Moclan

Second Officer Bortus, a Moclan serving on the USS Orville.

> *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
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**Moclans** were a humanoid species native to the planet Moclus.

Moclans were former members of the Planetary Union, represented through a single government, at the time were one of the Union's most controversial members. They were known for their highly industrialized military complex, the sole supplier of weaponry for many races, but other Union species, most vocally the humans, saw its government's aggressive treatment of its female citizens as abusive.

The species was nearly entirely both male homosexual-oriented, as the female sex was heavily discriminated against and surgical procedures were applied to any female at birth to convert them to male. The Moclan government claimed only one female was born every 75 years, but the actual number was much higher. Bortus stated that a few were born every generation, and Heveena suggested the number was even higher.

Moclans aged far faster than other Union species such as humans. By eight months, a Moclan child could speak and attend school. Gordon Malloy stated in 2421 that Bortus in 2414 was in the middle of puberty.

## Biology

> *I never cease to be impressed by the resilience of the Moclan body.*— Doctor Claire Finn
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Moclans possessed light brown skin. Their most distinct feature were the cranial ridges and skin spots that ran along the sides and top of their head. Male Moclans sported skin spots only along the sides of their heads while those born females had them on their center ridge as well - even after a sex change. Moclans are naturally hairless, but can be made to grow hair through the use of a follicle stimulator.

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

Moclan physiology was remarkably hardy. They could 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 could withstand doses of radiation that would instantly kill any other species.

The Moclan digestive system was very water-efficient, and adult Moclans urinated only once per year.

### Reproduction and development

Moclans reproduced by laying eggs. Bortus commented that laying eggs was "much easier" than Regorian and human childbirth. Their gestation period was remarkably brief for such an advanced life form, only 21 days, and required the parent to sit on the egg until it hatched.

Females were extremely rare in Moclan society, with it being claimed that one was born roughly every 75 years. However, the true number was much higher: Bortus stated a few were born every generation, and Heveena suggested the number was even greater. The Moclan government almost always forcibly changed the sex of a female to male shortly after birth.

Young Moclans matured quickly, reaching the level of a human eight-year-old after about one year.

## Culture

> *Why the hell is dealing with Moclan culture always this difficult?*— Captain Ed Mercer
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Moclan society was built around a highly developed military industry, which had led to a polluted atmosphere and near-constant weapons testing. The majority of the population lived in cities, though some - such as the author Heveena - dotted the mountains.

### Sexuality

Moclans are also shown to be all homosexual-oriented species, with most of the males being gay.

The female Moclan sex was regarded with "disgust" and "shame" by a majority of other Moclans who believed women were physically and mentally incapable of fully participating in the species' warrior culture.

Heterosexuality was uncommon in Moclan males, and attraction to females was criminalized with "a lifetime of imprisonment." Heterosexual males, such as Locar, closely guarded their sexual proclivity from public knowledge. Locar noted that the "shame" of heterosexuality was borne by the family as well.

### Relationships

Two Moclans romantically interested in each other could go on a *gomaskah*, a 'first date.' If the two continued to date, they became each other's *kodashik*, or 'boyfriend.' As the relationship deepened, the two could mate and create an egg. However, if the two broke up during the *kodashik* period, each *kodashik* extracted a tooth and gave it to the former mate. The former boyfriend then gave the tooth to his next *kodashik* who ate it.

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

Moclans go through a rite known as the Commencement Rite of the Kazh-gal, which renews the relationship of two mated Moclans.

### Arts

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

According to Locar, dancing was "much less restrained" than among humans.

### Language

The Moclan language and writing script could 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
* *kla'fash* - possibly "penis"

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

In *Future Unknown*, Mercer spoke the following sentences at Bortus and Klyden's Rite of the Kazh-gahl: "*Ah'narok eldash macah. ... Ja'vok uvet! ... Ja'vok uvosh!*"

Names tended to be single, without a second name. The lone exception was author Gondus Elden.

### Religion

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

Bortus stated that some on Moclus believed 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."

It was Moclan custom to hang their dead in pods in a morgue for nine days in order to give them a chance to resolve any unfinished affairs they might have on Moclus before moving onward.

Upon seeing a simulation of Dolly Parton, Heveena declared "by the gods!", suggesting the Moclans worshiped multiple deities.

### Other

* Suicide was "an unforgivable crime." The shame of suicide passed to the entire family who were then banished from Moclus.
* Moclans only urinated once per year in a ritual known as *ja'loja*.
* Locar noted that "on Moclus, mediocrity is the only behavior above suspicion."

## Cuisine

Moclans are known for *oppsada*, a type of drink that contains a parasite that creates a pleasurable feeling in the host. They also eat *kolp*, a type of seaweed. A dessert of theirs is *kimbok*, a type of cake made with *oppsada*. A breakfast food known as *plokta* resembles oatmeal. *Teepok soup* is another known dish. In *Midnight Blue*, Moclans were shown to have some version of hot sauce.

A table of Moclan food.
## Government

Justice was administered by tribunal, an arbitral method of dispute resolution or punishment. The head of a tribunal was a minister, and either side could be represented by advocates.

The Moclan Science Division maintained a cadre of engineers, such as Toren.

#### Relations with the Union

In the early 25th century, the Moclans had become the primary suppliers of weaponry to most Union member worlds. Moclan engineers had a key part in creating and regulating Union deflector screen technology, a*s* the regulations governing their use were written by Locar, a renowned Moclan engineer. After the Kaylon declared war on the Planetary Union in February 2421, the Union increasingly depended on the Moclans for systems upgrades.

Moclus' treatment of their own females aggravated relations between the Moclans and the other Union species. When Bortus and Klyden disputed whether to change Topa's sex from female to male in November 2419, Captain Vorak hinted that he might have attacked the USS *Orville* had Captain Ed Mercer refused to allow Topa to go to Moclus.

In 2421, a secret colony of Moclan girls and women was discovered. The Moclan government aggressively attempted to take the women back to their planet for sex reassignment surgery, and told the Planetary Union Council that if they were not allowed to take the females, they would leave the Union and ally with the Krill.

In 2422, relations between the two governments finally came to a head. Both organizations sent parties to the sanctuary world for an annual inspection. The terms of this agreement stated that the Moclans were allowed to inspect to make sure that Heveena was not smuggling additional females off Moclus, while the Union was there to ensure that the Moclan authorities were not interfering with the colony's operations through threats, harassment, surveillance or acts of aggression of any kind.

The *Orville* sent a landing party consisting of Kelly Grayson, Bortus and Bortus's daughter, Topa, who had recently undergone surgery to transition back to female, much to the displeasure of the Moclans. During the visit, Topa met with the sanctuary's leader, Heveena, who secretly revealed to her that she had resumed her underground network of smuggling females. She entrusted Topa with a contact, hoping that Topa could use the Orville's advanced communications to speed the process. The Moclan landing party, however, having caught wind of Heveena's activities, kidnapped Topa in the hopes of getting her to reveal the secret contact on Moclus that Heveena had provided.

Upon the discovery of Topa's kidnapping, the crew of the *Orville* launched a full investigation, while Bortus and Kelly Grayson attempted to personally pursue the kidnappers. Heveena was forced to reveal the truth before the Planetary Union Council in the hopes of making the Moclans cooperate with an investigation. The Moclans, however, refused, demanding that Heveena be punished for her actions. Before the Council could take action, however, Kelly and Bortus arrived with a badly injured Topa. They revealed that she had been escorted to a secret black site by the Moclans and tortured for information. She had chosen not to have her injuries healed for the moment in order to provide visible proof of the ordeal that she had undergone. They further stated that the torturers had intended to kill her after extracting the information.

Bortus personally addressed the Moclans, declaring that members of the Union had planned to murder his child. He called them liars and butchers, demanding that they answer for their crimes. Hearing this, the members of the Council all stood in solidarity. Not long afterwards, the Union Council voted unanimously to expel Moclus from the Planetary Union. This was despite the fact that the Moclans were considered a key ally in the conflict against the Kaylon, but the Council could no longer turn a blind eye to their actions. Additionally, they chose to recognize the Sanctuary as an independent state, placed under their protection.

The Moclans quickly sought out an alliance with the Krill. When Admiral Perry provided the alliance with an anti-Kaylon superweapon, the Moclan weapons specialist Dr. Kalba was tasked to modify it to work on a galactic scale. Discovering the alliance, the Union sought an alliance with the Kaylon to retrieve or destroy the weapon. By the sacrifice of ensign Charly Burke, the resulting Battle of Draconis 427 saw the destruction of the superweapon with the shockwave destroying several Moclan ships. After the ensign's sacrifice had led the Kaylon to call off their war and become provisional members of the Union, one of the conditions was to offer aid in defending their worlds against the Moclans.

## Military

Moclus seems to have operated a fleet independent of the Planetary Union.

Moclan soldiers wore special body armor.

### Moclan Fleet

The Moclan fleet boasted at least three types of Moclan Ships: cruiser, transport, and battlecruiser. The fleet also maintained a unique shuttlecraft.

A dockyard or space station orbits Moclus. On March 2420, The Moclan government upgraded all Union *Exploratory*-class vessels and above with enhanced weaponry at the dockyard.

Following their expulsion from the Union and alliance with the Krill, the Moclan fleet was deployed to protect Draconis 427 where the anti-Kaylon weapon was to be detonated. The fleet took heavy losses from the Union-Kaylon alliance, even moreso when the device overloaded and its destructive shockwave reached orbit.

## Notable Moclans

* Bortus - Second Officer of the *Orville*.
* Dojin - Ambassador to the Union
* Garkahl - An interrogator in the underground prison
* Heveena (Gondus Elden) - Famous Novelist; one of the few female Moclans never to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
* Jakohn - Captain of a Moclan Battlecruiser.
* Kagus - Tribunal advocate.
* Kalba - A renowned weapons engineer.
* Kaybrak - Minister of Internal Affairs.
* Klyden - Bortus' mate on board the *Orville*.
* Kodon - A commander
* Korick - Toren's mate. In March 2420, Korick and Toren secretly took their daughter to a sanctuary for Moclan females, rather than see her forcibly changed to male.
* Locar - Prodigious engineer specializing in Deflector Screens; also notable as a rare heterosexual male.
* Mersa - A female Moclan taken by Korick and Toren to the sanctuary.
* Osaia - A female Moclan living at the sanctuary
* Rechik - A captain in the Moclan fleet
* Topa - The child of Bortus and Klyden. Possibly the only Moclan to undergo surgery to transition back to female after having been previously reassigned to male.
* Toren - Engineer in the Moclan Science Division.
* Vorak - A captain in the Moclan fleet

## 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 language, including its writing system, was created by the show's futurist Taylor Faulkinberry.

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.

According to Faulkinberry, the language is written starting in the top left in a spiral (resembling a snail shell). A bold or thick line tells the reader the direction of the script.

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 visual effects supervisor Brandon Fayette, the Moclan fleet is designed around "triple-split, bifurcated rings" (rings referring to a ship's quantum drive, which encompasses a ship to fold space around it).

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.
* Chief Engineer John LaMarr made a special, protective costume of the folk hero Xandia out of Moclan body armor.
* Actor Peter Macon (Bortus) says he is often asked by fans what Moclan sex is like. His go-to answer is to imagine football-sized rocks tumbling around in an a dryer.

## 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*
* *Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 1.5x02: New Beginnings, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 1.5x03: The Word of Avis, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 1.5x04: The Word of Avis, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2x01: Ja'loja*
* *Episode 2x02: Primal Urges*
* *Episode 2x03: Home*
* *Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes*
* *Episode 2x05: All the World is Birthday Cake*
* *Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain*
* *Episode 2x07: Identity, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2x10: Blood of Patriots*
* *Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions*
* *Episode 2x12: Sanctuary*
* *Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow*
* *Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken*
* *Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2.5x02: Launch Day, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2.5x03: Heroes, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2.5x05: Digressions, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2.5x06: Digressions, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2.5x07: Artifacts, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2.5x08: Artifacts, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 3x01: Electric Sheep*
* *Episode 3x02: Shadow Realms*
* *Episode 3x03: Mortality Paradox*
* *Episode 3x04: Gently Falling Rain*
* *Episode 3x05: A Tale of Two Topas*
* *Episode 3x06: Twice in a Lifetime*
* *Episode 3x07: From Unknown Graves*
* *Episode 3x08: Midnight Blue*
* *Sympathy for the Devil*
* *Episode 3x09: Domino*

## Notes

1. ↑ Topa, Heveena, and Klyden all host centered spots. All born-male Moclans have spots only along the sides.
2. ↑ Advocate Kagus in Episode 1x03: About a Girl

## References

1. ↑ Episode 2x07: Deflectors
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Episode 1x03: About a Girl
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Heveena: "Commander Bortus, what I am about to say will come as a shock to you. There are many more females born on Moclus than the government has ever publicly admitted." Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
5. ↑ Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1
6. ↑ Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
7. ↑ Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
8. ↑ Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
10. ↑ Based on the fact that the Mass Tissue Regenerator goes 'green' once Bortus' heart rate exceeds 50.
11. ↑ Episode 1x06: Krill
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 Episode 2x07: Deflectors
13. ↑ Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Episode 2x05: All the World is Birthday Cake
15. ↑ Episode 1x02: Command Performance
16. ↑ Topel, Fred. "SETH MACFARLANE ADDRESSES CRITICS’ HARSH TAKE ON THE ORVILLE STORY LINE". Rotten Tomatoes. March 19, 2018.
17. ↑ Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
18. ↑ Locar. Episode 2x07: Deflectors
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Bortus. Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
20. ↑ Listed in subtitles as *kalaskacha mech-gadlas fekto roschas bam val*. However, this is hardly what Bortus says when listening to the audio. Episode 2x01: Ja'loja
21. ↑ Klyden: "I swear on the soul of my child." Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
22. ↑ Episode 3x03: Mortality Paradox
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Episode 3x08: Midnight Blue
24. ↑ Episode 2x01: Ja'loja
25. ↑ Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Domino
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Episode 2.5x04: Heroes, Pt. 2
29. ↑ Berger, Howard & Maxine Morris. "Space and Beyond". *The Artisan*. 2018.
30. ↑ Wyckoff, Anna. "The Orville". Costume Designers Guild. Oct. 10, 2017.
31. ↑ "SDCC 2017: The Orville - Peter Macon, Mark Jackson, Chad L Coleman". *Whedonopolis Video*. July 26, 2017.
32. ↑ Faulkinberry, Taylor. The Orville. www.myportfolio.com. Last accessed Oct. 10, 2020.
33. ↑ Bond, Jeff. *The World of the Orville*. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 141.
34. ↑ Faulkinberry, Taylor. The Orville. www.myportfolio.com. Last accessed Oct. 10, 2020.
35. ↑ The Orville - Season 1 & 2. Michelle Peters. Last accessed May 18, 2019.
36. ↑ Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
37. ↑ Oullette, Jennifer. "Go behind the scenes of The Orville as series embarks on a new season". *Ars Technica*. March 26, 2020.
38. ↑ Dilip, Mangala. "'The Orville' sound designers on breaking sci-fi conventions and bringing 'new flavors' to season 2". Dec. 17, 2018.
39. ↑ "The Redenbacher Ep 12- David Cabeza Interview". The Redenbacher. June 26, 2019.
40. ↑ Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions
41. ↑ "The Nerdcast (238): The Orville's Peter Macon". Project-Nerd. Aug. 18, 2021.