Illiad Easle

@Blitz Boom (Last) Applejack cringed a bit at that, "Do you think you could ease up them a bit at least?" She sighed, "I mean, yes, you need to be tough to be a guard, but morale is low enough here as it is..." She stopped Last before they got back into town, "We've already had more than one desertion here, and... and I really need this to not get spread around, more than one who's offed themselves. We need hope here, now more than ever. The prospect of cooperation with the Æther is helping, but I worry that too tough of training would just break some of their spirits more." She sighed again, resuming course back to town unless Last stopped her, "Just, can you start off soft? Help these ponies learn at least how to protect themselves, and save the hard stuff for those who can handle it. Build up to it rather than starting off hard?" It seemed like things here were a bit worse off than first estimates, and perhaps that the leaders were hiding darker truths in order to prevent a disaster for morale. (Sorrow) Plein nodded at that, "Yeah, that is some good news. Delta should be happy to hear that Crank was avenged." (Continued with the rest of the conversation below) (Blitz & Sorrow) (Blitz knows about her wings and that she hides them, it wasn't clear whether you remembered that detail from your post so I thought I'd clarify) "It's hard to say at the moment. There are some ponies here that match records, but they're much younger than they should be. They've mentioned having been stranded in another world and living different lives. Depending on how much is true, they may have some of the Elements of Harmony here in charge. Looks like Last is just about back, the leadership should probably talk to each other, I'm sure mom can sneak you the details later." Euclid would also signal to Blitz that they needed to cut it short, "The top brass will wonder what we're doing, they don't need to know about what we did with Power." Blitz would get a chance to say farewell before Euclid would switch the communication to be able to reach the central switchboard. (I think that's all we've got for Blitz right now until landfall, when we start the alternate Blitz arc.) (Sorrow & Last) Plein would shrug, "I like private, but why is it creepy?" If Sorrow explained that it was in a graveyard Plein would shake her head, "Oh, no thank you, I um, can see why they would be concerned." About then Applejack and Last would return, "Quite the setup you've got, does it work?" Plein would nod, "Just finished testing it, and they reported that the robot is most likely dealt with. They recommended to stay away for at least another hour, then check if the residue is still corrosive. If not, then the whole situation can be considered resolved." (Archback) (You reminded me of some other aspects to add in!) While those following the warrior path were the most outspoken of those who were denied their rituals to fully come of age, those learning alchemy and necromancy (To communicate with spirits) also struggled to complete their rituals. Many ingredients to make the ritual potions could not be grown in Archback and had required their own pilgrimage to acquire. So they too had grown frustrated, some turning down forbidden paths in an effort to seek their fulfillment, darker magics and more unconventional ingredients used. Yazid himself had been reprimanded by one of the elders for the debacle with his cat and experiments. As he had not yet completed the ritual to begin his training as a potion master, the elders had forbidden experimentation, though many zebra like him had done so anyway, unable to ignore the feeling in their souls that told them to brew. While he had remained behind, there were other potion zebra who had left along with many of those who had trained in spirits to follow the new Mohotma and the young warriors. It was so very quiet in the village now without so much of the youth. Many of those who remained were simply sorrowful. The elders had closed themselves in the gathering hut and were deliberating how they ought to proceed. The rest of the youth who remained were mostly pondering if they had made the right choice to stay. As such Yazid was undisturbed in his rest, though now he had a family hut all to himself, with whatever his father and sister had not taken with them. Many who had left took as many supplies as they could carry, some leaving behind almost nothing for those who remained.

@Skylight Scintillate Scipio shook her head, "Not for me. I trained for years at the Spartrot military academy to get accepted into their Dragon Commando unit, you need to be especially fearless to get in. After all that, an Ursa is still dangerous, but nothing to fear." "Hmm" Scipio shook her head, "I can't say I've heard of them, but I haven't spent much time in Equestria. I hope you enjoy your time here in the Fastar clan, and that we're able to leave you with a good impression. Stars guide you two." With that Scipio returned to her post in the trees, seemingly content with the conversation. Nova would start to lead the way towards the hunting class. "I... um... wow! I wouldn't have had the courage to go up and talk to Scipio like that. She... scares me a bit, she's one of the strongest guards here, I've seen her train with the other guards, and some of them are scared of her too." He looked thoughtful, "She seemed to like you though." If Speckle didn't have any comments on that, they would soon enter the forest on the opposite side of the colony from where they went exploring last time, following a path to a simple bridge that crossed the river, on the other side of which was a clearing where some other young thestrals were gathered, waiting silently for the instructor to arrive. They moved aside from Nova's approach, though there were some curious glances towards Speckle, and at least one small wave of greeting. The silence would be broken when an adult thestral landed in the middle of the clearing, having flown in from above. They weren't terribly imposing, maybe closer to a young adult, they were definitely younger than Scipio. "You're all here on time, good. Wait, no," he turned to Speckle, "You're new, so we're missing one." A sound of hurried hooves came from the path as another thestral filly about Speckle's size entered the clearing. "Marigold, you're late." The new arrival simply bowed her head in response. "No matter, you three," he pointed to Marigold, Nova, and Speckle, "Stay here a bit. The rest of you," he turned to the rest of those gathered, "Find a trail and start tracking. Don't follow anything larger than a rabbit. If you find something, capture it and bring it back alive if you can." The other young thestrals nodded and dispersed into the forest. The teacher turned to Marigold, "Do five crunches up on that branch, then you can go." Marigold nodded and winged up to the indicated branch, hooking her hind legs on it to do some vertical crunches before leaving as well. In the mean time, the teacher came over to the pair, "This is Speckle, yes? The one your mother said you were visiting with in Canterlot?" Nova nodded The teacher turned his attention to Speckle, "You may introduce yourself, I am Turing, Nova's hunting teacher. What do you know about hunting already?"

