The Lore Codex

[EvexNight]

With the various threads about warframe lore.  I've decided to construct one thread to keep all the tid bits of known lore in which we can have a proper discussion over it and pick it apart trying to put the cryptic puzzle pieces DE has left us together.   Below are my note's that I've taken so far based on codex entries I have access to.  These notes are not complete as I don't have access to all the codex entries do to lack of scans in my own codex.  The notes are in a spoiler to keep this post as condensed as possible.

 

General

 

Kaleen -  A military principle investigator ordered to investigate Zariman incident.  Concluded that the incident was mechanical failure, most likely the Saturn solar rail.  Reopens the case when the Zariman reappears.  Boards the ship to investigate its condition and to see if any of the crew survived.  Encounters children on board and breaks quarantine.  Brought before military tribunal for questioning ? Possibly Grineer, or Human ?

Zairman - military vessel lost during a fold jump from Saturn to outer gates. Reason for this is blamed on mechanical failure.  Nothing ever returns from the fold, but Zairman reappeared as if it had never left. Children found on board the ship, which would be against military procedure.  Ship was under quarantine upon its return.  

Davis - Researcher working at a facility developing the warframes. Has a notion on how to control the warframes, but believes no one will believe him.  Possibly believes the warframes can be controlled mentally by children of the zariman.


Warframe Research Facility - place where the children found aboard the Zariman were moved to.  A prototype Rhino, warframe, breaks free causing the facility to go into a state of emergency.  Narrator believes the room davis and him are now in is a morgue, but davis says its where they keep the children from the zariman. Room is most likely a stais room, where the children are kept in cryosleep.  


Prototype Rhino - not actually a warframe, but one of the crew of Zariman, possible parent of one of the children.  Possible the fold/void corrupted and changed the person.  Either that or the person was exposed to technocyte.  Exibits mindless animalistic nature like an infected from dark sector.  Seems to snap out of this mindless behavior upon, seeing the cryo cell the children are in.  Looking at hands might suggest wondering what it has become.  Mention of metal fingers suggest warframe is mechanical in nature, or possible technocyte.  


Unknown Narrator - researcher at warframe facility.  Has done experiments on warframes, cutting them open, killing them. Tortured them to measure pain responses.  Created and rejected countless versions of the warframe.  

Solar Rail - an object capable of bending dimensional space allowing ships to make fold jumps through the void.  Mechanical failure of the Saturn solar rail  caused the Zariman to be trapped inside the void. No one knows how the ship actually returned.  

Tenno - believed to be propaganda by populace. Ghosts of twisted casualties from the void era. Seen as demons by some. Twisted few who had returned from the void. Warframes are a conduit for there affliction.  Considered rejects among the orokin.  Excaliber is the first warframe made, and inhabited by a Tenno. The tenno posses an essence known as Oro.  Due to this essence a tenno can be revived any number of times, as long there oro isn't destroyed.  

Zero Tech Soldier - sent to fight the sentient along with a mag prime warframe.  Use splinter ships for transport.  Ships destroyed by Sentient worm ships, waiting for them to arrive.   Saved by Mag prime using an odanta prime archwing.  Both infiltrate the sentient worm ship. Mission objective is most likely destruction of the ships core. Zero tech suits equipped with shields ?

Sentients - were winning war against the orokin by turning there weapons and technology against them.  Use worm ships to get around the galaxy. A component in there construction is rubedo. Have an electromagnetic field which allows them to interfere with electronics and machines.  They also have self healing and adaptive ability.  Once injured by an assailant the sentient will heal and adapt to become immune to what injured them. Crossing the void makes them unable to produce offspring.  Possible link to other sentient what one feels so do the others.  Can possibly lead to group adaptation when one unit is injured.  This ability to adapt is most likely what allowed the sentient in part to win against the orokin. 

Grineer Miner -  A miner in an orokin rubedo mine on outer terminus, Pluto.  Encountered a sentient and managed to fend it off.  Oroking use his genetic sample to produce the grineer lancer.

