House of Mo'Kai

The House of Mo’Kai was one of the Great Houses of the Klingon Empire. They held a long reputation of being “watchers,” “deceivers,” and “weavers of liars,” employing tactics of espionage and subterfuge that many Klingons considered dishonourable. The useful nature of such skills made them invaluable, however, to a slew of Great Houses and Chancellors across history, helping ensure their longevity.

In the late-24th century, the House of Mo’Kai harnessed the wellspring of belief in Klingon society that the Empire had grown soft, and should instead return to the old ways of conquest. In the open, they acted as members of the High Council, part of the Empire’s rulership, while conducting clandestine operations to undermine the Empire, the Federation, and relations between the two. Their shadowy rebellion came to an end in mid-2401, with the disappearance of Chancellor Martok. Their leader, Lady L’kor, was accused of being responsible for Martok’s murder, and was defeated and killed in trial by combat at the hand of Toral, son of Duras. Toral ascended to the Chancellorship, discommended the entire House of Mo’Kai, and seized their assets for his own, only newly-restored House.

As of mid-2401, the House of Mo’Kai has fallen. Its members are dishonoured, and have been forced into the shadows and fringes of Klingon society. They are no longer a threat to the Federation. Any who have survived and have the desire for action have a new foe: Toral, son of Duras, who has torn down one of the most ruthless and duplicitious of Klingon Houses.

Origins

In 2256, Ujilli, the representative for the House of Mo'Kai on the Klingon High Council, answered the signal from T'Kuvma and the Beacon of Kahless.

During the first months of the Federation-Klingon War, the House of Mo'Kai was nominally independent. In December of 2256, they and the House of D'Ghor secretly arranged a meeting with Vulcan to discuss the possibility of uniting against Kol and the House of Kor. However, the meeting was a ruse to capture a high-ranking Federation official. As reward, the House of Mo'Kai was officially welcomed into Kol's unified Klingon Empire, and furnished with cloaking technology.

When Ujilli's niece L'Rell declared herself to be the new Chancellor of the Klingon High Council, the House of Mo'Kai became her close supporters. Chancellor L'Rell considered herself part of House of Mo'Kai and the House of T'Kuvma, a loyalty which persisted among Mo'Kai members for generations.

Many Klingons saw the destruction of Romulus as an opportunity to conquer their long-time Romulan enemies. House of Mo'Kai, growing increasingly disenchanted with the rulers of the Klingon Empire, recalled the days of T'Kuvma uniting the Great Houses against the Federation.

In 2389, the Sovereignty of Kahless, an insurgency supported by many minor houses and led by the House of Ma'rek, invaded three Federation sectors and became a de facto power in both Federation and Klingon space. Agreeing with the Sovereignty's actions in returning the Empire to its conquering roots, the House of Mo’Kai began surreptitiously supporting the Klingon extremist faction. In 2391, when Starfleet and the Klingon Defense Force defeated the Sovereignty, the House of Mo'Kai took in many of its survivors.

In Play

The House of Mo’Kai has been almost destroyed. Their members have run into hiding, and so will likely only be encountered as scattered individuals trying to survive or pursuing their own agendas.
Once enemies of the Federation, a warrior of Mo’Kai now has more pressing interests: survival, or revenge against Toral, son of Duras, the Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. Their organised, coherent, clandestine insurgency operation has collapsed, but there remain highly-motivated individuals who hate Toral and have little left to lose.
Preferring tactics of deception and subterfuge, members of the House of Mo'Kai will often use unconventional methods that ordinary Klingons would find dishonorable compared to a frontal assault.