In appearance, Vortigaunts are somewhat humanoid, with two legs and two arms and an additional third arm protruding from the chest. When the Black Mesa Incident occurred, their master, a being known as the Nihilanth, viewed the rift that opened as a chance to escape, and directed the Vortigaunts to invade Earth.įollowing the death of the Nihilanth, the Vortigaunts have chosen to ally themselves with the human-led Resistance in its bid to overthrow the Combine rule of Earth. Long before the Black Mesa Incident, the Vortigaunts' homeworld was invaded by the Combine, forcing the survivors of the invasion to flee to Xen. The Vortigaunts (taxonomic designation: Xenotherium subservilia, or 'Subservient Alien Beast'), formerly known as Alien Slaves or Xen Slaves, and affectionately known as 'Vorts' by their allies, are a sapient alien species found throughout the Half-Life series.
