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In the seventh century CE on the planet the most developed civilizations on the planet Qhonhos was confronted by the forces of the barbarian warlord Theylis, who united a coalition of city states on the periphery and nomadic tribes to his banner. Numerous settlements were invaded and despoiled and millions were slain in it's advance and many historians believed that it stood a good chance of devastating the planet. Fortunately, Emperor Molor III of the Iron Domain managed to overcome this sudden upstart by dispatching a team of assassins which put managed to put a crossbow bolt through the head of the warlord as well as dispatching other prominant figures in his army. The result was a sudden violent power struggle which within a week had become a civil war. After a year of rallying his forces Molor II seized the advantage and pushed the barbarian forces back. With that task accomplished, Molor III went back to administrating his realm, focusing on the development of roads and fortification for the remainder of his days.

Over the next few centuries, the Iron Domain would continue to expand in it's quest to bring order to the Thilnghan (pronounced Thu-lin-ghan) people, building as it went. As it did so, it cultivated an extensive civil service to manage it's projects and schools of engineering and science. Gradually these forces grew in strength, superseding local dynasties in power and prominence. A civil war was fought between a block of noble houses and the increasingly technocratic sections of the civil service after the short lived Hurq invasion in the 14th century (which saw the destruction of the Imperial City and about half of the Iron Domain's population) lasted for sixty years, but saw the finalization of the process. The Domain was no more and in it's place rose the Thilnghan Commonwealth, united under the banner of the Sliding Rule. Things proceeded smoothly afterwards, even though labor shortages forced innovation and eventually industrialization. Designing large projects, from Aquaducts to Dams to sewer systems to factories became a distinctive part of the national identity. Thilnghan computing technology started with mechanical analytical engines, gradually evolving into electronic systems with numerous terminals. A downside to this was a tendency towards pollution, leading them to build large orbital mirrors to compensate for global warming.

Starting in 1845 CE the Commonwealth began to reach into space, eventually achieving warp capability in 1960 allowing them to reach for new stars. For all of this, Thilnghan expansionism was fairly slow, in no small part due to the Supreme Planning Council's rather unorthodox ideas about expansion. Most species would send shiploads of settlers to settle habitable planets, Thilnghans however were more interested in making their own. Asteroids were processed, smelted and assembled into largescale ring stations kilometers across which rotated, each of which could accommodate thousands or millions of people. It also meant that marginal systems which would other systems would have been seen as sources of ore at best became major population centers. On what worlds they did colonize or conquer, they colonized extensively. Qhonhos' population eventually leveled out at 125 billion living in thousands of large-scale arcologies.

In general, the Thilnghan Commonwealth maintained reasonable relations with many of it's more developed neighbors. Vulcan relations with the Commonwealth was generally amiable on the whole even as they did conquer a few primitive species now and again and their willingness to sell starships and weapons. A basic trend which would be continued by the Federation. They also came into conflict with the Romulan Star Empire on several occasions, including two ill fated attempts to take Romulus. Thilnghan starships are characterized as being dependable, reliable vessels that are easy to mass produce but are often slower than their counterparts. While their empire was comparitively small in terms of space, it's population density and level of development made up for that. During the Dominion War, Commonwealth shipyards kept up a steady supply of warships, including many ships made for the Federal Navy and Romulan Imperial Navy.

A most surpising event happened in 2365 around a subspace disturbance on the verge of Commonwealth Space when an unusual starship was teleported in. Though it's design was unknown, it's crew were by all appearance Thilnghan, even though their behavior was quite distinct. Instead of being calm, methodical and pragmatic in their behavior as most Commonwealth citizens are they were aggressive, abrasive, confrontational and overly concerned about a brutal code of Honor, "Glory", dying pointless deaths and hitting things. It's captain denounced the Commonwealth as being a nation of cowards and got into a firefight with a Commonwealth squadron before retreating under cloak. Occasionally the ship has made itself known by attacking monitor stations on the fringes of Thilnghan space and broadcasting messages which denounce the "inheritors of the tyrant Molor", preach the "true path of Kahless the Unforgettable" and that it's people should "become True Klingons". In general they are considered an annoyance from a rather unpleasant alternate world where barbarism won and festered.