Don’t think I’m done with the nonbinary orc. I’m not.
Since it’s a plot point that Port Starfish is mostly human, with a smattering of dwarves, elves and halflings here and there, an orc kind of stands out. Most of our protagonists are nonhuman creatures that face some amount of social alienation due to that fact.
Orcs are as a whole, primarily hostile toward the people of The Islands. There is a long history of shared aggression between the Island Alliance and the Orc Tribes. So, how in the world did an orc make their way up the ranks in a place like Port Starfish? As a POLICE OFFICER?
The orcs in the South Belt are primarily survivalists with a strong incentive toward traditional family structures and reproduction, so how did an orc come to identify as nonbinary? Do they have a word for that? A different understanding of gender structures? So many questions!
Even though this story is primarily a comedy, I don’t want to make a gender identity into a joke. I’m also against being preachy. Like. If I wrote a section where the orc politely described the notion of gender binary in modern terms without any humor at all, I think I’d have to burn my laptop and stop writing for a year.
Much to think about. Much to write.
Happy Thursday to all my orcs!
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