20/11/2017
The cosmos, a vast and seemingly endless expanse, has long held secrets that defy conventional understanding. Whilst early cosmological studies primarily focused on distant observations – cataloguing galaxies and refining models of universal evolution – a new epoch of cosmic exploration has dawned. Advancements in interstellar travel, coupled with an insatiable curiosity, have propelled us closer to the very fabric of these cosmic mysteries, culminating in profound revelations concerning a dimension known simply as The Void.

Often referred to as the Untime, The Void stands as a mysterious realm existing fundamentally outside the conventional confines of space and time. Within its boundless and unpredictable expanse, the established laws of physics and the linear progression of temporal flow hold little sway, creating an environment of unparalleled unpredictability. This ethereal domain serves as the primordial wellspring for a myriad of inexplicable phenomena that permeate the Origin System, and it is crucially the very origin point of the extraordinary powers wielded by the Tenno, the silent warriors at the heart of the Warframe universe. Furthermore, The Void is the exclusive source of the elusive Argon Crystals, a highly prized and transient resource. Missions undertaken within its shifting confines are also invariably guaranteed to yield a Void Relic, crucial artefacts for unlocking ancient technologies and Prime Warframe components.
- Accessing The Void: A Gateway to the Unknown
- Lore & History: The Orokin's Encounter with the Untime
- The Deep Void: A Kaleidoscope of Regions
- Conceptual Embodiment: Thoughts Made Manifest
- Dangers & Risks: Unpredictable Void Phenomena
- Evolution of Understanding: The Void Through Time
- Frequently Asked Questions About The Void
Accessing The Void: A Gateway to the Unknown
Access to this dimension is not universally granted across the Origin System. Specific connections from key planetary locations serve as the established gateways. These include Europa, Neptune, Phobos, and Sedna. Upon entry, adventurers find themselves within the Orokin Void, a primary environment characterised by its distinct architectural style and inherent dangers. The journey into The Void is rarely straightforward, demanding both preparation and resilience from those who dare to traverse its unpredictable passages.
Lore & History: The Orokin's Encounter with the Untime
As a designated Star Chart location, The Void is predominantly characterised by its magnificent and imposing Orokin Towers. These gleaming white and gold structures, remnants of a bygone golden age, were meticulously constructed by the ancient Orokin civilisation. Their primary purpose during the devastating Old War was to serve as sanctuaries, offering refuge and protection against the relentless onslaught of the Sentient forces. These towers, however, hold far more than historical significance; they are objects of immense interest to the major factions within the Origin System. Each faction harbours a fervent desire to claim the vast treasures and invaluable Orokin technology meticulously hidden within these ancient bastions.
The First Void Voyage: Albrecht Entrati's Breakthrough
Initially, The Void was merely an object of detached observation for the Orokin. Any unique occurrences or peculiar phenomena emanating from it were meticulously recorded for potential future study, but its true potential remained largely unrealised. It was not until much later that a prominent Orokin scientist, Albrecht Entrati, began to truly grasp its profound implications. Entrati theorised that The Void could be harnessed to propel the Orokin into an entirely new era of interstellar travel and galactic colonisation, an ambition that seemed almost mythical.
Despite years of persistent failures and a significant erosion of support from his peers, Albrecht began to harbour doubts, fearing that The Void was nothing more than an actual void – a desolate expanse utterly lacking form or energy. For his grand ambitions of interstellar travel, it appeared to be yet another dead end. However, driven by an unwavering resolve, Albrecht made a momentous decision: he would use himself as the pioneering test subject for a perilous journey through an experimental Void gate, famously known as the Wall of Lohk. His audacious experiment proved successful; using a unique Seriglass Bell, he managed to cross over into The Void. Once inside, Albrecht described an awe-inspiring vista: a vast, radiant sea of white light punctuated by spectral black stars, with a flowing, colourful vapour swirling around him, emanating from both the Wall he traversed and, astonishingly, from his own head. Yet, this profound experience was not without its unsettling encounters. Within The Void, he met an unknown entity that chillingly mimicked his own appearance, a testament to the dimension's perplexing nature.
