[MEGA-EVENT] NEW FRONTIERS

[Dazor]

VORTIGAUNT

Nal'Darok

Age: 343

Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?: No, I haven’t played Vortigaunt and think that this event is a good opportunity to experience this roleplay. I have enough knowledge to roleplay a vortigaunt but it’ll be good to learn from others too.


Nal'Darok, emerged into the vibrant landscape of his home world, in the Alverda'Ridien System. In the grand expanse of Vortigaunt history, he was spawned during a turbulent era. Born into a world where the Xenotherium subservilia, the Vortigaunts, were in the oppressive grip of the Nihilith, the cosmic overlord who subjected them to factory labor and enslavement to fuel its army.



Nal'Darok's azure skin lacked the intricate tribal markings of his lineage, a testament to centuries of Vortigaunt culture lost. He was part of a generation that had known only the stifling rule of the Nihilith, their connection to the Vortessence shackled by cosmic chains. Raised in a world of hardship, his formative years were marked by toil in the factories, the relentless demands of the Nihilith, and the weight of oppression.



Despite the tumultuous circumstances, Nal'Darok's spirit remained unbroken. As he grew older, he developed an unyielding determination for his people enclaved by the tyranny of the Nihilith. It was during this period that he learned the value of unity from shared hardship, sharing tales of past glories and hope with fellow Vortigaunts under the dim glow of the Alverda'Ridien stars.



Nal'Darok witnessed the transition from enslavement to liberation with the arrival of the hero known as the Freeman. This extraordinary figure, alone, shattered the shackles of the Nihilith and set the Vortigaunts free. The triumphant feeling of liberation filled Nal'Darok with newfound purpose but this was only after the Nihilith had subjugated the humans of earth to the war between them and the unknowingly enslaved vortigaunt.



However, the joy of freedom was short-lived, as the Combine soon launched their invasion of Earth. While their home world remained untouched, Nal'Darok, feeling the deep cosmic connection to the Vortessence, understood that the survival of the Vortigaunt species was at stake. They could not abandon their Earthly kin, as their fates were intricately linked.



During the time after the 7-hour war on Earth, Nal'Darok joined his Vortigaunt brothers forming a new tribe on this alien planet, together they traversed the American West to East witnessing the knowledge and intricacies of the fallen human civilisation. His 300 years of experience allowed him to be a stalwart pillar of wisdom and strength in their journey, learning the ways from the older vortigaunt on the knowledge and practise of the Vortessence.



Nal'Darok's experience over his time on Earth has given a fascination with what humans are and had achieved before the Combine, while keeping to the traditions of his kin.



Now, as a young but seasoned Vortigaunt, Nal'Darok shares the hope for the future with his tribe, nurturing the young and guiding them with the accumulated knowledge of centuries. His devotion to the Vortessence, his people, and the cosmic mysteries that shaped their existence remained steadfast.​

 

[ZeroPants]

Applying for Vortigaunt!
Steam name: Tuki
Steam profile link or ID: Here
Discord: ezequiel4661

//

Name: Zoh'kar-than
Age: 400
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist? Yes

Spoiler: Backstory!!

Backstory:

Zoh'kar-than was a Vortigaunt spawned into a life of servitude and oppression, as many more of their kin in Xen. For centuries, their existence had been defined by the relentless rule of the Nihilanth. Under the Nihilanth's tyranny, the Vortigaunts were devoid of culture and traditions, falling into a monotone life of servitude. They toiled endlessly in the factories, forced to labor on the production lines, creating the infamous Hulkabin

Then.. the infamous day came, the resonance cascade, vivid memories remaining on Zoh'kar-than's memory... Being teleported into unknown ground with their kin. Zoh'kar-than, like many of their kin, had no choice but to participate in the assault, unleashing chaos upon the facility, working as mere drones for the Nihilanth's plan.

However, Zoh'kar-than was one of their kin to survive, his mind tormented by the Nihilanth's control yet then... Silence, his mind fell into peace. The Nihilanth ultimately slayed by a mere human, Zoh'kar-than finally finding themselves freed from the Nihilanth's control. Yet now they were left alone and stranded on Earth, a world foreign and bewildering to them, Zoh'kar-than's journey took them westward. To the United States, a nightmarish country or what was left of it, with an ever-expanding infestation.

As they ventured further west, Zoh'kar-than couldn't escape the images of destruction and suffering they had witnessed during the Nihilanth's assault on the facility. The screams of humans and the deafening sounds of gunfire echoed in their mind, a constant reminder of the role they had unwittingly played in that cataclysmic event. The guilt and shame gnawed at their consciousness, and it was as if the Nihilanth's malevolent presence still lingered, a dark shadow that refused to fade.

But as they journeyed on, something miraculous happened. The memories of Black Mesa began to lose their grip on Zoh'kar-than's mind. The Nihilanth's control over them, once so absolute, started to wane. It was as if the death of the Nihilanth had severed the last tether between them and the oppressive influence of their former master. Gradually, Zoh'kar-than found moments of peace amidst the turmoil.

With newfound clarity, Zoh'kar-than continued their westward trek, determined to find a place where they could truly belong. They encountered the ever-expanding infestation that had overrun the United States, a land now teeming with alien flora and fauna, where remnants of human civilization clung desperately to survival. It was a nightmarish country, a reflection of the twisted consequences of the resonance cascade.

Amidst this bleak landscape, Zoh'kar-than stumbled upon a group of Vortigaunts, their fellow kin who had also found themselves stranded on this alien world. It was a moment of profound relief and joy. Here, they were finally among those who understood the agony of their past and the longing for freedom. In the midst of the encroaching Xenian Malignancy, these Vortigaunts had managed to carve out a life for themselves, free from the oppressive grasp of the Enslavers.

Together with their newfound kin, Zoh'kar-than embarked on a life of resistance against the Combine and the Xenian Malignancy, forging a path in the inhospitable, ever-changing landscape of the West.

APPLYING FOR VORTIGAUNT
Steam name: Señor Sauce
Steam profile link or ID:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/GmanRockFTW/
Discord: senorsauce

//

Name: Ura'Ormdarr'Rut
Age: 542
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist? Yes
Backstory:

Spoiler

Spawned shortly after the arrival of its Kin to the planet Xen, Ora'Ormdarr-Rut knew nothing of enslavement. Its tribe lived deep within Xen, hiding away with expert nomadic tactics. The enslavement of its Kin was a distant thought, a memory only as deep as the Vortessence allowed. Though they took the opportunity to free their Kin when it came, due to the strength of the Nihilanth and its forces, they struggled to survive as it was, and could not make this a priority. As some escaped Elder Kin had learned the Xenian language and taught it to all members of the tribe, they were a strong group that was capable of utilizing Xenian life to their advantage. This tribe had a fascination with Xenian life as it served as a protector, food source, blood/materials for rituals, and induction into their war ranks in some cases. Ora'Ormdarr-Rut had a special attachment to Antlions, particularly the warrior kind as it felt these creatures were similar to itself in many ways; strong hunters who are destined to fight for their species. Similar to great migrants of human history, these Vortigaunts used Antlions and other Xenian life as livestock and hunters as they travelled. Through careful choice of which battles to take and where they may run, this tribe was able to narrowly escape the clutches of the Nihilanth repeatedly.

Spoiler

During The Resonance Cascade, the tribe decided it would be better to hide on a new planet where most of its Kin would be, capable of working more efficiently in a place that was far from the hold of its previous Captor, the Nihilanth. So, the tribe ran for Earth through the portal storm, ending up in the Mid-West of the United States. Pushing further West to cement themselves inside the already familiar and growing Xenian infestation, they worked to expand the region that it held so the Combine and its forces had no choice but to leave the tribe alone.. It is here where this tribe and many others formed an alliance- the formation of the Great North American Vortigaunt Alliance- at least, this is what many humans called it. Here, the Kin would spend time fighting back relentless waves of Combine forces for their new home, and attempting to grow it larger all the same. Total Xenian control of the planet would spell victory for the Alliance, as the Vortigaunts and their 'pets' could live free of Combine control, and the only price to pay is the loss of humans- though not favored as this tribe often used humans for information or knowledge, it was a worthy sacrifice for the price of total freedom for all Vortigaunts.

The few humans who were capable of living in the hostile wastelands had shared knowledge of the Combine Distribution Facility, Number 8- or as they called it, the Heart of Slavery. Though the alliance had largely remained inside of the infestation fortress as it had little reason to venture outside, the Vortigaunts decided that was their next target, and the Antlion-spirited warrior Ora'Ormdarr-Rut jumped at the opportunity to assist in the expansion of their Xenian home- to cripple the Facility was to claim the continent, and so this warrior would set out to do just that.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

<:: Welcome to Overwatch Central Intelligence::>
<:: Submit Login Information::>

User: Overwatch-Unit Confirmed
Password: *******************

<:: Accessing File::>
<:: File Number#68257::>

Conscription Application:​

Steam name: Cengo
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:113942347
Discord: cengo62

//

Name: Artyom Smirnov
Why were you conscripted? Was it a punishment for a crime you committed, did you volunteer, or were you selected at random?

Artyom Smirnov lived in City 3. He was falsely accused of helping the Soviet Reclamation Force during the Missile Attack. Sadly, the Overwatch Forces had no real Evidence at hand against him, so they simply relocated him and forced him to join the Conscripts.​

What useful skills do you have?

Artyom Smirnov was never capable of handling Tools or other Equipment that were needed to work with Metal. He was better at helping people. He was a Doctor once before the Old World collapsed, but he simply refused to treat the people who worked alongside the Combine. will this way of thinking now change when one of his Conscripts Comrades gets injured? It remains to be seen​

Backstory:

Artyom Smirnov lived in City 3. He didn't think much of the combined occupation after the 7 Hours. He was separated from his Family and Wife. He had no children of his own but was planning on having a son with his Wife. After he was relocated to City 3, was he forced to work inside a Metal Factory. He hated the stench and Tools that needed to be used to bend the Metal to its form. He hated his Job and the Small Apartment that he lived in with other people, so one day, he simply refused to show up for Work in the Factory he was working for. He was accused of working for the Soviet Reclamation Force; his absence was noted in his File, and he was quickly Relocated and forced to join Combine Conscripts.​

​

Steam name: AGA_
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Agadie/
Discord: real_agatha
//

Conscript Application!
Name: Joshua Holland

Why were you conscripted? Was it a punishment for a crime you committed, did you volunteer, or were you selected at random?

Joshua Holland was (un)luckily selected after being recommended for conscription by his superiors in the hospital.

What useful skills do you have?

Joshua Holland worked for the underfunded and under-equipped citizen branch of the Medical Union in City-70 prior to his conscription. By trade, he was a nurse.

Backstory:

Life before the Combine was a blur for Holland. A college drop-out that never stood for anything in his mundane yet pathetic existence, drifting around purposelessly in his home state of Michigan. To the naked eye, it appeared that Holland was destined to a life without meaning, which was definitely the case until the Combine took over.

Holland was herded into Detroit following the occupation. Life was miserable for every common citizen in City-70, a city that was insanely overcrowded and severely lacking in terms of resources. And in here, not wanting to suffer the same woes as the common water plant or industrial workers of City-70, Holland devised a plan to improve his own living situation - by joining the local Medical Union.

Utilizing buzzwords, common tropes from fiction and dialogues he remembered from TV shows before the war, Holland faked his way into becoming a nurse for the local hospital. Surprisingly, Holland performed adequately with what little resources and knowledge he had, quickly becoming a darling for impoverished patients.

This however, drew the ire from his superiors. Distrusting the "new guy" who was not an "elitist" in the medical institution, information regarding his actual credentials finally reached his managers, which just so happens to coincide with the time he was conscripted as a "field medic".

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

<:: Welcome to Overwatch Central Intelligence::>
<:: Submit Login Information::>

User: Overwatch-Unit Confirmed
Password: *******************

<:: Accessing File::>
<:: File Number#40380::>

Conscript Application

​

Steam name: Solstice
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:93210022
Discord: emim

//

Name: Ember Reed
Why were you conscripted? Was it a punishment for a crime you committed, did you volunteer, or were you selected at random?

Ember Reed, shockingly, volunteered from the masses of City One for service within the forces being deployed to the Xenian Malignancy Zone and American Wastelands.

What useful skills do you have?

Ember Reed's primary beneficial attributes to her service as a conscript are of a kind less materially tangible, but instead of a type that originate from her disposition. She is a driven and dedicated individual, dramatically determined to accomplish tasks set before her, a trait originating from long years as a laborer meeting quotas and accomplishing specifically outlined tasks.

Backstory:

Spoiler: Accessing

Ember Reed was born in Eastern Oregon just before the turn of the century, to a loving and dedicated family of her mother and father. The first and only child of Cody Reed, a retired United States Marine, and his wife Megan Reed, a retired Navy Corpsman, Ember was the culmination of two long bloodlines of Veterans to the United States Armed Forces. Proud of their service and proud of their nation, she was immersed from her earliest memories in the immense pride they felt for the glorious nation they called home, their infectious love for their homeland and their ideals of service to their nation. A promising childhood for a happy youth, with loving parents that were dedicated to see her succeed was, however, turned astray naught but a few years after her birth, when the Black Mesa facility caused a resonance cascade, and the world was plunged into the abject horror of the portal storms.

Escaping just barely with their lives in the disorganized, panicked and haphazard evacuation of the Western, and soon Midwestern states, Ember and her family arrived in New York State. Shaken by their experiences in withering the portal storms, and the rapidly decaying situation of the world, they found themselves amidst a flood of humanity, the unfortunate souls who, like them, had lost their homes to the alien scourge devastating the planet. To their credit, her parents held on hope, aiding fellow refugees however they could, and steadfastly sticking to the deteriorating patch of land that they had begun to occupy, rather than join the masses fleeing on boats and aircraft east, to Europe. Dreadful years on years passed, and the situation didn't improve. Rationing struck, the flag changed to reflect a formal cut off of the fallen Western states, rationing worsened, the overcrowding of what cities were left never seemed to ease, and in this backdrop of squalor and suffering, Ember watched on, oblivious in her youth to the true extent of terror it represented. Her parents, however, did not know that luxury, as they sat on the sidelines, unable to do anything as the nation they had sworn an oath to, and served diligently, as their own parents had before them, was brought to its knees by a threat beyond even what they could comprehend, and the world they knew crumbled away.

Three short years was all they had before the grim realities of the portal storms brought with them an even darker truth, and the reaching claw of the combine descended to claim earth as its own. Across the world militaries stood to defend their lands and people, and just as quickly were swept aside. In Europe, France and Germany fought on, at their most extreme Bundsewehr stood even after the cessation of hostilities the world over. Yet, this meant nothing, for from the crowded sprawl of mankind that Ember and her family dwelled within, all they could do was watch as the beleaguered soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors of the United States armed forces, exhausted after three hard years of war against an ceaseless alien tide attempted to combat a technologically and numerically superior force that had arrived without warning. The slow death of the United States had been averted, by the swift decapitating strike of the combine. Their people, their nation, the liberties and ideals they had sworn to and they had held out hope would live were gone, and it didn't even take the full seven hours.

Her parents broke, all their pride and love trampled beneath a loss that threatened to tear them apart, generations of service to the greatest nation in the world reduced nothing. The notion that the United States was weak after all it suffered was anathema to them, the idea that their homeland had faltered ludicrous. And so, instead, to cope with the new realities they could not deny, they bought into the propaganda that soon followed occupation. It was not that they and their own had been weakened by years of strife and war, it was simply that the combine were strong. It was not by their own weakness and refusal to act that the combine took power, it was that the combine was morally correct, they truthfully had come to save humanity. A lie all the easier to stomach when they went from cramped cities and refugee camps, with strict rationing and generalized filth, to the cramped confinement of terminal two, with holding camps and strict rationing, their life not truthfully, ostensibly worse under the combine than it had been under their former national government. These mental gymnastics, and twistings of the truth, were bottled and fed to their daughter, Ember. And so it was, a youth who had experienced all the horrors of the portal storms, the horrors of life as a crisis refugee, and withered the offenses of the seven hour war, would be convinced not at first by propaganda or the deceit of ministries, but by her own parents that the combine was good.

