Klingon Empire Created by: Gene Roddenberry, and riffed on by every fan. This is Garry Stahl's version.Appearance: Throughout Star Trek. Their first appearance was in “Errand of Mercy”. Number of Members: Approx 6 billion Nature of Members: Klingons -- Humanoids standing 1.7 meters on average. They are typified by brow ridges that increase the nasal area giving them a heightened sense of smell. Their skin tends toward a swarthy oiled look. Klingons are from a humid jungle environment and have nether good distance vision or much tolerance for cold. Most Klingon vital body functions incorporate multiple redundancies, such as multi-chambered and or lobed stomachs, lungs, livers, an eight-chambered heart, and twenty-three ribs. This characteristic, known as brak'lul, makes Klingons incredibly resilient. Klingon ribs are arranged in a latticework. Klingon teeth are serrated, with multiple edges and ridges well suited to eating raw meat. Klingons are not stronger than humans on average. The strength advantage is from the high degree of physical training that Klingons receive in their youth. Humans will vary across a vast range of ability. Klingon to the last have honed their bodies to the best performance they can achieve as a matter of survival. Klingons do have a denser bone mass and are 20% heavier than a human of the same height and build. They are not great swimmers. Klingons do not have the Human adrenalin reaction. Fight or flight in a Klingon is a trained response. They are taught from a young age to focus their senses, to concentrate on the area around them, to know the targets and threats in that area. This is called wamnoch or the hunting sense. Part of this is the Klingon's ability to sense when another Klingon intends to kill them. This sense can fail with other species that have differing body language. It is a great tactic for an area of limited visibility such as a Jungle. It does leave the Klingon open to sniping form a distance. Klingon not being stupid have trained warriors for distance combat to cover for the close melee fighters. Klingons are mammals. Females are typically well endowed and the current culture is to show that off as much as possible while maintaining Honor. Klingon pregnancy lasts 30 weeks. Labor is difficult and can last several days. Klingon parents are devoted and protective of their young. Klingon childhood is likewise quick, they reach full growth and sexual maturity by the age of 12. Klingon children are self sufficient by the age of three. While a child that age is not much larger than its Human equivalent they are stronger and more coordinated. A three year old Klingon can if necessary hunt and fend for itself. What about TOS Klingons? I generally fall into the "They always looked that way" school of thought. I haven't 100% dismissed a second Klingon race., but I haven't accepted it either. There are 21 client races inside the Klingon Empire that are known about. I have two detailed the Cowar and the sutwl'. Others may come. Cowar are mammals of a similar size to Klingons. They have true back skin and white hair. They are long time clients and have adopted Klingon culture. Sutwl' arrived with Orions before Klingon even had space flight. Sutwl' are smallish humanoids descended from forest herbivores. It is considered dishonorable to even strike one so low is their status. Organization: Feudal Clan. Klingon government within the Empire is administered by a group of loosely affiliated clans called Houses. Houses are further ranked by size and importance.
Do not however, take the Klingon lack of traditional unity as a weakness. Even with all the cards stacked against them, from an orthodox political point of view, they have created and maintained a formidable Galactic Empire the equal of any other. Game Role: Traditional foes of the Federation and sometimes friends. World Role: First Rate Galactic power. Relative Influence: Major, the Klingon Empire is a first rate power equal to any in the galaxy. Public or Secret?: Public Publicly Stated Goal: Honor and Glory! Real Goal, if different: No, and that is scary. Economy: Klingons tend to think of money last. They leave the money thing to client races and concentrate on the Honor thing. Smart Klingons watch the money. As a result of the Klingon indifference to advancement unless than can see the benefit, few Klingon worlds are at the point of an energy economy. Most flail along with a industrial style money system that has energy economy technology grafted to it. The Klingon value system also makes seeing that people are prosperous and well cared for as a low priority. If they are worthy they will survive. The weak will be weeded out and we will be stronger. The end result is that most production ends up in the trappings of power, ships and armies, and little is seen in infrastructure development. Most Klingon clients live a hand to mouth existence. Lately however some of the Klingons who have seen the Federation in some detail have realized that energy production and lifestyle are the keys to Federation success. The Federation walks around with one arm tied behind it. If they put their economic might to the suppression of their neighbors the Klingons would be bowing the knee. These Houses are spending money on infrastructure improvement, education for clients and Klingons alike, and bringing up the standard of living. Relations:
