Name: Hatch

Gender: Male

Age/DOB: ~26, hatched very shortly after Nihilanth was defeated on Xen

Origin: Rookery Xen, hatching chamber

Family: Unknown, most Grunts were killed during invasion and few have been hatched since then

Other: It's possible to create more Grunts, particularly since Rookery Xen has a large hatching ground of them still waiting for their final fertilization treatments, as well as mature - if deceased - bodies in Black Mesa's xenobiology labs

Height: 7'5", stands pretty tall overall and likes being able to see over everything

Weight: ... a lot. Too much to easily ride any dragon smaller than Kelrikith

Hair: None, as shown

Eyes: Bright red, almost glowing, highly reflective; note there are three eyes visible, but there is a smaller fourth actually covered by the tan colored carapace - 'blind' to Vortessence, a feature that Vortigaunts dislike having been forced onto their kinfolk

Appearance: Huge, bipedal, intimidating, but a gentle giant; skin is thick and rubbery, mottled in pale beige and medium dirt brown, as shown - typically the lighter colored areas would be then covered with armor or devices; hoof hands and feet more nut brown; yes, that face is one only a mother, or a Vort, could love

Icarus Processing: None, but as a Grunt technically he was undergoing a processing within his egg case

Image Credits: Valve and Crowbar Collective

Genetic Abilities: Though related to Vortigaunts, the Grunt line was split from their smaller and lighter forebears tens of thousands of years ago by their captors, Nihilanth's breed, on their homeworld. Dedicated breeding rendered their Vortessence quite dim, in favor of physical traits such as strength and size. So while Vortigaunts can see and sense them, Grunts cannot access the Vortessence themselves, and are considered 'blind' to it - their fourth eye is blinded, and it's not possible to drag any power out of these life forms. That said, Hatch is a remarkably good example of the best parts of that breeding: he is incredibly strong, perhaps as strong as the dragon that's befriended him, and durable to a ridiculous degree. Also, he seems completely resistant to hostile environments such as gasses, toxins, heat, cold, or even brief exposure to vacuume. Because Grunts cannot access a Flux Shifted communication network with the Vortigaunts, they must be spoken to in more simple words. The weakness that Nihilanth's kind bred into these beings includes being extremely susceptable to Vortal command - any power that has dominion over the mind or actions of a creature, works extremely easily on Hatch and his kind.
Skills or Profession: It's absolutely clear that all of the Grunts created both before and after Nihilanth's escape to Xen were imbued with a genetic-code based memory and skill set. All of them have an adept touch with tactics, weaponry both organic and external, and a great sense of three-dimensional space. Hatch is quite good with the complex tunnels and underground caverns below the Ranch and Rookery, able to track antlions or even stray small animals through the place with ease. As with all of the Grunts, he can use technology he finds and can appraise the functionality of almost any device, tool, or weapon in moments. He does prefer using his hoof-hands to fight, and manipulates smaller items with his third hand. He does enjoy listening to humans, and has learned quite a bit from them, he speaks rudamentary Vortigese (without Flux Shifting he can only do as much as a normal human might) but also English with a strong technical bent surprising a good number of scientists.
Personality: Though anyone looking at the Grunts while they were in their body armor and invading a world would think they're as the name implies - brutish and unintelligent, that's as far from the truth as could be. Hatch has been given an opportunity that hardly any other of his entire genetic line could imagine: freedom since birth. Because of this, he knows that there's more to life than just hitting things in the face until they die. Unfortunately having been born to yet another conflicted world, with Ulathoi having subsequently destroyed this new planet they're on, his skills in combat have always been needed. He does enjoy fighting, that's not even in question. But with the arrival of the Rookery things have looked up wonderfully, and he's been able to concentrate on keeping the bigger of the Antlions in check as well as writing poetry. Yes, poetry. It's Vort poems, with that unique slant that only a Grunt might employ ('it is a fine splatter, across the walls of this cavern, I have painted them green with adoration'). He likes the company of humans who tolerate him - he knows he's 'ugly' to them, but then again where is their third arm? And he has more eyes than them, so who's ugly now?