Years later, Ember had truthfully integrated the supposed truths of propaganda into her core, the easiest route in life was easily to accept the goodness of the combine, and now she had grown up with much her life adherent to those very ideas, even as her family was torn apart and sent across the very earth. Ember, perhaps by happenstance, or clerical error by some tired worker for an obscure administrative center, was returned to City One. Returning to the scene of her childhood, now rebuilt by the combine during the renewed retrofits. A dedicated laborer, she lived within the city as a collaborator for a short time, hearing of the growing malignancy that had consumed her childhood and displaced her from everything she had once known, now threatening the lives of the untold thousands, if not millions, that occupied City One. Conscription was placed into effect, and droves of unwitting and unwilling citizens were snatched from their blocks to be serviced as fodder against this threat. Ember was not among them.

Ember was the culmination of two long bloodlines of Veterans to the United States Armed Forces. Proud of their service and proud of their nation, who had been raised under the ideal of armed service as a necessary duty to be fulfilled, and corrupted in the false certainty of the combine's goodness. She was unlike the masses that had been taken from workshifts and snatched from ration lines to be pressed into frontline duty, for she was among the few volunteers to place themselves utterly willingly against the horror of the Xenian Malignancy Zone and American Wastelands.

​

Conscript Application
Steam name: villeneuve
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/id/ChevroIet/
Discord: villenora

//

Name: Isobelle Hocken
Why were you conscripted? Was it a punishment for a crime you committed, did you volunteer, or were you selected at random?
Simply put, Isobelle is a hoodlum who's hand was caught in the cookie jar one too many times. She has several orange-tier violations to her name, all earned throughout a time period of one year. The straw that broke the camel's back was a charge for civic disunity, which she got conscripted for and sent to the wasteland.
What useful skills do you have?
Hocken is an able bodied, young woman with a great eyesight. Her use in the field is usually in some sort of scouting position, as she prefers to be constantly up and about instead of remaining in one place. Determination is not her strength - seeing as she has a metaphorical gun to her back - but her willingness to do anything her superiors ask of her, just to survive.

Backstory:
Born to Harrier and Jasmin Hocken in Detroit in 1999, Isobelle's future was cut down from the very start. Just as she began to develop herself and grow into a person, Earth was annexed by the Combine. Her mother was killed in the violent chaos that came with the sudden invasion, while Harrier struggled to cope with such a tragic loss.

With each year, his mental condition worsened. By 2010, he had become a shell of a man. Nothing but a saddening vegetable who mumbles to himself and occasionally bats an eye to his daughter. Troubled by such a disturbing sight, Isobelle distanced herself from him and her home, choosing to be in the company of a few other, similarly dysfunctional kids.

As the children grew, so did their unaccountable habits. Over the years, they had grown from a friend group to a small gang of petty thieves and dealers. They cared little for work or others, they were satisfied as long as their pockets were filled with whatever items they've managed to steal from an unsuspecting soul. The Civil Protection paid little heed to them, usually tasked with more important issues than juvenile troublemakers.

By 2019, however, the circumstances have changed. Long gone are the days of impenetrable walls and peace on the streets. Long gone are simple re-educations for orange violations. The Malignance zone had begun to encroach onto the wasteland separating it City Seventy and its sister cities. Like hawks, the authorities scanned the city for any potential offenders - with violators, no matter the offense, getting shipped off to serve in the hundreds.

After a particularly tiring day of stealing, Isobelle visited one of the bars in the industrial zone. Liberally using the few credits to her name, she became visibly inebriated - stumbling out onto the street and mumbling incoherent nonsense. It did not take long for an officer of the Civil Protection to take notice, thus tacking a charge of improper function onto the woman. However, after seeing the violations to her name, he took her in for conscription...

View attachment 27289
[-Name: Lieutenant George Zerillo-]

[-Status: Random Selection-]

[-Designation: Vehicle Support Specialist-]


Zerillo's story began in the bustling neighbourhoods of Brooklyn, where the aroma of Italian cuisine filled the air, and close-knit communities were bound by shared heritage and dreams of a better life. Growing up in such an environment, he learned the importance of family, loyalty, and resilience from the Mafia families that had long been a symbol of his community. Despite facing discrimination and adversity due to his heritage, Zerillo held onto these values, shaping his perspective on life.

When the Combine invasion shattered his world, Zerillo lost contact with his family and friends, a void that haunted him through the chaotic days that followed. The horrors of war and the brutality of the invasion stripped away the innocence of his youth, forcing him to adopt a survivalist mindset. In the harsh realities of the occupied United States, he realized the need to fend for himself and protect his people, values deeply ingrained in the Italian immigrant spirit.

Zerillo's resilience and resourcefulness caught the eye of the Combine authorities, leading him to be drafted into their conscript army. Unlike many others who were thrown into the front lines, Zerillo found himself in a specialized vehicular training program. This stroke of luck afforded him a relatively safer position, shielded from the worst of the battles that raged across the country. His expertise behind the wheel and quick thinking became his weapons, his vehicle an extension of himself in the fight for humanity's very survival.

In the midst of chaos, he clung to the remnants of his humanity, seeking solace in honest work and the possibility of a better future. Zerillo's determination led him away from the path of crime, despite the tempting allure of easy money in those desperate times. He dreamed of finding love, of building a family in a world torn apart by conflict. However, the invasion dashed those dreams, leaving him with a regretful taste of what could have been.

Now, Zerillo is a changed man, guided by the harsh lessons of survival. He has become pragmatic, understanding that the old world is gone, replaced by a landscape marred by xen flora and alien creatures. In this new reality, he has embraced the idea of self-preservation above all else. Every day, he witnesses the loss of lives, the extinction of entire bloodlines, and the rapid decay of civilizations. Yet, he clings to the hope that amidst the chaos, a new culture can emerge, a new life can be built, and if fate allows, a planet can still be called home.

Haunted by the memories of his past and driven by the need to secure a future, Zerillo navigates the harsh terrain of the American East with a gritty determination. He is a survivor, a symbol of resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity, and in his heart, he carries the legacy of his people, vowing to preserve their heritage even in the bleakest of times.
​

PATRIOTS APPLICATION View attachment 27089​

View attachment 27094
THE PATRIOTS
"I don't recall allowing these fucking aliens to LIVE! Kill those fucking Aliens!" - True American Patriot

Steam name:

Marco

Steam profile link or ID:

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198040182934/

Discord:

marco.7184

// CHARACTER \\

Spoiler: Get Ready!

Name:

JAKE STONE

View attachment 27095

What useful skills do you have?:

LOVIN' GUNS
LOVIN' CARS
LOVIN' SHOOTING ALIENS

LOVIN' THE MIDNIGHT RIDE!

Backstory:

"I remember that ride, down in Texas. Best time of my life!"

THE BAND!

View attachment 27100View attachment 27101View attachment 27102View attachment 27103

Spoiler: Get Ready!

Yeah! YEAH!

TEXAS 2004 - DECEMBER
The First Hour

"All I want for Christmas is to Kick Your Ass!"


'Tis was a cold Christmas morning. The birds were howling, the dogs were chirping. Just like every other fuckin' morning. Though, I got the talent to make banging music with the Midnight Riders! So there I was. In the Bar at 6AM, drinking one with Dusty. Then my glass fell on the floor, lousy yankee! I punched some random guy in the face! How in the hell am I meant to ROCK if I can't get my fucking beer! I heard another glass hit the floor.

"What the fuck is that!" I heard someone shout.




"It's clearly an alien" Dusty stated.

"You ain't got a brain? That's you on a Friday night!" I quipped, laughing after said remark.

"H-ho-holy shit!" I could hear the piss running through the coward's pants. I thought drinkers were tough, clearly this guy's incontinence is a result of poor upbringing and lack of ambition. We laugh at those pissed scared at some- random alien shootin' beams across the streets. Then, something clicks in my friend's Dusty mind.

"JAKE! Let's get to the BUS! We gotta get the BOYS and the guns!"

Without saying another word, I hopped out the bar stool and ran outside! I dug into my pockets, moving past countless cigarettes and some tissues and pulled out the car keys! Into the bus we went, turning the key and igniting the engine! I slammed my foot on the pedal, switching the gear-box on manual because I'm a badass!

Around the block I went! Moving to the RIDIN' HOTEL, kicking down the doors and gettin' Smitty and Ox on the BUS! Fucking aliens were everywhere! Traffic was insane!

THE GUN STORE!

View attachment 27107​

"JAKE! YOU GENIUS! YOU CRASHED THE FUCKING BUS INTO A WALL!" Ox Remarked.

"FORGET THE BUS, GRAB THOSE FIRE WORKS! WE GOTTA GET THE GUNS!" I shouted back.

Despite their begrudgingly obvious dissatisfaction and blatant anger with the renowned bus being crashed by JAKE the lover, they continued onwards! I led the RIDERS to THE GUN STORE! The door was locked, yet numerous people were trying to get in! I reached into one of my boundless pockets littered all over my million dime leather jacket made from some badass cow hide. I pulled out a gas lighter, grabbing a firework from Smitty! I lit the firework! Directing it towards the fans hounding at the door of the 'MIDNIGHT RIDERS TOY SHOP'!

"Get off my fuckin' property!" I shouted, my bellowing voice of absolute domineering power enact fear into their hearts.

I watched as the firework go fly and crash into the wall! The crowd stared at me, as if I did something stupid. BANG! The firework went off, and the crowd scattered and gave me passage for the MIDNIGHT RIDERS!

View attachment 27109

We started grabbin' all the grenade launchers, snipers, shotguns, rifles that we could carry! Got ourselves some nasty laser sights as well. Armoured up and ARMED! By the time I got outside, we had to get moving! I saw those alien ships pass over the sky, our own fighter jets clearly surpassing them in speed! That's America for you!

After jacking some unlucky loser's car, I drove, smashed, crashed numerous cars on our path to wherever the fuck I wanted to go at the moment. Boom, boom! I looked in the rear mirror, fucking aliens were shooting laser beams at us!

"Fucking stormtroopers! At least they got shit aim!"
We fired back, our own shots being just as abysmal, as one would expect from a car moving at over sixty MILES per hour! Especially on an off-road path!

I swerved and dodged their shots, some inevitably hit the car, and goddamn. I turned the car into a massive river! SPLASH! I kicked out the door, I obviously wasn't wearing a seatbelt because I'm badass! Yeah! America! Me and the boys got out of our jacked cars, and used the current to escape our pursuers! We lost most of them guns, they all got jammed or something. Me and the boys still had those trusty AR-15s! OORAH! America!

They never caught us! Nah! I met up with some of my fans wanderin' the woods, hunting them boars and such for meat! I always told them that we needed to go camping! The folks told us about some kinda 'Combine' Band. New Challengers? They ain't gonna rock as bad as us.

To the Midnight Ride!
View attachment 27111


View attachment 27112
(A picture of me holding a badass SPAS-12)​

​

⎍ ⊑⎍⊬⌇⟒ ⌿⎎⟟ ⟟⌇⏁ ⎍ ⊑⎍⊬⌇⟒ ⏁⊑⍜⎍⊑⎍⊬⌇⟒ ⏁⊑⍜⎍⌿⎎⟟ ⟟⌇⏁ ⎍ ⊑⎍⊬⌇⟒ ⏁⊑⍜
View attachment 27096
⊑⎍ ⊑⎍⊬⌇⟒⎍⊬⌿⎎⟟ ⟟⌇⏁⎍⎍⊑⎍⊬⌇⟒ ⏁⊑⍜⎍⌇⟒ ⏁⊑⍜⏁⊑⍜ ⎍ ⊑⎍⊬⌇⟒ ⎎⟟ ⟟⌇⏁ ​

Steam name: justwats
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:609543053
Discord: justwats

//

Name: Vorlan'Ksan
Age: 1248
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?: No

​

Spoiler: Backstory:

Spoiler: Music

Vorlan'Ksan emerged in the world during the aftermath of the successive wars of kin, his first breaths drawing in the arid essence of Duvan'Merda after return from their spawning pilgrimage. His early memories were painted with hues of orange and brown, reflecting the unique landscape and his own darker hide. As a descendant of the region's prominent armorers, his juvenile hands were soon introduced to the age-old traditions of shaping metals and crafting intricate lariats. Each swirl of desert wind seemed to whisper ancient tales, and the shimmering mirages held visions of distant lands and epochs of long-forgotten elegance.

Guided by the wise Takar’Io, Vorlan'Ksan was nourished on tales that spanned both the age of peril and prosperity. His mentor, a beacon from a tumultuous past, shared sagas of the Kay'Basar's return to tradition, the unwavering spirit of the Sha'Gani, and the diplomatic strides of the El'Tuk and Alva'Sari. As the narratives unfolded, a distinct insatiable curiosity marked Vorlan'Ksan's adolescence. While many in Duvan'Merda were engrossed in their trades, Vorlan'Ksan found himself irresistibly drawn to the more adventurous tales, particularly those of Aldu’Ragnak's expeditions and the undying spirit of exploration they embodied.

View attachment 27105
In the warmth of Duvan'Merda's sun, Vorlan'Ksan absorbed the wisdom of reason when unity redefined society, marking the dawn of their modern era. Yet, with every lesson on their collective strength, Takar’Io's voice would also echo cautionary tales of the potential pitfalls of arrogance. With these stories coursing through him, Vorlan'Ksan became witness to the bridge between the past and the promising future, poised to navigate the evolving landscapes of the civilization he grew with.

Yet, even as the old-world tales inspired him, Vorlan'Ksan was firmly rooted in their tradition. He became renowned in his region for his faculty in smithing, specifically for integrating old-world designs into them. Each piece he created told a story, hinting at the rich tapestry of his existence and exposing the connection of timelines to the past.


View attachment 27108Growing up, children of the Duvan'Merda were often regaled with tales of the Vulda'Mas, the aerial predator that dominated the northern skies. While most considered it folklore, Vorlan'Ksan believed the stories of the ancestral myth. Instead of seeing it as a threat, the ancient Vortigaunts believed that the Vulda'Mas were deeply connected to the Vortessence, much like them. This spiritual link was evident in how it hunted, always in sync with the desert's rhythm, taking only what was necessary and maintaining the fragile equilibrium of the ecosystem. The Vortessence did not discriminate between predator and prey; it flowed through all, uniting every entity in its vast, intricate web.

These creatures were believed to hold the key to understanding the ancient migratory patterns of his kin, even blazing the path for many routes that Vortigaunts utilized in pilgrimages between regions. Encounters with the Vulda'Mas were seen as spiritual tests, pushing Vortigaunts to connect deeper with the Vortessence and understand its teachings. It was believed that a true master of the Vortessence could stand amidst the Vulda'Mas and not be seen as prey but as an equal integral to the universe's grand design. Respect for the Vulda'Mas wasn't rooted in fear but in understanding and mutual recognition. Whenever Vorlan'Ksan traversed the rocky terrains and spotted a shade of Vulda'Mas in the distance, he would pause, close his eyes, and resonate with the Vortessence, acknowledging the creature's role and sending energies of respect and peace.

