Klingon
From TFC Galactopedia
Klingons Are an anthroid warrior civilization and one of the major powers of the galaxy, the Klingon species originates from the planet Qo'noS (pronounced Kronos), an M-Class planet. The Klingons are a proud, tradition-bound people who value honor. The aggressive Klingon culture has made them an interstellar military power to be respected and feared. Klingons believe that they have the instinctive ability to look an opponent in the eye and see the intent to kill.
| Table of contents |
History
The Klingon Empire was founded some time in the ninth century CE by Kahless the Unforgettable, who performed many heroic feats including the unification of the Klingon people when he killed the tyrant Molor. Kahless came to be revered in Klingon society to the point of near-deification, and many aspects of Klingon culture came to revolve around emulation of Kahless's life.
Because of their aggressive outlook, the Klingons have generally had poor relations with other races after they began to move out into space. Because the worlds of the Klingon Empire are resource-poor, the Klingons have developed an intense belief in the need for expansion and conquest in order to survive. The Klingons' relationship with Terrans and the Federation has been rocky at best. Following the disastrous First Contact between Klingons and Terrans, tense rivalries and unavoidable conflicts often developed between the two races.
In the year 2218, an incident occured between the Federation and the Klingon Empire which caused the two powers to become adversaries. By 2223, relations between the two powers had degenerated to a point of unremitting hostility, which would last for several decades.
The lingering tensions between Klingons and Terrans continued to rise, eventually leading to the Battle Of Donatu V near Sherman's Planet in 2245, and later erupted into what was considered the first Federation-Klingon War in 2267, that was quickly ended by intervention by the Organians after only four days of fighting. Over the next several decades, an uneasy peace developed that was broken by brief but fierce skirmishes and conflicts. A true and lasting peace finally came in 2293 with the signing of the Khitomer Accords. Since then, despite several periods of rocky relations, the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been steadfast allies.
Society
Klingon society is extremely complex. It is based on a feudal system organized around traditional Great Houses of noble lineage, to which various parts of the population owe fealty. The Great Houses are traditionally represented in the Klingon High Council, which is led by a Chancellor. Additionally, a clone of Kahless was created by a religious order. When this information was made public, he was welcomed (at the chancellor's insistence) as "Emperor Kahless, the Reborn". Emperor Kahless is a figure-head and spiritual leader for the Empire. Klingons draw a disctinction between the original Kahless and the clone, and do not revere him with the near deification they do the original. The current Emperor Kahless is regarded as a living link to their honored past.
Males traditionally dominate public life in the Empire, assuming the leading roles in politics and the military with only rare exceptions. A notable exception of the prohibition of women serving on the High Council came when Azetbur became Chancellor of the High Council after her father, Gorkon, was assassinated in 2293. A more current notable exception of women serving in the political arena is Itola of the House of Tor'RanGh, who serves as the Governor of Southern Qu'Vat colony. Women, in turn, traditionally dominate the household and the management of the family's affairs. Klingon women are treated as equals except in politics and matters of inheritance. They are prohibited by law from serving in the High Council and cannot take control of their Houses unless they have the money and no male successors of the lineage. Otherwise, it is expected of Klingon women to exhibit the same physical prowess and lust for blood and honor as the men.
Klingon society functions through a system of family reputation and honor. Tradition is an integral part of their lives and breaking from observances is considered a grievious insult to society that is not forgotten easily, bringing shame to the offender's name for several generations. Bloodlines and relations are also taken very seriously by any true Klingon. Lines comprise of more than mere family members.
An integral part of tradition is the various rituals that mark milestones in a Klingon's life or the history of the Empire. Most notable of the rites is the Rite of Succession, which a future leader of the Empire must complete with a valid Arbiter of Succession overseeing the proceedings. Before the Rite can begin, there's another elaborate ceremony needed to confirm the death of the previous leader. This is known as the Sonchi ceremony. Individual Klingon warriors are expected to go through the Rite of Ascension to be recognized as a full adult.
Klingons are extremely territorial. There is no such thing as an "insignificant corner of Klingon space".
Klingon warriors generally do not wear rank insignia on their uniforms. A Klingon would never claim to be any other rank than what they actually are, since this would be an egregious violation of a warrior's honor code. If a Klingon claims to hold a specific rank, they can be taken at their word.
Religion and Traditions
Ritual is a very important element in Klingon society. The Klingons are not a religious people as such - they do believe that deities existed at one time, but the Klingons slew their gods about a thousand years ago as they were considered to be more trouble than they were worth. They believe that once a Klingon has died the spirit exits the body, leaving behind a worthless shell to be disposed of. In the Klingon death ritual, it is traditional for those on hand to howl into the sky as a warning to the afterlife that a Klingon warrior is about to arrive. In some cases a funeral dirge is sung in memory to the deceased, or friends will sit with the body to protect it from predators, a practice known as Ak'voh.
The Klingon afterlife is divided into two branches; the dishonored are taken to Gre'thor aboard the Barge of the Dead, a vessel captained by Kortar, the first Klingon. Kortar was the one who originally killed the gods who created him, and was condemned to ferry the dishonored to Gre'thor as a punishment. Once in Gre'thor, the dishonored are watched over by Fek'lhr, a vaguely Klingon-esque figure. It is tempting to view Fek'lhr as the Klingon equivalent of the Terran devil, but this would be inaccurate as the Klingons have no devil.
Those who die honorably go to Sto-vo-kor, where Kahless was said to await them.
Klingon hand weapons
To all Klingons, battle is sacred, and treated with much ceremony. Therefore, many advances have been made by Klingons in the field of weaponry.
