Klingon Empire

Klingon Empire
Dominant Species	Klingon
Founded	9th Century
Capital	New Qo'noS
Government	Feudal Monarchy
Head of State	VACANT
Legislature	High Council
Location	Beta Quadrant
Military	Klingon Defense Force

Founded over 1,500 years ago on the planet of Qo'nos by Kahless the Unforgettable, the Klingon Empire is a feudal government that is centered on the pursuit of honor and conquest.

Background

In the 9th Century Kahless the Unforgettable rebelled against the brutal dictatorship of the tyrant Molar as a champion of the people in order to unite the people of Qo'noS against the despot. As he and his followers struggled to defeat Molar, Kahless unified the Klingons by establishing the importance of the warrior caste and by creating the basic tenets of modern day Klingon society: a focus on tradition, ritual, and above all else, honor. Kahless also established that all Klingons are expected to become warriors and that those who are unable to fight are obliged to commit ritual suicide rather than bring shame to their family. Forging the Sword of Kahless, the first bat'leth, Kahless defeated and banished Molar and his followers (the Fek'Ihri) to the depths of Grethor and established the Klingon Empire from the ashes of what had come before. After being successful in building a new life for his people, Kahless expressed his views on the afterlife in that Klingons who die with honor go to Sto-vo-kor, while those who are dishonored are taken to Gre'thor on the Barge of the Dead. Following this Kahless himself then departed for Sto-vo-kor, leaving the Empire in the hands of the Great Houses. As time passed infighting started to break the foundations of the Klingon Empire as the leaders of the Great Houses threatened a civil war. This allowed a powerful alien empire known as the Hur'q to invade Klingon territory in the 14th century, sacking Qo'noS and stealing the Sword of Kahless itself. The Empire was able to recover from this in time, but fragmentation continued to keep the Empire at risk and isolation from galactic events became standard policy.

In the year 2151 the Klingon Empire made first contact with United Earth and the galaxy became forever changed. In 2161 the birth of the United Federation of Planets and their quick encroachment upon the borders of the Klingon Empire threated war. The Empire would enter back into a period of isolation until the mid 23rd Century to a period in which Klingon Warrior T'Kuvma united the Empire against the Federation in open combat. A hard won peace reigned; however, a period of cold war threatened to erupt into another war at any given time. All that changed in 2293 when the Klingon moon Praxis exploded due to over mining and insufficient safety precautions, devastating the atmosphere of Qo'noS in the process. The Federation intervened and the First Khitomer Accords were established leading to a period of peace that lasted through the entire 24th Century save for a brief period of conflict orchestrated by the Dominion in the 2370s to damage the political stability of the Alpha Quadrant.

In 2405, the alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire was destroyed when Starfleet established a blockade of the Hromi Cluster following growing threats issued by the Klingon Empire upon the region and the Klingon annexation of Gorn territory. A period of open war between the Federation and the Klingons erupted that lasted for over five years until a cease-fire was established between both powers. The relationship between the Federation was further solidified following the devastating assault upon both the Federation and Klingons by the Supremacy. Unfortunately, due to the ascension of Chancellor Krenek, Son of Kol to the Chancellorship relations between the Federation and the Klingons have degraded back to a period of Cold War between the two great powers. Complicating matters is the recent announcement that the Romulan Star Empire and the Klingons have entered into a new alliance agreement, further damaging the Klingon's relationship with the Federation.

In 2428 the Klingon Empire was thrown into disarray when Chancellor Krenek was killed by General Akero, Daughter of Toral in a Right of Vengeance ceremony. This has thrown the Empire into disarray as, by right General Akero should become Chancellor of the High Council; however, women are precluded from serving in the role of Chancellor. This has brought the Empire near a point of Civil War and Lord Brotak of the House of Koloth is also jockeying of the position.

