Salvationverse Worldbuilding: Legions · 12:40am Jan 27th, 2019
Hey, I'm finally returning to FiMFiction after so long! I'm currently hashing out the details of the next chapter of My Little Queen: Friendship is Salvation, so I figured I'd give you all a bit of worldbuilding on how changeling society works in this universe. Specifically, the thirteen legions.
Each hive, assuming they haven't faced some kind of crisis, has thirteen legions. The size of the legion varies from hive to hive, situation to situation, and legion to legion. For example, the Everfree Hive normally has larger fourth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh legions than other hives - the fourth larger due to its proximity to Canterlot, a political hotbed, and the ninth, tenth and eleventh because of how their skills are made so much more effective or neccessary due to their place of residence.
The thirteen legions are:
First Legion (Elites): The cream of the crop (for the most part). These changelings are skilled in multiple areas, and despite their differences form a cohesive unit. The only legion to rarely have over one-hundred Changelings in it, and the only legion to have more than one centurion per hundred changelings. Average size: 40.
Second Legion (Supplements): Skilled in both disguise and combat, this legion does not fight directly for the hive, instead fighting for their host nation and making sure it doesn't get taken over. A recently conquered nation has little love to go around, after all. Sizes vary widely - hives in areas that are at peace with powerful millitaries tend to only have about twenty, whereas hives in places with constant conflict or a weak millitary can have Second Legions number in the mid-hundreds. As such, the average number is too deceptive to list, but the Everfree hive has about 350 changelings in the Canterlot Royal Guard.
Third Legion (Hopes): Without a doubt, the most important legion of the hive. These changelings gather love from their host nation. They tend to be in jobs that get them a lot of some kind of love. Many are simply community leaders, but there are also many who act as therapists, performers (both 'adult' and otherwise), models, or firefighters. Their numbers tend do be in the thousands, and are even larger for larger hives. Recently, the Everfree hive has found their Third Legion to be less effective, due to rising tensions in Canterlot and Ponyville due to the Princess's student almost destroying the latter.
Fourth Legion (Spies): Infiltrators focused more on political intrigue. They tend to be the third-smallest legion, next to the First Legion and the Thirteenth Legion, although hives located near political centers like Canterlot or Manehattan tend to have larger Fourth Legions. Average number of changelings in the Fourth legion is about 90.
Fifth Legion (Millitary): Straight-up, orderly physical fighters. While there is rarely anything exceptional about them, they are well-trained and follow orders to a T. There has rarely been an all out war, but the changeling hives are ready, should the time ever come. Average size: 850 Changelings.
Sixth Legion (Hounds): Basically the Changeling equivalent of the Wonderbolts, except more focused on combat than airshows. They wear special armor that lets them divebomb groundbound opponents without much threat of injury, and they tend to know low-level spells to knock out other aerial opponents. Average size: 225 changelings.
Seventh Legion (Duelists): Like the Fifth Legion, these are focused physical fighters. The big difference is that, unlike the practiced regiments of the Fifth Legion, each member of the Seventh Legion has their own unique fighting style, often mixed with flying and magic, that is great at taking down single targets, even if they are large monsters. They also serve as the hive's police force. Average size: 200 Changelings, though most are acting as police. Twilight has gotten about half of her combat training from the Seventh Legion.
Eighth Legion (Names vary: Everfree's Eighth is known as Pyros.): Battle mages, often specializing in their hive's associated school of magic. This means that their colloquial name is different from hive to hive. There are some who know non-specialized magic, though. Average size: 175 Changelings. Twilight got the other half of her combat training from the Eighth Legions of multiple hives.
Ninth Legion (Hunters): Trapmakers, ambushers, ranged fighters - basically, any changeling specializing in stealth and combat. Average number: 230 Changelings.
Tenth Legion (Tricksters): Weather manipulators, illusionists, diggers, basically any changeling who can use or manipulate the field of battle. If you have trouble telling them apart from the ninth legion, remember: The Ninth Legion manipulates the field before the battle and Utilise the field without changing it. The Tenth Legion manipulates the field during the battle, and utilize the field by changing it. The Tenth Legion's numbers are somewhat varied from hive to hive, as are what specific forms of field manipulation they utilize, but their numbers tend to average around 110 Changelings. The Everfree's Tenth is especially notorious and well-trained, making it near impossible to attack the hive head on.
Eleventh Legion (Shadows): Very similar to the ninth legion, these are focused on stealth. There is one major difference, though: These changelings are never to be caught. These are your scouts and your assassins. The only ones who know how big this Legion is are their Centurions and Decurions. Most changelings think that the Eleventh Legion doesn't even exist anymore.
Twelfth Legion (Medics): Combat medics, Support, etc. When there isn't any major conflict, a portion of them take on Love-gathering duties similar to the Third Legion, except as doctors or masseuses. Average size: 425 Changelings.
Thirteenth Legion (Downers): The newest Legion, only coming about a few centuries ago. They specialize in siege weaponry. Size varies, but usually there are around 70 changelings operating around 15 siege weapons.
Centurions: Each Legion has one centurion per 100 changelings in the legion (Rounded up), with the exception of the elites, which have two centurions who balance each other out. They are the leaders of their legion, though what that means varies from legion to legion - In the Eighth legion, they tend to be able to think on the fly, so as to identify what spells are best for what purpose. The Seventh Legion centurions are skilled judges of character as well as impeccable fighters, identifying exactly which legionnaires would fit well together. The Twelfth Legion Centurions are skilled multitaskers and think calmly in emergencies, doing what they can to keep as many changelings alive as possible. The Fourth Legion Centurions are masters of psychology and logic, identifying shifts on the political wind near immediately and manipulating the courts to keep the host nation safe and the hive hidden and well fed. I could go on, but usually, Centurions are highly skilled in their area of expertise, and it is considered a great honor to become one... with the exception of the Third Legion Centurions, who usually just deal with paperwork and organization.
The Centurions provide another piece of changeling society, however: any changeling royal wishing to inherit the throne must, among other things, either spend Five years as a Centurion in any of the legions, spend ten years as a Diplomat, or spend fifteen years in the legions at any rank. This is to make sure that they are, in one way or another, capable of leading their hive to greatness.
My computer is acting up, so Ciao for now!
Cool, I suppose I should reread your story to remember what was about, sorry, I've read various changeling fics and I'm writing one myself.
Best wishes.
REALLY good job on this world-building info concerning the hives of the Salvationverse. :-D
And welcome back.
Hurray, new chapter is coming. This year keep getting better and better.
Huzzah
for undeath! You live!