Name: 1-Tomyx, Baird, Autry; 2-Burl, Dust

Gender: All male

Age/DOB: unknown, irrelevant

Origin: 1-Repurposed Xen, have never lived on homeworld, remained at Black Mesa after arrival; 2-Rookery Xen, captured and altered by Combine, made their way to Black Mesa after escaping City 82

Family: None possible; none known

Other: Are trusted members of the Black Mesa Ranch, and everyone enjoys their presence as well as skills

Height: Generally range around 5 to 6 feet, Tomyx is a little shorter than most, and Burl is considerably taller and bigger

Weight: around 130, built as most of their kind, with deceptively thin but very strong limbs

Hair: none

Eyes: Several. Usually red to orange, though when Flux Shifting they tend to be a bit brighter yellow-speckled red, and when utilizing the Antlion Extract, they appear to be glowing in a violet-blue and whitish blue shade (colors which apply to their skin as well in that state)

Image Credits: Valve / Gmod / assorted mod makers (Click for larger)

Appearance: as shown; Autry has a mottled brownish color and wears a poncho, Tomyx is darker green-tinted, and Baird is overall lighter in shade; Burl is a more uniformly dark brown, but also has red 'armor' plating that the Combine put on him as well as power cells and tubing, Dust has opted to continue wearing the shackles that the Combine put on him, he claims as a reminder of what might happen to anyone caught by them.

Genetic Abilities: all Vorts are highly telepathic, empathic, and can Flux Shift - communicating with their own kin with a speed and depth that is impossible to all but the strongest Pantheon. Their other abilities include electrical bursts, which they can use to power or revive batteries, or as an attack; some can heal on their own, but usually it requires at least three to truly Vortally fix a body. They can utilize the Antlion extract, found in the eggs and larva of the creatures they used to herd on their homeworld, to aid their power. Burl has enhanced strength and speed, which makes him ideal for 'tanking' the Antlion Guardians in the Nectarium.
Icarus Processing: Autry, Tomyx, and Baird absolutely never. Burl and Dust, however, have been altered by the Combine, though their Vortigaunt secrets have never been broken even with torture.
Skills or Profession: Though they had numerous other duties over time, particularly while on Xen under Nihilanth's control, Vorts as a species were once herders, and are now again. They concentrate on how to locate, tame, avoid, capture, or utilize the Antlion population regardless of what world they're on. Adept at checking for signs of habitation, as well as listening for the clues to see where the Nectarium might be, if any, and whether any Guardians are present to make their encounter difficult. They're proficient at using the pheropod, or 'Bug Bait', in order to tame the smaller breeds, and removing it from dead Guardians when needed. All of this on Earth is slightly different but not by much, from their homeworld. Here, they deal with Humans as well as other Vorts, so they've had training for socialization - but they've found as a group that anyone who worked the land before the Events is going to have the same basic ideas about wildlife and how to harvest it, as they do.
Autry is adept at leadership and organizational skills beyond most Vorts. Dust is typically on hand for cleanup duties and basic landscaping or hazard cleaning. Burl is as much of a fighter or adventurer as a Vortigaunt can be, though some speculate that's because he lived under the Combine's horrible control for several years on arriving to Earth.
Personality: Though some Humans believe that 'all Vorts are the same', it's far from the truth. Though most of them do have a calm demeanor and reasonably unshakable outlook (and many also have a kind of undertone of snark and sarcasm), each one of them is an individual in their own right, and once they get to know you they often open up to act 'almost Human'.
Autry is charismatic and even fun loving, he enjoys having Human 'goodies' around, such as his precious poncho and neckerchief, but also is fond of composing and reciting poetry for Vort Poet Society Nights at the Saloon. Autry has become the Rodeo and Animal Riding instructor at CHS!
Tomyx is tough and gritty, sensible, and a good friend to anyone that he deems 'worthy' though no one really seems to know quite what those worth his attention are doing to get it.
Baird is laid back, but with a streak of impressive 'hold my beer' level activity at times. Most often he's the one who goes after the Spitter Antlions, and seems to throw himself into dangerous situations even while maintaining the Vort equivalent of a shit-eating grin. He and Barney Calohoun get along famously.
Dust is a quiet sort, more wise than most give him credit for being. Even though he seems quite gentle and subdued, if he gets rolling talking about how bad the Combine are, he will surprise you with his ferocity. He wears those bindings they put on him not only because they remind him and everyone else of the dangers they pose, but also because they're hardwired into his nervous system and cannot easily be removed.
Burl is an exceptional Vort, not bright, but far from stupid - his physical presence is actually a bit scary, as he stands taller than most Humans and definitely bigger than any given Vort. Only those who had seen the invading forces from Xen would know that he's one step away from being a 'Grunt', a specialized fighter tended with specific chemicals and processes... Those weren't done when he arrived to Earth, and when the Combine got a hold of him, they nearly completed them... to their dismay he broke free, destroyed the lab they had been keeping him in, and fetched Dust on his way out of the Citadel's manufacturing and medical plaza. It happened so fast no one there knew what to do, so they just let them both go. Burl is quite brave, and more than strong enough to keep a Guardian occupied while others go in to retrieve the Extract-laden eggs.
Events or History: Their history is that of the Vorts, having been prisoners of Nihilanth for generations on Xen. Their herding skills were passed down regardless of their location. Once on Earth, these had hardly strayed from their point of origin: Black Mesa's facilities.
Now, they've got a pack of Whiptail dragons to help their efforts, as well as go farther into the scrub than ever before.