Government

Officially the Klingon Empire is led by a clone of Kahless the Unforgettable who serves as Emperor; however, the true leadership of the Empire rests within the Great Hall of the Klingon High Council and with the Great Houses of the Klingon Empire. Officially 24 Great Houses united by a common bloodline comprise the Klingon High Council and are responsible for the day to day operations of the Empire itself. Each of the Great Houses is named for the eldest male heir, yet traditionally maintains the historic name of the House itself, and this individual also serves as the representative of that House upon the Council. In the event that the Master of the House and all male heirs are killed, the Mistress will take over control until a new male is found to take over the Great House and its assets. Under Klingon Law a woman cannot permanently lead a Great House nor can she become Chancellor of the High Council following Chancellor Kaarg replacing Chancellor Azetbur. Blood feuds between Houses are common with the victor assuming control over the resources of the defeated House. Some long standing feuds have been ended by the Chancellor himself and, at times, has involved the complete dissolution of a Klingon Great House to be accomplished. This process is a dangerous one for a Chancellor as it can damage political ties between multiple Houses and lead to more dangerous feuds in the future.

The Chancellor of the High Council is the highest ranked Klingon male within the Empire and is in control over the combined forces of each of the Klingon Great Houses and the Klingon Defense Force. While the Chancellor doesn't have to be a member of a Great House or of a noble bloodline, he needs to be backed by at least one influential House in order to assume power and needs the support of the Defense Force itself. Two common forms of appointment to the Chancellorship are used by the Klingon Empire. The most common form of appointment is that the sitting Chancellor is challenged by another in a complex form of ritualistic combat in which the victor is named Chancellor and the loser typically dies. The other method occurs when the Chancellor is near death and appoints and Arbiter of Succession to oversee the transfer of power to another Klingon.

Membership

While a race may petition to join the Klingon Empire the more common means by which a race joins the Empire is following their world being claimed by the Empire in combat.

Dominant Member Species

Species	Description	Image
Gorn	The stubborn and territorial natives of Gornar, the Gorn are extremely stronger and taller than other humanoids. With slitted silvery eyes, sharp teeth, claws on their hands, and scaled green rubbery skin, the Gorn were conquered by the Klingon Empire in the late 24th Century.
Klingon	A proud warrior race from Qo'noS, the Klingons can be identified by their cranial ridges, dark skin, muscular build, and multiple redundant organs. Feared and respected throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, the Klingons are the dominant race of the Klingon Empire and value tradition, honor, and strength.
Orion	Originating from the planet Orion, the Orion species is a matriarchal society where the women dominate the men through the emission of highly powerful pheromones. Conquered by the Klingon Empire, the Orions are a green skinned species who are still involved in multiple underworld dealings through their control of the Orion Syndicate.

Klingon Defense Force

Also known as the Imperial Klingon Defense Force or the KDF, the Klingon Defense Force is the military branch of the Klingon Empire. While the individual Houses own the vessels that constitute the Klingon Defense Forces, all Houses have sworn loyalty to defend the Empire if it becomes threatened.

