Xenofaune

Xen is a world Extraterrestre invented in the Série of video game of Science-fiction Half-Life . The creatures of this world are called creatures xeniennes , xenomorphic or xenofaune .

The most advanced species of this world have all a third member vestigial on the Thorax, which would imply that they would go down from the same line.

Primitive species

Barnacles

Bullsquids

The bullsquid measurement approximately a meter in height and two meter broad. The trunk carries two short Jambes in sagittal position and a powerful tail cut at a peak. The distinction between the head and the trunk is not very distinct. The head carries a eye on each side and especially a crown of Tentacule S Rouge S which surrounds the mouth and remains the most visible part of the creature. These tentacles are used primarily for hunting and their red color probably comes owing to the fact that they are impregnated by the blood of their victims. In addition to that, the tendency of the bullsquids to charge their prey led to the Mot-valise which constitutes their name ( bulldozer means Taureau and squid Calmar in English).

Its Peau is of a color Brun Sable covered on the back with black tasks. The tail, also tâchetée, comprises in addition to each side of the tasks different from those on its back. Its tasks resemble the eyes of the creature a little and could thus be a technique of Mimétisme to confuse the predatory potentials. The skin of the creature seems sticky, a little like that of a Grenouille.

The bullsquids seem able to live, see to thrive, in the unfriendly environments to see even toxic with human like the sewers and the basins of radioactive waste, chemical or biological. In its native world, Xen, the bullsquids are sometimes found close to the ponds of an unknown liquid which has curative properties at the Man.

The bullsquids seem to have the concept of territory and are often seen assailing the other creatures and even of the members of their own species. In Half-Life , they particularly attack crabs of head which they kill until the last. To attack, the bullsquid can give blows of tail or use their tentacles. Moreover, they can “spit” on long distance a toxic substance.

Although very territorial, the bullsquids seems to be more flexible in their world of origin, Xen. When they are seen in the mysterious liquid which looks after the human ones, the bullsquids do not attack and are satisfied to look at the player when this one passes in the vicinity (even if this one the attack).

With the Pack High-definition, several points of the aspect of the bullsquids is modified. Each tentacle around the mouth carries from now on a claw at its end. The tail also carries a claw at its end (that makes it possible to better explain the heavy damage caused by its blow of tail). The tasks with the shape of eye on the tail disappeared and the eyes became black and brilliant in opposition to their white color and rather tern original.

To note that the bullsquid is réferré as “a bullchicken” in the console of the play, which is its name in beta release.

The official guide Raising the Bar explains why the bullsquids were to be visible or at least mentioned during Half-Life 2. In the versions beta of the play, the bullsquids seemed envisaged to attack the player in water. Their skin color had changed to become dark Bordeaux wine while an alternative texture made them pale green.

It should be noted that Eli Vance would have lost its leg following the attack of a bullsquid.

Chumtoads

It is about a species Extraterrestre initially invented for the first Half-Life but which finally appeared only as a Caméo with a recovery in Half-Life: Opposing Forces and to two in Half-Life: Blue Shift . The chumtoads are of small creatures originating in Xen to morphology similar to that of the Crapaud S. Their vulnerability makes of it certainly a prey of choices for the many predatory ones. For these reasons, their name is a Mot-valise between “chum” ( soft food in English) and “toad” ( clamping plate ). They can be characterized by their skin crimson, their enormous single eye, the points on their back and their blue language.

With the difference of the majority of the creatures of Xen, the chumtoads are not dangerous for the human ones. They tend to stroll on the rocks until being threatened, in which case they can téléporter disappearing itself in a breath crimson. The chumtoads are only the creatures of Xen whose energy of teleportation is not green.

The chumtoads can also swim and jump very high if they are frightened. They are also known to make it dead to mislead their predator while being rolled on the back and while contracting violently. Moreover, they seem to be able to emit cawings, but no sound was given to the chumtoad in Half-Life .

In the chapter “Focal Point” of Half-Life: Blue Shift . Shortly after its arrival on Xen, Barney Calhoun enters a gallery of narrow tunnels filled with Crabe of head. Before leaving there, it passes in a large cave with a very deep basin in its center.

All at the bottom of this basin, between a rock and three plants of Xen, a small slit in the rock of the cave emits bubbles of air. After having widened the hole, the player can enter a small cave to the free air. In this den three rest chumtoads in the middle of the plants and of the nests of Snarks, enlightened by the crystals of Xen. The creatures disappear once approached. It is not known as if this den is a typical habitat of the chumtoad but, of share its nature hidden, this den with Chumtoad is regarded as a Easter egg.

The chumtoad appears once in Half-Life: Opposing Forces , at the beginning of the chapter “We Are Not Alone”. By drawing 25 times (whatever the weapon) on a grid from ventilation above the armor-plated doors, the grid breaks and a hidden chumtoad falls.

In the chapter “Insecurity” of Half-Life: Blue Shift , by drawing 68 times on the paperboard in the rack from Calhoun, this one breaks and reveals a hidden chumtoad.

Contrary to those in the den of Xen, the chumtoads are not téléportent in these two cases.

The chumtoad owed at the origin being a soft food which the player could have used to delude or distract the other extraterrestrial ones. This idea thorough was never developed and the chumtoad was removed play. However, the unutilised model was includes in the files of the play and coded as being an object. For the place of a soft food, this version was used as arms. Flexible before being captured, the chumtoad would have to attack all that moves once slackened, include the enemies and the player if no other targets is not present. This role was finally allotted to Snarks.

Before naming “Chumtoad”, other names were allotted before to the creature like “Chubtoad” and “Choad”. The source files of the cumtoad included in the Half-Life SDK the reference like “chubtoad”.

To judge some by a texture available, the chumtoad was to have six eyes instead of only one in the past and its color could varied and being green, orange or blue.

The presence of the chumtoad in the files of the play enabled him finally to appear by the means of many the Mods not-official of Half-Life . For example, in Sven Co-COp , where a chumtoad called “Chubby the Chumtoad” appears in several levels. Or in Poke 646 , where it is called “explod-a-toad” and where it secret a puddle pool crimson to mark its territory; when somebody walks in this liquid, the chumtoad explodes.

Crabs of head

Gonarchs

Gonarchs are of gigantic crabs of head which act as “mother”. These creatures can create a multitude of “baby very quickly” crabs of head. Only one Gonarch (known under the name of “Big Mama”) is met in all the series, it is fought on Xen by Gordon Freeman in Half-Life in the chapter “the Cave of Gonarch” where it acts as Boss.

Swarmed

Eye-hunter

These small animals are met only in Half-Life , they usually move in bands of cinq-six individuals. It have three legs and a yellowish skin of color with blue stripes on the back. In the place of a head an eye multifacettes is protected by a simple eyelid. They communicate apparently by series of acute noises which points out the barking of the dogs slightly.

The Eye-hunter (or Houndeye) is the vestige of another type of creature which was to be more common in Half-Life . In an original manner, it was called “Panthereye” and was to be similar but more powerful than Houndeye. Panthereye was reinstated in Point off View , a MOD of the play where the player controls Vortigaunt.

Insulated, the Eye-hunter is an extremely timorous creature. The Eye-hunters thus attack by group of three or more by emitting cry strident dangerous transforming itself into waves of the shock, able to wound or even kill. This behavior comes owing to the fact that the starting idea of Valve was to show neutral creatures of them friendly, until it carries out that the testers killed them without remord, then the developers forsook this idea.

Although it is not one of their features considering generally, the Eye-hunters are carnivorous, one of them is seen eaten a corpse of guard in Half-Life: Blue Shift . The mouth of the Eye-hunter is located under its belly, close to the eye, furnished with what seems to be Dent S Incisive S.

According to Raising the Bar , the Eye-hunters owed, at the beginning, being of the frequent enemies in Half-Life 2 . Initially seen in an old slide where they and Bullsquid would be seen terrorizing suburbs State-Unienne. The eye with several faces of the Eye-hunter could have shone and reflect its environment. They would have to evolve/move in herd, carried out by a chief of meutre, and to have a faster speed of movements.

Ichthyosaures

Ichtyosaures ( Xenotherus Ichthycanthus ) are marine creatures which draw their name from a group of reptiles disappeared, the Ichtyosaures, with which they share their bulky size and their sea life. A scientist in Half-Life makes the remark that they were caught in Challenger Deep (the major place of the Pacific Ocean) but it is generally allowed that its first appearance in terrestrial water was done during the incident of Black Mesa (what is confirmed by its scientific name).

Ichtyosaure appears for the first time in the chapter “Apprehension” of Half-Life . One meets them in the broad water tanks like the flooded hydroelectric stopping of Black Mesa or laboratories. They circulate placidly in water until somebody puts a step inside. Ichtyosaure is very dangerous because it is to be tackled only in aquatic environment, where the powerful weapons are inoperative.

