Warframe Backstory Lore Compilation

Warframe Backstory Lore Compilation by G3rman

So I see that we have so much talk about lore and how we want more if it, but nowhere storing our existing knowledge on the Warframe universe. How can we know more about the game if we don’t collect and store the data?

Well, we can start by posting here. Any data you come across in-game whether it be from Lotus, enemies, or the environment themselves that confirms any kind of lore, put it here. Whatever faction you find information on should be put here. Preferably, list who or what gave you the information (ie Lotus or the name of a boss).

Tenno Lore:

Tenno descend from an ancient civilization that lived on earth in the Orokin era, known as great warriors that utilized warframe technology. They are the last remnants of their race, awakened from cryosleep for an unknown purpose. – Official Site

Due to the effects of extended cryosleep, the awakened Tenno are suffering from a form of amnesia. – Lotus

Many Tenno are still inside of their cryopods, either captured by the enemy or out of the Lotus’s reach. Other Tenno must come to their aid before they can be released. – Warframe

The current force of Tenno are survivors of a past conflict. – Official Site

Tenno are so far the only faction known to understand and use warframe technology. – Official Site

They are well known warriors: masters of the gun, blade, and exo-armor. – Official Site

In the past, Tenno were well known for their discipline and adhering to a code of honor. Chivalry was a cornerstone of society. – Official Site

Tenno have the potential to be mercenaries rather than warriors, exploiting their warframes to gain wealth. – Official Site

The Lotus, a female of unknown origins, has close links to the Tenno and their technology. She was able to not only deactivate the cryostasis on the Tenno but has great knowledge of the warframes and their unique powers. – Official Site

There are no friendly races that support the Tenno, they only have each other. – Official site

Tenno must scavenge for all their equipment and have access to Orokin foundries that can be used to build useful items. These are often improvised creations built around the salvage Tenno collect on their missions. – Warframe

Tenno operate in small groups called cells, generally made of four warframes. – Lotus

The vast majority of the remaining Tenno can be found around Mercury, where the last remaining Orokin Tower relics remain almost untouched by time. Grineer patrols remain active there in order to prevent organized Tenno resistance. – Planet descriptions

Tenno use small snub fighters to infiltrate enemy ships; they can fit one to four warframes inside. – Warframe

Grineer Lore:

Grineer are an interstellar civilization that hold the most territory in the Sol system. Their government is that of an empire with a council of advisers designed to help run it. – Official Site, Councillor Van Dek

The ruling sisters have some sort of influence over the Grineer empire. – Captain Vor

Councillors of the Grineer empire vie for power between one another; killing one may gain favor with another. – Lotus

Grineer at one point had cloning technology but either lost or were robbed of it. Upon re-acquiring the technology, they used it to overwhelm the past government of the Earth with sheer numbers. – Official Site

The Grineer Empire is at the height of its power. – Official Site

The Grineer navy is the primary force encountered by the Tenno, and their ships are defended by Grineer marines. Marines are organized into platoons with varying numbers, generally including 4 to 6 grineer. – Warframe, Lotus

Grineer soldiers have different specializations that make each platoon’s composition unique. These can range from lightly armored skirmishers to genetically modified heavy troopers. The forces deployed are selected depending on the threat level Grineer commanders deem the enemy to be. – Warframe

Grineer make extensive use of asteroids for mining purposes. Once hollowed out to an extent, Grineer often convert them into military strongholds. – Warframe

From the degeneration of DNA over each generation of clones, Grineer bodies are beginning to decay and resemble their past selves less and less. In order to function properly, they use technology to make up for their biological weaknesses. – Official Site

During the birthing/rearing process of Grineer, there are those called mothers that care for the young. Whether it is a specific entity or group of entities, or a figment of the Grineer memory cloning process is unknown. – Grineer Chatter

Grineer hate the Tenno for unknown reasons; the hatred unites them and makes them push forward with war, regardless of their civilization’s inevitable fall. – Official Site

Grineer are still in the process of taking over the solar system with some planets or moons only recently being taken over by Grineer forces. Some areas have been lost to the infestation. – Official Site, Planet descriptions

Grineer patrol Mercury and have set up outposts there in order to prevent Tenno from gaining a foothold in the solar system again. – Planet descriptions

Saturn acts as an important stronghold in the empire, facilitating trade between planets of the inner and outer rim. It also contains orbital training stations for the elite soldiers. – Planet descriptions

Uranus has Grineer research outposts where the empire attempts to research bio-modification and gene repair. – Planet descriptions

Earth is considered the seat of the empire. – Official Site, Planet descriptions

Ceres is a recent conquest for the Grineer. – Planet descriptions

Corpus Lore:

The Corpus are a proto-corporation made of humans that continue to maintain and operate the trade routes of the Solar Rails, the remnants of some sort of ancient transportation network that spanned the solar system. – Official Site

They are well known for being reclusive and prefer to use automatons to represent themselves. – Official Site

Their culture resembles that of old mercantile guilds of Earth. – Official Site

The Corpus continue to produce technology in their manufacturing plants on Venus and Neptune. Their process combines technology and rituals because they do not fully understand the Orokin technology they use as material. – Official Site

Neptune is the home of the Corpus. It is here that they have created indoctrination temples for interrogation and conversion purposes, as well as Research and Development facilities focused on Warframes and Robotics. – Planet descriptions

Within their conversion temples, Corpus make use of mind scrubbing techniques. -Planet description? (Need specific source)

Corpus actively hunt down Orokin ruins in order to scavenge materials for use in their production facilities. Their salvage operations extend as far as Mars, where their ships comb over Orokin derelicts. – Planet descriptions

Corpus control all trade supplies that flow throughout the solar system. They have some sort of relationship set up with the Grineer because of this. – Official Site

Orokin artifacts, as well as the Tenno, are resources to be exploited for a profit as far as the Corpus are concerned. – Offcial Site

Pluto is where the Corpus work to restore the Solar Rail Network’s outer terminus. It was destroyed in an unknown conflict. – Planet descriptions

Infestation Lore:

The plague has so far been shown to affect both the Grineer and the Corpus. – Warframe

Automatons are not directly affected by the plague. – Warframe

As of yet, no Tenno have fallen to the plague. – Warframe

The infection has spread throughout the solar system with Jupiter and Eris being overrun, as well as incursions around other planets. Countless ships have been successfully taken over. – Warframe, Planet descriptions

It is known as the Technocyte plague, or simply as the “infestation”. – Warframe, Planet descriptions

The plague has spread to Orokin derelicts in the outer rim, Eris. – Planet descriptions

Multiple types or strains of the plague have been seen to make up the faction. – Warframe

The Technocyte plague was created by the Orokin to battle an unknown group of sentients in an ancient conflict. – Lotus

General Lore:

Orokin technology and ruins are widespread throughout the solar system, implying the civilization(s) of the era were capable of interstellar travel. – Planet descriptions

Since the Orokin era, many millennia have passed. Warframe is set thousands of years after the conflict that created the Technocyte plague, spawned as an Orokin bio-weapon. – The Golem

The Lotus, as sometimes referred to by the female known as ‘Lotus’, may be a separate organization that has some sort of relationship with the Tenno. They have great understanding of Orokin relics and are able to manipulate the Tenno warriors to fight for their cause. – Lotus