The Summer Court – The Tyrants of Deceit:
“Seek not the Summer Court. Speak not the Summer Court. Suffer not fools who caught their eyes; the fools might soon lose their own.”
Of all the Changelings of the Four Seasonal Courts, none are as dreaded and feared among the Changelings, and the few non-Changelings that know, then those from the Summer Court. Together with the despised and hated Winter Court, they are regarded in myths and tales of the non-Changeling races to be the more malevolent Unseelie Fae (Again, with a few prominent exceptions). Their name reflects their war-like, unscrupulous and aggressive temperament, and often few that crossed their paths are allowed to escape their wrath.
Also called the Court of Thorns or the Black Court, if the Spring Court is the light of Changelingkind, the Summer Court is considered its shadow, a dark reflection. In turn, most of the rulers of the Summer Court Swarm and Hives are described as a reflection of their own Progenitor parent – albeit, some would say, a dim, pale and flawed one. Each Summer Court Royal Changeling is a Changeling King, the counterparts of the Changeling Queens in the Spring Court, polar opposites in both gender and disposition.
Ruthless and ambitious to a fault, the Changeling Kings are collectively some of the most notable schemers, conquerors and tyrants to ever grace the lands of the world, and constantly seeking to advance their power and that of their hive, whether through overt conquest or insidious subversion.
Although as a whole their power rivalled the Spring Court, in reality they are far from unified. Unlike the Changeling Empress, the Changeling Emperor of the Summer Court had made little to no attempt to restraint his Royal Changeling children, allowing them to ‘Do as they will’, ruling the Summer Court Changelings in His name, so long as they don’t disrupt/interfere with His agenda, remain loyal to Him, and fulfil whatever missions He has assigned them.
Because of this, the Summer Hives are often rule with iron-hoofed mercilessness, and due to the grudges, rivalries and resentments prevalent among the Changeling Kings, the Court is often afflicted with internecine and fratricidal conflict, with many Kings making war upon their brothers and their hives as soon as a convenient causa-belli presents itself, over all varieties of reasons, although the Changeling Kings are often pragmatic enough to limit the scale of these wars so not to cause too much damage of the Court, which would weaken them as a whole and incur their Father’s ire.
When not at war, the kings conspire against each other in schemes of dazzling complexity, filled with deception, murder and betrayal, constantly attempting to spy, sabotage and even assassinate each other, seeking to either eliminate their rivals or make them lose favour with their Father, whereupon they are open and vulnerable to be pounced upon by their many enemies. To be a Changeling King in the Summer Court is to live a life of paranoia and insecurity, constantly on the lookout for their own brothers in addition to dealing with threats within and beyond their own hives, where even a single mistake – a misspoken word, a failed mission, an oversight in his defences – could cost them all the power and status they had accumulated over centuries and end in their deaths.
Because of this, Changeling Kings have a higher attrition rate compare to the Changeling Queens, with estimates suggesting for every King that exist at any one time, there are three to four more Queens. Although constant warfare and fighting had meant that on an individual basis, each Changeling King is generally stronger and more skilled in combat than a Changeling Queen. Changeling Kings are far more diverse in terms of forms and origins; whereas the majority of Changeling Queens are descended from unions with equine races, such as ponies and zebras, there had been Changeling Kings that came from unions with other species, such as deer, griffons and even dragons.
That said, within the last two centuries, there had been a shift in the dynamics of the power-struggles within the Summer Court: whereas before, Changeling Kings could only maintain fickle, ever-shifting alliances of convenience, new, more permanent power blocs, called Compacts, are forming between the Changeling Kings, bringing a level of stability to politics in the Summer Court.
In terms of relationship with non-Changeling races, the Summer Court generally pursue a policy of Dominance. In their view, between the fear and hatred of the non-Changelings towards their kind, and the general hostility of the world around them, Changeling-kind is surrounded from all sides by threats, whether real or potential. But while the Spring Court seek peaceful co-existence, and those of the Autumn Court would hide, the Summer Court generally believes that the only way to ensure their survival and power is to be on the offense. The outside world must be brought to heel, whether through infiltrating and subverting their societies from within to serve their interests, or outright conquered from without with their armies of warriors, each hive an efficient war-machine refined by millennia of conflict experience and supported by intelligence-gathering networks that could span whole continents.
Because of this, the Summer Court has some of the worst relationship with the outside world, rivalled only by the Winter Court. A current example of their activities comes with the recent revelation that they are one of the imperialistic powers embroiled with the ‘Scramble for Zebrica’, alongside the Griffons and Dragons. Many Changeling Kings and their hives had overrun many tribal territories and kingdoms, harvesting them or reducing them to vassalage and thraldom, directly or indirectly controlling much of the central parts of the continent, only held back by stiff Zebra resistance and their need to obscure their presence from the other powers.
Although their ambitions are noticeable to all who knew of them, their motives and agendas are inscrutable even by the standards of Changelings, and their secretiveness is second only to those from the Autumn Court. No one could tell what agenda they are pursuing at any one time, although it would most likely be at the expense of those outside the Summer Court.
Because of this, much of what Equestrian scholars had been able to learn about the Court, in the wake of the Masquerade, had been provided by the Spring Court, and often only permitted to be published with the expressed approval from the representatives of the Summer Court, and with the authors’ identities made anonymous and placed under protection of the Equestrian Crown, to prevent reprisals that could often see individuals so thoroughly eliminated by agents of the Summer Court, almost no trace of their existence would be left behind. Even then, given the compromising nature of some of these information, many wondered if the knowledge is genuine, or distorted and leaked deliberately as part of an elaborate misinformation campaign against the Spring Court and other races.
Recently, according the Spring Court intelligence, the Summer Court is experiencing upheaval – several Changeling Kings had been ‘Condemned to Winter’ and purged for reasons unknown. And following Thorax’s usurpation of Chrysalis and ascension, in an unprecedented move, the Changeling Emperor of the Summer Court had also decided to break the Masquerade, having sent King Metamorphosis, his current favourite, to establish official relationship with Equestria and the Thorax Hive, and has agreed to jointly investigate and assist in Thorax’s ascension with the Spring Court, much to the shock of His own sons.
