The Man in the Wall

The Man in the Wall (also known as The Indifference) is a mysterious and enigmatic being associated with the Void and creator of . First appearing during The War Within, he has more prominent appearances during Chains of Harrow and Whispers in the Walls, revealing itself to be a potential threat that few anticipated, and even fewer prepared for.
==General==
One of, if not the most mysterious being to appear within the Origin System, the true nature of the Man in the Wall is yet to be clear, as is the full scope of its abilities. Rell purportedly became aware of the Man in the Wall during the Zariman Ten Zero incident.Alluded in Rell (Webcomic) Instead of it being a result of the corrupting influence of the Void, He claimed it to be a supremely ancient entity, old as the stars themselves.
When the Indifference chooses to interact, it will often take the form of whom appears before it, and seems to speak to them with some degree of familiarity, often addressing them with one of their own personal nicknames. Some examples include addressing the Operator as "Kiddo", which is the nickname their father used to refer to themDuring the events of The War Within, and Albrecht Entrati as "Little Bengel", which was a nickname given to him by his mother.During one of Albrecht Entrati's memories. It is not confirmed exactly how it is capable of having such knowledge; though as soon as Albrecht entered the Void, he described seeing his life's memories flash in his mind - unable to control them while they came and left in a rush like smoke escaping into a vent.
The Lidless Eye seems to have a preference towards the selected individuals it interact with, with Albrecht's research concluding that the being has a vested interest towards unique individuals"The catalyst was uniqueness. That attribute was what caught the interest of the bland and undifferentiated Void." - Albrecht's Notes, The Cavia (either sapient or conscienceless), such as Rell who is on the autism spectrum, or the Cavia who are a small enclave of endangered species of animals.
The Man in the Wall has attempted to make numerous deals with certain individuals throughout history. One notable deal was made with the Operator, giving them and the other children aboard the Zariman the ability to harness the Void in order to defend themselves from the feral adults. Another deal was presumably made with Baro Ki'Teer, during the implementation of Cross Platform Play where the Void Trader's wares were synced across all platforms. Baro claims to have met a "dashing stranger" who presented him with the opportunity to merge all his timelines across Eternalism into a singular individual, which he gladly accepted."As it happens, during my last foray into the Void, a dashing stranger presented me with the opportunity to refine all my selves into a single perfect individual. Of course, I shook hands on the deal immediately" - Inbox message detailing the Inventory Sync. "As a result of my little arrangement, the realms are not merely aligned. They have connected. And the walls between them have come tumbling down. You may now, if you choose, socialize, sojourn and sally forth with Tenno from other dimensions of existence! Cross freely. Come together as never before. What a magnificent bargain I, Baro Ki'Teer, have struck. I do hope that charming stranger passes my way again" - Inbox message about the Cross Platform Play
==Lore & History==
===The First Voyage into the Void===
The first recorded encounter with the Man in the Wall can be traced back to Albrecht Entrati's first expedition into the Void, set sometime during the Orokin Era. After opening a Void gate, Albrecht recounts that, upon colliding with the gate, his Seriglass Bell shattered and he fell unprotected into the portal, and through to the other side. He found himself back on the floor of his laboratory, surrounded by shattered shards. Initially believing his experiment was a failure, he looked up with shame towards approaching footsteps, believing them to be his daughter's, but what he saw was a copy of himself.
Taken aback, Albrecht looked at his surroundings, which was an endless inverted cosmos; the Void itself. He and his doppelgänger were standing on a portion of the laboratory floor, seemingly broken away from his world. The entity then spoke to him, "Little Bengel"; the nickname his mother had given Albrecht centuries ago. As the entity reached towards him, offering his hand, Albrecht ran back to the open portal.
When Albrecht returned from the Void he ordered his daughter to close the portal, while his doppelgänger was following behind. The portal collapsed and severed some of the entity's fingers, which would later be studied by Orokin scientists to harness the Void's powers. The entity was never seen by any other Orokin researchers, which made Albrecht question if he truly escaped from the Void, or if his doppelgänger did. As a result, Albrecht refused to participate in Continuity to prevent his doppelgänger wreaking havoc on the off chance it did escape.