@Blitz Boom (Null) They did have sweet chili, so the griffon at the counter noted it down and Arcade ordered the variety of cheeses option for himself. They were then given a number and told to find an open table, and they were able to find an open space in the corner near the front, opposite form the door so there wouldn't be much traffic past their table. As they waited for their orders Arcade seemed to be trying to come up with something to say. "So, um, I remember Gemini mentioned once that ponies use dates to get to know each other better... Or maybe I'm misremembering... anyway, while we've both met each other's families, I don't think I can say I really know too much about yours. Is... is that something you'd like to talk about?" (Ranger) The small paper critter had been zapped with lightning, which put a smoldering hole though the middle of it. If the paper fox were still interested in eating it Ranger would have a concerned expression, but not comment on it. She smiled a bit as she tested how it moved and felt before returning her attention to investigating. It didn't do much to illuminate the large room through the window, but she seemed satisfied that the coast was clear as she prepared to break the window. She stopped her preparations at that, looking at some of the papers that Kozue had mentioned as she deflated a bit. "We... we weren't foalnapped, and our parents didn't sell us. We didn't have parents, we were born here... we.... we're clones... or dopplegangers as they liked to call us sometimes... Not real ponies." She sighed, "They made us to be replacements for some other important ponies, in case anything bad happened to them. I was supposed to be a replacement for a pegasus named Rainbow Dash, but she got too popular, too involved, so instead I became her designated organ donor in case she needed anything. The others too... but they didn't tell them that... We kept that from them, and that they were clones, they don't need to know that they aren't real ponies." It seemed like being in this place, being reminded of everything she had gone through, wasn't doing Ranger any favors with respect to her mental state and how she saw herself. A flash of anger went through her as she smashed the window, she used some of the papers to clear the broken glass from the bottom edge before tossing them into the darkness below, followed by the flower she had been given as she climbed through the window to drop down after it, "Let's keep moving, I'd rather not stay here longer than I need to." The room itself was quite large, about the size of an indoor practice field, and almost entirely undecorated save for the ceiling and floor being different colors from the walls to help against getting disoriented while flying. Ranger picked up the flower, if it had survived being dropped a hundred feet to the ground, and would use it to light her way to the doors on the far side of the room. (Cherish) Lilac would look excited, but after a soft word from Nova and a cute yawn she agreed that she'd rather take a nap now after all the stretching they had done in class. Teal, Elef, and Gemini were interested though, Teal speaking up, "I think that would be fun! We'll just have to let Miss Void know first, if that's alright?" If Cherish wanted to go with them she could, as they would go to drop off their stuff and ask if it would be okay to go and play with Cherish. Otherwise, they would set a place and time to meet up after they had gone to talk to Void. Assuming Void let them go out, if she didn't, then they'd have to work out letting Cherish know, but Void could handle it if it came to that. (So we can have Void interacting with them for a moment while they ask if they can go play with Cherish. I imagine Void will agree, but set where they can go and when they need to be back by.) Assuming Void agreed, the young ponies would meet up with or walk with Cherish to wherever they had decided to go, Elef speaking up this time, "So, what are we going to do with Crow?" (Grey) Watch nodded, "That is understandable. We'll let you take charge on this, for now, but you can always stop and let someone else handle it if you feel you are not up to the task. We'd rather you alive than die trying. We'll give you whatever resources you need, within reason, for this task. Why don't you start with some surveillance on the target? We have reports that she spends a lot of time on the move, like Basher did, but frequents the cloud district." He was passed a picture of Moth. He wouldn't know it, but it was the same pegasus who had presented Null with the photos in the cloud district bar. How he went about gathering more information was up to him.

@Skylight Scintillate (Sorry for the delay! Things got really busy at work these past weeks) Scipio looked down at Speckle, and Nova as he came over to join her, "Hmm, I don't recognize you." Nova spoke up, "This is Speckle, she's visiting from Canterlot, we're doing a cultural exchange!" Scipio raised an eyebrow, but nodded before rolling off of the branch to land on her hooves in front of the young ponies, "I heard about the exchange back in Spartrot, Snipes got to participate in it, said it was a good time." She turned to look at Speckle with a faint smile, "Yes, little one, the Ursa was very large, almost too large for the forest to be safe around it. Hunting it though was just like hunting any other creature: Careful and cautious tracking, diligent study, then attack with surprise!" she snapped her wings out at that to emphasize her point, her wings were pretty large. "Ursa's can be very dangerous if you're not careful, especially the big ones. If you two see one, you should leave immediately. It's not a good idea to face an Ursa if you're not fully prepared, even when prepared it can still be dangerous." She nodded to herself, turning back to Speckle, "I can't say I'm familiar with too many of the clans in Equestria, I didn't think there would be one in Canterlot. Which clan are you from little one?" Despite the soft and even tone it seemed that Scipio was curious, or at least a bit intrigued.

@Blitz Boom (Last) Given the diverse sorts of cultures mixed on the Project, and the differing levels of respect that titles had in Trojan vs Equestrian vs Griphonian military hierarchies, the Project had foregone the use of rank titles with the exception of General, Admiral, and Captain, which were only used by the leaders of the branches of the structure. Everyone else was assigned a skill number based on their aptitude for their roles. Last, being a well trained fighter, was a rank 1 of course, but that was only ever used when determining squad compositions and rivalries, so it wasn't used as a title. Twilight's smile grew just a little bit more every time she was addressed as Doctor, it seemed she was quite proud of the title. She looked disappointed at that, and that Last indicated she wouldn't be a good source of knowledge going forward, but didn't press the matter. Her eyes widened at that, "I was going to ask about these plant creatures you mentioned, since I had never heard of them before nor read any mention of them in the books here, but I suppose that answers that question, and raises others." She sighed as she took down some notes, "I hope I'll be able to communicate with the Æther soon? I don't want to tire you with questions that you don't have answers for, but I am thankful for the answers you've brought so far. It's clear that things here are not like we thought they would be, and understandably more complex than we had guessed. Still, it's good to have a potential ally so early on, it will improve our chances of surviving the next five years considerably." She got up and stretched in an unusual manner for ponies before heading towards the door, "I'd like to meet the other new ponies if that's alright? I hope they weren't too injured in their crash?" Applejack wavered, "One is pretty hurt, lost a wing and a lot of blood and is unconscious. The other seemed to only have bruises and minor cuts and was perfectly ambulatory. Sorrow was the one who found them and has been staying nearby since." As Twilight passed though, Applejack winced, "Might want to wash up first though, you've been in here for a few days." "No I-" her eyes passed over the sets of partially eaten food, counting as realization dawned on her, "I guess I have been here longer than I thought. I guess we can conclude that alicorns really don't need as much food as other ponies, I hardly noticed the time passing." She nodded to herself, "I'll wash up then, and join you two back in the center of town with the others, then we can discuss our next moves." If Last didn't have anything left to say Applejack would lead the way back towards town, "Hmm, it's quiet now, I hope that's a good sign." She sighed, "Anyway, you mentioned having a group of fighters? Do you think you could train a few of our ponies here to fight? Maybe help us plan out our defenses better? We haven't had too much trouble since Discord was defeated, but I think after that robot the ponies would feel safer if they saw some better defenses." (Sorrow) There were plenty of sturdy enough structures nearby that Sorrow could attach the dish to, so she wouldn't have to just sit and hold it in place up in the air. Still, Plein was counting the time out even after the silence before she signaled Sorrow to point the dish back up to the passing cloud. "We'll have to adjust periodically until they stop, but not too often. Thank you for your help." ~"-ein, are you there? Over." Plein picked up the mic "Yeah we're still here, is it done? Over." ~"Probably. Power reported an acidic ooze. Tell the ponies there to stay away from the castle for at least an hour, then someone should check if the ooze is still corrosive. If it isn't inert by then we'll have another problem. Over." "Understood. Over" (Conversation continues below) (Blitz) Silver looked a bit down at having missed that Blitz was talking about her own daughter, "Oh, yeah." It seemed that even after all these years their relationship wasn't fully repaired. There was still a bit of a rift, a longing, but now wasn't the time to engage with that topic. Aurum was hardly in a position to stop the excited mare from hugging her, and Blitz would be able to feel the secret alicorn's soft wings bound at her sides. Usually Aurum wore a Trojan style robe to disguise the feeling, but she was also very rarely hugged from the side, her students usually just hugged a leg or her neck from the front. Still, she wasn't going to stop Blitz from celebrating as she recovered. Aurum looked around and smiled at what she had been brought, "Oh! You didn't have to, but... thank you, I appreciate it!" Given her strength she had no trouble moving to the food with Blitz attached, sitting to enjoy the food immediately. Euclid nodded, "I can handle checking if Power is alright, as for the rest, well, it'll be up to the Consul and the Council how that plays out. We won't likely be sending any crafts out until we're setting down, but communication will be key in the mean time." He moved to the communicator (Conversation as shown above until the last line) Silver approached the comms, and Euclid nodded, "Plein, your mother's here too." "Plein!" Silver took the mic and headset, "Are you alright?" "I... I'm fine mom. Just a bit bruised. Delta had it worse and Crank... didn't make it." Silver didn't know how to respond to that, "I see... I'm glad to hear that you're alright. How are the ponies down there? Are they treating you alright?" ~"They're nice enough, but a bit strange. Seems they're just as lucky to have survived as we were, and just as changed by the experience." "Euclid's telling me I need to keep this brief. You can reach me any time you need, alright? Should only be a few days before we set down." "That's good to hear. I'll be waiting." (Archback) Among the zebra, things had been tense for the past 25 years. With the mountains, the Mohotma tribe had been cut off from the rest of the world, unable to access their pilgrimage sites or perform some of their rituals. Many young zebra had grown up patiently waiting to begin their warrior training, but without beasts to fight, they could not begin. Their patience grew to a quiet anger, causing them to lash out at the ponies and thestrals beside them, seeking to fight, to prove themselves like warriors would. Many issues had occurred as a result, but the mountains prevented their ritual banishment, so discontent fermented in the valley. When the mountains fell away, the elders advised caution, but a younger group, mostly aged 15-35, composed of those who had been denied their right-of-passage-rituals for so long refused. Many arguments were made against the elders by this group, saying that they as a tribe had grown weak and soft under the Black Knight's protection, and were unworthy to call themselves a warrior tribe, unworthy to bear Mohotma's name. The leader of the group declared himself the new Mohotma (Which was the title for their chief leader, named after their first warchief) and called on all those loyal and worthy of the true warrior spirit to follow him as he left to seek a new land in the world. This left the tribe with only the old and the young, with just a few of those in the middle group staying behind, though that number shrank as daily more of the zebra would decide to leave and follow the new Mohotma. (So you can choose which side your zebra will join. Either one explores a new sector of the world.)

