Klingon
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- "A Klingon's honor means more to him than his life!"
- – Kurn
The Klingons (Klingonese: tlhIngan) are a humanoid warrior species originating from the planet Qo'noS (pronounced Kronos), an M-class planet. One of the major powers in the galaxy, the Klingons are a proud, tradition-bound people who value honor and combat. The aggressive Klingon culture has made them an interstellar military power that is respected and feared throughout the galaxy. Klingons believe that they have the instinctive ability to look an opponent in the eye and see any intent to kill. Assumeing they do not die in glorious battle a Klingon can live to be around 170 years of age.
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History and politics
The Klingon Empire was founded some time in the 9th century 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' life.
- Earth calendar year of 2373 coincides with the year of Kahless 999.
The warrior ethos had been an important aspect of Klingon society since the time of Kahless, but the warrior aspects became much more dominant beginning in the early 22nd century. Previously, Klingon society was regarded as socially balanced, but over time the warrior caste gained greater prominence, to the point where the Klingons widely came to be regarded as a "warrior race."
Because of their aggressive outlook, the Klingons generally had poor relations with other races after they began to move out into space. Because the worlds of the Klingon Empire were resource-poor, the Klingons developed an intense belief in the need for expansion and conquest in order to survive. The Klingons' relationship with Humans and the Federation was rocky at best. Following the disastrous First Contact between Klingons and Humans, tense rivalries and unavoidable conflicts often developed between the two races.
In the year 2154, the Klingons gained access to the genetic material of Human Augments and tried to adapt this genetic engineering to improve themselves. The test subjects did gain increased strength and intelligence, but then their neural pathways started to degrade and they died in agony. One of the subjects suffered from the Levodian flu, which was modified by the Augment DNA to become a fatal, airborne, mutagenic plague that spread rampantly among the Empire, from world to world. In the first stage of this plague, Klingons lost the ridges on their foreheads and began to look more Human. With the help of a Klingon scientist named Antaak, Dr. Phlox of the Earth starship Enterprise was able to formulate a cure that halted the genetic effects of the virus in the first stage. This retained the changes in appearance along with some minor neural re-ordering. The neural ordering caused changes in the emotional make up of the Klingons. For example, the infected started to feel fear. Even though the infected did not develop any stage-two characteristics, such as enhanced strength, speed, or endurance they did not die from it. This left millions of Klingons changed. These alterations were even passed on to their children.
- It is possible that at first the treatment only gave many Klingons a single ridge from the bridge of the nose across the forehead, and then was eventually perfected and allowed a complete return to the original form. This speculation comes from the fact that many Klingons seen during the 23rd century possessed rather minor ridges (such as Chang, Korrd, and Azetbur). Of course this could be simply the differences in appearance between Klingon sub-races.
- It has been suggested that the disease afflicting the Klingons, known as the Nehret, is the modified Levodian flu. The Doctor manages to cure the Nehret using stem cells from B'Elanna Torres' daughter, who was ¾ Human and ¼ Klingon, suggesting a similar method was used to cure the Humaniform Klingons.
Klingons were apparently so embarrassed by the fallout from their failed attempt at genetic enhancement that they refused to discuss the incident with outsiders. Due to the secrecy of the Klingon Empire, knowledge of the change became lost over time to the general population of the Federation. By the 24th century, the reason for smooth forehead Klingons was not widely known outside the Empire, and questions were generally met with a brusque answer along the lines of "we don't discuss it with outsiders."
- It has been speculated that the events of the Temporal Cold War have complicated the "original" timeline of interstellar history. According to this theory, first contact between Earth and the Klingons was supposed to have occurred during the Augment Crisis of 2154, but the Temporal Cold War altered historical events, causing the contact to take place prematurely in 2151.
By 2223, relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire degenerated to a point of unremitting hostility, which lasted for several decades.
The lingering tensions between Klingons and Humans 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. This war 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, thanks to the efforts of Chancellor Gorkon and the Human Starfleet officer James T. Kirk. Since then, despite several periods of rocky relations, the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been steadfast allies, especially in the face of Dominion aggression in the 2370s.
- Apocryphally, a series of border skirmishes were resolved when it was discovered that an unknown alien had been behind attacks on both Federation and Klingon border planets. This then helps to establish the foundation of the Khitomer talks.
The Klingon relationship with the Romulan people was also extremely unstable. A short-lived alliance and technology exchange notwithstanding, the Romulan Star Empire were typically regarded by the Klingons as a "blood enemy" since at least the 23rd century.
- Some have theorised this was due to a breakdown in the alliance when the Romulans used their newfound technologies to attack the Klingon Empire, an act so dishonorable to the Klingons that any possibility of a further alliance after could never be contemplated.