In Half-Life 2 , it appears only once when Doctor Kleiner téléporte Gordon Freeman by error under water, Ichtyosaure is able to attack Freeman when this one is Re-téléporté. Although this sequence is scriptée, the IA of Ichtyosaure is well programmed to attack the player what could indicate that the developers envisage other meetings.

Leeches

The Leech (or Hagworm) is a vermiform creature from approximately 20 cm length and color Beige. Its head carries a round mouth furnished with teeth pointed. In Half-Life , these creatures seem to live out of fresh water, appearing only in the flooded zones of Black Mesa (out of water, the leeches lie on the ground, inoffensive, and struggle a few seconds before dying). Although causing only little damage and being able to be easily eliminated with the crowbar (for example), they can quickly overpower the player when they are in great number.

In Half-Life 2 , the leeches invaded the terrestrial oceans and are met by Freeman on the Coast. They devoured the majority, if not all, of the fish species.

It should be noted that once the combat helicopter destroyed in Half-Life 2: Lost Coast , the fisherman congratulates the player and invites it to Saint Olga to celebrate that while announcing: “I hope that you love the leeches”. The leeches, and certainly of other forms of life of Xen, thus are driven out and eaten by human even Vortigaunts, which seem to have a taste for crabs of head. The fisherman states besides that the gulls also nourish leeches.

Minor danger in Half-Life 1 , they appears much more dangerous here, as an enemy impossible to kill, surrounding and devouring the player as soon as it has misfortune to move away too much from the shore. A way of preventing the player reaching the limits of the level or from jumping of the obstacles.

Snarks

Snark (thus named in reference to the Poem of Lewis Carroll “hunting for Snark”) is a small bulbous red creature with a large green eye and grosses Mandibule S. Snarks attack all the creatures which are not their species.

Snarks seem to colonize a medium by forming a bag of which they emergent to only attack. They are very aggressive and attack constantly, jumping and corrosive their target. In spite of their small size and their brittleness, they are very dangerous once of number. One of their bite being able to remove a tenth of the life of the player. With each bite, the creature push a small cry, which is increasingly strong as the time which remains to them to be lived shortens. Indeed, after having tackled a score of seconds, the snark explodes in a jet of acid and a very last thing.

In Half-Life , Gordon Freeman can collect certain bags of snark (which contain each one five snarks) in order to use them as arms. Once slackened, the twenty seconds calculation before it explodes starts while the snark street on all the adversaries in its field of view (the snark can be turned over against the player if this one does not have any enemy to be put under the tooth). In Half-Life: Blue Shift , Barney Calhoun can collect two bags of snarks in the cave of the chumtoad hidden on Xen, only occasion of Calhoun to handle a not-conventional weapon in the play.

In Multijoueur, the snarks constitute a weapon which amuses many players in the Deathmatch S, as when an adversary is seen continued by a group of snark.

Tentacles

The Tentacles are large green creatures formed of a long segmented body which supports a head which ends in a sharp nozzle. The head carries also the shape of “eye” which seems indeed to be a sensor, although the creature react to the sounds and the vibrations of the ground and seems rather blind. The Tentacles usually emanate from deep wells in which they can take refuge in the event of danger. The creature emits long cavernous cries, a little near to the song of the Baleine S. There is also a certain similarity between the Tentacles and the Gene WORM which acts as Boss in Half-Life: Opposing Forces .

Generally, several Tentacles are present in same a puit, which could mean that they are only the appendices of a larger organization. Indeed, after having met the first three Tentacles of Half-Life , the player crosses the puit that the creatures occupied. The body of the Tentacles at the bottom of the puit watch a base in the shape of bulb where the remainders of the three tentacles are attached. Although the Tentacles often appear groups some, there exists Tentacle alone. The number of Tentacle could reflect the age or the developmental stage of the base or a support even wider with tentacles at several places.

The Tentacles attack the preys near their puit. When they are in the search of a prey, they gently type the zone around with their heads, but when a noise or a vibration is detected, the Tentacles attack furiously and in a repeated way the place where the noise was located. When a tentacle finds the prey, it tries to draw it towards the puit, probably to consume it and digest it. This behavior appears in the play in a scene scripté where a tentacle seized a scientist and carries it in the puit towards the base of the tentacles.

In the play, the Tentacles cannot be destroyed with the weapons of the player but to draw on the stem brings the Tentacle aimed at retracting with the shelter temporarily. It is very delicate to move in the vicinity, obliging the player to go silently after having distracted the creature while exploding grenades, making it possible to the player to cross the zone in a sprint.

