The housing expansion in Warframe came unexpectedly and leaves the community in disbelief. Story spoilers ahead!
Warframe probably wouldn’t be Warframe if the housing expansion simply added an extra room. It had to happen with an unannounced bang.
In the last dev stream, the developers talked about what the housing update would bring. In the players’ ship, the Orbiter, there was a mysterious door that had been eternally locked. With the update, players were finally able to open this door and set up their personal quarters there. It is also now possible to visit other players in their ship or welcome them as guests.
In the dev stream, the new room and visits were casually and cheerfully displayed. No one could have guessed what dark developments awaited players in their living space.
Caution: Spoilers for the story of Warframe follow!
The new room hides a secret that further advances the story
In the spaceship, there are segments that give the Orbiter various functions. There is a forge, the in-game market, the personal arsenal, or a breeding station.
Players who have completed the quest “The Inner War” receive the blueprint for the living area segment from Ordis. The great decoration party can begin!
Here you can see why the developers nicknamed the housing update Ikea-Frame. Behind the door awaits a spacious room where players can find built-in shelves, aquariums, or a music box. Of course, the update also brought a lot of new decorations available for purchase in the market for the premium currency Platinum.
You can even create a custom action figure from your frame’s loadout. Hello, Mini-Octavia:
For players who have also completed the quest “Chains of Harrow“, a surprise awaits in the living area. At the end of the room, there is a large window, and on the windowsill, there is a large, glowing energy ball.
As soon as the player touches the ball, they are instantly propelled into the next story section of Warframe!
“I want you to know … My last thoughts are with you.”
The glowing ball was an orb that teleports the user to the Earth’s moon Lua. Here is another orb that reveals a long light path upon touching.
Suddenly, the voice of the Lotus echoes: “Do something. Get me out of here.”
The Lotus refers to herself as the mother of the Tenno and guides the children, thus the players, through Warframe. She holds a special position, is strongly linked to the story of Warframe, and has always been there.
At some point in the story, players discover that they have always been a Tenno. The Warframes are merely empty machines controlled by the powerful Void force of the children.
The Lotus is a sentient, an ancient machine that was formed from the AI Natah. Natah was supposed to erase the orphaned Tenno in the great war long ago since they were a weapon of the Orokin. However, she resisted and became the Lotus, the mother and protector of the Tenno.
The machine Lotus absorbed the memories of all Tenno and gave herself the appearance of the woman Margulis. In the process, the Lotus destroyed everything that was once Natah.
Margulis was also a proponent of the Tenno and helped develop the war suits, or Warframes. She firmly believed that the children could control and harness their energy through the Warframe using the Void powers.
The Orokin people executed Margulis because they feared the children’s Void powers.
While following the light path, the Tenno is ejected from their Warframe and experiences Margulis’s last memories.
- Ballas: “Honored Seven, we have gathered here today to execute the judgment in the case of Archimedian Margulis. You face the Jade Light, recant, and we will grant you a swift death.”
- Margulis: “My daughters, my sons … I want you to know … My last thoughts are with you.”
The detachment happens ruthlessly and without warning
Ballas belonged to the Orokin, was Margulis’s lover and her executor. He wanted to convince Margulis to destroy the Tenno to save his own life. But Margulis would not be swayed from her path and remained until the end, the savior and mother of the Tenno.
At the end of the light path is a container where Lotus resides. She greets joyfully, prompting the child to rush towards their symbolic mother. But behind the child is the immortal Ballas, who apologizes to Lotus for being away so long.
Lotus tries to explain that she is not Margulis. Ballas wants to convince her otherwise and claims she is just a prisoner, just like Margulis was back then. With these words, the Orokin ignites a stream of energy that disconnects the cables from Lotus’s helmet. In that moment, the child touches their head and grimaces in pain. The connection between Lotus and the Tenno appears to be severed.
Lotus then removes her helmet, her face remains hidden. Hand in hand, Margulis/Lotus and Ballas walk out. They vanish into nothingness without looking back.
A frightened child remains & a shocked community
The Lotus has vanished, the connection is severed. She will no longer guide players through the game or stand by their side. The veterans were particularly shocked by this quest epilogue.
The Lotus is as integral to Warframe as water is to fish. Even in the beta, she was the maternal voice from nowhere and is affectionately known as Space-Mom. There is even a veterans program called Guide of the Lotus, where experienced players hold an official community position and help newcomers in the game.
The final scene shows how the player’s character holds the Lotus’s helmet, anxiously and searchingly looking for their adoptive mother. It was she who saved all Tenno and put them into a long sleep to hide them. She was the one who revived her children. She is also the first voice the player hears in Warframe.
In Warframe’s popular community portals, there was an outcry, and players are now seriously worried about what will happen to Lotus.
After this quest prologue, players return to their living area in the spaceship. The decorating fun suddenly leaves a certain bitterness, as the severed helmet of the Lotus is there on a pedestal.
It is currently quite uncertain where the journey of the story will go and what will happen to Lotus.
This prologue served as a teaser for the next big story quest, which is set to start in Warframe in 2018. It is called “The Sacrifice” and suggests that someone must make a sacrifice to protect another life.
Until then, players will have to content themselves with decorating.
New to this space ninja shooter? Then check out our ultimate beginner’s guide to Warframe