 

Warframe - an exoskeleton which is coated in technocyte.  Due to technocytes habit of fossilizing over time, a warframe is preserved through cryopods.  The original warframes of the orokin era were known as the prime warframes.   There are three known types of warframes.  These are the prime warframes, regular warframes, and Umbra Warframes.   While the prime warframes can be considered prototypes, regular warframes can be considered to be mass production counterparts.  It is currently unknown what the umbra frames represent.  

 

 

 

Corpus

 

After Collapse of Empire

The Corpus were scattered about the various sectors of space, or what they called nodes.  Each corpus was based on what they called survivor colonies.  No physical currency at this time, based on a trade and barter system ?

Corpus structured around Research and development, Salvage, and Manufacturing.  

Corpus Board - a board of five members. One of these members is the chairman of the board. Seat on the board possibly gained through bloodline inheritance.

Alad V - liaison between Grineer and Corpus until his removal from the board due to the gravidus dilemma.  Finishes a Zanuka prototype, before his hiding spot was found on Juipter. Occasionally will send out an Zanuka Hunter a.k.a Harvester after the player.  Has an obsession with the infested, going so far to create a mutalist strain which can infest inorganic beings.

 

Timeline (do not read if you haven't completed the second dream quest)

 

 

Before Great War

- Sentients are sent towards the tau system building solar rails as they go along.

- Zairman ten zero disappears making a fold jump from saturn to the tau system in the outergates. Mechanical failure of solar rail is blamed

- Zairman returns after years of being a drift in the void. The ship is placed under quarentine.   

- Kaleen breaks quarentine after encountering the children onboard the zairman

- Kaleen is brought in for questioning. Zairman children moved to Lua, Earth.

- Children of zairman are put in cryosleep by marisha.    

- Davis and unknown person flee rampaging rhino warframe. Davis leads it to the holding cell of zairman children cryopods and proves theory of transference.  



Great War

- Orokin encounter sentients.

- Grineer miner servives encounter with sentient on outer terminus, becomes bases for the grineer lancer

- Grineer Twin Queens are born

- Orokin uses davis theory of transference to create the warframes.  Creating the tenno to fight the sentients.  Excaliber is the first warframe built under this princable.

- Tenno appear before the Council of Executers after the sentients defeat.  Stalker and other low guard members watch as the tenno kill the council members and sectarus class present.   Tenno become known as betrayers among orokin people.


After Orokin  

- Executeer Avantus and Sectarus Bilsa try to escape an orokin tower that is being overrun by the infestation. Bilsa is captured by grineer.

- Lotus takes the Tenno "reservoir" and hides it on the moon. Proceeds to hide the moon in the void, where the sentients can't find it. Many believe the moon is destroyed.  

- Lorist Ontella, Remballa and Dax Menz are on a relief mission on mars against the infestation.  Lorist Rambala is killed by infestation.  

- Alarez attempts to rescue Bilsa from the grineer veytok and his men.  Bilsa lures Alvarez into a trap so she and Veytok can seize the Executor frigate Alarez is using.  

- Grineer Twin queens fight against grineer uprising, eventually Grineer begin to follow them and they become Queens of the grineer.

- Grineer now under the leadership of the twin queens begin to take control of the system, raiding corpus trade ships.

- Twin Queens order at the time General Vore to hunt down the tenno, and to make sure they never wake up.  

- Due to his failures Vore is demoted to Captain

- Vor's Prize Quest

- Operation Sling stone lotus orders tenno to destroy formorian ships by sabotaging there fuel cells.  

- Arid Fear  tenno are sent to the void to capture corpus scouts, who hold information about secret grineer settlements.   

- Gravidus Dilemma Alad V finds a cache of cryo sleep tenno, and begins using them for his secret weapons project. This leads to the corpus and grineer coming into conflict with each other.

- Tenno help Frohd Bek while hunting down Alad V to stop his Zanuka project. This is also to save valkyr, a warframe, Alad V has been dissecting for his project.

