Name: Kaggat (heading in all three directions)

Gender: Male

Age/DOB: around 300, unknown DOB

Origin: born on Twoarth's Vort Homeworld, and wandered off to find adventure

Family: unknown, likely many relatives back on that homeworld

Other: currently considers his team to be his family, and he will do anything to protect them

Height: 5'9" as shown, can fully stand to 7', he is taller than most Vorts at the shoulders

Weight: unknown, firmly packed muscles and obvious strength without compromising agility

Hair: none

Eyes: darkly red main eye, though it will definitely take on casts of red-violet and even blue-green when concentrating on different Force or Vortal powers; other eyes very dark crimson red

Appearance: mottled shiny tan and black, not spotted, but with distinct scale-like markings, lighter on limb soft parts, belly/torso, and neck; does not wear armor, but sometimes dons a poncho or wrap similar to a Jedi's cloak, mainly to keep things in because what are you going to do with three lightsaber hilts when they're not in use, my man? Speaks with a much smoother and deep tone than expected out of a Vort, with a burr and quite pleasant depth according to Humans

Genetic Abilities: as a Vort he is quite strong in the ways of the Force... He can connect with other Vorts and anyone with a hint of mental energy, to convey complex instructions or a simple ping-hello at distances up to 50 miles for the complex, and 100 for a ping. He tends to concentrate this on groups nearby, as he was doing training for young Vorts back on the homeworld. He is able to multitask superbly well, and has very strong telekinesis which allows him to manipulate light weight items such as those lightsabers with incredible confidence. He could juggle 10 or more small items with just his mind, but then add more with his hands! Kaggat is capable of healing grievous injuries but only if they're very fresh, or while life threatening also more small - so if you have a bullet wound in the skull he can fix that, but not a longer-term illness or a mass of internal injuries that may have been incurred days before. He can add his healing power to help others, however. He hefts energy in bursts and some have compared his technique to the Controllers - who float and fire off a series of flame bursts that home in on their targets, and he credits them for the style. These energy bursts are not flame, but instead electrical energy, and can incapacitate small animals, and a series of 4 or 5 of them will definitely render a humanoid unconscious. They can also be made to burst or explode, causing serious electrical and burn damage, and possibly igniting things. When other Vorts are around, he can sense their direct locations and avoid hitting them with any power or his beams, while fighting he is literally all over the field and seems to understand how to not slice his partners' heads off... Also while with others who have the power, he can boost a shield around someone or a group, and power batteries, but those aren't things he's often had to do unless in training with the kids

Image Credits: Valve, Gmod, EA Games

Events or History: alive nearly twice as long as some in the team, Kaggat is the only one with a long history on their homeworld in addition to on the team and exploring with them. But he does feel that this is how and where he will do the most good, aiding a mixture of humanoids - and perhaps even dragons - in their skills, and looking for new ways to explore. With dragons as well as interdimensional entities to aid them, he feels there's virtually nothing that they cannot do!

** Read the Jedi group story and Vort page before this if you want context

Syruk and his padawan Eshnur framed the Vortigaunt as they explored, but Kaggat was definitely in the lead. The strong mentalists kept their eyes open, their minds open as well, as they trained with this unusual being between them. To find the 'three', a sacred number and highly effective methodology in the Vort culture, meant to be open and vulnerable, but also willing to share new ideas and concepts. Not merely be swept away with them.

It didn't escape either the Nautolan nor the Togruta Jedi that they were 'younglings' to Kaggat. He had been used to educating and training with children for longer than either of them had been alive... possibly longer than either of them would live. But he was never short with them, he didn't punish, he encouraged. These were things that the elder of the two, Syruk, had to admit were ... well, much better than his own Jedi training had been.

Eshnur had benefitted greatly from his time with Syruk, they'd gone on trips to other temples and distant locations before being called upon by Mochifa. All of this, they conveyed to Kaggat with a long, swirling mental connection as they moved across the low-gravity islands of Xen.

Whenever either Jedi was uncomfortable sharing, Kaggat encouraged them to go in a different mental direction. There was no need, he claimed, to rub a bad feeling raw. They could, and would, speak later in separate more private discussions. In words, rather than in a Flux Shift of Vortal telepathy. He was at such ease with them, though, that both Master and Padawan knew they had made the right decision to train with him.

