I think it should have been @Toral,@ the illigitimate son of @Duras,@ who should have succeeded @K’mpec@ upon his death in 2367. (“Reunion” [TNG]). @Gowron@ may very well have been the one who actually poisoned K’mpec at that time so that he could expedite his succession to council leader. Had the Duras family been able to prove this, the entire @Klingon civil war would have been avoided.
