ooc Changeling History: Take a Tribe Through the Ages

[The Down Trotten 300]

RP link--> https://mlpforums.com/topic/142660-changeling-history-take-a-tribe-through-the-ages/

 

 

This will be an all Changeling Roleplay. And as I have put a huge amount of time of making lore for Changelings that I believe makes sense the following is going to be used for this roleplay. So please read all of this and study up 

 

Chrysalis, villain, parasite, queen.  Equestrian scholars know next to nothing about this monarch and her subjects, what is known is either myth or an exaggeration. Fear and simple lack of information have produced this parasitic creature that plain and simply, does not exist. The Queen who invaded Canterlot on that fateful wedding was more than just some villainous monster, but to understand her and her intentions entirely, one must go back to the beginning. Before one can go back to the beginning however, the understanding of changeling culture is required.     

Tribes VS Horde:The idea that Changelings are this roving hoard is an Equestrian myth built on the invasion, as this document will show, that the said invasion was a rare occasion. In actuality Changelings live in many tribes across the Equestrian Kingdom. For every notable settlement of ponies there is a tribe of Changelings nearby. The population of a tribe relates directly with the population of the nearby pony settlement. Having to survive on a very unique food  source, tribes must be careful never to over extend themselves in number for fear of starvation and being discovered. To live in one giant hive like hoard would be impossible for them. It would render them impossible to both hide and to sustain. 

Hunters, Gathers, Storytellers, Chieftains: Changeling culture has several different sects. The Hunters; these changelings are the warriors, captors of ponies, and guards of chieftains. The Gathers; as Changelings must live in hiding, material goods are hard to come by. Gathers are those who acquire these goods, as well as the craftsmen who use these goods to create various products. Storytellers are a rather small group but an important one, Once again since Changelings can not afford the luxury of long lasting goods like books all of their history, myths, knowledge must be passed by word of mouth. So storytellers are living libraries that pass on the history of of the tribe and Changelings as a whole, to the next generation. They are revered and respected and are often only a few in a tribe. Chieftains are the leaders of their respected tribe. There is only one per tribe. However most tribes have an unofficial group of "elders" who are considered experts in their flied who often that help the Chieftain. Now it must be noted that all of these sects are not a true hierarchy. While it may be true  that Chieftains have the most power and storytellers are highly respected, Hunters are not over Gathers or vice versa. This some what equal life style has helped established the "Hive" myth 

 

Chieftains and High King/Queen: Chieftains of a tribe are like royalty but not exactly. Often "elected" by there fellow Changelings. when an old Chieftain either dies, addicts due to old age or other reasons, or more rarely is removed from power. However if no new Changeling is elected then the former Chieftain picks his heir. On a note about the removal of Chieftains. This is done through a singular challenge by a fellow Changeling to some form of duel whether it be mental or physical. One would think with all this opportunity to claim power for oneself that tribes would be a turbulent mess of power struggles (after all Changelings are an imperfect creature). However individual Changelings hardly ever act alone. The following is an example of a Changeling power struggle 

Chieftess Thorn has recently made a decree for increases capturing of the nearby ponies. Gather Shard not only disagrees with this but has had disagreements with the Chieftess before. However he knows that Thorn has many supporters who are both smarter and stronger then who would simply challenge him, remove him, and put Thorn back into power. Yet Shard himself has many supporters, so he is not without hope. If he gain support of enough of his fellow tribe he can safely challenge Chieftess Thorn. 

In this way, very rarely a leader who does not have the majority support of his/her tribe lead. This segways into the subject of the High King/Queen. The High Ruler is always elected by the various Chieftains. Once this occurs the High Ruler serves a couple of purposes. One is still to be the Chieftain of their own Tribe, Second is to monitor Changelings as a whole. HIgh Rulers have absolute power over other Chieftains if they so choose and their word is law. Much like Chieftains they are replaced in the same way. also like Chieftains they can be challenged by anyone for their throne, but if this is too happen the challenging party better make sure they have plenty of support. 