- Cicero Crisis  Tenno stop councilor vey hek from using the cicero toxin to clear away earth forest making way for grineer settlements

- Oxium Espionage tenno take out corpus new oxium osprey to gather oxium for research.  

- Tethra's Doom  Tenno attempt to stop councilor vey hek from reforming the famorian fleet by stealing the ships power core

- Spectares of liberty  Tenno help the red veil resistance free there comrades from the corpus

- Operation breeding grounds Tenno fight back Alad V mutalist infestation by destroying hives he has created.

- Jordas ship is infected with the mutalist infestation as it takes over.

- Avalanche Offensive Red veil informs the tenno of large group of artic eximus gathering at the polar region of mars for training. Tenno begin attacking these training camps to cripple corpus command structure.

- Operation Cryotic Front  Baro ki'teer contacts tenno about acquiring cryotic for him. In return he will provide the tenno with information on how they can acquire new equipment to stop the balor formorian ships

- Operation Gate Crashers Tenno stop vey heck from destroying data on archwing technology.

- Operation Mutalist Incursion Tenno stop alad V from spreading the mutalist infestation

- Patient Zero Quest

- Operation eyes of blight vey hek begins to use his formorian ships to destroy tenno relays. Tenno are tasked to destroy these ships before they can destroy the relays.

- Arkwing Quest

- Operation False Profit  tenno are tasked to stop nef anyo from producing bursa moas by stealing credits from him.  

- Stolen Dreams Quest

- the new strange quest

- Tube men of regor  tenno are tasked to destroy Tyl Regors new grineer clones.  In return of the location of the labs tenno must help nef anno destroy a supposed cure for alad v or help alad v by acquiring the supposed cure for him.  

- Natah Quest

- Law of retribution raid

- Jordas Precept Quest

- Jordas Verdict Raid

- Second Dream Quest

 

Edited December 5, 2015 by EvexNight

[xFrostKnightx]

This is unessasary. Also whenever anybody dips into lore and tweaks an entree to imply something else.

The great might Lore master will appear.

[ThePrimarchSystem]

Kaleen is Lotus.

[Krion112]

I want to point out we don't have much definite proof on what that creature was in Rhino Prime's Codex; to me, it was of an Infestation strain that the Orokin were attempting to use to eventually design our Warframes, but some seem to feel it was a Tenno. That's the problem with us trying to create these timelines of what's happened because there's so much subject to each of our interpretations of the lore so far and what assumptions we make to fill the holes that we inevitably start arguing over it.

 

It'd be nice both if DE were the ones to put this into an in-game timeline we could access from the Codex and if we'd start getting some definite answers.

 

This is unessasary. Also whenever anybody dips into lore and tweaks an entree to imply something else.
The great might Lore master will appear.

We need a Morec0 spotlight. I mean, even if there's some of his theories that I feel he jumps the gun on (okay, maybe just the Sentients being Cephalons one), he's still great reference for what's going on in Warframe's lore.

[Senketsu_]

This is unessasary. Also whenever anybody dips into lore and tweaks an entree to imply something else.

The great might Lore master will appear.

these are just paraphrasing mixed with a bit of fill ins, I found them pretty interesting.

Kaleen is Lotus.

Kaleen is from where? I doubt it is you read Embers codex it says she has a very scared face.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Senketsu_

[Siubijeni]

We need a Morec0 spotlight. I mean, even if there's some of his theories that I feel he jumps the gun on (okay, maybe just the Sentients being Cephalons one), he's still great reference for what's going on in Warframe's lore.

 

I feel like he jumps the gun on most of his theories, but he's the only one I've seen thinking about the lore as much as I do. I'm kind of a lore junkie, I'm just mostly active in the Fan Concepts and Off Topic so I don't post much about it. So respect to him.

[ThePrimarchSystem]

Kaleen is from where? I doubt it is you read Embers codex it says she has a very scared face.

Exactly!