The severed fingers taken from the entity would then be used to construct specialized space-faring vessels that could travel through the Void, such as the Zariman Ten Zero*Cavalero: "Hey, Yonta. How many of those big finger-relics are out there, d'you think?"
*Archimedean Yonta: "Well... fewer than there used to be. So long as the originals are still safely sealed away, of course." - During the Angels of the Zariman quest, and the Railjacks.
===The Void-Jump Accident===
In the aftermath of the Zariman Ten Zero's fateful Void jump, the Operator encounters The Man in the Wall while barricaded in a classroom along with their fellow classmates. The Man (appearing as a copy of the Operator) tempts them into accepting his "gift" to help protect the children from the feral adults. The Operator ultimately agrees to the deal, which is not only how the Operator established their control over the Void, but perhaps also what allowed the Drifter (an alternate counterpart of the Operator who was never rescued and hence remained trapped on board the Zariman) to eventually harness the Void as well.
As a result of the deal, most, if not all of the children aboard the Zariman would be able to harness the Void's power, which they used to defend themselves against the feral adults roaming the ship. One of them was Rell, who was left to fend for himself by the other children, as they believed that he was a liability. Despite this, Rell stated that staying with the group would be too much trouble and that he "had something to do, someone to figure out.", presumably the Man in the Wall. 
===The War Within===
While the Operator does not encounter the Man directly at first, they would periodically talk through the Operators as they confronted their past, particularly in regards on how they dealt with their parents, who were driven insane by the Void, and how they viewed their Void-borne powers, some of which were sealed away by Margulis for the Operators' safety."This will stop the voices from taking hold. You will have to dream, my angel..." - Margulis during The Second Dream As the Operators learn to unlock said powers, Teshin comments that the Void is a world that "watches and dreams"."You exist on the fold between two worlds. The world we know, of blood and steel, and the world that watches and dreams, the Void. Charge across the fold as you once did." - Teshin during The War Within
The entity's true colors, however, show itself when the Operator chooses what to do with the Elder Queen's ; choosing to dispose of the attached Kuva flask or giving the flask to Teshin for safekeeping will result in the Man admonishing the Operator's decision, while consuming and embracing the Kuva's effects will make the Man congratulate them.
===Chains of Harrow===
As the Operator learns of Rell, a Tenno who was cast out by both his fellow peers and by Margulis herself, they discover of how he came into contact with the Man in the Wall and with the help of the Red Veil's predecessors, found a means to keep it at bay. Rell, who had been denied the cryosleep that would preserve the other Tenno, ultimately chose to transfer his spirit directly into his Warframe, , in order to keep the Man in the Wall from attacking the Tenno.Lotus: "How could Rell have lived this long? Without the long dream?"Palladino: "In a way, he didn't. He knew his mortality would undo his purpose, so he gave up his humanity, forever. He committed his soul to the undying vessel-"Lotus: "His Warframe."- Dialogue during Chains of HarrowThough it succeeded for quite some time, both the strain of being stuck in a "Transference Loop" and the growing strength of the Man in the Wall (strongly implied to be a direct result of the Operators unlocking their sealed potential during The War Within"Margulis lied to you, a lie of omission. She did not cure the Zariman children - she erased them. My only hope is that truth still lingers inside you, buried within your mind. The power and the misery... of the Void." - Teshin during The War Within) slowly drove Rell insane, with a portion of the Red Veil following suit."If Rell's been caught in a Transference loop for this long... the psychological effects could have been catastrophic. This 'Man in the Wall', these delusions, symptoms of the Void exposure all Tenno experienced. I hope that Palladino can find peace for Rell so this never happens again." - Lotus during Chains of Harrow Realizing that Rell would continue to suffer no matter what the Tenno did, Palladino, who was serving as Rell's only means of communication with the rest of the Veil, mournfully requested the Tenno to destroy Rell's vessel so that he could finally rest, passing the burden of holding the Man in the Wall at bay to the Operators that once shunned him.Palladino: "By sacred shadow and righteous blood - Blessed Rell! Your aged Vessel is dust and your chains are broken. Be free!"Rell: "Mmm. But the Man in the Wall. Who will... ?"Palladino: "They will have to. All of them. They owe you this. We all do."- Dialogue during Chains of Harrow
After ending Rell's ordeal, a doppelgänger of the Operator starts appearing on the Orbiter, (sitting on the Market, Codex console, behind walls, hanging on the cords, etc) greeting the player, saying "Hey, Kiddo" when they focus their camera on it, then vanishing after a short time. The doppelgänger will continue to make sporadic appearances throughout the Orbiter any time the player enters it (either by logging into the game or returning from a mission), behaving just as it did the first time.
