Vortigaunts (sometimes known as alien slaves) are a fictional species from the Half-Life video game series. They made their first appearance in Half-Life, in which they serve as frequently encountered enemies. In the sequel, Half-Life 2 they become allies and join the human resistance against the Combine empire which has enslaved both races.
Their only known home is the Xen border world, from which they travelled to Earth during the Black Mesa Incident and Portal Storms.
Overview
Physiology
In appearance, a Vortigaunt is somewhat humanoid with two legs and two arms, but has an additional arm protruding from its thorax. This extra limb is a feature also found in the other bipedal, sapient species from Xen, including the Alien Grunt and Nihilanth. This similarity, along with other shared features such as red eyes and digitigrade legs, suggests a common ancestry with other intelligent Xen lifeforms. Vortigaunts have a mottled green-brown skin, sharp teeth, and clawed hands. Vortigaunts have a slightly hunched posture, and their faces are dominated by a large, single red eye, surrounded by five smaller eyes. It should be noted that the purple Vortigaunts in Episode One have blue eyes, while the eyes of the ones in Episode Two stay red.
Intelligence and culture
Vortigaunts are intelligent and social creatures. Throughout the entire Half-Life series they are capable of developing intelligent strategies.
Brief glimpses into Vortigaunt culture can be gained by occasional speeches given by them in Half-Life 2, and in scenes in the original Half-Life. In the original game, Vortigaunts were an enslaved species to the Nihilanth, used as factory workers and drone soldiers. According to comments, Vortigaunts have suffered enforced servitude for generations up to the events of the first Half-Life. Vortigaunts have many traditions, including an apparent oral tradition of passing down poetry and songs from generation to generation. One particular comment made by a Vortigaunt — "We have lost all dear to us" — suggests that they lost their original civilization. Vortigaunts also have a collective consciousness - each moment (Gordon killing the Nihilanth, Gordon's arrival at Black Mesa East, etc.) through time appears to them as one.
Communication and the "Vortessence"
Vortigaunts possess their own method of vocal communication, which, in Half-Life 2, they can be heard using and referring to as "flux shifting". This method of communication involves both speakers vocalising at the same time and cannot be understood by "those whose Vortal inputs are impaired" i.e. humans.
In the first part of Half-Life, the Vortigaunts use scattered English words they heard from the humans to taunt them in combat ("Die!"). By the beginning of Half-Life 2, however, Vortigaunts have learned to speak at least the English language fluently. The Vortigaunts' use archaic, even Shakespearian, words and grammatical structures. It is not known whether this is a lack of understanding or a deliberate choice on their part.
The Vortigaunts believe in a binding life-force which they call the "Vortessence", which could be a religion or a popular belief. They believe the Vortessence is the fabric of the universe, made of "vortal cords", of which everything is woven (and therefore everything is connected). Due to their use of this force, which remains untapped by the human species, the Vortigaunt species is capable of a form of telepathy, at least amongst their own kind. The Vortigaunts are able to read and control this force for their electrical powers, nearly hive-mind telepathy and, likely, their ability to take power from objects. The Nihilanth's powers and enslavement of the Vortigaunts were also gained through control of the Vortessence.
In Half-Life 2, the Vortigaunts are voiced by Louis Gossett, Jr.. It is mentioned in Raising the Bar that Gossett was chosen partially due to his role as the alien in the film Enemy Mine. In Episode Two, he is replaced by Tony Todd.
Offensive and defensive abilities
In Half-Life and its expansion packs, Vortigaunts are common enemies in both Black Mesa and Xen. While they usually attack aggressively, they often become timid when injured, preferring to run away rather than risk further combat and possible death. They have two modes of attack: an energy attack in which they fire fairly powerful green lightning-like energy beams that require a vulnerable period of "charging-up" before being unleashed, and when close to opponents, they attack with their claws; in Half-Life 2, when faced with Headcrabs, they will attempt to kick them. Significantly, all of the Vortigaunts in Half-Life wear green collars and wrist bands. In Half-Life: Decay, it is shown that the green collars and bands can be "activated" to fire a burst of energy identical to normal attack used by the Vortigaunts. Vortigaunts often act as support for the tougher Alien Grunts in Half-Life, as the player will be concentrating on killing the tougher Grunts while the Vortigaunts can attack freely.
