I'm feeling guilty now, what with being an admin and not having posted any new discussions to keep the group focused. Well, I've got time, tons of time, and I'm in a great mood over all, so let's get to the discussion!

This is actually a modified version of a thread topic I posted in Dark, wherein I phrased the question more vaguely and pointed the muzzle elsewhere so as to rouse up discussion on how a topic fit for the group could include it, but now I can get nitty gritty with it!

So! We all know about Changelings, right? Those adorable little devils that drain the emotional energy(primarily love) from other beings in order to feed, right? Well, here's an interesting bit I've thought up: What if we throw mana into the mix? Well, I've come up with(thus far) two ideas for how such an addition would affect things:

1) Mana is very much concerned with the power of emotion, thus, strong emotions force the creation of mana, although emotions such as anger or sorrow would corrupt the energy, whereas love would create a very pure mana, and thus, would obviously be much preferred. This said, the Changelings actually feast on mana.
2) Mana is required for magic, as well as (1) and thus, the Changelings do not feed for sustenance, but rather because they cannot create mana naturally, and so must receive it from other sources(i.e. draining the mana of ponies). This, of course, would make creatures such as unicorns and alicorns, especially very loving ones, extremely useful for the changelings.

This is meant to get creative juices flowing for discussion, so throw in your opinions, ideas, and whatever else you may want to throw into the pot, so long as it is civil and stays mostly on topic. I know I ramble, so I couldn't in all good conscience say "No rambling allowed."

Again, though, it seems I'm posting a potential story tool! Wow, I guess I should consider making a new type of thread for myself, eh? "Tool: Blah blah something or other about writing tools I've spent weeks days hours a decent enough amount of time that you don't need to know how poor of a social life I have by knowing the exact amount." And there I go rambling again.

Well, enough of that: Get discussing!

2046624 That makes way too much sense.

I really can't say anything else about it, except that I think you're right. Maybe it explains the holes in their bodies!

2046644 Maybe, but yeah, I think I really should change my two "Discussions" to "Writing Tools" or something. After all, though well discussed the other might be, both of these are really just ideas to put to use as tools in a story. Not really anything you can build into a plot in and of itself, but definitely something that could change up the way a story is written.

2046660 Maybe you could make a new thread and make it sticky.

2046662 I take it you mean one to list links to all the tool discussion?

2046668 Yeah. So, like, you could link this thread there and say, "Hey, this is a good idea for why changelings feed, and you could use it!" or something like that.

That is, if I get what you mean, of course. I might be misinterpreting this.

2046660
I'd consider them more of a possible head canon, but interesting nonetheless.

2046677 Tools are tools. I won't tell ponies how to use them. Some ponies get downright creative. Also, I will make that thread. That way you don't need feel obligation to monitor it.

2046682 Have you any ideas, opinions, anything you'd like to add? Maybe a counter argument? We can debate like civilized ponies here.