Headcanon status: remarkably intact · 9:28pm Aug 20th, 2016
So we learned a few new things about changelings, today! And for the most part, they're very much like what I expected:
First off, the voice wasn't at all what I was expecting. I liked the idea of a more insecty-sounding voice, maybe a hint of the resonance effect Chrysalis had on her first appearance. I really thought the voice would annoy me, but I found myself not caring at all after the first minute or so. So I guess that worked. 
We've seen now that, in addition to changing size, they can also change layout to take the form of non-pony creatures, such as baby dragons. So there's some headcanon confirmed.
I'll admit, turning into an inanimate object was a bit of a surprise, and one I hadn't expected.
The hive and hatching from eggs confirmed, though it looks like they went for larva rather than nymphs (Which actually gives more justification for cocoons). That's about the biggest break from my headcanon, and one that isn't terribly significant. Also, those little grubs were tiny!
Also confirmed that lacking love is the equivalent of lacking food for them, what with Thorax starving from lack of love. It's unclear if they need normal food as well, but that's a minor issue.
And possibly the most significant headcanon confirmed: no mention of a telepathic hive-mind of any sort. Changelings are completely separate individuals with a will separate of the queen, and no sign of any form of telepathy (Technically, this still leaves it as unconfirmed, but the evidence against it continues to mount).
Other than that... well, Thorax is apparently male, but that's about what I expected. If I had to have guessed, I would have put my money on common changelings being all male, like I had with Sky and Nictis (I went the other way with Whisper to try something closer to insect biology). But it doesn't really confirm or contradict anything, since we've only got the single changeling to judge from. Maybe we'll learn more later.
So, what does this mean for Whisper and her continuing adventures? Well... pretty much nothing! I might go back and evaluate if I want to change the few references to nymphs to larva/pupa, but I'm not certain if I'll actually do that (It's a pretty minor issue). Probably the biggest change is that she might turn into a rock or something at some point--but man, after her observations on the strangeness of pony anatomy, I'd expect a full-on rant about how weird that is!
Oh, and I really liked the touch of the sideways-blinking eyes. 
Edit: one other thing I noticed, which didn't really contradict headcanon (As I had no firm decision on it one way or another) but does contradict Without a Hive and the others of that series: no changeling detection/dispelling going on. There's still whatever Twilight hit that changeling with in the fight in Canterlot, but that might just be a case of trauma knocking them out of their disguise. A lack of changeling detection spells is what I went with for The Chrysalis, although there might be some other tricks showing up...
Further edit: I entirely forgot, this episode also confirmed one of the more significant parts of my headcanon: changelings can be absolutely freaking cute and adorable. 
Thorax disguising as Spike also confirmed that conservation of mass is a non-issue. Now I'm imagining them pretending to be cups, plates, dolls, books… Or, Dusty loses track of his gun somehow and Whisper turns herself into a replacement.
I want to believe that the nursery hive is a communal place where all changelings leave their eggs to hatch, and that it doesn't automatically mean Chrysalis must be their mother... but I admit it does seem to heavily imply it.
4161426
Talk about banging your marefriend!
4161461
4161472
"No, wait! Don't pull my trigger! I'm not on safe!"
"Just what I was hoping to hear!"
<blam-blam-blam> "Ah! Aah! Aaaahooohh!"
"...Was it good for you, too?"
"Oh yeah, that was... killer."
Here's how I think it works:
Changelings have different gestational paths based on Caste and to some extent sub-Caste. Low-ranking Changelings -- ordinary Workers and Warriors -- are conceived in large litters (dozens at a time) and laid in clutches of eggs, the egg forming when the Changeling zybotes enter the embryonic stage and being laid as embryos within eggs. When the ling hatches, it is in a fetal stage and is very altrucial, being unable to do much more than crawl slowly about and make noises to attract the Nurses, members of a Worker subcaste whose role is to tend to the larvae.
Over time the larvae develop into nymphs, the equivalent of Pony foals. Nymphs receive basic education, and training in the duties of their intended subcastes. Eventually the Changeling grows into an adult and begins its duties. Changeling lives are arduous and boring by Equestrian standards, but they do have their own forms of recreation and form friendships. They don't normally fall in love in the Equestrian sense, because only Royals reproduce, and they reproduce eusocially.
HIgh-caste Changelings, such as Professionals, Infiltrators and Royals, have a different developmental path. Generally speaking, the higher the caste the longer the time in the womb, to develop. A new Royal takes about as long as a Pony of the Three Kinds to gestate. That's the big bottleneck on Changeling reproduction -- birthing a Royal reproductively occupies a Queen for almost a year, and an Infiltrator about half a year.
Thorax seems to be some sort of Warrior or Worker.
4161438 I still went ahead an popped open a bottle of champagne, toasted Queen Chrysalis for her many, many, many little blessings... I did say 'many', didn't I?
Here's to thousands more children in your (potentially) world-dominating future, Chryssie!
I have seen many looking at the changeling's ability to assume other forms has been by this episode, giving more credence to it being an illusion and not physical shifting.