Together they learned how to concentrate on a single location, or how to track an elusive creature using each other's senses. It was possible to do merely with the Force, but it seemed that much stronger when they learned how to also tap that 'Vortal' power. Kaggat enjoyed seeing the world from their eyes, limited eyes in quantity until they were joined with him in his Triune... But at least, he reflected, they had their eyes open and not stunted or blinded like most humans or non-Vortal people.

He never chastised or mocked those people whose 'vortal inputs' were stunted. Rather, he pitied them gently, hoping that some day their spirit, their lih would be able to see what their kallah, their body, could not.

Eshnur's talent with healing and helping tend the wounded from any given incident or battle was something that Kaggat assured him would benefit from this generosity and kindness. Rather than holding on to a superiority or lording over the weak, "always brace with two hands but reach out with the third" he said.

They were fairly far from the base island. It could still be seen as a lingering shadow, the shape and outline of it made more distinct by the structures evenly crossing it. But it was only a shadow, distant enough that they would not be able to get back before resting. And before resting, they detected something else... It drew their attention even more distantly away, but that was fine. They were all quite capable!

Kaggat rumbled, "I believe there is a mind there, confused and lost," and the others immediately likened the sensation he shared to the one Crux gave off when they found him in the World Between Worlds.

"Ahh - then let us hasten," the Vort announced. "I will give a call, perhaps they will hear it across such a vast distance."

At that, the other two covered their ear-holes. Because Kaggat could certainly bellow out that voice of his, even if his normal speaking tone was quite pleasant and sedate! He gave a smooth rising cry, a piercing accent, a descending question. It seemed to echo across the islands, even with the space separating them. On one distant shard, they heard a similar cry, though it wasn't Vortigese, more of an approximation from a non-speaker. However from a closer area...

"Oh no," Eshnur muttered, backing into the other two and nudging them with his elbows gently. "We've awoken the beasts..."

All three of them saw the motion, as a pair of very, very large manta-like creatures took to the skies and were shortly followed by dozens or scores of small ones.

"That's a lot of hungry babies," Syruk said, "let's not lead them to a possibly injured meal!"

"Ru'uun den-ket tash kallah," Kaggat muttered as they sped under an overhang and clung nearer it, "they are very large, are they not!"

"Even their young are large," Eshnur said, "but... we should warn them, or distract these things from going that way."

Kaggat raised his one hand, "I shall give warning," tapping his head, "silently. You should find a place to run and hide, with a distraction."

Always keeping their safety first, Eshnur grinned. Since they were training together so much, he felt the Vort's mind reaching out again, a specific beam of Force toward the mind he'd connected with earlier. No more sounds came from that island, but plenty right above them.

As the pair lit their sabers and used them to create bright and shiny distractions to take the flock of these creatures on a different path, Kaggat continued to move toward the edge of this island. How best to cross the distance, where to leap, how to boost speed in mid-air. Things he'd learned from the Jedi, though he wouldn't be as good at those speed boosts as others. But together?

He found the most likely path, a jutting ramp of fallen stone that created a lip over the edge of this island, and would give them access to another smaller shard a bit below. From there, two more improbable leaps well within their scope of abilities, upward. Hopefully the distances of these islands were consistent.

A few minutes later, the pair of Jedi located their third. "We sent them off, but I think we should mark this island as a nesting spot," Eshnur breathed, clearly tired from running.

His Master nodded, adding, "there are other creatures entertaining them now, away from both our return path and this one." He took out his datapad, indicated the location, and joined the Vort on the edge. "That's a ways off, we can do it."

They did - without even a hitch. When three were together, Kaggat reiterated, there was little that could stop them.

"Do you think we'll need to summon help getting back?" Eshnur asked, as they carefully moved across this new island. It was bereft of most helpful features - no easily spotted spikes or trees, no pools of water, but plenty of rugged rocks and sharp edges. Unlike the springy ground found on most of their explored locations.

"This seems almost volcanic," Syruk said, picking up a shard of black rock. Porous, but without any weather to bring it down to its elements, it seemed as barren as a moon here.

Sharp, a voice called, but only to Kaggat. Hurt, it said. But it wasn't panicked, merely worried. The Jedi watched as Kaggat hustled in one direction, clearly he was privy to something they didn't know and possibly that he couldn't share. They had encountered such a thing among the ...