Headquarters Location: Q'onoS, the Klingon home world. Public Face: It is a good day to die. Notable Members:* Kahless the Unforgettable: First emperor of the Klingon Empire, Kahless united his people some 1,500 years ago (Earth date 625 CE) by defeating the Tyrant Molor. He set the standard for the conduct of honor and strength all Klingons live by. After delivering the laws of honor in later life, Kahless went before his people to tell them that he was leaving to guard Sto-Vo-Kor, the afterlife of the honored dead. However, he would return someday to see what they have made of the code of law and honor than he had left them with. Gorkon: Gorkon's name is both revered and reviled by Klingons, and for the same reason. He was the Klingon Chancellor that thought the unthinkable. When the destruction of Praxis had the Klingon home world on the rocks, Gorkon extended the hand of peace to the Federation, and asked for help. Although he did not live to see it, murdered by short sighted people that could not deal with the idea of a Galaxy without conflict, the peace process he started that led to the first Kitomer accords has further led to a strengthening of the Klingons, and a strengthening of the local group. Gowron: Named as leader of the Klingon High Council and the Empire's Chancellor in late 2367, Gowron, son of M'Rel, had been a virtual Klingon outsider who often challenged the council until he made claim to its leadership when the sitting Chancellor, K'mpec, was poisoned. Gowron was chosen over Duras as his successor by Jean-Luc Picard, who served as a non-native Arbiter of Succession by request of the dying K'mpec. After Worf killed his opponent Duras, Gowron refused to return Worf and brother Kurn their family honor until they helped repulse the challenge by Duras' family to his ascension as leader. Gowron has survived the current civil war and the instillation of Kahless the Second on the Bloody Throne. He counts himself a New Klingon less from any deep belief and a sense of the deeply practical. Kahless the Second: As he lay dying Kahless the Unforgettable pointed out the star Boreth as the place he would return to. A Caste of Monks sprang up to guard the planet once Klingons had gotten into space. In 2369, when a clone of Kahless appeared, taken from blood on the Knife of Kirom. He was challenged by Gowron, and defeated, but Gowron, on the advice of Worf, allowed him to serve as perfunctory emperor and spiritual leader of the Empire. This changed when the Ane captain Taraban surrendered House Qon'tos, won in a duel with its head, then surrendered the house to Kahless. With Kahless in possession of one of the most powerful fleets in Klingon space, and the former House Qon'tos, now House Kahless behind him. he had real power, in the Klingon sense. To date Kahless the Second as he styles himself has worked to the benefit of the Klingon people. Worf: Worf son of Moog is the first Klingon to attend Starfleet Academy and the first to serve as a line officer in Starfleet. Some call him the “King maker” for his close involvement in choosing the Klingon leadership, often on the point of his sword, but never himself seeking power. History of the Organization: "And though I had slain a thousand foes less one, The thousandth knife found my liver; The thousandth enemy said to me, 'Now you shall die, Now none shall know.' And the fool, looking down, believed this, Not seeing, above his shoulders, the naked stars, Each one remembering."** From ancient times the Klingons have been a violent race reveling in the strong emotions. Much of Klingon prehistory is lost, Klingon having little interest in archeology. Most Klingon date history as starting recently in historical terms, from the time of Kahless the Unforgettable, the Klingon that has defined what it means to be Klingon for the past 1600 years. What is known of the time before Kahless comes from Orion sources, which are themselves suspect. The Orions found the old Klingons unsuitable as slaves, but did find it fit to export them as mercenaries, and to trade slaves with them. From this trade came the sutwl', who have been body servants for the Klingons as long as anyone can remember. As the time of Orions was ending came Kahless. Kahless is both a historical figure that is well documented, and a figure of legend that accomplished feats beyond mortal ability. Tales are told of the 10 day and 10 night battle with his brother over a lie. How when this same brother threw his Father's sword into the sea Kahless held his breath three days to find it. Klingon legend says they slew their gods when the gods proved unworthy. Klingons have made a god of Kahless in their place. Five hundred years after Kahless came the greatest threat the Klingons ever knew before the loss of Praxis, the Hur'q. In the late industrial age the Hur'q, a Klingon word for “outsider” invaded Qo'noS itself. The hit and run raiders took all they could and destroyed what they could not take. This time the Klingons would not be passive as they were to the Orions. The Hur'q were driven