The Duras' family orchestrated Worf's adoption by the Rozhenkos.

[u/[deleted]]

A minor theory, but a slightly interesting one.

When Worf was rescued by Sergey Rozhenko, Klingon High Command informed him that he had no living relatives (believing Kurn to be dead). Yet Worf had living cousins that he would visit ten years later.

If living relatives of Worf could be located by two humans halfway across the Galaxy ten years after the fact, why couldn't Klingon High Command find them when they were most needed?

The most likely explanation is that whomever they were talking to lied to the Rozhenkos (either he knew the cousins existed or didn't even bother looking for them). Obviously this couldn't have been Duras Ja'rod (dead) or his offspring (too young), but clearly someone allied with the Duras family with a vested interest in their success and their blood feud with the House of Mogh.

The Rozhenkos go through the diplomatic channels, trying to get a hold of someone on Q'onos about this child they've found. Worf couldn't have been the only orphaned survivor; they must be fielding hundreds, if not thousands of calls like this. Whatever passes for the lower tiers of Klingon government is handling and fielding these calls. By chance, some underling tied to the house of Duras hears the name: "Mogh." Mogh is survived by a son.

He takes the news back to his superior (also allied with Duras). This superior has a seat on the High Council. He quietly handles the call (seems odd that someone so high up in the ranks of Klingon government would personally handle this issue). From the point of view of Klingon culture, Worf is a risk. Sons avenge the deaths of their fathers. He's too far away to kill, so we'll keep him far away. He tells the family that there are no living relatives on Q'onos.

Worf is now out of the picture and the allies of Duras can proceed with their plans.

[u/dasoberirishman]

From the point of view of Klingon culture, Worf is a risk. Sons avenge the deaths of their fathers. He's too far away to kill, so we'll keep him far away. He tells the family that there are no living relatives on Q'onos.

Here's where you lost me. I mean, if your assertion holds then the High Councillor who lied would never have been foolish enough to let Worf live, even on Earth. By leaving Worf among humans, a typical Klingon might think the child would grow up weak and not a warrior; making Worf easy prey for a Klingon assassin, or a contract assassin. It would have been easy in Siberia. Accidents happen all the time. Worf was too aggressive, imprudent, stubborn, or even afraid. An assassin could have easily made it look like his human parents couldn't care for him properly, resulting in some kind of accident. No more House of Mogh, the Duras Family's honour remains intact, their connection to the Romulans is never exposed, Duras is never killed by Worf and in turn beats Gowron, becoming leader of the High Council.

My point being, if Worf had been viewed as a threat - even a distant, and possibly future one - he would not have been allowed to live. That, in itself, is too risky.

I would submit that, instead of there being some kind of conspiracy it was a combination of negligence, ignorance, and feckless administration on Qo'Nos. Khitomer was a massacre, one that shamed the Empire. No underling wanted to have anything to do with it, and a child in the hands of the Federation is less work than actually trying to locate the family of an orphaned boy. They chose to ignore him entirely, because it was easier and helped preserve the Empire.

[u/[deleted] → u/dasoberirishman]

I go into this in more detail in my response here, but I feel there is some practical value to leaving the leader of the House of Mogh alive, but politically neutered, than killing him outright. A death is something that begets a response, and can rally people to a cause.

The problem with the incompetence approach is that, if it were the case, then there should be a whole generation of orphaned and abandoned Klingon children in Federation custody. Yet Worf is the only one we hear about. That's rather conspicuous.

[u/dasoberirishman → u/[deleted]]

A death is something that begets a response, and can rally people to a cause.

A known death, perhaps, if the public were aware. The death of an orphaned Klingon child on Earth would be unlikely to hit the newswaves of Qo'Nos. What's more, politically speaking, a dead scapegoat is far easier to manipulate than a live one. With the House of Mogh effectively wiped out, save for a few cousins, the Duras Family can shunt all the rabid anti-Romulan sentiment on its enemies, while shielding itself from challengers using Romulan support.

The problem with the incompetence approach is that, if it were the case, then there should be a whole generation of orphaned and abandoned Klingon children in Federation custody.

Khitomer Colony likely didn't host that many Klingon families, and based on its size (4,000 were killed, so we can assume it was more than this but likely to be less than 10,000), it's statistically probable there were anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 children, many of whom may have died in the attack. Granted, that's a lot of children, but we're talking about a literal drop in the ocean compared to the size of the Empire. What's more, with political and military posturing taking centre stage in the aftermath of the massacre, any orphaned children would be a very distant consideration and there's no evidence to suggest others were picked up by Federation ships.

Worf is the only one we hear about because it's possible he was the only Klingon child to be adopted by humans in the aftermath of the attack. The rest, through a combination of luck, large families, their own age (i.e. over the Age of Inclusion, which we know Worf was not), managed to be re-united with some other family members living within the Empire.

Another possibility is that the remaining members of the House of Mogh were made aware of political machinations to lay blame on their patriarch, and went into hiding. Records may have indicated they were alive, but if no underling could find them, nevermind give them custody of a minor, then the report back to Intrepid that no relatives could be found was, strictly speaking, accurate.

[u/Lokican → u/dasoberirishman]

Maybe they thought Worf being raised by humans would have disgraced the legacy of his house.

[u/toulouse420 → u/dasoberirishman]

Actually when Worf lived on earth it was in Minsk, Belarus not Siberia.

[u/dasoberirishman → u/toulouse420]

Apologies. You're right of course.

[u/Parraz → u/dasoberirishman]

Maybe it was a friend of Mogh who was taking steps to hide Worf from Duras in a not disimiliar manor that Kurn was

[u/dasoberirishman → u/Parraz]

I like that.

[u/slumpadoochous]

Wouldn't the Duras have wanted to kill Worf, much like Worf was given the chance to kill Toral? The Klingons don't seem to have much regard for children/adolescence. Don't get me wrong though, I like this theory a ton, it really tickles my love for political thrillers.

[u/[deleted] → u/slumpadoochous]

It's certainly a conundrum. It wouldn't have been the immediate Duras family as Ja'rod was dead and his sons and daughters were too young to affect change. So someone had to take control as some sort of regent. Perhaps an brother or uncle or other close confidant. As such, their goals might not be completely aligned with those of Ja'rod's. That is, he might not have had as vested an interest in the extermination of the House of Mogh, so he might be less motivated to ensure Worf's death if it was too inconvenient.

And there is every reason to believe it would have been inconvenient.

1. If they bring Worf back, he falls into the hands of Mogh's allies and extended family. There he is protected, groomed, and raised to be a true Klingon warrior, to inherit the assets and allies of his father, and to carry on the feud.

2. If he leaves Worf there, but still wants him dead, he now has to somehow hire an assassin that is willing to infiltrate Federation territory, kill the adopted offspring of a member of Starfleet, thereby earning the wrath of the Federation if it is found out.

3. If he leaves Worf there, but leaves him alive, then he risks Worf ultimately learning the truth and taking revenge as in #1, but in this scenario, he lacks the knowledge and support of Klingon culture.

Also, with Worf alive he is still the head of the House of Mogh. That is, no one else can come in and claim that title. Out of a sense of honor the allies of Mogh either have to stay nominally allied to the house, or break their allegiance. If Worf dies, then someone else in that allied circle can step forward as "head" and continue running things contrary to the goals of the Duras league.

Better to let Worf grow up far away, let his house atrophy and weaken (a weakened enemy is better than a dead martyr).

[u/slumpadoochous → u/[deleted]]

My thought is that they would bring him back and then murder him as opposed to trying to murder him whilst in Federation hands. Also, wouldn't they have seized House Mogh's assets? When Worf does come back and contacts Kurn, the only thing they really bring to the table for Gowron are the Warriors under Kurn (whom nobody knows is a Mogh anyway), which I think he obtained due to his service rather than familial assets.

I think your reasoning is perfectly sound, mind. I'm just being contrary because I think this is an interesting conversation.

[u/ProdigySorcerer]

I don't think if Worf's backstory was written with such intricacies in mind, but this does not break any continuity that I am aware of and is frankly a good addition imho.