It appears that letting Rell finally rest was more impactful than it seemed. As the chains binding Harrow were broken, this may have inadvertently triggered an event in Duviri known as the Rain of Chains, in which numerous lengths of chains rained down from sky.
On an Operator Report on Rell, a critical development details that the Orokin researcher Albrecht Entrati is ultimately responsible for attracting the attention of the Indifference to the Origin System, and is theorized to be the whole reason behind its existence. 
===The Sacrifice===
While not directly involved in the quest itself, the Operator encounters the Man in the Wall after near the end of the quest. It will ask the Operator if they are feeling better, as the Operator had witnessed 's memories during the quest, and believes that they killed Umbra's son, Isaah. After confirming the Operator's memory, the Man in the Wall simply says "Good" and vanishes from the player's sight.Man in the Wall: "Feelin' better, kiddo?"Operator: "I killed him... Isaah."Man in the Wall: "Did you now? Is that how you remember it?"Operator: "Yes."Man in the Wall: "Good."- Dialogue after The Sacrifice All future appearances of the Man in the Wall will exit in a similar fashion, though it can still disappear as soon as they leave the player's sight.
===Rising Tide===
After the Tenno complete the construction of a Railjack, Cephalon Cy guides them to find a Reliquary Key on Lua in order to power the Railjack's Reliquary Drive. When the Reliquary Key is inserted, the energies inside the Drive dissipate to reveal what appears to be a large, mummified finger, about the size of a grown man, resting inside the Drive, harking back to Albrecht's experiments severing his doppelgänger's fingers and subsequently using them for Void experiments.
If the player has completed The War Within before recovering the Key, the Tenno are then addressed by the Man in the Wall sitting on top of the Drive, waving at them with its right index finger bent. It then says, "Took you long enough." Otherwise, the Man in the Wall will not appear. Players who have completed The War Within may also hear dialogue from the Man in the Wall any time they get close to the Reliquary Drive.
===Chimera Prologue===
The Man in the Wall is found wearing the Lotus's headgear in the Orbiter's Personal Quarters, and with a sinister laugh, vanishes from sight. When the Operator interacts with the helmet, they are taken to Lua. The figure, still donning the headgear, mocks the Tenno while guiding them towards the Reservoir. Throughout the mission, the Man in the Wall will send three waves of shadowy figures of the Lotus. Once all three waves have been defeated, the Man in the Wall takes the Tenno to the Lotus's chamber, where they first encountered Ballas during the Apostasy Prologue. The Man then invites the Operator to enter a portal that appears at the end of the chamber.
===The New War===
The Man in the Wall appears again towards the end of the quest, where it suddenly appears over Ballas' throne room shortly after the Lotus kills him, taking the form of a humanoid, eyeless figure with four arms and four legs embedded in a white, ornate wall, with the index finger on his lower right hand missing. The Operator's doppelgänger sits atop the figure's head, wearing the Lotus's helmet. As it approaches the now-reconstituted Lotus and the Operator/Drifter, with the Lotus trying to keep the being at bay, it bellows in a heavily distorted voice before vanishing just as abruptly as it arrived, grinning the entire time.
As the Operator/Drifter carries the Lotus back to her Chamber on Lua, they ask if she saw anything regarding the Man in the Wall's sudden appearance. The Lotus claims she saw nothing, but her tone of voice suggests that she did see the Man, and is simply reassuring the Operator/Drifter that "nothing" happened, and the facial expression she briefly assumes would suggest that she was affected in some way. The Man in the Wall's appearances in the Orbiter after completing this quest remain unchanged.
