, Excalibur Umbra, was out of sight — only his remains survived his fight with the Sentients. Ordis attempts to recreate him in the Foundry based on scans of his remains but lacks sufficient data to do so. Trace minerals on Umbra's Skiajati Nikana suggest that more information can be found on Lua. A visit to Lua yielded a Vitruvian device found within a containment lab that belonged to Ballas. This Vitruvian contained recordings made by Ballas on his betrayal to the Orokin during The Old War and the origin of Warframes. Uploading the Vitruvian into the ship's mainframe gave the ability to craft Excalibur Umbra. Upon equipping him in the Arsenal, he immediately goes berserk, gaining sentience and pinning the Operator into a wall until they enter his mind using Transference. The Tenno learns of Umbra's origins as a test subject to Ballas' Warframe project. A bedridden, tortured Dax soldier subjected to injections of a Helminth Infestation strain to produce skin-grafted armor, akin to the modern Warframe.

The memory abruptly ends, and the Operator finds out that Umbra has escaped the ship, rejecting Transference. They chase down Umbra as more entries of the Vitruvian become unlocked by accessing his memories. He contains the key to the secrets of the Warframes themselves.

After multiple tries, the Operator eventually accesses Umbra's final memory: killing his own son Isaah when the Infestation takes complete control over his body. The Operator intervenes in this event, telling Umbra that he doesn't have to relive this event in solitude, instead, they will face this grief together through the duality of mind and body. Umbra as the hand, the Operator as the soul.

And it was not their force of will — not their Void devilry — not their alien darkness... it was something else. It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing — —Ballas in the Vitruvian

In this revelation, the minds of Umbra and the Operator are linked — Transference was successful. With this newfound power, the Operator and Umbra fend off a Sentient assault and return to Earth to face Ballas.

During the final confrontation, Umbra successfully stabs Ballas in the gut, defying Ballas' subjugation with the Operator's help. After questioning him on the whereabouts of the Lotus, she appears from the sky in her true Sentient form, taking Ballas with her as she returns back to her Mother. The Lotus is no longer the motherly figure that the Tenno once loved.





Amalgamation of the Origin System Edit

Chimera Prologue Edit

Main article: Chimera Prologue



The Man in The Wall manifests itself in the Orbiter's Personal Quarters, luring the Tenno towards the Lotus' helmet, dropped during the events of Apostasy Prologue. When the Tenno touches the helmet, they are transported to Lua, where they begin to follow The Man in The Wall. The Man in The Wall leads the Tenno through the Resevoir, and into the Chamber of the Lotus. A portal at the end of the room transports the Tenno into a Sentient chamber that imprisons Ballas, now malformed with Sentient growth. Cursing the Lotus for deceiving him, Ballas discreetly constructs the "Sentient Slayer" away from Lotus' watchful eye. The Tenno grasps the image of the legendary Paracesis , learning it's blueprint in the process. — The New War is coming.





Alad V's Amalgams Edit

Alad V returned to work for the Corpus back on Jupiter, although due to the failure of the Zanuka Project and the Mutalist Incursion incident, along with Nef Anyo's Orb Vallis terraforming project winning the favor of Board of Director Frohd Bek, Alad's reptutation has since severely diminished. He was approached by an old acquaintance, Regus, who offered him never-before-seen Old War tech. Alad immediately jumped the chance and begun investing, quickly signing a contract that Regus immediately agreed to despite Alad's attempts at manipulating loopholes. However, he soon came to realize something was very wrong when Regus flashed at him an inhuman smile.

Alad realized too late that the Regus that approached him was actually a Sentient Mimic; to his horror, he had entered an unwitting partnership with the enemy. Alad's attempts to defy submission instantly met in failure; he had no choice but to comply to the Amalgam project and create soldiers for the Sentients, or the Ropalolyst would raze his gas city and his Corpus rivals would execute him for treason.

The Amalgam program turned out to be a success. As per agreements, the identities of his partners would be kept confidental, instating a strict no-fly zone on their craft. All while Alad V told to himself, "Life is Profit."