Although both the Alicorn Princesses and the Changeling Empress welcomed the move, some wonder what hidden agenda there may be, and whether or not the Changeling Kings would all go along with whatever their Father had planned…
Notable Individuals of the Summer Court:
Emperor Blackthorn Oberon Lyonesse
“Think what you will about me. While you try to discern truth from lies, all my plans will unfold in perfection.”
If Empress Blackrose is considered the most well-known and beloved figure among Changeling-kind until the rise of Thorax, then Emperor Blackthorn of the Summer Court is considered most dreaded and enigmatic. His name is feared even among his own children and their subjects, and in the Summer Court, where he holds the ultimate authority, to question or defy his will is almost unthinkable, and almost always end in certain death.
Very little information is available concerning the other Progenitor of Changeling-kind. This is due largely to the fact that to prevent others from interfering with his designs, he has until recently ensure that his existence and that of his Court remain a secret – for knowledge is power, and any said knowledge, no matter how small, can be used by those that could would attempt to stop him.
From what few facts that had been gathered, Emperor Blackthorn is described as the mirror image of Empress Blackrose – a cold, calculating and capricious figure, indifferent aloof and apathetic, constantly spending his time walking the earth under many disguises, pursuing his own mysterious agendas with a disconcerting smile on his face. Beholden to no one, he is best summarized as his own absolute principle, who would never allow himself to be constrained by any rules, morals, standards or laws set by others.
Although he is said to be as powerful as Empress Blackrose, his true strength lies in being a consummate master in deception and manipulation – for which he had earned the title the Prince of Deceit. He has both worked both for and against the interests of other gods and mortals, often aiding or hampering them whenever it suits him over his thousands of years of existence. Whether personally or through his Royal children, he had engineered the rise and fall of many empires throughout the ages, starting, ending and manipulating entire eras of ruinous wars and prosperous peace, raised individuals to greatness, only to cast them down when they outlived their usefulness, all to advance his own interest and that of his Court. And because of the layers of secrecy around him and what he does, it is impossible to tell where his interference begins and ends, and precisely how much impact he has made upon the course of history.
As a being who see all others as potential pawns to his endless schemes, it had not endeared him well in the eyes of the few beings that know of him. For his part, it is said that the Changeling Emperor doesn't look upon many of them highly himself, at best amused by their antics or failures, at worst contemptuous of their flaws and weakness. Although, occasionally, he found himself respecting and impressed by certain individuals whom possessed certain unique qualities and has proven themselves worthy in some way, whether they be mortal or immortal, common or great. He is known to constantly test many of his sons in many ways, hoping to measure their worth for many reasons, most unknownable.
Many of the gods and immortals of the world, including Alicorn Princesses of Equestria, had opposed him in the past, although it is written that the only being who had ever been able to consistently foil his schemes, time and time again, is the dragon god King Bahumet, consort of Dragon Queen Tiamat, the 'father deity' of the dragon race, and one of Blackthorn’s two archenemies. Their games of intrigue throughout the ages are legendary among the ranks of the immortals, and both regard each other as worthy opponents in their battles of wits.
His relationship with the Changeling Empress of the Spring Court could best be described as antagonistic, at least from the Changeling Empress’ side. For reasons only they and their First-Spawns knew, Blackrose resents Blackthorn’s presence, and treats him with bitterness, while the Changeling Emperor had referred to her as his ‘Beloved’, and had made attempts to mend their relationship, only to be rebuffed time and time again. Despite this antagonism, it was hinted that it has come a long way from what it once was, and whenever a common threat presents itself, they are willing to put aside their differences to remove it.
One such common ground he shares with Blackrose is his hostility to Discord. Although one not to betray his emotions, his hatred for the being he and his Court referred to as ‘The Serpent’ had been described as, to quote one anonymous source, “Enough to destroy mountains if unleashed”, and like Blackrose, he had made many plans and preparation to destroy him. Unlike Blackrose, he has refused to let Discord’s reformation stand in the way of his revenge. It is rumoured that he had already executed several attempts to eliminate Discord or remove him from the world since his release, although so far, none of them had succeeded, between Discord’s own power and cunning, and the intervention of the Alicorn Princesses.
‘The Crone’
“I do many things for the young master. Mostly, I serve him tea.”
No one knew who she is, whether among the Summer Court or the other ones, not even her name. To those that know her, she’s simply ‘The Crone’, a tall, elderly female changeling shrouded in a simple dark grey cloak. Yet her presence is still keenly felt among the Changeling Kings as an unnerving figure, fulfilling a role similar to Puck in the Spring Court.
What is known is that on the surface, she has loyally served Emperor Blackthorn for as long as any Summer Court Changeling could remember, acting as the caretaker for the Changeling Emperor’s hidden personal retreat in times of rest, and as his personal maid, confidant, and if necessary, his representative among his sons. Soft-spoken, grand-motherly and unassuming, most would think that she’s little more than a humble servant.
Yet, as with all things Changeling-related, appearances can be deceiving. The fact that she had often addressed the Changeling Emperor as ‘Young master’ – and get away with it – gives a hint of her potentially immense age, possibly as far back as the time of First-Spawns or even the dawn of Changeling-kind. She is rumoured, given how much she apparently knows about ongoing matters of the Four Changeling Courts, to be the head of his own intelligence network, providing him with up to date intelligence of his own sons and many other things of most critical importance. She is also suspected to have a hoof in the creation of Emperor Blackthorn’s dreaded praetorian guards.
Whatever is true, it is abundantly clear that she is one of the few beings trusted by the Changeling Emperor, holds many of the Summer Court’s most important secrets, and like Puck of Avalon, is not a changeling to be underestimated with.
King Metamorphosis Lyonesse
“I only do what is necessary, and no more than that.”
The Hundredth-Spawn Era King Metamorphosis is one of the youngest kings in the Summer Court, and is notable for not only being remarkably successful despite his youth, but also for being the only one of his siblings who approaches anything resembling a fair and benevolent monarch.
From his own words, albeit providing only the vaguest details, he was born roughly two centuries ago, ‘In a village long since abandoned and left to ruin.’, and was raised by a ‘remarkable’ pony mother until his True Nature started manifesting. Not much is known about what happened during his ‘Errance’, but he had noted that it was ‘quite a story’ in itself.
