Section 1: Introduction
Vortigaunts (also called Vorts, Vortikind, Biotics) are an often misused whitelist best used to develop the lore of the server passively and to push the story forward, while still capable of functioning as non-event characters. Spanning from an enslaved grunt workforce for the Universal Union to ancient and wise philosophers and poets, the vortigaunts are versatile in that they can be in any position in order to interact with basically any character on the server.
This guide will go into detail on how vortigaunts act, how their bodies function, where they come from, etc, and will hopefully serve as an example for you to use when you roleplay as one. This guide will be regularly updated as new lore and rules are decided upon, and additions suggested. If you believe I made a mistake or missed something important, leave a reply and I will address it.
Section 2: Sociology
Vortigaunts have always been (and fear they always will be) at the bottom of the barrel. In their past they were a very subservient species, being enslaved by the Nihilanth, and later the Combine. Taking up roles of the cannon fodder sent in first by the Nihilanth, and then becoming janitors and other menial positions under the constant watch of the Civil Protection, many vortigaunts have accepted their species’ fate. Despite this, the majority of vortigaunts decided to live in freedom and peace following their release from the Nihilanth’s shackles, retaining memories and traditions from their past while adapting to the harsh terrains of Earth and its new rulers. Some of these traditions span from Antlion Shepherdry to the archaic and verbose manner in which they speak, using the third person over the first to refer to themselves, and calling people by title rather than name.
Vortigaunts, much like humans, are intelligent and social creatures- being on par, if not greater than humans in regards to intelligence, albeit rarely- who rely on gathering together to survive. Despite their often hivemind-like nature externally, each vortigaunt forms their own opinions and personalities as they mature. However, regardless of their opinions, most vortigaunts have nigh on unbreakable bonds with their kin.
Vortigaunts find themselves either free of all tyranny or shackled up and abused into servitude by the Universal Union. Those caught by the Combine are given the generic moniker of ‘Biotic’ as they are submitted to various kinds of abuse and mistreatment, all while being assigned only the harshest or most boring work. Kept in uniquely designed collars to subdue their Vortessence, and often left in cells draining them of their energy to power various contraptions, the vortigaunts who find themselves under the Combine generally wind up dead shortly after.
Section 3: Physiology
Curiously, vortigaunts have a distinct and yet almost humanoid appearance. Being digitigrade and bi-pedal, vortigaunts hunch over and reveal much of their spine as a result. Their strange tubular ears and overbite serving as telltale signs of a vortigaunt, if their combination of one large red eye and three smaller eyes wasn’t enough. Their skin thick as a hide, coloured an irregular mixture of green and brown making for an effective camouflage in luscious environments. A pair of long, sharp claws at the end of either arm allows for relatively competent melee combat without any type of weapon, and their long hooved legs supporting the implication of close-quarters focused combat. Another noteworthy trait is the vestigial feeding arm located directly in the centre of the chest, a feature shared by Alien Grunts, Alien Controllers, and the Nihilanth. Overall, the average vortigaunt can weigh around 180 lbs, and stand tall at nearly seven feet- even hunched over.
In regards to organs and bodily functions, vortigaunts are actually very similar to humans. They need energy from food and drink (generally meat and water) to survive, and especially to actively use the Vortessence. However, vortigaunts don't need to defecate nor urinate, as any waste produced by them can generally be re-used to give the vortigaunt in question only a tiny bit more energy. Like humans, Vortigaunts need to breathe oxygen, and rely on lungs to do so. Despite their apparent appearance of not having a nose or nostrils, Vortigaunts can smell and breathe through some way other than their strange mouth. Whether this is connected to their two tubular orifices similar to ears is undisclosed.
All vortigaunts have been scarred from their time under the Nihilanth's rule, with marks and wounds from shackles and harnesses burrowed into their body. This is most easily seen on the legs, waist, and rear of a vortigaunt. Contrary to popular belief, Combine shackles don't seem to utilize these unusual orifices to secure their hardware to the vortigaunt.
Being natural hunters, vortigaunts are accustomed to eating raw and dirty meat considered unpalatable or inedible by humans. This includes headcrab and antlion flesh. Despite this, vortigaunts are still omnivorous and able to stomach various types of cooked or processed foods and beverages, some even finding themselves addicted to substances such as chocolate or coffee.
