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While we were able to find solid and legitimate supporting evidence for essentially the whole story as it is written, it comes from a variety of sources and each of those pieces of information were 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.
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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.
There has also been much debate and talk from the developers and Warframe community as to whether or not Dark Sector is canonically part of the Warframe universe. The developers have said it both is and is not. As most of what we know of the lore for Warframe ties perfectly into the Dark Sector story, this article includes some information and references to it and how it relates to Warframe lore. Take confirmation of either instance with a grain of salt, until Digital Extremes officially shines light on the correct scenario. 
 
   
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==History==
This page and the story will be updated as the developers, [http://warframe.com/ Digital Extremes], release more information.
 
   
==The Story/History of Warframe==
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=== Orokin Era ===
   
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Long before current events, the Origin System was controlled by an imperial civilization called the [[Orokin]]. The aristocratic ruling class of this civilization was the dominant humanoid faction for an extended period — perhaps centuries or millennia. The Orokin's advanced technology and scientific research led to the discovery of the Void, a parallel dimension that allowed further development of already impressive Orokin technology. Their civilization followed suit — Orokin culture, particularly among the ruling class, evolved into a society obsessed with youth, aesthetics, and elegance.
=== Dark Sector Era ===
 
'''WARNING: This section contains Dark Sector spoilers!'''
 
 
: This section has been intentionally abridged at the request of the Warframe Wiki's administrator. If you would like the full story on Dark Sector, buy and play the game or read its wiki [[w:c:darksector|here]].
 
On Earth during the cold war, the United States invented something called the Technocyte virus. It remained unused and largely untested for a number of decades until 'The Agency' sent a submarine with infected aboard it to the Russian island of Lasaria. A supposedly rogue member of The Agency named Robert Mezner, a specialist in 'nanotechnology as it applies to bioenhancement' was sent to Lasaria secretly to test and propagate the virus amongst its citizens.
 
 
Another Agency agent named Hayden Tenno was sent to Lasaria to kill Mezner and was quickly attacked by Nemesis, essentially a prototype Warframe made of Technocyte or a similar nanotechnology that looks like a mix between Rhino and Nyx in Warframe and was worn by a woman who was working with Mezner. Nemesis infected Hayden with the same modified strain of the Technocyte virus that Mezner used on himself.
 
 
At this point, most of the game of Dark Sector plays out. Hayden reacted uniquely to the virus as it only mutated his right arm/shoulder visibly as well as spawning a [[Glaive ]] from his technocyte-organic flesh. For other humans and animals, the pain quickly drove them to insanity and they mutated into horrible monsters with techno-organic parts or entire bodies. Hayden's congenital analgesia made him not feel pain, something that was likely the reason the virus did not drive him mad.
 
 
At the end of the story, Hayden acquired another prototype Warframe (that uses the same character model as Excalibur in Warframe), defeated Nemesis and Mezner (who was driven mad by the virus) and survived the traitorous Agency. Even so, the Technocyte virus ended up being released into the world either through Mezner's efforts or intentionally by the Agency.
 
 
<gallery position=center>
 
Image for Warframe Wiki Hayden Tenno.jpg|Hayden Tenno Wielding the Glaive
 
Image for Warframe Wiki Hayden Tenno Warframe.jpg|Hayden Tenno wearing his proto-warframe
 
darksector-03_786x1048.jpg|Hayden Tenno's suit (left) and Nemesis (right)
 
</gallery>
 
 
While the virus itself was not airborne it still spread over the planet Earth and consumed most fauna, either killing creatures or turning them into monsters. Humanity survived and managed to colonize other planets and cosmic entities in our solar system. Hayden Tenno is the only one known to have assimilated and adapted to the Technocyte virus at this time. It is unknown if he had children of his own.
 
 
=== Orokin Era ===
 
Flash forward a few thousand years (or potentially more), and the solar system is run by a race called the [[Orokin]]. They were either robots/AIs created by humanity, a transhuman race, or a totally alien race that showed up in the solar system. For a time, the Orokin ruled the solar system and spent a great deal of time building large outposts and experimenting on genetic samples of creatures found on Earth. From this point, we know that a war erupted between the Orokin and 'the Sentients'. There is no confirmed information on who the Sentients were but it seems most likely they were human as there is no other known race in the solar system. Excalibur's codex information provides some of the most detail on the time period:
 
   
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The benefits of the Orokin’s advancements were not shared equally among all members of their society, however. The rigid hierarchy allowed 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, lower classes and other humanoid groups were exploited en masse for labor and used as disposable soldiers and experiment subjects.
{{Codex|The Sentients had won. They had turned our weapons, our technology, against us. The more advanced we became, the greater our losses. The war was over unless we found a new way. In our desperation we turned to the Void. The blinding night, the hellspace where our science and reason failed.
 
   
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For a time, the Orokin ruled the Origin System and continued to expand. They spent a great deal of time building large outposts throughout the solar system, developing more advanced machinery, and performing numerous genetic experiments of creatures found on Earth.
We took the twisted few that had returned from that place. We built a frame around them, a conduit of their affliction. Gave them the weapons of the old ways. Gun and blade. A new warrior, a new code was born. These rejects, these Tenno, became our saviors. Warrior-Gods cast in steel and fury striking our enemies in a way they could never comprehend.
 
   
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===The [[Zariman Ten Zero]] Incident===
Excalibur was the first.
 