View attachment 27113
One day, a dark cloud descended upon his hearth as the tides of the old world became subjugated, as many of its kind, including Vorlan'Ksan's ancestors, were forcefully uprooted from their homes and thrust into rigorous combat. The tools they once used to craft intricate armor and trinkets were repurposed for warfare. The martial might overshadow the once-celebrated artistry they were forced to embody. The history of his folk is stained by the echoes of their struggle; the now enslaved fighters, their hands, which once shaped beauty, now shackled in chains of war, serving the Nihilanth's malevolence and philosophy. While many Vortigaunts from other regions might have forgotten or dismissed the past, the scars of this era remained deeply etched in the collective memory of its people, serving as a reminder of the sacrifices made and the resilience of the spirit.




View attachment 27110As the realities of the Vortigaunt world shifted post-Nihilanth, Vorlan'Ksan's expertise in crafting became invaluable. While considered mere myths now, the legends of his own reminded him of what qualities to ground himself in. In the face of adversities, during his kind's attacks on the scientific facility, he lost his most valuable mentor Takar'lo, the foreshadowing message precursor to the attacks the sage mentioned to Vorlan'Ksan, warning of his death, guiding him to continue his legacy as he passed his relics and spear.

Vorlan'Ksan's journey into the New Frontier is driven by two core principles - discovery and solidity. Just as Sage Takar’Io once ventured against the wishes of the Kay'Basar, Vorlan'Ksan seeks to understand the new world, drawing parallels with the ancient tales of his homeland. Armed with armor and trinkets that carry the weight of his history and the spirit of his mythos, Vorlan'Ksan steps into the unknown, ready to face challenges and perhaps, in time, become a legend himself.

Steam name: TheNewz
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:0:174058743
Discord: TheNewz#7806

---

MASON G. SNAKE
[VOLUNTEER VETERAN]

MASON G. SNAKE HAS SHOWN INCREDIBLE CAPABILITIES TO ADAPT, SCOUT AND ACT AS A SNIPER ON THE FIELD IN SUCH WAYS AS MANAGING TO SURVIVE AND ESCAPE SEVERAL ENCOUNTERS WITH DEATHWATCH SQUADRONS WHILE DEPLOYED INSIDE OF CITY-21, EQUIPPED WITH A M24 AND THE OLD OBSELETE STANDARD ISSUED M.A.A UNIFORM.

MANAGING TO TAKE DOWN A ELITE OVERWATCH UNIT AND CRIPPLING SEVERAL TROOPS, HELPING IN THE TAKE DOWN OF A HUNTER DEPLOYED TO ERASE THE INHABITANTS OF THE FUNGUS-INFESTED CITY-21.

(SURVIVED AN APARTMENT FILLED WITH A HORDE OF FAST ZOMBIES WITHIN A SQUAD OF THREE, ONLY WIELDING A KNIFE AND A M9 AND FIGHTING A GARGANTUA WHILE EQUIPPED WITH A M4A1, A SNIPER RIFLE, A SHOTGUN AND A PISTOL, MANAGING TO DISTRACT THE GIGANTIC BEAST FOR A PROLONGED TIME OF AT LEAST 15 MINUTES WITH A GROUP OF SIX UNTIL A RPG WAS FOUND)

RECORDED HISTORY:

CODENAME: VENUS

CODENAME: VENUS "Everyone believes that we are alive. Really, we're all just waiting for the train to hell so we can have a bit of a break." The freshest of Seattle's air comes during the middle of the day, when the sun is highest and brightest. The photosynthesis of the few remaining...

willard.network

MASON G. SNAKE WAS RESCUED BY HELICOPTER ALONGSIDE THE M.A.A COMMANDING OFFICER OF CITY-21 AND TWO CIVIL PROTECTION UNITS ALLOWING HIM A SECOND CHANCE AS A CONSCRIPT.

AFTER BEING INTERROGATED ABOUT HIS VIEWS ON THE UNIVERSAL UNION AND FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON THE ACTION THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN CITY-21, HAVING SECURED THE MINISTER AND PROJECT LEAD OF "PROJECT VENUS", IT WAS JUDGED THAT MASON G. SNAKE WOULD BE PUT BACK INTO ACTIVE DUTY AS A CONSCRIPT AND ACT AS A GUIDE FOR THE NEW WAVES OF CANNON-FODDER.

MANAGING TO SURVIVE UNTIL THIS DAY, HE HAS BEEN DEPLOYED ON THE FRONTIER TO MOST LIKELY DIE.

(I added some feats to flex on people, don't take it too seriously.)​

Simple Minutemen of the Cause

Spoiler: OOC Information

Steam name: The Sniper
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:6533079
Discord: Kaisler#3325

//

Name:

Johnathan Jacob Wilde


What useful skills do you have?

Spoiler: What useful skills do you have?

"Skills? Fuck .. it has really come to that? I remember before all of this, me as a kid. Used to hang around the basketball course, dreaming big and loud. Dreaming about being something and someone. Used to be a rockerboy, playing the chords like a maniac. Now I've traded the guitar for the gun. Ain't too much of a difference, you just have to know which strings to pull and it will go by itself. Guess I should praise my Texan up-bringing and the 2nd Amendment for that. Born and raised by the gun. After they came, well... ain't gonna do me good to dwell on it. The States we grew up in? Well, it ceased to exist the same moment they came. Our lives uprooted and destroyed. Like I said, ain't gonna dwell on it... but sometimes, you wonder what you would've become if it weren't for all this.

When the relocations started and the split had already begun; I was forced to survive by myself, y'know? Like so many others. Fell in with smuggling. I was good at it, y'know? Wasn't that much of a security back then like now.. the chaos of the occupation made sure of that. Moved everything, from guns to medicine; tobacco and hell, even live animals. For a moment, it felt like there was more freedom out there than it had ever been. But, it was an illusion. Made me pick up the wrench too, need cars to travel the distances and the wastes of the ol' states? Hell, gonna need a ride if you even thought of traversing that. Guess that's why they relied on idiots like me. Those who had nothing to lose and was ready to just go at it. Living on my own I guess, had formed me. Ain't too sure if it was anything I ever wanted, but.. can beggars really be choosers in this world?"-

Backstory:

Spoiler: That one thing that changed it all

-"Youngest in the family, whatever good that ever made me. Born in the state of Texas, before the dissolution of the old states. Lookin' back at it now, ain't that much that ever changed. Somehow it feels like this is how it was always supposed to be, no matter the choices we had back then. Like figures of clay, we are molded by our surroundings without any control of it all. When they came, well.. hell broke loose. Like small ants in an enormous colony, they concentrated us into these camps. Refugee Zone 3454, District 7. New York has seen prettier days.. but it was there they split us up. Whole family disintegrated after that. Took my older sis' and brother, haven't seen them since.. dad had already left, hell.. something even tells me he did it voluntarily."-

-"In the end, they took mom. Left alone, I drifted around.. wouldn't be long until we orphans numbered into the thousands. Some of us went out, most of us didn't. Ended up doing whatever we could to get the day around, building a new family in this world of hell. It fucked me up good, left to rot .. but it molded me into the man I was supposed to be. Didn't take long after that until we started doin' runs with others; traversing terrain deformed and mutilated by our Occupants. Should have been in school, instead I was knee-dip in shit like so many others. Didn't take long after that until many of us joined 'em. The Patriots... a ragtag bunch, an idea.. and so much more. It was everything. It became family.. a reason to live. An expectation of seein' the light at the end of the tunnel, something that would reverse everything and restore it all to normality. It never became normal. Been like this many years now; some days, I even wonder if its worth it in the end. Y'know what it is that keeps me going? Strange to say it, but it feels like - it ain't all lost. It feels like, those I've lost are still out there; somewhere... and if I were to give up now, I'd give up on them and everyone else that depends on me. It's just one more run, like every other run... but something tells me, this is it. It means something.."-

​

Accepted

 

[ZeroPants]

Steam name: Gutsy
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:18485849
Discord: teigutsy

//

Spoiler: Music

Name: Blake Rowe
What useful skills do you have? Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, specializing in Combine Technology, Military Combat Training.
Backstory:
Born in 1980 and Enlisted as a specialist the US Army 610th Engineer Support Company based in Washington Blake Rowe had a typical American upbringing of the era. During the week he'd help his dad on home projects, from building sheds to working on his dads mustang. He excelled in the science fairs and took part in the new up and coming hackathons in the 90s and begun dabbling into his own little home inventions as he'd try to merge the mechanical and the newfound digital frontier and was well on his way studying at university to enter the workforce as a problem solver to the every changing and expanding physical and digital problems of the workplace.

But the American Dream can only last so long, in 2001 the portal storms erupted over the United States of America, Classes were suspended, quarantines put in place and martial law took effect. Ever the problem solver, Rowe was drawn to enlist in the United States Army and apply his skills to help the men and women in the field combating the new threats facing America and was thusly in the field with a support company when the Combine breached the portals. So many dead, not being a front line fighter and only a lightly equipped support company they did the only thing they could do. They ran, they hid, and over the years they got picked off one by one.

Managing to restore their units Long Range Radio, Rowe was able to pick up a call from existing units. People who could not integrate into the cities or they would be processed into... Something else. In regrouping with the other decimated units of the US Military Blake's support unit was one of the founding units of the Patriots, or, what would become the patriots.

Being a Miscount means he had to get creative to survive, and as the invaders introduced more and more new technology into their Prison Cities Blake could not help but take it apart, and put it back together. Ever the nerd all he could think about is the applications of this technology and how it could increase the Patriots survivability. This has gotten him into more then a few "Hot" moments when, especially in the early days when Trackers had just been implemented on combine technology he had inadvertently called in reinforcements or stabilization teams from the city by triggering alarms.

But the truth is, no one is ever really taught to deal with combine tech. There's only trial and error, risk and reward, live or die. Sure, he might not be a scientist with a doctorate in physics but he's doing the best he can to help retake America, rebuild his home, and return to the American Dream.

Steam name: "Adno" or eddi_pulaski1234
Steam profile link or ID:

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198923570517/

Discord: adnolug

//

Name:
Mason McGeehan







What useful skills do you have?
-
Hunting

Tracking

Bushcraft

Long survival skills in the wild



​

Backstory:

Steam name: Kranky
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:110380124
Discord: Kranky_

//

Name:
Age: 2354 (Elder)
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?
Yes.
Backstory:

Spoiler: Backstory..

Lung'Korr-Lih was weaved upon the homeworld many years ago within the lands of the Es’Penoid Rapids with sapphire-blue eyes and rock-grey skin. Its title resonated within its mind for a few moments- it looked about as it exited the spawn pool- entering the light of the day-star. It frequently hunted with its kin, proving to be a skillful warrior rather quickly; Though as it aged it began to utilize more time into strengthening its connection to the vortessence, meditating far more often and for far longer than most other kin.

After weeks of meditation it learned a unique ability - that being Enhanced Vorti-Bolts. This would prove to be extremely useful to it when an invasion began one day by an unknown alien force.. A valiant foe that it alongside its kin attempted to fight back against utilizing its newfound ability- but alas the effort proved to be fruitless as the seemingly endless army assaulted the homeworld. So, like all kin that it knew - it fled the homeworld- entering the abyss that other kin assisted to bring it to.

… First there was nothing- then the isles of the Border-World appeared.. A beautiful landscape that they had escaped to. Their numbers were lower than ever- but they were not alone. The Antlions followed them into the lands of this new-world, though more hidden away than they once were. As it stared around and treaded the new home they found, they found new wild-life such as headcrabs among other xenian creatures.... Almost just as quickly as they arrived they were spotted by an alien being.. The Nihilanth..

Lung’Korr-Lih attempted to escape the clutches of enslavement- but alas it was inescapable, it was fitted with a collar and served its overlord and their army. It functioned as a warrior- battling against foes of many kinds as it served underneath the Hulkabin, it very quickly learned Xendarian to communicate with its new-found overlords; and utilized such quite frequently.

It commonly fought against bull-squids and other xenian foes as it was tasked to do so, soon however, a portal opened in the Border-World, and Lung’Korr-Lih was among the first of its kin to be chosen to step through to invade the new lands that were titled the ‘Urth’... As it stepped into this new plane of existence, against its will it effortlessly begab blasting down every non-hulkabin or kin creature it saw, and many times feasted upon their flesh afterwards. However, rather soon after it heard a shout from the Nihilanth....

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMANNNNNNNNN….

The soul of Lung’Korr-Lih and the kin were awoken once again, they stopped their assault on earth and stared to the Hulkabin it once served. A feeling coursed through its being, one that it didn't fully understand; rage.. It utilized this rage and blasted down its past masters with a blue bolt of vortal energies, it stood atop its defeated foe as it stared around at the twenty-or-so kin that were around it. It shouted to them as they began their march to find a new home, no longer bound by the Nihilanth's chains.

For years the kin would reside within a small cave outside one of the many cities on this new dimension. The kin learned something the Lung'Korr-Lih didn't bother to learn - that being english - and many times it requested the kin to translate such for his own being. They exited commonly to hunt xenian foes for sustenance, and more importantly to commune with nearby human settlements to assist them during times of need.

However soon.. A sound filled the air, something familiar to Lung'Korr-Lih and some of its kin... It was the familiar sound of the Ulathoi and their machinations, as they ran to the cave they were fired upon. They hid away within the cave, blasting the entrance to closure with as much power as they could.. The earth shook and rumbled... And then nothing.... The kin exited their cave as they looked around, seeing the Ulathoi creating their structures on the human land- and more importantly enslaving all of humanity - and vortikind.

Lung'Korr-Lih was devestated by this news, looking to its kin as it hoped to assist humanity in their resistance against their new overlords.. For years they entered the city nearby to assist the humans in their resistance. A xenian malignancy overgrew the cities nearby, and its kin were forced to flee quickly before it reached their cave. As they convened with humans they deemed it necessary to go to the frontiers, the land between the combine and the malignancy... So, they set off..

Accepted with an age reduction to 1800

PAAATRIOOOT!​

---

Steam name: Curbalas
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Curbalas/
Discord: curbalas

//

Name:
Richard Drake
What useful skills do you have?:
Hunting experience with bolt-action rifles - Able to track footsteps of animals or alike in the wilderness - Basic Medical Knowledge

Backstory:

Spoiler

Richard Drake was a simple human that lived in Frederiction, New Brunswick, Canada. Him and his family was mostly hunters who lived in a small village in the outskirts of Frederiction where they occassionally hunted to sell meat, leather and so for their living. Richard's mother was a house-lady, where she was responsible for making food for Richard and Mordecai, their only children in the household, while his dad, Trevor kept hunting in the forest next to them with Remington 700 he has bought in 1970s, the household always liked hunting except the mother, as she always thought that this was extremely dangerous sport to teach the children.

At 1996, during a hunting session with Trevor, Richard and Mordecai, the family was attacked by a bear in the wilderness, where the bear jumped on Trevor and his gun got flung towards Mordecai, the father and the bear kept brawling while he shouted towards Mordecai to shoot the bear, which he swiftly ran towards the Remington-700 laying on the ground after hitting the tree next to the brawling, he aimed it at the bear but the gun just wouldn't shoot, Richard grabbed the gun from Mordecai and attempted to shoot the gun again, but to no avail. A vital component was broken.

Spoiler

The year was 2001. Richard, Mordecai and their beloved mother heard the news about the portal storms all around the world, the brothers already bought multiple bolt-action rifles to honor their father, they continued to hunt until one day, they saw a headcrab on the ground which was roaming around in the forest, Richard aimed his gun at the small creature and shot it dead, went close to it to inspect it as he has never seen such thing in his life ever before.

The year was 2003, the attack on the household happened. Richard and Mordecai were trying to evacuate their mother from the house while shooting down a horde of zombies that has came to their house from a nearby city, where apparently the police was demolished, Richard and Mordecai experienced with hunting, shot down the frontline and had a brief opportunity to leave the house. While getting their mother out of the house, a headcrab jumped on their mother's head, where their mother just fell onto the ground, dead. Mordecai was already out of the house by now, fighting the horde and waiting his brother and mother to arrive, Richard was in a moment of shock but he had to do it... Shoot their mother to end their suffering.