 

Habitat and 'Town Life":  Changelings are not nomadic by nature. However they live on the bases that they may have to move on a moments notice. Because of this they have very few permeant possessions per Changeling or any permeant structures . Due to their preference to living close to Ponies they often take residence in an area Ponies find hostile or haunted. If there is no preexisting are like this, Changelings will make one. after all being masters of illusion does have its benefits. A Changeling settlement is often made out of whatever habitat they live in. if there are trees they live in trees, if there are caves they live in caves, if there's an abandoned castle  they will live in an abandoned castle and so on. 

 

Feeding Habits:  On the surface this would seem rather simple, Changeling captures a pony, replaces the pony, feeds off that ponies partner's love. However this would only feed a part of the Changeling population. In actuality captured Ponies are sent to the nearby Changeling settlement where the Gather's take turns feeding off the different ponies, ranging from five to fifty. These Ponies are very rarely brutalized and to need for illusions are actually often pampered. Hunter's feed off the captured Ponies lover's directly and are therefor better nourished, however they often need to be as they are constantly living in what they consider a hostile environment. When a pony has become near the point of being over fed on, then through a careful transfer are returned to their lover and the assigned hunter captures another pony and the cycle begins again.  

 

Life Expectancy and Nourishment: Due to their unique food source Changelings live more then about double that of ponies/ Roughly around 200 years. Also due to their food source they need less of it, a Changeling can survive for three weeks healthily if they receive one decent dose of love. Magical power is directly tied to their state of health. This was why Chrylisis was able to beat Princess Celestia, directly feeding on Shining Armor for so long and for so constantly. However there is debate why Shining's and Cadance's "Love wave" had an adverse affect on the Queen's forces. There are some scholars suggesting that this "love wave" was actually something besides love, perhaps just pure magical energy. 

 

Other Cultural Notes the idea that Changelings are akin to insects has been supported by their parasitic feeding habits and Chrylsis name. However her name is a product of Changeling respect for insects. just like some human cultures revere certain, Changelings revere insects, bats, and other animals who are hardy and crafty. yet another myth is that Changelings are creatures of darkness. while it is true that they prefer darker places and act mostly at night, this is true because it is easier to hide and to misdirect in the dark. Values: Changelings as a whole value craftiness, frugality, communal thinking (in this way they are "hive like") honesty amongst themselves, 

 

 

 

 

 

Changeling History 

 

Origins:  The origins of Changelings are unknown, even to Changelings themselves. There are several theories and myths. The most popular (at least amongst themselves) being that they are the descendants of a corrupted Alicorn. But there has yet to be any substantial evidence to support this claim. There’s also this bizarre theory concerning some tree that all Changelings sprouted from… Many consider this to complete bunk however and dismiss it as pure myth, but who knows? 

Dark Days of Wandering: These years are almost considered prehistory and are shrouded in mystery and myth. These are the days, at some point after their creation, they did indeed live in one massive horde (although there was far fewer of them at this time). These days were spent wandering, looking for food, shelter, and water. Like all good ancient periods it was filled with monsters and heroes. Changelings speak of this time with an ounce of dread and as stated before is mostly shrouded in myth and mystery anyway. But there has to be some truth to this brutal era. 

 

Settlement & Pre-High Ruler Years:  As ponies began to settle so did Changelings, tribes formed on their own, Chieftains naturally arose, and the bases of Changeling culture were founded. However these days were considered Chaotic and blood thirsty. Instead of using illusion and trickery to feed off ponies, Changelings simply raided and captured them from nearby settlements. These captured ponies were treated little better then cattle and in fact sparked many little tribal wars. Fighting over food source and pride, these Changelings wars were a dark time and often are breezed over by Storytellers, only noted to remind young Changelings that fighting amongst themselves will lead them to ruin. 

