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Post by firebringeraxel on Dec 21, 2015 23:00:45 GMT
I've heard it many many times. "I don't think I can comfortably play a Klingon." or "I'm not sure how to do it right." It's not uncommon and it's something I myself questioned when I first started to branch into KDF RP. Now here I am as one of the Loresinger Pathfinders, the GM of the KDF RP ship, and one of the more prevalent Klingon players of the past year. So what is it about The Klingon Empire that makes it so daunting to Roleplay as part of? Unfamiliarity. The Klingon Empire did get more focus throughout the Star Trek canon than any other alien culture but even that is still only a minuscule window into a vast and complex society. There's also the fact that the Klingon culture is so vastly different than our own, or really any historical culture we've ever had on Earth. (There are parallels of course but none has ever been quite as extreme or diverse as the Klingons).So I've decided to start a small blog-esque series of once weekly posts discussing Klingon Culture, society, and beliefs; Klingon Defense Force doctrine, ranking systems, lifestyle; as well as the species of the Empire in the 2400's. These are of course only a small snippet of the subjects that can be covered when speaking of The Klingon Empire but we'll start there and see where this goes. I hope this series can help to educate, inform, and aid those who have an interest in KDF RP and society in general. I will be creating a separate thread for discussions of these posts and I urge anyone and everyone who reads and has interest to comment and give feedback. I'm doing this for you, show that you're interested and want to see more, please.
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Post by firebringeraxel on Dec 22, 2015 0:09:20 GMT
Playing The Klingon Empire #1 12/21/2015
The Klingon Defense Force
The Klingon Defense Force. Combined military might of the vast Klingon Empire and its allies and vassals. We've all heard of it. We've all battled it. But what is it? How does it work? Why do they do the things they do? That is what I seek to cover here. Divisions of the Klingon Defense Force
The Klingon Defense Force is made up of two Primary branches: The Navy and The Army. Each has their own training and rank structure but is part of the greater whole of the KDF. Their roles are pretty straight forward as you can imagine. The Navy division is primarily in charge of the naval might of the Empire, whilst The Army is made up of the numerous warriors trained for ground combat and boarding actions. Both divisions cross train their warriors to be capable of filling roles aboard both a vessel or a ground unit as all Klingons are Warriors. Notably while the two divisions are separated in some manners (such as training) they work so closely and intermixed that most vessels will have crews made almost evenly of both divisions. Whilst having separate rank structures they have obvious parallels and a Colonel of the Army does have authority over a Naval Commander for example (I have the ranks and parallels listed below on a table for reference). Klingon flag officers have a shared ranking system and are considered members of both divisions and have full authority to issue orders to either and both. It is not unheard of for Army officers to command vessels but it is rare. Likewise it is not unheard of for Naval officers to lead ground strikes or boarding actions. All KDF members are trained to operate on the ground and aboard a vessel, the division merely determines where their specialization will lie. The KDF is not a military of nothing but warriors; despite popular belief, and they do have all of the usual departments aboard a vessel. Ships are not run with nothing but a Commander, a Tactical officer, and a Helmsman. This is a fact. Vessels require engineers, scientists, doctors, operations officers, warriors, tactical officers, command crew, helmsman, gunners, and so much more to operate on a day to day basis. While their may be more glory in a combat profession, the KDF knows that without these souls no battle could be won.Ranking Structure of the two Divisions Commissioned Naval Commissioned Army
Admiral('aj) General(Sa') Lieutenant General(Sogh Sa') Major General(Hargh Sa') Brigadier('ech) Captain(HoD) Colonel[yuQ) Commander(la') Lieutenant Colonel(Sogh yuQ) Lieutenant Commander(Sogh la') Major(QI' Hargh) Lieutenant(Sogh) Captain(QI' HoD) Ensign(lagh) 2nd Lieutenant(cha'DIch Sogh) Warrior(SuvwI') Enlisted Naval Enlisted Army Chief Petty Officer(DevwI') Sargent Major(bu' Hargh) Petty Officer 1st Class(wa'DIch ne') Sargent(bu') Petty Officer 2nd Class(cha'DIch ne') Lance Corporal(Da') Crewman 1st Class(wa'DIch bekk) Private 1st Class(Mang) Crewman(bekk) Recruit(ghuv)
Purpose of the Klingon Defense Force
The Klingon Defense Force is very clearly a Military (Unlike Starfleet) and has the express goal and purpose of defending the Empire from aggressors and assaulting its enemies. These are the clear and ever-present reasons it exists but there is more to the KDF than war and defense. I will cover a few of its other purposes below. Exploration: Yes that's right the Klingon Empire does care about exploring. Why you might ask? That's simple and I will cover it in the next reason for the KDF to exist. As for exploration Klingon ships of the line are often times very large and built to allow their large crews to take extremely long journeys away from home. The Klingon Empire is a large one and it requires much in the way of resources, exploration is the only way to discover these resources. Further than just resource gathering the Empire and KDF have undergone a lot of change in the past several decades and are growing to understand that scientific discovery is as important as conquest and battle. For it is through said science that much of Starfleet's advancements have come and the KDF has no intention of being outpaced in any arms-race. Conquest: The KDF is the Military arm of an Empire. That means they conquer and and subjugate lesser systems and peoples under their banner. To do this they must of course 1st discover said lesser civilizations. The KDF is made up of hundreds (if not more) of vassal star systems and planets that serve the greater good of the Empire as a whole. Many of these were given a simple ultimatum; join freely or join be subjugated. The Klingon Empire is nearly as diverse as the Federation, the difference is that most of their member species do not have equal rights. Industry: War is an expensive business and the KDF are masters of war. The Industrial complex of the Klingon Empire is staggering in scale and puts other groups to shame with the speed and frequency at which it can arm troops and build starships. This is in part due to the KDF using time-tested and proven designs that they have mastered the crafting of over years and years. Another part of this is that they have resources coming in from all over their Empire to feed into this industrial warmachine. They also have a rather large slave caste in their society and unlike many societies with slavery their slaves are motivated and patriotic often times. They are the cogs of the great Imperial Warmachine and they have purpose. Defense: Now I know this one was mentioned as one of the obvious purposes but I think it's important to go a bit into detail on it. We've mentioned the scale of the Klingon Empire several times now throughout this. Now imagine how many vessels it takes to patrol, garrison, and defend that much area. The KDF is one of the largest standing armies for a reason. They need it. Even when there is not a war on there are always raiders, pirates, rebellions, skirmishes, and so much more to deal with. While the KDF may not be at war all the time there are several groups that show near constant aggression towards the Empire such as the Breen and the True Way. Another large reason for this mass of forces at the ready is the looming threat of Borg Incursion. The Gorn systems are especially endangered by this threat and the KDF is an active member of Taskforce Omega and wages an endless war against the menace.