It is speculated that his mother’s love and kindness was responsible for the enlightened ruler he eventually became. His hive is known to be fiercely loyal to him, and combined with efficient and meritocratic administration, is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous and strongest hives for its size.
King Metamorphosis is responsible for the emergence of ‘Compacts’ power-blocs between Changeling Kings: in a series of events, yet to be disclosed, he successfully convinced three other siblings, formerly enemies to him or each other, the merits of cooperation and pooling their unique talents and resources together for security and common interests. This first compact, the Tetrarchy, has ensured their survival from their rivals and even allowed them to rival the power of older and more established Changeling Kings. Currently, he’s considered the ‘First-Among-Equals’ among the Tetrarchy, and handles the logistics for their joint-ventures.
For this and other achievements, King Metamorphosis has become their Father’s current favourite, much to the resentment of his many older siblings. He is entrusted with running many of his Father’s errands; this is speculated to be due to the fact that in addition to being benevolent, he is also known for his lack of ambition beyond the safety and prosperity of his Hive, and is supremely practical in terms of action and personality.
Hence, it is argued, he could be counted on to not put his own ambition ahead of the Summer Court’s, a vice which many of his brothers fall into, and yet when faced with difficult situations, would still be willing to do whatever that needs to be done, even at the price of his own conscience. Remarkably, not only has he often strive to find a better way, he is also one of the few Changeling Kings whose opinions the Changeling Emperor would actually listen to, due to his almost uncanny ability to justify his reasoning in a rational, logical and objective manner.
With the fall of the Masquerade, Metamorphosis was chosen by his Father to be the liaison of the Summer Court with the Thorax Hive and the Principality of Equestria, and was the first to make ‘official’ First Contact between the Summer Court with the outside world. This was rumoured to be due to Metamorphosis, having wished to re-establish his ties with his former race of birth, and create more amiable relationship between Changeling-kind with the outside world, had prepared for such an eventuality long before Thorax’s ascension – but had kept it secret from the rest of the Summer Court, as any suggestion of co-existence and exposure would had been tantamount to treason.
King Lepid Lyonesse
“Sometimes the spoken word is the most dangerous thing.”
At nearly four centuries of age, Hundredth-Spawn Changeling King Lepid has been derided by his brothers for being flamboyant, indulgent and extravagant. But few of them would dare underestimate him regardless; for beneath the image Lepid had crafted for himself as a Changeling King of high culture and refined tastes, lies a sharp and iron-clad wit that had yet been dulled by his taste of absolute power when he shed his mortality and became a Changeling King.
Born amongst the nobility of a wealthy mercantile pony kingdom, Lepid was used to deadly decadent courtly struggles since birth, and has survived the many intrigues his mortal family has embroiled in, even thriving in spite of his status as a ‘spoiled brat’ and a bastard. So, when his True Nature manifested itself and he returned from his Errance a true Changeling King, he fitted right in among the Summer Court. The pony kingdom of his birth was destroyed from within by treachery that he engineered, and has become part of his Hive territory since then.
Lepid is notable for disparaging mass violence and all-out conflict his brothers are so fond of, in favour of subtle espionage and ‘refined’ violence of verbal combat and assassinations. Thus, his most dangerous weapon is not his magic, or his fencing skills; it is his incredible ability to talk and deceive his enemies into becoming his unwitting pawns, and rule-lawyering through any deals to have his way and get out of danger, earning him the nickname ‘silver-tongued Lepid’. An example of his prowess is once getting away with betraying one of his collaborators, having played the latter as a pawn from the beginning, despite having given his Word not to that covered all possible ways he could had conducted his betrayal. When brought to account for breaking his Word, a great taboo among Changeling-kind, he managed to successfully argued in his defence by pointing out that he ‘Never gave his Word that he wouldn’t LIE’ to his collaborator from the beginning, up to and including giving his Word not to betray him
Lepid is a member of the Tetrarchy compact, having once attempted to manipulate the rising star amongst the Summer Court by becoming his false ally, until he is no longer ride upon the latter’s favour. Through unclear circumstances, King Metamorphosis not only managed to see through his ploy quickly, but also uphold his end of the alliance by saving Lepid’s life from a plot by a rival, both of which is said to have earned Lepid’s respect and gratitude. Since then, he had stuck to his bargain by remaining in the Tetrarchy, despite countless opportunities to get ahead by betraying it, with he and his minions handling the espionage and diplomatic side of their joint-ventures.
King Mantid Lyonesse
“Comfort is the refuge of the spoiled and the weak. I have no need for such.”
Brutal, sarcastic, uncompromising and arrogant, at seven centuries old, King Mantid is both typical and atypical for a Summer Court King. Imposing and strong even for a Changeling King – standing a horn taller than even his Father, who normally towers over his sons by a head – King Mantid could easily be mistaken for a brute with no subtlety, strategy and stealth that his kind is famous for. Those who did are quick to discover, to their dismay, that behind his bloodlust and capacity for violence, lies a deeper and more calculating personality that is capable of precisely what they say he couldn’t, and end up paying for their error.
Fragmentary records suggests that he had lived a hard life before becoming King, one which is reflected in his disdain for weakness. One account records that he was abused by his adopted father for being (Truly) illegitimate, before being kicked out of the house. Another account stated he lived on the streets as an orphan, whereupon he fought in turf-wars as a member of a street gang. A third account suggested that he was forcefully inducted into slavery, eventually ending up in a gladiator arena where he often have to fight for his survival to the wild cheers of bloodthirsty pony crowds. It is possible all three happened in sequence, though what really happened would never become clear; one of his first acts as King was to lead an invasion that annihilated his former homeland.
Whatever happened, he was eventually found by another Changeling King as his True Nature manifested himself. Desiring to use him as a valuable minion, the Changeling King pretended that he was the True Parent of Mantid, and effectively ‘adopted’ Mantid into his court. Mantid served for several years, helping his ‘father’ in his wars and intrigue, learning what he could of the ways of the Summer Court while secretly bidding his time. Eventually, he challenged his ‘father’ for the throne, and despite haven’t yet fully matured into a true King, somehow defeated his ‘father’. This was when his TRUE father, Emperor Blackthorn, revealed himself and informed him of his true heritage, having been aware and watching from the side-lines. Impressed by his achievement, Blackthorn allowed Mantid to execute the Changeling King he usurped – who was apparently plotting against the Changeling Emperor – and received the hive of the usurped as his own.