Advanced species

Grognard alien

Grognard are kinds of soldiers of Xen. Imposing, strong, and extremely hostile, Alien Grunts are armed on the right-hand man with a named biological weapon Hiveland which contains of Hornets that it draws like a rifle. Hornets (or Thornets) is kinds of extraterrestrial Frelon S which seek the alive targets in the vicinity and attack them. Hornets ressuscite in an infinite way in Hiveland and are thus unlimited ammunition.

Grunts can also strike whoever approaches too near with their large arms which end in a grip. They have several common points with Vortigaunts and have a third arm vestigial like all the advanced species of Xen. However, they do not have apparently energy capacities like Vortigaunts and compensates for this lack by using their weapon hiveland. At one time of the play, a group of Grunts seems to order, or at least to establish, a gun with extraterrestrial energy. Grunts are equipped with a metal armor which protects their groin and their shoulders, as well as helmet and shoes. They use the lines manta of Xen to move towards the zones of combat.

On Xen, Alien Grunts are seen transported in a Usine, stored in a container in form of Cosse. That would mean that Grunts are manufactured beings, an idea consolidated by the fact that their armor seems surgically attached to their body.

Grunts aliens in fact of Vortigaunts combined with the technology of the Trust are conceived to maintain " the ordre" on Xen, like the transhumains of City 17 in Half-life 2.

Controllers

Controllers are creatures which lévitent in the airs and which resemble reduced versions of the Nihilanth. In Half-Life , they appear in the Research center of Black Mesa only when Gordon Freeman is on the point of téléporter on Xen where they are present in very great number. They are more frequently met in Black Mesa even in Half-Life: Decay during the moments

Controllers share several characteristics with Vortigaunts, Gargantuas, Alien Grunts and especially with Nihilanth, suggesting that they belong all to close species. Like the other intelligent creatures of Xen, they have a vestige of third arm in the center of the thorax.

Controllers have a very broad disproportionate head whose cranium can open to reveal a spade or a cone (with mechanical appearance). They attacks by sending fireballs which they create in their hands, in the same manner as Nihilanth. They can also launch balls of energy since their head which are larger with a light capacity of tracing and cause more important damage. Contrary to Nihilanth, Controllers have long legs and can léviter without the assistance of a mechanical stand. It is not known if this capacity comes to them from their psychokinetic capacities or their parts which seem mechanical.

During the incident of Black Mesa, Controllers very seldom appear. They are really met only once on Xen or during the opening of the gate towards nebula.

Gargantuas

As its name indicates it, Gargantua is an immense creature, from approximately four meter in height. He has a single eye of yellow color which reddens when he perceives an enemy. Its body is primarily of blue color and in place of hands, it has two appendices resembling enormous claws which can open to send intense blowpipe flames. It can also send a shock wave on its adversaries by striking the ground with its powerful feet. By his big size, Gargantua moves quickly and is very strapping man: he can easily destroy or project the obstacles on his way. Gargantuas are very determined prosecutors and can wait patiently until their target come out from a zone that they cannot reach during a considerable amount of time before passing to another thing.

Gargantuas are originating in Xen and some think that they go down from the same line as Vortigaunts by comparing some their physical features. Thus, the position of the legs and the feet with shoe are found at these two species. However, whereas Vortigaunts have a third member vestigial present on the Thorax (as well as other advanced species of Xen), Gargantuas have in the place two small pointed arms. Some even think that Gargantuas are in fact close relations of the Snarks. One can as think as Gargantuas are a combination between the technology of the Trust and Xen and that they are a little on Xen what Striders in Half-life 2 are in Cité 17, but this assumption is not more convincing because Striders attacks the human ones and Gargantuas are not seen once killing a aliens.

Gargantua often acts as mini-boss. The balls do not do practically anything to him and it is almost impossible to eliminate thus. A strong explosion or a powerful electric shock is necessary to destroy it. In Half-Life , it appears in four chapter: “Power Up”, “Surface Tension”, “Interloper”, and “Nihilanth”. In Half-Life: Opposing Forces , Garnatua is seen in the chapter “Foxtrot Uniform”. In the majority of the cases, there exists a manner of destroying Gargantua without the player not exhausting all his ammunition above (explosion, air raid…). The demonstration Half-Life: Uplink watch the arrival of Gargantua who tackles the personnel of Black Mesa before moving slowly towards the player, putting a term at the demonstration.

Although it does not appear in Half-Life 2 , the official guide Raising the Bar mentions that something resembling Gargantua was to be seen at the beginning of Half-Life 2 during the way in the train.