  +
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. The ship was lost and it was many days before the ship resurfaced. Upon searching the ship it was discovered that all the adults aboard the ship had died due to void exposure. However, for reasons unknown at the time the children of the Zariman Ten-Zero had survived and appeared completely fine. The children had survived exposure to the void but in the process had been changed. The children had developed uncontrollable void related powers that mutilated or killed anyone who came into contact with them. The Zariman children were hidden away and forgotten by the Orokin out of shame and fear. The Zariman Children became known later as the Tenno, called such for the Zariman ship's designation of Ten-Zero (Ten-0).
   
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===Margulis, the Zariman Children, and Ballas===
- Orokin 'Warframe' Archives
 
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Margulis was an Archimedian, a human of great intellect and a prominent geneticist. Margulis discovered the Tenno and feeling compassion adopted them as her own. She sought out a means for the Tenno to control their powers and interact with the world normally. Margulis received some opposition for her work and was advised by her 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. 
|Excalibur}}
 
   
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Margulis' research eventually leads her to work with an Archimedian specializing in [[infestation]] manipulation called Silvana. 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 and it was demanded that she recant before the Seven. 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 for refusing to recant. Ballas was filled with grief and came to realize that he wanted Margulis back. Ballas was left angry at Margulis' execution and began planning to overthrow the Orokin.
The Tenno were unique among the humanoid races in that they possessed the ability to interface with advanced  technology due to their ability to assimilate the Technocyte virus. As Hayden Tenno of Dark Sector was "the first Tenno" and the first to successfully assimilate the virus, either his lineage or humans genetically modified with similar genes were given title of 'Tenno'. This does not mean Hayden necessarily existed in the Warframe universe.
 
   
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===The Birth of the Sentients <!--and Their Return to the Origin System-->===
From here things get a bit less specific. The Tenno are responsible for the fall of the Orokin via the events known and referred to as the Old War. It is for this reason the Corpus frequently refer to the Tenno as 'the Betrayers', as the Corpus worship the Orokin and the technology they can salvage from them. The Warframes were created for the Tenno, human survivors of the void, as a last-ditch attempt by the Orokin to combat the sentients. Excalibur was the first Warframe created during this time, it's form based on the proto-Warframe from pre-Orokin time, likely the one worn by Hayden in Dark Sector.
 
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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 are known as the [[Sentient]], 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. 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, they came to realize that their Orokin creators would only bring ruin to Tau eventually as well. So they rebelled. 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. Hence, they could return to the Origin System for this price. The Sentients under [[Hunhow]] (a leader or parent to the Sentients) began an invasion of the Origin System. Thus what would become known as The Old War began.
   
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==='''The Old War'''===
After the Great War came The Collapse, when humanity split in five major directions. Some of humanity stayed (more or less) the same, populating many of the planets and astral bodies in our solar system. The Tenno went into cryosleep for unknown reasons. Some of the humans took to cloning themselves to create armies and adapted mechanical enhancements and became the [[Grineer]], lead by the Twin Kweens (Queens). Some of the most tech-savvy humans became a 'Merchant Cult' who worshiped money and relics from the Old War and Orokin called the [[Corpus]]. The Technocyte virus infected and mutated living beings and came to be known collectively as the [[Infested]].
 
  +
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. The Orokin quickly discovered that their method of fighting proved ineffective against the faction.
   
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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. To this end, the Orokin began working to develop the Infestation, an engineered infectious organism that subverts, mutates, and assimilates any biological matter into a new infested lifeform.
=== Warframe Era ===
 
Flash forward a few hundred to a few thousand years. The Corpus control most of the resources, shipping and commerce in the solar system via trade routes known as Solar Rails. The Grineer both fight with the Corpus for power and buy technology from them to support their constantly degrading bodies. The infested spread to a number of different locations on numerous planets, and reside on drifting ancient Orokin ships. All that is left of the Orokin are towers in a dangerous area of space known as the [[Orokin Void]].
 
   
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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. 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.<ref>[[The Sacrifice]] quest</ref> 
It is now that the game of Warframe takes place. The Tenno are being woken up by a group known as The Lotus and subsequently, other Tenno. Most Tenno acquire or build Warframes and go to work for the [[Lotus]], acting against the other three factions in the solar system. Presumably as a byproduct of the freezing or revival process, the Tenno that are awoken have little to no memory of the past, and assume the role the Lotus gives, as a "protector" to keep the balance. 
 
   
  +
The Orokin came to realize 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, they became the new "operators" of the Warframes.
The Lotus is an organization that leads and organizes the revived Tenno, mostly through a female entity also known as Lotus. It is possible that The Lotus is/are AI and descendants of or related to the Orokin. The Lotus emblem also adorns most Warframes (such as on top of Excalibur's helmet) meaning the Lotus had to exist during the Orokin era when the Warframes were created.
 
   
  +
The Zariman children were trained into the fighting force known as the '''Tenno''', and through Transference, they wielded Warframes to wage war against the Sentients, where they proved to be highly effective. The Orokin managed to recapture the Outer Terminus and quelled the Sentient threat to the Origin System. The Sentient, however, were not defeated entirely, having deployed the Mimic agent [[Natah]] to infiltrate and bring down the Orokin in a final coup.
==References and Evidence==
 
===Technocyte===
 
Technocyte is a virus that afflicts living tissue and mutates it, often giving it mechanical or metallic properties. Since Dark Sector's canonicity is not confirmed, we do not know its origin for sure. Those mutated by the virus lose most of their intelligence and appear to act on instinct and are capable of little more than gutteral noises and violence. It is likely that infected creatures of higher intelligence exist as Infested bosses try to talk to and reason with the Tenno players during their assassination missions. The infested are also prolific beyond what would be possible for an unintelligent race, meaning there may be some kind of organization or hive mind that guides them.
 