Starbase Series

Type	Series
Drydock
Outpost
Station
Starbase

Starship Classes

Level 0: Runabout
B'rel Class	In service to the Klingon Empire for over 130 years, the B'rel Class Bird of Prey is one of the most well recognized vessels in the galaxy. Armed with two forward firing Disruptor cannons and a Torpedo Launcher, the continued presence of a Cloaking Device allows the B'rel Class to still be effective as a reconnaissance vessel for the Klingon Defense Force, despite the age of the design. With a small crew of typically 12 warriors, the B'rel has found itself mostly assigned to scouting missions in recent years.
Level 1: Frigate
K't'inga Class	Armed with Disruptors and Torpedoes, the K't'inga Class is a Klingon design dating back to the 23rd Century and was once known as the D7 Class Starship. Despite its age the K't'inga remains a deadly adversary due to continual refits designed to extend the lifetime of the design. The profile of the vessel has been lengthened to increase the available space for Warp Drive and weapons upgrades to keep apace with developments since first being launched in the 2250s.
Level 1: Escort
K'vort Class	Designed for deep space tactical assignments, the K'vort Class Bird of Prey was launched in the 2360s as a replacement for the B'rel Class; however, due to the successes of both designs, they both remain active to this day. The K'vort Class has been modified over the decades to incorporate dangerous Pulse Disruptor Cannons similar to the Pulse Phasers used by Starfleet as well as a long range torpedo launcher. This makes the K'vort Class one of the most dangerous vessels in the Klingon armada.
Level 2: Destroyer
Chava’kal Class	Designed with the purpose of ship to ship combat as a priority, the Chava'kal Class destroyer was launched in the late 2370s. Armed with Disruptor Cannons, the Chava'kal Class vessel comes equipped with two contingents of Klingon Warriors whom have been specially trained to capture enemy vessels on behalf of the Empire. Through their sheer ferocity in combat it is not uncommon for the Warriors aboard a Chava'kal Class vessel to even capture larger, more powerful vessels in combat.
Level 2: Light Cruiser
Suq'jagh Class	An outgrowth of the Klingon invasion of the Cardassian Union in the early 2370s, the Suq'jagh Class was designed with the purpose of being used to conduct orbital bombardment of enemy worlds and then subjugate the survivors with its arsenal of Disruptor and Torpedo weaponry. Once the Cardassians joined the Dominion large scale combat became more and more of an issue which, in turn, led to the Suq'jagh being modified for the purpose of capturing enemy vessels and installations. To accomplish this the structure of the vessel was designed to incorporate a specialized Mission Pod designed with specialized equipment that could penetrate the shields and hull of an enemy vessel to allow Warriors to invade the vessel.
Level 3: Cruiser
Fek'lhr Class	Designed during the Dominion War, the Fek'lhr Class was designed to combat the growing threat posed by the Dominion Battle Cruiser. Named after the mythical Klingon beast and guardian of Gre’Thor, the Fek'lhr class is unique in that it can be outfitted with a Mission Pod in place of its forward section, allowing for the vessel to take on varied mission profiles if need be as well as advanced sensors.
Level 3: Heavy Cruiser
Vor'cha Class	Since its creation in the 2360s the Vor'cha Class has been gradually becoming the workhorse of the Klingon Empire. Having undergone multiple upgrades since its initial run, the current incarnation of the Vor'cha class is armed with multiple Disruptor cannons, Torpedo Launchers, and devastating Heavy Disruptor Cannons designed for planetary and Starbase bombardment. These advantages make it a deadly opponent for any whom come into its sights.
Level 4: Battle Cruiser
Negh'var Class	The former flagship of the Klingon Defense Force, the Negh'var Class was designed as the Klingon Empire's response to the growing threat of the Dominion and the Borg Collective. The Negh'var has had a long and storied career ever since and was the Klingon Empire's command vessel during the Battle of Cardassia during the Dominion War. While its role had diminished, the Negh'var is no less deadly with its assortment of Disruptor, Torpedo Laundhers, and Cloaking Device.
Level 4: Dreadnought
Bortas'qu Class	Fielded in the 2410s, the Bortas'qu Class is one of the largest Klingon Warships ever launched and has assumed many of the leadership roles formerly held by the Negh'var Class Battle Cruiser. Sharing many classic Klingon designs, the Bortas'qu is a survivor and has been built with that concept in mind. With multiple armored sections, protected Warp Nacelles, and Cloaking Device the Bortas'qu is further outfitted with Heavy Disruptor Cannons and multiple torpedo launchers.
Level 5: Carrier
Vo'quv Class	Over 1,300 meters long the Vo'quv Class is one of the most dangerous starships in the Klingon armada. Designed to ferry B'rel Class vessels into combat situations, the Vo'quv is more than capable of defending itself with a high capacity shield grid and extensive disruptor turrets. Unlike most Klingon designs the Vo'quv has been launched without the traditional Cloaking Device that has become ubiquitous with Klingon designs since the late 23rd Century. This makes it no less a dangerous, deadly opponent.
Level 5: Battleship
Sword of Kahless Class	The current flagship class of the Klingon Empire, the Sword of Kahless Class is one of the most deadly vessels currently in operation. Outfitted with multiple Disruptor Arrays, Torpedo Launchers, and multiple Heavy Disruptor Cannons, the Sword of Kahless is a predator designed for conquering lesser units in battle. Named in honor of the legendary weapon of Kahless - a legacy stating that any whom possess the Sword of Kahless are worthy of leading the Klingon Empire - those in possession of a Sword of Kahless Class Battleship are no less deserving.

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