Honor ranks are achieved by dedicated service above and beyond the call of duty. Honor points are recommended by the ship commander or higher staff and are official once approved by the High Council.

There are several types of uniforms which are worn by the Klingons in the IMPERIAL KLINGON BATTLE FLEET:

The Imperial uniform (STTNG and ST movies) consists of a gorget, a gray and black (usually) armored vest and shoulder armor (there are several variations), black fur sleeves, black fingerless gloves, black forearm armor, a black belt, the Imperial uniform belt buckle, and gray uniform pants. High black boots with or without boot horns and metal trim. Shown below is a typical Imperial uniform, which we will discuss in more detail over the following pages.

All Klingons serve in some branch of the military at some time. Each branch has its own distinctive insignia, which is worn on the opposite side of the uniform collar or neckline from the rank insignia. These insignia are required to be worn on all uniforms, so that the wearer's rank and branch may be known at a glance.

The standard Imperial uniform belt buckle is silver with silver spheres.

Officer buckles have black with silver trim and silver spheres.

Command staff may have a gold border with silver or gold spheres.

Diplomatic buckle. Worn by dignitaries and other honored individuals.

Alternate buckle for female uniform.

1) HoS (the Strong)

2) 'Iwlu' (the Bloodied)

3) Tai (The One)

4) Vestai (The One of Battle or Battlelord)

5) Sutai (The One of Discipline or Maturity)

6) Zantai (The One of Destiny or Fate)

7) Epetai (The One who is Honored)

8) joH (Lord of a House (no special insignia, or special House insignia))

The insignias may be worn or the tunic or sash of the uniform. Only the highest honorific is worn.

 These are typical uniform sashes. The sash on the left is a duty sash, worn with battle armor (Imperial uniform tunic). The duty sash is generally silver in color, though ship executive officers and above may wear gold colored sashes. The sash on the right is a dress sash, which may be worn with a dress uniform or with civilian clothes. Many variants exist on both these themes.

Spine Armor Scales for all Imperial uniforms, including at-home dress.

The protruding nature of the Klingon spine and constant clan hostility makes this armor necessary.

Civilian Personnel Communication Badge.

Exchange Crew Communication Badge.

Imperial Communication Badge. Worn on left upper arm.

Primarily used to call for transporter.

New Imperial Communication Badge. Worn on left upper arm.

Primarily used to call for transporter.

Holster and Holster sling for Imperial Uniform. Holsters of this type are used for the Type 3 and Type 6 disruptors and the Death Sting phaser. Some holsters have a tie down at the bottom to tie it to the leg for stability. Left-handed individuals usually wear this holster in a cross-draw position.

Scabbard for a daqtagh. Other styles exist.

No living adult Klingon goes without a blade of some sort.

Vambraces, or armguards, or wrist guards, are an essential part of Klingon apparel. Even civilian Klingons usually wear some type of vambraces, as a defensive aid against possible attackers.

Vambrace insignia are worn by officers. The standard naval insignia and IKBF insignia are shown (not to scale); clan/family insignia may be substituted.

The Battle Cloak is worn by ship commanders and above. It may also be worn temporarily by other officers leading a boarding party, landing party or etc., to designate the person in charge of the force. Battle cloaks have pockets and usually a hood.

The Command Cloak is similar to the Battle Cloak, except that it usually has no pockets and no hood. The Command Cloak may have medals and awards fastened on the front panels. A Command Cloak may be worn by the head of a House when appearing before the Council on official House business.

The Classic uniform (original series)(male) consists of a black turtleneck, a silver vest with black "striping", a black belt, the Imperial Klingon Battle Fleet Fusion buckle, and black pants. The pants may have gold flecks in them or they may be plain black. High black boots.

Classic Female Uniform.

Classic Male Uniform 

The Classic Sash Pin is gold colored, and is only worn by Lieutenant and above.

Male & Female Standard Imperial Battledress Tunic

Male Command Battledress Tunic

Male Dress Tunic 

Imperial Diplomatic Corps Emblem.

Only worn by designated Ambassadors.

  High Council member.

Awarded by the Uniform Board to designate individuals who have demonstrated proficiency in producing competition-quality Klingon and other uniforms. Once awarded this badge, the recipient becomes a member of the Uniform Board.

Tactics medal.

Awarded by the Tactics Board to designate individuals as qualified starship tacticians.

Once awarded this badge, the recipient becomes a member of the Tactics Board.

Medal of Honor. Highest award in the fleet.

Awarded only by the High Council for superior dedication

and personal sacrifice on behalf of the Fleet.

  Sword of the Empire.

Second highest award in the IKBF.

Awarded only by the High Council for

superior meritorious achievement while serving in uniform.

Superior Service Medal.

Awarded only by the High Council to those who have set an extraordinary example to follow

in selfless service on behalf of and in support of the fleet.

Diplomatic Service Shield, 1^st Class.

Awarded only by the High Council for outstanding achievement or superior service

while serving the fleet in an official ambassadorial, emissarial or liaison capacity.

  Medal of Valor.

Awarded by the Squadron Commander or above for demonstrating courage by participating in personal competition

against all comers (in masquerade/costume call at a major convention), or by performing at a Klingon Feast.

Chop jIH Medal.

Awarded by the Squadron Commander or above for demonstrating superior skills in personal competition

by winning 1^st Place (in masquerade/costume call at a major convention)

Master of Discipline.

Awarded by the Squadron Commander or above to individuals

Torturer's Apprentice.

Awarded by the Squadron Commander or above to individuals for demonstrating superior ability

in putting other individuals (especially members of the opposite sex) into stressful states of mind.

Meritorious Service Medal.

Awarded by the Squadron Commander or above to those who have set an excellent example to follow

in selfless service on behalf of and in support of the squadron or fleet.

NomHoH.

Awarded by the Squadron Commander to those who, upon their first attempt at a new

activity (first masquerade, first SFB game, first performance, etc.) do extraordinarily well,

defeating all their opponents or causing massive disruption in the enemy, etc.

Bird of Prey Medal.

Awarded by Chapter Commanders or above to individuals who have set

an outstanding example for the fellow shipmates to follow, either through

their dedication or their effort.

Award of Kahless.

Awarded by Chapter Commanders or above to individuals who have performed

meritorious service while leading a successfully expedition or landing party

at a convention, charity event, or other public activity where fleet personnel

will be noticed by others.

Fast Attack Medal.

Awarded by Chapter Commanders or above to individuals who have performed

assigned tasks in an exceptional manner. This is the "Did a Great Job" medal.

Task does not have to be while in uniform.

Honored Service Medal.

Awarded by Chapter Commanders or above to individuals who have demonstrated

outstanding dedication through selfless service on behalf of

and in support of the ship.

The service award is worn on the sash, right arm or right breast of the uniform. The service award consists of a narrow gold, silver or black bar (if worn on the breast or sash) or band (if worn around the arm or on the sash) up to 1/2" wide for each year of service. Once an individual achieves his fourth year of service (and for every fourth year) the three narrow bars/bands are replaced by a wide bar or band up to 1-1/4" wide.

A campaign medal is awarded for successful campaigns (conventions, community service activities, lazer tag battles, etc.). The design of the award indicates the number of campaigns completed:

Circle 10 to 19, Bar 20 to 29, Triangle 30 to 39, Square 40 to 49, etc...

Badges issued by other organizations, or from independant indivicual Battle Campaigns may substitute for this.

Klingon Ambassadors may wear military uniforms or civilian clothing. The civilian type clothing is generally a "robe" type affair and usually of a solid dark color. Ambassadors may also wear a sash.

Klingons do not perceive colors the way that humans do. Blue is seen as a shade of gray. Red is considered a bright color. Klingons usually prefer solid colors. When a patterned type of material is worn, it is displayed against a solid background.

Klingons generally always carry weapons of some type. As we have encountered many various races in the universe, and since we were once allied to the Federation, weapon types vary a great deal. A warrior may carry phasers, disruptors, knives, etc. Klingons prefer their own weapons but many warriors have developed a fondness for captured or Federation weapons. The choice of weapons is up to the individual. Large weapons such as swords or pole type weapons are not generally carried but are usually displayed somewhere as honor weapons.

When attending conventions or fan related events, the weapons policy of the hosting organization shall prevail. Metal weapons should normally not be worn at any hospital or school events. If in doubt, check with your chapter commander. Unless specifically authorized by your Commanding Officer, no one under the age of 18 shall be allowed to carry metal edged weapons. In NO EVENT shall anyone under the age of 16 be allowed to carry metal edged weapons. When exposing a weapon for photographic purposes, always be aware of safety issues. NEVER perform an action with an exposed weapon that could be misconstrued as an attack or threat! FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS POLICY SHALL RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION. Remember, in most situations you will be seen as a representative of the fleet, and everything you do should reflect what you want other people to think of the fleet as a whole.

Most Klingons are known by their first name. It is preferred that your first name be unique. Klingon names can be varied; popular first letters for Klingon names are K.T,D,M,V. Any letter may be used; it is a personal choice. You may choose any letter to begin with, although many add (K' {QI'}) for Imperial Navy, or (M' {mI'}) for Imperial Marines service. Neither is mandatory. Your House or Line may have suggested guidelines.

