People

Humanoid warrior civilization, originally from the planet Qo'noS; a proud, tradition-bound people who value honor. The aggressive Klingon culture has made them an interstellar military power to be respected and feared. There is no equivalent of the devil in Klingon mythology, although a beast known as Fek'lhr is believed to guard the underworld of Gre'thor. According to myth, ancient Klingon warriors slew their gods a millennium ago. They apparently were more trouble than they were worth. Perhaps this is why the Klingons have no devil; they killed him. In Klingon society, the death of a warrior who has died honorably in battle is not mourned. In such cases, the survivors celebrate the freeing of the spirit. Klingons believe in an afterlife but there is no burial ceremony. They dispose of the body in the most efficient means possible, confident that the warrior's spirit has now joined Kahless the Unforgettable in Sto-Vo-Kor. Klingon tradition holds that "the son of a Klingon is a man the day he can first hold a blade." Another Klingon ritual is the R'uustai, or bonding ceremony, in which two individuals join families, becoming brothers and sisters. Klingons believe that they have the instinctive ability to look an opponent in the eye and see the intent to kill. Klingon tradition holds that a Klingon who dies by their own hand will not travel across the River of Blood to enter Sto-Vo-Kor. If a Klingon warrior strikes another with the back of his hand, it is interpreted as a challenge to the death. Klingon warriors speak proudly to each other; they do not whisper or keep their distance. Standing far away or whispering are considered insults in Klingon society.

The Klingon body incorporates multiple redundancies for nearly all vital bodily functions. This characteristic, known as brak'lul, gives Klingon warriors enormous resiliency in battle. Despite the considerable sophistication of Klingon technology, significant gaps exist in Klingon medical science, in part due to cultural biases that injured warriors should be left to die or to carry out the Hegh'bat. Klingons have redundant stomachs. Klingons have no tear ducts. Klingon blood is a
lavender-colored fluid.

Klingon Home world

The capital planet of the Klingon Empire. A large, green, Class-M world, the home world was rarely referred to by its formal name, Qo'noS (pronounced kronos). The Enterprise-D visited the planet in 2366 when Worf challenged the High Council ruling that his father, Mogh, was a traitor. The ship visited the home world again in late 2367 when Jean-Luc Picard attended the installation of Gowron as High Council leader. Picard had served as Gowron's Arbiter of Succession. The Enterprise-D again returned to the Klingon Home world a few weeks later, when Picard requested the loan of a Klingon bird-of-prey for a covert mission into Romulan space to investigate the disappearance of Ambassador Spock.

The Borg Background

A race of hybrid beings, humanoids enhanced by cybernetic implants, who are joined together in a group consciousness known as the Borg Collective. Believed to originate in the Delta Quadrant. Since the Federation's first encounter with the Borg (2365), fragmentary knowledge of their organization, technology and intent has been gathered. (Little is known of their activity prior to 2365. Guinan, an El Aurian, related to Capt. Jean-Luc Picard that the Borg destroyed her planet and scattered its people in the 23rd century.)

Chronology

2365

The Federation's first encounter with the Borg. Federation starship U.S.S. Enterprise-D was transported (by Q) to a point some 7000 light years off course, deep in the Delta Quadrant, where it confronted a hostile Borg vessel.

2366-2367

The Borg entered Federation space heading for planet Earth. (While this attack was anticipated by the Federation based on reports of the Enterprise encounter of 2365, it came months sooner than Federation strategists predicted, and defenses were not fully prepared.) The Borg first invaded the starship Enterprise-D and kidnapped its captain, Jean-Luc Picard. Picard was surgically altered into an entity which identified itself as Locutus of Borg. Locutus, being connected to the Borg collective consciousness, provided guidance for the Borg's subsequent attack on the massed Federation armada at Wolf 359, destroying 39 starships and costing 11,000 lives. Subsequently, an Enterprise away team captured Locutus on the Borg vessel and brought him back to the Enterprise. Utilizing Locutus' contact to the collective, Data was able to plant a disabling command (the equivalent of a "sleep" command) in the Borg, which resulted in suspension of the attack. When the Borg became aware of Data's tampering, they initiated
self-destruction of their vessel to prevent Data's further access.