King Mantid is a member of the Tetrarchy, having once looked down upon and eventually made war with King Metamorphosis for reasons unknown. King Metamorphosis, however, earned King Mantid’s grudging respect when he and his hive not only successfully held their own against his superior armies, but managed to duel him to a draw in spite of the disparity in age and experience when Metamorphosis caught Mantid in an elaborate ambush. When King Lepid intervened and revealed the true culprit who manipulated them into the conflict, they became allies, and surprisingly remained such after defeating their mutual enemy. In the Tetrarchy, as militarily one of the strongest hives of the hundredth-Spawn generation, his hive provides military support for any joint-venture.
King Photinus Lyonesse
“Information is power; be sure to guard it well.”
The final member of the Tetrarchy compact is the mysterious Changeling King Photinus. Of all four members of the compact, he is the least known, and was the last to join the compact under unknown circumstances.
What is definitively known is that from his father the Changeling Emperor, he inherited his immense intelligence, along with his general aloof and indifferent personality. Because of this, he is one of the few Changeling Kings who does not actively participate with any power-struggles of the Summer Court, beyond lending his knowledge and that of his hive to his father and whoever sibling requests it in exchange for benefits. In the Tetrarchy, he handles research and development for any joint-ventures.
One of his most distinctive features as a Changeling King is his unique appearance: at some point during his maturation into a Changeling King, he developed an extra pair of eyes, and both pairs constantly glowed faintly with witch-light.
As an intellectual, he prefers to conduct scientific and sorcerous research in the inner sanctums of his hive, which has been converted into a massive research facility made to support his work, and keep out any prospective individuals who may wish to steal it. It is said that aesthetically-wise, he and his hive had a preference for motifs and décor from ancient Anubia (Popular known to Equestrians as Neighypt), perhaps hinting his possible origins and background.
While he had been compared to Queen Ganglia of the Spring Court between his intelligence and pursuit of knowledge, this is where the similarities ended: whereas Queen Ganglia’s specialty leans towards ‘soft-sciences’ and civil subjects such as psychology, philosophy, politics and history, while her magic is inclined for divination (e.g. mind-reading), abjuration and enchantment, King Photinus’ specialty leans towards hard sciences and empirical subjects such as the physical sciences, logic, mathematics and engineering, while his magic is inclined to towards evocation, transmutation and conjugation. Their polarity is a reflection of the differences between the two formal Courts.
He is currently one of the few Changeling Kings among the Royal Changelings involved in a joint-Court program being arranged to study King Thorax’s ascension, in hopes of deciphering the key to breaking their peoples’ ‘racial curse’ for the rest of the Changeling race.
King Thomisus Lyonesse
"Those who stand at the top can decide the definition of "evil". Ponies like to say 'justice prevails'. Of course it will! Because the winners ARE justice!"
While all royals are demi-gods, few embrace that as thoroughly as Thomisus.
Thomisus's mother was a royal (likely one of his true father's schemes) who stepped down to live among commoners along with his 'father', wanting to be a person rather than treated like a god. Thomisus, who until then had lived as a prince, did not take this well. Unfortunately, the rulers of their home land had quite the reputation for cruelty, and their own people had little care if they where the white sheep or the black sheep, and an angry mob soon found them.
During this, Thomisus, in a rage, told the mob he'd slaughter them all one day. Unfortunately for the crowd in question, this was also the day his True Nature revealed itself, enabling him to do just that before they realized what they were dealing with.
Thomisus then proceeded to murder his father and take his head back to what he believed was his people to try and re-enter their good graces, but was denied entry. Fortunately for him, he soon underwent his Errance and discovered he was 'more than a King' from his very birth.
Where several of his brothers destroyed their birth kingdoms, Thomisus chose a VERY different path: namely staging a masterful coup and taking the throne himself, all without revealing what he TRULY was. He then proceeded to give all outside appearances of a benevolent monarch to the people.
This has absolutely nothing to do with wishing to be superior to his adopted family morally, no. He wished to be the one thing every proper god should be: worshiped. And worshiped he was...
He also made a habit of routinely having members of the population secretly kidnapped (especially the ones who have learned too much of his true nature), and either enslaved or sold to his brothers or other Changelings with such desires to be used as food, among other atrocities (including bio experiments, which he often sells the fruit of to his brothers or offers to his father trying to earn his favor), all while wearing a mask of benevolence. The very definition of 'have your cake and eat it too'.
Thomisus rivals his brother Lepid in terms of flamboyance, and his primary color is pink (both in disguise and out), but any of his siblings who underestimate him quickly learn how foolish that is to do. In addition to his expert acting talent, he has gone a route that few other Changelings have: mastering Changeling webbing to an insane degree. He can mold his webbing into strings with a multitude of options and uses, from razor wire for offense to, most grotesquely, binding a target and control them as a pony sized marionette. Inside Hive Thomisus he's at his strongest, as he can effectively manipulate the webbing throughout the hive as a weapon.
The constant worship of his pony subjects is also to his benefit, as he's constantly well fed from their love, which is his main method of doing so.
Despite his insane cruelty, Thomisus is known to treat his inner circle very well, though ONLY his inner circle, who are all insanely loyal to him. All other members of his hive are expendable to him. Be this as it may, Thomisus can and WOULD throw them under the bus to save his own hide if he needed to. He cares about them only so much as a sociopath is CAPABLE of doing so, as such is completely incapable of truly comprehending love or empathy..
Thomisus' most major weakness is that of any tyrant: his gigantic ego. Even among the Summer Court, Thomisus is particularly megalomaniacal, considering himself of divine blood and demanding to be treated as such. The only being he sees himself as subservient to is his father, who he respects for granting him his 'true birth right.' Otherwise, he almost literally thinks the world revolves around him and people should be HAPPY to 'die for him' when he kills them for one reason or another.
A secondary weakness is the trauma he suffered the night his True Nature awakened, which can distract or cause him to breakdown in a psychopathic rage if triggered properly, as such he keeps it a closely guarded secret.
King 'Kaki' Kakkerlak Lyonesse
"This is the most dangerous, the most despicable creature that I have ever encountered! This monster must be ended!" - Fetlock Homes, world-famous detective and high-functioning sociopath.
Rising to prominence some years after the end of the Masquerade, to the rest of the world, King 'Kaki' Kakkerlak is the eccentric but beloved monarch of the South Zebrican Hive and world renowned philanthropist. He's loved as an international treasure, dubbed 'Uncle Kaki' by many. A Royal Changeling who has built from the ground up one of the wealthiest and most modernised Hive states within the southern Zebrican territories themselves, where the changeling and zebra native communities are being developed separately from each other. He has hospitals, schools and even skyscrapers with his name engraved upon them and he's made many a charity event. Out of all the members of both the Summer Court, his cross-hive and international approval rating remain the highest at just under 90%.
Kaki has also achieved international recognition in recent years for being the founder and sole owner of the 'Central Free State', a large state in the Central Zebrican Basin in personal union with his hive directly under him. He founded the 'International Association of Central Zebrica' (IACZ), a philanthropic association stated goal of bringing creaturtarian assistance and civilization to the zebra natives. He hired famous Griffin explorer Gaston Griznak (no relation to the infamous scientist Gerhardt Griznak) to help him lay claim to the Central Basin. At a Yakyakistani Conference regarding the 'Scramble for Zebrica', Equestria, the Summer Court and fellow colonial powers recognized Kaki as sovereign of most of the area he and Griznak had laid claim to by committing the newly christened 'Central Zebrican Free State' to improving the lives of the native inhabitants and developing the area.
But behind the grotty yellow grin lies an amoral monster who has brought about an imperialistic horror show of monumental proportions.
Kaki's Hive is actually run under a brutal system of Apartheid, establishing economic and political minority rule by the South Zebrican changelings and the socially enforced separation of South Zebrican zebras from other races. The policies of this horrendous system include pass laws, the segregation of public facilities and social events, dictated housing and mass relocations, employment opportunities by species, etc.
Yet it's his actions in the Central Free State, which Kaki is free to rule as a personal domain, that somehow manage to be even more diabolical. Simply put, Kaki's been lying his pants off about his intentions. The IACZ, for example, was actually a private holding company simply disguised as this benign crusade of creaturtarianism. Ol' Kaki's a greedy and slippery operator, consumed with gaining as much power and money he can for himself, seeking out a huge slice of that "magnificent Zebrican cake". Griznak had gained control of the area through "cloth and trinket" treaties with local zebra chiefs and queens, who had no idea they were selling their land for fancy clothes, jewels and some alcohol.
That important conference in Yakyakistan had proclaimed Kaki the sole ruler of a land at 905,000 square miles and a population estimated at 30 million zebras, all with no constitution or international supervision, without ever having even been to the forsaken place, and with only a hoof full of his new subjects having heard of him. The Free State is abundant with natural resources including ivory, rubber and minerals (like the legendary diamond mines) and he is already stripping them out for sale on the world market.
With obscene sums of the money pouring in from this exploitation, Kaki has embarked on many public and private construction projects in his Hive, developing some of the advanced cities in Zebrica. Of course, he saves most of it for his own self-indulgence, such as financing the construction of his glittering citadel and palace and decorating his numerous wives and zebra mistresses in jewelry and lovely dresses. Make no mistake, Kaki is actually quite fond of zebras, well... their mares anyway.
This unchecked exploitation would be shameful enough, but the full story is even more horrific. Kaki's Free State is a colonial regime of terror operated to maximize profitability. The local Zebra in the region are forced at pain death to work on Kaki's plantations. If a village refuses, no problem, the military (including changeling officers and zebra mercenaries) is sent in to get them to ‘collaborate’. These resisting zebras, and many are resisting, are being systematically slaughtered and their villages burnt to cinders. Mares and children are taken hostages. Stallions are hanged, flogged and beaten to death. Most notoriously, soldiers are instructed by their changeling officers to chop off tails as trophies and proof of their kill.
The media has been ruthlessly muzzled to keep the truth firmly under wraps to prevent an international scandal. But one world-famous detective and self-described high-functioning sociopath has decided to make himself the thorn in Kakis side and expose him for the blood-splattered charlatan he is...
King Zorpheus Lyonesse, the Ironclad.
“The key to conquering any foe is to endure whatever they can unleash upon you.”
King Zorpheus is one of the more militant and aggressive kings of the Summer Court, and while there are many such kings in the Summer Court, he stood out among his brothers and nephews in his ability to endure damage that his rivals and peers would not survive, weathering through punishing blows with ease even as he readies himself to unleash punishing blows in return.
Like many Kings and subjects of the Summer Court, Zorpheus' origins are shrouded in secrecy and obscurity, paranoid as they are of their weaknesses being known and used against them. It is rumoured that he was born amongst the nobility of a warrior culture which produced many champions famous for their resilience and durability in combat - and had indirectly been causing inconvenience to the Summer Court by defeating or conquering their unwitting pawns and subverted realms.
Living in a culture that had scorned physical weakness, young Zorpheus stood out for being feeble in body if not in mind, making him a pathetic colt who had to rely more on cunning then strength to succeed, which only further resulted in him becoming the victim of mockery and abuse from his family and contemporaries. Often bullied and beaten to an inch of his life, young Zorpheus endured by clinging onto his loathing, for his own weakness and for others, which served to fuel and hardened his iron will, driving him on with a determination to one day grow in strength and resilience to such a state that he would never be hurt again - and able hurt back all those who wronged him.
Towards that latter aim, he learnt to spot the weakness in others - chinks in their armour which he could exploit - to compensate for his lack of durability by breaking the enemy's own. When his True Nature began to manifest, granting him strength and durability of a demigod, he would make great progress in the former aim. And when he returned from his Errance a Changeling King, he would show those who had hurt him who was truly the feeble and frail one, as he and his Changeling exploited every physical, cultural and mental weaknesses that the warrior kingdom possessed beneath their veneer of durability to undermine and laid waste to it, neutralizing the kingdom and its champions' threats to the Summer Court's interests in the process.
Today, Changeling King Zorpheus is renown for his incredible resilience, having became nigh-invulnerable to physical damage thanks to bio-alteration he had applied to himself and the Changelings of his Hive, as well as possessing an iron will that also makes him nigh-invulnerable to mental damage. Because of this, while he is as strong as many militant kings, he has developed a reputation as an unstoppable juggernaut in combat, able to outlast any opponent in battle and earning him the nickname of 'The Ironclad'. Yet he does not rely entirely on his nigh-invulnerability alone to triumph; ever a Royal Changeling, crafty and intelligent beyond even their mortal subjects, he is also an expert in finding weaknesses in his enemies and how to exploit them to the fullest, making him an capable strategist and schemer as he is a warrior and conqueror.
Lesser degrees of this durability is also conferred to his subjects, with the most durable being the elite stormtroopers he fields which are spearheading his and the Summer Court conquests in Zebrica. Feared among the Zebras, they often requiring enough Zebra military alchemy, offensive magic and conventional weaponry to level a small town just to kill or injure a few of their number. To qualify or even survive the bio-treatment, young Changeling Warrior candidates had to endure gauntlet of trials that he personally devised so harsh that it would (often fatally) weed out all but the most durable troops, leaving only the most resilient both mind and body worthy to take the enhancements.
Yet despite his durability, Zorpheus is not invincible and without weak-points: his most recent claim to fame is being the unfortunate test subject to measure the power level of Thorax’s New Royal Changeling form, during the first joint-conference between the Spring and Summer Courts with royal dignitaries from Equestria, over Thorax’s ascension and Curse purification. For his trouble, he was blown across Avalon Valley by Thorax’s arcane beam, and was found half-buried in a crater, unconscious, with a singed and cracked carapace at his chest. This experience, rumours had spread, had humbled him somewhat, reminding him of his own vulnerability and that there are still many things on Equus who could hurt him.
Even if they couldn't, there are other ways to defeat him; King Mantid of the Tetrarchy Compact had earned his grudging respect for once being able to briefly subdue him in a brief spar, whereupon he lured him to a bog and managed to nearly drowned him in the entrapping mud and waters under his own carapace' weight. If nothing else, this incident demonstrates that his greatest strengths can be turned against him, something which he would take caution of in the foreseeable future.
Yet the fact he managed to survive and eventually recover from an attack that would had actually crippled or killed a Royal Changeling in one shot, and escape from having his own trademark ability turned against him, is a testament to the durability of his carapace and resilience of his character. And as long as he endure, Zorpheus can look forward to continued triumphs.
King Metriini Lyonesse
“Refrain from breathing in my labs, and you should be fine.”
Not much is known about this Changeling King, beyond the infamous products of his genius and his hive. Sources had given varied backgrounds, one indicate that he was raised in a family of chemists, acquiring degrees in those related subjects, while others hinted his mother is a potioneer. A popular story - one he had related to High Prince Thorax in person - has it that he was the 'son' of a kindhearted alchemist who became disgraced when the king of his homeland forced him to create poisons for assassination, oppression and war, leaving all the good he had done tainted and outweighed by the suffering he never wanted to unleash, all his innovations rejected and forgotten, and all who he had helped scorning him as a poisoner and maniac.
If that last story was true, it would certainly explain how he, upon becoming a Changeling King, came to view such selfless benevolence as foolish and applied himself to only serving his own ends and interests, and cynically advised Thorax to do the same. He combined his knowledge and talent with his powers and enhanced intelligence to quickly establish himself and his hive as a leading authority in chemical sciences and alchemy within the Summer Court. His hive is part chemical factory and part chemistry/alchemistry lab/workshop where he and his researchers experiment and innovates new formulas, while his subjects laboured to manufacture the resulting products. His stronghold and sub-hives constantly belch fumes from funnels and chimneys that also envelopes his territory in an ever-persistent toxic smog, providing indirect defense against invaders. His appearance is usually obscured by the sealed Hazmat armour and re-breather helm also common among his subjects, but more regal in design, containing equipments and materials that could allow him to detect, examine, experiment, synthesize and unleash new formulas and chemicals for his purposes.
Among his achievements include various enhancement drugs and potions that had improved the strength and endurance of many a changeling worker and warrior in many hives, as well as improved materials for construction of hives and strongholds. But his notoriety is in pioneering chemical warfare for the Summer Court, with his various chemical weapons used to devastating, often horrifying effect against Zebra defenders in the ongoing conquests by the hives in the Summer Court within that continent. When he and his hive are not deploying them in person, he would manipulate his brothers or other non-Changelings to do it for him; some of his earliest works were secretly provided two kingdoms who were bitter enemies with him in disguise as their supposed 'benefactor', allowing him to field-test those weapons as the two realms destroy each other in a nigh-apocalyptic exchange of chemical weaponry.
These weapons are creatively diverse as they are terrifyingly destructive: These include hot, noxious chemical cocktails, sprayed via nuzzles from armoured vehicles or monster mounts, capable of corroding through fortifications and suffocate its defenders while at it. Others include defoliators, dispersed from zeppelins and changeling flyers, which could wilt entire jungles hiding resistance fighters for easier counter-insurgency operations, with its toxic run-off poisoning rivers and nearby settlements, and leading to deformities appearing in later generations of Zebras who survived.
The most infamous achievement of his experiments is the development of the ‘Despoiler Toxin’, an alchemical weapon which blurs the line between magic, biology and chemistry. When released, it is said to be animated, and for a set period of time, the golem of toxic clouds are capable of using the ambient magic to convert its surrounding atmospheric gases into more aerosol clouds of toxin, spreading its effects across a wide area variable to the needs of the users. Contact with living tissue leads to rapid apoptosis, at such speeds that it would appear as if flesh is literally melting off bones, much to the extreme agony of the exposed individual. Breathing in the gas would lead to rapid asphyxiation as it repeat its effects inside the lungs. Some variants are corrosive, making protection difficult as it eats its way through gas-masks and clothing, while other variants makes it flammable, making it risky to clear away with flames without risking an explosive firestorm that would scour the area of dispersal. Such is the destructive potency of the Despoiler Toxin that it is rumoured Emperor Blackthorn himself ordered a halt on any development of the toxin beyond what is already done.
Even so, in their current forms, the Despoiler Toxin and other terrible chemical weapons of King Metriini are only rivaled by the biological weapons and monsters of the Summer Court hives, as well as dark curses of various witches and evil overlords throughout history, in terms of the suffering they could inflict.
King Brachion Lyonesse
“The Law of the World is the Law of the Jungle.”
It is said only the fittest can survive in the Summer Court, and none subscribed to that philosophy than King Brachion, a preeminent master and creator of the some of the most demented biological weaponry and biomantic monsters ever conceived.
Born a prince in an Alvslogs Herd Deer forest realm, at a young age Brachion had already shown to be different from the other Deers – the most obvious difference of all, however, was that he was never able to attune to the nature around him, in the same way as many Deer could, a fact that made him an outcast even as royalty among his siblings and subjects.
Such a difference eventually drove his concerned royal parents to consult their druids for answers concerning his nature. What they discovered was more than any would bargain for: Brachion was discovered to be a Changeling, yet manifested, and the one whom the Deer forest king and queen had hope to had been their beloved heir was thus an impostor all along. Horrified and enraged, they ordered Brachion’s death, but he escaped into the forbidden depths of the forest before that could be carried out. Alone and lost within the dark woods for many years, young Brachion was forced to fight daily for his survival against the elements and many dangerous animals that prowl the woods.
It was during this time of desperate struggle that Brachion began to develop a twisted fascination and admiration for the various beasts and predators that survived and even thrived in the dangerous environments found in nature, as well as for the merciless, cut-throat process of natural selection that beget them over countless generations, weeding out the weak and feeble, leaving only the strong to become stronger still. When his True Nature began to manifest itself, giving him access to powerful changeling magic, he combined it with what little spells and rituals he learnt from the Deer that cast him out and began his infamous experiments to ‘improve’ them even more.
When he finally emerged from the edge of the woods, the only world he knew until then, he did so at the head of a small army of grotesque monsters of his own design, having tamed various creatures and then altered them for his own uses. At that time, he was investigating a disturbance to his forest home - and also driven by a mysterious urge to undergo an Errance there.
When he discovered a settlement of ponies cutting down woods for lumber and polluting the rivers with industry, he was enraged by what he perceived as ‘desecration’ of nature, and the people sacrilegiously attempting to transcend themselves from the laws of nature that govern all life. He wasted no time in laying waste to that settlement with his army of monsters, wiping out its inhabitants. There, he met his True Father, who had sensed his presence and made his way over to greet him, drawing Brachion to him in turn with his. Among the ruins and the dead, Emperor Blackthorn revealed to him who and what he really was.
Impressed by his worth, the Changeling Emperor made him a King like so many of his siblings before him, and gave him his blessing to take his vengeance at his Deer people for casting him out – and plunder the valuable druidic lore at manipulating life that they possess. Commanding an army of changeling warriors and his monsters, he razed the forest kingdom of his birth and made it his own. Dark rumours circulate over what he did to his surrogate family; some said that he let them flee like he had, then hunted them through the dark woods like wild animals, ending with him ravishing and devouring them all alive in forms of great beasts. Others said he used them as just another group of test subjects, and their twisted, agonized forms are still writhing and howling in the dark dungeons where he kept his failed batches.
Today Brachion’s hive is still located within the forest of his birth, which has been turned into a true primal nightmare, populated by his experiments and importing various deadly fauna and flora from the changeling homelands to add further ‘variety’ into the whirlpool of violence and predation that is its ecosystem. His hive citadel and laboratory consist of a castle-sized grove of dark-barked, massive trees, hollowed out internally for living space, where he would reside and conduct his studies.
Brachion and his hive are masters in biological manipulation, both scientific and magical, producing nightmarish monsters and beasts for use in their wars and those of his brothers, the battlefield yet another field laboratory to test out his latest creations. When he discovered microbiology whilst studying a biology degree in Cervidia, he was quick to expand his field into creating deadly biological weapons, like the infamous Bloodrot parasite and the grotesque Revenant fungus that laid waste to many rival hives and conquered lands. He was also the creator of the Spawn Trees, saying he was ‘inspired’ by the lie Queen Chrysalis peddled to her subjects concerning their race’s origins and used it either to mass produce short-lived, near-mindless ‘Spawnlings’ for labour and disposable troops, or for more sophisticated master-craft creatures, like the Changeling-Deer hybrids he’s rumoured to be experimenting on.
King Brachion is said to despise Deerkind with a passion, no doubt due to his past. He is rumoured to be responsible, on his father’s orders, for engineering Deer King Sequoia’s fall into tyranny and his eventual war with the Yak Tribal Kingdom to the north, devastating both realms and forcing both into isolationism, although no concrete proof is ever found. Many Deer realms had certainly suffered from his attacks and schemes against them, and any Deer caught by his Changelings endured many an unkind fate. For his part, he has both embraced and rejected the Alvslogs Forest Deer’s philosophies and world-view, having upholded to himself and others the dark side of nature of cut-throat survival and dominance of the strong and fit over all. His ultimate goal is to recreate the primeval forests of the prehistoric past, where old, extinct monsters and beasts would be given a second chance to thrive again, and new species would evolve into even greater, deadlier creatures in a glorious evolutionary struggle.
King Brachion used to be in rivalry with King Thomisus over biological experimentation, each hoping to outdo each other in that field, although recently they had entered into a Compact together with King Metriini, King Scorpius and others, having seen the merits of cooperating and sharing knowledge and resources, and has dealings with the very recently ascendant King Kakkerlak. Like King Metriini, he shares an enemy/rivalry with Queen Zoraptera Avalon of the Spring Court, who has developed cures to many of his deadly pathogens and secretly aid many of those suffering them.
As of recent events, King Brachion's reputation in the Summer Court had taken damage - one for being tricked into unwittingly releasing some world-threatening monsters in his quest for more diabolical bio-weapons to develop, and for an unspecified incident in Hive Brachion/Erlking that involved attempted to dissect an other-worldly being. While he had avoided being cast down for his weaknesses and even managed to salvage his standing in the eyes of his father and siblings, only time will tell whether or not King Brachion would be able to adapt, as he always had, and remain as strong as he feels the strong deserves, so dictated in the laws of the jungle...
