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About the Klingon Empire
By: david090366 Date: October 3, 2014, 11:38 pm
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Founded: 9th century
Location: Beta Quadrant
Capital: First City, Qo'noS
Head of State: Emperor of the Klingon Empire
Head of Government: Chancellor of the High Council of the
Klingon Empire
Legislature: High Council of the Klingon Empire
Major Species: Klingons
Military: Klingon Defense Force
Intelligence Service: Klingon Imperial Intelligence
Language: Klingon
Currency: Klingon darsek
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The Klingon Empire is the official state of the Klingon people.
It was founded in the 9th century by Kahless the Unforgettable,
who first united the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS. Since then,
the Klingon Empire has expanded its sphere of influence by
conquering numerous systems and incorporating them. This made
the Empire a major power in its region of the galaxy, as of the
22nd, 23rd, and 24th centuries.
Government
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Officially, the Klingon Empire is a feudal monarchy, with power
residing in the Emperor, who was traditionally a descendant of
Kahless. In reality, however, power lays with the Klingon High
Council. The position of emperor was abandoned (but not
officially abolished) in the mid-21st century, but was revived
in 2369 when a group of clerics created a clone of Kahless, who
was accepted as the new Emperor, albeit only as a religious
figurehead.
High Council
Located in the Klingon capital of Qo'noS, the First City, the
High Council is comprised of some two dozen 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 Klingon Empire and its citizens, with each member usually
heading a major department. When the Council is summoned to
determine policies, the input from each department head was
used. They met in the Great Hall.
The Council has a long history of political intrigue, as the
Great Houses battle for control over the Empire. Most often, the
challenge is made on the floor of the High Council and resolved
on the battlefield. However, on occasion, some "dishonorable"
House leaders choose to make more insidious attacks by
undermining the standing of their enemies. Assassinations,
duels, and hostilities are common during power struggles.
Women are not normally permitted to hold seats on the High
Council, but occasional exceptions are made.
Chancellor
The leader of the Klingon High Council, the chancellor, is the
Klingon head of government, and the de facto head of the Klingon
Empire. The chancellor replaced the emperor as the ruler of the
Empire in the mid-21st century. The Chancellor is protected at
all times by the Yan-Isleth (Brotherhood of the Sword).
Various factions almost constantly challenge the leadership of
the Empire, and so over time the Klingons developed a strict and
rigorous Rite of Succession to determine their leader. According
to tradition, one was permitted to challenge the leader on the
grounds of cowardice or dishonorable conduct and fight in single
combat. Should the challenger slay the incumbent, he assumes the
role of the new leader.
Military
[hr]
The Klingon Defense Forces (sometimes referred to as the
Imperial Klingon Defense Forces) are the military branch of the
Klingon Empire.
As of 2373, the headquarters of the Klingon Defense Forces have
been relocated to Ty'Gokor. The majority of Defense Force
members are common warriors. In order to become an officer a
candidate must pass the entrance exam. The prospective officer
then must be approved by an oversight council who can reject the
application. Officers usually serve on the Klingon Empire's
ships and warriors are sent into battle, whether it be on
planetary assaults or when boarding other vessels.
The system of hierarchy aboard ships within the Defense Forces
is highly structured. According to one of their systems, one
that has operated successfully for centuries, the first officer
of any Klingon vessel has the duty to assassinate his captain
when and if the captain becomes weak or unable to perform. It is
expected that his honorable retirement should be assisted by his
"first". The second officer also shares similar duties with his
"first".
The Defense Forces are capable of deploying a fleet of ships to
devastate the surface of an entire planet. They have done so on
several occasions, including the successful destruction of the
tribble homeworld in the late 23rd century.
Culture
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Klingons adhere to a strict code of honor, similar to feudal
Mongolian or Japanese customs, although some appear to struggle
to live up to their ideals. Their society is based on war and
combat; ritual suicide is often preferred over living life as a
crippled warrior, and may allow a warrior to die with honor. To
be captured rather than killed in battle brings dishonor to not
only the captive but his descendants. Death is depicted as a
time for celebration, not grief.
Males traditionally dominate 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 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 can not take control of their Houses unless they
have the money and no male successors of the lineage. Otherwise,
Klingon women are expected 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 grievous insult to
society, an insult not forgotten easily. An offense usually
brings shame to the offender's name for several generations. The
highest shame is discommendation, an action by the High Council
to officially strip a Klingon of his personal or family honor.
Bloodlines and relations are also taken very seriously by any
"true" Klingon. Lines comprise more than mere family members.
Klingons are a spiritual people. According to their legends,
Klingons slew their own gods. The equivalents to heaven and hell
are called Sto-Vo-Kor and Gre'Thor, respectively; in Sto-Vo-Kor,
battle and feasting can be eternally won and shared, while those
sent to Gre'Thor are condemned to eternal torture unless their
honor is restored by living relatives. Those who do not die in
battle may not enter Sto-Vo-Kor; relatives undertake quests to
guarantee their deceased comrades entry into paradise. Despite
believing in an afterlife, the Klingons perform a form of last
rite. This consists of spreading the eyes open, humming in
anticipation of the final breath and roaring skywards when the
warrior dies, warning the dead a Klingon warrior is coming. Yet
Klingons have no burial rites, and dispose of corpses by the
most expedient means available, considering them "empty shells".
The Klingons' spiritual leader is Kahless, a messianic
historical figure who established early codes of honor and was
the first Klingon emperor. His fabled weapon, the Sword of
Kahless, is depicted as a unique bat'leth that serves as the
Klingon equivalent of the Holy Grail.
For more information on Klingons and the Klingon Empire you can
go here:
HTML http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Klingon_Empire
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