Examples of first names currently in use in the fleet:

HOUSE LINE NAMES

House {tuq} names are similar to Federation Standard 'Last' or Surnames. Sometimes referred to as Line, Clan or Ancestral Names, are very important. A warrior is responsible for his family's honor for seven generations. You may establish your own line name, or you may ask to use an existing line name. If you choose to use a line name of someone in the organization, please consult them before doing so and ask their permission.

Examples of House Line names in use in the fleet:

BuraD/ buraD	K'lor / QI'lor	ToS / toS
SuvwI'vaj	Torgh / torgh	Maw'wI' / mawwI'
SeptaH	W'ehleyr / weHley'Ir	MagnI' / maghnI'

 

Names written on the left denote the common, or Klingonaase spelling. Letters in boldface denote names spelled using the modern tlhIngan Hol (Klingon) transcription form, as you would see it in the Klingon Dictionary (TKD), from Pocket Books¹. Please note that most names are written exclusively in this form now.

Be sure to consult TKD prior to choosing your warriors name, to avoidcalling yourself someting foolish. Names should not be chosen from this source, unless you wish to be called by your spirit or avocation. Most names have NO direct translation into tlhIngan Hol. Please consult the KLI FAQ webpage, to read about this in more detail before choosing a name. It can be found at: http://www.kli.org

Some names have only the 1st letter capitolized, which is probably more of a problem caused by current word processing applications, rather than conventional annotation. All capitolized letters transcribed from tlhIngan Hol have sounds specific to Klingon, unlike their counterparts in Federation Standard. Care should be noted in the use of these capitol letters, for clarification see the pIqaD table below.

KLINGON ALPHABETS : pIqaD

There are two basic alphabets in use today.  The newer alphabet; pIqaD is featured below. It is used in conjunction with the construction of the Klingon Dictionary (TKD) by Dr. Mark Okrand.  There are special characters for the sounds ch, gh, ng that are not found in English, and tLh which sound is not found in any native Human language. Note that there no characters for the letters C, F, G, K, X, or Z. Following guide is thoughtfully provided by the Klingon Language Institute:

 

KLINGON WRITING

As you participate in activities, particularily community activities, you will probably be asked for your autograph by young people. In order to preclude embarassment, you must know how to write your name in Klingon. Following is a guide, also thoughtfully provided by the Klingon Language Institute:¹.

 

KLINGON ALPHABETS:

The oldest one was featured on the original "STAR TREK" series and is pictured below. Note that there are no characters for the letters C or Q. There are special characters for the sounds TH, OO and NG.

This is little used nowadays, and was primarily for transcribing Klingonaase, an obsolete form of Klingon. Many Awards, and Medals still bear these letters, even though they are no longer used in the modern language.

a	b	d	e	f
a	b	d	e	f

 

g	h	i	j	k
g	h	i	j	k

 

l	m	n	o	p
l	m	n	o	p

 

r	s	t	u	v
r	s	t	u	v

 

w	x	y	z	x
w	x	y	z	th

 

1	2	3	4	5
1	2	3	4	5

 

6	7	8	9	0
6	7	8	9	0

 

 

BORETHNGAN RA'

Within the Imperial Klingon Battle Fleet there is a military order of warrior/healers (similar in some respects to the Knights Hospitallers in Terran history) called the borethngan ra'. These warriors hold the teachings of Kahless in sacred trust, and constantly train in the skills necessary to heal the wounded and cure the ill, so as to return the warrior to duty as quickly as possible. They seek to enable the warrior to meet his fate in battle, rather than in a hospital bed. In this way they help the warrior to meet Kahless as he should, covered with glory and the blood of his enemies.

HISTORY

The monastery established on Boreth (the planet orbiting the star Kahless promised to return to) maintains the stories and traditions of the Klingon race. A resurgence in spiritual interest occurred when the clone of Kahless was created on Boreth. The tremendous surge in the number of young Klingons making a pilgrimage to Boreth led to the development of a powerful religious sect. The simple monastic life of prayer and awaiting the return of Kahless progressed to the opening of mystic channels of healing powers, resolute warrior strength and strict discipline. These powers and rituals are closely guarded secrets, and full knowledge is limited to the Ancients of the order.