SummaryIn summary I would like to urge people who have toyed with the idea of playing the KDF to give it more thought as it is a very fun part of the Star Trek universe and I hope some of this information is helpful. If you have any questions, comments, gripes, thoughts, or other input please see the discussion thread here.
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Post by firebringeraxel on Dec 29, 2015 8:52:05 GMT
Playing The Klingon Empire #2 12/28/2015 Klingons The namesake species of the Empire, the most popular and well known aliens in Star Trek, and one of the most developed non-Starfleet societies in the canon. The Klingon species is an iconic part of the Star Trek Universe that began as villains and with time and story became something far more complex. We all know that the Klingon people are a great warrior race that values honor and prowess in battle in high regard, but many; as I've found in my experience, do not understand the deeper complexities and meanings behind Klingon culture. Being Klingon? What does it mean to be Klingon? This is a true question and one that has many answers in Klingon culture. One that you might hear is that Klingons are Warriors. This is true. Another is that a Klingon is only as good as his Honor. Also true. One other truth that often evades those who view Klingon Culture from outside is that one does not need be born a Klingon to be Klingon. To be Klingon is to be Honorable, strong of body and heart, proud of ones accomplishments, to speak truth loudly so as to drown out the lies with your voice, to hold ones head high and be a true warrior. All Klingons are Warriors This statement could be taken literally to mean that all Klingon will fight and while this may be true enough in most cases that is no the true intent of the statement. What this means is that all Klingons face their lives and all that they bring in the same manner that a Warrior would his or her opponent. To attack their problems with the tenacity and ferocity of a battle-hardened veteran! To face adversity and hardship with a stoic face and a determined demeanor! To till the land, tend the herd, or whatever their job may be with the heart of a Warrior, proud in their accomplishments no matter how mundane. All Klingons Are Warriors.
Honor and Glory Two if the most important concepts in Klingon culture are those of Honor and Glory. Honor comes first and foremost to all Klingons. It is the measure of their worth as a Klingon. More than just pride and renown, Honor is an ethereal concept that pervades every facet of Klingon society at its very core. For a more long winded and in-depth discussion of Klingon Honor and how it differs from real world Honor codes see this thread: Link. Honor is also not reserved merely for Klingons. It is often heard from a Klingon to an ally or even a foe that they fought or acted honorably. This is a compliment of the highest accord. Glory on the other hand is also a major part of what it is to be Klingon but to a lesser extent than Honor. Glory can be earned in many ways and is another ethereal conceptual measure but of a far simpler ideal: Worthiness and skill in battle. Glory is gained through bravery, tenacity, and victory in battle. The most daring and near-death a victory the more glorious. This is why Klingons perform seemingly suicidal attacks and maneuvers with regularity. The bold are given places of greater honor in Sto-vo-kor and the meek will die and be cast into Grethor. With age and wisdom this foolhardy thirst for glory and battle will of course be tempered but even the oldest Warrior will still surge headlong into his foes with his blade held high and his veins afire with blood-lust. Deciet: A Coward's Tool Klingons despise secrets, lies, thievery, and subterfuge. From an outside perspective most would see Klingons as loud, brash, blunt, and insulting. This is largely a result of their hatred for deceit. Klingons speak loudly and clearly because to them whispering is the way of secret-keepers. Klingons believe in speaking the truth loudly and so that all may know it. Even if that truth is unpleasant or opinionated. Lies, Thievery, and subterfuge are seen as dishonorable in Klingon society as a whole. Klingon thieves are uncommon as in their culture they do not see the need for sneaking about to take another's possessions. If you wish for them then take them by force! This is also the root reason why organizations such as the KLI (Klingon Intelligence) are unknown to most Klingons or denied to even exist. The very thought of Klingons acting in such a manner is disregarded or seen as too shameful to believe.SummarySo there it is. Hopefully you all have a somewhat better understanding of what it means to Be Klingon, have Honor, Earn Glory, and most importantly be a true Warrior. if you have questions, comments, etc please use the thread here: Link. And please if you enjoy this series or have found it helpful let me know so that I know it's supported and have a reason to keep going with them. I'm doing these to help others, not for myself.
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