Richard and Mordecai went to the state of Ohio by now, departing Canada and using the road from Detroit to arrive there, where they have heard that there was a small settlement in Cleveland where the survivors went to, they didn't use any kinds of electronic devices on their journey or at least minimized their usage, they were once again in a civilization where there were no zombies or headcrabs roaming around.

Then the Combine arrived, where they immediately got attacked by unknown creatures, Richard and Mordecai was once again on the run, searching for a place to be apart of. They have found the Patriots, and they immediately wanted to be in it against the Combine, as their father would've wanted so.

Vortigaunt Application​

---

Steam Name: Neon
Steam Profile: [ Link ]
Discord: neonsharpshot

---

Name: Sul'Nethyn Vaan
Age: 1464
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist? Yes

Spoiler: Backstory

Spawned in the Ralsheck'Va Plains, where they cultivated many different crops and plants. Sul'Nethyn Vaan tended to their tribe's farms, harvesting the fields day-to-day. Collecting sustenance to provide for their kin. It was a rather quiet life. Until the Age of Armageddon...

Peace quickly shriveled away, forcing Sul'Nethyn Vaan and their fellow tribesmen to flee their home, even their own dimension. Anything to get away from the wretched Ulathoi. However, the newly discovered Borderworld held no solace for their kind either. There are some who manage to elude the Nihilanth's influence, for a time. Yet enslavement was inevitable, sooner or later.

When the portal storms began, Sul'Nethyn Vaan and various other members of their tribe were shunted through to Earth. Forced to wreck havoc upon its Human populace through the Supreme One's will. Then suddenly, the great voice disappeared. After centuries, they were finally free of it's grasp! Sul'Nethyn Vaan gathered as many kin they could find and fled to the newly ruined American Wasteland.

Eventually, Sul'Nethyn Vaan and their remaining tribe venture west after receiving word that more of their kind were collecting together in what is now known as the Xenian Malignance Zone. Finally regrouped with more of their kin, Sul'Nethyn Vaan continued to practice their heritage's tradition after what felt like an eternity. Cultivating strange alien plants from inside their new sanctuary.

VORTIGAUNT APPLICATION

Steam name:

Dr. sandu

Steam profile link or ID:

STEAM_0:0:34707974

Discord:

dr.sandu

______________________________________________________________________________________

Name:

Holl'Dan Vahh

Age:

622

Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?

Yes.

Backstory:

Spoiler: Backstory

View attachment 27517


Spawned just before the early days of the vortal kind's service in the Borderworld, Holl'Dan Vahh was the same as the rest of their unfortunate kinsmen. Shackles of both mind and body adorning their malnourished and weakened form, Holl'Dan Vahh knew nothing else of life than the monotone and dubious tasks laid before them. The work in the factories under the watchful eyes of the controllers filled their time awake, and the unchanging skies watched over them as they rested. And so Holl'Dan Vahh lost their sense of self after centuries of labor for purposes unknown to them. Only a distant memory in their mind accompanied them, their moniker in the ancient tongue.


The times shifting eventually, the Nihilanth's plan came into fruition and fortune came to Holl'Dan Vahh. They were placed just enough behind the frontlines to not perish in the initial waves at Black Mesa, but not too far behind to be trapped on Xen as the portal closed. As the bindings of their corporeal and mental form came undone they were greeted with a sea of knowledge, crashing into their mind like boundless waves. The vortessence had connected them, and the connection was strong indeed. The sensation was too much for Holl'Dan Vahh's weak form to bear and they pushed the connection away, hidden and at the backmost recesses of their conciousness.


Holl'Dan Vahh ventured westward from the facility, their head brimming with more and more information as they desperately tried to hold onto their sense of self. some days were easier than others, and eventually Holl'Dan Vahh conquered the voices in their head. Now armed with the knowledge of countless others, they were able to hunt the various flora and fauna that had joined them on this new realm. Holl'Dan Vahh spent many years in the western regions of the United States, thriving with the xenian infestation. As they sensed other survivors of their kin Holl'Dan Vahh often steered clear of their path, unsure how to act. However as the infestation zone grew exponentially and countless other vortigaunts had joined the ranks of those that dwelled within, Holl'Dan Vahh finally mustered the courage and will to become part of something greater than just theirself.


The vortigaunts greeted Holl'Dan Vahh as one of their own, quickly inducting them into their ranks. It would soon be realized that their aptitude for the vortal arts was strong, a valued trait among the vortal kin. Holl'Dan Vahh was placed under the mentorship of the elders and learned a great many things about the manipulation of both the seen and unseen. They were also told about how the natives of their newfound planet were losing ground to the infestation, and how some in the enclave wished to conquer the planet as their own.


Holl'Dan Vahh's memories of mankind were not pleasant, even if rare. They had only had a brief glimpse of them during their brief stay in Black Mesa. Under the tutelage of the elders Holl'Dan Vahh now partaked in a new mission, to ensure less resistance was met as the vortal kingdom spread eastwards. A mission they would not yet question, they began their journey out of the safety of the collective.


View attachment 27518

PATRIOT APPLICATION​

Steam name: Stanford
Steam profile link or ID:

Steam Community :: Stanford

No information given.

steamcommunity.com

Discord: stanford5039

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: Kyle Gibbens
What useful skills do you have?
Learned gunsmithing from a young age due to their family business.
Basic Combat Training from his time as infantry within the armed forces.
Used to bartering.

Backstory:

Spoiler: Backstory

Kyle Gibbens grew up in Canton, Ohio. He learned the family trade from a young age while also maintaining his school career. He was your classic young patriotic American. They joined the military at 18 and left when they were 24. The day his grandpa passed away, his father inherited the gunstore owned by their family. Kyle helped around where he could before eventually becoming a full time employee at the shop. He was in charge of maintaining the weapons and occasionally making a sale.

When the multitude of alien lifeforms came into his world he gathered his family and went into hiding inside the forest he used to go into as a kid. One day they heard of a safehaven within the city, so they gathered their gear and went for it. Sneaking through the underbrush up to the perimeter of the city before being spotted by a roaming patrol and ordered to surrender their weapons "for the security of the safehaven".

Eventually it happened, another alien force invaded, however this time the humans didn't last long and were forced to surrender.
Some time passed and Kyle got separated from his family. He got into contact with an underground group called the Patriots who informed him of the multitude of atrocities committed by earth's occupiers. And with conscription at Kyle's doorstep he decided to get out before it was too late.

Steam name: Lord Cutler Beckett
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198091356047/
Discord: lordbeckett.

//

Name: Kurr Lilli’Vahh Ni-Turr “The Venerable”
Age: 2255
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?: I had a free vortigaunt before, but not at the moment.
Backstory:

Spoiler: Backstory

View attachment 27431
​

Over two millennia ago, a Vortigaunt was spawned from an elaborate ritual, the chants and incantations of which rang out across the surfaces of the rainforest. The youngling, manifested from the weaving of vortal forces, rose from the massive spawning pool and exuded a calm, tranquil aura. The gray, youthful skin contrasted sharply with the bright, blue eyes. The Vortigaunt, still without a name and only just incorporating the eons of knowledge stored within the Vortessence into its brain, gazed up at the Grand Elder standing on the branch of a huge, towering tree. The elder called down to the young Vortigaunt.

“From this day forward, you shall dedicate your life to the collection and preservation of knowledge. If the old ways are to die, then they shall do so with you! Now go to your meditation, and research the wisdom of the Vortessence. Go!”

Kurr gazed up at the High Elder and simply nodded. He then broke into a sprint, galloping over the pools of liquid and past the giant trees. After a short while, he found himself at the base of several, massive trees. Stretching across and supported by hundreds of branches was the Great Library, which contained a trove of thousands of the so-called “Slabs of Knowing.” Such slabs possessed all knowledge ever collected and written down by the Alva’Sari Collective. Kurr wasted no time and began to scale the main tree trunk, eventually reaching the interior of the grand library.

Rows and rows of shelves lined every conceivable space within the library, with the only space being that allowed librarians to traverse between the rows. The shelves themselves were hewn from the hardwood to be found throughout the Es’Penoid Rapids as only the densest and strongest wood was able to support the weight of the innumerable slabs stacked on top of each other., rising all the way to the roof over a hundred feet above. The librarians accessed the slabs through their perfection of Vortikinesis, being able to lift hundreds of stone slabs at once to access a slab on the bottom of the shelf. Kurr, being a youngling and still a novice in the arts of Vortal Manipulation, was assigned by one of the Library Elders to a set of shelves much smaller than the rest. Numerous times, Kurr almost allowed the stacks of slabs to fall over as he struggled to maintain the stacks mid-air. However, he never allowed any to fall.

View attachment 27433​

As the Age of Reason of Vortikind had only just been enacted a few centuries ago, Kurr was privy to millennia of recorded information. A timeline of Vortal history could be found within the uncountable slabs, starting near the very beginning of Vortikind, through the first expansions, the First Kin War, the First Age of Reconciliation, the discovery of the Alva’Sari themselves, the Second Kin War, the Age of Prosper, and finally to the present. While the librarians who inhabited the Great Library were, at least in name, true believers of the ways of the Rok’Shan’Vass, they merely paid lip service to the Grand Elders of the Kay’Basar. Above all else, they were keepers of knowledge, and they generally remained neutral on debates over religious philosophy or tribal politics.

Kurr spent the majority of his life within the Great Library, only leaving a few dozen times over a thousand years to attend important, mandatory rituals. Over the hundreds of years, he poured over the Slabs of Knowing, attempting to put them all to memory in respect to the Grand Elder’s command he was given at his spawning. As the centuries passed other librarians eventually returned to the Vortessence, and Kurr became one of the leading figures within the library hierarchy, helping to train each batch of new librarians sent by the Alva’Sari. He often held classes within the teaching wing of the library, something akin to a university, where he gave lectures to Vortigaunts that traveled from all over the homeworld to learn more about the history and traditions of their species. On the homeworld, Kurr was a renowned and respected teacher, only surpassed in wisdom and knowledge by the Grand Elders themselves. While some of his students even speculated that he may become a Grand Elder himself, Kurr understood he was far too engrossed in his studies to ever dedicate enough time to perfecting the required practices to ascend to Grand Elderhood. Of course, he never would have had time to do so, given what was to happen.

View attachment 27434​

The Age of Apocalypse and the intervening servitude to the Nihilanth is mostly a blur to Kurr, with his memories of that period clouded by the trauma and subservience forced upon him. Of the few memories he retains, the most vivid is the destruction of the Great Library. A Combine vessel, damaged in the battle against the Vortigaunts, careened off course and plowed straight into the library’s structure, generating a monumental implosion that erased eons of collective knowledge. Kurr, having escaped the compound just a few moments before, remembers looking at the destruction. While he was distraught at the carnage, he was content by the fact that most, if not all, of the knowledge of the slabs was stored safely in his mind. The Grand Elder’s words ring true to him even now, for he knows what will be lost to Vortikind, and returned to the Vortessence, when he inevitably passes to the next plane of existence.

After his liberation from the Nihilanth and subsequent stranding on Earth, Kurr joined the collective of Vortigaunts who took residence in the growing Xenian Malignancy, holding a niche as one of the few remaining purveyors of knowledge and teachings. However, such a hostile environment has little use for a historian, with the largest efforts being exerted in hunting and defending their newfound homeland. The Elders who now lead these Vortigaunts included Kurr in the expeditionary force to be sent out to the Wasteland. Old and decrepit by Vortigaunt standards, Kurr was seen by many in the tribe as a drain on resources, simply waiting for his physical death. Such beliefs were of course known to Kurr as no Vortigaunt is able to effectively lie to another. They had no desire to anyway, of course. Being over two-thousand years old, Kurr is due for his crossover to the next plane regardless.

View attachment 27435​

To them, sending Kurr out to the Wasteland could provide the adventuring Vortigaunts a useful tool in forging cultural connections with the foreign humans. And, if he were to meet his end out there, it is all for the better. As he prepares to venture out of the Malignancy and toward the New Frontier, Kurr recounts the life he has led, and resolves that if he were to die somewhere, the Wasteland would be the place to do so. After all, Kurr is a collector of knowledge, and the Wasteland gives him the opportunity to make new discoveries about a foreign, sentient species, as well as a totally novel planet.

Whatever the case, Kurr was to die as he lived: a teacher, a scholar, and a pioneer.

View attachment 27432​

Accepted with an age reduction to 1900

Steam name: Brennen
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/id/678900987/
Discord: brennenw05

//

Name:
Johnny "Jon" Hawthorn

What useful skills do you have?
Trained as a Cav Scout in the US Army.
Skilled at hunting, and scavenging


Backstory:


Before
Jon was born and raised in the great state of Texas. From an early age his father, a game warden, taught him how to hunt, fish, and shoot. After graduating high school in 1997, Jon enrolled at the University of Texas, to become a Enviromental Science Teacher. However, he never got to graduate.

The War
With the Black Mesa Incident, in 2001, unleashing a horde of aliens on the
world. Jon decided, against the wishes of his fiancée, and mother, to join the United States Army in fighting the Xenian threat. After going through a fast-paced basic training, he was shipped off to become a Cavalry Scout. He officialy deployed to the frontline in mid-2002. In 2003 after a year of fighting. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal. And on his very next mission things would not end well. His squad, and 2 others were sent on a scouting mission in what was left of Nashville. Intelligence knew of a warband of Alien Grunts in the ruins. Their job was to pinpoint where this warband was. As they entered the city from the east, they were ambushed by said warband. It was a massacre, with only 3 people surviving. With Jon managing to hide inside of the basement of a nearby building. He came out the next day, a survivor. Seeing his squad being ripped apart, his friends screaming in pain, he deserted, fleeing to the woods in Tennessee.

Alone
He spent the next year out in the woods. Hunting what game was left. Scavenging supplies from the abandoned rural towns of Tennessee, and Alabama. He helped those who happened to cross his path. Hearing stories of the US being pushed further back, and mass amounts of people leaving for Europe. Then one day in 2004, a traveler that had come from Richmond, told him about the 7 Hour War, the devastation, something the Xenians could have never done. He then packed his things and headed north. He traveled to a town in Indiana called Fort Wayne. He then met a small group of armed men and women. Still wearing his uniform, they asked him to join them. When he asked what they were, they answered "Patriots."

Occupation
For the next several years, Jon worked with the "Patriots". Mainly in the area around Detroit, or now "City 70". He eventually was given his own men to lead. Using his past as a Cav Scout, to do the same job. Scout the outlands, find the enemy and report back to the cell's leaders. In 2015, he and a few others were ordered to go support the Seattle cell. After a 7-month trek to the west coast he arrived, and began to do the same job as before, just with less equipment.

A City Surrounded
(The events of Codename: Venus)
In 2019, a massive Xenian infestation, known as the XMZ. Had grown to completely take over the west coast and had now surrounded Seattle. Jon aided the rest of his cell in evacuating civilians from the city. While he was escorting the last of the civilians out. He became separated from his cell. Soon realizing that he was now trapped in Seattle. With little hope of escaping. He found a group of civilians hiding out in a house. He led them to an old camp, where he met with the main group of survivors. He joined with the group. Setting up a somewhat safe place. However, that night, what was left of Overwatch in the city attacked. Killing several of the Civilians he had been leading. The next day was spent fighting and looking for a way out. They soon met a scientist, with a strange gun. Jon helped this scientist find the samples he was looking for. And while the main group headed to the docks of the city, to meet with a man called Hex. Jon, the scientist, and 2 other rebels, managed to find a plane. They quickly found the parts to repair the plane. And used it to escape from the city.