The Heart: Sustaining the Void's Connection
Following years of intensive research into the enigmatic traces of Void energy, or Untime, Albrecht Entrati was responsible for the creation of a pivotal device known as The Heart. According to 'Mother', a key figure in the Entrati family, The Heart functions as a vital conduit, metaphorically 'pumping the arteries of 'the here' and The Void'. This intricate mechanism is solely responsible for channelling Void-related phenomena into the current reality, crucially maintaining the 'Wall of Lohk' open between The Void and the physical world. For generations, the Entrati family has meticulously maintained The Heart, thereby preserving the functionality of what remains of the once-mighty Orokin Empire, potentially including the operational status of the Solar Rail network.
The Deep Void: A Kaleidoscope of Regions
The Void is not a monolithic entity; rather, it appears to comprise numerous distinct regions, each possessing its own unique characteristics and pertaining to different locations or states of being. These varied zones underscore the complex and multifaceted nature of this dimension.
| Region Name | Key Characteristics | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Duviri | Sky ever-changing, weather and colour based on Dominus Thrax's emotions. | Ranges from sullen downpours to rageful meteor showers. Located behind the Zariman Ten Zero. |
| Granum Void | Sky appears to endlessly burn away, thunderous lightning crackles. | Wreckage of Parvos Granum's capital ship, where Granum was preserved by Warframe Protea. |
| Orokin Void | Relatively calmer region, 'sky' is a calm blue, filled with ethereal, cloud-like fractals. | Houses the abandoned Orokin Towers. |
| Great Indifference | Inverted realm, upside-down, monolithic towers of calcified stone. | Giant gaping mouths silently bellow into the abyss. Currently corrupting Albrecht's Laboratories into sand and brutalist stone. |
These regions, from the mood-driven skies of Duviri to the inverted horrors of the Great Indifference, highlight the Void's capacity for conceptual manifestation and its profound impact on reality.
Conceptual Embodiment: Thoughts Made Manifest
One particularly noteworthy and perplexing aspect of The Void is its profound interaction with aspects of consciousness. In essence, through the inherent power of The Void, abstract concepts such as thoughts, cherished memories, intense emotions, and even fundamental ideas can astonishingly manifest into tangible, physical forms. This unique and extraordinary reaction is referred to as Conceptual Embodiment. Furthermore, this phenomenon allows for a certain degree of resurrection. Through The Void's transformative power, a being's own thoughts and consciousness can reform into a semi-exact replica of the original entity, blurring the lines between thought and reality.
Perhaps one of the most apparent and striking examples of Conceptual Embodiment is the entire kingdom of Duviri. Once a mere fictional land, serving as the whimsical setting of a children's book, the entire kingdom – its landscapes, inhabitants, and all – were spontaneously formed within The Void. This remarkable creation was triggered by the profound anxieties experienced by the Drifter in the traumatic aftermath of the Zariman Ten Zero's Void-Jump Incident, illustrating the immense power of concentrated thought within this dimension.
Dangers & Risks: Unpredictable Void Phenomena
The Void's influence is by no means strictly contained within its own dimension. Its inherently unstable energies frequently leak into the reality of the Origin System, giving rise to numerous accounts of unpredictable and often perilous phenomena. These manifestations serve as constant reminders of The Void's pervasive and dangerous nature.
- Void Fissures: These are essentially small, short-lived tears in reality that provide a direct, albeit temporary, conduit to The Void. They are frequently observed appearing on the surface of planets. Despite their seemingly limited size, Void Fissures are capable of spewing forth Corrupted enemies, twisted by Void energy, and can even corrupt any nearby indigenous foes, transforming them into dangerous adversaries infused with the dimension's power.
- Void Storms: Similar in nature to Fissures, Void Storms are exponentially larger ruptures that slowly traverse the void of space. They manifest as colossal, fanged maws that relentlessly ravage anything caught within their destructive path, posing a significant threat to interstellar travel and planetary safety.
- Void Conjunctions: These are essentially small-scaled Void Storms that typically appear exclusively on Lua, the Earth's moon. Despite the numerous unsettling Void manifestations that often accompanied them, these events were paradoxically favoured by the Orokin. Their reasoning stemmed from the unintended aid these conjunctions provided in assisting with Continuity rituals. Rituals conducted during these specific times often exhibited a significantly higher success rate, and as such, these periods were exclusively reserved for the Orokin Seven, the highest echelon of the ancient empire.
