Moclan

Moclan
Second Officer Bortus, a Moclan serving on the USS Orville.
Type	Humanoid
Planet	Moclus

For generations, my people struggled to survive on a desolate world. It was only our culture, our traditions that sustained us. It is who we are.— Bortus

Moclans are a humanoid species native to the planet Moclus. Moclans are nearly entirely male, as the female sex is heavily discriminated against and surgical procedures are applied to any female at birth to convert them to male. The Moclan Government claims only 1 female is born every 75 years, but the actual numbers are much higher.

Moclans are known for their highly industrialized military complex, being the sole supplier of weaponry for many races. They are members of the Planetary Union.

Biology

I never cease to be impressed by the resilience of the Moclan body.— Doctor Claire Finn

Damage to the Moclan vascular system is displayed on this Mass Tissue Regenerator.

Moclans possess light brown skin. Their most distinct feature are the cranial ridges and skin spots that run along the sides and top of their head. Male Moclans sport skin spots only along the sides of their heads while rare females have them on their center ridge as well. Moclans are naturally hairless, but can be enabled to grow hair through use of a follicle stimulator.

Based on an internal image of Bortus' chest, Moclans seem to have smaller hearts than Humans. A healthy heart rate is between 50 and 70 beats per minute.

Moclan physiology is remarkably hardy. They can eat nearly anything, due to the species having evolved to draw nourishment from a large variety of organic and inorganic matter, from a whole piece of wasabi to cactus plants, glass, napkins and forks. Their bodies can withstand doses of radiation that would instantly kill any other species.

The Moclan digestive system is very water-efficient, and the adult urinates only once a year.

Reproduction

Heveena is one of a minority of female Moclans.

This species reproduces by laying eggs, which suggests that Moclans may be reptilian in nature rather than mammalian. Bortus says that laying eggs is "much easier" than Regorian and Human childbirth. Their gestation period is remarkably brief for such an advanced life form, only 21 days, and requires the parent to sit on it until it hatches. Moclan's mature quickly, reaching the level of Human 10 year olds in around a year.

Females are extremely rare in Moclan society, with it being claimed that one is born roughly every 75 years. However, this is false information circulated by the government, and in fact many more are born. The government heavily discriminates against females, and if found all female children are put through a "corrective procedure" in order to make them male. Those who do not approve of this must hide their female children, and a smuggling ring existed to ferry female infants and their parents to a hidden colony. The Moclan government has been hunting for the colony for years. After it's existence was made known to The Union, they tried to recognize the colony as sovereign in order to protect its people. Moclas threatened war, but after negotiation, The Union agreed not to recognize the colony as a sovereign state if the Moclan government would leave the planet alone, although the smuggling ring was ended as a part of this agreement.

Culture

A traditional Moclan divorce in progress.

Why the hell is dealing with Moclan culture always this difficult?— Captain Ed Mercer

Moclan society is built around their highly developed military industry, which has led to a polluted atmosphere and near-constant weapons testing. The majority of the population live in cities, though some - such as the author Heveena - dot the mountains.

Sexuality

The supposedly-rare female Moclan sex is regarded with "disgust" and "shame" by a majority of other Moclans, incapable of fully participating in the species's warrior culture.

Heterosexuality is uncommon but prevalent in Moclan males. However, attraction to females is strictly forbidden in Moclan society by "a lifetime of imprisonment." Heterosexual males, such as Locar, closely guard their sexual proclivity from public knowledge. The "shame" of heterosexuality is borne by the family as well.

Relationships

Two Moclans romantically interested in each other may go on a gomaskah, a 'first date.' If the two continue to date, they become the other's kodashik or 'boyfriend.' As the relationship deepens, the two may mate and create an egg. However, if the two break up during the dating period, each kodashik extracts a tooth and gives it to the former mate. The former boyfriend then gives the tooth to his next kodashik who eats it.

If a Moclan wished to divorce his mate, it is customary "to terminate the life of his mate."

Arts

Moclans hold a high appreciation of writers and their works, such as Gondus Elden. When they depart on a journey of great importance, it is customary for parties to quote a fitting passage from notable literary works.

According to Locar, dancing is "much less restrained" than among Humans.

Language

A table of Moclan food.

The Moclan language and writing script can be found throughout the planet Moclus or spoken by native Moclans. Several words of the Moclan language are known:

• Da'klaya, a Moclan astrological system
• gomaskah, 'first date'
• ja'loja, literally 'great release,' a Moclan's annual urination ceremony
• kodashik, 'boyfriend'
• latchkum, a popular party game
• n'kafas, site of the ja'loja
• oppsada, a popular Moclan beverage
• plotka, a Moclan breakfast cereal

Names tend to be single, without a second name denoting tribe or ethnicity, or simply to distinguish the referent from other people of the same first name. The author Gondus Elden is an exception, though one of those names may in fact be a title or adjective.

A longer, untranslated sentence in Moclus is known as well, galashkah me'mek-gadlas fekto roshas... bam val... ja'loja!, which is uttered by Bortus at his ja'loja.

Religion

Little is known of any historical Moclan religious belief, although evidently some Moclans believe in a soul.

Bortus states that some on Moclus believe in Da'klaya: "that one's fate is determined by the alignment of the stars on the day of his birth." For believers, "some Da'klaya moons are more desirable than others."

Other

• Suicide is "an unforgivable crime." The shame of suicide passes to the entire family who are then banished from Moclus.
• Moclans only urinate once per year in a ritual known as ja'loja.
• Locar notes that "on Moclus, mediocrity is the only behavior above suspicion."

Government

A Moclan starship.

Moclan Fleet

The Moclan fleet boasts at least three types of Moclan Ships, the cruiser, transport, and battlecruiser.

Moclans may operate space stations as one such station refits Union ships with enhanced weaponry.

Relations with the Union

A Moclan shuttlecraft.

The Moclans are the sole suppliers of weaponry to the majority of Union Member Worlds. The deflector screen technology used by Union ships is hinted to be of Moclan design in the episode "Deflectors", as the regulations governing their use are written by a renowned Moclan engineer.

Diplomacy wise, due to the Moclan society is built around their highly developed military industry, they are viewed not so favourly by many Union Member worlds but regardlessly accepted the Moclans as they were the sole weapons supplier, at times tensions runs so high, war nearly broke out twice in Episodes 1x03 "About a Girl" and 2x12 "Sanctuary"

Notable Moclans

• Bortus - Second Officer of the Orville.
• Klyden - Bortus' mate on board the Orville.
• Topa - The child of Bortus and Klyden.
• Kagus - Tribunal advocate.
• Kaybrak - Minister of Internal Affairs
• Heveena (Gondus Elden) - Famous Novelist; one of the female Moclans to never undergo gender reassignment surgery.
• Jakohn - Captain of a Moclan Battlecruiser

Production

The physical appearance of Moclans was designed by special make-up effects artist Garrett Immel, based on a rough sculpture of Bortus made by Howard Berger, then the make-up department head.

Moclan clothing was designed by wardrobe designer Joseph Porro. When Porro learned that the Moclan skin would be similar to burnt hombre and that planet Moclus's surface was ruddy and red, he shifted the clothing color palette to blacks, grays, and reds to "flatter" the make-up.

A concept sketch of a Moclan soldier by the show's wardrobe designer Joseph Porro and illustrator Luca Nemolato. Note the older spelling of Moclan as Moclam used during development.

The first information about the Moclan species came in July 22, 2017 at the San Diego Comic-Con when Peter Macon (Bortus) revealed that Moclans are an all-male species who urinate once per year. Building up to the series premiere, the Moclan species became a favorite topic of the cast in interviews.

Moclan language

The Moclan "Rosetta stone" published in The World of the Orville.

The Moclan writing system was reprinted with an English transcription by Jeff Bond in the book The World of the Orville. The consonants more or less correspond with English's, with two added letters; however, their phonological values are undetermined: a, b, c, ç, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, ñ, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z. The vowels have plain and umlauted versions (except for the unusual letter ǽ), and are undetermined phonologically as well: a, ä, ǽ, e, ë, i, o, ö, u, ü. Additionally, there are characters for ? and . as well.

Some Moclan texts were "written" by graphic designer Michelle Peters for display on the walls, such as in Doctor Gulnar's office in the Environmental Simulator program Bortus 931. The inscriptions read Moclus.

Moclan ship

According to the supervising sound editor Jon Greasley, the sounds of Moclan ships were updated for Season 2, receiving a "more muscular" feel.

Trivia

• In the original script, the name of the species was Moclin and later Moclam.

• In Old Wounds, it is revealed that Moclans only urinate once per year.
• The Moclans are quite similiar to the Asari, an all-female species from the Mass Effect Universe. The only difference is Moclans settle on a military society while Asari settle on a Religious Council, another noticeable difference is Moclans are only known to mate with each other of their own kind but Asari are able to mate among their kin and members of other species.
• According to artist David Cabeza, who inked the official Season 1.5 comic books, the Moclans are the most difficult species to draw.
• A joke by Klyden strongly implies that Moclan males have a reproductive system similar to Humans (external genitals and semen).
  • After Doctor Claire Finn diagnoses Bortus with porn addiction, he asks if there is an injection he can take. Klyden quips, "You have had enough injections lately."
• The Moclan biological system is extremely susceptible to nicotine addiction.

Appearances

• Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
• Episode 1x02: Command Performance
• Episode 1x03: About a Girl
• Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
• Episode 1x05: Pria
• Episode 1x06: Krill
• Episode 1x07: Majority Rule
• Episode 1x08: Into the Fold
• Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger
• Episode 1x10: Firestorm
• Episode 1x11: New Dimensions
• Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry