Thoughts on Changelings · 8:17pm Feb 6th, 2020
Just some simple thoughts if I ever decided to write a story with them. This also makes them AU.
All Changelings passively feed off of nearby emotions. This does not harm those nearby and is quite sufficient for basic mana upkeep, and if in a populated enough area, the need for physical food. Barring that, They can survive entirely off of physical food but it leaves them kinda hungry and with only enough innate mana generation for unstable transformation, weak Levitation, weak flight, and cloudwalking.
On the note of transformation, it is a true transformation not an illusion cast over their real bodies. That means a female-identifying changeling disguised as a male stallion can, well, you know, And vice versa, as all changelings are hermaphrodites, even if they instinctively pick one gender and subconciously transform over the opposite sex's attributes, even in their "true" form, The only exception being if said changeling is pregnant. Then, and only then, are all their forms female. On that note, most changelings have a preffered alternate form that in general is unique to themselves. Existing in this form takes less mana then any other form. A changeling can change this preferred form, but it takes time and effort.
As an expansion on the above, as Changelings are basically a cursed lost pony tribe, if they ever find and realize their true special talent they will gain a cutie mark in both their true and preferred forms. They can hide/change this cutie mark but that takes a decent amount of mana to do so. Incidentally, if a Changeling chooses to put a Cutie Mark on their preferred form there is a good chance it is related to their True Special Talent, most just don't spend enough time amongst ponies to ever find their Special Talent as any Changeling raised in a hive is generally taught ponies will hate them on sight if discover. They are also taught that stealing love is the only way to survive. Also, Conservation of Mass and Energy rules generally applies after about a 30% mass leeway of their true forms. Note: Being a Queen/King supercedes these rules with the exception that it applies to both their new true form and their old one.
Emotions and the Curse: Changelings can feel the full range of emotions but are generally taught not to love one another if raised in a hive. Cursed Changeling Royalty are the only ones who require directed love to survive, and only when growing up into an adult. As for the Curse, they are cursed to always be hungry for emotions, hence a cursed changeling can be found by another Changeling by the lack of emotional Energy given off. Said Curse is also Hereditary. A cursed Changeling giving love to another sentient being causes the cursed one to feel sick and drains their magic but boosts the other beings magic and energy. On the Emotional Spectrum: Selfless Directed True Love/Friendship is extremely empowering. On the other Hand, Directed Hate is literal poison to a Changeling, and can literally kill a cursed one.
Ascension into Royalty and Breaking the Curse: Most Royal Changelings are born Royal, but it is possible for a non-royal to Ascend into Royalty by overflowing their Mana pools with love, whether stolen or freely given. This causes the changeling to grow a proper mane and almost always happens when the Curse is broken. On the note of breaking the curse, it takes a selfless directed act of true love/friendship directed at the cursed one in their true form by a non-cursed one strong enough to overflow their mana pool from almost empty. Also, the Curse-breaker(s) have to know the cursed ones true identity. Addendum Note: A cursed Royal only needs enough mana gained to overflow their old form's mana pool, or theoretical old form's Mana Pool if they were born Royal.
Biology: Changelings are warm-blooded insectoid ponies with both an endoskeleton and very thin flexible exoskeleton. They have a unique pattern of holes in their hooves and legs and are technically hermaphrodites. They also have insectoid holey wings and curved horns and cursed ones are all black with fins/manes color-coded by hive with slight variations. Drones have no discernable pupils while Royals have Draconic ones. Their Magic color is also generally color coded by hive with slight variations per individual. Also note: All members of a hive are generally fertile in their true and preferred form, provided their partner knows of and, if said partner is a non-changeling, loves their true form.
