This marking represents the Klingon Empire and has been emblazoned upon the hulls of countless Klingon Starships. During the aggressive expansion of the Klingon people from their homeworld of Kronos into space, this symbol grew to become as feared throughout the galaxy as the menacing profiles of their battlecruisers.

 

The Klingon battle knife is designed primarily for versatility of use, so that the user is never caught at a disadvantage. Two small, secondary blades eject from the knife's sides, providing both a hand guard and another set of cutting edges. A brutally spiked pommel fastens the hilt together to provide a damaging surprise attack or give a devastating backhand stroke.

 

Klingon starship design is vastly different from Starfleet technology. A huge amount of the ship's power and technology is devoted to its weapons grid and defensive systems. Unlike most Starfleet vessels, the main viewer on a Klingon ship is usually overlaid with a complex target acquisition grid.

 

The Imperial Klingon Vessel is a K'vort-class-Bird-of-Prey under the command of Captain Kargan. It has the best weapons and some of the finest warriors in the Klingon fleet.

 

Worf's bat'telh has been in his family for ten generations. According to Klingon legend, this sword of honor descends from the time of Kahless the Unforgettable.

 

The Age of Ascension marks a new level of spiritual attainment by a Klingon warrior. The initiate must pass through a gauntlet of warriors who test him with painsticks.

 

With strong family traditions, devotion and loyalty to family is one of the most important Klingon virtues. Above all, the Klingon family name is highly valued.

 

The Klingon disruptor rifle is a standard hand held disruptor, attached to an extended power supply stock. This serves to steady the aim of a warrior and increase the effective range for distance targeting.

 

Similar in configuration to the first Klingon vessels encountered, the K'Tinga-Class remained in use for most of the 23rd century. A sleeper ship of this class, the T'Ong, was encountered in the 24th century by the U.S.S. Enterprise.

 

A Klingon communicator sends a signal through subspace radio. Older models were susceptible to radiation.

 

The sash that Worf wears is a symbol of his family's house. He wears it proudly as a reminder of his heritage.

 

Klingon food is best when served fresh and live. Few humans dare to eat gagh, rokeg blood pie, or heart of targ.

 

On the Homeworld, there is a great hall where the leaders of the Klingon High Council meet to determine policy and decide upon the fate of the Empire. Gowron currently presides, named leader of the High Council by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who was acting as Arbiter of Succession.

 

The sisters of the House of Duras, Lursa and B'Etor are constantly seeking a higher standing for the House of Duras within the Klingon™ High Council. To this end, the sisters have acted against Gowron, going as far as to work with Romulan factions in order to gain power.

 

The principal planet of the Klingon Empire, Qo'noS is usually referred to as simply "The Homeworld." This is where the Klingon Great Hall is located, the center of the Klingon government. Qo'noS is a class-M planet with an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere.

 

When a Klingon warrior dies or is killed, other Klingons may perform a ceremonial howl or yell as part of the Klingon death ritual. The eyes of the fallen Klingon are opened and others roar in a great crescendo. This yell is victorious in nature, rather than mournful and also serves to warn the other dead that a Klingon warrior is coming.

 

The Klingon Painstik is an important part of a Klingon's Age of Ascension ceremony. The Painstik is employed by friends of the recipient who use the devices to inflict pain in a manner which will allow the Klingon to attain a higher state of spirituality as a warrior, proving his mettle. Painstiks are a little over one meter long and emit a highly-charged shock for the express purpose of inflicting pain.

 

All Klingon vessels are equipped with a cloaking device, allowing the ship to fly in a state of practical invisibility. Cloaking technology was gained through an alliance with the Romulan Star Empire, possibly in exchange for Warp Drive technology. Due to the tremendous energy drain of a cloaking device, weapons cannot be discharged while the cloak is in operation.

 

It waits ... on the edge of the galaxy, beside a passage to unknown regions of the universe, space station is the gateway for the exploration, intrigue and enterprise that mark the continuation of the human adventure into space --- the final frontier.