   
  +
===Ballas' Rebellion and Allying With Hunhow===
The virus could be present in Warframe for many possible reasons. Some of those include:
 
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Ballas, with the intention of destroying the Orokin Empire, began to conspire with Hunhow. 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. Natah, Hunhow's daughter, was a last-ditch attempt to take control over the Tenno themselves. She infiltrated the Origin System but was not able to prevent the Orokin forces from recapturing and crippling/destroying the Outer Terminus. The Orokin were victorious at the time, but the Tenno chose to betray the Orokin, triggering a historical event known as The Collapse<ref>Alluded in the [[Stalker]]'s [[codex]]</ref>.
*The virus survived from its initial release on Earth as seen in Dark Sector.
 
*The Orokin created the virus when experimenting with humans (see [[Story_and_History#Orokin_as_Genetic_Manipulators|Orokin as Genetic Manipulators]]). The virus was accidentally released after the Orokin were exterminated.
 
*The virus was intentionally released by the Orokin in an attempt to combat the sentients.
 
*The virus manifested somehow in the Void and was spread by the Tenno.
 
Tenno are likely infected with the technocyte virus and Warframes are likely made of technocyte material, or something similar. The codex entry for the [[Ether Sword]] says it was used by Tenno to kill (presumably human) allies that had become infested.
 
   
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===The Collapse===
===Orokin as Genetic Manipulators===
 
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With the Old War over, Natah's final goal was to finally destroy the Tenno. However, due to as of yet unknown interference, she was manipulated into developing feelings for them, exploiting a "gap" in her systems from the void crossover. After abandoning her final objective, Natah took on the role of the Lotus, mother, and guide to the Tenno.
Orokin genetic experimentation was mentioned specifically during [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GvcIBvwWVg#t=4217 Livesteam 11]. "When Earth got totally screwed over and the Orokin started using DNA to rebuild different animals that suited them, some of that stuff went wrong..." referring to the creation of the Sand Skate (sting ray/skate) enemies that appear in the Grineer settlement tileset.
 
   
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The Grineer, who were workers for and slaves to the Orokin, took advantage of the chaos to initiate revolts all across the system. They stole Orokin ships and weapons, and managed to secure the cloning technologies that created them, as alluded to in the [[Guardsman]] codex entry. During this period, the outcast [[Grineer Queens|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.
Official lore for the Tenno states that they are descended from a 'mythical' race on Earth. It also states that this was during the Orokin Era, long after a great deal of humans were killed or transformed by Technocyte. How the Tenno were created by the Orokin is still a mystery but we know it is tied to the void it is likely that they were genetic experiments done by the Orokin using the technocyte virus and technocyte-adapted human DNA.
 
   
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It is unknown what the exact origins of the [[Corpus]] are; whether they were initially lowly Orokin servants or Orokin-worshipping colonists is still a mystery. It is likely that the Corpus originated from the "Industrialists" who profited from the Old War and grew into a force that Ballas deemed worth of monitoring. They 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 the technology and grow. 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, the two groups continued to compete and skirmish intermittently.
There is a reference by the Infested boss J3-Golem that the Tenno exist in bodies not entirely unlike the assimilated bodies of the Infested. [[File:J32.jpg|thumb|J3-Golem to the player.]]He will call out to the player, "Why do you destroy us? We are your flesh.", asserting a connection between the virus that afflicts the Infested and the Tenno themselves. This further confirms the notion that both the Tenno and the Infested are both products of the Orokin Era. J3 could also be referring to the Tenno flesh metaphorically, meaning their Warframes. J3-Golem has since been removed from the game but his taunts and quotes can still be heard from [[Phorid ]] and [[Lephantis]], the other Infested bosses.
 
   
 
===Warframe Era===
The opening message from Councilor Vay Hek regarding the Cicero Crisis also specifically mentions 'Orokin engineered super-weeds' on Earth that make most of the planet uninhabitable due to their penchant for destroying artificial buildings. The Grineer planned to poison the plants so they could better control the planet but were stopped by the Tenno.
 
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Some indeterminate number of centuries later, the Corpus are widely considered the governing force in economics and research. The Grineer both fight with the Corpus for power and buy technology from them to support their constantly degrading bodies. 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 Derelict]]s and recently conquered [[Eris]], apart from the occasional outbreak on populated planets. All that is left of the Orokin are the few still active structures such as the Orokin Tower, [[Unum]], on the Plains of Eidolon, forgotten [[Prime]] weapons they either built or had a hand in building and tower ships stranded in the [[Orokin Void|Void]].
   
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The Tenno are being reawakened by the Lotus, not remembering anything of their past. Many 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 solar 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.
===Orokin as AI/Robots===
 
They referred to their enemies in the Old War (humans) as 'the Sentients'. This would imply that they themselves are not 'sentient' (or at least not traditionally so) yet they are intelligent enough to create advanced technology and to describe their enemies as sentient. Them being a 'non-sentient' intelligence supports the notion that they possess artificial intelligence or are an alien race so far removed from what we know as sentient that they would not consider themselves sentient by our definition.
 
