Vortigaunt Lore
Vortigaunts are an alien species seen in the Half-Life series. They lived in their homeworld until the Combine invaded it much like Earth was invaded by the combine. The surviving vortigaunts fled to Xen, which is a borderworld between dimensions. In Xen, the vortigaunts were enslaved by the Nihilanth.
When the humans at Black Mesa discovered they could create portals to Xen to cross dimensions they began to research it. However, an accident called the Resonance Cascade occured. This caused the portal between Xen and Earth to open, allowing anything on Xen to come through. The Nihilanth commanded the vortigaunts to attack Earth.
The green shackles seen on the vortigaunts in Half Life were used to control them. But, when Gordon Freeman killed the Nihilanth it freed the vortigaunts and let them roam free on Earth. The portal storms still happened and allowed the Combine to come through Xen to invade Earth. The Combine took over and the vortigaunts agreed to team up with the humans to start a rebellion against the Combine.
The Vortessence
The vortessence is a binding force that connect all vortigaunts and is the fabric of the universe made of vortal cords. The vortigaunts call upon the vortessence in their time of need for things such as using the vorti-blast, using shields, flux shifting (vortigese) and emitting electricity to power electronic machines as seen in Half Life 2 when a vortigaunt was powering a TV and in Half Life Episode 2 when a vortigaunt jump started a generator in the caverns.Flux shifting is when the vortigaunts speak in their native language. The language cannot be understood by others because it is too complex and it uses the vortessence as well as if they were speaking in pitches the human ear cannot hear, except it isn’t.
“I'm assuming everyone remembers the orange anomalous crystal that caused the resonance cascade in Half-Life. I'm also assuming you all remember how it was implied that the Nihilanth brain had a giant anomalous crystal stuck in there, leading some to hypothesize that the crystal was what gave him his power. I postulate that this very same sort of crystal is in fact integrated into the brain of all Vortigaunts.” According to fishdbaz at ValveTime. [www.valvetime.net]
The Vortigaunt Hierarchy
Enslaved Vortigaunt: These vortigaunts were enslaved by the combine and do labor work like cleaning the streets of garbage. They drag their feet around and have a hunched posture for the most part. At the end of Half Life 2 Ep 2 any surviving enslaved vortigaunts had the chance of escape from the city. They have their shackles on them and have a low chance of survival in the outlands with them on unless they found a safe route or were led and protected by someone until they got their shackles taken off.
Youngling: Younglings are young vortigaunts or vortigaunts that just escaped the combine. If a vortigaunt has a very weak connection to the vortessence they are considered a youngling. Younglings are taught the vortessence by an Elder
Novice: Novice vortigaunts are vortigaunts that were taught the basics of the vortessence. They can create a small green light in their hands to illuminate dark areas, they can heal small cuts and minor infections and repair scars.
Apprentice: Apprentice vortigaunts are vortigaunts that are currently being taught major skills to have a greater connection to the vortessence. They can heal minor bullet wounds, power electronic devices for a few minutes and they have better healing skills.
Adept: These vortigaunts have the skills and connection to shoot vorti blasts, use shields that stop bullets going slower than the sound barrier, power electric items for a day, stop diseases, major infections, second degree burns and make other humans regain consciousness.
Elder: Elders are vortigaunts that have mastered all aspects of the vortessence and are now teaching other vortigaunts to call upon the vortessence. They are teachers to all vortigaunts that need it.
High Elders: The high elders are the rarest type of vortigaunt and they have had a HUGE amount of training, estimating from the thousands to hundred thousands of years, even before their enslavement and migration to earth, it's not possible to be trained to this without authorization from the owner, the high elders are able to train any type of vortigaunt and are able to lead massive chants. Their abilities include healing large cuts, large bullet wounds, all types of infection, burns, and healing up wound processes, they have the ability to charge up an extremely lethal vortessence burst, which takes a while to charge [3 turns] which causes burns on the entire body, along with several bones breaking. They also have the ability to disable cameras, etc.
The Vortessence
The vortessence is a binding force that connect all vortigaunts and is the fabric of the universe made of vortal cords. The vortigaunts call upon the vortessence in their time of need for things such as using the vorti-blast, using shields, flux shifting (vortigese) and emitting electricity to power electronic machines as seen in Half Life 2 when a vortigaunt was powering a TV and in Half Life Episode 2 when a vortigaunt jump started a generator in the caverns.Flux shifting is when the vortigaunts speak in their native language. The language cannot be understood by others because it is too complex and it uses the vortessence as well as if they were speaking in pitches the human ear cannot hear, except it isn’t.
“I'm assuming everyone remembers the orange anomalous crystal that caused the resonance cascade in Half-Life. I'm also assuming you all remember how it was implied that the Nihilanth brain had a giant anomalous crystal stuck in there, leading some to hypothesize that the crystal was what gave him his power. I postulate that this very same sort of crystal is in fact integrated into the brain of all Vortigaunts.” According to fishdbaz at ValveTime. [www.valvetime.net]
The Vortigaunt Hierarchy
Enslaved Vortigaunt: These vortigaunts were enslaved by the combine and do labor work like cleaning the streets of garbage. They drag their feet around and have a hunched posture for the most part. At the end of Half Life 2 Ep 2 any surviving enslaved vortigaunts had the chance of escape from the city. They have their shackles on them and have a low chance of survival in the outlands with them on unless they found a safe route or were led and protected by someone until they got their shackles taken off.
Youngling: Younglings are young vortigaunts or vortigaunts that just escaped the combine. If a vortigaunt has a very weak connection to the vortessence they are considered a youngling. Younglings are taught the vortessence by an Elder
Novice: Novice vortigaunts are vortigaunts that were taught the basics of the vortessence. They can create a small green light in their hands to illuminate dark areas, they can heal small cuts and minor infections and repair scars.
Apprentice: Apprentice vortigaunts are vortigaunts that are currently being taught major skills to have a greater connection to the vortessence. They can heal minor bullet wounds, power electronic devices for a few minutes and they have better healing skills.
Adept: These vortigaunts have the skills and connection to shoot vorti blasts, use shields that stop bullets going slower than the sound barrier, power electric items for a day, stop diseases, major infections, second degree burns and make other humans regain consciousness.
Elder: Elders are vortigaunts that have mastered all aspects of the vortessence and are now teaching other vortigaunts to call upon the vortessence. They are teachers to all vortigaunts that need it.
High Elders: The high elders are the rarest type of vortigaunt and they have had a HUGE amount of training, estimating from the thousands to hundred thousands of years, even before their enslavement and migration to earth, it's not possible to be trained to this without authorization from the owner, the high elders are able to train any type of vortigaunt and are able to lead massive chants. Their abilities include healing large cuts, large bullet wounds, all types of infection, burns, and healing up wound processes, they have the ability to charge up an extremely lethal vortessence burst, which takes a while to charge [3 turns] which causes burns on the entire body, along with several bones breaking. They also have the ability to disable cameras, etc.
Behavior
Vortigaunts tend to avoid conflicts and violence unless it is to push back the combine. When vortigaunts communicate with each other they talk in flux shifts unless the vortigaunt does not know flux shift yet or another human is around. When meeting another vortigaunt they do a deep bow unless they already know each other. In that case, they bow slightly, kind of like how humans shake hands. Vortigaunts also talk in a different way. Vortigaunts talk in third person, they call other humans by their last name like “Ah, the Freeman.” or “Freeman, come here.”