@Blitz Boom (Null) Unfortunately, almost all of the attractions that had originally made the city popular as a tourist destination had been up on the cloud layer before the crisis, and much of it had been destroyed in the ensuing chaos. Even if something had remained stating and in good function, that whole area was still out of control, albeit a bit quieter now with Basher out of the picture. As to the brochure itself, the Host's party was mentioned, as well as a few upscale events being hosted at the Luxe-Æther. The Tartarus Pits advertised a few more adult themed events, but after their experience with the dragons there, Arcade wasn't keen on returning there so soon, as curious as he might be as to what those could entail. If Null was willing to dress up for it, Arcade would be willing to accompany her to a dinner gala at the Luxe-Æther, or if the changeling had something planned that piqued her interest. Otherwise, they would be headed to the pizza place that they had visited not so long ago, hopefully to not have the mood ruined by the appearance of a Grey Agent like last time. If they went with the pizza route, they'd find the place a bit busier than the previous time, tables packed and the air full of chatter and fragrant scents. Spirits seemed a bit higher than last time, it seemed the town was starting to get hopeful now that there weren't the Grey looming over them. They could even see where the option to pay with debt had been crossed off the menu board. They couldn't tell if the griffon at the counter was the same one they had seen the previous time, and she didn't seem to recognize them either, simply asking what they wanted to order. If they went with the fancy gala option, depending on how well they dressed up, they'd be able to get in with only a moderate amount of snootiness on the part of the staff before they were shown to a table in a corner that wasn't quite as well lit as the others, along with a menu that seemed to have been geared more towards foals, not that Arcade would notice or care, having never been somewhere like this to compare it to. If they went with a changeling option, who knew what was in store for them? (Ranger) Ranger again squinted as she tried to make out what the paper fox had written. If it was intended as a joke she didn't understand it, and she didn't quite grasp that the punctuation was meant to serve as a drawing of a face. She didn't have long to dwell on it before Kozue got her attention back. Ranger shrugged, "Yeah they never bothered to teach me much, it wasn't necessary for their plans. I didn't need to read to fly well." As to the new creatures she was impressed, nodding as he explained their function. Ranger started down the hallway but shook her head at the mention of her weapon, "Unless I need to leverage something, a weapon won't help. It won't help against a-" There was a flash of light down one of the halls, one of the paper creatures had tripped a rune and gotten zapped by a bolt of lightning. "-Against the sort of things they have here." Ranger would get near to where the smaller one had gotten hit and started looking around for the source of the rune, which she found drained from zapping the paper. "Looks like it was just unlucky there, it was nearly all drained to begin with. It might be the same for the others, but we should still be careful. They meant for the traps to stop anything not authorized from getting very far, and to keep them stuck until guards could get them contained." It seemed like she spoke from experience. Eventually they'd find a stairwell, though it only went down one layer. On the next floor they soon found an office with windows looking down into a large dark room. Ranger tried to peer through the window into the darkness, but it was too dim to see. "Oh, you did that light thing earlier, how big can you go? I think this is the right room, from all the notes, but I want to be sure it's my flight room and not, like, some big containment thing." The notes around the room seemed primarily focused on flight, as well as physical development logs for pegasi. Kozue could no doubt read better than Ranger, and would notice, if he cared to read, that they weren't all about Ranger, or RD as the documents were labeled. (Cherish) That was all that Lyft had for them, so they were free to go. If Cherish wanted to have some of the other ponies join her, or for her to join them, she'd have to be quick about it. (Otherwise, we'll be moving into the Elef arc. I just want to finish Ranger's current arc in the Academic zone before starting Elef's arc.) (Grey) "From what we've gathered, she wasn't even the third. Birdy was the second, and Moth was more of the messenger who relayed their orders to the rest of the groups. So with Basher and Birdy out, everyone seems to have rallied around Moth." "Reports indicate that she's more of a runner than a fighter, It might be hard to get the drop on her, but that might be the only way to catch her before she can escape." Watch nodded, "I suppose 'peacefully' was the wrong word. It would be best if she were brought in alive with a minimal amount of casualties. It seems like you were thinking along the same lines. Your plan seems worthwhile, assuming you can pin down her location. Taking her out quietly might cause the rest to disband, but taking her down publicly might do more to crush their morale. We'll leave that up to you though. What resources would you need to pull off this plan of yours? Would bringing in the changeling you've worked with previously help?"

@Skylight Scintillate Indigo leaned in to answer for Nova, "Maybe not that big, but yes, they are much bigger while alive. A lot of their size is from magic, which mostly goes away when they die, so they aren't really much larger than normal bears once they're dead." Nova simply shrugged before he started eating, "We can probably ask my hunting teacher later tonight, I think he'd know all about it. Or we could ask Scipio herself, if she's free later." The feast lasted a bit longer than the previous two gathering meals had, with additional portions of the Ursa meat being passed around to any who wanted more. Still, it soon wrapped up and everyone started going their separate ways. Scipio, the mare who had been honored at the feast, was perched up on a branch at the edge of the clearing, seeming to be keeping watch, if Speckle wanted to approach her with questions. Indigo was headed back to Nova's house to prepare her wares to be sold later that night, but Speckle could ask her some things too if she wanted. Nova would follow Speckle, but would indicate that the hunting lesson would start soon.

Shadow Specters are an entirely original species that I created with only minor inspiration from other works. I've been told that they bear a resemblance to Umbrums from the comics, but I haven't read the comics. Similar to Changelings, Shadow Specters are magical entities with some biological components, though these components are far more minute than in changelings. A Shadow Specter is often visualized by a dark shadowy orb with a number of tendrils extending off of the central mass. These tendrils can be used to manipulate objects in their surroundings, but Specters are not very strong on their own and more often will simply use magic and telekinesis to move things. Specters feed off of heat, often sitting near creatures or fire, but are burned by direct sunlight. As such they'll often hide in the shadows of passing creatures and mostly travel at night. Many will live their lives in deep caves with access to hotsprings to sustain them. A specter's body is made up of tiny pieces that essentially form a swarm or hive mind. If split the two halves will each retain pieces of the original personality and memory, and the two halves can be reintegrated if large enough, but a small enough piece will simply lose cohesion and dissipate. Specters can grow larger overtime, either by being fed enough heat or by dominating another specter and absorbing their mass. Eventually a specter will, if allowed, grow large enough to become what is known as a Specter King. Large enough that movement becomes difficult, so they will spin off portions of themselves to serve as knights, each a specter in their own right and almost unquestionably loyal to their king. The longer and further a knight spends away from their king, the more unique their personality becomes and the more their loyalty might waver. If a creature is not magically shielded or engulfed in sunlight, a specter will be able to communicate with them telepathically so long as direct contact can be maintained. Many ponies practicing dark magics will choose to form symbiotic bonds with specters, allowing the specter to live inside them. As a specter is made up of many tiny pieces, these pieces are small enough to pass through ponies without causing damage, but only a willing host will be suitable as the body's internal magics would try to push out the specter otherwise. Once bonded, the pony will gain access to many spectral abilities, the most notable of which is the ability to move through shadows and to move as a ball of darkness, as done by Princess Luna and King Sombra. Spectrals are also known to be common vectors whereby godly powers are bestowed. In essence the specter serves as a conduit for the power that can be revoked by either party at any time.

@Skylight Scintillate Nova looked thoughtful, "Hmm, I think it's because at meals the Elder is present, and you're supposed to be quiet when someone like the Elder or a Teacher is in charge. The Elder's not here though, and no one is being taught, so we're all equal I guess?" He shrugged, "I'm not sure, I always seem to guess wrong when it's okay to talk." The next night began similarly to the previous one, with everyone gathering for the evening meal. This time though there was a large pit in the middle of the tables that a pair of larger thestrals in armor were working to uncover, under the supervision of the Elder. There was a fragrant smoky scent that grew stronger as more dirt was removed, then the dirt cleared to reveal a large flat stone covered in burnt moss and leaves. The two guards cleared the dirt from all sides of the stone, then lifted it away, revealing a pale blue glow from inside similar to the trees. The area was immediately filled with the smell of perfectly seasoned meat. Several small bundles were lifted out, wrapped in the leaves of the shimmerwood trees, which were opened to reveal several small fish that had been cooking inside, followed by a few large bundles that were brought to the Elder's table. The Elder removed the leaves to reveal the glowing meat held within. Everyone gathered was watching, Speckle would be able to see several other armored thestrals along the perimeter of the clearing, likely those who had been assigned guard rotation for this meal. The Elder stood at his table over the glowing meat and motioned for one of the thestrals who had helped unearth the pit to approach. She bowed her head towards the Elder as he spoke. "Scipio Fastar, you have honored our clan with your acceptance to the Spartrot Military Academy, to have passed training for the Dragon Commando unit, and to have returned your skills and experience to the service of your clan. You have honored us again with this hunt. The Ursa fell honorably by your hoof, and now the clan will feast to your achievement. May the light of the Moon and Stars ever guide your path." The Elder nodded and the guard raised her head, those gathered applauded politely (Like at a college graduation where the parents actually follow the instruction not to make too much noise) Several thestrals then approached to carve and serve the meat, all present being offered a generous portion, but no one ate until all had been served, including portions being taken to the guards on the outskirts. Once everyone had their portion, the feast began. Nova looked very excited throughout the process, struggling to keep quiet and to maintain decorum during the applause, and seemed enthralled by the portion set in front of him until it was time to eat. (I've based this off of a Hawaiian kālua pig roast, so the ursa meat will taste similar to that if you can relate. Very tender, juicy, and flavorful, with the added benefit here of it glowing softly.)

As to not make the previous post too long I decided to put all of the details regarding special changeling types into their own post. Most players playing a changeling will play a standard changeling, but might know about these special types and use them as secondary or background characters. Note that I don't consider most of the Other types cannon in my own works, but I have encountered them on the forums so I'll provide information on them, and recommend more lore-friendly alternatives. Queens Changeling Queens are quite well known and mostly understood already. As stated in the previous post, Queens are the primary method whereby new changelings are made, as such they are often the leader of the hive, and biologically they are far more robust and powerful than a standard changeling. Chrysalis being able to beat Celestia in a 1v1 was not a fluke, Changeling Queens, when properly healthy and energized, are equal in raw magical power to alicorns. This is due to their innately stronger connection to the magical field, due to them primarily being magical entities. Despite this level of power, Queens are still vulnerable to physical assault. Like standard changelings, they will burn if their magical field is dispelled and they are not nearly so physically strong as an alicorn, Even a well trained Earth Pony could beat a Changeling Queen in hoof to hoof combat. So the Queen will rarely leave the hive and will prefer to do all fighting magically and from a distance, utilizing personal guards to maintain separation from combatants whenever possible. Similar to Alicorns, Changeling Queens are also remarkably long lived, the youngest queen, before the introduction of Oracle and Maripose (Of my own design) was several centuries old with the average age for a queen being a full 1000 years. Queens are biologically immortal, in that they do not die of old age, but they are prone to various dangerous mental deteriorations once they get too old. Queen Geletine, whose hive turned to bloodlust after a betrayal is an example of this, while Queen Nirvana, the oldest known Queen, has managed 3000 years without any sign of deterioration, which she credits to her time spent among the Himallaman monks and her hive's focus on inner peace and her namesake. Queens are formed in a similar process to standard changelings, albeit much more resource intensive. While a standard changeling only takes a few months to gestate in the cocoon, a Changeling Queen takes a full year at the shortest, and up to two years at most before they are ready to leave the cocoon. They also take longer to fully mature than a standard changeling. Instead of being ready to enter the world at 3 years old, a Queen will not be considered ready to leave until 7 years, and not fully matured until 12. While this is still quite fast compared to pony development times, this is a significant increase compared to standard changelings. Finally, while standard changelings can be made in batches, Queens can only be made individually. Queen Geletine, during her psychosis, tried to make two queens at once, and the result was Queen Sleipnir, who despite having double the number of appendages was still just one Queen. In the rare event that the Queen dies, traditionally the remaining changelings would be adopted by other nearby hives or simply do their best to keep moving in the absence of their queen, often deluding themselves into believing that their queen is not dead, but rather trapped or otherwise incapacitated. There is however a way for a hive to make a new queen, called an Ascended Queen, utilizing one of their own standard changelings and putting them through a similar process to how a normal Queen is made. The changeling selected for ascension is sealed in a cocoon filled with emotion gel, and the gel is charged with all available types of emotional energy. After a full year of constant charging the new queen will emerge, but their personality will be altered slightly depending on the emotional mix and who was doing the energizing. Thus it is important to either ensure that the mix is as even as possible and the chargers are rotated evenly, or that the mix is predominantly the same as the hive's original mix, and that the chargers are exclusively from the same cocoon as the one being ascended in order to minimize alterations to the new Queen's personality. This is a risky method to gain a queen, and as such is only performed in dire circumstances. Kings A Changeling King is a special type of Pony/Changeling hybrid created via the same method as ascending a changeling to a Queen. However, changeling Kings have more in common with Reformed Changelings than standard, as they retain a biological gender (In that they are still capable of producing equine offspring in whichever manner they were capable of before the transformation), do not require emotional energy to survive, and will not burn when killed. Kings are about halfway between a changeling and a Queen in terms of strength and size. In my experience, Kings only appear when a Queen is in love with a pony, which very rarely happens, due to the cost of forming one being equal to making a new queen, Kings are seen more as an indication that a hive is doing exceptionally well. In my stories, only 3 changeling Kings were ever made. Rasputin Stalliongrad with Queen Geletine, who betrayed her. Trojan Horse with Queen Permutation, who was murdered as part of a coup in Troy. And, in some timelines, Daxter Blackwater with Queen Oracle. Other Partially Converted Ponies This is a common one in fan-fiction, a pony is captured by changelings and converted into a changeling by force. I don't like this concept as it's less efficient than making new changelings the normal way, more often than not produces inferior changelings who are not keen on helping the hive, and often the conversion just fails and the pony dies either during the process, or soon after when their magic fails. You could say that an insane hive, either due to an insane queen or one who lost their queen, might try this to bolster their numbers. Pony/Changeling Hybrid This stems from the fandom's obsession with hybrid everything. Just pick a species and stick with it! You'll find better ways to make your character unique than just making them a new hybrid type. Further, as changelings are infertile in my fanon, they simply can't be made, at least with standard changelings. The presence of Reformed Changelings makes this subset possible and practical with either parental configuration, and the abilities of the hybrid will be the same or similar to a reformed changeling. If there are other types that I've missed, please let me know so I can add them, or if anything is unclear I'd be happy to expand this like all other posts.

@Blitz Boom (Last) Twilight waved a hoof dismissively, encouraging her to continue. And Twilight was instantly fascinated and fully attentive to everything Last had to say. Rather than interrupt, it was clear that Twilight was taking notes on what Last said, maybe even just writing a direct transcript of the encounter given how much the quill moved as she spoke. Twilight nodded once Last was done, quickly reviewing her notes as several books were summoned from deeper in the library relevant to some of the topics that were brought up, "Thank you, Last Stand, is there a correct honorific for you that I should use? Or, what would you prefer? In any case, yes, questions, I have a good number of them." "First, robot pest problem?" Applejack spoke up, "That strange hooded pony we've seen skulking about the outskirts these past few days? Turns out they were some sort of robot pony. They entered town and hurt a couple of our group before it got distracted by an aircraft from the cloud city, it shot the craft down and then holed up in the crystal castle ruins." Applejack turned to Last, "Someone went and got two out of the wreckage of the craft, and brought them in for treatment, then Last here and a glowing green pony showed up with a crate also from the cloud city, the green pony going into the castle to deal with the robot apparently." They would wait to see if Last had any additional information there. "Alright, Cloud city, so like Cloudsdale? Æther...." she started turning through a few books, finding one on ancient Troy, "Ah, that's where I saw it before, this southern nation called Troy had a cloud city called Æther, but that was a thousand years ago, at least according to this book." Applejack added, "And this one seems quite a bit more militarized than Cloudsdale did, at least in the show." Twilight shrugged, "I didn't get much into foreign policy before everything happened, so it might have been forgotten before I could pass it along." "Medicine and technology are things we can really use right now, we're stretched pretty thin as it is, we overestimated how many ponies we could support on this side, I hope the group on the other side are faring better." She shook her head, "We can't say we have much to offer in trade, but we're grateful for any aid you can provide, and we'll offer whatever help we can, though it we can't promise much." "Consul, like an elected leader? Hmm, that's intriguing, though I guess to be expected for survivors. Discord didn't seem keep on leaving anyone with too much power left to oppose him." "Landing... do you have a spot picked out already? We could help clear an area for you if it would help, so long as it isn't too far away from here. We would prefer not to move out of this area if it can be avoided, but we'd be happy to share the resources and salvage present in an effort to further cooperation." "Princess Luna... Well, you should be happy to know that she's alive and well. I never met her in person in the other world, but she's retained her dream magic. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember much of anything. None of us do, only bits and pieces as we live in more familiar areas. It would be safe to say, that she is not the same mare you once knew, but she may be at least quite similar." "Other questions... oh! So, your group managed to survive this whole time while Discord was running amok? How did you manage it? Plus the spawn, the loyalists, his generals, we were hard pressed to hold this position until he could be defeated, I can't imagine lasting anywhere for 25 years." (Sorrow) Plein looked over the manual, which seemed to have a diagram as to where everything should do, "Meters? Um... maybe? The diagram is in lengths which," she looked herself over, "I guess is about a meter? So at least five but the higher the better. I've only set up one of these before, and I had help, so we're in the same boat." (Then there's the section from before, with Plein talking to the pony on the other end of the radio, showing that it successfully connected.) She didn't look too happy when she signed off the radio, "They need you to point the smaller dish towards the castle. Then we'll be able to talk to them in like five minutes." She sighed, "Just five minutes... I can do this... just five more minutes..." About a minute after the dish was pointed towards the castle, there started to be more distressing noises. The fight seemed to be picking up, there was the sound of some of the crystal breaking, then silence as a cloud of dust left the castle. (Blitz) Silver smiled at that, "I'd even say a slight bit better than you had, at least from once she arrived here. From what little she's shared, it seems like she was much worse off before..." It was about a minute later that Euclid nodded at something, "There's the signal, and there it goes." He sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his forehead with a glove before putting them back on. "Let's bring Power back, see if that's all done and dealt with." He would approach Aurum, "Let him know he can come back now if he's done dow-" With a flash Power appeared back in the room, he turned back and forth for a moment before recognizing where he was, "Oh, wow! that... that was intense." He seemed out of breath, which wasn't possible as he couldn't breathe. "Y-you can stop now Aurum, please?" It would take a bit to snap Aurum out of the trance, at which point Power's form would reduce in brightness and his agitation would subside, "Thanks, this close, it's like you were overcharging me, I think it's like what you ponies call adrenalin? I wouldn't like to do that again." Euclid approached, helping Power get his gem back inside his body, "And the Kernel?" Power nodded, "Destroyed, crushed by a pillar that nearly got me too. It was filled with this strange ooze though, acidic, though it didn't seem to hurt it, just whatever it got on." Aurum was looking tired, but not drained, "That was... interesting, familiar in a way, but not something I'd like to do again soon if we can avoid it." (Archback) (I'm thinking we pause this one for a bit so we can plot out a compelling mystery instead of just winging it, if you want, we could run your young zebra character for a bit to get the zebra side of the situation?)

@Skylight Scintillate (I'll clarify the layout of the bathhouse before continuing) The bathhouse was divided into three sections. The front section was a wide rectangle running parallel to the river which contained several sets of sinks and mirrors, it also had an open area in the middle with a window that looked out over the river and a small area where water flowed in that appeared heated, like a hot tub, where some of the older thestrals were relaxing. This room was meant for hoof washing and teeth brushing. On either side of this room were doors to the other two sections, running perpendicular and over the river, one marked for mares and the other for stallions, this is where the toilet stalls were, as well as stairs to an upper level where the showers were. The chatting was primarily done in the front room and outside in front of the building. (I could sketch the layout out if it's still unclear.) Nova looked up from the sink he was brushing his teeth at, spitting out the foam before responding, "Um, yeah? Is that weird? Everyone tends to come here around the same time, and the end of the night, so this is where they all get to see each other outside of meal times." He shrugged, having lived this way his whole life he saw nothing strange about it. He would step aside so that Speckle could use the sink he had been at if she hadn't already brushed her teeth. Nova would wait for her to be ready before walking back to his house with her, helping her get into her hammock if she needed it, "Um, I hope you sleep well, and... I hope you're having a good time here. I know it's... pretty different from what you're used to." He seemed a bit unsure of himself, but would leave her alone and go to bed himself if she didn't have any pressing comments. Indigo was tucking Lilac, Nova's younger sister, into bed as well singing a soft tune to lull her to sleep, so she was nearby if Speckle needed anything.