===The Kingdom of Duviri===
The Man in the Wall does not make any direct appearances, but is mentioned by numerous denizens of Duviri, such as the children, Teshin, and Sythel:
During each Mood Spiral, many of the rhymes sung by the children of Duviri allude to the Man in the Wall,"There's a face in the sky, with a great big smile, so we smile right back today. There's a man in a wall, with a grin like a skull, so we grin right back today." - A Joy Spiral rhyme"Oh the wall rose high… and it wished it could cry, with the tears of a thousand eyes. For Sorrow it sought… But it never ever thought, how it already kept its prize" - A Sorrow Spiral rhyme"Something's watching through the window, watching you and watching me… Wants what we have, wants to BE us! We know that can never be. Something's waiting, getting closer, watching, waiting for its day. Something needy, cruel and greedy… Keep that hungry thing at bay!" - An Envy Spiral rhyme while Sythel, the Fearful Conspirator, theorizes that the Man in the Wall is a manifestation of Albrecht Entrati's fear of the Void, spawned when he first ventured into it"The first scholar looked into the Void and he feared it. And his fear took shape. Do you understand? That's how all this started." - Sythel and even claims to hear him tapping on her walls."Listen! There! Did you hear it? Rap. Tap. Tap." - Sythel During Void Flood missions within the Undercroft, Teshin will mention the Void Angels are attempting to break through the Wall in order to free their "master","If the Void Angels break through the Wall, their master will be freed. Do not allow that to happen." - Teshin who is considered to be a threat even worse than Dominus Thrax."The Paradox has drawn Void Angels to besiege the Undercroft. Undo what their claws have done, or Duviri may fall to something worse even than Thrax." - Teshin This entity is presumed to be the Man in the Wall himself.
Additionally, the Man in the Wall makes small appearances in the Lost Islands of Duviri Fragments, with some entries detailing what appear to be attempts by the Man in the Wall to probe Duviri's defenses and gain access to the region; 
"Watcher's Island" describes the appearance of a vicious Void Storm, called the Rain of Chains (as mentioned before). This storm, characterized by its red hue, caused numerous lengths of chain to rain down from the sky. The chains would ultimately destroy the Seriglass Lighthouse on Watcher's Island, causing it to crumble into a pile of rumble and kill its keeper, Garmi, who was Mathila's husband. His log book was recovered from the site by Acrithis, and describes a large 4-fingered hand reaching out of the Void, just before the Rain of Chains happened."With admirable presence of mind, he describes a form steadily approaching out of the Void. A monstrous hand, possessed of only three fingers and a thumb." - Acrithis, Watcher's Island fragment.
In another, "The Galleria", as Acrithis was exploring the Galleria with a squad of Dax, they witnessed a large, worm-like form erupt from the grassy field and blindly probe the area around it. They all realized that it was instead a large finger, and quickly turned around to alert Dominus Thrax of their discovery. However, he was terribly frightened and had the island cast out of Duviri despite Acrithis' best efforts to persuade him otherwise.
Finally, "The Caves of Academe" details the appearance of the Hollow Children. Mysteriously appearing shortly after the Rain of Chains, these children all possessed solid black eyes, and a constant rictus grin on their faces. They appeared to be child-like doppelgängers of the adults of Duviri, and could be found inside Academe's classrooms, with more appearing every day. The children would rarely participate in class, and would only laugh and giggle when ever the Void was mentioned.
====The Vagabond====
In Duviri, the Drifter may sometimes encounter a mysterious figure known as "The Vagabond". This entity notably lacks a right index finger, and will laugh maniacally before abruptly vanishing. Depending on the current Mood Spiral, the Vagabond can be found in certain locations throughout Duviri. 
*Joy: A cave beneath Thrax Gardens.
*Anger: Atop the main spire of The King's Palace.
*Envy: Near the scholar's tomb, in a cave near Fort Wyrmsoul.
*Sorrow: Above the cave entrance at the pond near Moirai Crossing.