   
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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. The Corpus has begun to make an attempt at rebuilding the Outer Terminus. In the meantime, the Grineer research ways to overcome their [[Cloning Decay Syndrome|genetic degradation]] caused by many generations of repeated cloning. At one point, Grineer researcher [[Tyl Regor]] finds and breaks open a tomb where an ancient Sentient was held within, unknowingly reawakening an old enemy of the Origin System.
<gallery type="slideshow" position="left" widths="400">
 
CorruptedMOADE.png|Corrupted MOA|link=Corrupted MOA
 
CorruptedHeavyDE.png|Corrupted Heavy Gunner|link=Corrupted Heavy Gunner
 
CorruptedLancerDE.png|Corrupted Lancer|link=Corrupted Lancer
 
CorruptedCrewmanDE.png|Corrupted Crewman|link=Corrupted Crewman
 
Corruptedancientcodex.png|Corrupted Ancient|link=Corrupted Ancient
 
</gallery>Additionally, the Orokin towers we invade in the Void are filled with hapless Infested, Corpus and Grineer that entered the tower and had a computer chip-like device implanted in them which allows an entity known as the Neural Sentry in each tower to control them and use them to defend the tower and its secrets. The Corrupted are both biological (Grineer and Corpus troops) and mechanical/technological (MOAs), showing advanced knowledge of both neural science and technology. It is unknown if the [[Orokin Drone]]s are corrupted [[Shield Osprey]]s or an original Orokin creation.
 
   
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==Main Story==
The Orokin also have no fear of the Technocyte virus as they experimented with it and possibly with creatures infected by it. The only reasonable way they would not fear technocyte, a virus that can afflict living creatures, is if they themselves were not living creatures.
 
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===Tenno's Awakening===
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====Vor's Prize====
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{{Main|Vor's Prize}}
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[[File:CaptainVorFK.png|thumb|right|Captain Vor]]
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{{#lsth:Vor's Prize|Overview}}
   
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====Once Awake====
In Livestream 11 the developers also discussed future missions in production that would take place in 'virtual space' in the Orokin mainframes. There you will do battle Tron-style with the artificial intelligence controlling it, presumably the Neural Sentry, meaning the Orokin were at least able to develop incredibly sophisticated AIs.
 
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{{Main|Once Awake}}
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[[File:QuadrupedAvatar.png|thumb|left|Infested Charger]]
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{{#lsth:Once Awake|Synopsis}}
   
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====The Archwing====
One lore element that brings this theory into question is the Stalker's codex entry ([[Story and History#The Sentients and the End of the Orokin|see below]]). It states directly that at the end of the Old War, the Tenno beat their victory drums and on the ninth beat, they slew people and blood filled the stadium. Whether they killed actual Orokin, proxy bodies used and created by the Orokin, humans/Tenno that were still loyal to the Orokin or whether the Stalker was using hyperbole is not stated. We know that there are currently humans that worship the the Orokin (the Corpus) and it is entirely possible such loyalists existed during the Great War as well.
 
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[[File:DEGrineerFomorian.png|thumb|right|Balor Famorian]]
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{{Main|The Archwing}}
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{{#lsth:The Archwing|Synopsis}}
   
===The End of the Orokin===
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===Discovery of the Arcane Machine===
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====Stolen Dreams====
The Corpus are described as worshiping the Orokin and their technology in a number of places and they refer to the Tenno as 'the Betrayers' many places in the game. Due to the Warframes being Orokin creations, it stands to reason that the Tenno betrayed the Orokin. We know that the Tenno were created by the Orokin to combat 'the Sentients'  and that in the end, it was they that killed the Orokin. The betrayal would be what ended the Old War (which ended the Orokin Era and the Orokin) and started period of time known as The Collapse.
 
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{{Main|Stolen Dreams}}
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[[File:Maroo.png|thumb|right|Maroo]]
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{{#lsth:Stolen Dreams|Synopsis}}
   
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====The New Strange====
The Stalker's codex entry further confirms the notion that the Tenno fought with the Sentients against the Orokin or slaughtered both:
 
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{{Main|The New Strange}}
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[[File:CB NoseyMF.png|thumb|right|Cephalon Simaris]]
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[[File:ArcaneMachine.png|thumb|left|Arcane Machine]]
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[[File:Annotation 2019-09-05 141726.png|thumb|right|Close up on object on Arcane Machine]]
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{{#lsth:The New Strange|Synopsis}}
   
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===This Is Who You Are===
{{Codex|Some have walked these desolate worlds while you slept. Some like me. I remember what you did. I remember the day.
 
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====Natah====
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{{Main|Natah}}
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{{#lsth:Natah|Synopsis}}
   
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====The Second Dream====
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.
 
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{{Main|The Second Dream}}
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{{#lsth:The Second Dream|Synopsis}}
   
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====The War Within====
When the ninth beat rang a torrent of blood filled the stadium, loosed by Tenno blades. The drums, the Empire, fell silent forever.
 
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{{Main|The War Within}}
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{{#lsth:The War Within|Synopsis}}
   
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====Chains of Harrow====
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.
 
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{{Main|Chains of Harrow}}
|Stalker}}
 
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{{For|more backstory|Rell (Webcomic)}}
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{{#lsth:Chains of Harrow|Synopsis}}
   
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===The Lotus' Disappearance===
It is unknown whether all Orokin were killed/destroyed or whether some escaped execution and still exist.
 