- Disruptor Pistol This is the main weapon all klingons carry. It has a power cell and fires a beam of pure energy at a target, vaporizing it. Whether sneaking into enemy territory or going to the market to buy some heart of Targ, this is a tried-and-true choice.
- Disruptor Rifle This is a weapon used mainly by Klingon shock troops, but it is also favored by weapons merchants and terrorists due to its point-and-shoot simplicity. It is a deadly weapon, similar in construction to the pistol, except with a larger power cell, shoulder stock, and larger appearance.
- betleH (bet-LEKH - Eng: bat-LETH) The Bat'leth symbolizes the Klingon Empire to much of the quadrant. Made of a crescent with four points, the Bat'leth is an imposing two-handed sword. This weapon has been receding from use in open battle, but is still used in "modern" times for ceremonial rites and challeges of power or authority.
- meqleH (mek-leKH - Eng: mek-LETH) By all accounts, the Mek'leth is similar to the Bat'leth in many ways, but it is not so much a sword as a large knife. It has a curved blade approximately 30 cm long, and is an imposing sight. Another staple of the average Klingon's weapons closet, this is a formidable blade.
- Daqtagh (dak-TAGH) The Klingon D'k tahg is a small knife by Klingon standards, mainly used in ceremonies, but also used when concealment of the weapon is highly needed. It has a 20cm blade length, with two small blades that snap out of the sides at the push of a button. This weapon is highly favored, both for its throwing capacity, and for its relatively small size and easy concealment.
- 'oy'naQ (oi-NAKKH - Eng: Painstick) The Klingon painstick is a rod about 1 metre|meter in length. It has a grip on one end and a port on the other end to discharge energy. It is also mainly used in ceremonies of endurance. It does not incapacitate an enemy unless used repeatedly. It has little or no range, and must be placed close to the target to inflict damage.
- chonnaQ (chon-NAKKH - Eng: chon-NAK) Not much is known about the archaic chonnaQ. It is a hunting spear once used in the great Klingon wars; it predates the original Kahless in age.
- jejtaj (jedge-TAHJ) The jejtaj is a weapon wielded like a pair of brass knuckles. However, with enough practice, one can parry bladed attacks and use it as a rudimentary throwing star.
Deviations from Trek Canon
- The assassinations that ended the Second Dynasty of the Empire killed most everyone in the immediate Imperial Family; a single family member managed to escape the coup, one of the young daughters. The cadet branches were not exterminated but were severely harmed in the coup, resulting in many going underground while a few remained highly visible fighters of the new regime. The remaining nobles shared the responsibility of hiding away the sole heir of the core Imperial family while also planning counter measures. Sadly, the heir, a tigress named Q'nneth, died shortly after the perpetrators of the coup were killed as a result of the injuries she got in the final battle. Before she died, she named one of her cousins her successor and named a number of her supporters as nobles, expanding the depleted nobility and ensuring that the Empire would remain strong despite her death. Thus ended the only Klingon experiment in Democracy.
- The Augment modifications from the 2150s have had lingering effects in the Lapine portion of the Klingon population. It is not discussed with outsiders, but the failed enhancement is thought to be the source of the frequent bezerker madness that tends to plague that section of the species.
- Almost more embarassing than madness and agonizing death caused by the modifications, was the change in perception that inexplicably caused many Klingons to develop a fondness for gold lamé. This is considered a dark period in Klingon history and is also not discussed with outsiders. The Empire prefers to pretend that it never happened.
- There was not a Civil war in 2368. Instead in 2364, the old chancellor stepped down and the current Chancellor took his place. The transition was full of the typical political manuvering and fighting, but it did not come to a point where it would divide the Empire.
- Relations with the Romulans have continued to deteriorate, though open war has not yet been declared.
TFC Fur Species
Fur species who are Klingon share the race's appearance traits, such as forehead ridges, larger body size and dual organs.
Species Social Ranking
Most of the older Great Houses are filled with tigers or tiger-something mixes. The reason for this is purely because Kahless was a tiger and the nobility descends from him. However being a tiger does not automatically mean one is a noble. There are plenty of common born Tigers in the Empire. Tiger characteristics in a non-tiger fur species is a good indication of Noble Blood, but it is not an absolute rule; Visitors to Qo'noS would be wise to treat all Klingons as if they were members of Noble houses if they are unsure of the social standing. One is less likely to end up in traction and more likely to be tolerated.
Generally, if a person proves to be a capable and honorable warrior they are lauded. Prejudices do exist, but they are the exception.
Unlike Terran Lapines, Klingon Lapines have very large, pointy teeth. In fact, all Klingons have sharp, pointy teeth. This created a great deal of consternation with the Federation in the early days where most Lapines and Bovines are vegetarian. Lapines have a tendency to go mad. This is not discussed with outsiders and it is believed to be related to the failed attempt at Genetic Manipulation. Buffalo and Bison commonly cap their horns and hooves in Bakkonite, the same material used to make bat'leth's.
Current species which have been noted as Klingon anthros in the TFC Universe and Extended Universe are:
- Tigers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigers) (including various sub-species thereof)
- WhiteFangs (the whitefang species are the creation of a user who is no longer with TFC. New users should not create whitefang Klingon characters)
- Bison (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison)
- Buffalo
- Water Buffalo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Buffalo)
- Cape Buffalo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_buffalo)
- Rabbits (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbits)
- Wolves
Klingon Characters in TFC
Klingon Biographies (http://www.furryconflict.com/galactopedia/index.php/Category:Klingon_Biographies)
Source Note
- The original version of this article comes from Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference (http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/index.php/Main_Page).
- Article (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Klingon)
TFC Canon
![[Main Page]](/galactopedia/stylesheets/images/wiki.png)