Vortigaunt Guide²

[Appetite Ruining Kebab]

OVERVIEW
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The Vortigaunt continue to be allies to humanity in their mutual struggle for freedom. The uprising has led to the redoubling of their efforts; more ‘biotics’ are being broken out of captivity than ever, and global migration patterns point to large warrior enclaves heading in the direction of the greatest hotspots of militarized conflict. A tremendous ripple echoes within the Vortessence - one that has reminded the species of their destiny.

As the rebellion progresses however, their relationship with themselves and mankind alike has been visited by growing complications. The species finds itself at odds with one another - self-doubt and skepticism have given way to varying schools of thought regarding the future of their time on this planet, and the correct treatment of its inhabitants. Such disharmony remains a well-guarded secret within themselves, and many choose to resolve it by temporarily isolating themselves from their kin - integrating into the local human resistance to provide much needed assistance.

This paradigm shift and its repercussions will serve as the main narrative of the Vortigaunt faction in HL2RP(2).

The purpose of this thread is to outline the premises and systems by which the faction will operate in the upcoming iteration. For more basic information on Vortigaunts, see the Vortigaunt Faction Megathread.

RULES​

1. Standard server rules apply to the Vortigaunt faction.

2. No OOC “memeing” around whatsoever, especially during low population hours. (Example: Killing each other for fun, acting blatantly out of character, treating the gamemode as if it were sandbox etc.)

3. Standard PK rules apply - this involves death in inter-group conflicts, capture or negligence of FearRP.

4. If your character is PKed, you must reapply to the faction. If applications are closed, start a forum conversation with the faction leader(s).

5. You cannot apply for a Vortigaunt who has explicit Combine sympathies (e.g actively fighting for them/aiding them against the resistance).

6. No poor or abusive behavior, whether in or outside the faction/server. (E.g being toxic to someone, whether in OOC chat, on Steam or in Discord.)

POWERS

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All vortigaunt players will have access to the below abilities by default.

Captured vortigaunts may see the loss of one or more of these abilities.

The more ‘lore-defining’ abilities (resurrection, time halting, etc.) are not included in this list.

Note that you are not limited by what is written here; you have the option to apply for ‘custom powers’ specific to your character within reason.

Vortessence Strike
A concentrated beam that saps the life force out of its target - and weaves it into the Vortesence itself. The trademark ability of the vortigaunts.

Can be channeled into various forms, including but not limited to an area-of-effect ‘ground-pound’ as well as an enhancement to melee strikes.

Vortessence Cell Regeneration
The ability to mend basic wounds and stabilize major ones. The process works by manipulating a given lifeform’s cell production, deliberately accelerating it to a dramatic extent to quicken their healing.

A vortigaunt must rest after intense exercise of this ability.

A side effect of this procedure is that the recipient will find themselves feeling a sudden bout of intense hunger - the aftermath of an overstimulated metabolism.

A vortigaunt cannot perform this on themselves.

Vortessence Heat-and-Electricity Manipulation
The ability to reshape vortessence at a molecular level to suit the purposes of a particular energy source. Commonly used to power electrical outlets and weld objects, among other things.

Vortessence Object Manipulation
A low-cost ability allowing the vortigaunt to psychically move non-sentient objects and/or suspend them in air. Often one of the least likely abilities to be lost from Combine drilling processes.

In strong concentrations, a vortigaunt may be able to ‘levitate’ a willing participant.

Vortessence Lantern
A simple spark to create a source of light.

ALLEGIANCES​

Members of this faction are allowed and encouraged to form Vortigaunt Groups. (Also referred to as ‘Clusters’.)

Unlike resistance cells, vortigaunt groups are not regularly supplied by staff. However, once a week, they are allowed to perform extraordinary feats of Vortessence by combining their forces into a singular event.

Levitation of unwilling sentients, life saving procedures, time dilation, intra-dimensional teleportation - the list of possibilities is open to imagination within reason. Staff must be PMed in advance before such actions are authorized.

While a vortigaunt’s chief allegiance is to their own kind, they are often found disseminated across various human resistance cells. A vortigaunt may be part of a resistance group as well as a vortigaunt group at the same time. They may also choose to live in an isolated fashion from both.

CAPTURE

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During the fight for liberation, Vortigaunts may find themselves captured by the Combine. This will almost always be a strictly voluntary process - the Vortigaunt player will be the one to initiate their own surrender.

In general, refusing to surrender carries no penalty beyond an NLR. The current exception is if you attack first and get singled out/cornered afterwards. There will be more exceptions to this rule as time goes on - certain events will require the Combine to capture a set amount of ‘biotics’ to their cause at times, which will be incentivized by PK penalties if the vortigaunt player does not conform with FearRP.