Feeding and Magic: As mentioned, any Changeling Passively absorbs the emotions of those nearby and innately converts it to Mana. A changeling can also actively feed, but if the target is unwilling said Target will know it by the pain it causes. Draining an unwilling Target will become literally more than a walking bland husk unless somehow woken from their emotional stupor by a severe emotional shock. Willing Targets feel less/no pain depending on how gentle it is and by the fact freely given love/friendship is way more filling than stolen friendship/love. Feeding is also way more effective when body contact is acheived. Excessive Mana above their Mana Cap drains exponentially faster. Also, while they are more than empty they regenerate faster than normal from wounds and if a limb is lost it can be reattached provided said limb still exists and hasn't rotted. Otherwise they must rely on normal healing and Regeneration spells. Transformed Changelings also use their mana to emulate the magic of the form they have taken, although in a pinch they can uncover their true form's wings/horn in order to fly/cast spells, but it gives the jig up. Also, once in a form the Mana drain lessens significantly to the point only a severe shock to the system can involuntarily unmask them if they aren't running on empty. If they are, well, simple unconsciousness will do that. Or a smack strong enough to crack their horn.
Effects of the Curse-Breakage: uncursed Changeling Drones freely radiate emotions as the hunger is no longer there. They also generate more mana than cursed ones, usually to that of the average unicorn. They can still feed to boost it, but it's no longer necessary for spell-casting. Uncursed Royals instead innately have the magic capabilities of a high-level unicorn. Uncursed changeling fins/hair changes color to that of the hair of their preferred form and their exoskeleton changes to match said preferred form's fur. Their Eyes also change shade to that of their preferred form's, as does their magic color. Lastly, the holes in their wings, legs, feet, and manes all Disappear. Uncursed Changelings can also freely disconnect from and reconnect to The Hive Mind. Oh, and provided one of the parents wasn't cursed at conception the curse isn't passed on.
Biology Addendum: Changelings are full omnivores and are also emotivores. Full Changelings always hatch from eggs laid by the mother. Usual Clutch size is one or two. The nymphs spend some time as pupa before cocooning and emerging as smaller versions of their adult selves. Half-Changelings however take after the growth method of their non-changeling parent. A half-changeling has the body shape of their non-changeling parent but in their true form have an innate exoskeletal saddle around their middle and, if the non-changeling parent lacks either wings and/or horn, the changeling versions of those. They are also hermaphrodites, but like their changeling parent, instinctively pick a preferred gender and hide the bits from the other gender. Pegalings make a buzzing sound when they flap their wings while Unilings have a slightly curved horn while in their true form. Halflings notably have two preferred forms, that of themselves as a Changeling and that of themselves without the Changeling bits. Halflings can suffer from the Changeling Curse, although it is very very rare for one to have it at birth/hatching, and even rarer for it to last past infancy. Halflings also tend to beget halflings and can Ascend in their true or preferred changeling form. This is the only modification that can happen to their preferred forms beyond simple aging and growth.
Hive Mind: All changelings and Halflings are connected to the Hive Mind of their Hive. Royals and uncursed Changelings/Halflings can freely disconnect and reconnect to it. A Royal can also connect a Ling to another Hive's Hivemind provided it is willing. A Cursed Drone Ling, can, with an extreme effort of willpower forcibly disconnect or reconnect themselves, although the psychic feedback tends to cause nasty nightmares for a few days. Two or more Lings in close proximity can also easily make a psychic connection with each other to create an adhoc hive mind. Adding a non-ling to a psychic connection or the Hive Mind ranges from hard to almost impossible depending on whether the adder is uncursed or cursed, and whether they are Royal or not. Disconnecting them is almost equally as hard. Note: Despite the fact they have a Hive Mind storing their collective memories and knowledge, each Ling is their own person and anything they personally know is stored in their own brain as well.
Psyches: Most Lings raised in a Cursed Hive believe that Friendship and coexistance with other races is impossible in their true form. Those raised by non-cursed Lings/non-Lings know the opposite is true. Full Lings raised by non-Lings will, as soon as they escape their cocoon, generally and instinctively make their preferred forms based off their adopted parents, and provided said parents never mention the truth to them as they grow up, will never know they don't belong to their parents' race or are even lings until something knocks them out of their preferred form into their true one, which can cause quite the emotional turmoil. HalfLings can also suffer from this, but only if orphaned and adopted as a baby/toddler.
Wow. This Write-up was way longer than expected. Details are subject to change maybe.
Wow, very interesting. I already had an idea of what changelings are like, but this might make me reconsider a few things.