In Half-Life 2, their electrical attack is far more devastating, tending to kill whatever it hits immediately, and quite often knock back its target at considerable distance. Only objects with significant mass can resist being knocked back, such as the Strider (which can only be damaged by explosives) and Antlion Guards. These attacks occur only twice during the singleplayer game both when Gordon's view is restricted by rubble or other blockages, and the only way to see a Vortigaunt in combat is to spawn it with enemies using the console. It is also suggested that Vortigaunts can siphon an opponent's lifeforce with their energy beam attack, as they are heard saying phrases such as "Give over your essence!" or "Empower us!" during some of their attacks in Half-Life 2.
Expanded role
Half-Life 2
In Half-Life 2, Gordon Freeman meets up with the creatures again. This time, however, they are eager to assist in overthrowing the Combine. In the time between the two games, the Vortigaunts have been freed from their former master, and most remaining on Earth have joined the human Resistance against the Combine. The game also reveals that the Vortigaunts are capable of using their electrical attack productively, in the form of a blue energy stream that can recharge batteries, power electronic circuits and weld objects together. The Vortigaunts credit Gordon Freeman with their freedom, and hold him in high esteem as "The Free Man" (as it was Freeman who slew the Nihilanth and freed the Vortigaunts), though they also seem to mourn all those "whose cords you [Freeman] cut."
However, not all Vortigaunts have been freed. In the first chapter of Half-Life 2 — "Point Insertion" — it is possible to catch a brief glimpse of a Vortigaunt working under the Combine to the right of the 1st "Breen Screen" in City 17's train station. Wearing a collar and armbands similar to those worn in Half-Life (with an additional band around the waist), the Vortigaunt is shown slowly and meticulously using a push-broom to sweep dirt and garbage in the said train station. An unshackled Vortigaunt is seen in a similar role in a human-controlled silo in Episode Two. When exploring Nova Prospekt, the player comes across a dead Vortigaunt, wearing collar and armbands, sitting in a restrained chair. It appears that the Vortigaunt has died during electrical torture by the Combine, which would explain Alyx Vance's comments that the Resistance's only knowledge of Nova Prospekt is through telepathic communications from Vortigaunts taken there for torture or interrogation.
Miscellaneous Half-Life titles and mods
In the official co-op expansion Half-Life: Decay, players who manage to obtain an A rank on all of the regular missions with at least one character may unlock a bonus mission titled "Xen Attacks", where both players play as Vortigaunts. Although short on story, the mission gives some unique insight into the Vortigaunts' role in the Black Mesa incident. The players control "Drone Subjects" X-8973 and R-4913, two Vortigaunts sent to Earth by Nihilanth. The mission Nihilanth has assigned them is the retrieval of crystals stolen from Xen by the Black Mesa science team. Both Vortigaunts are able to regain health by damaging objects or enemies.
Notable Vortigaunts
Uriah
Uriah appears in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. In Episode Two Gordon is introduced to the Vortigaunt when he reaches White Forest Rocket Facility. Gordon is instructed by Magnusson to head into the Silo 2 complex. Uriah lets Gordon into Silo 2 and reappears with Alyx when Gordon has closed the Silo Access. Uriah is later seen at the Magnusson Device training scene helping control the Strider test dummy.
Uriah is notable for being the only Vortigaunt with a name, and one of the few seen wearing human clothing. The developer's commentary reveals that this particular Vortigaunt acquired a name because of the special relationship it had with play testers. Uriah's original nickname was Heep, based on the character Uriah Heep from Charles Dickens's novel, David Copperfield. This is because the Vortigaunt species is known for its "heaping" posture. Like all Vortigaunts in Episode Two, he is voiced by actor Tony Todd.