@Lnx1ynight16 Hmm, let me teach you another thing about roleplays here on the forums called multi-part responses. With a multi-part response you can insert actions by your character in between actions of another character. This can be useful to add in clarifying questions or reactions to statements made, redirect a conversation or action path, and generally be more involved with longer posts. Essentially, this allows my posts to not entirely be set in stone, which is to say, you can do things not just following the completion of everything listed in my post. You can easily accomplish this with either callbacks (where you mention part of the post) or quotes (where you highlight and press the quote button on part of the other person's post) I'll give an example related to our most recent pair of posts. You could write a post like this: @Illiad Easle (She could react to this information, commenting on the basket itself, ask whether he had made it himself, or how, ask about the lake or his family, or what it's like to live in the forest, anything that makes sense.) (Then what you already wrote fits well here) (Typically add a blank line between the reaction section and the engagement section to distinguish between what you're simply responding to, and what you want to continue with) Sometimes when you interject like above it will change the future course of the story such that the remainder of the previous post would be altered or not happen, that is fine! Don't be afraid to interject but also don't just wait there in case the other player doesn't change the continuing action. I hope that makes sense? I use these sort of multi-part responses extensively in many of my roleplay threads, you can take a look at them if you want more examples of how it might look in practice.

@Blitz Boom (Null) Arcade nodded at that, both happy and sad that she could understand where he was coming from. He looked about to say something, but shook his head with a smile, "Thank you." Arcade seemed to have some ideas on that front, as he went to their bags once they were fully done embracing, "The Consul did give us some money it looked like in that packet of papers? Since we were supposed to seem like the rest of the group we came here with? I figure, since we finished what we were actually sent here for, we might as well now do what we were pretending to have been sent to do." Sure enough, he retrieved a decent amount of Trojan sand dollars from the pile of documents that said who they were. It wasn't an extravagant amount by any means, but it was enough that they wouldn't have to worry about cost. There was also a brochure, provided by the information station when they had first arrived with the group, indicating things they might try and places they should avoid, which Arcade also retrieved for Null to look over, "I'm thinking we ask the changelings working here what they recommend, maybe there's some fun event scheduled here at the hotel? Otherwise, I wouldn't mind going back to that place we visited the first time, where we had the Pete-za was it?" (Ranger) Ranger nodded, leaving him to his devices on that. She sighed, "That's why I want to go to the other place later... just in case it's like you say." Ranger took interest in that, watching as he worked with the old papers, and hoping to herself that whatever words within wouldn't somehow taint or curse the creations. The last thing they needed was small paper critters that acted like the academics or scientists had. It would need to get her attention as she had been watching the new creatures being made, but it wouldn't have to try hard as she maintained her situational awareness despite her curiosity, "Oh, did you find something?" Once it showed off it's new trick she paused, squinting at the word it had written out and slowly reading it to herself, it seemed reading still wasn't her strong suit. She did get ti eventually though, "Oh, hello! Look at that, that's a neat trick. I," she sighed, "I guess I'll have to learn how to read good now." In case her fox would get confused or disappointed at her reaction, she would reassure it, "No no, it's a good thing. I should know how to read. Most ponies know how to read." Once Kozue was done making creatures to help mark their way and scout ahead against any traps, Ranger would start leading the way again. "Up here is where the academics all were. I'm pretty sure we were kept lower down. At least, I remember the room I learned to fly in was large, but covered, so it would have to be a few floors down at least, and I remember a lot of stairs when we left, so... I think our first goal is to find stairwells, and see if they go down far enough. Or maybe find an observation window into the flying room? I remember being watched through windows near the top of the room." (Cherish) Teal didn't know what hoofball was, but she did remember when Void had taught them how to jump rope, "Oh yeah, Miss Void showed us that rope jumping thing soon after we first got here! I wasn't very good at it, but the foals seemed to like it." Lyft looked surprised, "Ah, yes! that is a good thing to know and, unfortunately, something I can't really teach you since changeling wings don't work the same way as pegasus wings, but that's a different lesson for later, when we get to our lesson on pegasus and thestral anatomy. Tomorrow I think I'll have you, Elef, Nova, and Lilac work on wing stretches together, but for today we'll focus on leg stretches that everyone can do." Lyft would then guide them through a series of basic stretches and poses meant to focus on loosening muscles and improving flexibility, something that, since they were all on the younger side, they didn't much struggle with, Lyft disguised as a pegasus and would use her wing to make minor adjustments to their poses as needed, but even Lilac was having a pretty easy time of it. After about an hour she returned them all to the seated position, then bent her forelegs into what she called the Sphynx pose (All legs folded, body upright) "Alright, I think that's enough for today. You all are young so you won't need to do this too often, but it is good to get into the habit early, stretching before and after exercise, so that as you get older you'll be able to keep from getting hurt. Also, be careful not to overdo the stretches when you do them by yourself. If you feel tension, take it slowly, you'll get more flexible with practice." She nodded, allowing them to get up and sit how they preferred, "Any last questions before I dismiss you all? Your homework tonight will be to talk with your guardians and ask them what their favorite and least favorite exercises are. We'll try to incorporate some of them into our lessons going forward." (Grey) Basher nodded, his expression a bit more serious than usual. "Always be wary of those who promise power for favors. Many powerful creatures have convinced the weak to indenture themselves with that exact promise." It seemed Craven might have found a deeper distrust that Basher had for those in authority. Maybe this contributed to his distrust of the Grey? Watch mulled over Craven's comments, comparing them to the notes that had been taken during the conversation, "I think your assessment is... quite astute. He does seem to be waiting for the other hoof to drop, like he has a reason to not cooperate yet." Watch looked more directly at Craven, "If you were part of the team sent to retrieve Moth, do you think you could manage to bring her in peacefully, leveraging what you know from Basher? How much experience do you have fighting pegasi?"

@Skylight Scintillate (Shoot, I forgot! Good catch.) Indigo raised an eyebrow at the question, then another one as she looked around the table, before quietly whispering back, "Sorry, they caught an Ursa yesterday, that was supposed to be the surprise, but Ursa can take a really long time to cook right depending on the size, so I would guess it wasn't ready in time for this morning. They'll probably have it ready for the evening meal though." If she had more questions about it, like how one goes about capturing and cooking a bear made of stars, she got the idea that she would have to wait until afterwards. (I've got something really nice planned, hopefully I don't forget it again) Indigo smiled at her description, "Well I'm happy to hear you had a good time, and that Nova didn't just leave you to play catch-up, I know he can get pretty... excited... at times." Nova was a bit embarrassed by the comment, but added, "Yeah, we saw a few rabbit tracks, a few mice, no wolves. I'm going to show her where we cut the wood tomorrow, and she'll get to see some animals during hunting class, right?" Indigo smiled, "I'm sure it's a possibility, but that will depend on your teacher. Now, you two should get ready for bed, it sounds like you have a big day tomorrow, and you'll want your energy if you're going to join me at my market stall." Nova nodded, and would remind Speckle to gather what she needed before going with her to the community bath house he had shown her earlier, where a number of other thestrals from the clan were already cleaning up and brushing their teeth at the many stalls and sinks. Unlike the meal, there was a decent amount of quiet chatter here as the older thestrals discussed plans for the next day.

@Lnx1ynight16 Eironn was surprised by her question, and that he hadn't seen her before if she'd been here for a few years now. Then again, he hadn't exactly been watching the ponies super closely. He briefly looked around before answering, "I, um, I'm not alone. This forest is my home, I live here with my family. I was, um, I was going to the lake to gather reeds to make a new basket, like this one." He turned to show her the woven basket he had strapped to his side. "Once I get enough I'll go back to my glen and get taught." He shook his head, returning his attention to her, "I was surprised to see you here, not many ponies come into the woods, except when they come to shake the leaves down, or in pairs... Were you... waiting for someone?"

@Skylight Scintillate Nova smiled at that, happy that his friend was having a good time. The sun started to rise, hiding the faint glow of the trees from view just as the stars faded from the sky, "Looks like we picked the right time to head back, we should be just in time for dinner." Nova would have them land on the path just before the entrance to the colony, they could already smell the food being prepared and the tables set up for everyone to eat at. The morning meal passed almost exactly the same as the evening meal, with the same sort of food, and the same almost silent atmosphere. Nova's mom did her best to try and make Speckle comfortable despite it. After the meal they'd be back in Nova's house preparing for bed, Indigo asking, "So, Speckle, how did you like enjoying the forest? Did you find anything exciting?"

@Lnx1ynight16 Looks like there was a bit of confusion on my last post, sorry about that, but you had your character answer the question that wasn't asked, then didn't answer the question that was asked. I appreciate you explaining the terms he was confused about, but he also asked what your character is doing with the ponies, which I think is a more interesting question story-wise. Also, you might want to consider having your character ask some questions of her own, that's an easy way to drive the engagement section.

Exactly what Changelings are and how they operate is something that few people here on the forums have a concrete consensus on, at least in my experience in the Roleplay section. This is additionally complicated by the introduction of 'Reformed' Changelings, which I will discuss at the end of this post. I personally derive most of my changeling functionality from the FiMFiction story, A Novel Tale, but I have made some modifications. For the sake of clarity, I will write here assuming that you have not read the story. If there is anything below that is confusing, or an aspect that I missed, please let me know in a comment or message so I can improve this resource. Biology Most creatures on Equis can be described as biological creatures with magical abilities. Changelings are an exception to this, being better described as magical entities with biological components. Changelings are, in essence, primarily composed of magic. This allows them to change their physical form and outward appearance at will, but also gives them a need to consume energy in order to sustain themselves. A Changeling has a physical body covered in chitinous plates composing an exoskeleton, making them especially lightweight yet durable, and a magical barrier that covers their body. The barrier is malleable, and is what allows them to change their appearance, as well as protecting their body from being exposed to air. A changeling's body is highly flammable, and will combust whenever exposed to air, which is why they are engulfed in fire when they change disguise, as the barrier temporarily disappears as it changes. This barrier is always present, even when undisguised, except when a changeling dies or is entirely drained of energy. When a changeling dies, the barrier disappears and the body is burned. This leaves behind a pile of ash, called Changeling Ash, whish is itself highly flammable and useful as a fire starter, often mixed with fire salts or used as a pyromancy ingredient. Reproduction There are a few ways whereby changelings can reproduce, but all methods require a Queen. Changelings, biologically speaking, are genderless. While they are capable of properly disguising as any gender, they are incapable of impregnating or becoming pregnant. The technical exception to this is a Queen, who is the only type of changeling capable of producing ovum, and a King, who is a transformed pony and retains their gender from their original form. A Changeling Queen can make new changelings in one of two ways. The preferred way is via cocoon, but the queen can also lay eggs directly if a cocoon is unavailable or in emergency situations. For the cocoon option, a cocoon is made and filled with emotion gel, which is described in greater detail below, and this gel is charged with the primary emotions of the hive, with some others mixed in. The exact mix is rarely consistent, and is attributed with being the driving factor for the predispositions of the changelings grown within. Once the cocoon is prepared, the Queen deposits a number of eggs inside depending on the size of the cocoon, typically 6-12, though larger cocoons can be made to hold upwards of 40 at a time. The gel in the cocoon is periodically recharged as the eggs grow, and after a few months of gestation the eggs hatch and the young changelings, referred to as foal-lings, emerge. These foal-lings will continue to grow and develop over the next few years, being educated by their hive and working different jobs inside the hive both to help the hive grow and to build skills that they'll use when they go out into the world. In the case where a cocoon cannot be made, the Queen can lay eggs directly, like any other egg laying species, and these eggs are then covered with emotion gel which is charged and recharged the same way as above. When done this way, typically only 1-3 eggs are laid at a time. Physiology A Changeling has the same body shape as an equine, which is to say quadrupedal, and has wings and a horn. Their bodies are almost always a shade of dark grey, similar to thestrals, with accent colors on their backplate, tail, mane, wings, and eyes, representing the primary emotions of their hive. In this way, changelings from different hives can be visually distinguished, which changelings from the same hive will look similar. That is not to say that all changelings from a hive will look the same. In their undisguised form, the arrangement and size of the holes in their legs is mostly unique. Further, the relative sizes of their legs, wings, and horns, can vary drastically between members of a hive, though are often similar among changelings hatched from the same cocoon. These are referred to as Predispositions, and often influence the type of disguises that changelings from that cocoon will choose to wear and how they will view themselves. Diet While it is accurate to say that changelings feed on emotion, it is more accurate to say that they feed off of the emotional energy given off by those around them. In emergency situations this energy can be drained directly, but this can be damaging to the one being drained and is less effective of a food source for the changeling. The optimal food source for a changeling is emotion gel charged with the primary emotions of their hive. Emotion gel is typically made in the hive in large vats utilizing boiling mineral water, usually sourced from an underground hot spring, and changeling bile which they produce inside their bodies. This substance, also called changeling spit, is highly viscous and can be hardened with magic, making it a very good building material or restraint method. Once the neutral gel is made, which will often be the same color as the changelings who made it, it is barreled and shipped out to the Harvester changelings who charge it with the emotional energy they have collected rom the creatures around them. The charged gel is sent back to the hive to then be distributed to all of the changelings who need it, as well as to feed the changelings currently living in the hive. A changeling who is out scouting can also make their own gel with any water, though mineral water is preferred, so that they can digest the emotions they are collecting without having to return often or carry a lot of food with them. Interactions Optimally, changelings interact with other species in order to cultivate their desired emotions in those they come into contact with. In a way, they act like bees where the other species are flowers. The changelings strive to ensure that those around them are healthy and capable of producing their desired emotions naturally, encouraging them to experience them. For example, a hive with a primary focus on awe would likely be involved in the tourism industry, building things that would generate awe and encouraging those around them to visit and see it. There are then two types of changelings involved in the energy collection process, the Cultivators, and the Harvesters. A Cultivator's job is to do whatever is necessary to inspire the desired emotions. This will often involve engaging with other creatures directly. A Harvester's job is to discretely collect the cultivated emotions. This process can depend on what the desired emotions are, some take time to fully cultivate, some are quite fleeting and have to be collected quickly, and some will last a good long while after they have been cultivated. Usually a Harvester will take a job that allows them to interact with many creatures for short durations with minimal notice, like a mail carrier, waiter, or checkout attendant. Ideally, the cultivated creature will never even know that their excess emotional energy has been collected, and will generally be better off for having, unknowingly, interacted with the local changelings. In addition to their jobs in the hive, changelings will often seek fulfilling relationships with the creatures around them both out of social need and to better integrate themselves in the local community. Reformed Changelings Many changelings view 'Reformed' changelings as a perversion of the natural way, this is due to their lack of familiarity with this development and the unfortunate connotations of the name 'reformed'. Many consider it a sort of social reformation, like how one would reform a convict, implying that changeling nature was originally evil and that reformed changelings are thereby good. In truth, reformed changelings are such in a more physiological sense. They have been literally re-formed into an entirely new species more akin to ponies than changelings. Where changelings are magical creatures with biological components, reformed changelings are biological creatures with magical abilities. Unlike traditional changelings, a reformed changeling: Does not have a magical barrier surrounding their body when undisguised Does not burn when exposed to oxygen or killed Does not need to collect emotional energy in excess of what they produce for themselves Has a biological gender, and reproduces using traditional methods Does not always have both wings and a horn, and may have neither Has reduced ability to adjust their size/shape while disguising

@Skylight Scintillate It was interesting to see that Speckle was actually able to illuminate the wood just a bit brighter than Nova did. Not enough to be super noticeable, even to them, but interesting nonetheless. Nova nodded at her question, "Yeah! Well, we mostly just cut it here, then we send it up to the central village where they turn it into things that we can trade or sell. They make good lamps where fire would be dangerous, like indoors or mining, plus they last longer than normal lamps because they just need to be magically recharged." He seemed pleased in his clan's trade good. "Maybe tomorrow I could show you where we cut the wood, would you want to see that?" In either case, Nova would be content to continue wandering about the forest finding and following tracks until Speckle indicated that she was tired or wanted to go back to the colony, at which point Nova would suggest one last thing, "Let's climb up one of the trees, then we can fly back to the colony." He would then show her how to climb up the trees until they could poke through at the top and fly up. Seeing the trees from above was another sight, the faint glow shining through the leaves making it look like a second sky of stars below them.

@Lnx1ynight16 Eironn tilted his head, he hadn't ever heard of those places before. "That... that doesn't sound nearby. What are you doing here with the ponies?" He was also curious as to what an Island and a Sea were, having never left the forest nor had anyone in his family left the forest for several generations since his ancestors first came to Equestria on Eternity's Crossing.

Continuing from part 1 Changelings This differs from hive to hive, and builds off of my own fanon for how changeling operate (Which is inspired in large part by the story A Novel Tale) which I will detail extensively in a later blog post. Changelings are born or hatched with certain attributes commonly called 'predispositions'. These can vary from subtle to obvious but tend to be similar among those grown in the same cocoon with minor variations. These predispositions often affect what species, gender, or race the changeling is most comfortable portraying, but in no way limits a changeling's ability to disguise as whatever they want. While some changelings feel no particular attachment to any disguise, and change them often, most changeling would say that there is one or a few disguises that they feel a stronger attachment to than others. Those with the privilege of growing up in large, well-established, hives like Troy or Manehatten will have the ability to take special classes before entering the world in an effort to discover these forms that they resonate most closely with, which they call their 'true-selves'. Changelings will work for months or even years perfecting this form, integrating themselves as a new pony to society rather than replacing an existing pony. As it pertains to marks, given a changeling can choose the mark for themselves, they will often try out a few different ones inside the hive, meditate on options, or attend pony classes as a transfer student as an unmarked pony to experience the sort of things that ponies do to earn their marks, seeking inspiration. Those who do not choose to be ponies will often research similar events for those races and do their best to emulate it. They do this both out of respect for the culture they are entering, and to better complete their chosen persona. In hive Permutation, there is an additional option. Young changelings may visit the hall of remembrance, and look for candles that have recently burned out, researching the past lives and personas of deceased changelings, then requesting permission to replicate a previous identity to carry on the legacy, often even taking the persona of a changeling who additionally shared their name. This is also an option in hive Sleipnir, but it is less common. Minotaurs Minotaur culture is often described as a tightrope between animal and culture, similar to Klingons. From a young age they are taught discipline, how to contain the inner beast, and how to let it out appropriately and constructively. Once they manage to learn self control, usually around the age of 4, they start to see a maze in their dreams. They are encouraged to explore it, but not much importance is given to it until they have finished their first few years of education, at which point they are instructed on how to map and draw the maze in their dreams, revealing the consistencies and the changes over time. Minotaurs believe that this maze guides them through life, warning them of future choices by allowing them to catch glimpses of dead ends or dangers along paths. This is similar to the Deer's experience with the Path, but often less specific. Each maze is unique, but often similar between those who are closely related or associated. Comparing mazes in a group can help discover the best course of action for a team. Zebra Zebra gain marks just like ponies do, though the meaning are often more abstract. Similar to Camels, a zebra's mark is often made of swooping lines and circles, without color. These marks can sometimes match alchemical symbols, indicating a talent for potions, or a type of potions, natural symbols, indicating a connection to nature, among others. Notable among zebra is that their marks are noted to change over time far more often than a pony's would. This is seen as natural and a sign that an aging zebra ought to step down and train an apprentice. When a mark first appears, the young zebra is brought before an elder, like with Camels or Deer, to have their mark read and better understood.

@Lnx1ynight16 Eironn calmed a bit more as she responded to his question, though her answer brought more confusion. "Oh, um, sorry. I just haven't seen anything like you before, you don't move like the ponies do, but a bit like the dogs do. I haven't seen them up close, too dangerous, no trees where they live. You just seem more like them than like ponies is all." He looked around, making sure there weren't others sneaking up on him, "Um, so what is an Overlander then? I've never seen anything like you around here before." He'd seen plenty of ponies, even those weird bug ponies who lived in the woods, they were friendly enough but kept their distance, but he'd never spoken to one personally, not alone like this at least.

@Lnx1ynight16 No worries! Sorry for the delay, the forums don't notify me when there's an edit and I've been busy myself preparing for my sister's wedding. This sort of thing takes practice, don't be afraid to reach a bit with your actions. I may be the DM of this story but I'm not fully in charge, 1x1 RPs are meant to be collaborative.

@Skylight Scintillate Nova got a bit more excited about that, "I haven't gone in any of the caves, that's where big animals can be living so it's dangerous. The swords though, I'm told that way back when, like a thousand years ago, ponies and zebra would fight each other, so the swords were probably left behind from that, got lost in the forest. Most of the ones I find are really old, all brown and powdery, I think it's called rust?" Nova got a bit closer to the tracks, using his wing to point, "My hunting teacher taught me. You can tell what type of animal it is by the shape, and you see how these tracks are slightly different from those tracks, plus there's little spots in the dirt, so I guessed it had gotten wet. wet paws will lift more dirt, and waster dripping off of the fur leaves spots on the ground." He shrugged, "I think that's what he said, we'd have to find the rabbit to be sure though." Nova nodded. "Yeah, I like clearings like these since you can see more of the glowing trees." He came over to where she was, finding a loose piece of bark where some animal had scratched at it to pull it away, reveling more of the glowing wood underneath. "Here, you can even charge it a bit with your hooves, it isn't as much as if a unicorn did it, but there's still a bit of magic in your hooves." He held a hoof against the bare wood, and when he pulled it away there was a slightly brighter glow in the shape of a hoofprint that slowly faded.