Evolution of Understanding: The Void Through Time
The understanding and portrayal of The Void within the Warframe universe have evolved significantly over time, often reflected in the various updates and hotfixes implemented. These changes, whilst sometimes technical, often provide subtle insights into the lore and mechanics surrounding this enigmatic dimension.
- Update 8.0 (2013-05-23): The Void was first introduced, marking its official appearance within the game's evolving universe.
- Update 8.3 (2013-07-04): New tile sets, more intricate traps, laser grids, and even turrets in locker rooms were added, enhancing the environmental complexity and danger of Void missions.
- Update 11.1 (2013-11-27): New capture objective rooms were incorporated into both Orokin Void and Derelict missions, diversifying mission objectives within the dimension.
- Update 12.2 (2014-02-19): A significant change occurred with the removal of keys as end-of-mission rewards from T2 and T3 missions, indicating a shift in how players accessed and progressed through Void content. All Prime Parts found in The Void became tradable, fostering a player-driven economy around these valuable items.
- Update 12.4 (2014-03-05): Void/Derelict Mission rewards were altered to include new Prime gear, and the procedural level optimisation for Orokin Void missions was undertaken, reducing dead ends and optimising tile complexity.
- Update 14.1 (2014-07-30): Layouts of certain Void extraction tiles were altered to improve traversal for various Warframes, and the tileset complexity of Void Survival missions was increased, allowing for more multi-door tile spawns.
- Update 18.5 (2016-03-04): Void missions, such as Exterminate, began to start un-alert, allowing for stealth-based approaches, and enemies would only trigger a temporary level-wide alert upon discovery, not a permanent one.
- Hotfix 18.4.3 (2016-01-27): Ferrite replaced Alloy Plate as a resource drop in Void missions, indicating a shift in resource economy.
- Update 22.20 (2018-05-17): More previously locked treasure walls in The Void were opened, providing additional exploration and reward opportunities.
- Hotfix 25.3.2 (2019-07-12) & Update 25.7 (2019-08-29): Various fixes were implemented, addressing issues like inability to mark Mods, sunken waypoints, unwallrunnable walls, and broken water effects/reflections within the Void tilesets.
- Hotfix 29.5.7 (2020-12-10): Fixed issues with laser beams in The Void not making sounds.
- Update 34.0 (2023-10-18): Fixed a map hole in the Orokin Void tileset, specifically one large enough for a Razorwing Titania to fly through, highlighting ongoing refinements to the environment.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Void
- What is the primary significance of The Void in Warframe lore?
- The Void is paramount as it is the origin of the Tenno's unique powers and the source of numerous mysterious phenomena across the Origin System. It also contains critical Orokin technology and resources.
- Are there different types of Void regions?
- Yes, The Void is composed of several distinct regions, each with its own characteristics, such as the Kingdom of Duviri, Granum Void, Orokin Void, and the Great Indifference.
- What are Void Fissures?
- Void Fissures are temporary tears in reality that lead to The Void, capable of spawning Corrupted enemies and infusing nearby foes with Void energy.
- How does Conceptual Embodiment work in The Void?
- Conceptual Embodiment is a unique phenomenon where thoughts, memories, emotions, and concepts can manifest into physical forms within The Void, as exemplified by the creation of the Kingdom of Duviri from the Drifter's anxieties.
- Is information about 'The Warframe Voruna' available in the provided lore?
- It is worth noting that whilst the provided lore text includes a heading for 'The Warframe Voruna', no specific details regarding this particular Warframe are elaborated upon within the given information. Therefore, a comprehensive description of Voruna's abilities or detailed lore cannot be provided based solely on the supplied data.
In conclusion, The Void remains one of the most enigmatic and foundational elements of the Warframe universe. From its initial observation by the Orokin to Albrecht Entrati's groundbreaking voyages, and from its role as the source of Tenno powers to its capacity for shaping reality through Conceptual Embodiment, The Void is a dimension of profound mystery and immense power. Its unpredictable nature, manifested through phenomena like Fissures and Storms, ensures that its influence on the Origin System is ceaseless and ever-present. As cosmic exploration continues, The Void stands as a testament to the boundless and often terrifying wonders that lie beyond conventional understanding, continually shaping the destiny of all who inhabit the Origin System.
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