The Klingon Empire is built upon the foundations of courage, honor, and bloodshed. It was founded in 839 A.D. The source of many of their traditions and customs comes directly from the legends surrounding the founding father of the Empire, Kahless the Unforgettable. Legend has it that the messianic Kahless fought and killed tyrannical Molor with the first Bat'telh, the sword of honor. Oral tradition tells that Kahless dropped a lock of his hair in the lava from the Kri'stak volcano, then plunged the burning lock into the lake of Lusar and twisted it into a blade. After forging the weapon, Kahless wielded it to defeat Molor and in honor of his victory, named his weapon "bat'telh", or sword of honor. The early Klingons were attacked by the Hur'q civilization who are believed to have come from the Gamma Quadrant and used the Bajoran Wormhole, they stole the legendary 'sword of honor'. The tale of the sword was never recorded in the sacred texts, but passed down verbally through the ages among the High Clerics. Another tale relates how Kahless fought his brother, Morath, for twelve days and twelve nights, because Morath had lied and brought shame upon his family. The Klingon beliefs of the afterlife are also associated with Kahless, who , shortly before his death, pointed to a star and promised that he would one day return there. Klingon clerics established a monastery on Boreth, a planet orbiting the star Kahless had indicated. To this day they are still waiting for Kahless to return. Klingons believe ever after that warriors who die honorably will join Kahless in Sto-Vo-Kor, the afterlife. Such are the epic stories of courage and valor that have shaped the Klingon ways for over a millennium.Starfleet has noticed over the past 90 years Klingon physiology has changed. It is unknown if this change has been a cause of evolution or whether it is an unnatural occurrence. The Klingons have been unresponsive to questions about this. There are many theories that circle in the Medical community, some include natural evolution, a virus designed to be a weapon, genetic engineering in order to create a super Klingon race, the interaction with alien life forms or the radiation and chemicals that the moon Praxis has placed in the environment of the Klingon home world. There is not one definite theory, as all hypothesis' are speculation.
Founded 1500 years ago, the proud Empire now covers a great expanse area of space in the Beta Quadrant. The Klingons are a warrior race, whose emphasis on physical prowess and brute strength did not diminish with the arrival of interstellar travel and high technology. All Klingons worthy of the title must be able to wield the traditional ritual weapons such as the bat'tleh with honor. Hand to hand combat is their preferred manner of battle, though the Klingon
disrupter is far more destructive. Religion and tradition are highly revered, and through countless rituals and songs, the Klingons remember their past ancestor's glory. In close proximity to the Empire were the political powers of the Romulan Empire and the Federation. Aggressive as the Klingons are, they were far more so during the early days of the Federation. In the frontier days of space travel, the meeting of a Klingon vessel with a Federation starship was bound to end up with one ship destroyed. The Klingon empire and the Romulan Star empire formerly had an Alliance where they shared technology and tested the Federation. In 2292 this Alliance was annulled. In 2293 the Qo'nos moon Praxis exploded because of over mining and poor safety procedures, as a result the environment of Qo'nos would be forever changed. More importantly the moon was the key energy production facility within the empire. Therefore the Klingons could no longer afford their aggressive ways, they did not have the resources. Therefore the Khitomer Accords of 2293 was signed and ceased open hostilities between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, but peace was always tense, as neither side could fully understand the lifestyle of the other. Distrust Starfleet as they might, the Klingons loathe Romulans with far more intensity. The Treaty of Archanis is a treaty between the Klingons and Romulans defining a neutral zone dividing their territory. The borders meet in an area of space known for sparking tensions and political crises. Though the Alliance is officially destroyed there are still those Klingons who favor the Romulans. These Klingons in the empire that valued the Romulan influence caused the Klingons to fight a civil war where Romulans supplied the pro-Romulan forces. The Khitomer Accords that stood for 80 years where disbanded and war broke out between the Federation and the Klingons because of the Klingons invasion into Cardassian space. The three central powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants could never stand on a unified front until the Dominion threat forced them to cooperate, in particularly the Klingon and Federation. The Klingons lost a half of their military forces and resources, they patrol a zone of Cardassian territory, ensuring no military buildup. Currently the Klingons are in dispute with the Romulans over the system Klack'D'Kel'Bracht.The ruling government of the Klingon Empire is the High Council. Located in the Klingon Capital of Qo'noS, it is comprised of some twelve representatives of the most powerful houses and headed by a Council Chancellor. The members of the Council are charged with overseeing the welfare of the Empire and it's citizens, with each member usually heading a major department. When the Council meet and determine policies, the input from the each department head will be used. The ways of the Klingon allow for usurping any leader no longer strong enough to fend
off enemies, and even on the High Council, this holds true. The Council has a long history of political intrigue, as the major houses battle for control over the Empire. Assassinations, duels, and hostilities are common during power struggles. When the Council Chancellor is deposed, either through assassination or other means, a Rite of Succession is performed to instate the new Chancellor. As with all Klingon occasions, a dose of honorable battle is inevitable. The two strongest contenders are to fight it out for the coveted throne at the conclusion of the Rites. The total population is 431,892,000,000.