Sporadic Romulan attacks against Klingon colonies and interference in Klingon affairs continued to sour relationships between the two peoples.
In the mirror universe, the Klingons were a founding race of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, where they formed an alliance with that universe's Cardassian counterparts.
According to Daniels, the Klingons joined the Federation by the 26th century.
Society
"Even half drunk, Klingons are among the best warriors in the galaxy."
- – The Doctor
Klingon society was extremely complex. Before its decline in the mid 22nd century and again in late 23rd century Klingon society was based on a feudal system organized around traditional Great Houses of noble lineage, to which various parts of the population owed fealty. The Great Houses are traditionally represented in the Klingon High Council, which is led by a Chancellor.
The decline of Klingon culture is demonstrated in the acts of the Klingons themselves. They stopped caring about their weapons to the point that they let them rust and even stopped caring for true honor. Sometime after the augment virus took hold of the Klingon Empire a new regime took control turning the Empire into a fascist state that kept tabs on all who served. The old ways returned in the latter half to the 23rd and the first part of the 24th century.
Males traditionally dominated public life in the Empire, assuming the leading roles in politics and the military with only rare exceptions. A notable exception to 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. Women, in turn, traditionally dominated the household and the management of the family's affairs. Klingon women were treated as equals except in politics and matters of inheritance. They were 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, Klingon women were expected to exhibit the same physical prowess and lust for blood and honor as the men.
Klingon society functioned through a system of family reputation and honor. Tradition was an integral part of their lives and breaking from observances was considered a grievous insult to society, an insult that is not forgotten easily. An offense usually brought shame to the offender's name for several generations. The highest shame was discommendation, an action by the High Council to officially strip a Klingon of his personal or family honor. Bloodlines and relations were also taken very seriously by any "true" Klingon. Lines comprise of more than mere family members.
An integral part of tradition was the various rituals that mark milestones in a Klingon's life or the history of the Empire. Most notable of the rites was the Rite of Succession, which a future leader of the Empire must complete with a valid Arbiter of Succession (Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the case of Gowron) overseeing the proceedings. Before the Rite can begin, there was another elaborate ceremony needed to confirm the death of the previous leader. This was known as the Sonchi ceremony. Individual Klingon warriors were expected to go through the Rite of Ascension to be recognized as a full adult. If the house that an individual Klingon belongs to is dissolved or falls into dishonor, he can be adopted into another house through the R'uustai or alternative ceremonies that symbolically mark the joining of kinship and allegiance.
Klingons were extremely territorial. According to the first known Klingon linguist, there was no such thing as an "insignificant corner of Klingon space".
Physiology
The most distinctive feature of Klingon anatomy (except in those individuals afflicted with the Augment Virus) was a ridged forehead. The cranium was encased in an exoskeleton, which possesses a feature known as the tricipital lobe.
On average, Klingons were larger and physically stronger than Humans, though they possessed much less tolerance for cold weather. Spock said once that Klingons lack tear ducts; however, Klingon myth states that Kahless once filled the ocean with his tears.
- Oxygenated Klingon blood usually appears red in a Class M atmosphere, however in certain environments, Klingon blood appears pink/violet. The pink color may also be a result of being exposed to a zero-G environment. Klingon blood can contain ribosomes that are compatible for transfusion with a Romulan, although the biochemistry was never explained.
Internally, Klingon anatomy was markedly different from that of Humans. There is a great deal more multiple redundancy in their organs, a principle they call brak'lul. This allowed Klingons to survive severe injuries in battle. They had twenty three ribs, two livers, an eight chambered heart, three lungs, and even redundant neural function and multiple stomachs. Some geneticists believed that the extra organs, notably the third lung, evolved to give Klingons greater stamina on the battlefield. Surprisingly, Klingons had relatively little knowledge of their own biology and their medicine is very poorly developed. This was largely due to their warrior traditions – a Klingon who is wounded was expected to be left to survive through his own strength, die, or to undergo the hegh'bat, a form of ritual suicide.
It is interesting to note that, despite the anatomical and physiological differences between Klingons and Humans, the two species had very similar nutritional requirements. Dr. Pulaski once noted that, while most Humans find Klingon food unpalatable, that usually "what kills us kills them."
Klingon pregnancies normally ran thirty weeks, but with mixed species, gestation times were shorter. The odds against Klingon-Human conceptions were rather high; however, when successful, Klingon and Human metabolisms sometimes clashed, causing biochemical fluctuations in the mother, which may lead to fainting. Klingon traits remained dominant for several generations, even with a single ancestor; therefore, a child even ¼ Klingon still possessed forehead ridges if he or she carried the gene.
