Guilty Hornet [Old Version]

by Zombificus

Codex One: Changeling Culture

The changelings are perhaps the most unique pony race currently in existence, mainly due to their radically different biology and the fact that their homelands are some of the most inhospitable on the continent. Scattered across the badlands far south of Equestria atop the ruins of the civilisation which birthed their kind, and nestled in between the Zebran colony of Matumaini-Mapya and the north-eastern reaches of Griffonia, the changelings thrive where any other race would wither up and die.

None of their ability to survive the dry, infertile wasteland they call home is natural, of course, but several millennia of deliberate genetic modification via dark magic and the intervention of an alicorn-level magical being to save the changelings from death by plague have ensured that their unusual traits continue to pass to their offspring. Their civilisation's culture, however, has not been as enduring, and very little is known about the original changeling society, with modern changelings sharing very little besides their mournfully limited account of their own history and their universal praise of the aforementioned intervening being as thanks for its sacrifice.

Although around half of the changeling population inhabits other countries at any one time, those more static settlements have developed their own, rather distinct, cultures out of half-forgotten past and borrowed traits from nearby settlements. Those changeling settlements - called, rather aptly, 'hives' - to the east tend to incorporate Griffonian and Zebran, whereas the northern hives borrow heavily from the southern, unicorn-dominated territories of Equestria and her pony-ruled allies, and the heartlands base themselves around what little of the old ways remain.

Naturally, most changelings seek out lives in disguise within other nations, but there is still a significant population remaining inside their homelands who get by via dealings with neighbouring nations such as the aforementioned Griffonia, Matumaini-Mapya and Equestria. Those who stay in the race's homelands - either through choice or necessity - live in an array of different settlement types, the usual variants of which are as follows:

Coverts:
Semi-permanent, communally maintained spaces dug into the earth, typically consisting of two-to-three entry tunnels leading to an artificial cavern between twenty and fifty metres below the surface capable of supporting a small camp of changelings. Most commonly used by travellers and badlands hunters, coverts are less a type of permanent settlement than they are a stopping point along the way to larger population centres, and as such are more often than not uninhabited.

Lacunae:
Larger openings hollowed out of the land, usually with a small network of entryways and two or more moderately sized caverns, capable of permanently supporting the equivalent of a changeling village. Via magically waterproofed holes leading from the cavern roof to the surface, rain and sunlight is allowed entry into the lacuna, which is typically supplemented with magical light sources along with light-gathering spells.

Lacunae, like most changeling settlements, are simply dug out further when more space is required, enabling the growth of a lacuna over time into a burrow and from there to a hive.

Burrows:
Comparatively massive cavern systems typically expanded from a lacuna or consisting of an interconnected group of lacunae, burrows fill the role of large pony towns as the most common type of large population centre, with hives being far rarer due to the sheer effort required to produce an underground settlement of that size.

They usually have multiple sub-divided districts, each with their own entry tunnels and ability to provide for themselves, although the whole burrow acts as one: this is so that, in the event of a cave-in or similar catastrophe befalling one sector of a burrow, the rest can continue to function.

Burrows, if not expanded into hives, can become quite impressive in both aesthetics, power and culture via the consolidation of resources into the existing structures rather than focusing on constructing more, and many rival their neighbouring hives as cultural capitals of their respective regions.

Hives:
Hives are changeling cities, formed from an extensive, often miles-long network of caverns and capable of housing and providing for populations rivalling those of cities like Canterlot and Manehattan. Typically ruled by a changeling monarch, whose family name becomes that of the hive they pledge to serve through their leadership, they have been the sites of the best and worst of changeling history: from their glory days more than three millennia ago, to their near-destruction at the talons of Griffonia, to the sacrifice of their guardian being and deity to save the race from plague, the majority of the significant events in changeling history took place in hives.

Changeling nations are almost exclusively based around a ruling hive, which is often the crowning jewel out of a nation's achievements, and it is for this reason that so many of the most important events happened withing them: in wartime, what better place to strike than at the pride and joy of the country, where you also stand a chance of eliminating the leadership? And where does disease spread best but in the biggest population centres? Their value to changelings is also raised somewhat by the rarity of such large subterranean structures, as it is far easier to make a fully functioning pair of burrows than it is to undertake the vast process of constructing an entire underground, self-sustained city, and far less risky.