Section 4: Vortessence
A vital part of every Vortal entity, each living being is bound to all other life by a mysterious ‘woven fabric’ known as the Vortessence. Understanding of this tapestry of life is minimal at best, with vague and cryptic vortigaunt explanations being the only basis to go off of. Based on the vortigaunt’s expensive ability to weave the lives of their own kin and humans together, the Vortessence truly does have an effect on all life anywhere, and this is further strengthened by terminology such as ‘cut the cord’ and ‘return to the void’. Some vortigaunts claim that after death, rather than an empty nothing for eternity is a brief interval of darkness, followed by new life.
The true extent of the Vortessence is unimaginable, giving vortigaunts powers such as linear teleportation and basic telepathy between their own kind. Some mistake the Vortessence to be a hivemind, where in actuality it is a connection that allows vortigaunts to transmit information and data long distances by ‘flux shifting’, contacting vortigaunts even in other continents if strong enough. Vortigaunts are also able to discharge bolts of lightning-like energy at a target, fatally wounding them if not immediately killing them. This ability to control electrical currents also translates into an aptitude for electronics, being able to kick-start generators and power electronic devices on their own. Some vortigaunts also learned to weld and cauterize, or create temporary light sources with these abilities.
Healing is also a possibility with the power of the Vortessence, but not quite in a stereotypical manner. A single vortigaunt may be able to stabilize a gunshot wound for as long as they are using their Vortessence, repairing minor scratches and other injuries with severe strain. Together, a group of vortigaunts can mend broken bones and extract bullets, repair tissue or even replenish bodily fluids at the expense of much of their available energy. Although far more costly, vortigaunts may also imbibe the antlion’s extract to save a life from certain death, or to completely heal incredibly severe wounds with only medium costs to their stamina.
As all life is connected through the Vortessence, certain ancient vortigaunts may find themselves experiencing visions, or sensing the emotions of others. The unbearable pain of their kin being tortured, or the unbreakable friendship between two brothers. This is also attributed to the basic telepathy that vortigaunts have, and the near hivemind nature of the Vortessence.
The exact number of abilities and traits are gained by those who have their 'vortal inputs' opened is impossible to fully detail or list. However, being the most proficient in manipulating the Vortessence, vortigaunts are simply far more capable at putting it to use in their favour. This includes bringing those near-death back to life, to powerful attacks, to telepathy. Of course, no matter what they may be doing, it is almost always extremely taxing physically to perform. Over-usage of a vortigaunt's powers can lead to death by exhaustion.
Section 5: Language
Vortigese is a language ingrained into each Vortigaunt, with no possible way to be spoken or understood by a human. Centred around the interpretation and understanding of tone and sentence structure, there is no right or wrong way to speak Vortigese. No word is concretely correct or spelled a particular way. Described by a Vortigaunt as ‘A pseudo-language; the transmission of information through context and tone rather than through grammar and definitions.’ What follows are examples of things a human might say, roughly translated into something a Vortigaunt might say.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” - To Kill A Mockingbird
“It is truly a difficulty to understand one until you understand the perspective they bare- until you experience their hardships.”
“You’re really an idiot if you think that gun is gonna penetrate Combine armour.” - N/A
“To believe that such a weapon could surpass the Combine’s technological prowess is imbecilic.”
“Vortigaunts really like people who get all philosophical ‘n’ stuff.” - N/A
“We of Vortikind revere those who show traits we believed innate to our own.”
Section 6: Culture
Vortigaunts have a primitive and almost tribal culture of sorts in some tribes. However, Vortigaunts are not just primitive fighters and warriors. They mature to become philosophers, poets, musicians, writers, so on and so forth. They are diverse and have been given eons to develop and evolve as a species. Each tribe or micro-society of Vortigaunts develops its own smaller culture, down to rituals and even ideologies that they develop.
Many practices from their subservient days still remain, such as Antlion Shepherdry, which brings a tribe an abundance of food, and a rare material simply called the Antlion’s Larval Extract. This so-called extract, when imbibed, improves a Vortigaunt’s power in the Vortessence by multitudes, granting them linear teleportation, far greater telepathy, and even the ability to meddle with some far more powerful entities. The extract allows them to even save a living being from certain death by weaving their life essence with another’s.
Section 7: The Dos and Don'ts
Vortigaunts (also called Vorts, Vortikind, Biotics) are an often misused whitelist best used to develop the lore of the server passively and to push the story forward, while still capable of functioning as non-event characters. Spanning from an enslaved grunt workforce for the Universal Union to ancient and wise philosophers and poets, the vortigaunts are versatile in that they can be in any position in order to interact with basically any character on the server.
This guide will go into detail on how vortigaunts act, how their bodies function, where they come from, etc, and will hopefully serve as an example for you to use when you roleplay as one. This guide will be regularly updated as new lore and rules are decided upon, and additions suggested. If you believe I made a mistake or missed something important, leave a reply and I will address it.