Why do you think Lotus wears a mask?!

 

[ArcariusAero]

We need a Morec0 spotlight. I mean, even if there's some of his theories that I feel he jumps the gun on (okay, maybe just the Sentients being Cephalons one), he's still great reference for what's going on in Warframe's lore.

Agreed. He's an amazing man who seeks to interpret the lore within warframe, and even though some of his theories can be a bit strange, he always seems open to change if someone can prove a theory wrong.

[Krion112]

-snip-

 

-snip-

I just realized my post could mean something else. See, I was saying he needs a spotlight signal like Batman or other 'superheroes'. But, if he did get a community spotlight that'd be alright in my opinion, as he seems to be all over the Warframe forums talking about Lore and trying to figure it out with what little definitive lore we have.

[(PSN)batman200087]

I heard Batman. I arrived.

He does have very good theories though. Although I do not side with some of them, they all prove valid points in some way.

Edited April 14, 2015 by (PS4)batman200087

[HillsAndTheSea]

i would like to mention that the ember codex states that kaleen is a "principle investigator".

 

a principle investigator is actually a scientist, not a detective.

 

 

We need a Morec0 spotlight. I mean, even if there's some of his theories that I feel he jumps the gun on (okay, maybe just the Sentients being Cephalons one), he's still great reference for what's going on in Warframe's lore.

 

he also tends to disregard actual ingame lore for ideas and theories that he prefers, which to me ruins his overall credibility as a lore guru.

Edited April 14, 2015 by HillsAndTheSea

[(PSN)forty_FOKELS]

I really enjoyed playing Bordelands. I also enjoyed reading the Borderlands books.  They gave almost a better experience of what life on Pandora really was.  I say this, because I know that DE is all about giving us more Warframe lore.  I started thinking, "I would love to read a novel based on Warframe."  Maybe something like, Vor's Tales from the Void, Before Warframe: Battles of the Old War, or A Collector of Strange: The Biography of Baro Ki'Teer.  I think all of these would be best-sellers, and would go along way in giving us that lore.

[EvexNight]

 

i would like to mention that the ember codex states that kaleen is a "principle investigator".

 

a principle investigator is actually a scientist, not a detective.

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, thank you for bringing this up.  Its a detail I missed during my notes initial write up.  Changed notes on kaleen to reflect this new piece of information. 

[SilentMobius]

 

i would like to mention that the ember codex states that kaleen is a "principle investigator".

 

a principle investigator is actually a scientist, not a detective.

 

"principal investigator" (Note spelling, it's important) is the investigator with principal (lead) responsibility, there is nothing explicitly scientific about that, it's an expression used frequently in law enforcement, and, strangely enough, in the military, which Kaleen is a part of hence the mention of "Her military beret" which would not be said unless the author was making the point that she was an acting member of the military. Also, a "scientist" does not notify the families of MIA military personnel. 

 

If you are an investigating officer on a particular case where you are the office of primary responsibility that you are the "principal" for the case and may be referred to a "principal investigator"

Edited April 14, 2015 by SilentMobius

[Morec0]

*A figure rises from the letters on the page*

 

I'm gonna try and make some Wiki entries for Kaleen and Davis later today, gonna use your descriptions as the basis for the entries, OP.

 

I feel like he jumps the gun on most of his theories, but he's the only one I've seen thinking about the lore as much as I do. I'm kind of a lore junkie, I'm just mostly active in the Fan Concepts and Off Topic so I don't post much about it. So respect to him.

 

I try to keep my theories as well-grounded in the lore as possible, but I will admit I tend to make connections on rather sparse details from time to time - Sentients to Cephalons is one such thing, Teshin and Lotus as Guardians considerable another - but I try to keep in mind that what I say ARE just theories.

 

 

Exactly!

Why do you think Lotus wears a mask?!

 

 

The issue is Kaleen was burned so badly that her lips and even voice were damaged noticeably, while Lotus' seems to be fine.

