90482 Orcus objects with a similar size and orbit to that of Pluto are named after underworld deities. Accordingly, the discoverers suggested naming the object after "Orcus", the Etruscan god of the underworld and punisher of broken oaths. He was portrayed in paintings in Etruscan tombs as a hairy, bearded giant. The name was also a private reference to the homonymous Orcas Island, where Brown's wife Diane had lived as a child and that they visit frequently. On March 30, 2005, Orcus's companion, Vanth, was named after a winged female demon of the Etruscan underworld. She could be present at the moment
Orcus (Dungeons & Dragons) 4th Edition for Dummies" describes Orcus as "the most monstrous evil in the game". Orcus was first presented in the "Eldritch Wizardry" supplement in 1976, by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, for the original (white box) "Dungeons & Dragons" game. Although the book states that there are several such demon Princes, only Orcus and Demogorgon are detailed, "two of the greatest of these exceptional demon lords". Game statistics for Orcus appear on page 27, while a description of Orcus appears on page 35 with an accompanying illustration, and a description for his "Wand of Orcus" appears on page 42 under