"Dragon riders," Eshnur whispered, on reaching where Kaggat had stopped. Below a rim of what looked like the spent edge of a volcanic crater, was a dragon. Small, definitely smaller than many they'd seen coming and going back at base. Green, yellow, brownish... And with her wing half folded in a direction that wings very much ought not to be moved.

"Ahh, our healer arrives," Kaggat waggled his fingers toward the dragon. "He has warm hands and a warm heart," he told her, "we will aid in your repair."

The dragon got up, with some difficulty. She wasn't taller than any of them, but was quite long.

"Oh that is a bad break," Eshnur said, immediately pulling his breath in slow and deep, and feeling for his triune. "Allow me to focus, a moment..."

"Each species is different," Kaggat said, "anatomy and needs become clear with such a task."

Aiding their friend in his task by allowing the Force, the Vortessence, to flow among all three of them, Eshnur assessed the injury - several broken bones and a very torn joint. There were bruses and scrapes from falling onto these jagged and sharp volcanic stones as well, but the main injury would need to come first. Besides, he thought to the others, when they got her back to base, there would be pools for that to give all of them a boost.

Though it was clear that the break repaired under Eshnur's ministering fingers, Kaggat was the only one who felt it. He commented quietly, "she is relieved," which at first the other two felt was obvious. But then they both caught the gentle echo of her mood - not from her, but through him.

"Ahh," Syruk said with a broad grin, "our friend has found a dragon..."

Given the words, one might think that was obvious, but in the context they had, they knew from being told expressly by riders, how it would go. Or how it could go - some dragons didn't seem like others.

In time however, this one would certainly be a marvel! Through their connection, Kaggat aimed a strong request for aid, including 'avoid that area with the nest', back to the riders at the research facility. The dragon gave her wing a little stretch, wincing but possible.

Thank you, she bespoke, this time directly to them all. But privately she expressed a level of gratitude to Kaggat, and a warm sensation of belonging.

"I suppose this makes us four," Syruk chuckled. They waited for help to arrive, collecting a few rock samples before being collected themselves...

**

"I suppose this makes you three!" Syruk laughed loudly, when Kaggat was presented with a dazzling arrival.

"He called for us," Kaggat indicated himself and Ahmun'azh - he'd named her in his language, "the star tunnel's path". Whether she had a name before then was in question, it was one of those subjects that didn't get broken into and was kept private between the Vort and the dragon. "But he is here for the celebration!"

And he would be staying after, that was obvious. This much larger and much more colorful dragon made use of his lights and skills on arrival. The celebration was more a Twoarth thing brought onto Xen, the scientists and explorers all gathering at the top of the broadest building's roof, and decorating the area with strings of lights that looked surprisingly like those on the dragon's body. Gifts would be exchanged later, they'd all had time to prepare for things to hand out.

"Life day is a bit like this, but a bit not," Eshnur said, "you should ask Kuwwippuy and Raycholokli about it!"

"Some day perhaps I shall see it," Kaggat suggested.

"Now that would be a gift!" Syruk clapped their backs and held his triun tight. He'd been drinking a little...just a little...

But the festivities were quite fun for everyone. Even those who needed a little bit of a break from being around so many people, sensitive little Ivah'dasa and Ciizla Blenx, both of them so very open to others minds. Kaggat would help train them too, later. For now, however, he suggested that people give the girls and a few others in various states of social anxiety to go their own ways. Smaller parties would form, this place would still be lit up for days anyway.

It was while Kaggat and Ahmun'azh were watching their red arrival dancing across the nearby rooftops, that they saw his head tilt, his motion waver and eventually stop. He let the party continue in a more normal fashion, but went over to the pair.

I sense a longing, someone wants to be with another, they cannot. He bespoke with a powerful mind, but was only heard by this pair. I may be of help to them... but I would need to establish boundaries and rules...

"Who are they?" Kaggat asked, head equally tilted. It turned out that there were a pair of scientists that had worked together at Black Mesa's facilities... Both male, and one of them was a raccoon kin. Though there were certainly ways to have a surrogate and splicing done back at home (or even just back at the Black Mesa facility), they couldn't afford it.

The Vort was able to locate them somewhere in the maze of offices and dorms, and gently cleared his throat at the door. The way the pair held each others' hands while seated so close, he'd seen that on both humans and vorts over the years now. He felt that it was because their kind as a whole weren't able to communicate Vortally. The raccoon kin had a strange look on his marked face, when the Vortigaunt entered.

"Is something else going wrong now?" He pleaded, little fangs very slightly visible when he spoke. His partner pulled him closer, blond hair mixing with the pepper and salt fur on his shoulder.

"I would say something may be going right," Kaggat said, "if you follow, there is a gift you might want."

Both of the men were slightly taller than Kaggat, though the raccoon kin slightly broader in the thighs as most of his morph. His tail was shorter than expected, and Kaggat was sure there was a story to it, but one that the kin might not wish to talk about. Eventually they found the roof once more, now with far fewer people on it, but still a dash of couples and groups sipping their nog or wine, talking quietly among themselves.

The human noticed the dragon first, and his eyes went wide with the same kind of joy and wonder that a child might on seeing their first new bicycle on the driveway. The raccoon was still a little more hesitant.

"Come, he is offering something to you, do you hear it?" Kaggat said, and the dragon spied them approaching. He wasn't as excitable as Ahmun'azh, but his coloration did flip around to a more calming shade of deep greens and greys. A ripple of violet and red carefully traveled around the dots on his body. Apparently he was conferring to the pair mentally, above even Kaggat's frequency. This was, as the Vort assumed, a private deal, a moment that was made only for them.

"Never thought a dragon would want a prenup signed," the human chuckled, and his relieved and suddenly crying partner agreed.

Over the next few days, they made their arrangements, but also gave information where it was needed. They would be applying for schedule adaptation, and eventually... for parental leave! And proudly, once this ritual - which only they were privy to - was complete, they held... an egg. It was lighter than they expected at first, but realized... It was hardly full just yet. It would be, it would become a little child - and one which was highly unusual even for Twoarth.

"The Force truly binds us," Syruk said, "and the Vortessence as well..."

--

The dragon decided to remain, he'd come for the party, but stayed for the results of that egg. Perhaps just to see it, but also perhaps... to count the little girl that was 'hatched' as a success story! He allowed the Vort to bestow him a new name, Darr'turr, the brilliant illumination. Darter, usually what came out of people's mouths or minds - it was good enough, he was speedy and bright either way.

"So you are now three, yourself," Syruk observed, "will that change things for us?"

"Hardly," Kaggat said, "we will always function well. There will be others to show the techniques learned to, share what we know with them."

Both the dragons that had attached themselves to him sat proudly nearby, watching the islands of Xen floating softly in the luminous skies. Eventually, they might follow some of the others into the new worlds they could connect to - Izorrat and Ketvaozh, even the Rookery. Possibly there first. While it might take a bit for Darter to recover from the magic he'd spun into a child, there... were others that would need that too. Kaggat and his companions had learned through a circuituous chain of connections, that Vortikind in one dimension had lost so much. All of their females, or perhaps nearly all anyway, enough to condemn them to extinction if they couldn't find a way to intervene.

Numerous options, but all for another time. For the moment, Kaggat was hoping to help Ciizla and Jargra work on combinations of technology and applied mentalism, the Force working in tune with navigation tools!

** note that neither dragon below has a 'breath weapon' so much as other skills and abilities but may carry those things in offspring with the appropriate partner

