Changelings in the Trioverse

Changelings

A race of love consuming shape-shifters that work to hide themselves from the other races of Equestria. Insect-like both physically and socially.

Types:

There are three distinct kinds of Changelings, easily distinguishable when in their original forms.

Drones: The typical changeling, they are the works and soldiers of the hive. Can shape-shift into ponies of most variety, however they cannot shift into any other race.

Royal Guard: A rare type of drone that is typically close to the queen. They take longer to mature, and are usually three times the size of a typical drone, with strength to match. All Royal Guards are male, and can shape-shift into non-pony races.

Queen: The core of the hive, without the queen, a hive withers and dies off. The queen propagates the race, as well as leads it. She's also the only changeling capable of wielding magic outside of shape-shifting.

Society:

All changelings have a common drive to do what they believe is best for the hive. A queen and royal guards role is set at birth, but drones have more freedom in their roles. When a drone has reached full maturity they can choose to contribute to being a worker, or a soldier. When they choose their role, they also choose their name.

Some changelings stand out from the norm. Changelings that really excel at what they do. These changelings are recognized by the queen, and are given names, or titles, that they're referred to until they're replaced.

There are titles like Ghost, Lores, Mason, Voice.

A title of note is Mantis. Mantis is the general of the queen's soldiers. His/her role in the hive is to carry out the queen's orders, and question them with ernest if he/she suspects they're not for the good of the hive. The changeling carrying the name of Mantis is the second most powerful of the hive, and the most likely to betray the queen's command, for the hive. Those with this title are particularly clever, and insightful. No Mantis is foolish enough to threaten the queen's life. For without the queen, the hive dies off.

Diet / Lifespan:

Changeling's feed off of the love of other races. Though they can feed from any race, they get the most out of ponies, since they can easily shape-shift into them. Pony love is also more enriched in magic then the other races. Love can be converted into nectar to be stored and divvied out to the hive.

Changelings live shorter lives then the other races, but they also reach maturity faster than the other races. A typical drone reached full mental and physical maturity at around six years of age, and typically succumb to old age at around thirty years. Queens and Royal guards physically mature slower because they're bodies are large and wield more magic; however they mental mature just as fast as drones, having the mental capacities of a pony adult at around six years old. Royal Guards live about a pony's lifespan. A queen stops aging once she's reached full maturity.

Geography:

Being a coldblooded race, they found their lives in the Badlands to be quite comfortable. Near the fall, the Badlands become chilled, and are taken in by the monsoon season. Lasting several months, a majority of the changeling hive hibernates during the monsoon. A clutch layed by the queen is looked after during this quiet season.

Relations:

Developments have made the changeling race become allies with the ponies of Equestria, as their reliance on feeding on love has waned since an event known as the Secret War four hundred years prior to Luna's Protege.

Otherwise the changelings keep to themselves, and the other races like it that way.

History(as described by Twilight):

"Actually, the history of Chrys' hive is quite amazing! Before Luna befriended Chrysalis, the race was ruled by a queen named Amber who sought to dominate Equestria for her hive. It was actually quite a rough time for [redacted]"