 

King Primordium: It was during this time that the first High Ruler was born. Primordium would become an immortal her and legend to nearly all Changelings. His story, though often embellished and exaggerated through the passage of time, is a true one, and one that all Changeling younglings enjoy. Primordium was a Chiefs son, when Chieftains offspring were raised and trained to ensure the family would maintain power. Primordium’s father emphasized strength and magical aptitude, while his mother would secretly smuggle her son to one of their captured ponies. Disguising them both as fellow ponies, she befriended an early Equestrian scholar and got her son a higher, deeper education. Changeling storytellers have varying interpretations on how important this Equestrian scholar was in developing Primordium as a ruler. Whatever they come up with, they all agree that this more diverse education gave him a certain edge. However it was what happened because of these secret meetings that all storyteller’s agree began Primordium on his journey to legend-hood. His father had managed to arrange for a meeting with a nearby tribe for an alliance. That night, when he left for this meeting, he left his trusted lieutenant in charge. A night like this would go normally like any other night. It was under this assumption that Primordium’s mother brought him to his pony tutor like most nights. Treachery was in the air however, and Primordium’s tribe was betrayed. A surprise raid, not only captured their food source, but when his mother tried to defend them was brutally murdered, and Primordium captured as a pony. Taken back to the rival tribes encampment. In captivity the almost mature Primordium learned that his father had been assassinated and his tribe was now subservient to his captors. 

Needless to say this sparked a vengeance in the Changeling. Primordium's epic story of how he took back his tribe then continued to conquer dissident Chieftains or welcomed peaceful ones would take a whole other book. However it is important to note that he was a ruthless conquerer. You either joined peacefully or died resisting. By sheer force and will Primordium became the first High Ruler. But his famous does not end there. His reign is considered the more important half of his life and perhaps rightly so, as through him many of modern Changeling societal norms were established. 

When he had first gained total control of the Changeling population, his first decree was a radical one. All ponies from all tribes were released, never to be fed on again. As the ownership of ponies had become a sign of wealth, and thus lead to conflict . As the ponies fled from their former captors, King Pridordium uttered the following 

"Today is a new dawn for Changelings and Ponies alike. Today we make ourselves unseen, today we begin restoring peace for Changelings, and yes Ponies. For with peace comes prosperity. And if prey prospers then so does the predator. So come my brothers and sisters, let us now be the noble hunter, instead of the barbaric savage" 

Thus began the Great Concealment, Taking several years, Changelings began removing themselves from the public eye. It is interesting to note that around this time Discord was turned to stone. While Primordium never admitted it publicly, he feared the Alicorn sisters. If they could turn the very embodiment of chaos to stone, then what could they do to his Changelings? This fear kept them in hiding , after all they were predators, and they had too naturally assume that their prey would naturally retaliate against them. 

After the Great Concealment was complete, King Primordium faced a new dilemma. Halflings. Creatures born of a Changeling/Pony union. Besides the obvoius attention they drew, the King became Changeling image. This was mainly because nearly all Halflings were born of unconsented  unions. The brutalizing of ponies hadn't ended it seemed. Once again the old wrath of the conquering Warlord was called upon. 

"Have I not told you?! We are not savage beasts! Does the wold rape the deer?! Such a thing would be an abomination of nature. Selfish creatures, you stain Changeling kind and as their king I shall not tolerate such a disgrace. Heed me! I will find all of you and destroy you from this earth!" 

The kept his word. Death became the plenty for union with a pony. Uncesented or otherwise. Perhaps harsh and cruel, it set an important taboo for later Changelings. However this did not solve the problem of the Halflings themselves. As they drew so much attention, many Chieftains independently either exiled them or executed them or risk discovery. Others however adopted them into their tribe and kept them hidden. Primordium did this himself but let chieftains decide what was best course of action for their tribes in this case. The Halfling incident began the trend of better treatment of captured ponies that slowly progressed through the ages. 