One of the most distinguishing features of changeling society is their class system, which is a far cry from the class gradient present in Equestria being both decided at birth and rigidly enforced from that point onwards.

The divide is a result of the same plague which would have killed them if their guardian being had not sacrificed itself for their sake, and a direct consequence of the class division present at the time of he plague. The disease could only be slowed down rather than cured via conventional means and the potions which hindered the disease's progress were very expensive: as a result it was the higher classes which had best access to it and therefore suffered the least.

Although the intervention of their guardian saved the changelings, the genophagic nature of the disease left the surviving population with severe genetic disorders: the more one and one's parents were able to slow the plague with potions, the better off one was, with royalty coming out best of all. Through fear of gaining yet more defects and pride about their relative lack of deficiency, the changelings for the most part refused to interbreed with their more afflicted compatriots, resulting in a decisive separation of each main group, something which has remained in place since and which has only grown more apparent in the centuries following its inception.

There are still several castes of changeling present in modern culture, something shared between practically all changeling settlements; a list of these follows:

Drone Caste:
By far the most populous caste is that of the drones, descended from the worst-affected plague survivors and as a result being the worst off class of changelings from birth due to their more severe genetic defects.

For the most part, drones are less developed than both the average pony and other changelings in almost every way: their magic, regardless of type, has a noticeably stunted development, leaving them inferior to other changelings and ponies in terms of physical ability. This is not to say that their magic has no use, however, and the vast majority of drones can easily master basic spells: they simply don't have a large enough well of magic to be able to cast much beyond that level.

Drones tend to be slightly smaller than changelings from other castes, and they are similarly inferior on a mental level: as with their magic, they can perfectly grasp basic concepts, but complicated mathematics and similar fields are beyond their mental capacity. They also think much more in abstract concepts than they do in objective reasoning, lending them great empathy but rendering them unable to solve mathematical and scientific problems without great difficulty.

Although their large numbers and relative inferiority compared to other castes tends to land drones in menial jobs, they also have a significant presence in changeling art, being quite skilled poets, artists and musicians given the chance to work outside the bounds of unskilled labour.

Shifter Caste:
Second most common amongst the majority of hives are the shifters, who for the most part comprise a band of changelings whose lives, rights and income match that of the average pony. Whilst slightly underpowered in all their magics, they can easily pass for a pony if they aren't inspected too closely, with their main shortfall being their ability to practice any magic advanced enough to have earned a cutie mark.

Shifters' unicorn magic isn't capable of anything past the intermediate level of magic learned by most unicorns, allowing them to blend in quite well if they aren't asked to demonstrate their supposed talent, and likewise their earth and pegasus magic holds up under passing inspection since it, too, is equivalent to the general-purpose magic most adults of either race would be capable of.

They are notably more adept at mental magic than drones, and in the majority of changeling military units the commanding officer will be a shifter, who typically uses a variant of the 'psychic window' spell to partially merge their mind with those of their mixed-caste troops and enable the squad to move and fight as if they were one being. Their aptitude for psychic spells is also a useful trait when they are required to take on another's form, allowing them to more easily go about their business via the use of such spells as disinterest charms and placation spells.

Their name comes from the fact that they are the lowest caste to have aptitude for shapeshifting, and unlike the drones they can not only replicate others outward appearances but also their internal body structure such as their voiceboxes, allowing them to easily mimic a target's speech. They are also able to create new identities and accompanying appearances on demand, something aided by their retention of some of the drones' more abstract way of thinking, which is tempered by the objectivity and realistic tendencies of the higher castes to make them the most-competent caste at creating a new identity at a moment's notice.

As previously mentioned, shifters share many of the same characteristics as the typical pony, including their average intelligence and rate of maturity; but also their usual roles in a hive, which mirror those of the majority of ponies down to average income and quality of life relative to other classes.

Elite Caste:
Roughly equivalent to the pony nobility in power and structure, but comparatively more common than their Equestrian counterparts are the so-called elite caste. Formed into an array of various noble houses, all of which vying for more influence over both the ruling changelings above them and their subordinate castes below them, the elites are a fickle, paranoid set of changelings for the most part, and remarkably hateful towards the lower castes, especially the drones, which many elites view as sub-equine.