The Wastes
While the scientist offered Jon and the 2 others to be taken across the sea to Russia, Jon declined. Being dropped off just outside the XMZ, Jon found his way back to the cell, and is now helping to lead them through the wastes. Hopefully to a safe place. ​

REFUGEE APPLICATION.​

---

Spoiler: OOC INFORMATION Steam Name: ISpilledMyRamen Steam Profile Link or ID: STEAM_0:0:426186854 Discord: @hl2rp

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View attachment 27494 Jebediah Morgan - The Yeoman Farmer "Fuck the New Frontier.."​

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SKILLS: Bushcraft, Farming, Foraging, Fishing, Trapping BACKSTORY: A native of the New Frontier, a man who's lived there his whole life. The invasion hit him hard, disrupting the very flow of life on his family's simple farm. The xenian infestation left no survivors, save for Jebediah. Tasked with keeping up what little remained of his family's farm, Jebediah learned to cultivate and grow by trial and error. He learned to sow the land, and reap its benefits through sheer force of will. Alien creatures stalked the grounds night after night, and with the ever growing infestation to the west, it was only a matter of time before his humble abode was no longer fit for human life. He had to pack up and move. Leave behind everything he knew. Now, Jebediah is but a wandering nomad. A simple farmer who sets up for a few months, and then leaves like he were never there. Life isn't easy, and it isn't fair, but he has to live it. But how much more can he take?​

[PATRIOTS]​

Steam name: John Rico
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:0:10716370
Discord: johnrico

​

View attachment 27575​

"Better out here than under the Combines' booth"​

View attachment 27577

​

Name:

Eduardo 'Eddie' Dominguez​

What useful skills do you have?

Car mechanic pre-war / Learned to fight and survive after surviving the 7 Hour War and the Alaskan expedition​

Backstory:

Pre 7 Hour War​

Eddie was born to an immigrant family in the US that resided in New Mexico during the Black Mesa incident. His close proximity to the chaos allowed him to become well acquainted with the dangers associated with Xenian wildlife and how to survive alien predators. He joined local militias in order to fight hostile Xenians and defend his family during the turbulent times of the portal storms, always moving further east as the country disintegrated around him.

Post 7 Hour War​

Fast forward to the Combine rule, Eddie lived an uneventful life in the cities until he was conscripted as labor for the oil fields in the Alaskan wastelands. In the refinery camp, he was assigned as a security guard by the short-lived Supervisor Hoxworth. Escaping the chaos that ensued the death of his camp boss, Eddie joined other survivors and managed to survive against all odds.
Not fancying his chances back in the Combine cities, Eddie simply decided to walk away with a like-minded group of survivors when the Overwatch soldiers eventually arrived to take the workers back to civilization.

Patriots​

His newfound group did not fare well during their crossing of the infested wastelands on their journey to depart from the cold reaches of Alaska. Eddie, experienced in surviving aliens in the hinterlands, managed to survive alone and eventually linked up with Patriots escaping from City 21 and reluctantly agreed to join them for the time being on their journey east. The fate of his fellow survivors from Alaska is a mystery to him, but Eddie sees no better option than joining the Patriots in their quest into the so-called "New Frontier".

Accepted

 

[ZeroPants]

PATRIOT APPLICATION​

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Spoiler: OOC Information Steam Name:MelonHeadzzz Steam Profile Link or ID: STEAM_0:1:128800129 Discord: MelonHeadzzz#8446 ​

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- Peter McClintock - The Music Man - Which side are you on?​

---

SKILLS: Peter is a rabble-rouser. He's an orator, a man of great emotional intellect and understanding of the world around him. McClintock has the ability to read and write, and uses that to draft a manifesto against the Combine and in support of the Patriots' cause. McClintock is able to play the guitar, and has learned a myriad of old American folk-songs that he uses to play around campfires. Ultimately, his talents lie in his ability to win the hearts of others, to the Dreams of Liberty. BACKSTORY: New Orleans's swamps were made into a honest-to-God death-trap when the Black Mesa Incident unleashed the fury of another dimension onto the unsuspecting citizens of the United States of America. A small child, Peter, was born in one of the worst times to ever be born. Swamps were infested with vicious, mutant aliens while the cities were filled with parasitic pestilence. Peter hardly lived, his parents struggled to survive in the Surviving States. His young life, until he was 3, was much of a blur; a cocktail of screaming and panic, until the lights of the Combine emerged from the clouds. Peter was placed into the ECHELON program, pressed through its channels and many classes, trained to believe in what was expected of him. The Union prevails. The Union endures. The Union is all. The Union forever. Thrown into the world as a member of the Bureau of Understanding in City 70, far from his old life, old world, and old family members. The BoU, City 70's local propaganda arm, tasked Peter with writing for newspapers, writing and singing the praises of the Combine, forgetting everything about himself with every sip of water that he tried, until something caught his eye. On the wall was a symbol he'd never seen before. A banner of thirteen stripes, a blue canton with a circle of stars, lit aflame and burning - and even as it burned, the banner still flouted majestically. There was no text, there was only that image. It was beautiful, it was tragic, and it was near-intoxicating to look at. What was this banner? What did it mean? Why thirteen stripes? Why the circle of stars? Why oh why? He yearned to learn more, he fought to learn more - this simple graffito caught his eye more than anything that the Combine had ever created, and he had to learn more about it. When he saw stars, he knew to follow them, poking around in the same city that was notorious for its smuggling ring, a smuggling ring fostered by the prolific Patriots. Unknown to the young one, the Patriots were already commonplace in the district, placing their propaganda to inspire the spirit of Old America once again - and when The Civil Protection caught on to Peter's snooping, they pounced. Innocent was he, Peter spoke plainly about what he had found, the imagery he'd found and how it resonated with him so incredibly he had to know who made it. The Civil Protection responded handily, by informing him of what it really was. Thoughtcrime. Something unbecoming of a Collaborator like him - something that required further investigation. He was held in a facility for weeks before being sent to an outpost in the deep south, to work as a form of 're-education.' Beaten, abused, his mind drifted onto that flag - still thirsting for whatever it may have meant... until a riot broke out, and the riot turned into a full-blown assault on the camp's walls, not from within, but from without. Prisoners flooded from the inside of the camp, soldiers and outland cops were riddled with bullets, and all Peter could think to do was run - that is, until he was picked up by that same raiding party. Painted on one of their heads, was the same flag he saw before. By their direction, their information, and their generosity, Peter joined their warband, taking up arms against those who thought to abuse him. To teach those who may be blinded like he once was, is the key to this new life of his - and with his guitar by his side, Peter would do just that, for the dream of America, shouting the battle-cry of freedom. Spoiler ​

CONSCRIPTION-ASSET #32

Spoiler: OOC info

Steam name: Luca
Steam profile link or ID:

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198880609679/

Discord: Lucarinoo

View attachment 27635

~ Antonio Mancini, the lover boy ~

At just a young age, Antonio fell in love with mafia movies, he'd come from a family of Italian immigrants going over to America for work. During his spare time, he'd watch, read, and find anything he could regarding the life of crime before the combines rule.. admired by those before him, he'd throw on a pair of tight skinny jeans, polished brown shoes, a tank top, and his trusty black leather jacket. He'd start small.. petty annoyances against those around him.. gaining nothing but the thrill. He'd slowly make his way up, meeting his lifelong friend Elio Lombardi together they'd become a rabble-rousing duo.. over time Antonio would fall sweet on a young bird called Emily.. she wanted him to leave the life of crime but it was too late.. Antonio was hooked. During his time he mastered the arts of persuasion and deceit, always getting him and Elio out of trouble. Until one day, Antonio and Elio were going to do something big.. just before they were about to commit their master plan they were stopped and arrested. Turns out Elio? *Snitch..* Antonio would spend most of his time in a cell until he was greeted with a deal... Conscript to earn your freedom. The story is only now just beginning.​

Steam name: Shady Prism
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:0:155545777
Discord: _shadyprism_

SYSTEM STATUS: ON
BOOTING UP UNION_OS.sys
.
.
.
BOOT COMPLETE
.
FILE LIST UPLOADED
.
FILE SELECTED
.
RETINA SCAN REQUIRED
.
SCAN CONFIRMED _ AUTHORIZATION CONFIRMED
.
OPEN FILE?
Y/N
Y

Booting up CONSCRIPT_FILE.TXT
..
..
..
..
..
WELCOME
View attachment 27707
CONSCRIPT APPLICATION
View attachment 27708
Appearance:
View attachment 27706

Name:
James Kennedy
Reason of conscription:
Interesting enough, unlike vast majority - James joined the Conscripts out of his free will, simply sick of mundane life within the confines of City 16 and striving for more adrenaline pumping in his veins.
Skillset:
Given the fact that during his time, James dwelved both within the worlds of Loyalists and not-so-Loyalist Indigent Zones within City 16, one thing that James can be proud of is being a decent shooter, medic, and organized survivalist - making use of what is available to him to live the next day.
Backstory:
James Kennedy was a nobody amidst the masses who lived in City 16. Nothing out of ordinary was to be said about him - a son of father who used to be a hunter pre-Ascension and mother who lived as pharmacist. Upon Combine's arrival and Seven Hour War they thankfully survived, just to get tossed into City 16, where James was one of many blue jumpsuits trying to get by, quite often dabbling in crime world of Indigent Zone to break the monotonny, somehow managing to just slip by Combine radar every time. However, even that grew boring to James and, upon hearing that Conscription opened, James applied as Conscript in hopes that perhaps, this might be finally what his bored soul seeked.​

Refugee App

Spoiler: OOC Info

Steam name:
Processed Grain
Steam profile link or ID:

Steam Community :: Processed Grain

"me You wanna know who the greatest person in the world is? Read the first word"

steamcommunity.com

Discord:
processedgrain

---

View attachment 27725 'Alejandro Basilio' - The Desperado of the Southern Border - What useful skills do you have? Surviving in the Wastes - Marksmanship - Barter 'n Trade Refugee Backstory: "It was nothing special. I worked for the local government in Juarez at the time of the war. I managed to barely escape with my life when the... "Tormentas del infierno" started ravaging both sides of the border. I headed- Tried to head east with my family, maybe down to the capital.. Though they did not make it.": "I've been wandering since then."​ - - Basilio, 4/10/2015, in a bar, 86 Miles west of CMB_OUTPOST-83​

Spoiler: - OOC INFO - STEAM NAME: Travis STEAM PROFILE LINK OR ID: https://steamcommunity.com/id/TravisGaming144p/ DISCORD: travisgaming144p

View attachment 27734 George Coxwell "Well, I guess it's my bunker now."​

Spoiler: MUSIC :) SKILLS Radio Communications | Medical | Combat Proficiency BACKSTORY EARLY DAYS: George was born in England, living out his early teenage years before the portal storms had hit. He had dreams of becoming a doctor, though those dreams were never recognized as the storms hit just before he finished his education. Alongside the most of the remaining members of the human race George was forced into a city far from his home, a city in the south of Alaska that was referred to as City Forty Two. ALASKA: A shady oil baron called out for help and alongside many other cities City Forty Two responded to the call. The call asked many citizens to assist this baron in the mining town he had prospected, a mining town that would reward its workers gratefully. George was eager to sign up, though it was clearly a mistake. View attachment 27728 George joined up with the labour camp, a strong workforce lead by Micheal Hoxorth that quickly struggled. Hoxworth was killed off almost instantly over a dispute on supplies, many saying that he refused to arm his people and feed them. Many leaders reigned in the labour camp, civil wars breaking out between the mining and communications camps along the way. Alaska was not what it had promised. Each camp had their own issues, many died in an attempt for survival. Alex Weaver, the leader of the mining camp, was the only leader to make it through the expedition though he was not unharmed in the process. There was more to the wilderness than anyone had anticipated, roaming vortigaunt tribes, roaming "yetis" and secret synthetic factories were not labelled on the job description. Alongside those were the occasional raider camp, a band of misfits led by a woman named "Medusa" who seemed to escape death on many occasions and a mysterious sniper who randomly attacked whoever at random. Eventually the groups united and searched for the means to an end and assaulted the factory or "bunker". View attachment 27730 George was one of the first to lead the assault inside of the bunker, moving through hordes of Synths and Overwatch alike to push through with nothing but a Mac-10 and the men around him. Eventually all made it inside, they breached the control room and accessed the terminal. The terminal had notes on all of the administrators of each camp, all up to date speaking on their chance of survival and their status referring to such. There was something else, something they were not meant to see. The factory doors opened and something crept out. Something he should not speak of. View attachment 27729 All remaining survivors were evacuated, all except the baron who mysteriously "disappeared" towards the end of his expedition. Many were taken back to City Forty Two, many returned to their homes. POST ALASKA George was relocated to City Twenty One soon after his trip had ended. The man was full of grief, full of regret for the things he felt he had to do for his camp. The people he had killed, the desperation he had witnessed took a toll on him, thus he looked for a way to strike back at the very people who had sent him there. That searching found him enlisting with the Patriots. This brings us to today. Spoiler: ALASKA

Spoiler: OOC Information

Steam name: Garratz
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:75592978
Discord: garrythebigman

View attachment 27732
Name: Arthur Vasquez

View attachment 27733

Why were you conscripted? Was it a punishment for a crime you committed, did you volunteer, or were you selected at random?:

Arthur Vasques has been conscripted at random, unluckily.

What useful skills do you have?:

Arthur Vasques has a specified skillset in regards of vehicle maintenance and electronic repairs. Being a mechanic pre-ascension, and a CWU worker post-ascension, constantly keeping his skillset at 100%, participating in any work order that regarded vehicle maintenance.

Backstory:

Arthur Vasques was born and raised in California, Westwood. From a young age, Arthur displayed an uncanny knack for understanding the intricate workings of gadgets and devices. As he grew older, Arthur got employed under his father's mechanic shop as an apprentice, learning the required skills for his line of work. It wasn't long before his skills extended beyond mechanical prowess, as he delved into the world of electricity, trying to expand further into maintenance world.

After years of dedicated apprenticeship and rigorous self-study, Arthur emerged with knowledge in both mechanics and electrical engineering. He opened up his own workshop, a place where faulty generators and rusted automobiles found salvation. His reputation spread far and wide, earning him a chance to franchise. He opened numerous workshops all over the country.

It wasn't far that the portal storms begun. He head back to one of the citizen shelters, awaiting the situation to calm down. Unfortunately, it only escalated. The combine invaded. (We all know how it goes, so I'll skip over the invasion part.) After the things calmed down, he was sent to City 16. Shortly after, unions have been created, and he immediately joined the Civil Workers Union, putting his skillset to use once more.

Years later, the New Frontiers knocked on the doors. Many cities begun conscription for the project, and Arthur Vasques has been picked. He has been sent to a conscript camp within the following week, where he is awaiting deployment.​

Name:
T'rah-Sha

Age:
1319

Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?
No, I do not

Backstory:
​

Spoiler: Backstory

View attachment 27810View attachment 27812T'rah-Sha, the isolationist abdiding Vortigaunt, who hails from the vast and untouched Xenian Kingdom within the Malignancy, the Xenian-infested hell-hole they lie in has been steadily spreading across the Western United States and Mexico. Not born into this Kingdom, T'rah-Sha has lived through over a millennium of strife and unity among his Vortigaunt kin. On earth, they were marked by the relentless resistance against the Combine snyths and pioneers who attempt to make their mark on the Americas. The lives of countless Vortigaunts, the ones who abided by their degree and thought of isolationism are dependeding on their success in protecting their homeland from both the expanding Xenian Malignancy and the relentless Combine. As a 1319-year-old Vortigaunt, T'rah-Sha has witnessed the highest peaks and the lowest valleys of their race's history. Their journey through the wasteland is a testament to their unyielding spirit, as they continue to fight for their people's survival and the legacy of a once-doomed species, their isolation and trust in their kin being the backbone for what moves them forward.
View attachment 27811

​

​

VORTIGAUNT APPLICATION​

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Steam name: Cengiz
Steam profile link or ID:
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198188150423
Discord: cengo62

---

Name: Rah'Lah
Age: 87
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?: No

Backstory:
​

The Rah'Lah was spawned in the borderworld of Xen, where there were multiple vortigaunts around it, either elders, sages and just adult vortigaunts contributing to the ritual of the mass spawning, as it saw a hefty amount of newly spawned younglings around it, where they were immediately put to "training" to manipulate their vortal energy to survive in this planet with the help of their older kinsmen.