Klingons had ridged spines, chests and feet. After birth some Klingon infants experienced a pronounced curvature to the spine, which was correctable by surgery. This "defect" tended to run in Klingon families, especially among females. Federation medicine, fortunately, advanced beyond that, allowing an additional choice of treatment involving genetic modification.
Klingon children matured far more quickly than Human children. At the age of only one Earth year, a Klingon child had the appearance a Human child had at about four. By the age of eight Earth years, a Klingon attained the maturity a Human did not reach until about age sixteen. When Klingon children began growing into adults, they went through jak'tahla, a Klingon form of puberty. Like other mammalian species, Klingon females were capable of lactating to breast-feed infants.
Klingons tended to live for over 150 years, but even into advanced old age tended to still be strong enough for combat.
Doctor Julian Bashir once sarcastically noted that the natural odor produced by Klingons was comparable to "vanilla with a hint of lilac".
Behavior
The Klingon species are highly aggressive and are known to fight for almost any reason but typically do so when honor is at stake. Due to their nature as predators, any form of suspicious behavior from whispering to weakness can set off their warrior instincts.
Conflicts such as insults to their honor, injustice, a difference in opinion or a crime can only be resolved through violence. As such, Klingons do not shirk from combat and backing away from such confrontations is seen as a sign of cowardice.
The race's warrior mind means that they prefer matters to be clear-cut with speech as well as manners being blunt - this means that they ignore ambiguous concepts as there should be no misunderstanding.
To the Klingon psyche, things are black or white, good or evil - there is nothing in-between the two. This means that a warrior must declare his intent and say what's on his mind. They do this proudly and look into the eyes of others as not doing so is insulting.
Klingon lifestyle means that all utilities must have a purpose and be worthwhile.
Things whose purposes are not immediately apparent are scoffed at and ignored.
This has resulted in luxuries or comfort being almost completely ignored by the Klingon people who do not make use of recreation in the form of holo-programs or mattresses. Comfort is not something a warrior takes part in.
Even their exercise takes this into account with an element of real danger being present in order to make it worthwhile.
This means that rituals must test the strength of a warrior while songs must tell the deeds of great warriors and battles.
Despite all this focus on combat, the teachings of Kahless enforced the concept of honor within Klingon lives which makes it the most important aspect within their society.
This means that the total sum of their actions as well as those of their parents is considered.
This can be gained through victory and sacrifice or lost through shame and defeat.
This means that a Klingon will need to satisfy their honor and avoiding such an action means that they will lose face.
Despite this being the case, during war time, the great honor Klingons can achieve is victory which means that they are capable of deceptive actions such as waiting in ambush for their enemies.
Klingon culture was shaped around the following of the K'ajii, the Warrior Path.
This means that every Klingon wants to grow up to be a warrior which has resulted in the prominence of the warrior caste. However, with so many recruits there exist few positions to fill the demand as every individual seeks to gain entry into the best Klingon academy.
At graduation, the Klingon petitions his house for warrior status which is a prideful act. However, those that do not reach such positions within their lives are expected to find other means to support themselves as well as their houses through some other lower profession such as being a factory worker, farmer or a merchant.
In addition to this, Klingon society is divided into numerous tiers with the nobility being the highest.
These are the lords of the houses whether they are great or minor ones and possess a great deal of power through the armies as well as lands under their command.
Due to their status, they are presumed to be the most honorable of their kind and enjoy a great deal of privilege.
The second tier consists of those who seek the warrior's path by admission into the military though this is not a hereditary position as that of the nobility.
However, relations to a loyal warrior count in the applicant's favor.
The tier below the warriors consists of accountants, weapon-smiths, nursemaids as well as other second-rate professions which are required to maintain their society.
As mentioned earlier, this consists of those Klingons that were refused induction into the military though some decide to follow the family business instead.
The second lowest tier consists of the subjugated races within the Klingon Empire who possess a ranking greater then a slave but lower than an actual citizen.
At the very bottom of Klingon social structure consists of those who have suffered from discommendation and were banished from the Empire.
Klingon culture was often brutal and extremely violent. Duels to the death over trivial insults were commonplace, and vendettas between various Klingon families could often result in virtual all-out war. In combat, the Klingons were unyielding, refusing to withdraw or retreat even against unwinnable odds. Surrender was not an option for a Klingon warrior.
Klingons enjoyed life to the full, each victory in battle was celebrated with great feasts, and even defeats are celebrated in songs and stories. The experience of battle was often as important as a victory.
