Physiology and Appearance

The average Klingon stands 1.6 to 1.9 meters in height. Skin tones range from a swarthy olive to brown, and their hair is blakc, and traditionally warn long (either braided or worn loose). Their most distinctive feature is the impressive head ridges unique to each individual. Internally, the Klingons have eight-chambered hearts, two livers, redundant stomachs, and an astounding twenty-three rib pairs. This organ redundancy, called brak'lut, makes them hardy and difficult to kill.

Homeworld

The Klingon homeworld, Qo'noS is located in the Beta Quadrant, and is the capital of the Klingon Empire. It is the third of six planets orbiting an orange, bright, subgiant (type K1 IV) star. Two moons orbit the planet, Corvix and Praxis, the remnants of which remain in orbit after it exploded in 2293. A single landmass comprises the entire habitable surface of Qo'noS. The terrain consists primarily of high, rocky mountains, jagged cliffs, and rivers of lava, the result of its unstable tectonics. A greenhouse effect caused by volcanic ash keeps the planets surface warm and traps its oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. The interaction of cold air over the ocean and extremely hot air over the continent gives rise to sizable storms; with no land on the planet's far side to halt their growth, hurricanes the size of Earth's North America form over the sea and slam into land like a sledgehammer. Visitors to Qo'noS find it difficult to move around inthe high gravity (1.23 G) and thick atmosphere.

History

Klingon history is bloody, filled with the deeds of great hearoes. Their greatest hero, Kahless the Unforgettable, founded the empire sometime in Earth's eight century by killing the tyrant Molor. He is the cornerstone of their mythology, and many legendary feats are attributed to him. It was he who forged the first bat'leth, and with it conquered the Fek'lhri (demons) and skinned the serpent of Xol. He battled his brother Morath for 12 days and 12 nights after the latter lied and brought shame to his family. He fought off an entire army single-handedly at Three Turn Bridge in his bid to unify the empire. Most importantly, however, Kahless developed the warrior's code of honor, by which all Klingons live their lives.

The Klingons' first encounted with an interplanetary species formed their opinions about contact with other beings. Raiders that the Klingons called the Hur'q, or "outsiders," invaded the Klingon homeworld. Once galaxy-wide plunderers who destroyed whatever they could not pillage, the Hur'q pillaged Qo'noS, taking with them many Klingon cultural and historical treasures including the Sword of Kahless. Thereafter, Klingons would mistrust all "outsiders" -- Vulcan, Human, Cardassian, anyone.

The Klingons' relationship with the Federation provides a textbook example of their hostility toward outsiders. Early encounters between the two sides wer ambiguous. After one of their representatives became stranded after crash landing in a field in Montana, the NX-class starship Enterprise journeyed to the Klingon homeworld, but received a decidedly cool reception. During a second encounter, the crew of the Enterprise rescued a ship-wrecked Klingon vessel, and received threats as "thank you."

By 2223, the Klingons issued an ultimatum for the Federation to withdraw from disputed territory claimed by both sides. Sporadic border conflicts occurred until the battle of Donatu V. Hostilities came to a head by 2267, when both sides poised for outright war over Organia, the Class-M world in the sector. Unbeknownst to either side, the Organians were incredible powerful energy life-forms who imposed the Organian Peace Treaty on both parties. The treaty provided that any disputed planet would be awarded to the power that proved it could develop it most efficiently, ushering in a period where both sides vied for planets such as Sherman's Planet, Neural, and Capella IV.

A new chapter in the relationship between the two sides began in 2293, with the explosion of the Praxis moon. Caused by serious over-mining and lax environmental controls, the disaster meant that the Klingons suddenly found the atmosphere of their homeworld hopelessly polluted. Qo'noS would become inhabitable withing 50 years. The Klingons could no longer afford a cold war with the Federation. Then Chancellor Gorkon, leader of the High Council, initiatied a peace dialogue that would dismantle the neutral zone between the two parties. Despite Gorkon's assassination by agents of the status quo, the historic Khitomer Accords were signed. Peace would not come easily to the two sides, however, and raids by Klingon battle cruisers continued. It would take Starfleet intervention at Narendra III and Khitomer -- both attacked by Romulans -- to convince the Klingons that the Federation was honorable. The Second Khitomer Accords provided for an outright alliance between these once-bitter enemies.

Matters inside the empire were slightly less contentious over the years, and the High Council has always been a hotbed of intrigue. The poisoning of Chancellor K'mpec had taken the unorthodox precaution of appointing a Starfleet captain as his Arbiter of Succession, and to him fell the task of choosing between candidates from the House of Duras and House of Gowron. When Gowron emerged the victor, forces loyal to House Duras plunged the empire into civil war by attempting to block his inauguration. The Federation stepped in to assist Gowron by patrolling the Klingon-Romulan border, and thus uncovering Romulan support for the Duras family. Support for Duras among the other houses crumbled and the empire was preserved. There can be no better example of how far the Federation and Klingon Empire had come.

Culture

Every Klingon wants to grow up to be a warrior, even though there aren't enough positions to fill the demand. Every Klingon tries to get into a good military academy. Upon graduation each petitions his house for warrior status. Those who do not make it are expected to find their own ways, supporting their houses through some other profession, such as a factory, farmer, or merchannt.

Klingons divide their society into four tiers. At the top are the nobility, the lords of houses both great and small. They receive their authority by virtue of the lands they control and the army at their command. Presumed to be the most honorable, the nobility enjoys the most power and privileges in society. Those who intend to walk the warrior's path seek admission to the military of a particular House, and form the second tier. The rank of warrior is not hereditary, though kinship with a loyal warrior counts in the applicant's favor. The next tier consists of the accountants, weapon-smiths, nursemaids, and thousands of other second-rate professions needed to keep socieety functioning. Generally, these Klingons were refused inductino into a house's army, though many simply chose to follow in the family business. At the bottom of the social order are the inhabitants of planets conquered by the empire. Klingons who have no honor, and are banished from Klingon society ( a process called discommendation), are beneath this social scale.

Houses both large and small divide the Empire's territory between themselves. They rule directly over their lands -- ranging from small planetary regions to entire planets, or, in the case of the most powerful, several planets -- with absolute authority. Little more than a federation of petty fiefdoms bound together for mutual benefit, the empire resembles one of Earth's ancient feudal societies more than an intergalactic power. Most houses maintain their own milirary forces, training facilities, arsenals, and even shipyards. The more successful a house -- winning battles and controlling vast tracts of land -- the more warriors want to join. The house is the most important thing to a warrior, for it defines his allegiance. A warrior's allegiance to this house is oftentimes stronger than his dedication to the empire. Every honorable warrior serves his house with undying deviotion.

The ruling body of the Klingon Empire, the High Council is composed of some 24 of the most powerful houses in the empire. After the last emperor died without an heir in 2069, the High Council seized control of the empire. The Council is a hotbed of political intrigue. Like bullies, they do whatever they want, and can get away with. And convincing a majority of the the empire's most powerful people to agree on anything can be difficult, unless the course of action is clear. No one wants to unintentionally benefit a rival, or undermine their position. The High Council advises the Chancellor on matters facing the empire. he leads the Council through force of will and his own considerable army. A master politician, he plays a delicate balancingact between different factions.

Klingons speak Ta"Hol in addition to regional and even house dialects. They use their given names followed by their father's name. House names are usually taken from the name of its founder, as in the House of Martok or House of Mogh.