In addition to creating the Amalgams, Alad V also works to receive combat data against the Warframes and sends it over to his partners. However, his boasting about his "exciting new product line" is merely a facade, even encouraging and expressing gratitute to the Tenno when they fight the Ropalolyst.









Natah formed an unlikely partnership with Alad V, instructing him to create the Amalgams, Grineer/Corpus hybridized with Sentient powers. These new units, along with their combat data against the Tenno, would further serve the Sentients in their preparation for The New War.

During the mission to kill the Ropalolyst, Natah informs the Tenno them that the belief that she spared them as an act of mercy was false: rather that she was forced into doing so by the Orokin, and that they were both "imprisoned in Lua's belly", shedding light on the events of the Apostasy Prologue as a result. Natah also addresses that she "has seen the wall's other face", implying that during her time in her chambers on Lua, that the Void affected her as well with The Man in The Wall. Furthermore, she establishes the Tenno as the evil entity for the "destruction of my people" following the Ropalolyst's defeat, and foreshadows the events to come in The New War.





The New War Edit

Erra Edit



In preparation of The New War, the Tenno travels to the Veil Proxima with their Railjack crew, only to discover a Murex Ship. With their Paracesis in hand, they board the Murex to fend off the Sentient threat. Afterwards, they destroy a mysterious red crystal at the end of the Murex, which upon re-boarding the Orbiter reveals flashbacks about The Old War and Natah's brother, Erra. A vision of the Sentient Mothership exposes a meeting between Erra and Natah, hinting at an escalation of the war with Natah's war cry.







The Sentients are invading the Origin System—their first destination: Earth. Tenno must coordinate their efforts to fend off Sentient Murex warships in space and Condrix drop ships on the ground. Little Duck has set up a Scarlet Spear Flotilla Relay off Earth's atmosphere as the Tenno's primary base of operations during this invasion.

Angered by the presence of Sentient and Tenno alike, General Sargas Ruk of the Grineer faction tries to sabotage the Tenno's efforts in fending off Condrixes on the forests of Grineer-controlled Earth, believing that it is the Tenno's fault for the Sentient invasion.





Alad V Arc Edit

As Alad V plays an important role during the events of The Second Dream, knowing his history with the Tenno is paramount to understanding why he was so eager to helping them, despite being of Corpus origin.

The Zanuka Project Edit

The Gradivus Dilemma Edit

Main article: The Gradivus Dilemma



Corpus scientist and entrepreneur Alad V discovers a cache of Tenno in cryosleep on Mars, intending to use them for his secret weapon: The Zanuka Project. Grineer General Sargas Ruk responds by invading Corpus territory and expanding their control over the Origin System, under the excuse that the Corpus violated a contract regarding the weaponization of ancient Orokin technology: the Warframes. To tip the balance of power, the Tenno is under a dilemma: to free their kin, or to let Grineer expansion run amuck.

After a six-day war, the Grineer proved victorious over the Corpus, holding the most sectors under their control.





The Hunt For Alad V Edit



Despite losing The Gradivus Dilemma, Alad V continued to work on his Zanuka Project in secret, capturing a Warframe called Valkyr and dissecting its parts for the creation of a new Corpus proxy with Warframe abilities. Corpus Board Member Frohd Bek's pending position as the CEO of the Corpus is being threatened by Alad's research. As Alad's direct rival, he is afraid of his success and attempts to sabotage Alad's work, sending ships to his laboratory. However, Bek's ships have been infected for some unknown reason.

In desperation, Bek pleas a deal with the Tenno, to help him rid of the Infestation and in return, he'll disclose Alad's research facility. After doing so, the Tenno raids Alad V's laboratory in the gas cities of Jupiter and successfully frees Valkyr, who was modified with Corpus constraints. Physically and mentally scarred as a subject to Alad V's brutal methods, Valkyr was used to construct a Zanuka prototype which never reached mass production due to the Tenno's valiant efforts. With the lack of support and funding to his project, Alad V had to develop the lesser Zanuka Hunter as a result, who now hunts down the Tenno to gather more Warframes to continue his project.