After the incident things for Changelings began to settle, King Primordium had made himself a ruler not to be trifled with and his constant pushing of the "noble hunter" image helped keep Changelings in line. When he did finally pass away, no one had really had thought about electing a new leader (at the time Chieftains were mostly hereditary anyway) and Primordium was so beloved that no one knew who could fill his hooves. The logical conclusion was his son, Premordium the II. 

 

Queen Leechra : A Primordium's line held the position for three generations. His desendents didn't do anything new, just held the status quo set up by their famous ancestor. However prosperity began to decline with inactivity, Chieftains began to look for leadership in their ruler. By this time the Primordium line had become lazy and fat off of their position of power and true leadership wasn't to be found. Enter Chieftess Leechra, (Note on her name: Her tribe had die itself within a swamp, logic should do the rest), while one of the many Chieftains discontent with the High Ruler, she was the one to do something about it. Remembering how her grandmother had obtained power (she challenged the former Chieftain who had been executing Halflings) she did something that no other Changeling had thought possible. She challenged the High Ruler. at first Primordium's grand offspring refused such a notion believing that they were above such an idea. This further angered the Chieftains and nearly all the Changeling populace. Only holding back a revolt with his private guards, and threanting to reveal a tribe's location to Equestria if they stepped out of line. Still Leechra kept persisting in her challenge, constantly moving her tribe to keep it hidden from the corrupt ruler. Finally, making a bold move, she revealed herself  and her tribe right under the nose of the King. Challenging him, stating that if he refused now he would be a coward and not worth for anyone to follow. Even by this point his own guard had become disgruntled and whispers of revolt could be heard. Forced to accept this challenge or face bloody revolt, it's needless to say that he lost the following duel. Thus began Queen Leechra reign. 

"Changelings, Listen to me." I stand before you now, a queen, your Queen. With your will, I shall continue to be your Queen. If I do not have your will then, let it be known, I shall accept all Challengers."

Fortunately she did have the will of her Changelings and began the important tradition of replacing High Rulers. However this issue of hereditary wasn't the reason she so persistently pursued the throne, she had done so to try to address the major problem facing the changelings. with the reign of Primordium and a few of his decedents, came great prosperity. with this prosperity came an increase in population, with an increase of population came a strain on tribes to stay hidden and fed.  The Queen in response mandated that these excess Changelings create their own tribes and move to the fringes of pony society and to make new settlements. In theory this was a good solution, however only some of these new tribes survived , others were lost to the wilderness, hunger, or petty squabbles. This lose of changeling life of Changeling life was a heavy hit on Queen Leechra's rule, not to mention her mental state. Quickly looking for another solution, the queen began a more strict ration cycle for not just her Gathers but for herself as well. As her tribe obtained stability other tribes followed suit. These two events lead to a revive in prosperity to Changelings and Queen Leechra was remembered with mostly admiration and respect  

 

King Cornucopia :  A King of good times, sometimes referred to as the Poet King for self explanatory reasons. Unique not so much for what he did but for who he was, Cornucopia was the only non-Chieftian ever elected to the position of High King and also one of the few storytellers to ever reach the position. Following the prosperity created by Queen Leechra, Changelings for the first time had some extra time to spend on other things besides pure survival. Cornucopia was a product of this time, and he thrived like no other. One of the few legitment Changeling author's, with a published book under an Pony disguise. Not only a master storyteller, being able to retell nearly all of Changeling history, but he made stories and poetry with purely Changeling themes. His popularity proved enough to bring him to the throne. While King, Chieftains had more independence then ever, and though King Corn (as he was affectionally called) did little more then promote Changeling culture, he was loved dearly by his subjects, especially Chieftains who enjoyed their new freedom. However this new freedom had some unintended and at the time unknown effects. Mostly was the unchecked growth of individual tribe population. Not only did the King not do anything but failed to even notice this trend. And therefor the pattern of balancing population was continued onto the next ruler. 