King Asbolus Lyonesse
"I understand you planned to stab me in the back. Unfortunately for you, I just stole your dagger when you weren't looking."
King Asbolus is a strange one. While a member of the Summer Court, he has little interest in conquest...at least of TERRITORY. Rather his interests lay in the conquest of a material nature.
Asbolus' mother was a renown thief cat burger who caught the eye of Blackthorn with her craftiness and guile. How much the Changeling Emperor respected her is unknown, but what is known is she was never caught despite a large number of high profile robberies. Asbolus was born and raised by this mare until his awakening as a King. What happened to his mother at this point, as her whereabouts following his emergence are unknown except to him and possibly the Changeling Emperor, though she is believed dead. What is known is Asbolus speaks fondly of her, leading some to believe he faked her demise to protect her from both his family and from the law.
Asbolus is best described as a 'gentleman thief' and relatively benign by his family's standards. With that in mind, he's still a thief.
Asbolus is believed to be a notorious Phantom Thief named 'Ghost Beetle', wanted for a large number of high profile robberies across the world, though if he is, no solid proof has ever been found. If he is indeed Ghost Beetle, the amount of stolen property he's in possession of are worth several million dollars at the smallest amount. Asbolus denies these claims, but does add 'But I hear Ghost Beetle is a very clever bugger. Handsome too.'"
Of his known thefts, Asbolus has several times stolen intel or items of high value from his siblings right from under their noses. On one occasion he dealt with a rival for their Father's attention by waiting for them to invite the Emperor to be granted a gift in tribute, then snuck in, stole it from behind their back with no one aware until the Changeling Emperor was presented an empty box. Asbolus then handed his father the stolen tribute himself to increase his own standing. When asked why he did this, Asbolus stated 'One, to gain father's favor. And two? Because I COULD.'
On another occasion, he managed to steal a Dragon's entire hoard without waking it up, then left it in a rival King's hive for the Dragon to attack.
Personality wise, Asbolus is a gentleman and exceedingly polite...but also one who will swipe the pocket book or wallet of the person he's speaking to without breaking stride. Especially if they don't have his respect in any form. For this reason, it's generally advised to never have money on your person when meeting with Asbolus...and to put all your money somewhere VERY secret only you can access.
He also has a moral code, due to his mother's raising. It can be boiled down to one core value: There is no point in stealing something that is EASY to take. IE, there's no point in stealing candy from a baby because the baby has no means of defending it. As such, Asbolus typically ignores the weak and helpless, seeing stealing or harming them as beneath a thief of his caliber.
Asbolus's greatest strength is he's exceedingly cunning and stealthy, to the point that one will likely only learn he's stolen from them if he brags about it. His specialty is rapidly shapeshifting to remain disguised no matter what the environment, and using his forms to hide unseen. It's rumored he may have the ability to turn invisible, but it's more likely he merely managed to capture or see a creature with a translucent form, like Mirrorca or other such creature. Asbolus is also a master of misdirection, and has been known to steal the weapons off one of his brother's who sought him dead before they realized he knew they were there.
His greatest weakness is the opposite sex. While he has some morals against satisfying it in more heinous ways, Asbolus has little control over his lust and 'really gets around' in a sense. His ego also can get him into trouble.
Asbolus is known to respect Princess Celestia because she is one of the few people who have managed to foil his robberies on a several occasions. He also respects Puck of Blackrose's court, as he has likewise foiled attempts by the King to steal from the palace.
Life in Asbolus' hive is not too bad, mainly because the King quickly grows bored of the things he's stolen and allows his hive to use it to increase their standard of living. This has nothing to do with him actively trying to better things for them, more because he doesn't care and so long as the 'trophies' in his personal collection are untouched, doesn't care what they do with his other acquisitions.
Asbolus is currently in a tentative alliance the Tetrarchy, though not part of the Compact itself. He's stated that the reason is he finds the concept 'fun', and that if any of them need something stolen to just ask. None of them TRUST him, but are aware such things are his specialty.
The First-Spawns
The almost mythical First-Spawn Royal Changelings, among the very first Royal Changelings to appear after their Progenitor parents, are widely regarded with fear and reverence; rightfully so, for short of the Progenitors themselves, they are the most powerful Changelings in existence, capable of laying waste to entire lands by themselves and dwarf the more contemporary Royal Changelings in might as a roach is to a pony. While the range in practice actually covers the First to Tenth generation of Royal Changelings, they are all collectively classified as one group due to their renown status.
One of the oddities regarding the existence of the First Spawns is that there’s a disproportionate level of disparity between the Spring and Summer Courts in numbers of First-Spawns, and none seem to be present in the modern day. The latter problem was explained by the changelings themselves as due to the fact that, at some points between the Thirty to Fiftieth-Spawn Eras, many of them had started to go into hibernation, willingly or unwillingly entering stasis-cocoons to sleep through the ages, for all variety of reasons.
The former problem is more enigmatic: First-Spawn Royal Changelings are almost nearly non-existent in the Spring Court, with very few known or remembered by any common or Royal Changeling of later eras, while records concerning their identities and exploits were conspicuously absent.
What is known was that it was attributed to a traumatic event in Changeling history that has once left the Spring Court in ruins, and was directly responsible for the change in temperament of Empress Blackrose. For her part, this is known to be deeply tragic to Blackrose, and mention or recollection of said event will likely drive the Changeling Empress to tears.
Having not suffered a similar devastation during its history, at least not to the scale of that event, the Royal First-Spawns of the Summer Court are said to still be in existent; meanwhile, none has discounted the possibility that some Royal First-Spawns of the Spring Court may have survived. In either case, the Progenitors had chosen to neither confirm or deny anything concerning them.
Whatever the case, it is conceivable that all of them, for now, either hiding, or slumbering in stasis somewhere in the remote corners of the world, their former hives turned into grand mausoleums housing their form, waiting for their masters to reawaken. One shudders to imagine what would happen if even one of them were to reappear in the present day…