kang_k’tark

Kang K’tark was a direct patrilineal descendent of Kapek the Glorious. This, of course, meant that he would almost never have any claim on the throne. However, he was one of the most cunning Kamorh’dag to exist at his time and this was recognized when K’shen gave him command of the first squadron of air fighters at the age of 15. Not only was Kang the leader with the most kills in his platoon, but he also had the highest rate of live captures of all commanders. It was said that Kang could make you believe he was your friend while holding a knife at your throat, so smooth were his lies. However, it was this practiced deceit that Kang eventually tired of. His personal logs of this time, before he started expounding his views publicly, show that he was gradually becoming more and more disenchanted of always having to watch his back and wondering who would now be taking the same unfair advantages he practiced. Furthermore, he never agreed with the fact that even a supposedly trusted captain was subject to Imperial security on his own ship. Kang’s personal logs also show that his views and beliefs jelled about a year before the end of the war, but he knew that he could not forward them during the war or he would be labeled a traitor.

When the war ended in 1393 Kang took a six-month leave and spent his time in nIvDeb, the most forbidding desert on Klinzai. After four months his family considered him dead and dispersed his property according to Kamorh’dag law. Two months later, when he returned, he could have challenged everyone to whom his property had been given, but he declined and instead, began quietly expounding his new views to those who would listen. He taught that acquisition was good and honorable because only the strongest, bravest and smartest should have the things that were wrested from Durgath. However, unbridled acquisition at any cost created unbridled chaos and dishonor. Our world and our life, said Kang, is simply a struggle against Durgath. As K’nash’kar He does not care to provide us with the things that would make our lives easier. However, in his role as Durgath he will take note of a Klingon who is brave, honorable, and wise.

Kang was the first Klingon philosopher to codify the ancient Klingon beliefs of an afterlife. Kang said that one who lived and died honorably would be assigned a position in Durgath’s army, the Black Fleet, in the next life. He took into account the fact that Klingons believed that death would have no power in that life and said that this would make the komerex zha, or Perpetual Game, one that would require god-like skill and cunning, for an enemy killed would simply be out of the game for a time and would return to fight again. In this life, the purpose was to take what one could from K’nash’kar while making Him notice you in his role as Durgath. K’nash’akar was the ultimate force to be struggled against and He desired chaos and entropy. Therefore, said Kang, if K’nash’kar wants entropy we should fight Him for control of it. We should end this chaos among ourselves and certainly that grand a victory could not help but attract Durgath’s attention. It was also Kang who first wrote extensively about Fek’lar and the other demons that would await the death of a dishonorable Klingon and would torture him for eternity. In Kang’s philosophy one would still acquire knowledge and all of the other things that Klingons were striving for, but would do so with honor and without chaos.

Just over a year and a half after Kang returned from the desert, M’or’ked, through the strength he had built up at his uncle’s court and the substantial money he paid to the Imperial guards, took control of the Kamorh’dag throne. Everyone in the nation was required to submit tribute to the new ruler, but Kang the Seer refused. Even though he had no real property, he could have sent a fresh kill or promised a son for the guard, but he refused because M’or’ked’s dishonorable acquisition of the throne was in direct opposition to his beliefs. Kang’s refusal may have gone unnoticed were it not for the fact that he influenced 50 other thelds in the area to refuse tribute also. For this, M’or’ked ordered the immediate arrest of Kang and of all members of any theld who refused to pay the tribute. This convinced most of the thelds to pay the tribute, but Kang still refused and fled back into nIvDeb with the 10 thelds who were loyal to him. They lived there for the next five years, but eventually M’or’ked’s personal army discovered them. Most historians believe that Kang could have kept himself abreast of M’or’ked’s plans had he so desired since Kang had been one of the most intelligent and cunning agents in the nIvveS. M’or’ked, on the other hand, was a petty Klingon who just happened to be rich enough to buy his supporters. Kang’s views, however, were intensely against this type of activity, so M’or’ked was able to worm a supporter into Kang’s group. In 1400 during a no’jaj celebration, upon the information of this supporter, M’or’ked’s troops ruthlessly killed Kang and all his followers, including the youngest children, and burned the entire encampment to rid himself of all of Kang’s teachings.

Unbeknown to M’or’ked, however, Kang had sent a copy of his writings to his sister who had married a Gevish’rae. M’or’ked, being the petty ruler that he was, did not think to try to rid himself of extra copies, and would probably not have considered Gevish’rae territory anyway. For this reason, the writings of Kang the Seer survived and were studied by many people covertly for many years. In a development much like Christianity on Earth, the tenets of Kangism eventually came into the open, after the death 25 standard years later of M’or’ked. After about 500 years, during which time the people had family skirmishes and minor wars the same as they had been having for many centuries before, enough people professed to be supporters of Kangism that the minor wars were stopped. Many people only gave lip service to Kangism, however the end result was that the dishonorable wars stopped and the process of the unification of Klinzai began.