#erraposting

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This post contains some spoilers for the New War, proceed with caution!

I love how much this game has a running theme of identity issues. Like even the way the game starts you are only the Warframe. You start to get hints that there is more going on than that.

Like there’s no way the Operator/Drifter don’t have issues with who they are considering their situation but on top of that they’re piloting warframes and that extension of the self has got to make things even more complicated. Do they feel more like themselves when inside a warframe? Undoubtedly they feel more comfortable with specific ones too. Which one feels like the real you, Tenno?

Then you have everything going on with the Lotus. To the point where she asks YOU who she is: Natah, Lotus, or Margulis. And I’m sure most of us gave that some thought before choosing because her whole story centers around her being stripped of her autonomy and multiple entities trying to convince her she’s one thing or another.

I hope this theme continues with Erra/Pazuul because I think that would make his story really compelling. We’ve already seen that Erra is more than a warlord, that he has genuine motivations and complexities as a person. This may be diving more into hc territory but all things considered, I think he doesn’t even really know who he is. Everyone around him is far more concerned with his sister, not him. Was his cruelty a result of trying to get approval from Hunhow?

And now he has an entity puppeting his body and twisting the narrative against his will. If we ever get to free him, that sets up more opportunity for that theme of Who are you? Who do you want to be?

This theme definitely shows up in other areas too but these three are where I see it most.

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WAIT A MINUTE IS BABY BEETLE LOTUS THE REASON ERRA COMPARES HER AND THE TENNO TO BUGS SO MUCH

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I may have touched on this before but I figured it’s time I share my hcs about Erra and why he is the way he is. Ramblings below ⬇️

I think Erra’s guiding force through his life has been his desire to make his family, mainly his father, proud. I think in the beginning, shortly after Natah’s birth, they really did have a more positive family dynamic. Hunhow’s focus has probably always been fixated on crushing the Orokin and all that pertains to them but it becomes clear from his dialogue that he really does love his family and is disappointed in himself as a father.

That sentiment though has never actually reached Erra. Throughout Erra’s life, everything has hinged around his sister. She is the favorite child. She is the one who will bring victory to the Sentients. She is the one they’re counting on. Meanwhile Erra is desperately trying to contribute. He’s creating archons, he’s made Caliban, he establishes himself as a cruel warlord in hopes of impressing Hunhow, but it’s still all about her.

And then she betrays them. I think that’s when Erra realizes it’s over. He’s never going to be as important as she is to his father, to the rest of the Sentients. Hunhow will never be able to let go of Natah and his plans to destroy the Tenno. (Except he does, just far far too late.)

And then the New War comes along. Erra tries desperately to bring Natah back just like his father wanted, unaware that he’s made peace with her as the Lotus and then unwilling to hear him out when he tries to convince him this isn’t the path he should go down.

Then Erra gets what he thinks he wants— he’s at the very top, he has (almost) absolute control and his sister is out of the picture. And what happens? Ballas is not satisfied because he is obsessed with her. He is willing to destroy the entire solar system and everything living in it including Erra’s kind because he’s having an absolute shitfit over her.

From Erra’s perspective, the entire fucking world orbits around Natah, around the Lotus and he is just a pawn in it all. And it has led him so far astray. In the end he realizes that it doesn’t have to be this way, albeit too late. So he helps the Drifter in hopes that they can save Natah and stop Ballas because the survival of his species is more important than everything else. And he ends up losing his life in the process.

Except then his carcass is dragged from the rubble and Pazuul possesses him to continue as the leader of Narmer. Now Erra’s mind is trapped as his body is puppeted by a raving lunatic.

Like I personally hc that Erra’s life has been one huge identity crisis and that he’s desperate for approval. People like to write him off as a typical villain who’s only being driven by ambition but I really think there’s much more to him than that. I think he still has potential to realize his fixation on eradicating everything Orokin is an empty goal that wouldn’t benefit him or his people. I think he still has potential to turn his life around and become someone who does make his father and sister proud (even though Hunhow can no longer acknowledge it).

I think he is capable of coming to the same realization Natah and Hunhow did: that the Tenno are also creations and victims of the Orokin just like the Sentients are and that they’ll all be better off trying to clean up the mess they left behind in the Origin System together.

We just have to rip that fucking ram head off of him first.

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These are the only decorations I have on my orbiter

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Ok but hear me out…

Rescued Erra calling the Tenno affectionate insect related petnames 🥺

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Part of my little Erra coming back fantasy involved Hunhow finally telling him he’s proud of him and them making amends

So uhh

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Is it weird for Drifter to be in love with Erra?

Yes, he’s your uncle

Yes, he’s weird/evil/not attractive/not human/whatever

Yes, other (do explain)

No, Lotus is only the Operator’s mom

No, Lotus didn’t actually raise you/not your real mom/etc

No, other (explain pls)

Yes and no bc it is weird but that’s kinda hot

Other entirely (PLEASE explain)

Voting ended onMay 21

Settle a debate between my friend and I.

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I NEED people to know that I am not Normal about Erra. Like yes I adore him and there are other Erra enjoyers out there but

He is not my uncle ok I want to fuck that weird man