Warframe thoughts

Essay on Tennos culture

By: Nakada Imophet
Edited by: Highvantage

Tennos are famous, or infamous, through the system. Bio-mechanic being, able to harness the Void to create great feat. Weapons of the orokins, to fight in the sentient war. Cold, silent, ruthless killing machine. And yet, their culture is a rich one, full of many things. One that can be separated into two part. One under the orokin empire, and one free of them, after their long sleep. I will detail it further.

Tennos were orokin weapon. They were not permitted to use personal name, couldn’t disobey order, and didn’t possess materials possession. They were also unable to speak. Oh, I’m sure you’re going to think, I heard one of them do, or I used Tennos sign language with them. The orokin didn’t install voice box on the frame. They didn’t need to hear their weapons, and cared little for their thoughts. Now, they all had voice synthesizer. And TSL was something that did appear in the orokin era. But those caught practicing it were severely punished. They weren’t allowed to express themselves, either, or alter their frames. And when you use similar faceless body, without language, and are all called the same, hard to know to who you speak. Orokin did assign them temporary designation when several of the same frame were in a squad. They also build much of their culture, endocrining them with idea of Honor and Obedience, like the Dax. The scholar Twili Sydney made an interesting paper on the subject. They didn’t want to reproduce the Dax thought, and so taught the old ways and old rules of some long-lost earth civilization. Will it is strange to create a culture for being muted and forbidden to express themselves, it was well seen to do so. A sort of pride at taming a weapon, or something like that. There is al Obedience as nowadays been replaced with the value of Balance, and Freedom have been added. It took a long time for the tennos to become what they are now. With the orokin fall they were free. Still, it remained. Lingering.

To this day, even if they’re allowed to speak and use name, it something that is deeply anchored. Tennos became the general designation, and it is quite rude to call them by their name unless you need them directly. Use of the frame name may replace it. The old code name become outside name (ON) Something they chose for themselves. Personal name (PN) is something intimate, and shared only with close friends. Sometimes, they may share it with their clan as a whole. It’s not used in public, or with people ignoring it.
Let’s take a few examples, with a fictive tenno. Their ON is Starchaser and PN Léon.
Konzu is recruiting people to take care of grineer patrols. He sees our tenno, and call him by is ON. It would be rude. He doesn’t need our tenno specifically, and the mission could be carried by any other passing tennos.
Hok has several tennos at his stall. In this case, calling for Wisp or Oberon, would be acceptable. He don't have to call them tenno, since he's referencing one individual in his vicinity.
Now, Maroo is interested in a unique relic she heard our tenno has. She uses their ON. That is expected, as they are specifically needed, and she can’t just ask any tenno.
Friend A know PN, and when talking with Clanmate B, who don’t know it, use it. It’s would be very rude.
Friend A and B know the PN, and are talking about them, but the tenno isn’t here. It wouldn’t be well viewed to call it by their PN.

Politesse is very complex, and convoluted. There are rules, about how to interact with a superior, inferior or equal standing person, like how deep the bow, or who walk in head, and who walk in the back. Rules about who speak first and last, in which order. Rules who differ if it’s a formal or casual setting, a tenno only or with outsider.

Gender is also complex, seeing how they change of frames, and some are physically male and other female. It is preferable to use neutral, or, baring that, the apparent sex of the frame. When speaking with a tenno, without the interface of a frame, you should comply to their favored pronouns.

Finally, as you remarked, tenno are all about aesthetic. There isn't one frame or ship that have not been colored, decorated or adorned. It’s something tenno actually pass quite a bit of time on. It’s important, both as a way to express oneself, and to differentiate themselves. They’re quite determined to make sur that the time their frames all looked alike, interchangeable, are over. It’s also a way to assure their possession. Its theirs. Their frames, their weapons, their ships. They have control over it, and they’re not just a faceless emotionless tool.