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====Apostasy Prologue====
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{{Main|Apostasy Prologue}}
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{{#lsth:Apostasy Prologue|Synopsis}}
   
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====The Sacrifice====
===Lotus as an Entity/AI Relation===
 
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{{Main|The Sacrifice}}
In Livestream 11 the devs describe a future mission in which the player will escort 'the Lotus' (the entity) which exists inside of a kind of floating robotic drone. The drone and mission are described as you personally escorting 'the Lotus herself' and that she inhabiting the drone puts her in jeopardy.
 
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{{#lsth:The Sacrifice|Synopsis}}
   
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===Amalgamation of the Origin System===
This would later be the Mobile Defence mission. When players insert their datamass into the target computer terminal, the Lotus would say something to the effect of "You have managed to insert me into their terminal. Defend, while I hack into the Grineer network", suggesting the Lotus to be some kind of program, but this could simply be referring to her being able to access the network.
 
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====Chimera Prologue====
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{{Main|Chimera Prologue}}
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{{#lsth:Chimera Prologue|Synopsis}}
   
  +
====Alad V's Amalgams====
The Lotus herself says in game at the end of some missions, "Great work. I am pleased with your performance,", which heavily hints that the Lotus is an entity.
 
  +
<!--For some reason, pulling sections of Alad V and Lotus' pages fail if they are called by the same section name or section tags-->
===Warframes===
 
  +
{{Main|Alad V#The Jovian Concord}}
Warframes are suits of armor that can be wielded by Tenno and created by the Orokin in order to take advantage of the technocyte-adapted Tenno's ability to interface with technology and enhance their powers. They are made up of 'nanotechnology' according to Grineer engineers and may even be technocyte or a similar material. They have a security system called 'reactive dissolution' that triggers when experimented on to hide the technological secrets from the human races (namely the Corpus and Grineer). Alad V recently (see [[The Gradivus Dilemma|The Gravidus Dilemma]]) found some way of manipulating Warframes and experimenting on them without activating their self-destruct mechanisms. His use of Warframe components to create the hybrid Zanuka is the first time any non-Orokin is known to have any success with modifying Orokin Warframes.
 
  +
{{For|the related event|Operation: Hostile Mergers}}
  +
{{#lst:Alad V|jovian_concord_lore}}
  +
----
  +
{{Main|Lotus#The Jovian Concord}}
  +
{{#lsth:Lotus|The Jovian Concord}}
   
  +
===The New War===
Warframes are likely based on the proto-Warframes Excalibur and Nemesis from the [[Story_and_History#Dark_Sector_Era|Dark Sector Era]]. The [[Excalibur Proto-Armor Skin]] was released and its description reads, "Discovering the precise nature of this recently uncovered armored prototype has proved elusive. Initial attempts at dating point to ancient origins, perhaps even predating Orokin Empire." The armor is nearly identical to the armor worn by Hayden Tenno during the later events of Dark Sector. Since they also created the Dark Sector game, it is safe to assume that the suit is merely a tease or an "easter egg" that refers to their other game and may not reference hayden tenno being in Warframe at all. 
 
  +
====Erra====
  +
{{Main|Erra (Quest)}}
  +
{{#lsth:Erra (Quest)|Synopsis}}
   
==Speculation==
+
====The New War====
  +
{{Main|The New War}}
  +
{{#lsth:The New War|Synopsis}}
   
  +
==Alad V Arc==
===Infested Speculation===
 
  +
{{Main|Alad V#Lore}}
The game lore specifically mentions that the Infested come from a plague that was remarkably similar to the one from Earth's history, the technocyte outbreak that started at the end of Dark Sector. It is likely that the Infested are the same virus or strain of technocyte that existed on Earth in the ancient days. It is also possible that the Orokin re-released the technocyte virus on the solar system during the Old War in an attempt to stop the Sentients by using infected creatures to their advantage. Another possibility is that after the Old War, the technocyte experiments the Orokin were running managed to spread on their own now that the Orokin were no longer there to control them, eventually creating the Infested.
 
  +
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.
  +
<!--These events may be needed to explain why Alad V was eager to help us in The Second Dream-->
  +
===The Zanuka Project===
  +
====The Gradivus Dilemma====
  +
{{Main|The Gradivus Dilemma}}
  +
<!--Introduces Alad V who found a cache of Warframes in cryosleep-->
  +
{{#lsth:The Gradivus Dilemma|Synopsis}}
   
  +
====The Hunt For Alad V====
Orokin reengineering of the technocyte virus from Earth seems very likely as the infested are composed more of flesh than their mostly metallic counterparts in Dark Sector.
 
  +
{{Main|The Hunt For Alad V}}
  +
{{For|more|Zanuka Project}}
  +
<!--Alad V experiments with a captured Warframe-->
  +
{{#lsth:The Hunt For Alad V|Synopsis}}
   
===Tenno Speculation===
+
====Suspicious Shipments====
  +
{{Main|Suspicious Shipments}}
  +
{{#lsth:Suspicious Shipments|Synopsis}}
   
  +
===The Mutalist Experiments===
<gallery type="slideshow" widths="200">
 
  +
====Operation: Breeding Grounds====
Rescue.jpg|Male Tenno in jumpsuit with Lotus symbol.
 
  +
{{Main|Operation: Breeding Grounds}}
Female tenno.jpg|Female Tenno in jumpsuit with Lotus symbol.
 