Events or History: Normally a Grunt would be fitted with heavy armor and permanent weaponry, but since Nihilanth was defeated and the Vortigaunts were able to make their own decisions about what to do, they allowed all the current projected Grunts emerge and go their own way. Hatch managed to come to Earth along with some others of varying ages and survived until the Rookery was established, and has been adopted by his mentor Starsky as well as the other Vorts in the area. They kept a low profile, even after the nuke that was let off, surviving with the rest of the refugees and making it clear that this particular Grunt was non-hostile. When Kelrikith approached him, he was overjoyed - because for the first time in his short life - and the first time in his breed's history - he had voluntary mental and emotional contact with another being. It was almost Vortal, and is something he absolutely treasures.

Currently resides at Black Mesa's Antlion Ranch just north of the housing area, not within the Vort's group. They have a small shack he's assembled out of traincar parts, car canopies, and the like, and has taken very well to gardening as well as putting those Antlions to work. He likes rousting the pests from crops, and has been called to the Grounds on a few occasions to make sure that anything in their fields isn't chewing on the food supply. Though he's impressed with the Grounds, he prefers the dry and bright Ranch, it's... something about his breed's ancient history, their world being more or less arid...

Dragon

Name: Kelrikith
Gender: Female
Size/Shoulder/Length: Medium-Small 9'6" s / 40' l / 44' ws
Colors: Bright spring green with blue-green, yellow-green, and medium green 'grassy' markings on all parts of body, head, neck, limbs, and tail; wingsails sky blue with a cloudy reflectivity
Features: Starburst-born Nexus dragon; four slender muscular legs with 3 clawed feet, two leathery wings with three visible fingers, slender claws and wrist claw; body is strong, short slender tail, head high on long neck, head is pointed, with no particular features, high ridged crest on head and neck only; body is hide requiring care, sheds occasionally
Powers: Winged Flight, she uses her wings underground and in large caverns for defense and 'cleaning', they're actually quite powerful, so when she does finally get the chance to fly properly outside she is a strong lifter and speedy enough to escape other flighted enemies. However, she's not durable in the air to any degree, she can lift a heavy weight for a short distance (say, across the Ranch) but that's it for the day, she's done; and also... she's really poor at maneuverability outside. She can race through dimly lit caverns just fine on her feet, but put her in the air and she all but forgets where she's been, and has little sense of depth perception while the horizon is 'below' her.
Psionics, a strong suite of empathy, a bond with her favored Grunt, and distinctly spring-smelling telepathy, Kelrikith can send her thoughts from the Ranch to a dragon at the Mesa with ease, though more distant ones can hear her before she finds their minds.
Assisted Firebreath, she has never had need to do this, but ... now, maybe? She knows she'll be fertile anyway even if she does start spewing fire with coal - why would that ever have anything to do with reproduction? She's heard about those old-world dragons going sterile because of it, what nonsense. Give her something to chew on, and she'll give those Combine something to chew on too! Like fire!
Parentage: Green-Blue Kelekonath (Opal Moon Weyr clutch 1; Gold-Purple Dahliath+Copper-Silver Levianth) x Bicolor Blue Zharth (Beach Shards Weyr clutch 3, Gold Rhinth + Bronze Kweinalth), sibling Pyxath (same sire, sister mothers); She's quite a bit bigger than her half-brother.
Origin: Starburst Weyr's spring giveaway, having spent a long while in the Healing Den she's eager to get out and make a difference on any world. She was drawn to Hatch for some reason, and she really likes him.
Other Info: She's very quick and must get everything done as fast as she can. Make her wait, and you've got a very angry dragoness on your hands. When the time comes for this girl to rise, she'll be practically exploding if she's slow to gain suitors. She is a very efficient worker because, of course, everything gets done fast.