Section 2: Sociology
Vortigaunts have always been (and fear they always will be) at the bottom of the barrel. In their past they were a very subservient species, being enslaved by the Nihilanth, and later the Combine. Taking up roles of the cannon fodder sent in first by the Nihilanth, and then becoming janitors and other menial positions under the constant watch of the Civil Protection, many vortigaunts have accepted their species’ fate. Despite this, the majority of vortigaunts decided to live in freedom and peace following their release from the Nihilanth’s shackles, retaining memories and traditions from their past while adapting to the harsh terrains of Earth and its new rulers. Some of these traditions span from Antlion Shepherdry to the archaic and verbose manner in which they speak, using the third person over the first to refer to themselves, and calling people by title rather than name.
Vortigaunts, much like humans, are intelligent and social creatures- being on par, if not greater than humans in regards to intelligence, albeit rarely- who rely on gathering together to survive. Despite their often hivemind-like nature externally, each vortigaunt forms their own opinions and personalities as they mature. However, regardless of their opinions, most vortigaunts have nigh on unbreakable bonds with their kin.
Vortigaunts find themselves either free of all tyranny or shackled up and abused into servitude by the Universal Union. Those caught by the Combine are given the generic moniker of ‘Biotic’ as they are submitted to various kinds of abuse and mistreatment, all while being assigned only the harshest or most boring work. Kept in uniquely designed collars to subdue their Vortessence, and often left in cells draining them of their energy to power various contraptions, the vortigaunts who find themselves under the Combine generally wind up dead shortly after.
Section 3: Physiology
Curiously, vortigaunts have a distinct and yet almost humanoid appearance. Being digitigrade and bi-pedal, vortigaunts hunch over and reveal much of their spine as a result. Their strange tubular ears and overbite serving as telltale signs of a vortigaunt, if their combination of one large red eye and three smaller eyes wasn’t enough. Their skin thick as a hide, coloured an irregular mixture of green and brown making for an effective camouflage in luscious environments. A pair of long, sharp claws at the end of either arm allows for relatively competent melee combat without any type of weapon, and their long hooved legs supporting the implication of close-quarters focused combat. Another noteworthy trait is the vestigial feeding arm located directly in the centre of the chest, a feature shared by Alien Grunts, Alien Controllers, and the Nihilanth. Overall, the average vortigaunt can weigh around 180 lbs, and stand tall at nearly seven feet- even hunched over.
In regards to organs and bodily functions, vortigaunts are actually very similar to humans. They need energy from food and drink (generally meat and water) to survive, and especially to actively use the Vortessence. However, vortigaunts don't need to defecate nor urinate, as any waste produced by them can generally be re-used to give the vortigaunt in question only a tiny bit more energy. Like humans, Vortigaunts need to breathe oxygen, and rely on lungs to do so. Despite their apparent appearance of not having a nose or nostrils, Vortigaunts can smell and breathe through some way other than their strange mouth. Whether this is connected to their two tubular orifices similar to ears is undisclosed.
All vortigaunts have been scarred from their time under the Nihilanth's rule, with marks and wounds from shackles and harnesses burrowed into their body. This is most easily seen on the legs, waist, and rear of a vortigaunt. Contrary to popular belief, Combine shackles don't seem to utilize these unusual orifices to secure their hardware to the vortigaunt.
Being natural hunters, vortigaunts are accustomed to eating raw and dirty meat considered unpalatable or inedible by humans. This includes headcrab and antlion flesh. Despite this, vortigaunts are still omnivorous and able to stomach various types of cooked or processed foods and beverages, some even finding themselves addicted to substances such as chocolate or coffee.
Section 4: Vortessence
A vital part of every Vortal entity, each living being is bound to all other life by a mysterious ‘woven fabric’ known as the Vortessence. Understanding of this tapestry of life is minimal at best, with vague and cryptic vortigaunt explanations being the only basis to go off of. Based on the vortigaunt’s expensive ability to weave the lives of their own kin and humans together, the Vortessence truly does have an effect on all life anywhere, and this is further strengthened by terminology such as ‘cut the cord’ and ‘return to the void’. Some vortigaunts claim that after death, rather than an empty nothing for eternity is a brief interval of darkness, followed by new life.