 

Queen Huskula :  A stern traditionalist who was quickly installed High Queen when King Cornucopia abdicated (hostilities had slowly increased with the Storyteller King and he had no wish to hold onto unwanted power). Huskula felt that Changelings didn't have the time for fivorlous things such as art and poetry. Changelings must focus on survival, "The way of the Hunter", as she liked to put it. harking to the days of King Primordium, Queen Huskula reigned in the tribes tightly, having to do this with part fear and part charisma.  Her biggest problem, like former rulers, was population control. Learning from only the temporary success of Queen Leechra, Huskula  took a much more radical approach. Mating and Population quotas. These quotas were strictly enforced and any mated pair caught having offspring without permission were severely punished. Chieftains were made nearly powerless, and the Queen ruled with an Iron hoof. While many weren't exactly  happy about this absolute rule their Queen was extorting, there was little resistance, partly for fear of the Queen herself, but also for respect. She practiced what she preached and she was doing something about their problems, and further more they were working. As extreme and at times Heart wrenching Huskula's system was, it kept the Changeling population in check. However it wasn't decreasing, and the loose days of King Corn had produced a number of Changelings that was almost an unmanageable amount, but for the close megalomanic Huskula it was no problem.  Feared, at times hated, and respected, queen Huskula was seen as a necessary evil to maintain a way of life. 

 

Queen Chrysalis:  The daughter of the "Tyrant queen" wasn't expected to be much different then her mother  . After all, she had that same fierceness, that same tenacity as her mother but the young queen had a secret. Being a child during the reign of King Corn had more influence on the young Chrysalis then her mother liked to admit. Changelings had a beautiful culture, why should they be forced to stymie that? Seeing what her mother had done, how she struggled with the ever consuming problem of keeping population in check, to keep every Changeling hidden, Seeing what that did to not only her mother but her fellow Changelings, she was heartbroken. the day she ascended to the throne (ironically roughly the same day Twilight was chosen as Celestia's pupil) she declared 

"Today, my dear Changelings! Today we no longer live in fear, our days of hiding are near an end. We shall step out of the darkness and into the light! We will be able to grow and prosper without fear!  We will not aloud our food to dictate how we live! Its time that Changelings worked and lived for Changelings!" 

No one was quite sure what she meant when she said this, no one could have imagined the "crazy" idea she had in store for them. Sending her tribe's storyteller to Canterlot in a completely research and scouting mission. This severed both as a pilmerary step in invasion and a hopeful search for an alternative. While this secret research was transpiring, the Queen had begun ,militarizing her Hunters. This made the other Chieftains nervous, was she planning on taking her tribes way from them? Continual speeches about "A New Dawn with no fear" and  "Changelings for Changelings" had made her quite popular with he common Changeling, she had a certain warmth, almost motherly appeal about her, the first High Ruler to have such closeness in decades 

After about two years of this, her "spy" returned to her with disheartening new. The Equestrians had no "Cure" for their problem, any mention of Changelings was filled with fear and mystery. There was even a handbook on how to spot a disguised Changeling. Disappointed but not surprised, she then knew it was time to make her move, it was time to appeal to her Changelings.

"My patient Changelings, you have waited two whole years for our new dawn to begin. It begins today! For today we begin preparations for a glorious invasion on Canterlot! Yes we are going to war! We have hidden ourselves for far too long and as history has proven we can not sustain ourselves form the shadows. I dearly wish for all our sakes that there was another way. But the ponies fear us, peace between our kinds is impossible. For our survival we must strike first! Some of you must be thinking that such a venture is impossible, there are far more of them and they have powerful leaders and powerful magic. Have you forgotten our great ancestors? We have remained hidden for centuries, just imagine their surprise when we appear en masse, swooping down on them unexpetnely! They are totally unprepared such an attack and when we capture their Princesses, the rest will crumble! We must prepare now, my Changelings, the road ahead will be hard, and at times cruel. We will face many dangers. But we are Changelings, are we not used to this? Soon, however, that time is done." 