  +
{{#lsth:Operation: Breeding Grounds|Synopsis}}
</gallery>We now know that humans still exist in the Warframe universe and that the Tenno are essentially post-humans. The human-looking men and women rescued during Warframe's [[Rescue]] missions are Tenno without warframes on. As of updated 12, they can also be seen in the cryopods.during defense missions and some mobile defense missions.
 
   
  +
====Operation: Mutalist Incursions====
Many 'Tenno-made' weapons also bear the Lotus symbol.
 
  +
{{Main|Operation: Mutalist Incursions}}
  +
<!--Alad V experiments with the Infestation and gets Infested himself-->
  +
{{#lsth:Operation: Mutalist Incursions|Synopsis}}
   
  +
====Patient Zero====
===Tenno, Orokin and the Lotus===
 
  +
{{Main|Patient Zero}}
Despite it not exactly being clear what the relationship between these three groups are, evidence in Warframe clearly indicates that they all share some kind of connection. First, we know that the Orokin created the Warframes for the Tenno, as the Tenno are the only ones who can use them. Second, most Warframes contain a Lotus symbol on them. It is possible that the symbols were added after their revival from the cryopods but that seems unlikely as in the Warframe trailer, we get a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Q6cIRZlMQ3g#t=162 clear shot] of the newly-revived Excalibur's helmet and it has the Lotus symbol on it, meaning it had to have been there since the end of the Orokin era, when the Tenno entered cryostasis. This heavily implies that the Lotus has been around since at least the Orokin era and given that it survived and is closely related to the Tenno, we know that it sided with 'the Sentients' (the humans) in the Old War. Third, we know that the Lotus is interested in reviving and directing the Tenno against the other three factions that control the solar system. It is also worth noting that, in the old tutorial, the player is revived in what looks to be an overrun, possibly Infested Orokin outpost, which Lotus has access to, along with holograms and energy dispensers. While it's not impossible for others to breach Orokin Security (see [[Sling-Stone Event|Sling-stone]] and [[Dragon Keys]]), there have only been two cases in Warframe where any current entity had any success at all interfacing with Orokin technology (see [[Zanuka ]] and the [[Seer]]).
 
  +
<!--Alad V gets hunted down by the Tenno-->
  +
{{#lsth:Patient Zero|Synopsis}}
   
  +
====Operation: Tubemen of Regor====
Sadly, with this being the only solid information we have at the moment, it is difficult to draw any legitimate conclusions about the relationship between the three groups. What seems most likely is that the Lotus was responsible for the Tenno in some way during the Orokin era and that it now attempts to direct them again to, as she puts it, "protect the balance". Lotus transmissions have purported that most actions the Tenno are directed to take are to maintain the balance of power within the solar system but it is impossible to know the Lotus's real motives or plans.
 
  +
{{Main|Operation: Tubemen of Regor}}
  +
<!--Alad V is cured by the Tenno, so in return he helps the Tenno during The Second Dream-->
  +
{{#lsth:Operation: Tubemen of Regor|Synopsis}}
   
  +
===Post Second Dream===
One final thing to note about the Lotus is that her emblem appears in places in Dark Sector. It is so far not known why or how this relates to things in the Warframe Era.
 
  +
====Operation: Shadow Debt====
  +
{{Main|Operation: Shadow Debt}}
  +
{{#lsth:Operation: Shadow Debt|Synopsis}}
   
 
==References==
See examples of Warframes with the Lotus symbol here:
 
  +
{{Reflist}}
   
  +
{{QuestNav}}
<gallery spacing="medium" columns="4" orientation="portrait" widths="125" position="center">
 
  +
{{EventNav}}
Mag 1( no Circles).JPG|Mag's Lotus Emblem
 
Rhino 2 (no circles).JPG|One of Rhino's Lotus Emblems
 
squallfrostlotus.jpg|Frost's Lotus Emblem on his Squall Helmet
 
trinity 2.JPG|Trinity's Lotus Emblem
 
</gallery>
 
 
[[Category:Lore]]
 
[[Category:Lore]]
  +
[[Category:Dark Sector Reference]]

Revision as of 17:39, 20 March 2020

Sgt Nef AnyoIcon
“Orokin secrets cannot remain secret forever! Start talking!”
The following article/section is conjecture. Content is subjected to change/removal as the game progresses. Please do not use this article for critical in-game information.
AladVPortrait d
“You're not supposed to be in here! You're going to ruin the surprise!”
The following article/section contains spoilers.
Photo-4
“It's taking longer than I calculated.”
This page is actively being worked on and may not be completely correct. Please assist in making this page accurate. See WARFRAME Wiki:Research on ways to perform research on this game. Click here to add more info.

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

Orokin Era

Long before current events, the Origin System was controlled by an imperial civilization called the Orokin. The aristocratic ruling class of this civilization was the dominant humanoid faction for an extended period — perhaps centuries or millennia. The Orokin's advanced technology and scientific research led to the discovery of the Void, a parallel dimension that allowed further development of already impressive Orokin technology. Their civilization followed suit — Orokin culture, particularly among the ruling class, evolved into a society obsessed with youth, aesthetics, and elegance.

The benefits of the Orokin’s advancements were not shared equally among all members of their society, however. The rigid hierarchy allowed 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, lower classes and other humanoid groups were exploited en masse for labor and used as disposable soldiers and experiment subjects.