Rah'Lah hunted alongside the elderly vortigaunts, interested in their actions as it learned how to properly hunt and survive, specifically learning how to manipulate their vortal enegry.

Rah'Lah was forced to work hard like its kin, worked hard in the factories of the Nihilanth under control of the Alien Controllers that roamed the section it was in, continued to work and work, creating more products and ensuring Nihilanth's rule over the borderworld of Xen, uncontrollably, where the time was finally here, war upon the planet Earth, as the Nihilanth has ordered his slaves to attack it using the active portal storms around world.

Rah'Lah was skeptical, yet forced to kill any humans that he saw to conquer the place, it mostly kept close to his kinsmen fighting alongside them, seeing their dead kin and injured kin, it was forced to continue forcefully, couldn't even have a chance to remain and mourn their death. And after Nihilanth was defeated by the Freeman, it finally reached freedom and immediately joined its kinsmen it was rampaging, on a route to escape this unknown location.

The newly formed kinsmen group walked and walked, they met multiple kinsmen tribes on the way where they all gathered together, finally stopping someplace that were unknown to them, some city that was fully abandoned, where the kin immediately started settling down, where they saw a flag of the State of California on the wall, where they didn't understand what it meant, they kept it as it wasn't edible.

Then the Combine arrived and rampaged the closeby cities, the moment its kinsmen heard they evacuated, grabbing anything of value and they were on the run again, hoping to find more of their kin​

​

---

Steam name: Mr. Calcium
Steam profile link or ID: (Will put in later)
Discord: Justanotherguardthatexists

//

P A T R I O T​

"The Survivalist Turned Freedom Fighter"


Name: Isiah Poltoff

What useful skills do you have? Minor familiarity with firearms, Skilled Scavenger.

Backstory: The man known as Isiah Poltoff spent much of his life in a family entrenched in mediocrity, with the entire family involved in a wide selection of boring office jobs, and for a time, it seemed such a path would be shared by Isiah, thought fate would dictate otherwise. While attempting to find a career that would truly benefit him, Isiah would come into contact with a small group preparing themselves for nothing less than the apocalypse. While the nature of said apocalypse was vague, it's members cherished their plans for a societal collapse, and tips spread amongst them for various tips to survive in such a scenario, ranging from what food would be safe to eat while foraging, the amount of time required for radiation from an atomic blast to dissipate, and a myriad of other useful skills. Isiah was enamored by their rhetoric of rugged survivalism, and eagerly integrated himself among their ranks.

His families ignoring of his interest in survivalism, allowed him to indulge in the survivalist lifestyle. Various meetings with the like-minded individuals of this group would allow Isiah to formulate his own "apocalypse survival plan". With the encouragement of his fellow preppers, he would construct a small bunker in one of the many forests dotting the west coast of the US, stocked full of a variety of canned foods, a generator, a radio, and even a firearm for good measure. Such an endeavor was repeated by the others of this group, with an ultimate plan to stay in contact amidst the end. Though when the apocalypse truly did come, they were ill prepared.

The Black Mesa Incident and it's effects, which were met by many by a level of surprise and lack of preparation that led to the chaotic 3 years before the arrival of the combine was seen by Isiah as validation for years of preparation. As he had practiced, he fled his home town for the relative safety and isolation of his bunker, and thanks to the radio within, was able to successfully link up with his fellow preppers, each in their own respective constructions. The following 3 years would go relatively smoothly, the appearance of alien lifeforms in his area was slow enough that Isiah was able to adapt and avoid being overwhelmed, though as time went on the number of voices from his radio that belonged to his fellow survivalists would get lower and lower, as would their visitations for trade.

By the time of the Seven Hour War what remained of his community had started to shrink, and the interdimensional invasion was treated by those few who remained as another sign that they had made the right choice, and the obscurity of most of their locations allowed them to avoid detection, for a time. For over a decade Isiah and his ever dwindling peers would continue, until, eventually. He was the only one left on the radio, the official radio stations of the pre-war era having gone dead long ago. Seemingly content with his now total isolation, it's likely that Isiah would have stayed in his bunker for the rest of his life were it not for the appearance of a small contingent of patriots stumbling upon it...

The arrival of the patriots allowed Isiah to fully understand the context of what had happened to the world, and upon accepting that he couldn't stay alone any longer for his own sake, elected to align himself with the patriots and their cause, keeping in touch via the radio, though now with regular visits from the members of the isolated cells, and the occasional involvement in a small scale operation, usually scavenging the burnt out remains of Earth's pre-war civilizations, a skill he found himself well suited for.

Called upon to assist in the escort of refugees from a crisis of unparalleled proportions, Isiah finally elected to leave the bunker that had been his home since the eruption of the Black Mesa Incident, to finally explore what's left of the world in the NEW FRONTIER...

Spoiler

View attachment 27754
View attachment 27758
View attachment 27761
View attachment 27762
View attachment 27766
​

FILE SOURCE: OVERWATCH.CENTRAL.INTELLIGENCE.NETWORK
FILE RECEIVED: CITIZEN.23718

DATE: 21.10.2023
LOCATION: SPHERICAL SECTOR 314/URB-LOC.30

FIRST NAME: LANCE
LAST NAME: SHAW
HEIGHT: 6'0"
AGE: 35

OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY:
CITY 21, TERMINAL 11
MILITIA ARM: ARTERIA
CENTURION
[ COMMANDING OFFICER OF GARRISON ]

'JUNE 17TH EVACUATION'
CENTURION LANCE SHAW'S JOINT TASK FORCE SUCCESSFULY SECURED AND ENSURED THE EVACUATION OF HVT'S, MINISTER RICHARD KAUFFMAN AND DR. HEX SANCHEZ. FOLLOWING CONFIRMATION OF THEIR SAFETY, THE CENTURION ORDERED ALL REMAINING TROOPS WITHIN THE CITY TO IMMEDIATELY EVACUATE.


ISSUED ACCOMODATIONS FOR SERVICE: View attachment 27777
PRIORITY CITIZENSHIP
TRANSFERRED TO SECTOR 10, CITY 24

- DISCHARGED FROM M.A.A -

CITY 24
PRIORITY CITIZEN
CONSCRIPTED MCP ASSET

'APRIL 25TH TOTAL RENDITION'
LANCE SHAW WAS EMPLOYED BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL AS AN ADVISOR FOR PERSONNEL STATIONED AT THE SOUTHERN BULWARK. SEEN AGAIN FOLLOWING TOTAL RENDITION BY DISTRICT 43 SURVIVORS. TEMPORARILY EMPLOYED UNDER THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL PROTECTION TO ASSIST IN CIVILIAN MANAGEMENT.

ISSUED ACCOMODATIONS FOR SERVICE:
RELOCATED TO CITY THIRTY, SECTOR CAPITAL

CITY 30
PRIORITY CITIZEN
CONSCRIPTED, APPOINTED MAJOR, DEPLOYED TO THE AMERICAN WASTELAND

HAVING REVIEWED THESE FILES AS RECOMMENDED TO US, WE HAVE ASCERTAINED THAT MR. LANCE SHAW IS AN ASSET. A MIRACLE MAKER, BOASTING A PROVEN TRACK RECORD THAT WOULD PROVE BENEFICIAL TO OUR OPERATIONS. HE WAS DETAINED AT A LABOR SEMINAR BY CIVIL PROTECTION. A REPRESENTATIVE RELAYED OUR OFFER TO HIM, HE REPORTEDLY 'COOPERATED' AND ACCEPTED. WE HAVE FAST-TRACKED HIM TO MAJOR, HE HAS BEEN DEPLOYED TO THE AMERICAN WASTELAND FOR RE-ASSIGNMENT. WE EXPECT THIS 'INVESTMENT' OF OURS TO BE WORTHWHILE.

Spoiler: OOC

Steam Name: Furious
Steam ID: STEAM_0:1:543970363
Discord Name & ID: furious01

Accepted

 

[Asimo1234]

Patriot Application

Spoiler: Out-Of-Character Information

Steam name: Furret No Furry Asimo
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Asimo1234/
Discord: asimo1234

//

Name: Maria "El Chefe" Molina
What useful skills do you have? C O O K I N G (You know you read that as if it was the vortigaunt VC)
Backstory:

Maria was born a little over a decade before the Black Mesa Incident to an immigrant family in one of the states comprising New England. Spending her youth during the years which America can describe as their golden years of global hegemony, appearing as if the country was untouchable. Of course, looking back now all those years later one can see just how many ways there were for it all to come crashing down.

The days of the Black Mesa Incident feel like a scar in the mind, the news coverage of the deteriorating situation in New Mexico a memory that would probably never disappear. Maria had the luck that their older brother was employed within the National Guard, as this allowed their family some respite from the worst of the Xenian invasion and portal storms following the incident.

Over the years the military base to which they had fled became more and more isolated. A minor spec of protection within an increasingly hostile wasteland where Xenian creatures stalked through the forest coverage. This eventually resulted in the fact that there was no longer room to be a civilian. As such Maria, being too young still to go through proper training, was instead placed in the mess hall to aid in the preparation of meals. The cooks there had some experience with Xenian meats already, and offered some clever insights in how to make the alien protein more appetizing.

By the time of the Combine invasion, the military camp had basically become a simple spec, hardly worth the time of the initial forces coming to take control of the planet. With the limited time offered, the camp opted to evacuate Westwards, trying to escape the carnage that was unfolding on the Eastern seaboard. The group eventually managed to come into contact with other remnants, joining together and in the end reaching a
new permanent location near Buffalo.

What was first a more ragtag group of surviving US forces and former-civilians turned militia eventually evolved to become the Patriots. Over the years Maria shifted from only being a cook towards performing more combat roles as well, as manpower dwindled due to the ever-ongoing struggle in North America.

In the end, a team was assembled to go Westwards, towards Seattle. Taking a simple rifle and her trusty can of spices, Maria joined with this group to be one of the main cooks for this expedition. What followed after is known history, what is to come is a new frontier. (Queue intro music or smth)

 

[ZeroPants]

Patriot Application

Spoiler: Out-Of-Character Information

Steam name: Furret No Furry Asimo
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Asimo1234/
Discord: asimo1234

//

Name: Maria "El Chefe" Molina
What useful skills do you have? C O O K I N G (You know you read that as if it was the vortigaunt VC)
Backstory:

Maria was born a little over a decade before the Black Mesa Incident to an immigrant family in one of the states comprising New England. Spending her youth during the years which America can describe as their golden years of global hegemony, appearing as if the country was untouchable. Of course, looking back now all those years later one can see just how many ways there were for it all to come crashing down.

The days of the Black Mesa Incident feel like a scar in the mind, the news coverage of the deteriorating situation in New Mexico a memory that would probably never disappear. Maria had the luck that their older brother was employed within the National Guard, as this allowed their family some respite from the worst of the Xenian invasion and portal storms following the incident.

Over the years the military base to which they had fled became more and more isolated. A minor spec of protection within an increasingly hostile wasteland where Xenian creatures stalked through the forest coverage. This eventually resulted in the fact that there was no longer room to be a civilian. As such Maria, being too young still to go through proper training, was instead placed in the mess hall to aid in the preparation of meals. The cooks there had some experience with Xenian meats already, and offered some clever insights in how to make the alien protein more appetizing.

By the time of the Combine invasion, the military camp had basically become a simple spec, hardly worth the time of the initial forces coming to take control of the planet. With the limited time offered, the camp opted to evacuate Westwards, trying to escape the carnage that was unfolding on the Eastern seaboard. The group eventually managed to come into contact with other remnants, joining together and in the end reaching a
new permanent location near Buffalo.

What was first a more ragtag group of surviving US forces and former-civilians turned militia eventually evolved to become the Patriots. Over the years Maria shifted from only being a cook towards performing more combat roles as well, as manpower dwindled due to the ever-ongoing struggle in North America.

In the end, a team was assembled to go Westwards, towards Seattle. Taking a simple rifle and her trusty can of spices, Maria joined with this group to be one of the main cooks for this expedition. What followed after is known history, what is to come is a new frontier. (Queue intro music or smth)

Accepted

 

[ZeroPants]

14 Patriots:

1 - @MelonHeadzzz - Peter McClintock - Patriots Leader

2 - @Marco - Jake Stone

3 - @The Sniper - Johnathan Jacob Wilde

4 - @Gutsy - Blake Rowe

5 - @Curbalas - Richard Drake

6 - @Stanford - Kyle Gibbens

7 - @BrennenW05 - Johnny Hawthorn - Venus Veteran

8 - @afibon - Eduardo Dominguez - Black Gold Veteran

9 - @Travis - George Coxwell - Black Gold Veteran

10 - @HalfLife2CitizenMale09 - Isiah Poltoff

11 - @Asimo1234 - Maria Molina

12 - @Killian - Virginia Wreather

13 - @Omega - Francis Marion Anderson

14 - @delo1127 - Jerry Erick

12 Conscripts:

1 - @Furious - Lance Shaw - Conscripts leader

2 - @AgathaL - Joshua Holland

3 - @Emi - Ember Reed

4 - @villeneuve - Isobelle Hocken

5 - @Dazor - George Zerillo

6 - @adnolug - Mason McGeehan

7 - @Lucaa - Antonio Mancini

8 - @Shady Prism - James Kennedy

9 - @Garratz - Arthur Vasquez

10 - @TheMouths - Mason G. Snake - Venus Veteran

11 - @albertossic - Louis Price

12 - @FelixPius - Callen Callahan

10 Vortigaunts:

1 - @Craw - Xura'Nix - 2140 years old - Vortigaunts Leader

2 - @Tuki - Zoh'kar-than - 400 years old

3 - @Senor Sauce - Ura'Ormdarr'Rut - 542 years old

4 - @JustWats - Vorlan'Ksan - 1248 years old

5 - @Kranky - Lung'Korr-Lih - 1800 years old (was reduced from 2354)

6 - @Neon - Sul'Nethyn Vaan - 1464 years old

7 - @Dr. sandu - Holl'Dan Vahh - 622 years old

8 - @Lord Beckett - Kurr Lilli’Vahh Ni-Turr - 1900 years old (was reduced from 2255)

9 - @Sevens - T'rah-Sha - 1319 years old

10 - @Cengiz - Rah'Lah - 87 years old

3 Refugees:

1 - @ramen - Jebediah Morgan

2 - @Processed_Grain - Alejandro Basilio

3 - @Kamilisha Haijulikani - Verne Hubert



Feel free to apply if you haven't already, we haven't set a specific starting date for the mega-event, but it should start sometime next week, I will post an update once we get a set date.

 

[delo1127]

Steam name: delo
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:96149868
Discord: delo1127

//
Patriots application

Name: Jerry Erick

What useful skills do you have?
Jerry's family did a lot of deer hunting. Jerry received training from his old man on how to shoot a hunting rifle. His dad would go out with an old rifle tracking deer and other wildlife. He shot his first gun at the age of 7 and got his first kill at 14. At the age of 17, he knew how to forage for food, make a campfire, perform basic first aid, track, hunt, fish, and gut the local wildlife. (survivalist/hunting/basic first aid)

Backstory:

Spoiler

Jerry was born in Illinois in the city of Chicago on 11/27/1979. Jerry's family was well off for the time, as they could take many vacation trips to some of the wonders of the United States. He went to New York to visit his grandparents, who owned a small bakery and helped out at the cash register. He learned odd things from around the world and picked up Spanish from one of his friend's families while in middle school, High school life was a confusing time for him as he did not know what to do with his life and decided that become a welder was what he wanted to do with life.