A notable exception to this rule, of course, is House Slate, whose kinsmare Lady Prisca Slate acts as representative for the drone caste and who has used her position to forward the much-neglected cause of drone rights, a course of action which has earned her much mockery and dismissal at the hooves of her fellow elites.

Elites are more technically skilled at shapeshifting than the shifters, but are not as good at mimicking others' personalities, partly due to the common reluctance of elites to abandon the identity they are so proud of for that of a 'lesser' being. Like the shifters and the royals, their intelligence is not dissimilar to ponies' own, although it must be noted that shifters, elites and royals take the lower, middle and higher aspects of the spectrum of intelligence of average ponies.

They can conduct the kind of magic expected from a pony's special talent in all three aspects of magic, however they can only achieve this for one magic type at a time, with the others sinking into much the same level of ability a slightly impaired shifter or more able drone might have.

The elites tend to gravitate towards positions of power, and make up the majority of most monarchs' advisory circles, in which they take on roles such as caste representatives. They also share the officer ranks with the shifters in most changeling militaries, although the elites tend to have far higher ranks than shifters do.

Royal Caste:
The ruling caste in most changeling hives (although some hives have been known to have no royal changelings and instead a ruling senate of elites) and by far the most powerful type of changeling, the royals are significantly more adept at magic than the other castes. While elites are slightly taller than the average pony, the royals are even more removed from the usual pony physiology, matching alicorns more than the lower changeling castes in appearance.

Along with having the potential to gain alicorns' power with the three pony magics, royals are immensely powerful at mental magic to the point where they can entirely erase and replace someone's personality even if the victim was fighting back every step of the way. This, quite obviously, gives them a lot of capability to abuse their position, and it is for this reason that royal changelings are constantly accompanied by a contingent of the best changeling soldiers: they are not only a royal's bodyguard but also their executor should they attempt to take complete control.

Due to their shapeshifting and aptitude for mental magic, changelings have immense potential to manipulate other sapient beings, something which has been abused multiple times in history to achieve the will of dictators and serial killers alike. Recognising this, five hundred years before Luna's banishment, the changeling leadership met up to discuss what laws and countermeasures should be put in place to avoid their subjects abusing their power.

The Universal Code for Use of Changeling Magics, better known today as simply 'The Code' listed multiple rules for changelings to follow, and the recommended punishment for those who would break them. Though they have been modified and added to over the subsequent millennia, The Code's laws are little different to their original versions, with perhaps the most major difference being modern changelings' far less zealous upholding of The Code. The current version is as follows:

Law One: No changeling may use mental magics in any way which would risk permanent damage or alteration to another sapient being, nor may they imitate such a permanent change by using temporary mental spells in sequence so as to maintain the effect.

Law One may be bypassed in the following scenarios:

1. The lawbreaker cast the spell in self-defence or in defence of another.
(Note that appropriate force must have been used for the bypass to be valid).

2. The subject of the spell was mentally unstable and the spell itself intended to return the subject to relative sanity.
(Note that the likelihood of the break being valid is much diminished if the lawbreaker is not a trained practitioner of mental magical medicine.)

3. The subject of the spell was an enemy of the state and the caster was acting under orders from a superior in the act of casting the spell. (Note that non-military personnel may not use this exception, and that soldiers using mental magic without prior authorisation have a diminished chance of being found exempt).

4. The caster was acting with appropriate authorisation or authority, i.e. the caster held a high rank (Hive-Queen, High Imperator, et cetera) or was given orders or otherwise given permission to break the first law by a superior changeling of sufficiently high rank.
(Note that all such instances must be investigated by an impartial committee of equal or higher-ranking changelings and that abuse of power will be dealt with swiftly and effectively.)

Recommended punishment is as follows, although the final action taken should be decided by whatever legal representative is in charge of the case.

Minor Instances (Inappropriate force for the situation, unqualified remedial use, unauthorised use of mind magic against an enemy)
- Six plus months deprived of magic use, permanent record of the offense, public humiliation e.g. stocks.

Moderate Instances (Grossly inappropriate force, unqualified, damaging remedial use, repeated unauthorised use against an enemy)
- One year deprived of magic use, permanent record of the offense, six to twelve months incarceration.