For a time, the Orokin ruled the Origin System and continued to expand. They spent a great deal of time building large outposts throughout the solar system, developing more advanced machinery, and performing numerous genetic experiments of creatures found on Earth.

The Zariman Ten Zero Incident

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. The ship was lost and it was many days before the ship resurfaced. Upon searching the ship it was discovered that all the adults aboard the ship had died due to void exposure. However, for reasons unknown at the time the children of the Zariman Ten-Zero had survived and appeared completely fine. The children had survived exposure to the void but in the process had been changed. The children had developed uncontrollable void related powers that mutilated or killed anyone who came into contact with them. The Zariman children were hidden away and forgotten by the Orokin out of shame and fear. The Zariman Children became known later as the Tenno, called such for the Zariman ship's designation of Ten-Zero (Ten-0).

Margulis, the Zariman Children, and Ballas

Margulis was an Archimedian, a human of great intellect and a prominent geneticist. Margulis discovered the Tenno and feeling compassion adopted them as her own. She sought out a means for the Tenno to control their powers and interact with the world normally. Margulis received some opposition for her work and was advised by her 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. 

Margulis' research eventually leads her to work with an Archimedian specializing in infestation manipulation called Silvana. 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 and it was demanded that she recant before the Seven. 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 for refusing to recant. Ballas was filled with grief and came to realize that he wanted Margulis back. Ballas was left angry at Margulis' execution and began planning to overthrow the Orokin.

The Birth of the Sentients

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 are known as the Sentient, 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. 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, they came to realize that their Orokin creators would only bring ruin to Tau eventually as well. So they rebelled. 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. Hence, they could return to the Origin System for this price. The Sentients under Hunhow (a leader or parent to the Sentients) began an invasion of the Origin System. Thus what would become known as The Old War began.

The Old War

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. The Orokin quickly discovered that their method of fighting proved ineffective against the faction.

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. To this end, the Orokin began working to develop the Infestation, an engineered infectious organism that subverts, mutates, and assimilates any biological matter into a new infested lifeform.

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. 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.[1] 

The Orokin came to realize 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, they became the new "operators" of the Warframes.

The Zariman children were trained into the fighting force known as the Tenno, and through Transference, they wielded Warframes to wage war against the Sentients, where they proved to be highly effective. The Orokin managed to recapture the Outer Terminus and quelled the Sentient threat to the Origin System. The Sentient, however, were not defeated entirely, having deployed the Mimic agent Natah to infiltrate and bring down the Orokin in a final coup.

Ballas' Rebellion and Allying With Hunhow

Ballas, with the intention of destroying the Orokin Empire, began to conspire with Hunhow. 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. Natah, Hunhow's daughter, was a last-ditch attempt to take control over the Tenno themselves. She infiltrated the Origin System but was not able to prevent the Orokin forces from recapturing and crippling/destroying the Outer Terminus. The Orokin were victorious at the time, but the Tenno chose to betray the Orokin, triggering a historical event known as The Collapse[2].

The Collapse

With the Old War over, Natah's final goal was to finally destroy the Tenno. However, due to as of yet unknown interference, she was manipulated into developing feelings for them, exploiting a "gap" in her systems from the void crossover. After abandoning her final objective, Natah took on the role of the Lotus, mother, and guide to the Tenno.

The Grineer, who were workers for and slaves to the Orokin, took advantage of the chaos to initiate revolts all across the system. They stole Orokin ships and weapons, and managed to secure the cloning technologies that created them, as alluded to in the Guardsman codex entry. 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.

It is unknown what the exact origins of the Corpus are; whether they were initially lowly Orokin servants or Orokin-worshipping colonists is still a mystery. It is likely that the Corpus originated from the "Industrialists" who profited from the Old War and grew into a force that Ballas deemed worth of monitoring. They 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 the technology and grow. 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, the two groups continued to compete and skirmish intermittently.

Warframe Era

Some indeterminate number of centuries later, the Corpus are widely considered the governing force in economics and research. The Grineer both fight with the Corpus for power and buy technology from them to support their constantly degrading bodies. 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. All that is left of the Orokin are the few still active structures such as the Orokin Tower, Unum, on the Plains of Eidolon, forgotten Prime weapons they either built or had a hand in building and tower ships stranded in the Void.

The Tenno are being reawakened by the Lotus, not remembering anything of their past. Many 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 solar 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. The Corpus has begun to make an attempt at rebuilding the Outer Terminus. 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 where an ancient Sentient was held within, unknowingly reawakening an old enemy of the Origin System.

Main Story

Tenno's Awakening

Vor's Prize

Main article: Vor's Prize
CaptainVorFK

Captain Vor


Once Awake

Main article: Once Awake
QuadrupedAvatar

Infested Charger

Dr. Tengus, 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. However, because of the continued research efforts of Dr. Tengus, the System is not immune from future outbreaks.


The Archwing

DEGrineerFomorian

Balor Famorian

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 Archgun and Archmelee, 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

Stolen Dreams

Main article: Stolen Dreams
Maroo

Maroo

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 from which she had extracted her 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

Main article: The New Strange
CB NoseyMF

Cephalon Simaris

ArcaneMachine

Arcane Machine

Annotation 2019-09-05 141726

Close up on object on Arcane Machine

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 to 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 AND 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 ChromaIcon272 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.


