Warframe Lore - Part 1: Before the Old War

Warframe Lore - Part 1: Before The Old War

This is everything from the start of Warframe lore as we know it, up until the start of The Old War of which most of the story revolves around:

It all begins when humanity learns of the Void and what properties it has. Because of this, there is a surge in technology and science, thus creating the Orokin empire. This Orokin empire is ruled by its 7 emperors and their will is carried out by the congress of executors. At this point. the Orokin empire exists throughout the origin system with the Orokin's lives stretching into centuries.

With the empire now failing, the council of executors hand out harsh punishments as a final say in all the systems law. due to overpopulation and experimentation with artificial technocyte life forms, the origin system's resources are now dwindling so scholars known as Archimedeans are enlisted  to find a solution to this called 'the plan'

One of the projects named 'the crewman project' was deemed a failure and the Archimedean behind it was sentenced to death.

another project designed by the Archimedean 'Perintol'. this project involved sending self-replicating machines to the Tau system to terraform the system for the eventual arrival of the Orokin Empire. Initially, this project is rejected due to it violating some of the seven principles outlined by the Orokin. But after some resistance from the council of executors, specifically executor Ballas, the plan is approved. Fears of the plan backfiring were dispelled by executor Tuvul and Ballas with a plan to give such machines a weakness, making void energy a poison to the synthetic creatures.

After this project was completed, the Zariman Ten Zero is sent on an expedition to colonise Tau. Against the protocol, children were also on board the ship. The void jump from Saturn to the outer terminus is a failure, stranding the ship in uncharted void territory. The adults on board were driven mad by overexposure to void energy, driving them mad and causing them to sabotage their own ship and slaughter others at will. The children however, were unaffected and band together to defend themselves from the adults. some even opting to hunt them first.

The Zariman Ten Zero drifts, lost in space for some time.

Sometime later, the Zariman Ten Zero reappears from the void. The children on board have now developed volatile powers.

The investigator Kaleen violated quarantine procedure on the ship and thus is scarred horribly by a child who cannot control their powers.

All of the children have trouble controlling their powers and the Orokin are afraid of their power, wishing to destroy them.

An archimedean named Margulis shows mercy to the children, instead showing them unconditional love despite their rampant powers. She creates the Somatic pods that would allow the children to be placed into an induced sleep that dulled their sensitivity to the void. Through this process, the memory of their time aboard the Zariman Ten Zero is suppressed and their ability to restrain their power grows.

Around this time, the machines sent to terraform the Tau system return for unknown reasons. they had evolved from mindless adaptive machines to intelligent life forms. Over time they exposed themselves to the void, never losing their weakness, but growing to resist its fatality. This adaption came at a cost, their ability to reproduce. These creatures, now known as sentients, began to attack the in revenge

This was the start of The Old War.