In order to maintain this secrecy (and to better focus the individual's energy into service, rather than glory), the order has established a strict hierarchy, with limited numbers of positions available for progress above the rank of "Prelate".

borethngan ra'wI'pu' (also called simply "the Ra' ") may sometimes be recognized by a streak of grey or white hair they have in their hair at each temple. They may wear standard battledress, but may also wear specialized robes and uniforms which make them easily identifiable. The borethngan ra' also has a small military branch which serves as guards for high ranking officials of the order and for monasteries. These are commonly called "Imperial Guard".

SERVICE IN THE FLEET

The ra'wI'pu' serve on ships as do other warriors, but only in medical or scientific posts. They are under the authority of the commander of their ship, but all points accrued by them in service are forwarded to the head of the order. The order is responsible for promoting them and keeping track of their achievements. The borethngan ra' have their own rank system, which is similar in structure to the military rank system in that the points required for each promotion correspond to their military counterpart. The ra'wI'pu' may be of any rank and still serve on any ship. Ship commanders and flag rank officers may recommend the ra'wI'pu' for awards and medals as they would anyone under their command. borethngan ra'wI'pu' may be awarded honorifics. The members of the order are subject to the wishes of the High Council, as are any other fleet members.

Fleet members may choose to become members of the borethngan ra' rather than being commissioned as Ensigns. In addition, any Fleet officer may become a member of the ra' if he/she so wishes. An individual may not become a member of the ra' until he has proved him/herself as a warrior and is ready to be commissioned (and therefore also has a uniform).

EX-FEDERATION OFFICERS

Due to our current alliance with the United Federation of Planets and to a desire to educate everyone in the benefits and accomplishments of Klingon society, the Imperial Klingon Battle Fleet allows Maquis, ex-Starfleet and other alien personnel to serve on Klingon vessels. Ex-Starfleet personnel may serve in many positions on Klingon vessels, except for security positions and as ship commanders on Klingon designed vessels. Ex-Starfleet personnel may serve in any position except internal security on Qapla' / Khai Tam class vessels, as they are designed to accomodate mixed crews.

ALIEN OFFICER RANK STRUCTURE

1) Crewman 2d Class: This is the entrance rank for new members. Those individuals with this rank should seek out a department on board the ship which represents a particular area of interest, and begin developing their character persona and uniform.

2) Crewman 1st Class : Achieving this rank indicates participation in the activities of the ship and fleet.

3) Petty Officer: Achievement of this rank indicates continued participation in fleet/ship activities.

4) Warrant Officer: This rank represents the equivalent of a non- commissioned officer position. Achievement of this rank indicates excellent participation in ship/fleet activities. This is the highest rank for crew under the age of 15. This is the highest rank which may be attained without a service uniform.

5) Officer ranks are the same as for Klingons. Ex-Starfleet officer personnel must have a Starfleet uniform; ST original series, ST movies, or either ST:TNG, DS9 or Voyager style is appropriate.

 

WEAPONS

Alien personnel serving on Klingon IKBF ships are expected to carry a weapon at all times, just as Klingon warriors do. Contrary to practice on Starfleet vessels, ex-Starfleet personnel on IKBF ships may carry any type of hand weapon they feel comfortable with (Klingon, Federation, Romulan, etc.). All IKBF regulations regarding the carrying of weapons are to be followed by ex-Starfleet personnel.

 

ALIEN OFFICER UNIFORMS

Several different kinds of uniforms are authorized for ex-Starfleet and alien personnel.

1) ST original series uniform: In appropriate color for department. Lieutenant JG and above may wear a waist sash such as in the episode "Mirror, Mirror". Service and campaign awards and medals may be worn on the end of the sash which hangs down.

2) ST movie uniforms: Do not wear the ST: The Movie (ST I) uniform. You will be thought to be weak. The uniform from the other movies is acceptable, with appropriate trim for department as per regulation. Officers may wear the IKBF belt buckle in lieu of the Starfleet belt buckle, to differentiate themselves from other Starfleet officers. No sashes. Service awards on this uniform will be per Starfleet regulations. Campaign awards and medals may be worn on the left breast as Starfleet awards are.

3) ST:TNG, DS9 and Voyager uniforms: Either the jumpsuits or the various newer shirts and pants may be worn, in appropriate department colors. Lieutenant and above may wear a belt or sash similar to that worn in the episode "the other Enterprise", or may wear a Klingon sash if they have been awarded the privilege. Service and campaign awards and medals may be worn on the sash or belt.

4) Bajoran uniforms: Any of the Bajoran uniforms may be worn. A sash is permitted for ranks authorized to wear it.

5) Talaxian wear: Talaxians do not have specific Uniforms, but recreations of suits worn onscreen should be encouraged.  A sash is permitted for authorized ranks.

  

 

 

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