*Fear: Near Titan's Rest, behind Sythel's house
====Zariman Tablets====
Testing tablets from the Zariman can be found throughout the landscape of Duviri. The tablets will bellow out an ominous voice when answering correctly, and will release a deep, unsettling laugh when answering incorrectly.
6 of them appear to have been tampered with by the Man, who appears to use the tablets as a way of speaking directly to the Drifter, with the questions as what the Drifter has in mind and the correct answers as the responses from the Man to them. Within one of the scattered tablets, there exists an entry implying the existence of a moment during the Void-Jump Accident, where the Operator is offered a deal to save everyone by their doppelgänger, but is deliberately excluded from being saved in the process. This is heavily implied to be the Drifter's reality.
Correct answers are bolded.
*What invaded the Galleria?
**A. There is no such place
**B. Nothing you need to worry your head over
*What was the ultimate fate of Albrecht Entrati?
**A. He is entombed on Lua
**B. That's the question, isn't it, kiddo?
*How many fingers are found upon one's hand?
**A. Five
**B. Where are my fingerbones, kiddo?
*Did you forget, kiddo?
**A. You owe me.
**B. ERROR – RESPONSE NOT FOUND
*You wouldn't welch on a deal, would you?
**A. *CORRUPT FILE DETECTED*
**B. I saved them. All of them. Never said I'd save you.
*What is 'the Wall'?
**A. The barrier between rational reality and the Void
**B. The Wall of Bone in whiKU NOMA ELU RA KAH, MARA LOHK?
===Whispers in the Walls===
During Ballas's attempt to perform a jump to Tau in The New War, he opened portals between the Void and conventional reality on an unprecedented scale, attracting the attention of the Indifference, whose freedom of action appears to have drastically increased. The threat posed by the Indifference is now at a critical level.
Loid is forced to awaken a dormant precept known as The Kalymos Precept and summons the Tenno to Sanctum Anatomica hidden beneath the Necralisk, discovering that the Indifference's forces, The Murmur, have overrun Albrecht's Laboratories. There they awaken the original Loid who was Albrecht Entrati's personal assistant, discover Albrecht's Vessels and Cavia projects, and learn that Albrecht himself traveled to the year 1999 in an attempt to escape the Indifference. Albrecht leaves behind a recording that says they are too late, implying that the Indifference had fully got to him, and urges the Tenno to meet him at the correct point in time.
While fighting off the Murmur, the Indifference attempts to use Loid's negative emotions and desire for Albrecht's affections against him, nearly overtaking the Sanctum until the Tenno displays an emotion of love that Loid had long since craved which repels the Indifference.
Meanwhile, the Indifference monologues about the Tenno running away from their handshake deal, accompanied by a projection of Albrecht.
===The Lotus Eaters===
While not seen, the Lotus mentions having been attempting to fight off his influence.
===The Hex===
The Indifference was able to follow Albrecht Entrati to the year 1999 in the city-state of Höllvania by possessing Scaldra commander Major Neci Rusalka, quickly making itself known by referring to the Drifter as "kiddo". It then appears before an interrogated Entrati, shifting between Loid and Entrati's forms to mock him, but Entrati affirms that it has a weakness to love.
When the Drifter seemingly finds Entrati, they instead find the Indifference's Operator form, who flashes an ominous grin before vanishing.
The Hex finally track down a VIP being moved by the Scaldra. Rusalka attempts to intercept, but instead crashes her Atomicycle on the convoy to prevent Entrati from falling into the Drifter's hands, but he survives. Entrati orders the Drifter to kill Rusalka to prevent the Indifference from further influencing them, but they refuse. The Indifference returns, bellowing "XATA FASS XATA" as it whisks itself, Entrati, and the Drifter away.
On the Zariman Ten Zero, the Indifference shows the Drifter that the Hex will die one-by-one. It also reveals that it gave its Void powers to the Operator and Drifter freely, but resents the Orokin for butchering and thievery of its fingers.
Unable to prevent the deaths of the Hex, Entrati cryptically informs the Drifter that the only way the Hex can be saved is "if you know them." The Drifter uses their Duviri powers to extend the time loop to the beginning of 1999 and buy more time. After forming personal bonds with the Hex, the Drifter is able to successfully save them - repelling the Indifference. However, this necessitates a permanent timeloop of 1999 as to prevent the Indifference from returning.
==Notes== 
* When taking on the form of the Operator, the Man in the Wall's voice is dependent on which voice type is used by the Operator, and usually speaks with an unsettling, loud, echoing tone.
*The description of the Requiem Mod Oull, "Through endless faces, countless forms, a multitude unfolds.", could be related to / talk about The Man in the Wall. It could however, also refer to the multitude of realities that exists under eternalism.
==Trivia== 
*During the transmission leading up to the Ropalolyst fight, Natah reveals that she is aware of the Man in the Wall's existence, claiming to have heard the Void's voice herself."I have seen the wall's other face, too. I have heard the voice." - Natah after Ropalolyst fight 
**During Chains of Harrow, the Lotus initially said that she believes that the Man in the Wall is just a myth or a delusion of those who were exposed to the Void.
*"He Who Waits Behind the Wall" was the answer to one of the Solaris United ARG questions, implying a possible connection. This question was asked twice (once during the introductory stage and once on the 6th of November, as a call and response form of authentication); the answer was the same both times. This may imply a connection between either Vox Solaris as a whole and the Man in the Wall or between The Business and the Man in the Wall.
*The Tenno in the flashback scene during the Erra quest have the same eyes as the Man in the Wall, implying that he may have secretly aided the Lotus, or is simply part of every Operator's power.
*The Man in the Wall's physical appearance appears to be based on the Vitruvian Man drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci.
*Upon reaching Rank 5 with the Holdfasts, a cutscene will play in which Quinn states that “The Indifference has awoken.”
*The distorted speech at the end of The New War was theorized among the community to be "Oull - Ris - Xata - Vome. Khra - Lohk", referencing the Requiem Mods. However, during TennoCon 2022's "Sounds of the System" panel, Erich Preston revealed this was incorrect. 
**Near the end of the Whispers in the Walls Quest, the enemy Vessel repeats The Man in the Wall's enigmatic sentence, which is revealed to be "VOULL NE XATA VOK, MARA LOHK?"
*Cavalero and Archimedean Yonta discuss about the number of existing finger relics during the Angels of the Zariman quest, and the latter mentions that there would be "fewer than there used to be" as long as the "originals are safely sealed away," seemingly implying that the originals would create more finger relics when unsealed. This replication may also have caused the one missing finger seen on the Wall form to turn into what are referred to as "the originals," before being put to use to make finger relics.
*The vertical slots of the Wall form's missing eyes may be a reference to the prongs on the back of Void Keys, possibly alluding to the golden headpiece Albrecht Entrati is seen wearing in his Vitruvian recordings, as well as their utility across the System possibly being one of the Man in the Wall's ways of "seeing" into the System's dealings through the related Void activity.
*Dante's Prex Card Leverian entry reveals he was tempted by The Indifference with knowledge, which lead him to discover The Book (possibly Albrecht's Grimoire or his own Noctua). Drusus also remarks that the Indifference still murmurs in his mind, and it " teaches because it longs to be known, and in being known it exists. And in existing, it survives.", which may be another hint to it underlying motives.
*In one of her Kinematic conversations, Leticia refers to the Indifference as "Xipe Totec", an Aztec god associated (in general) with life, death, war, and seasons. The most likely reason for the reference to Xipe Totec may be the common depiction of the god wearing the flayed flesh of human sacrifices, which could have been taken for inspiration regarding the Indifference's tendency to "wear" the face and bodies of those it interacts with. 
== Gallery==
File:Wally wall smile.webp|The Indifference, as seen in the New War.
File:Screenshot 2023-04-04 10.49.34 AM.png|Concept art of The Indifference.
File:Screenshot 2023-04-04 10.45.51 AM.png|Concept art of the Indifference.
File:SixArmedWallyTennocon.png|Concept art for the Great Indifference.
==References==
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es:El hombre en el muro
Category:Lore
Category:Update 19
Category:Characters