2368

Two Borg vessels were known to be in Federation space. First, wreckage of a small Borg craft was discovered on a moon in the Argolis Cluster by U.S.S. Enterprise. A young injured Borg was rescued from it, the sole survivor. He was healed/repaired through the combined efforts of the ship's Chief Engineer and Chief Medical officer. Being disconnected from the Borg collective, he beganto exhibit signs of individuality. This individuality was encouraged by the crew, who named him Hugh. (He had previously identified himself as "Third of Five.") He was eventually returned to the crash site, and was picked up by another small Borg "scout ship."

2370

Answering a distress call from the outpost at Ohniaka 3, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D confronted an unidentified vessel orbiting the planet, which later proved to be a previously unknown type of Borg ship. Upon transport to the colony, the away team found massive destruction. Hostile Borg encountered on the planet behaved significantly different from all previously known Borg, moving more sharply and decisively, appearing to follow individual initiative, referring to themselves in the first person, and to each other by name. One of this Borg group was captured, but eventually persuaded Lt. Commander Data to escape with him and defect to their Borg group. They proved to be a renegade band of Borg that had been "infected" by the sense of individuality that Hugh gained while previously in the care/custody of the Enterprise crew. Their command structure had been destroyed, and they wandered aimlessly until they found leadership in Data's "brother" Lore, who promised to guide them to a new era of leadership among life forms. (The Borg appear to venerate both Data and Lore as more perfect than themselves, being fully artificial life forms.) Data shot Lore with an energy weapon, effectively killing him, and the Borg group continued together, cut off from the collective. Since that time, the activities and movements of these non-collective Borg are unknown.

STRUCTURE

The Borg collective appears to operate on a group-mind principle, with many individuals linked through a type of subspace communications network. Neither the decision making process, nor any central source of command, is known. The exact method of distribution of tasks is unknown. Command structure is known to be divided into three major subcommands, Communication, Navigation and Defense, which cover the range of necessary actions. A high degree of redundancy has been observed in the Borg command structure, eliminating dependency on any individual, so that even if significant percentages of the collective are damaged or destroyed, it will not effect overall performance. The individual units of the Borg are cybernetically enhanced biological life forms, and are technologically differentiated for various functions.

The Borg appear to have acquired their numbers and their vast technological capabilities largely through assimilation of other species and cultures.

TECHNOLOGY

Little is known of Borg technology other than what has been observed in confrontation, since virtually all encounters have been hostile. They possess the ability to travel through vast distances at speeds appreciably faster than our practical warp limits. Of their vessels, we have usually confronted the cube-shaped vessel, believed to be their archetypal design. The renegade Borg group encountered in 2370 utilized a very different design, asymmetrical and highly unusual, and not possessing the typical outward attributes of Borg technology. It is not known whether or not this vessel was of Borg origin.

Their weaponry is highly advanced and very powerful. Their defensive capabilities adapt quickly to all forms of weaponry we have used, including adaptation to weapons whose operating parameters are changed constantly, e.g. automatic phaser retuning has had some limited effect, but they have been able to adapt their defenses against it before cumulative damage becomes significant.

The personal technology resident in each Borg unit seems similarly advanced, allowing them, for instance, to function as both fighting units and computer terminals virtually simultaneously.

CULTURE

Virtually nothing is known of Borg culture in the usual sense. All Borg are apparently interconnected with all other Borg, and the concept of individuality is apparently destructive to this organization. Their only known pursuit or intention seems to be the assimilation of other cultures and technologies, and the perfection and export of their form of organization.

2100 (?)
Kahless the Unforgettable unites the Klingon empire.

2218
First contact with the Federation. This leads to more then a century of hostilities.

2267
Relations between the Federation and the Klingons deteriorate. The Klingons attempt to gain control of the underdeveloped planet of Organia, a very strategic military position for the Klingon empire against the Federation. The Organian's, who turn out to be powerful, non-corporeal life forms forbid a war and establish the Organian Peace Treaty

2268
The Romulans and the Klingons establish an alliance in which they trade ship designs and military technology. The Klingons acquire cloaking technology

2292
The Romulan/Klingon alliance collapses. The two former allies remain enemies for at least 75 years.

2293
Klingon moon Praxis explodes, crippling the Klingon environment . Chancellor Gorkon tries to establish a peace treaty, but is assassinated . His daughter continues the talks.