The true extent of the Vortessence is unimaginable, giving vortigaunts powers such as linear teleportation and basic telepathy between their own kind. Some mistake the Vortessence to be a hivemind, where in actuality it is a connection that allows vortigaunts to transmit information and data long distances by ‘flux shifting’, contacting vortigaunts even in other continents if strong enough. Vortigaunts are also able to discharge bolts of lightning-like energy at a target, fatally wounding them if not immediately killing them. This ability to control electrical currents also translates into an aptitude for electronics, being able to kick-start generators and power electronic devices on their own. Some vortigaunts also learned to weld and cauterize, or create temporary light sources with these abilities.
Healing is also a possibility with the power of the Vortessence, but not quite in a stereotypical manner. A single vortigaunt may be able to stabilize a gunshot wound for as long as they are using their Vortessence, repairing minor scratches and other injuries with severe strain. Together, a group of vortigaunts can mend broken bones and extract bullets, repair tissue or even replenish bodily fluids at the expense of much of their available energy. Although far more costly, vortigaunts may also imbibe the antlion’s extract to save a life from certain death, or to completely heal incredibly severe wounds with only medium costs to their stamina.
As all life is connected through the Vortessence, certain ancient vortigaunts may find themselves experiencing visions, or sensing the emotions of others. The unbearable pain of their kin being tortured, or the unbreakable friendship between two brothers. This is also attributed to the basic telepathy that vortigaunts have, and the near hivemind nature of the Vortessence.
The exact number of abilities and traits are gained by those who have their 'vortal inputs' opened is impossible to fully detail or list. However, being the most proficient in manipulating the Vortessence, vortigaunts are simply far more capable at putting it to use in their favour. This includes bringing those near-death back to life, to powerful attacks, to telepathy. Of course, no matter what they may be doing, it is almost always extremely taxing physically to perform. Over-usage of a vortigaunt's powers can lead to death by exhaustion.
Section 5: Language
Vortigese is a language ingrained into each Vortigaunt, with no possible way to be spoken or understood by a human. Centred around the interpretation and understanding of tone and sentence structure, there is no right or wrong way to speak Vortigese. No word is concretely correct or spelled a particular way. Described by a Vortigaunt as ‘A pseudo-language; the transmission of information through context and tone rather than through grammar and definitions.’ What follows are examples of things a human might say, roughly translated into something a Vortigaunt might say.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” - To Kill A Mockingbird
“It is truly a difficulty to understand one until you understand the perspective they bare- until you experience their hardships.”
“You’re really an idiot if you think that gun is gonna penetrate Combine armour.” - N/A
“To believe that such a weapon could surpass the Combine’s technological prowess is imbecilic.”
“Vortigaunts really like people who get all philosophical ‘n’ stuff.” - N/A
“We of Vortikind revere those who show traits we believed innate to our own.”
Section 6: Culture
Vortigaunts have a primitive and almost tribal culture of sorts in some tribes. However, Vortigaunts are not just primitive fighters and warriors. They mature to become philosophers, poets, musicians, writers, so on and so forth. They are diverse and have been given eons to develop and evolve as a species. Each tribe or micro-society of Vortigaunts develops its own smaller culture, down to rituals and even ideologies that they develop.
Many practices from their subservient days still remain, such as Antlion Shepherdry, which brings a tribe an abundance of food, and a rare material simply called the Antlion’s Larval Extract. This so-called extract, when imbibed, improves a Vortigaunt’s power in the Vortessence by multitudes, granting them linear teleportation, far greater telepathy, and even the ability to meddle with some far more powerful entities. The extract allows them to even save a living being from certain death by weaving their life essence with another’s.
Section 7: The Dos and Don'ts
- DO encourage passive roleplay by telling stories and giving wisdom to citizens.
- DON’T run into battle alongside rebels and vortibeam every living thing in eyesight.
- DO create a believable vortigaunt who has lived and felt and lost.
- DON’T create a 2d, boring vortigaunt with little or no purpose.
- DO forge meaningful bonds with human characters.
- DON’T become a companion who shadows humans mindlessly.
- DO resist the combine’s iron fist in small but meaningful ways.
- DON’T exist as a character to channel your fanatical hate of one faction or another.
- DO provide insight into the vortigaunt’s history with the combine, and the vortigaunt's earliest interactions with humanity.
- DON’T invent your own, unbelievable lore that conflicts with existing lore. be vague, and cryptic.
- DO save characters from certain death by stabilising their wounds long enough for them to be treated.
- DON’T repair all the internal damage and extract the bullet from a gsw all on your own.
- DO express your character’s unique culture and traditions, experimenting with how they mesh with the urban life, or a life in hiding.
- DON’T be a witchcraft occultist.
- DO give your vortigaunt flaws and hurdles they must overcome to grow.
- DON’T be a perfect, flawless gem of a vortigaunt.
Last edited by a moderator: