Orc

The **Orcs** are one of the nine races living in the world of the *Bright* series. Having served the Dark Lord two thousand years ago, they are subjected to extreme racism and prejudice from other races, especially Humans. “Pigface/skin/nose” are common derogatory slurs for Orcs.

## Origins

The Orcs originally lived in the Pripet Marshes, wetlands covering 104,000 square miles (270,000 square km) of Eastern Europe, specifically modern-day northern Ukraine and southern Belarus. Migration to the Americas began in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

## Characteristics

The Orcs are humanoid beings distinguished by their beige and blue mottled skin, heavy build, yellow irises, pointed ears, slit-like nostrils, lack of any visible hair, and lower canines protruding from their mouths. Their ears twitch from time to time, possibly a reaction to auditory stimuli or emotional shifts. They possess inhuman strength and resilience, forming the defensive line of many football teams and being shown to be able to lift the front end of a pickup truck with little difficulty. However, their denser and heavier bodies tend to make them slower than humans or Elves, nor are they known to be able to jump very high or far. They are shown to have an inhuman sense of smell, able to distinguish individuals by scent, smell spilled blood rooms away, and can use the smell of sweat and adrenaline to detect when a person is stressed. Orcs are capable of being Brights, as shown by the tale of Jirak, the first documented case of a Bright.

## Culture

Orcs live in a community divided into different blood clans, all of which adhere to a “clan law”, never truly explained. However, it could be taken to simply mean the principle of putting the clan above all else. An important part of their culture is the commitment of an act of bravery to become ‘blooded.’ It is implied this is a sort of initiation rite into a specific clan. Unblooded, unattached Orcs, are rejected and despised by their own species, often considering such individuals to not be true Orcs. Orcs who reject clan culture tend to file their lower canines, possibly in an attempt to better assimilate with Elves and humans, for which clan Orcs look down on them. "Round tooth" is a common derogatory term for such individuals among Orcs.

### Jirak

As the orcish war hero and savior of the world, Jirak is a huge cultural symbol for the Orcs as he stands in stark contrast to the stereotypical depiction of ancient orcs as the vile servants of the Dark Lord. Their pride in Jirak can be seen in the many murals across LA depicting him and his battle against The Dark Lord. Jakoby even uses the story of Jirak to inspire Ward to save Tikka.

### Language

Orcs possess their own language, Bodzvokhan, which English speakers typically refer to as Orcish. While it is rare for humans and other species to know how to speak, it appears highly common for Orcs to learn it, even in the absence of clan connections. Due to Orcs' geographic origins, Bodzvokhan borrows heavily from Russian. Bodzhokhan originally had its own unique alphabet, though it was abandoned for a time for the adoption of Cyrillic. After the Orcs began migrating to the States, they once again reclaimed their original script, Vukht.

## Demographic Information

### US Population

There are 53.3 million orcs in the US, 16.3% of the population. Their birth is 1 in every 6 individuals.

### Common Professions

The top six careers for orcs are in construction, manufacturing, municipal, sanitation, professional sports and auto mechanic.

## List of Orcs

* Nick Jakoby
* Dorghu
* Mikey
* Yolbôz Kolden
* Max Carlyle
* Raiden
* Jirak
* Matt Serra (part orc)

## Resources

1. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica: Pripet Marshes
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 David J. Peterson, interview with PC Mag
3. ↑ Bright: History of Magic
4. ↑ David J Peterson, blog post