Major Instances (Deliberate, mostly unprovoked mental assault, minor cases of abuse of power, repeat Minor or Moderate offender)
- Two to eight years deprived of magic, permanent barring from current profession, two to six years incarceration.

Extreme Instances (Violent mental assault with intent to grievously injure or mind-kill, significant repeat offenders, major cases of abuse of power, attempts to magically alter the mentality of changelings in power, treason by mind-magic, mind-murder)
- Permanent restriction or removal of magical capabilities, e.g. amputation of horn, exile from the state or incarceration in excess of a decade for most crimes and in excess of two decades for mind-murder, treason and severe mind-assault

Law Two: No changeling may enter another sapient being's thoughts without prior consent.

Law Two may be bypassed in the following scenarios:

1. The subject is no longer able to give consent, and the party given responsibility of determining the subject's best interest agrees that the mind-entry is acceptable.
(Note that the caster will still be subject to reprimand and possible punishment if they act beyond the bounds of the agreed task.)

2. The subject is suspected of severe crimes (mind-assault, mind-murder, GBH, murder, rape, active paedophilia, et cetera) and refuses to submit to normal interrogative tactics.
(Note that all such action should be undertaken by a sufficiently high-ranking official, and be observed at all time by an impartial panel of judges, who will determine whether the action taken was justified.)

3. The lawbreaker is acting as part of the police force or the military, and is acting under orders or, if they are sufficiently ranked, on their own initiative to complete a task.
(Note that all abuse of power negates this bypass and will subject the abuser to both the full force of this law and of those laws pertaining to abuse of power.)

Recommended punishment is as follows, although the final action taken should be decided by whatever legal representative is in charge of the case.

Minor Instances (Intrusion into private thought, little to no actual interference)
- Up to six months deprived of magic use, permanent record of the offense, public humiliation e.g. stocks.

Moderate Instances (Intrusion which resulted in mental harm to the subject, minor to moderate interference with lower mental faculties)
- Up to one year deprived of magic use, permanent record of the offense, up to six months incarceration, permanent monitoring of mental spells cast until lawbreaker deemed harmless enough for supervision to be suspended.

Major Instances (Intrusion with intent to seriously harm the subject, repeat Minor or Moderate offender)
- Up to three years deprived of magic, permanent barring from mental links until deemed suitably safe by a board of advisors, two to six years incarceration.

Extreme Instances (The commission of, or intent to commit, mind-assault, mind-rape, mind-murder; or the abuse of a mental link in order to physically assault, rape or murder)
- Permanent restriction of magical capabilities, up to ten years incarceration or long-term exile from the state.

Law Three: Mind magic must only be used when no better option is available.

Law Three may be bypassed in the following scenarios:

1. The lawbreaker was not aware of the presence of a better option.

Recommended punishment is as follows, although the final action taken should be decided by whatever legal representative is in charge of the case.

Minor Instances (Use of mental magic where another option would have been preferable, but not significantly better)
- Official warning, public humiliation (e.g. use of stocks).

Moderate Instances (Repeated Minor offences, use of mental magic where other, noticeably more appropriate, action could have been taken)
- Up to three months' incarceration, community service, magic use supervised via a monitoring ring.

Major Instances (Repeated Moderate offences, use of mental magic where a significantly better option or set of options was available and disregarded in favour of inappropriate mental magic use)
- Up to one year's incarceration, extended community service, up to six months' magical restriction, supervision of magic use, forced to wear horn covering declaring their status as a mental magic abuser at all times in public.

Extreme Instances (Repeated Major offences, use of mental magic as a universal solution to any situation to the lawbreaker's dislike)
- Up to five years' incarceration, permanent ban on performing mental magic, up to two years' magical restriction.

Although the laws set down in The Code were once followed to the letter, and any lawbreaker punished unfailingly, in recent centuries The Code has become treated as more of a guideline, with the recommended punishments often overlooked in favour of less severe ones by the judges, who ultimately get to decide the punishment. Various elite houses still uphold The Code zealously, such as House Slate and House Mantle, yet still more of them abuse the relaxed attitude to the old laws to gain more of a foothold on the rungs of power, most notably the rapidly ascending House D'Otho. Especially when applied to situations where the victim is not changeling, it is all too often that the laws which once defined and unified changeling culture are brushed aside for the convenience of the present.