Once captured, Vortigaunts are secured into essence-inhibiting shackles and confined to the nearest pod facility for their powers to be drained. These shackles' sole purpose is to restrict the use of vortessence; they have no tracking devices nor lethal countermeasures to escape attempts.

The initial drainage session lasts about 3 OOC days, after which time the vortigaunt is pulled out for a brief period of respite, where they are surgically drilled in their cortex so as to permanently cut them off from the Vortessence. This means you have 3 OOC days to plan your escape before permanent consequences occur to your character.

The drilling process comes with the guaranteed loss of ‘telepathic’ abilities, as well as the loss of a random basic power - which will be decided via a /roll.

After a full 7 OOC days, your character is drained completely of their remaining essence, and is PKed.

Vortigaunts facing a PK at the hands of Combine can request to be transferred to the Biotic whitelist instead. They will be drilled right away & will only have 3 OOC days to escape. before being PKed.

At any point during your capture, you may flag on your character and play them as a ‘biotic’.

For rules surrounding escape attempts, see the Server Ruleset.

BEHAVIOR

Below are brief guidelines that should help you portray your vortigaunt characters and groups in harmony with the vision of this iteration, as well as common vortigaunt writing ‘tropes’ we encourage you to avoid.

‘Ageism’
The concept of ‘elders’ is nonexistent within The Vortigaunt. In a species where there is a constant telepathic sharing of memories and experiences, where eons’ worth of wisdom is internalized equally by all its members, the individuality of an ‘old’ creature and the hierarchy of age loses meaning. The youngest of them are equally likely to achieve greatness as the old - any differences between vorts that come with length of lifespan are negligible. Age is rarely brought up as a means to resolve ‘arguments’, and is not a determining factor in which individual vortigaunt leads a given ‘cluster’ of their kin.


“I” vs “We” vs “This one”
A vortigaunt may refer to themselves by any of the above - they’re all valid and interchangeable. Often, the usage is dependent on the level of ‘selfhood’ a vortigaunt feels in a given moment of speech. Generally, vortigaunts who are severed from the vortessence refer to themselves as an individual, while those who are embedded strongly in it will use collective terms - deviations can occur dependent on context.


Cluster Identities
In light of the subtle fragmentation of their species, Vortigaunt Clusters often adopt a unique personality of their own to maintain their collective spirit.

Symbols, markings, chants, beliefs, rituals - anything that sets a Cluster apart from the rest of their species will in turn help legitimize their bond to one another, and empower them to perform greater feats of vortessence than those without the same degree of character.


Names and Monikers
Most vortigaunts who engage in contact with humanity tend to adopt 'nicknames' that are comprehensible in the human language. The nature of flux-shifting makes 'names' redundant within their own species, and those who are distinguished with 'vortigese' names rarely see its pronunciation done justice by species whose vortal inputs are impaired.

CONFLICT

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This is an uncertain era for The Vortigaunt. The bonds that hold them together are threatened by the changing times. As such, animosity between individual vortigaunts and even clusters, while rare, are known to occur - and can lead to terrifying results. These bitter rivalries are only overridden by their hatred of the Combine.


In this iteration, vortigaunt players are granted the unique opportunity to engage in active conflict against one another, within reason. With that said, any action of hostility you wish to undertake against another vortigaunt/cluster must be PMed to staff beforehand for oversight and approval.

In general, try to avoid direct violence and/or fatal measures if the situation does not unambiguously warrant it. Find creative ways to undermine one another. The stealing of resources, using human cells as proxies, reputation damage etc.

Note that ‘everyday’ character conflict does not fall under this and is permissible in any given circumstance. (Verbal confrontations, isolation from one another, etc.)

VISIONS

As a species with an intricate connection to the passage of time - Vortigaunts have an ill-defined capacity for a certain degree of clairvoyance.

On occasion, the faction will be provided with ‘visions’ of what lies ahead in terms of the future narrative of the server. These will often take the shape of forum posts that involve a vague title, and an undefined abstract image. Some vortigaunts may be given ‘foggier’ versions of the same image, some clearer, some given a more uniquely distorted variation of it compared to others, etc.

The vortigaunts are then encouraged to bring the ‘pieces’ of their vision together and communicate on the matter to resolve the prophecy of the future - or disagree on it, if they must.

CREDITS​

Appetite Ruining Kebab - Concept & writing
Numbers - Ideas & oversight. Some content.
Blackquill - Vort Megathread for certain segments.

Referenced Resources:
Vortigaunt Faction Megathread
Server Ruleset