Jerry comes from City 16. He bounced around from city to city a lot before he decided to settle down somewhere and try to make a living. It took almost one year of hard work before he was able to reach orange tier. Sometimes, Jerry just left the city he was able to stash his family's old rifle and would take the time to leave for months on end and hunt Xen life. Out in the wasteland, he witnessed a strange sight a battle between two groups, Combine soldiers and rebels. He recognized the face of one of the rebels as one of his friends from when he was younger. Deciding right then and there, he began picking off soldiers with his hunting rifle. That day, he reconnected with one of his old friends from when he was younger, before the Combine rule. His friend was able to convince him to join the Patriots and use his old hunting skills. Due to his situation, he never returned to his job and disappeared. He began doing what the founding fathers did to the British.....fighting back. For a while, he took on odd jobs here and there, using his skills to scout out new locations. Most of the time, Jerry used his skills for hunting with Vortigaunts. After a while, Jerry decided to give himself a nickname: Buddy.....

 

[Kamilisha Haijulikani]

Steam name: Kamil
Steam profile link or ID:

Steam Community :: Kamilisha Haijulikani

God of Thunder

steamcommunity.com

Discord: kamilishahaijulikani

this character is for a character not affiliated with any particular group. he is a returning character from the black gold event set in Alaska one year and one month ago.

---

​

---

He came; He Saw; He Conquered said the mad vagabond to a land of Nobodies, his journey bringing him from the treacherous and harsh land of the Northern oilfields of the New Frontier of Alaska to the chaotic and bandit-riddled Mississippi River and beyond. Known purely by the moniker "Schmidt," named after his weapon of choice, he is a newcomer to the scene of the North American Southeast, a mysterious ranger from the North, past the Malignancy Zone, as the hushed murmurs of the scantily few who spot such a man say. Having trekked the continent over the past year, how he made his travels is relatively unknown, an epic of struggle, betrayal, and villainy since lost to the annals of time, lest he tell himself, of course.
​

Life as he knew it began in Southwestern Alaska when he and a plethora of men on their expedition were hard-pressed to survey and excavate the land for any potential signs of liquid gold. A blank slate, he was horribly unremarkable, quick to be forgotten, and readily accused in an explosive, tense atmosphere where paranoia and trepidation ran amok and were nigh-palpable. In such a highly charged atmosphere, it was inevitable that one would be immolated by Mother Winter's harrowing call, especially after what came next; hopelessly consigned to the blizzarding winters as his peers ejected him from the camp on grounds of hysteria, jeered at by his colleagues after having stumbled upon a winter's Yeti, one which decimated the previous camp's inhabitants and left their mawed and twisted remains bare for the snow to consume.

Forced into exile, he persevered, naked beneath under winter's haze through the freezing temperatures as he trekked headlong through the valley ridge, plagued by an encumbering frigid sense of frost and an insidious sense of malevolence. Stumbling upon the ravaged abode of an Alaskan settler, it was there when his life changed irreparably; within his hands, pillaged from the wreck of that wood lodging, was a miraculous beast, an SSG Model 8 Schmidt Scout, modded and tuned to the previous owner's specifications. Endowed with heaven's gift, it was then he realized his purpose; he was a man destined by God to run amok, to hammer down divine retribution, to purview and unveil the extent of the Overseer's betrayal, and doling the fists of vengeance into many men deserving and many men not, his initial goals lofty but pure, soon corrupted by winter's galore.

Blackened by hate, loneliness, and winter's searing nuzzle, his flesh and mind were scarred by the harsh conditions before him, his goals twisted and obfuscated, lost in a world of his own making, his acumen dulled by winter's blaze, sanity slipping as the bitter resentment of winter's grip set in, terror-struck by cold's piercing edge; but it was that first night, when he laid in the dead of night at a bitter -30°C, nestled against the rock face of a cliff, that the cold finally claimed him; in the midst of the night, nestled against a cliff's alcove, where when one touched his nose and cheeks, no sensations were felt, where the cold drove him mad at the thought of death's grip as he shivered in the dead of night, where winter's dread crept slowly through the hairs of his body, it was then he became terribly mad. As he lay nigh-dead, decrying his fate, he clung to one final, bitter straw of humanity that kept him engrossed away from the pain, a goal he hyper-focused on, one that ultimately led his quest for vengeance, where in his despair, he lost touch with his humanity and was consumed by winter's wrath, cleansed by its totality.

A creature of destruction, the creature had lost itself, its motivations, and its name, driven solely by an ever-cavernous sense of maddening retribution, becoming a relentless marauder of chill, a manifestation of winter's wrath, driven mad by its cold, its rabble-rouser, its champion, and lastly, its killer. The creature became a catalyst for destruction and misery, the misery that infested itself in the minds of many, bringing many good men to ruin, leaving many good men dead, and permanently leaving the snowy tundra of Alaska a deep, crimson red.​

---

---

Name: Verne Hubert

What useful skills do you have?
He is a sharpshooter by trade, a skill he tactfully embraced during his Alaskan escapades one year prior when he brought terror to the Alaskan settlements day in and day out through his constant raids and attacks against its inhabitants. Additionally, he has proven himself quite the survivalist and infiltrator, successfully infiltrating the Alaskan settlements to pillage and pilfer any supplies, creating rapport and trust with the inhabitants he intended to betray and kill while simultaneously sabotaging camp communications and splintering trust among community members to cause mischief and more. Whenever he wasn't stealing to survive, he would occasionally hunt Houndeyes, Headcrabs, Antlions, and other creatures of the Alaskan wilderness to skin, harvest, and feast or craft. Did also shoot Weaver.

​

Spoiler: Black Gold Screenshots

 

[Vasilidesu]

Steam name:
Vasilidesu
Steam profile link or ID:

Steam Community :: Vasilidesu

I play run escape

steamcommunity.com

Discord:
Vasilidesu
​

---

Name:
Lur'Korath Sul "Oddball"
Age:
1908
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?
No
Backstory:
Spawned nearly two millennia ago, this creature has lived within a small group of other vortigaunts. Having a lifestyle of farming from an early age, this creature has since been once the run from the invading forces. The small group had since been severed and he fell into partial isolation. Moving to earth after the portal storm began.

The crazed old vortigaunt that has since lived within the malignant zone alongside his kin. Living on earth the creature has since started collecting all kinds of exotic items. It has spiralled down into borderline hoarding of all kinds of plants, items and anything he can get his hands on. This frantic collection of all kinds of items gave him the nickname of "Oddball". The creature acts differently to other vortigaunts. Usually seen running around frantically anywhere he goes seemingly always in motion trying to make new kinds of mixtures and foods. This frantic hoarding has severly damaged the creatures ability to communicate properly, easily losing track of conversations.​

 

[mmate88]

Steam name: molnar_
Steam profile link or ID: 76561198322680876
Discord: _molnar_
//

Name: Samuel Black
Why were you conscripted? Was it a punishment for a crime you committed, did you volunteer, or were you selected at random?: volunteered to keep his family safe from the UU's hands
What useful skills do you have?: Samuel Used to be a police officer before the war so he had good enough training with firearms to be useful for the conscripts. Even before the conscription, he was well-disciplined in the force.
Backstory:
Samuel Black was born in the state of Washington where he lived most of his life. He became a cop at 25 and became a father of 2 at 28. He was 31 when the combine attacked the earth. He was separated from his family and as a final solution he volunteered for the conscripts, hoping that one day they would let him unite with his family once more after he does his time in the conscripts

 

[ZeroPants]

Patriot​

---

Steam name: ☾Killian☽
Steam profile link or ID:

https://steamcommunity.com/id/ClockWorkKeys/

Discord: clockworkkeys

---

Name: Virginia Wreather
What useful skills do you have?: Medical Knowledge.
Backstory:

Spoiler

A medic. A widow. A mother. A Patriot.

Spoiler

Tragedy. There's tragedy in every single story regardless of what side they stand on. Yet there's often a pair of loving hands which will soothe illness, tend to the injured, and help the fallen back onto their feet. The hands of Doctor Virginia Wreather have taken up this responsibility with a small twist on the tradition. With each wound she tends to, a new line is added to the stories she holds is written. Every soldier who fights for the right side will be remembered through feverish writings crafted in the late hours of the night.
Blood is thicker, but water runs deeper. She and her husband were separated from their child in the midst of chaos and despite numerous leads, there were never any answers to be found. Her late husband, a veteran in his time, had formed strong relations with the Patriots. While her husband was slaughtered in a petty fight aggressed by the Combine, the loss was still devastating. She was ushered in with open arms as her life was fully stripped from her. She was given a place to stay. She was given wounds to mend. She was given a reason to fight. She carries the stories of her family, the stories of people she's helped, the stories shared over brief reprieves over campfires and meals so that they may not be forgotten.

Sorry, meant to accept this one yesterday

 

[ZeroPants]

 

[Omega]

Patriot Application

Spoiler: OOC

Steam name: Omega
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/id/ReallyOmega/
Discord: agemorb

//

Name:
Francis "Pastor" Marion Anderson

What useful skills do you have?
"Well, I was a heavy machine gunner back in 90, 91, during the Gulf War, then after that I was our unit's Chaplain... so add preaching to that list of skills. And, I know it ain't a skill, but go ahead and add my love for Jesus onto the skill list. You see, even before the Combine's invasion our boys on the frontline needed Jesus to help them stay strong. I believe the same can be said for the Patriots. Sure, we have America in our hearts and mind... but do we accept the Lord in our soul? It's an important question to ask, and it's even more important to know that no matter the answer, God still loves us...
I also used to grow pot- after my time in the Marines. Me and the fellas would smoke a few joints after congregation. Good times. Good times that need to happen again."

Backstory:
Born on April of 1969, in Manning, South Carolina, Francis spent most of his childhood in the rural town, playing and hunting like most of the boys his age. Not too much of note happened as he grew up, being the son of a Preacher and a postal worker, his childhood is not much of a source of tragedy. However, the moment Francis turned 18 he joined the Marine Corps, only three years later being sent into Operation Desert Storm- the Gulf War. The Machine Gunner for his platoon, Francis saw horrors in the war. Some necessary, most not. The war lasted until 91, Anderson being there throughout the whole thing, and when most expected his spirits to be at his lowest, he was only emboldened. The experiences he had there only reinforced his faith in the Lord, causing his last few years in service to be as his Unit's Chaplain. Finally leaving the Marines in 96 as a Sergeant, going back home to Manning to Preach in his father's church until the Combine invaded, causes Francis, as well as a few of his friends, to head westward. Eventually joining up with the Patriots, and setting forth into the New Frontier.​

 

[Quest]

Steam name:
Vasilidesu
Steam profile link or ID:

Steam Community :: Vasilidesu

I play run escape

steamcommunity.com

Discord:
Vasilidesu
​

---

Name:
Lur'Korath Sul "Oddball"
Age:
1908
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?
No
Backstory:
Spawned nearly two millennia ago, this creature has lived within a small group of other vortigaunts. Having a lifestyle of farming from an early age, this creature has since been once the run from the invading forces. The small group had since been severed and he fell into partial isolation. Moving to earth after the portal storm began.

The crazed old vortigaunt that has since lived within the malignant zone alongside his kin. Living on earth the creature has since started collecting all kinds of exotic items. It has spiralled down into borderline hoarding of all kinds of plants, items and anything he can get his hands on. This frantic collection of all kinds of items gave him the nickname of "Oddball". The creature acts differently to other vortigaunts. Usually seen running around frantically anywhere he goes seemingly always in motion trying to make new kinds of mixtures and foods. This frantic hoarding has severly damaged the creatures ability to communicate properly, easily losing track of conversations.​

 

[M3ntal]

Spoiler: OOC Stuff

Steam name: M3ntal
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:0:93450871
Discord: lastneuron

//

Spoiler: Character Stuff

Name: Al'thuur
Age: 1900
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist? : Yes
Backstory:

"The cascading pathways of fate never seem as clear as when one is on the precipice of great change, to see what the vortessence has ordained for us to discover. Is this the new promised land, where vortikind may thrive? May we claim, once more, a piece of our domain, long lost and scorned by the masked ones? Perhaps such a sanctuary is permitted, if only for the shame that our human allies cannot join us."

(The story is told in the form of a personal memento)

From Homeworld, to inter-world

"Heed, kin, as we regale you with our recollections of what our home once was. It was a positively divine, transcendent plain of prosperity, where our kind ruled and thrived for eons. Studying the ways of the vortal threads that bind us, unraveling the secrets of our capabilities and following our grand elders to the promised resolution that awaits all our kind. Though we faced many tribulations, as no possible conglomeration of sentient beings can exist without the fundamental foundation of purpose - conflict. Kin, would regrettably sometimes, raise hand against kin. Battles were fought..though fortunately, never long-lasting. Perhaps our intrinsic bond won over our brief disagreements. One can only assume...the vortessence sometimes...clouds one's recollections.

And yet, prosperity, with all these setbacks, was possible. Call it a cruel twist of fate that this harmony was tarnished by the arrival of the Ulathoi and their puppets. We fought and we bled and yet we simply could not outlast them. Compared to the legions of vortikind, they had legions of their own, legions contained within legions. We simply could not outlast them. As such, the only course was escape, abandoning that which we held dear. Had we been there amongst the elders, we would have perhaps been amongst the kin desiring to fight until the last kin...but it seems that it was better for us to capitulate our world, and flee.

A better fate did not await us in the war-factories of the borderworld. Almost immediately, whatever kin were remaining were subjugated by the 'Supreme' as it likes to be referred to as. The worm, it is nothing more than that. It was merely an obstacle that we had foreseen would be toppled in due time, even if our wills had been subjugated by the Nihilanth's devices and contraptions. And as it was foreseen, so did it arrive - freedom. In the form of the Freeman. If only this entity would return once again to lead our charge against the masked ones. But alas, it has yet not come to be. Perhaps, in due time."

New soils

"Once we have arrived, another vision came. Not of the Freeman, but of the growing grasp of the borderworld within the soil of the west. It seeks to promise us a domain where vortikind may know no master but themselves, a true promised land. One, where our sanctuary may return in spirit, a memento of what once was for the kin of young and kin of old. We have been fortunate enough to have been relocated within the perimeter of such miraculous terraforming, and quickly convened with what kin also had been subjected to such a fortune. And to our most resplendent surprise, the domain has been seen fit to occupy by no other but a grand elder of our kind. They had seen it fit to turn this into our domain, our home, and we have seen it fit to follow them on this endeavor. The path will be cleaved, carved, and suited for our purpose.

But as we remain, we hear echoes of tribulations that our kin within the prisons of the oppressors sustain, they and their new allies. The humans. A peculiar quantity, often seen as primitive and animalistic by the more elder of our kind. Such an opinion was held by we, as well, but without firm grasp. To see the outside of a pesky weed is to ignore the complexity and beauty of its life-cycle. An object of fascination, they sometimes are. And at times, valuable allies. Perhaps they will evict the masked ones from this world...it is only a shame that this world will soon evict the humans, next."​

 

[Dazor]

View attachment 27854

I miss the Detective duo

 

[0xNiklas]

Vortigaunt Application v2 ​

---

Steam name: 0xNiklas
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198810137281/
Discord: 0xNiklas™#5967

---

//​

---

Name: Alt'lmr

Age: 215

Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?: No, I never had them on Willard before.