Whiptail Dragon herd

All of the Vortigaunts have chosen these sturdy dragons for their riding needs. It's considerably easier to ride a cooperative and reasonably intelligent creature like them, than rely on the headstrong but incredibly dangerous Guardians removed from the Caverns.
All of the Whiptails share the same features and are adopted from Dragonsandvideogames on Deviantart.
Whiptail dragon, very long build, with 4 sturdy pawed legs; hide is very fine, soft and smooth scales in a dull finish; two wings with single visible fingers, nearly transparent wingsails; boxy face with prominent muzzle, horns split in the center; remarkably long tail which can be used as an attack cushioned by padding on hips. Wingsails can be easily torn and not so easily repaired. Omnivorous, meat for flight, and plant when flying is not needed.

Dragon of Autry

Name: Melody
Gender: Female
Size/Shoulder/Length: Long/Medium-Small 7' shoulder / 55' l / 60' ws
Colors: Dusty tan and dirt brown, Darker head and legs/wingtips, striking pale tan markings along nose, head, neck, chest, shoulders, and rump, with small marks on wing arms, tail is mainly creamy tan with caramel tan striping and fade; wingsails are charcoal brown but transparent; eyes orange; horns are ivory
Powers: Winged Flight; strong flier, able to fly easily in a dust storm without issue. Not particularly bold, more of a lover than a fighter, just like her rider.
Parentage: Wild, unknown
Other Info: Melody truly enjoys it when her companion sings, either in his native Vortigese, or in the Human tongue. She's fond of crooning along with him.

Dragon of Tomyx

Name: Tony (AKA Goldrush)
Gender: Male
Size/Shoulder/Length: Long/Medium-Small 8'6 shoulder / 68' l / 62' ws
Colors: Overall tangerine orange-yellow, metallic crimson to red fine striping on muzzle, back of neck, and between wings; wings have block of medium red on arm; wingsails are transparent orange-yellow; hind legs have band of crimson, crimson bands in regular spacing along tail; eyes are bright aqua, horns are ivory
Powers: Winged Flight, extremely quick in the air, leading to his nickname of Goldrush, Tony is an aerial stunt dragon to say the least. He is fully capable of doing fly-by attacks, carefully timing his tail swipe and can take out flying enemies in the blink of an eye.
Parentage: Wild, unknown, though because of personality as well as shared coloration it's speculated that he's related to Paxton's Whiptail named Fetch, as well as Juice paired up with Burl.
Other Info: Though Tomyx is fairly sedate in his quiet grumbly manner, his dragon is remarkably bold for such a breed.

Dragon of Baird

Name: Boozey
Gender: Male
Size/Shoulder/Length: Long/Medium-Small 9' shoulder / 71' l / 70' ws
Colors: overall 'beer' colored, yellowish gold, orange-rust, and muddy tan in alternating indistinct bands, over which is strewn a bright sprinkling of star-pattern white and cream, this parttern also exists in very faint transparent form on the wingsails; eyes are bright turquoise; horns are sparkly champagne yellow with faint white stars
Powers: Winged Flight, though large and durable in the air, Boozey is... a little more capable on the ground than he is in the air. While he can certainly fly, his diet is largely hops and wheat grass, which apparently equate to the other reason he's named after the appearance of beer in a glass... He lurches and dodges with ease, and is usually found on the ground keeping the Antlions under control there instead of from above.
Parentage: Unknown, wild, special nest
Other Info: Boozey and his Vort companion are among the few folks who truly do appreciate Barney's special beer. Also, he's known to let off some incredibly loud belching after those indulgant moments.

Dragon of Dust

Name: Midnight
Gender: Male
Size/Shoulder/Length: Long/Medium-Small 6'4" shoulder / 51' l / 50' ws
Colors: Alternating indistinct bands of rich midnight blue, royal blue, and dark cyan, all with scattered white and off-white stars, including over wingsails; eyes are bright neon green, horns are faded cyan with faint starring
Powers: Winged Flight, Midnight lives up to his name, tending to fly at night and silently. He is apparently able to fly in near-complete darkness, though not in obscured air such as a dust storm. He is the leanest of the group of Whiptails, not dangerously so, but he is far from a fighter, and tends to be kept on hand to patrol at night over the Ranch, and gives off a faint Vortigese call if he spots any danger from the skies. He can apparently distinguish even tiny items out of place in the air, something around the size of a Combine Scanner - so around 2 feet long - if it's moving, he'll spot it.
Parentage: Unknown, wild, special nest
Other Info: Midnight is otherwise almost entirely silent, save for when he spots danger and alerts his rider and others to it. He certainly can make sounds, he apparently just chooses not to.

Dragon of Burl

Name: Juice
Gender: Female
Size/Shoulder/Length: Long/Medium-Small 10' shoulder / 68' l / 71' ws
Colors: mostly strawberry medium red, with crimson marking on muzzle, paws, and wing fingertip, from top of head to end of tail in spinal strip are seed-shaped marks of paler red; wingsails are transparent light green; eyes are neon green, horns are ivory
Powers: Winged Flight, to suit Burl's aggressive and bold behaviors, Juice is a large and durable dragoness. She can execute strong moves with him on her shoulders, and smack even human-sized creatures down with her heavy tail. She can hover with great effort, but cuts through the air leaving a heavy wake behind her.
Parentage: unknown, wild, though it's not fully clear she's related to Fetch and Tony but their colors and behaviors certainly seem alike.
Other Info: Though less fierce than Fetch and Tony, Juice is bigger than they are by far, and enjoys her status as the most visible whiptail dragon in the Ranch because of it. She's very curious and enjoys looking over people's shoulders while they're doing things, and it almost seems as though she would ask questions if only she could find words.