Canonical Nihilanth

[rex_woodall]

My understanding was that Nihilanth played a role on Xen similar to Breen’s role on Earth, essentially acting as proconsul on Xen serving the Combine and helping enslave the Vortigaunts. This is why, once Nihilanth is killed, the Vorts are freed and revere Gordon.

But the “Half-Life Saga Story Guide” says that “Nihilanth and his people fight bitterly against the Combine.”

So, are there any reputable - i.e. “canonical”, from Valve - sources that explain in any detail all the Xen craziness and events between HL1 & HL2?

i was going to buy “Half-Life: Raising the Bar” but it’s expensive & seems to be mainly about the game development process, not plotlines.

[Deathmonkey7]

Last I heard, from a source on the combine overwiki, the Nihilanth’s race was enslaved by the combine. He escaped by hiding in the borderworld of Xen. The vortigaunts suffered something similar and nowhere to turn to, and thus fell under the leadership of the Nihilanth who enslaved them.

[Orpheon]

"That sharp spur of hope has not dulled to this day. For once the lesser master lay defeated, we knew the greater must also fall in time. "

"We bear witness to the bright eternity of the Nihilanth’s demise. You leap, you fall, we see you clash between the barriers. "

From the airboat/all-knowing vortigaunt. His statements seem to imply the vortigaunts did not willing serve the Nihilanth and that they were enslaved to him, and he in turn to the Combine. Perhaps at some point the Nihilanth took the vortigaunts with him and attempted to flee, using them to fight against the Combine.

Raising the Bar does offer many interesting insights into characters/races/etc, but it is expensive and I believe is mainly about the development process as you said. Some quotes helped to shed some light on the Advisors but then it was only in hints and clues, so I expect you probably can’t expect to get much more than that - hints and clues. Just like the games

[Lord_Grievous]

@rex_woodall

My understanding was that Nihilanth played a role on Xen similar to Breen’s role on Earth, essentially acting as proconsul on Xen serving the Combine and helping enslave the Vortigaunts. This is why, once Nihilanth is killed, the Vorts are freed and revere Gordon.

But the “Half-Life Saga Story Guide” says that “Nihilanth and his people fight bitterly against the Combine.”

So, are there any reputable - i.e. “canonical”, from Valve - sources that explain in any detail all the Xen craziness and events between HL1 & HL2?

i was going to buy “Half-Life: Raising the Bar” but it’s expensive & seems to be mainly about the game development process, not plotlines.

It’s still worth buying if you ask me, and I don’t think it’s all that expensive now.

[Chrillen]

@rex_woodall

My understanding was that Nihilanth played a role on Xen similar to Breen’s role on Earth, essentially acting as proconsul on Xen serving the Combine and helping enslave the Vortigaunts. This is why, once Nihilanth is killed, the Vorts are freed and revere Gordon.

But the “Half-Life Saga Story Guide” says that “Nihilanth and his people fight bitterly against the Combine.”

So, are there any reputable - i.e. “canonical”, from Valve - sources that explain in any detail all the Xen craziness and events between HL1 & HL2?

i was going to buy “Half-Life: Raising the Bar” but it’s expensive & seems to be mainly about the game development process, not plotlines.

https://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=114535

[baconeggs]

I’m pretty postitive the Nihilanth was engaged in a war with the Combine, but was losing so he fled to Xen and enslaved the Vortigaunts to build up an army.

[rex_woodall]

Thanks Chrillen! i hadn’t seen that before.

Good to know that Valve isn’t (always) just making stuff up as the go along - like Lost.

Anyone have any similar insight into the “factories” on Xen? i didn’t know what to make of the grunts in barrels. The only rationalization i had for that was:

The grunts have anatomical similarities to the Vorts (mainly the vestigial “hand” thing in the middle of their chest). Also, the grunts appeared to be the product being manufactured in the factories (they were in barrels). So, perhaps the factories were a facility on Xen where vorts were genetically & mechanically modified to become grunts, in the same way that the Combine modifies humans in HL2.

But that’s just a bunch of my own BS.

The whole level design on Xen seemed overblown. Definitely my least favorite part of the game.

[JeffMOD]

Your interpretation of the Xen factory is very similar to the normal one, the Agrunts do seem to be genetically engineered or modified in some way.