[-Ben_Wolfe-]

Summer break is coming up and I am working on getting on (since getting up would be counter-productive to GMod shizzle) my lazy ass and finishing Vandal Episode Two and some Vortigaunt Chronicles. There is much to behold for the Vortigaunts' history and Robbie's journey as a runaway has literally just begun. So keep a look out for that stuff. But do keep in mind that next week I do have my finals, so bear with me; be patient. I'm as anxious as you [hopefully] are.

In the meantime, I managed to cook up another minor Vortigaunt tale.

Pronounced: Shah-Voo Hah-rock-mah-lah-tah

Sha'vu Harakmalata and Antlion Husbandry

In the early years of the Vortessence, where Vortigaunts were first discovering its advantages, Vortigaunts had many troubles when dealing with their antlion neighbours; continually the Vortigaunts were viciously attacked. Some Vortigaunts had become so bold as to attempting to tame the insect beasts with their new-found ability. The Vortigaunt's primary targets were the malicious myrmidonts that defended an antlion hive. Several attempts left warriors and shamans marred or brutally 'returned to the void'. However, the few that were successful had indulged the confidence of many would-be tamers. As the profession of taming myrmidonts increased, consequently, the population of antlions decreased; leaving hives abandoned and their lush resources dying. Under the orders of the Shaman Council, studies were made on the myrmidonts and antlions to discover what exactly it was that held them linked together. A breakthrough was made when it was discovered that a myrmidont secretes a potent pheromone from specialized sacs that attracts antlions; and in a way, controls them. Vortigaunts began to harvest the pods from fallen myrmidonts, where they had soon learned that a Vortigaunt could mimic the effects of the sacs (Later to be dubbed 'pheropods' by Sha'vu Harakmalata) by squeezing or throwing the pods. The pheropod alternative had become well accepted by the Shaman Council and those who did not approve antlion extinction. The pheropods opened many new opportunities for Vortigaunts.
Sha'vu Harakmalata had been the first among many to suggest bringing the antlion hives closer to Vortigaunt settlements. Sha'vu accomplished his mission by artificially creating a hive where the antlions could produce their honey and larval extracts. Sha'vu and his team periodically fed the antlions keeping them (primarily the female and worker antlions) healthy where they could produce lush and luxurious resources. Male antlions were often raised to meet a degree of 'meat sufficiency', where they would then be killed and their meat would be sold as food and their exoskeletons would be sold to the military.

Notes ("not this shit again"):

- The headcrab on the vortigaunt's waist is to be considered a pouch or purse. Thus why there's a larval extract in it.
- "Ben, there's a human eye on that staff. I though humans hadn't been discovered yet." If you have even followed along enough to know, or figured out that humans had not been discovered yet: Good for you. To answer the question though: There are many wild beast that we have yet to see (or valve nor I have created yet), the eye would be one of those.
- "Ben those are all antlion NPC's" A fact I am fully aware of and will refrain from attempting to denounce your intelligence by saying otherwise. However, I hope it is understood that antlions are hard as hell to pose.


Previously:

The Cave Baron (I hope to redux and expand on the Cave Barons some time.)
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=924467

Pre-Conflict Sparring:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=908491

The Lonely Traveler; Elios Feliqoi:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=860388

A Vortigaunt Harvesting:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=859689

The Krovex + Vortigaunt Warriors:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=826910

Doran Kru'fex and Ra'ven Ku: Pit Scroungers:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=825585

Mercati Fu'lant and the Black Moons Society:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=822587

Urulozan's Discovery:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=819828

The Epiphany of Celesticu Fortifar and the Discovery of The Vortessence:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=813128

Vortigaunt Myrmidont Taming:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=811824

Kunetuk Mu'hei:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=777296

Colonel Mejshrafir Shi'lutoi:
http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=775721

[F T]

How long does it take for you to write those stories?

[-Ben_Wolfe-]

F T posted:

How long does it take for you to write those stories?

Sometimes a couple days revising, editing, and adding. Some, the shorter ones, an hour or two.

[Hunterdnrc]

Write a book.
I'd buy it.

[-Ben_Wolfe-]

Hunterdnrc posted:

Write a book.
I'd buy it.

Been considering it for about a year now (several really). Just never been able to effectively articulate my thoughts to one fluent story (one that is not related in any way to Half-Life 2 or GMod mind you).

But I'm glad people like my writing.

[DEMONSKUL]

-Ben_Wolfe- posted:

Been considering it for about a year now (several really). Just never been able to effectively articulate my thoughts to one fluent story (one that is not related in any way to Half-Life 2 or GMod mind you).

But I'm glad people like my writing.

do it
maybe not hl2 related though,but you surely have the talent to make up a good story for a book

hell,maybe you'll make the future Metro 2033?

[Zuppo]

Very pretty shot. Once again, beautiful work, Mr. Wolfe.

[Fire Kracker]

are they husbands of the antlions

Edited:

where do they stick their vortpenises

[-Ben_Wolfe-]

Fire Kracker posted:

are they husbands of the antlions

Edited:

where do they stick their vortpenises

Look familiar?

Zuppo posted:

Very pretty shot. Once again, beautiful work, Mr. Wolfe.

Gracias.

DEMONSKUL posted:

do it
maybe not hl2 related though,but you surely have the talent to make up a good story for a book

hell,maybe you'll make the future Metro 2033?

I'm not familiar with Metro 2033. May have to explain that one. :raise:

[itak365]

Well, he means that Metro 2033 was a cult hit that eventually became a game? IDK.

[DEMONSKUL]

-Ben_Wolfe- posted:

I'm not familiar with Metro 2033. May have to explain that one. :raise:

:pirate:
whaaaaaaaat?
never heard of this?:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_2033

[-Ben_Wolfe-]

itak365 posted:

Well, he means that Metro 2033 was a cult hit that eventually became a game? IDK.

Ah.

DEMONSKUL posted:

:pirate:
whaaaaaaaat?
never heard of this?:
[COLOR=#800080]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_2033[/COLOR]

I've heard of the game, just didn't know anything about it.

[Lebowski]

I like to pretend these are canon.

[-Ben_Wolfe-]

Lebowski posted:

I like to pretend these are canon.

I try to make them canon. I'll probably end at the beginning of the Resonance Cascade, hopefully.

[Fire Kracker]

wait where is ninliliath or something

Edited:

or those alien grunts

[ironman17]

I wonder if one of your works will incorporate the legend of Gordon Freeman? After all, that one human had quite a part to play in Vort history.

[-Ben_Wolfe-]

Fire Kracker posted:

wait where is ninliliath or something

Edited:

or those alien grunts

I wanted the Nihilanth to be a disembodied telepathic presence among vortigaunts. Few have seen who their leader truly is. As suggested through some of the writings the Nihilanth has been around for eons (he was apparently present during Celesticu Fortifar's epiphany). How and why he exists is a mystery to the vortigaunts, but his presences has successfully industrialized Central Xen and his militaristic nature has grasped a large encompassing grasp of the entirety of Xen space.

ironman17 posted:

I wonder if one of your works will incorporate the legend of Gordon Freeman? After all, that one human had quite a part to play in Vort history.

I do not want to go into great detail of the Resonance Cascade events. I mean, we know most of what happened through Gordon's eyes. The Vortigaunt Chronicles will probably end with the opening of the gateway between Earth and the Borderworld Xen.

[Lebowski]

this is like star trek nerde fandom

i love it

[Talishmar]

The eyestaff needs prop resizing.

It is so tiny.

[Striker89]

Nicely done, sir Wolfe.