While this instantly won over the common Changelings, Chrysalis still had an obstacle within the Chieftains. Going to was was too risky, fighting both the Alicorn sisters and the elements of Harmony would prove impossible for any of their forces. However with the majority of their tribes on board and Chrysalis offering promising positions in her new army, most Chieftains joined the cause, even if begrudgingly. The following years were spent preparing for the invasion, Chrysalis turning the Hunter portion of the population into a well tuned fighting force, Gatherer's became the supporting "Home Front:. These years, sometimes called "the war never fought" was filled with excitement, the Changelings having a purpose and a goal besides simple survival. 

Then it happened, the opportunity of a lifetime. The royal wedding. Wanting to display that she too would be fighting in this war, she announced she would be kidnapping the Princess of Love (Chrysalis was always a lover of irony) and begin the assault on the day of the wedding itself. Plans were set, positions were taken and oddly enough the kidnapping of Cadence was far easier then any changeling could have imagined. This as roughly a (month) before the wedding and keeping up the act was for more the difficult challenge. 

Chrysalis and Cadence's relationship was strained at best, brutal at worst. Chrysalis took her anger, far, and lose out on the couple and the more resisted the more Chrysalis become infuriated. Nearly draining Shining Armor dry, often taunting his wife suppose to be, she had felt an in-surge of power felt by very few Changelings. This power proved to be enough to defeat Celestia in a short magical bout.

What transpired afterward is well know and does not to be written down here.   

 

 

As you can see there is a lot here. 

 

 

So if by now if your still interested, then here is the goal of this roleplay. Your going to control one changeling tribe, from the pre- high-ruler years to the end of Chrysalis reign (if we ever get that far). You will make up your own tribe and one or two characters to represent your tribe. Now please keep in mind that I'm going to review your ideas and may veto them or asked them to be tweaked. Also understand that since we are going through history, some events are going to happen that you can not prevent. Think of this like more of an loose play then a roleplay. Any questions feel free to ask. otherwise your changelings await. 

Edited November 25, 2015 by The Down Trotten

[Unicorncob 5,679]

Here's my tribe

 

The Velum Amour are a conniving, intelligent and deceptive tribe of Changelings. They see ponies more as equals instead of simple means of harvesting Love Energy, however they understand that they are the only source, and in dire situations, must be treated as such.

 

Their favoured disguises are much inspired by Industrial Revolution-era London, donning the likes of work shirts, trenchcoats, bowler hats and tophats.

Their 'Queen', known simply as The Lady, tends to favour the appearance of a svelte unicorn mare with an attractive dress.

 

Their interactions with a pony settlement resemble a street gang mentality, often walking in small groups.

They operate from what was once an abandoned building in the entertainment district of Manehattan, which was been renovated into a lavish social club and brothel for stallions and mares alike. After all, what better place to harvest Love Energy than a large room full of hedonistic, inebriated ponies?

 

Some of the less impotent members of the hive take refuge outside the city's borders, just waiting to change form and move in for their share of Love.

The entire hive is speculated to be at least a hundred strong.

 

Their representative is known as Droog, who The Lady considers her 'top harvester'. He takes the form of a unicorn stallion, dressed in a trenchcoat and top hat. He is a confident smooth talker, and not afraid to lead a group into a fight with another street gang.

[J.R. 3,183]

Tribe: Hellfire Coalition
Main Compisition: Hunter/Gatherer

Leader: Commander Ace
Size: About 200
Motto: Get in and out, clean.

 

The Hellfire Coalition is a group of well-trained changelings that fight, and gather whaat they need to survive.They mainly take on hostile creatures of the Everfree forest, and subsonsiously protect Ponyville from the hostile forms of wildlife.In order to feed off of love, they simply disguise themselves as everyday ponies and go about their usual day in the town. That, and they feed off of the love of those that go a bit too close to the forest, which is where they reside.They have some that'll go out, and scout for potential food sources, and others that'll stay and defend not only thier home, but Ponyville by extension. All while being able to survive under the radar.

