"The bat'leth - Sword of Honor - is what defines the Klingon Empire. It was the use of the bat'leth by Kahless that enabled him to overpower a vastly superior force led by the Tyrant Molar and to unite the tribes of Qo'noS into an Empire.  There are two histories of the creation of the Sword that lie along the
lines of fact and fiction. In many ways Kahless has taken on proportions of *God-hood* even though he would be the first to laugh at such a suggestion. The Clerics of Boreth await his return and keep sacred the
first of the bat'leth stories.

The first accounting is well known but it is a tale that deserves telling. In it Kahless walked from the camps of his army prior to the final battle with Molar. He was troubled - the weight of thousands of warrior's lives
was getting too much to bear and he had to have quiet to contemplate the situation. After sitting down under a small tree he fell into a troubled sleep and was met with a vision. The Gods told him to climb the slopes of Kri'stak , take a lock of his long black hair and dip it into the lava of the volcano . This was to be plunged into the waters of Lursor and a weapon of great power was to be forged from this. The God's gave him the vision of the sword and Kahless forged it as he was instructed, giving it the name bat'leth - *Sword of Honor*.  Molar was defeated and the bat'leth became not only the symbol, but the
primary weapon of the warriors of the Empire.

The second accounting involves the recovery of some ancient documents written in Kahless's own hand. Although many tried to suppress them, the contents did become known and the story they tell not only honors Kahless as a leader, but as a man we can all admire and respect.  God-hood is a terrible onus. Gods are to be feared but warriors of great strength and courage are to be admired and respected - that's what
Kahless is and means to the Klingon Empire.  In this accounting Kahless still walks from camp and has his dream, but his first reaction is to gaze up at Kri'stak and laugh at the ridiculous idea of climbing the slopes of an active volcano. He does believe that the design of the bat'leth is divine in nature and he hurries back to camp to locate a metal smith. When the call is sent out for the best weapons maker in camp it is answered by Toragh, who makes Kahless his weapon and Molar is defeated.  This is the heritage of the weapons smith as well as the story of the bat'leth. We who make weapons are warriors first, for who can make a weapon if he does not first understand how to use it ? Great weapons are made by great weapons makers but great warriors are born to the task "