Sto-vo-kor (or Sto'Vo'Kor) is, in Klingon mythology, the afterlife for the honored dead, where all true warriors go after they die to fight an eternal battle against great enemies. The halls of Sto-vo-kor were said to be guarded by Kahless the Unforgettable.
According to the tradition of ak'voh, whenever a warrior dies in battle, others stay with the body to keep away predators, allowing the spirit to leave the body and go to Sto-Vo-Kor. (DS9: "The Ship")
A Klingon can enter Sto-vo-kor by dying in battle or while performing a heroic deed. In addition, they may enter Sto-Vo-kor by allowing themselves to be killed by another Klingon. (DS9: "Children of Time", "Covenant")
Alternatively, the relatives of the deceased can also perform such a deed in the name of the fallen to ensure their arrival in the halls. In 2375, Worf destroyed the Monac shipyards in the name of Jadzia Dax, in order to gain her entry into Sto-vo-kor. (DS9: "Image in the Sand", "Shadows and Symbols")
Later that year, Kor wished Worf well and that they would see each other again in Sto-vo-kor after Kor believed he would die fighting the Dominion aboard the IKS Ning'tao. (DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")
Background
The Klingon after-life of Sto-vo-kor was first mentioned in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The back story regarding how Kahless awaits all Klingons there was slowly developed and carried over to the later series of Deep Space Nine and Voyager.
Prior it its on-screen mention, the Klingon afterlife was a subject of many Pocket Books novels, although in these non-canon works, the afterlife was known as the "Black Fleet", to which honorable Klingons would serve in after death. The more successful a warrior the Klingon was in life, the greater their rank would be in the Black Fleet.
Sto-vo-Kor itself has never been seen in a live action production (only described verbally), although its counterpart Gre'thor, the Klingon equivalent to "hell", was seen in the episode "Barge of the Dead". The novel Kahless depicts Sto-vo-kor as an stone castle to which Klingon warriors return each night after glorious battles (with each other) to feast and drink.
External links
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- STOVOKOR - a Klingon musical group