 

They are a relatively small tribe, being only composed of the most prestiged hunters and gatherers who dare to be a part of this Coalition. The Commander's number two, is only known as DeFormus. He's known the Commander since they were young, and have trusted each other throughout thier lives. While the Commander oversees operations, and stays to defend the base, DeFormus is the second main who goes out, and brings back whatever information he can find to the Commander. He is a laid back, cool changeling that'll do whatever it takes to ensure victory for his tribe. He will often disguise himself as a casual pony, and go about his usual day, doing whatever his Commander asks of him. Even if he has to fight an entire enemy colony with nothing but a paper napkin, He. Will. Do. It. Meanwhile the Commander himself, is a strict, but fair changeling. He has some control freak issues, but DeFormus keeps him in check when it gets out of hand. Good thing too, because Ace would end up slaving over his work, and tire himself out. Determined, forceful, and even with a soft kind spot, the Commander will do anything for his Coalition.

 

They will do anything and everything to keep their exsistence under wraps. Even if it means having to destroy half of the forest life to keep themselves safe. For more security, the Commander refers to his group as, "agents." This keeps other ponies who may be listening off of their tracks from discovering their exsistence.

 

"Go out and harvest what you can, they can't know we were here...." ~ Commander Ace

 

And that's my tribe.

[The Down Trotten 300]

@@Unicorncob,

 

Your Tribe is accepted.  And as are your Cheiftess and our representative welcome aboard

 

@@J.R.,

 

As is your tribe and your respected changelings  

[Strong Copper 126]

Tribe: The Humble Shepherds.

Main Compisition: Gatherers/Storytellers

Leader: 'Mayor' Silver Tongue
Size: 500+
Motto's:

'Sheep are dumb and need to be driven, goats are smart and need to be lead'. 

'He who controls the present controls the past. He who controls the past controls the future'.

 

Current Representative: 'Ambassador' Golden Hooves. One of the tribes many Storytellers, his duties for the tribe are three fold: To preserve the history of the tribe, to represent the tribe in the event that it needs to make contact with the other tribes for whatever reason and to overseer the 'revision' of historical events in pony culture.   

 

Brief History:

In the dying days of the Dark Days of Wandering a young Changeling came across two pony shepherds, one tending to a flock of sheep and the other to a herd of goats. Confused as to what they were doing, the Changeling transformed into a young colt and walked up to them to ask them what they were doing and why they were doing it. The shepards explained that they were looking after their respective animals by making sure that they had everything that they needed to be happy and well fed, keeping away predators that could do them harm and looking after them when they were sick. In return, the animals offered goods such as wool or milk to the shepherds. Curious about this rather novel idea, the Changeling asked if they could teach him how to be a shepherd, which they agreed to do. 

 

For some time, the Changeling stayed and learned how to be a shepard of both Sheep and Goats, learning the differences between the two and the different ways you needed to approach them. When he had learned all he could and his apprenticeship was deemed over, his two mentors gifted the Changeling with enough sheep and goats to start his own small flocks before they parted ways. His time with the shepherds hadn't just been spent learning how to look after the animals through... the Changeling had been thinking. 

 

Shortly after parting ways with his mentors, the Shepherd Changeling came across a small band of other changelings raiders. Though a combination of charisma and brute force, the Shepherd Changeling became the leader of this band of changelings and gave them a new purpose. Some he ordered to learn how to become farmers, others to learn carpentry, ect. In time every changeling had learned a trade that would make them useful for the plan that the Shepherd wished to enact; Build a pony settlement. 