The only changeling detection item know was in the alt timeline. Zecora had a substance she used to detect changelings.
4161438
I'm going to call that one unconfirmed. There is some suggestion of it, but it could easily be a communal thing, too. I'd be fine either way, to be honest.
Hmm... though come to think of it, it seems to torpedo the story in the comics, unless fragmentation injuries are somehow genetic. Then again, it was Chrysalis telling that story, and we all know how much we can trust anything she says...
4161426
We already had a good idea of the changing size/mass thing, with Chrysalis able to transform into Applejack, but this was certainly a good confirmation of that.
As for inanimate objects, I'm going to go with the assumption that it has to be generally simpler forms, just to keep it from being easily abusable
But man, the potential jokes that would bring
4161633
The illusion explanation never really sat well with me. It would have to be a very thorough illusion, one that fools the sense of touch, as well, especially when they take on a disguise that's smaller than their own form. It seems like it would have to be an illusion so thorough as to make the sense of touch think they're smaller than they were (Otherwise, I'm sure Shining Armor would have noticed that Cadance was significantly larger than she looked any time he hugged her).
While that's possible, and it could make for a very interesting story, it seems overly complex, especially when we've seen full shapeshifting elsewhere in the series.
4161955 Well, I guess what we got the fanfics for, eh?
The thing about those holes is that you really can't explain those holes in their legs in a medical sense, mainly because medically, there's no way they could possibly be walking straight on those legs and not spend every moment screaming with agony.
I see it more as a magical curse, given the specific results.
4162022
Maybe they don't actually have holes, just transparent patches.
Man I completely forgot that you wrote Without A Hive... 3 fic rule should have been invoked (If I favorite 3 fics from an author I need to be following them)
4162129
One of larvalings crawl thru Chrysalis leg holes.
The episode was good. A bit too much screentime had gone on Spike taking advantage of his reputation and the song... but otherwize it's legendary!
also, ling larva are white.
photos-2.dropbox.com/t/2/AAB6Pff7AravswQ52zPj5adw89ulOtVW4zFY7Zs-gstiYA/12/231269808/png/32x32/1/_/1/2/ling%20nursery.PNG/EIGwocIBGOwUIAcoBw/gUXKPgwIM_Nmdh4s91Vhffcel4apDa5xe_xqkA_dTuY?size_mode=5
last thing:
my new profile pic!!
and lings can turn into inadiment objects.
watch that wine bottle on the table... (who gets that reference?)
*edit* who saw the ling on s6 opening episode part 2? the last five seconds or so had a black blur in the top of the screen. i saw it and flipped. forgot i even saw it until ep 16 tho....
4163596
But yeah, I know what you mean.
Unfortunately, those links don't work. They just say I need to login to view them
And yeah, I caught that changeling in episode 2. I was super happy about it, and am glad they were actually doing something with it instead of just a good bug-zapper joke
4163762 huh, ill try to fix them then.
oh... ons6 ep16 did you see the pink mare at 2:11 seconds? her tail is raised and shes half kneeling on her front.... why Hasbro... WHY!!!?!?!?!?
The inanimate object thing really surprised me and made them even way more dangerous than before (and I considered them to be the most dangerous villains in the show before).
I found the lack of a detection spell extremely weird. My initial thought (and keep in mind that I literally just finished the episode so I haven't thought about it much) is that there may be something in the ambient magic of the crystal empire that's preventing them from using it. If you're trying to detect them using love magic somehow and the area is saturated with love magic, it might not work.
another thing that I would have liked to have seen is the possibility of more hives that are independent of Chrysalis.
It's nice to read your thoughts on the new changeling lore and how it affects the headcanon. You are my favorite ling author.
As an aside: I have never wanted to read through Fallout Equestria, and have put it off for years. After this episode and reading your thoughts here a few days ago, I am currently fifteen chapters into the first FOE series, just to get familiar enough to appreciate The Chrysalis. I really want to read something new from you and look forward to starting in on it soon.
4161955
Turning into a rock...cue "Heh, she's 'hard' for you", jokes from our favourite Anti-raider-raider psychopath.
4161438
Maybe just 'mother' in the non-genetic sense of the word. "MOther of the Nation" as it were.
4163762
It probably would be a good idea to go with the non-complex things...
John Connor: Wait a minute here. You're telling me that this thing can imitate anything it touches?
The Terminator: Anything it samples by physical contact.
John Connor: Get real, like it could disguise itself as a pack of cigarettes?
The Terminator: No, only an object of equal size.
John Connor: Then why doesn't it become a bomb or a machine gun or something to get me?
The Terminator: The T-1000 can't form complex machines. Guns and explosives have chemicals in them. Moving parts. It doesn't work that way, but it can form solid metal shapes.
John Connor: Like what?
The Terminator: Knives and stabbing weapons.
So a baby dragon maybe. But probably not say, a mouse or a bunny. And maybe a rock because 'minerals' but not a weapon. Also the mass-shifting would have to be an upper and lower limit.
Like she couldn't become a pebble or a boulder.
Possibly could become a buffalo, but not a dragon.