Backstory:

Spoiler: Backstory

Alt'lmr, appeared in this world shortly after the Vortigaunts were enslaved by Nihilanths. He was, of course, one of the many Vortigaunts who had the misfortune of spawning through the Vortessence at such a period of their time. Alt'lmr lived cluelessly with his tribe further away on Xen and knew nothing about enslavement, or even the term itself. He saw what he was in as normal, he grew up with it. Until it came to Black Mesa, the scientists wasted one of their crystals and tore open a portal with it and he and his kin were ordered to attack the earth and they did so, therein lies the characteristic of slavery and he himself saw the atrocities of humans and enslavement. Humans kills humans, Xenian kills humans,
Vortigaunt kills humans, and worst of all, humans killed Vortigaunts. Instinctively, he fought for his people and fled with his tribe, even from the place and slavery, after the death of the Nihilanths, which death was extremely beneficial to the Vortigaunt species.


But this luck didn't last long until the Combine discovered the border world and conquered the earth within 7 hours and there was a new administration of the Combine, including the Vortigaunts being enslaved again and the entire human race for the first time. The Vortigaunts knew their stuff, they were in this situation and that's how Alt'lmr saw it too. He decided to help people, at least those who didn't follow the Combine. He fled with his tribe to Alaska, their journey was long, hard and cold. The cold of the Alaskan winters makes it harder for them, but maintains their optimism. Alt'lmr sat with his tribe and some of the Patriots in a local cave, where in the pure silence the alarm of a gunship sounded. Alt'lmr looked up, curious and worried, and took another Kin with him to investigate the sounds they heard. He and others from his tribe went out and checked the origin of the sound. Her fear became reality. A small Overwatch team was called out to look for rebel cells locally. But cautiously, they disappeared back into the forests of densely populated and cold Alaska. He came back into the cave and spoke to the leader and said: "Greetings, The Patriot. We and my Kin spotted a ship of the Combine soldiers, they are probably looking for us. Therefore, the next step is to relocate us .. To prevent discovery!"

The leader nodded quickly and extinguished the campfire in the dark cave and continued on into the deep parts of the forest. Days later, the Patriots discovered another Patriot cell and spoke of the "New Frontier", a new front between the Humans, Xenians and the Combine. Of course, it piqued the interest of his Kin, including an older
Vortigaunt who was the leader of their group .. He asked the rebels "Humans, explain to us the exact and precise location of the. New Frontier?" The patriot looked at him, looked at his colleague and said "In the huge infestation zone, from Washington down to Mexico, so everything on the west coast." The Elder Vortigaunt nodded and told his tribe that this was the most ideal place for them, since other Vortigaunts were there.


Alt'lmr, nodded and, pleased with the information, he set off with the tribe and the rebels to this place where Vortigaunts could live in peace. However, appearances are not true when they were in Washigton. An Overwatch patrol came by and killed his entire tribe in an attempt to escape. Well, Alt'lmr is completely devastated by this tragic loss. However, he realized that they have come back to the Vortessence and are now more at peace than ever before. Nevertheless, he set off with the usual rebel to the New Frontier, whether he survives it or gets there... leaves the future open.

 

[albertossic]

Vortigaunt Application - The Green Ranger

Spoiler: OOC Info

Steam name: albertossic
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:64572723
Discord: albertossic

//

Name: To-Ran-Kul a.k.a. "Antlion Bill" a.k.a. "The Green Ranger" a.k.a. Vorty Three-Guns a.k.a. Freak
Age: 867
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist? Yes

"Howdy to the human."

Backstory:
One of the Nihilanth's most committed collaborators on Xen, a firm believer in the subservience of the masses to the greater will of the supreme being, a rude awakening on Earth has forced To-Ran-Kul to reevaluate everything he held true. Living in the Vortigaunt Kingdom was difficult, as many of his kinsmen still regarded the former servant to the grand tyrant of Xen with understandable suspicion. When the Grand Elder called for volunteers to scout into the no-man's-land outside of the Malignancy zone, ascertaining the state of the terrain and more importantly the few souls that still somehow seem to inhabit it, To-Ran-Kul was one of the first to step up, hoping to find answers on this pilgrimage and prove his worth to his kin.

It was on this reconnaissance mission into the wastes that To-Ran-Kul discovered something that would fundamentally alter his understanding of the Vortessence, his very perception of life itself: The National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. This time capsule within a timecapsule in the middle of the American wastes has served its purpose well, preserving artifacts of a lost age - outfits, stories, Native American folklore, accounts of trappers, cowboy novels - even some old John Wayne movies, once To-Ran-Kul managed to use his vortal powers to kickstart the projector sheltered in the archival basement. The path was clear to him now: No subservience, no great supreme will can guide him into true oneness with the Vortessence. Instead, he must turn to the way of the Wastes, the way of rugged individualism, must turn to the life of a lonesome cowboy as one might turn to the life of an ascetic monk, to find enlightenment. He picked up an old cowboy hat from one of the mannequins, scoured the remains for Oklahoma City for whatever else he could find to round out his new look, and returned to the Malignancy Zone, announcing his intent to remain exiled in the wastes until he has truly lived the way of the cowboy - what this meant was still unclear. Perhaps it meant finding a nice bar maid or fieldhand's daughter and settle down, build his own little ranch and live peacefully. Perhaps it meant making sure the poor lost souls wandering the wastes will be allowed to live safely under the protection of the Vortigaunts. Perhaps it simply meant finding a horse.

This was almost a year ago, now. Since that time, To-Ran-Kul, servant to the Great Oppressor, has all but faded into the echoes of the Vortessence, and Antlion Bill, wild Westman of the Wastes, has emerged, trapping and trading with his kin back home, accepting missions to scout the Wastes from his Elders, making friendships with the other lost souls along the Great Wastes, and looking for purpose, his trusty six-shooter always holstered right under his chest-hand, so that he may shoot from the heart where others shoot from the hip. Yeehaw.

 

[ZeroPants]

Spoiler: OOC Stuff

Steam name: M3ntal
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:0:93450871
Discord: lastneuron

//

Spoiler: Character Stuff

Name: Al'thuur
Age: 1900
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist? : Yes
Backstory:

View attachment 27855
"The cascading pathways of fate never seem as clear as when one is on the precipice of great change, to see what the vortessence has ordained for us to discover. Is this the new promised land, where vortikind may thrive? May we claim, once more, a piece of our domain, long lost and scorned by the masked ones? Perhaps such a sanctuary is permitted, if only for the shame that our human allies cannot join us."

(The story is told in the form of a personal memento)

From Homeworld, to inter-world

"Heed, kin, as we regale you with our recollections of what our home once was. It was a positively divine, transcendent plain of prosperity, where our kind ruled and thrived for eons. Studying the ways of the vortal threads that bind us, unraveling the secrets of our capabilities and following our grand elders to the promised resolution that awaits all our kind. Though we faced many tribulations, as no possible conglomeration of sentient beings can exist without the fundamental foundation of purpose - conflict. Kin, would regrettably sometimes, raise hand against kin. Battles were fought..though fortunately, never long-lasting. Perhaps our intrinsic bond won over our brief disagreements. One can only assume...the vortessence sometimes...clouds one's recollections.

And yet, prosperity, with all these setbacks, was possible. Call it a cruel twist of fate that this harmony was tarnished by the arrival of the Ulathoi and their puppets. We fought and we bled and yet we simply could not outlast them. Compared to the legions of vortikind, they had legions of their own, legions contained within legions. We simply could not outlast them. As such, the only course was escape, abandoning that which we held dear. Had we been there amongst the elders, we would have perhaps been amongst the kin desiring to fight until the last kin...but it seems that it was better for us to capitulate our world, and flee.

A better fate did not await us in the war-factories of the borderworld. Almost immediately, whatever kin were remaining were subjugated by the 'Supreme' as it likes to be referred to as. The worm, it is nothing more than that. It was merely an obstacle that we had foreseen would be toppled in due time, even if our wills had been subjugated by the Nihilanth's devices and contraptions. And as it was foreseen, so did it arrive - freedom. In the form of the Freeman. If only this entity would return once again to lead our charge against the masked ones. But alas, it has yet not come to be. Perhaps, in due time."

New soils

"Once we have arrived, another vision came. Not of the Freeman, but of the growing grasp of the borderworld within the soil of the west. It seeks to promise us a domain where vortikind may know no master but themselves, a true promised land. One, where our sanctuary may return in spirit, a memento of what once was for the kin of young and kin of old. We have been fortunate enough to have been relocated within the perimeter of such miraculous terraforming, and quickly convened with what kin also had been subjected to such a fortune. And to our most resplendent surprise, the domain has been seen fit to occupy by no other but a grand elder of our kind. They had seen it fit to turn this into our domain, our home, and we have seen it fit to follow them on this endeavor. The path will be cleaved, carved, and suited for our purpose.

But as we remain, we hear echoes of tribulations that our kin within the prisons of the oppressors sustain, they and their new allies. The humans. A peculiar quantity, often seen as primitive and animalistic by the more elder of our kind. Such an opinion was held by we, as well, but without firm grasp. To see the outside of a pesky weed is to ignore the complexity and beauty of its life-cycle. An object of fascination, they sometimes are. And at times, valuable allies. Perhaps they will evict the masked ones from this world...it is only a shame that this world will soon evict the humans, next."​

Vortigaunt Application v2 ​

---

Steam name: 0xNiklas
Steam profile link or ID: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198810137281/
Discord: 0xNiklas™#5967

---

//​

---

Name: Alt'lmrView attachment 27863

Age: 215

Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist?: No, I never had them on Willard before.





Backstory:

Spoiler: Backstory

View attachment 27856Alt'lmr, appeared in this world shortly after the Vortigaunts were enslaved by Nihilanths. He was, of course, one of the many Vortigaunts who had the misfortune of spawning through the Vortessence at such a period of their time. Alt'lmr lived cluelessly with his tribe further away on Xen and knew nothing about enslavement, or even the term itself. He saw what he was in as normal, he grew up with it. Until it came to Black Mesa, the scientists wasted one of their crystals and tore open a portal with it and he and his kin were ordered to attack the earth and they did so, therein lies the characteristic of slavery and he himself saw the atrocities of humans and enslavement. Humans kills humans, Xenian kills humans,
Vortigaunt kills humans, and worst of all, humans killed Vortigaunts. Instinctively, he fought for his people and fled with his tribe, even from the place and slavery, after the death of the Nihilanths, which death was extremely beneficial to the Vortigaunt species.


View attachment 27858But this luck didn't last long until the Combine discovered the border world and conquered the earth within 7 hours and there was a new administration of the Combine, including the Vortigaunts being enslaved again and the entire human race for the first time. The Vortigaunts knew their stuff, they were in this situation and that's how Alt'lmr saw it too. He decided to help people, at least those who didn't follow the Combine. He fled with his tribe to Alaska, their journey was long, hard and cold. The cold of the Alaskan winters makes it harder for them, but maintains their optimism. Alt'lmr sat with his tribe and some of the Patriots in a local cave, where in the pure silence the alarm of a gunship sounded. Alt'lmr looked up, curious and worried, and took another Kin with him to investigate the sounds they heard. He and others from his tribe went out and checked the origin of the sound. Her fear became reality. A small Overwatch team was called out to look for rebel cells locally. But cautiously, they disappeared back into the forests of densely populated and cold Alaska. He came back into the cave and spoke to the leader and said: "Greetings, The Patriot. We and my Kin spotted a ship of the Combine soldiers, they are probably looking for us. Therefore, the next step is to relocate us .. To prevent discovery!"

View attachment 27862The leader nodded quickly and extinguished the campfire in the dark cave and continued on into the deep parts of the forest. Days later, the Patriots discovered another Patriot cell and spoke of the "New Frontier", a new front between the Humans, Xenians and the Combine. Of course, it piqued the interest of his Kin, including an older
Vortigaunt who was the leader of their group .. He asked the rebels "Humans, explain to us the exact and precise location of the. New Frontier?" The patriot looked at him, looked at his colleague and said "In the huge infestation zone, from Washington down to Mexico, so everything on the west coast." The Elder Vortigaunt nodded and told his tribe that this was the most ideal place for them, since other Vortigaunts were there.

View attachment 27861
Alt'lmr, nodded and, pleased with the information, he set off with the tribe and the rebels to this place where Vortigaunts could live in peace. However, appearances are not true when they were in Washigton. An Overwatch patrol came by and killed his entire tribe in an attempt to escape. Well, Alt'lmr is completely devastated by this tragic loss. However, he realized that they have come back to the Vortessence and are now more at peace than ever before. Nevertheless, he set off with the usual rebel to the New Frontier, whether he survives it or gets there... leaves the future open.

Vortigaunt Application - The Green Ranger

Spoiler: OOC Info

Steam name: albertossic
Steam profile link or ID: STEAM_0:1:64572723
Discord: albertossic

//

Name: To-Ran-Kul a.k.a. "Antlion Bill" a.k.a. "The Green Ranger" a.k.a. Vorty Three-Guns a.k.a. Freak
Age: 867
Do you have the Vortigaunt whitelist? Yes

"Howdy to the human."

Backstory:
One of the Nihilanth's most committed collaborators on Xen, a firm believer in the subservience of the masses to the greater will of the supreme being, a rude awakening on Earth has forced To-Ran-Kul to reevaluate everything he held true. Living in the Vortigaunt Kingdom was difficult, as many of his kinsmen still regarded the former servant to the grand tyrant of Xen with understandable suspicion. When the Grand Elder called for volunteers to scout into the no-man's-land outside of the Malignancy zone, ascertaining the state of the terrain and more importantly the few souls that still somehow seem to inhabit it, To-Ran-Kul was one of the first to step up, hoping to find answers on this pilgrimage and prove his worth to his kin.

It was on this reconnaissance mission into the wastes that To-Ran-Kul discovered something that would fundamentally alter his understanding of the Vortessence, his very perception of life itself: The National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. This time capsule within a timecapsule in the middle of the American wastes has served its purpose well, preserving artifacts of a lost age - outfits, stories, Native American folklore, accounts of trappers, cowboy novels - even some old John Wayne movies, once To-Ran-Kul managed to use his vortal powers to kickstart the projector sheltered in the archival basement. The path was clear to him now: No subservience, no great supreme will can guide him into true oneness with the Vortessence. Instead, he must turn to the way of the Wastes, the way of rugged individualism, must turn to the life of a lonesome cowboy as one might turn to the life of an ascetic monk, to find enlightenment. He picked up an old cowboy hat from one of the mannequins, scoured the remains for Oklahoma City for whatever else he could find to round out his new look, and returned to the Malignancy Zone, announcing his intent to remain exiled in the wastes until he has truly lived the way of the cowboy - what this meant was still unclear. Perhaps it meant finding a nice bar maid or fieldhand's daughter and settle down, build his own little ranch and live peacefully. Perhaps it meant making sure the poor lost souls wandering the wastes will be allowed to live safely under the protection of the Vortigaunts. Perhaps it simply meant finding a horse.

This was almost a year ago, now. Since that time, To-Ran-Kul, servant to the Great Oppressor, has all but faded into the echoes of the Vortessence, and Antlion Bill, wild Westman of the Wastes, has emerged, trapping and trading with his kin back home, accepting missions to scout the Wastes from his Elders, making friendships with the other lost souls along the Great Wastes, and looking for purpose, his trusty six-shooter always holstered right under his chest-hand, so that he may shoot from the heart where others shoot from the hip. Yeehaw.

Sadly, we won't be accepting any Vortigaunt applications unless we get more conscript applications, we have an even number of conscripts and vorts, I want to keep things balanced considering how powerful vortigaunts are. We will accept more vortigaunts in the event we get more conscripts. Sorry