The loyalties of Klingons were generally first to their family, then to their house, and finally to the Empire. When the goals of the High Council and the goals of their house were in conflict, Klingons would invariably support their family and close allies over their government.
The belief in combat was prevalent in the behavior of all Klingons, influencing the behavior of Klingons. For example, a strike against a fellow warrior with the back of the hand was considered a challenge to the death.
Honor is valued, and deceit and deception despised by Klingon; Klingons spoke proudly to one another with a loud voice, hushed whispers were considered insulting, as was standing far away from the person being spoken to.
This bold sense of honor was likely the source the Klingons animosity for the Romulans, who were famed for working in the shadows.
In a sense, most Klingons were profoundly selfish, willing to waste the Empire's resources in a futile battle, if it ensures the glorious death they look forward to.
This pursuit of honor at the cost of more tangible goals has cost the Empire dearly in the past. Indeed Klingons were somewhat obsessed with combat. Famous warriors were revered the way artists, scientists, or statesmen were on other worlds.
Almost the entire Klingon economy was devoted to financing the massive Klingon war machine, and the most influential families maintained their own private armies, to ensure they could engage in warfare even if the government could not.
It is thus not surprising that the Empire has clashed with all its neighbors multiple times during its history, nor that civil war breaks out with almost every generation on Qo'noS.
On the subject of fear, the Klingons believed that one must respect their fears and occasionally it can be justified.
Religion and tradition
Ritual was a very important element in Klingon society. While the Klingons were not a religious people as such, they did believe that deities existed at one time. However, Klingon warriors supposedly slew their gods as they were considered to be more trouble than they were worth. They believed that once a Klingon died, the spirit exited the body, leaving behind a worthless shell to be disposed of. In the Klingon death ritual, it was traditional for those on hand to howl into the sky as a warning to the afterlife that a Klingon warrior was about to arrive. In some cases a funeral dirge was sung in memory of the deceased, or friends sat with the body to protect it from predators, a practice known as ak'voh.
Furthermore, a Klingon who was unable to fight, and hence is unable to live as a warrior anymore, had the traditional obligation of committing the hegh'bat, which was the Klingon ritual suicide. Tradition dictated that the eldest son or a close personal friend must assist. That person's role was to hand the dying Klingon a knife so that he can plunge it into his heart, remove it, and then wipe the blood on his own sleeve.
The Klingon afterlife was supposedly divided into two branches. The dishonored were taken to Gre'thor aboard the Barge of the Dead, a vessel captained by Kortar, the first Klingon. Kortar was supposedly the one who had 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 were watched over by Fek'lhr, a vaguely Klingon-esque figure. While it may be tempting to view Fek'lhr as the Klingon equivalent of the Human devil, according to Kang, the Klingons have no devil.
Those who die honorably supposedly went to Sto-vo-kor, where Kahless was said to await them. However, should a noble warrior die in a manner that might not merit a place in Sto-vo-kor, such as being assassinated in a surprise attack, he may still earn a place if others dedicate a great battle to his name, thus showing that he has earned respect among the living.
Klingon rituals included the R'uustai, a bonding ceremony which joined two people together in a relationship similar to brotherhood. Klingon tradition holds that "the son of a Klingon is a man the day he can first hold a blade."
If a Klingon warrior struck another Klingon with the back of his hand, it was interpreted as a challenge to the death. Klingon warriors spoke proudly to each other; they did not whisper or keep their distance. Standing far away or whispering were considered insults in Klingon society.
When going into battle, Klingon warriors often sang the traditional warriors' anthem, which was essentially an invocation to Kahless and a pledge to win a good death in battle.
When choosing a mate, it is traditional for a female Klingon to bite the male's face, allowing her to taste his blood and get his scent. Klingon daughters traditionally are given a piece of jewelry called a jinaq when they become old enough to select a mate.
- Comically, Worf once told Wesley Crusher that per the Klingon mating ritual, "Men do not roar. Women roar. Then they hurl heavy objects. And claw at you." Of men, Worf said, "He reads love poetry. He ducks a lot."
Food and beverages
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Apocrypha
Klingons who had a Human appearance (descendants of the victims of the Klingon augment virus) are referred to as "QuchHa", or "the unhappy ones". They usually served in their own units although they also were known to mix with the rest of the fleet on occasion.
Klingons were discovered to be color blind in the Human sense, unable to distinguish red from black. It is also discovered that their vision extends into the ultraviolet, to 32,000 Ångströms.
The Klingons were described as having been economically conquered and uplifted by the Karsid empire. The Klingons then rebelled and overthrew the Karsids, obtaining their high technology. This was given as one reason for why the Klingons were the way they were, and also how they could have developed star-faring technology given their current social structure.