2344
The starship Enterprise-C is destroyed battling four Romulan warbirds at Narendra III, a Klingon outpost.

2346
Romulans destroy the Klingon outpost on Khitomer

2367
K'mpec Dies. Gowron is named leader of the Klingon High Council.

2368
The Duras family attempts to gain control of the Klingon High Council plunging the empire into a brief civil war.

2369
A clone of Kahless the Unforgettable is installed as the ceremonial Emperor of the Klingon people.

2372
Gowron invades the Cardassian Empire, attacking DS9, and breaking the Klingon/Federation peace treaty. Klingon Beliefs Klingon Religion and Honor Kahless is a mythical Klingon historical figure, who united the Klingon Empire some 1500 years ago. The story of Kahless is a cornerstone of Klingon mythology and religion.

Mythological places of punishment or reward. The Klingon culture holds beliefs about punishments or rewards after death for being "good" or "evil" during life, although in the case of the Klingons honorable and dishonorable would be substituted.

Sto-Vo-Kor
Sto-Vo-Kor is a mythological place of the afterlife for the honored dead. It is said that when a Klingon dies honorably they are taken to Sto-Vo-Kor where they reside with Kahless the unforgettable.

Gre'thor
Gre'thor is the place in Klingon mythology where the dishonored go to die. The mythic Klingon beast, Fek'lhr is the guardian of Gre'thor. Gre'thor can be compared with the Christian devil, but Klingons have never acknowledged a similarity.

Klingon Customs

Klingon Mating Customs
The first important female ceremony is the Age of Mate which occurs at 15 years of age. At this time the female is given a necklace, jinaq, to wear and show that she is ready to take a mate. The Wedding is at the home of the Bride's father. The groom, wears a Military uniform, or a brown robe if not in the military, and the bride wears a bridal dress. There is no need for a clergy to conduct it. Selection and commitment to a mate One mate says the words "jIH dok" (my blood) in which the other replies "maj dok" (our blood). At this point the marriage vows are sealed To complete the ceremony, both the husband and wife say "Tlinghan jIH" during the ceremony. It translates as " I am a Klingon".

Mauk-to 'Vor
This ritual involves the killing of an individual so that his honor can be restored

Klingon death ritual
The Klingon death ritual is a ceremony practiced by Klingons upon the death of a comrade. The eyes of the fallen warrior are pried open while the other warriors let loose a powerful howl. Klingons belief holds that the howl warns the dead that a Klingon warrior is about to arrive.

Hegh'bat ceremony
The hegh'bat ceremony is a ritualized suicide. Klingon tradition held that when a Klingon was unable to stand and face his enemies, he should choose the hegh'bat. The rite called for the eldest son or a trusted friend of the celebrant to deliver a ritual knife to the warrior, who would impale himself in the chest. The son or friend would then remove the knife and wipe it on his sleeve.

Rite of MajQa
One of the most important ceremonies a Klingon male will ever have the honor of going through. The male is placed in the caves of No' Mat, an extremely hot place, for about 2 hours. The heat is supposed to induce visions. The vision seen is of some importance. Sometimes it is the vision of a long dead person. But there have been those that have seen the vision of Kahless himself.

Klingon Warriors
A Klingon, since it is born, is bred to be a warrior. A Klingon male is first considered to be a man when he can hold a blade in his hand. Klingon warriors prefer their hair unkempt, along with their goatees and mustaches.

Government

Klingon High Council
The ruling body of the Klingon empire, made up of about 2 dozen representatives , is lead by a Chancellor or Council leader. The Council meets in the great hall in Kling on Qo'noS The council has a long history of political intrigue and power struggles. The Klingon High Council is the Governing body of the Klingon Empire. The members of the Council are charged with overseeing the welfare of the Empire and it's Citizens. Each Council Member usually heads one of the major Departments within the Empire so that the Council can meet and make informed decisions of policy based on input from the members of all said Departments.

Rite of Succession
Process whereby a new leader was chosen for the Klingon High Council following the death of the previous leader. The rite first required the sonchi in which the previous leader was formally certified to be truly dead. Next the arbiter of succession was required to select the challengers for leadership of the council. The two strongest challengers would then fight for the right to lead the council.

The Sonchi Ceremony
The Sonchi Ceremony formally confirmed the death of a leader before his successor is chosen. The ritual involves jabbing the body with Klingon pain sticks while issuing a verbal challenge . Sonchi translates into "He is dead."

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