 

It's possible Orokin medicine healed her up, though, but we'll need to wait to see.

 

 

i would like to mention that the ember codex states that kaleen is a "principle investigator".

 

a principle investigator is actually a scientist, not a detective.

 

 

 

he also tends to disregard actual ingame lore for ideas and theories that he prefers, which to me ruins his overall credibility as a lore guru.

 

 

She was said to be immediately wearing a military beret, suggesting she was a soldier.

 

I just happen to see the lore a touch differently than you seem to, making my connections in a facet that leans more on how I connect the dots. Sadly my connections are often in direct contrast to yours - i.e. the Infested-or-Not status of "the ones from the Zariman".

 

"principal investigator" (Note spelling, it's important) is the investigator with principal (lead) responsibility, there is nothing explicitly scientific about that, it's an expression used frequently in law enforcement, and, strangely enough, in the military, which Kaleen is a part of hence the mention of "Her military beret" which would not be said unless the author was making the point that she was an acting member of the military. Also, a "scientist" does not notify the families of MIA military personnel. 

 

Also this ^

Edited April 14, 2015 by Morec0

[Blakrana]

I just happen to see the lore a touch differently than you seem to, making my connections in a facet that leans more on how I connect the dots.

 

Honestly this rather neatly sums up why the theories diverge for we who lore delve: our individual biases inherently colour our perspectives of events so we provide a certain narrative. Subjectivity is a wonderful source of confusion. All the same sources, yet we're ending up in oddly different places.

 

Meaning it falls on anyone discussing lore in a serious way to be open about their biases/influences that lead them to their conclusions. You don't have to, but it sure as heck helps to understand why people can argue so diversely around the same source material.

 

Although this is kind of why I find science awesome. Same universe, untold myriad explanations as to why that gradually chip away at the truth. So in a similar vein, so long as we can make reasoned explanations as to how things could, or could not be the case, in regarding standing lore, hopefully the myriad reasonings will come together to shed light on the greater truth.

 

Kind of like shining two torches in a dark room to get a picture, rather than just one, to put in an analogy.

 

That and, personally, it'd be bloody boring if everyone agreed implicitly on the exact same theory because then there'd be no fun with debate. Like how the belief in Phlogiston didn't do good things for science before it was, thankfully, debunked.

[EvexNight]

Most of you were most likely expecting me to post my notes on the anti-moa lore unlocked four to five days ago.  Unfortunately that lore entry is having me look at the corpus as a whole.  This means you'll most likely get an entire note section on the corpus.   Instead what I've added to my first post is what I call the inovade theory.   This theory was assembled after hours of thinking about the tenno and what they could be, and how certain game mechanics, quest lines and lore entries might factor into things.   It's suggested that you make time to read this, as it is a bit long by internet forum standards. 

[EvexNight]

Added what little notes I have about the corpus to the first post. 

[EvexNight]

It has been a while, since I last updated this topic.   Under general I've updated my notes on the tenno and sentients.  I've also added in notes about the warframe.   I'm currentlly trying to figure out how I want to word hypothesis I'm working on concerning the tenno, but I need more time to formulate my thoughts.  Though the main principle behind it seems to be the concept of Oro, and the role it plays. 

[Lightsmith]

It's fine if its literal but I can already see assumptions being made. Wikia has the lore, leave it there and just discuss it here.

[TARINunit9]

Davis - Researcher working at a facility developing the warframes. Has a notion on how to control the warframes, but believes no one will believe him.  Possibly believes the warframes can be controlled mentally by children of the zariman.

Change to:

Davis - Researcher working at a facility developing Tenno warriors. Has a notion on how to control the Tenno, but believes no one will believe him.  Survived an encounter with a prototype Rhino by luring it into a morgue-like chamber holding other children of the Zariman.

[EvexNight]

Having completed the second dream quest, and with the lore it has revealed, I've constructed an approximation timeline of events using the wiki, codex entries and semaries synthesis data.   You should not read the timeline if you have not completed the second dream quest.