Suspicious Shipments Edit

Main article: Suspicious Shipments



The Lotus detects an unusual amount of Corpus vessels that are traveling outside their normal shipping routes. Upon investigating these highly secured ships, the Tenno discovers that Alad V is researching the Infestation, remarking the Corpus' ban on Infested biotechnology. Reconciling his shortcomings in his Zanuka Project, Alad explores forbidden knowledge in hopes of getting the attention of the Corpus Board of Directors and be subsequently promoted for reaching new heights in the name of profit. Soon, Alad will conceive the Mutalist strain that he sought for, albeit with horrible consequences.





The Mutalist Experiments Edit

Operation: Breeding Grounds Edit



With the Zanuka Project slowing to a halt, Alad V decided to look into the Infestation for answers to his disappointing portfolio. His studies resulted in a new development of the Infestation, the Mutalist strain, having the ability to infect inorganic beings such as the robotic MOA. To transmit his creation throughout the Origin System, he engineered Infested Hives, tumors that are capable of corrupting ships and colonies in a matter of seconds.

The Lotus learns of a massive Infested outbreak off Eris and sends the Tenno to destroy the Infested Hives, fearing a system-wide outbreak. Despite temporarily hindering Alad's plans, he mocks the Tenno's futile efforts on stopping the inevitable: the domination of his Mutalist empire.





Operation: Mutalist Incursions Edit



After the failure of the Zanuka Project, Alad V ventures off to research the Infestation, only to return with a new look, being exposed to the Mutalist Infested strain that he has been experimenting on. He introduces existing Corpus proxies blended with Mutalist flesh such as the Mutalist Osprey, along with new Infested units like Brood Mother and Boilers. Under the partial control of the Infested, he declares a new Mutalist Empire, boasting his research as the next evolution of humanity.

To counter this threat, the Tenno successfully purged most of these Mutalist enemies from the Origin System, reducing their danger to the Orokin Derelicts and the Infested planet Eris. However, Alad's actions have left the system vulnerable to random Infestation Outbreaks, leaving the Tenno to fend them alongside the Grineer and Corpus in the future.





Patient Zero Edit

Main article: Patient Zero



Coinciding with the events in Operation: Mutalist Incursions, Alad V, now turned Mutalist, continues to thrive and populate his Mutalist creations throughout the Origin System. The Tenno attempts to triangulate Alad's location by sabotaging Infested ships. Eventually, they reach Alad's lab and destroy it, after which he unveils his newest creation: a Mesa Warframe controlled by the Infestation. Putting Mesa out of her misery, the Tenno obtains information on Alad's true location. They eventually assassinate Mutalist Alad V on an Infested Corpus ship, drifting in orbit around Eris.

Remarkably, Alad V survived, but the Tenno crippled his ability to deal further damage with his experiments on the Infestation.





Operation: Tubemen of Regor Edit



The Lotus intercepted information on Grineer scientist Tyl Regor's secret cloning labs in the depths of Uranus. Deciding it was the perfect opportunity to weaken the Grineer Empire, who were already struggling to revert the effects of their Cloning Decay Syndrome, the Lotus instructs the Tenno to go to the Grineer Sealabs, allowing them to choose whether to destroy Regor's research or to steal it.

Alad V, a shadow of his former self, begs the Tenno to find a cure within those labs, in hopes to cure himself of the Infestation he was exposed to during his prior research. In response, Corpus plutocrat Nef Anyo offers to pay the Tenno to destroy the cure in spite of Alad V's traitorous actions to the Corpus.

Regardless of who the Tenno sided with, Alad V eventually finds a cure, becoming one of the few survivors of the Infestation.





Post Second Dream Edit

Operation: Shadow Debt Edit



After helping the Tenno during the events of The Second Dream, Shadow Stalker's followers, the Acolytes, hunt Alad V in vengeance. Alad V requests the Tenno to protect him as part of their deal for helping them unveil Hunhow's tomb. To triangulate the Acolytes' locations, the Tenno acquire security data from Grineer and Corpus systems through a series of Spy and Mobile Defense missions. The hunter becomes the hunted as the Tenno pursue Acolytes across the Origin System. In the final confrontation with the Acolyte Misery, the Tenno successfully fend off the Nekros Warframe. Alad V is safe, for now.





References Edit



