Still writing... have a small C&C teaser · 8:45pm Nov 29th, 2023
After a turkey week break from work that wasn’t a full week (had to work Monday) or very restful due to travel, I’m back on the job, both in the office and writing the new C&C chapters. Yes, chapters, as with the total length of this thing now approaching 24,000 words, I’m going to have to break it up one last time. That’s just too long for an adult chapter, even a climactic one. And yes, even one chock full of lore and worldbuilding goodies.
Writing this has been a slow process due to work being a bear—it’s just been deadline after deadline this last half of the year—and other issues occasionally sapping my creative energy. And that’s to say nothing of the simple fact that complicated clop chapters are much more mentally taxing that regular ones, trying to juggle everything and figure out what to include and what to hold off on. But I’m trying to get the first chapter off to prereaders this week.
As I’ve forced folks to wait for this, I’ll offer up a quick teaser that shows some of the Changeling lore I’m including. Don’t worry, it’s sanitized. What you’re about to read is basically the T-rated version:
“Then you’re saying you have already intervened in the affairs of other races?” Giraldi asked her.
The Queen nodded. “We have indeed, though in the case of my hive, it is only when we judge it absolutely necessary. As a rule, we greatly prefer not to ‘rock the boat’, as Harpies term it. But there have been times we have done so for the sake of not just ourselves, but those we live among, whether griffons or others.”
“Others? What others?” Miles Fortuna asked.
“Virtually all races and nations of Tellus have known Changeling influence and intervention at times. Allow me to give you a couple notable examples throughout history. The ancient pony Emperor of Coltigula was in fact a Changeling, belonging to our parent hive,” she began; though Gilda didn’t recognize the name, Ruben Virgo apparently did, causing her to look up in surprise.
“Notorious for his sexual appetites, he turned the entire Empire of Roam into his personal playpen and a means to feed himself vast amounts of love. His perversions and proclivities were legend, as he tricked an entire nation of equines into supplying him enough love to feed every Changeling on Tellus. But sadly, his appetites turned into his undoing,” she said almost wistfully.
“For there is only so much love a Changeling can absorb and assimilate at once, and the kind of love he was consuming was the equivalent of an endless supply of cheap candy and liquor—giving strong sugar high-like rushes while being anything but nutritious,” she continued.
“Officially, he was assassinated by his underlings for weakening the Empire with his excesses. But in truth, he might be one of the few Changelings of history to die of severe heart disease, gorged on so much love that he was morbidly obese in his true form. We covered up his passing and the Empire returned to whatever passed for normal, though I fear he only accelerated its rot and eventual collapse,” she concluded with a sigh. “Needless to say, he was not the finest example of our race.”
“Remarkable…” To Gilda’s surprise, it was Rubens Virgo who spoke, still watching the various affairs without participating in them. “I am familiar with the equine Empire of Roam, Queen Lepidoptes. I have read books and visited museums dedicated to it. Such a revelation would rewrite a large chunk of pony history.”
“Indeed it would, Optio. Or if you wish, I can offer an example much closer to home. It may interest you all to know that my great-grandmother, Scylia Lepidoptes the Vth, once had to temporarily replace a Griffon Queen and sit directly on her throne...”
So, yeah. Lots of goodies in here that should satisfy both clop fans and those who like lore. I will say up front that I’m once again dedicating this chapter to former partner in crime and Gentlemanverse author Denim_Blue, as it’s his Changeling lore I’m borrowing and (heavily) building on. Still miss you, Denim. 
Anyway, I’m going to get this off to prereaders by this weekend, with a projected release of the middle of next week. Sorry again for the wait. Hopefully it will be worth it, and I’ll work on getting the second half of the Changeling arc’s grand finale out by Xmas.
Looking with hype towards the next release.
and clop 
alike 
Of lore
Have a great week and I wish you success in general
It's perhaps a facile point but being all-powerful sucks when there's no one with the authority to tell you to stop being a fatass.