This Is Who You Are

Natah

Main article: Natah


The Second Dream

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's location, known as Lua, to be detectable. This allows Ordis to pick up the player from the tower and drop them onto Lua, where Stalker begins to collapse the void. The player is forced to phase Lua back out of the void in order to avoid it being crushed by the weight of the Void. Now that Lua is no longer protected from the Sentients by the Void, the only option left 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 unconscious Operator into the Somatic Link, the player regains some of their memories of being a Tenno, remembering one of the five great schools that they once belonged to in the Orokin Age (the Old War).

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


The War Within

Main article: The War Within

A disturbance on Reservoirs in Lua prompts the Tenno to investigate the problem. Turns out Teshin has intruded the same location where the player retrieved their Tenno body on Lua, to lure them 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

Main article: Chains of Harrow
For more backstory, see Rell (Webcomic).

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 blinded Margulis[3]. Instead, he sacrificed his life, bound his spirit to his Warframe, HarrowIcon272 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 due to attacks from The Man in The Wall. 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 HarrowIcon272 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

Apostasy Prologue

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 that retraces the path to the room where the player recovered their Tenno body from the Reservoir. 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

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 UmbraIcon272 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 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 and damages his own helmet to reveal an eye, then pins the Operator into a wall until they enter his mind using Transference. The Tenno learns of Umbra's origins as a personal punishment from Ballas upon a Dax soldier for spying on him during his late betrayal of the Orokin. A Dax soldier subjected to injections of a Helminth Infestation strain to produce skin-grafted armor and modified organs, akin to the typical Warframe design process during the Old War.

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 over his body and Ballas forces him to act through the modified transference bolt. 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 — and take away its pain.
—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 thanks to the Operator. After questioning him on the whereabouts of the Lotus, she appears from the sky in a Sentient battle form, taking Ballas with her as she returns back to her Mother. The Lotus seems to no longer be the motherly figure that the Tenno loved.


Amalgamation of the Origin System

Chimera Prologue

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 Reservoir, and into the Chamber of the Lotus. A portal at the end of the room transports the Tenno into a Sentient chamber that seems to imprison Ballas, now malformed with Sentient growth. Cursing the Lotus for allegedly deceiving him, Ballas discreetly constructs the "Sentient Slayer" away from what he claims to be Lotus' watchful eye. The Tenno grasps the image of the legendary Paracesis Paracesis , learning its blueprint in the process. — The New War is coming.


Alad V's Amalgams

Main article: Alad V#The Jovian Concord
For the related event, see Operation: Hostile Mergers.

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 reputation 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 with 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 with 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 confidential, 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 gratitude to the Tenno when they fight the Ropalolyst.


Main article: Lotus#The Jovian Concord
Main article: Fragments/Partnership

The Sentients trick Alad V into partnership, forcing 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 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

Erra

Main article: Erra (Quest)

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 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 New War

Main article: The New War

The Sentients, led by Ballas and Erra, launch a full-scale invasion on the Origin System. The Tenno are forced to form an alliance with the Grineer and Corpus to unite against a common enemy. However, despite the efforts of Grineer Kahl-175, Corpus Veso, and Teshin, the Origin System falls as Ballas banishes the Lotus and the Operator into a Void portal.

Without the Tenno, the Origin System crumbles under the Sentients as Ballas becomes its new ruler, brainwashing the masses into subservience under Narmer and using his position to defame the Tenno and manipulate everyone's memories of their actions. The mysterious Drifter fights back against Narmer, having somehow brought back the Lotus, now a dying Eidolon. They team up with Hunhow to claim Sentient shards from Erra's Archons to heal the Lotus. However, she fails to recognize the Drifter and becomes hostile. After a segment about the Operator during the accident on the Zariman Ten Zero where they accept The Man in the Wall's deal, the powers are granted to the Drifter. This act also allows the Operator to return to the Origin System in the Drifter's place, causing the Lotus to cease hostilities and leave with the intent to fight Ballas.

A confused Operator travels to the Zariman Ten Zero which has come halfway out of the Void, confronting the Drifter, revealing the Drifter to be an alternate reality version of the Operator. Ballas, enraged at Lotus and the return of the Tenno, sets in motion his plan to use the Sentient mothership Praghasa to devour the Origin System's sun to escape to the Tau System alone, thereby ending all life, organic or otherwise, in the entire system. This forces Erra to defect and lend his aid to the Tenno for the survival of his race. After a long battle, the Lotus and the Tenno finally kill Ballas. Their victory is cut short by the arrival of The Man in the Wall, appearing as a giant humanoid embedded into a wall, who bellows in a heavily distorted voice before mysteriously vanishing.

With Narmer now destabilized, the Origin System begins to slowly recover. The Tenno returns the Lotus to Lua, who reveals conflicting personalities between herself, Natah, and Margulis. The Tenno asks her to choose one voice to lead the others in the near future.

Alad V Arc

Main article: Alad V#Lore

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

The Gradivus Dilemma

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

Main article: The Hunt For Alad V
For more, see Zanuka Project.

Despite losing The Gradivus Dilemma, Alad V continued to work on his Zanuka Project in secret, capturing a Warframe called ValkyrIcon272 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

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

Operation: Breeding Grounds

Main article: Operation: Breeding Grounds

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

Main article: Operation: Mutalist Incursions

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

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 MesaIcon272 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

Main article: Operation: Tubemen of Regor

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

Operation: Shadow Debt

Main article: Operation: Shadow Debt

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 assassin. Alad V is safe, for now.


References