off Qo'noS. The Klingon took the technology left by those Hur'q that didn't move fast enough and reverse engineered the ships and drives. Within two generations they had puzzled out the secrets of subspace from the incomplete picture left to them. The Road to Glory in the Naked Stars was open. The Road to Glory has not been without hurdles and stumbling blocks. The “war” with the Jubli. The continuing conflict with the Romulans. The disgrace of the Four Years War with the Federation. However amide the stumbling blocks there has been glory and blood wine in plenty. The Klingons have amassed an Empire of over 150 light years across and taken at least 21 surviving species as clients. Today the Klingons still tend to look at the Galaxy in terms of blood and glory, but a new breed is rising that also sees the Galaxy in terms of friends and cooperation. However, Klingons will be Klingons and as such are always seeking a new foe to fight, new glory to be won. Culture: Klingons are a warrior race. Each and every one will tell you that. Klingons revel in the strong emotions that Humans seek to control and Vulcans to eliminate. Life is short, grasp it with both hands and live like tomorrow will never come. You will not get out alive so you might as well go in style. The structure of Klingon life is similar in many ways to that of Feudal Japan of Earth, but with the attitude towards life of the Mongols or the Norse cultures of that same world. The most important concept in Klingon culture is Honor. If one is without Honor one is worse than an animal. Honor is a combination of ethics and reputation that describes the Klingon's place in society and how he views himself. Your honor also reflects on your family as your family's honor reflects on you. It behooves you to see to the Honor of your brothers, and they to see to yours. Klingon society is divided into castes. The most familiar of those is the Warrior Caste. However they would be a short lived phenomenon if all there were was warriors. There are many castes, craftsman, merchants, laborers and so forth. Each striving to gain Honor in the profession they are in. However, with the expansion of the Empire more and more non warrior castes have fallen to the need for Klingons to rule. The sons of merchants and craftsmen are lured with the promises of glory and honor into the realm of the Warriors. Klingons are a minority within their own Empire, and every hand is needed to rule. Wiser heads among the Klingon see this trend with alarm. Soon the Klingons will be dependent on the client races for everything, and the wiser heads know that the providers of food and the makers of weapons wield great power. Furthermore the Klingons have held power over other peoples to the point that the cultures of those peoples is dead. They think of themselves as Klingons. They have adopted the Way of the Warrior as their own, and seek and follow the Paths of Honor. This has resulted in the great schism within Klingon culture. “Real” Klingons vs. “New” Klingons. The Real Klingons see this trend as a threat. The clients must be kept down, and control must be maintained. Only a blood Klingon can ever be a Klingon. No one else should even try. Those that do will be thrown to the Targs. New Klingons see the trend as a great relief. Klingon is an attitude, not a race. Those that would stand as equals before the Blood of Warriors, and can stand as equals should be treated as equals. Klingons cannot breed their way to dominance, but if the seventy five billion beings in the empire are Klingons they have an instant advantage. This schism was the cause of the recent civil war that is still winding down. For the movement the New Klingons are in change. Languages: tlhInganHol is the official language throughout the Empire. Native languages are suppressed among the clients. Military: There is no unified Klingon military like “Starfleet”. All space resources are controlled by the Houses. Ships, Starbases, and even planets are under private control. Anything the council wishes to do in a military fashion they must arrange out of their own pockets and those allies willing to follow them for the Honor and Glory. Within those limitations the Klingon combined fleets can withstand the attack of any one other first rate Galactic power. While the Federation Starfleet could penetrate into Klingon space and conquer, the cost in ships and lives would be far higher than the Federation would ever be willing to pay. The same can be said of Romulan forces. They know that the conquest of the Klingons would be a hollow victory that would leave them open to their foes. If Klingons suffer any technological setback it comes from the Klingon “good enough” attitude. Klingons do not innovate to innovate. Need and need alone drives them. As a result they are generally behind the technological curve of their neighbors. This is not to say that Klingon weapons or Klingon ships are inferior. Klingon designs might not be the latest and greatest, but they are strong and robust. What they lack in technical sophistication they more than make up for in brute power and rugged refinement.
*Sourced, in part, from startrek.com
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