Dragon

Name: Darrturr, "darter", name however means Brilliant Radiance
Gender: Male, chaser, may provide 'hope' for infertile or incompatible breeds*
Size/Shoulder/Length: medium 11'6" s / 72' l / 110' ws, semi-bipedal but measured to shoulder since legs are approximately the same length
Colors: body and wings mostly extremely dark red, with grades to brilliant red on belly scales from chin to tail tip, and on crest, claws, frills, and horns, as well as inset feathers on wings; backs of wings are almost black with outline in red; red frills have sparkling brighter red glitter; markings on face, neck, limbs, body, tail, and wing primaries a dazzling rainbow of glowing oval spots. These spots change and can be any color that Darter likes, their dimness or brightness is fully adjustable; also the red sparkles are moving constantly, like glitter catching light, most active on the brighter areas; eyes glowing pale blue
Features: four legs with three large curved claws on each, and frills on heel/elbow portions; semi-bipedal means he can manipulate and grasp while also walking at least for a short while; two large feathered wings with one manipulating digit hidden among several large plumes on wrists; head is large and boxy, with nose and chin horns, along jaw, and on top of head with forward pointing upward antlers, and a large jagged feather mane and brow frills; mane extends all the way from forehead to tail tip; belly from chin to tail tip is heavy scale armor but it is flexible; tail ends in similar antlers to head pointing back; it's not clear whether he's mammalian, avian, reptilian, or just what, but Darter is able to breed with any of those and probably more, as long as they are reasonably size-compatible
Powers: Winged Flight, Darter is slow but strong and can execute complicated maneuvers while flying or running. He is large enough to carry heavy weights and strong enough to move them long distances, why he's bipedal at times! It doesn't take much to put him in the air, merely spreading his wings it seems he just lifts easily, and seems to fly much more like a dragon half his weight
Flicker Relocation Teleport, able to move between two or three spots within about 200 meters of one another very rapidly, in fact rapidly enough that it's hard to say where he is since he's just a red and rainbow blur of colors. He uses this ability to distract enemies but also to entertain, since he can keep it up indefinitely if confined to a small area - say, above a holiday tree festival or gathering... He does not carry passengers nor gear while doing this, they do tend to break or fall off of him or just be super, super dizzy
Conventional Teleport, still he can also concentrate on a single space that he can either see or has visited in some way before, unerringly, from a sit-still or in motion equally well. While he can go both local or nexus in this manner, he definitely needs to know where he's headed off world if he cannot easily spot the landing location. This form of teleport he can carry massive weights or large items, such as another dragon, a palanquin of passengers with gear, and set them down safely
Verbal Speech, Telepathy, Empathy, Darter's main form of communication is telepathy with his bond and other dragons, but he can understand any language if he's exposed to it by a native speaker long enough, and begin to speak it with practice. Thus he is quite good at Vortigese including its telepathic context, English particularly as spoken by the Jedi ("standard") but also scientific lingo thanks to the local Xenian speakers. He has picked up numerous bits from Wookiee (able to speak it clearly in fact), Rodian, and other non-human tongues, as well as snippets of Twoarth non-English. His voice is quite odd in that regard - if he's capable of letting loose, as with Wookiee or Vortigese, he will use his full range of deep lung and throat sounds, but his higher pitched speech is almost formed of what sounds like tiny popping pieces of glass bulbs, shattering or tumbling sounds that eerily make up speech. His empathic power is strong at close range, around 100 meters or less, and best with groups. He can sense the overall mood and intention of a group, and spot weak points or very strong ones, to bolster or quiet them down when much closer (within 20 meters)
*Kiss Under The Mistletoe, he can seemingly grant a couple (or perhaps even a group) the ability to temporarily be compatible enough to produce offspring. This might come in the form of two lovers of disparate species, same-gendered coules, or even a small group of individuals so long as they are all on board with it. This power will grant those who are capable of bearing the young the results, and if not capable, an egg will form among or between the partners. It must be cared for by both or all of the participants equally, and will reflect the 'hatching or birth' size on creation, and will take 'as long as the middle-range between breeds' would for maturation and hatching. Somehow he does know that he can do all of these things, and will explain it in no uncertain terms to all requiring his participation. He will basically 'weave a nest' of his lights for those participating, and it takes approximately as long to get the egg to manifest or a pregnancy to occur as it might a typical evening of intimacy for those involved
Lightshow Incarnate, the lights on his body and wings are in fact fully and completley under his control, and though no one has ever seen it happen, he can go totally dark with them as well as brilliantly fullbright, bathing an area actively in either a white impermeable glow, or a depth of darkness that even those with strong sight cannot penetrate. He can shower an area with dazzling little spotlights in delicate pastels, go full disco-ball, or spotlight specific areas or people by focusing his wings toward them. Mostly, he looks like a brilliant red holiday tree wrapped in decorative lights! Blinking and flickering with his mood or those around him responding to it
Parentage: Unknown, unrelated to any in the Rookery or other Protectorate environs, though he does seem to bear superficial similarities to a few deer-like or avian winged types here and there
Origin: art by and adopted from Verridith on Deviantart
Other Info: Above; note, bonded second

Dragon

Name: Ahmun'ahz, "star tunnel's trail", ahm mun ahz (tunnel, trail, star; awm moon awzh)
Gender: Female, egg-layer
Size/Shoulder/Length: small, 5'8" s / 24' l / 30' ws
Colors: Body is dull brownish green with brightly glowing yellow stars that can move along neck, body, tail, and limbs; belly from chin to mid tail neon green; face, head/neck and tail spines bright yellow mottled slightly; backs of wings are body colored but with swirling patterns, undersides of wings are typically the same but as shown above can begin to create teal-aqua tunnels, see below; claws dark, eyes vibrant magenta
Features: four legs with four-digit paws having short retractable claws; two fairly stubby wings with four internal fingers and a prominent wrist thumb all with short claws; head is cylindrical with external ears, back pointing horns that blend in with a crest of spines on upper neck; body is high with a large chest, and long tail with spines on end *note that this dragon is not an icewing and actually bears more physical traits similar to a Night Fury than them
Powers: Winged Flight, though she's quick in the air, Ahmun'azh prefers to remain closer to the ground and can be seen running across rooftops or treetops alike, still flying but boosting her speed with little kicks. That's not that she isn't capable of long flights or heights, but all the action is on the ground, right? She is sleek and her powerful chest and keel allow for a lot more speed than you'd expect from a small girl, however she is a touch on the difficult to ride side what with those spines. They're not all that sharp, but there are a lot of them in the way...
Hyperspace Tunneling, similar to the huge purrgil and the elegant Loth Wolf, she is capable of creating - on her own - a tunnel that opens to a specific location via hyperspace. She can do this on the ground or even under it, or while in flight, but it is easier when her wings can focus on the task of creating it. The stars along her body will gain brightness as well as move with those beats, a little like the way LothWolf wall art moves, running into a swirl before suddenly creating a portal. Her portals seem much shorter than most, even if the distances are the same from worlds being connected by machinery, purrgil migration, or LothWolf tunneling. (Again she thinks it's more fun to actually be where you're going, right? all there is in hyperspace is blurry not-quite-light.) This portal will last as long as she is concentrating on it, but it does require her to be concentrating, so if something is sufficiently distracting such as injury or too much activity, she will break it and it will close. It will not close 'in the middle of transport', whatever is in the tunnel will get where it's going: it seems the act of entering it triggers the arrival. She can navigate via star patterns, hyperspace route data, telepathy, or even just guesswork though the last is somewhat dangerous. If she knows there's an atmosphere or safe landing spot, she'll find it. If there is none, she will only leave it open long enough for a space-worthy creature to go through it. The tunnel fully open is as wide across as her fully spread wings, so about 30 feet or 10 meters, so any larger creatures should be careful going through it. Notably also this may go from planet to planet, dimension to dimension, or possibly even times, but she lacks the ability to create a local tunnel - she can only go a greater distance than 'down the street' or 'around the far side of the planet', and must rely on other methods to move locally
Verbal and Telepathic Communication, she relies more on telepathy than her voice, since she can speak more 'animal' sounding things such as Wookiee or whalesong purrgil, more than english or standard. She does have a very long range on her telepathy, up to a full star system can be reached if she knows who to ping there, so she can detect incoming ships more easily, and hidden outposts while wandering on a planet. She can only ping at that vast distance, 'is there life' yes/no, but at ranges under 100 miles she can fully communicate with other intelligent minds, or those who have some form of telepathic communication themselves. She is a collector of unusual friends, given that range allows her to remember the specific frequency the mind she reaches on a long-range ping is at, so she likes forming tunnels after those 'yes' responses, and meeting with those who are on the other end. That way she can return! Her mental voice is a bit echo-like, always just a little before and a little after the words or concepts, there are faint ghost hints or repeated 'sounds'. She doesn't need to know a person's language to communicate telepathically with them
Parentage: Unknown, not related to any in the Rookery or Protectorate, with superficial similarities to Icewings as well as smaller sleeker dragons among the Pantheon's bonds, particularly the glowing ones
Origin: adopted from Revenade with lines by MetaphysicalMonsters on Deviantart (technically an icewing line but is not an icewing)
Other Info: Above; bonded before Darter