Boreth Monastery

The Boreth Monastery was a Klingon monastery dedicated to Kahless the Unforgettable, and the lone structure on the planet Boreth.

The monastery was located near natural lava caves, and also served to protect a rare mineral native to the planet: time crystals. Those protecting the crystals called themselves the Timekeepers. Even the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council did not hold sway over the monastery or the monks who guarded the crystals. As of the mid-23rd century, Klingon lives had guarded these crystals for generations. (DIS: "Through the Valley of Shadows")

History[]

According to Klingon religion, the Story of the Promise tells of the return of the legendary Klingon warrior Kahless. During his life, Kahless pointed to the Boreth primary and said: "Look for me there, on that point of light." The Followers of Kahless would build the monastery on Boreth, orbiting the star, to await his return. (TNG: "Rightful Heir")

During the 23rd century, it was said that no one left the monastery, and no one who did not belong there ever got in. Contact with outsiders had been almost nonexistent ever since the world was still young. (DIS: "Point of Light", "Through the Valley of Shadows")

But in 2257, Section 31 orchestrated the secret delivery of the unnamed son of Chancellor L'Rell and Ash Tyler for the monks at the Boreth Monastery to raise as a son of none. (DIS: "Point of Light")

Later that year, following the appearance of a mysterious red burst, Captain Christopher Pike was able to negotiate a visit to the monastery through Chancellor L'Rell to attain a time crystal with the assistance of Tenavik. (DIS: "Through the Valley of Shadows")

In an alternate timeline, Pike returned to the monastery at some point following 2266 where the monks revealed to him what the correct future was supposed to be and Spock's important involvement in shaping the future of the galaxy. The monks agreed to provide Pike with a new time crystal and the chance to travel back in time and show his past self the consequences of his choice to change his own fate. (SNW: "A Quality of Mercy")

In 2369, the high clerics of Boreth produced a clone of Kahless and orchestrated his apparent return from Sto-vo-kor in order to restore honor to the Empire. Klingon Starfleet officer Worf, who had been put on leave and had chosen to go to Boreth in order to seek spiritual enlightenment, was present at the monastery when this happened. With the help of Starfleet, the nature of the clone was eventually revealed. (TNG: "Rightful Heir")

Following the destruction of the USS Enterprise-D in 2371, Worf took extended leave from Starfleet to visit the Klingon monastery on Boreth again. He found his discussions with the clerics there to be most enlightening. As his leave neared its end, he was pulled back from his studies due to the Federation-Klingon War, but he hoped to return afterward, even considering resigning from Starfleet. Eventually, Worf remained in Starfleet. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

A view of the Boreth Monastery was depicted on several viewscreens on Deep Space 9's Promenade and Replimat. (DS9: "The Muse")

Appendices[]

Background information[]

In "Rightful Heir", the Boreth landscape and monastery was a matte painting created by Dan Curry. He was inspired by similar structures he had seen in the Himalayas. (Star Trek Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 1, p. 93; Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 2nd ed., p. 248)

Scenes in the Boreth Monastery for "Through the Valley of Shadows" were filmed at Knox College, a campus of the University of Toronto. [1]

External link[]

• Boreth Monastery at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works