Klingon
| |
| Klingon | |
|---|---|
| Classification: | humanoid |
| Planet of Origin: | Qo'noS |
| Environmental requirements: | Class M |
| Tech Level: | TBD |
| Warp Year: | TBD |
| Affiliation: | Unaligned |
| Typical lifespan: | TBD |
| Telepathic abilities: | TBD |
| AIX code: | TBD |
The Klingons (tlhIngan in Klingonese) are a humanoid warrior species that originated from the planet Qo'noS (pronounced Kronos), an M-class planet in the Beta Quadrant. One of the major powers of the galaxy, the Klingons are a proud, tradition-bound people who valued honor and combat. The aggressive Klingon culture had made them an interstellar military power to be respected and feared.
History
Physiology
Like most humanoids, the essence of the Klingon anatomical form consisted of a head, neck, torso, and four limbs.
Internally, the Klingon anatomy was markedly different from that of other humanoids. There was a great deal more multiple redundancies in their organs, a principle they called brak'lul. This allowed Klingons to survive severe injuries in battle. They had twenty-three ribs, two livers, an eight-chambered heart, three lungs, two urinary tracts, and even redundant neural function as well as multiple stomachs. Some geneticists believed that the extra organs, notably the third lung, evolved to give Klingons greater stamina on the battlefield. Klingons had relatively little knowledge of their own biology and their medicine was very poorly developed. This was largely due to their warrior traditions – a Klingon who was wounded was expected to be left to either survive through his own strength, die, or undergo the hegh'bat, a form of ritual suicide. Conversely, their society having dueled and killed each other for generations taught them what is immediately lethal for their species.
The most distinctive feature of the modern Klingon was a sagittal crest, beginning on the forehead and often continuing over the skull. Klingons head shape differed between individuals, with some having skulls that extended backwards into an elongated cone shape. The cranium, itself, was encased in an exoskeleton, which possessed a feature known as the tricipital lobe.
The lower half of the face tended to follow a familiar humanoid appearance, and even the ridges on the back of their heads if any tend to be less pronounced and slight, leaving the general shape as Human skull and covered in more skin than bone, it was in these regions where hair was most likely seen to grow. Eyebrows tend to grow in a more diagonal direction than other humanoids, but also had noticeably diagonal suborbital ridges where eyebrows otherwise existed.
Klingons ears included both external auricle and pinna and recessed pinna. External auricle structures tended to be rounded, and the recessed pinna tended to come to a point before forming into the back of the head.
Klingon eyes were generally round in size and shape (consisting of varying shades with white sclera). They may flash more white of their eyes which they use to intimidate a rival or enemy. Other Klingon eyes had large corneas, pink sclera, and almost gem-like reflective quality to them. Klingons, especially females, were said to lack tear ducts. However, for males Klingon myth stated that Kahless once filled the ocean with his tears, and at least one Klingon, Kurn, produced tears.
They also had more physically pronounced cheeks, and a vertical ridge that went down their chin into their neck which expanded into ridges on their upper chest and shoulders and between the breasts of at least the females. The neck structure varied from smooth flesh to flesh containing pits and bony structures that led up the side of their head, and down the back of their head and spine.
Klingon noses tended to vary having between several slight horizontal ridges on the brow of their noses, or a single vertical ridge or crack from the top of the brow to the tip of the nose to being wider and flatter, nearly flush against the forehead. They also had heavier ridges over their nostrils, compared to the two minimally ridged or un-ridged nostrils. The nose tended to lay flatter on the face than in other Klingons as well and wider.
Klingon teeth typically consisted of two sharp fangs (incisors) with crooked or sharpened teeth (it was said they sharpen their teeth, often before going into battle). However, not exclusive, others had pronounced thick lips with sharp teeth, with each tooth being considerably larger size.
Klingons of both sexes usually had hair on their heads while male Klingons often had facial hair as well. Hair was usually long, curly and wavy, described as thick and luxuriant. Accelerated hair growth was often experienced by Klingons during puberty, or jak'tahla, along with severe mood swings and unusual aggressive tendencies. Klingon hair greyed with age. Other Klingons were completely bald, lacking facial hair. For Klingons with hair, cases of receding hairlines or full or partial baldness existed during 2160s, and later in the 2260s through 2290s. Klingons as young as those who had reached the Age of Ascension, typically did not wear beards.
Some Klingons also had sharp thick talons on their hands that make up the end of their digits.
The chest of the Klingon males appeared to be largely smooth and slick, while the females had a large chest area with ridges that came down to the top of their breasts across their shoulders. The backs of these Klingons were highly covered with ridges from shoulder to shoulder and across the small of their back radiating from highly defined and thickly ridged spines. The sides of the abdomen of at least the females appeared to be highly defined with rib-like ridges as well. The buttocks region was even heavily ridged.
Klingons had ridged spines, chests and feet (though these ridges and other armor like structures extend out covering almost the entire back, sides and abdominal region on the 'pointy-headed' Klingons). After birth, some Klingon infants experienced a pronounced curvature to the spine, a form of scoliosis, which was correctable by surgery. This "defect" tended to run in Klingon families, especially among females. Federation medicine, fortunately, advanced beyond that, allowing an additional choice of treatment involving genetic modification of the fetus.
Skin colors ranged from olive, brown, and black to pearlescent/metallic across the entire spectrum of the rainbow, varying from purple, pink, burgundy red, yellowish tan, dark orange, umber brown, grey, blue, dark green, coal black, and chalky white. Their skin had a shimmery slick metallic semi-reflective sheen to it. Albino Klingons were often considered outcasts in Klingon society.
Klingon children matured far more quickly than Human children. At the age of only one Earth year, a Klingon child had the appearance a Human child had at about four. By the age of eight Earth years, a Klingon attained the maturity a Human did not reach until about age sixteen. Rop'ngor was a common childhood disease among Klingons. When Klingon children began growing into adults, they went through jak'tahla, a Klingon form of puberty. Like other mammalian species, Klingon females were capable of lactating to breast-feed infants.
Klingons tended to live for over 150 years. Even into advanced old age, Klingons were usually still strong enough for combat, but were still susceptible to various mental conditions associated with old age.
Klingons were notably stronger than most humanoids, at least as strong as Vulcans. They might have even been stronger, as the half-Klingon B'Elanna Torres was able to wrestle with the Vulcan Vorik on equal grounds and eventually defeat him, despite the fact that he was larger than her. However, despite their endurance and general robustness, Klingons had a considerably lower tolerance to the cold than Humans.
The Klingon sense of smell was notably acute; in fact, it was powerful enough to be used effectively to track down prey during a hunt. Their sense of smell was also suggested to play an integral role in their mating practices.