 

While it didn't happen overnight, the settlement (Later named Dreamy Meadows) was founded with all the basic needs (And a couple of optional luxuries) that a pony could want from a home town well within Equestria's boarders. The Changelings themselves took on the guises of ponies in order to complete the image that it was simply just a normal pony town. Sending out traders and merchants to nearby settlements in order to get the name of their own settlement out there, ponies started to travel to the changeling settlement and settled down to stay. While the pony population grew steady naturally, a few strategic Changeling raids on nearby settlements and the promise of safety in this new settlement solved any hunger issues and encouraged more growth. In time the pony population outnumbered the Changeling founders but the Changelings kept the positions of power within the village and the influence that came with them. 

 

Thus the 'Humble Shepherds' tribe become much like their name sake. They protected and provided for their pony charges, looking after them and helping them grow and develop in a peaceful, happy environment and in return the tribe subtly fed off of them with no one being the wiser. The tribe also gained another unexpected benefit; There were ponies that wanted to defend their hometown and their fellow villages from invaders, allowing the tribe to bolster its forces with ponies in the event of an attack by any of the other tribes. 

 

This state of being continued until the arrival of King Primordium. While the Humble Shepherds tribe peacefully joined him, they had no real love for him nor did they change their way of life at his request; The tribe took one look at the 'Noble Hunter' idea that Primordium was selling and they wanted nothing to do with it since they themselves followed the path of the Humble Shepherd. Why go and live in the shadows like vermin when they themselves had already established themselves so that they were hidden in plain sight? Once the Alicorn Sisters rose to leadership of Equestria by disposing of Discord, the town created and secretly controlled by the Humble Shepherds officially offered itself to the two sisters as another town for them to rule and protect; a move that more or less prevented King Primordium (And future Kings and Queens) from openly attacking the Humble Shepherd's tribe whenever they chose to ignore or disregard a law they have put into place. This has made the Humble Shepherds a rather isolationist tribe in Changeling culture through. 

 

As time passed and pony society advanced with new ideas, technologies and means of transportation, so to did the Humble Shepherds. While you can find a Humble Shepherd Changeling in just about any given profession, it is in Equestria's Civil Service that they truly shine; Almost 45% of Equestria's Civil Service is made up of Changelings disguised as ponies. The tribe used the power and influence of civil servants to allow them to spread out over Equestria like a spider's web, keeping overpopulation down while securing their place as one of the biggest of the Changeling tribes.   

 

This also allows them to perform another task that they have committed themselves too as of late; altering or removing changelings from Equestria history. How can ponies know what to look for if they don't know that Changelings exist? And even if they do know that Changelings are real, how would they spot one if they were looking for the wrong signs? 

Edited November 19, 2015 by Strong Copper

[The Down Trotten 300]

@@Strong Copper,

 

I like this idea a lot, and with just a few clarifications you'll be good to go. Firstly, whereabouts is this town? and evne if its not canon whats the name of it?

 

Secondly. You may want one representative for your tribe. As I'm sure your leader won't be able to do everything himself, you'll need someone to represent their ideals and wishes. 

 

Thirdly: As I'm sure you already know, your changelings position, will make then a little unliked by other changelings. And depending on how they react to which ever Highruler (or their representative), their could be hostilities. But as I said I'm sure you knew that 

 

P.S Thank you for taking the time to submit, this is a rather involved roleplay 

[Vae Victis 742]

Alrighty, where to start....

 

The tribe, known as Nexis (Roughly meaning exchange) Is a small, well-hidden conglomerate of changelings that have taken refuge within a cave system that is not too far from the city of Fillydelphia. The way of Nexis is to value three tenants above all others.

 

The Tenants of Nexis

________________________________

 

I. Above all else, respect the source from which nourishment comes. Those of the Nexis know very well that they cannot and will not survive without the love that all pony kind provides for them. Instead of teaching contempt for the " Dwellers of the upper realm" as they have grown to call them, the changelings of this tribe take heavily after the highly revered Primordus. Ponykind is respected and adored. For example, if a stray pony or group of ponies find themselves lost near the home of this tribe and a scout sees, then the entire tribe will be alerted and will then use means of simple guile (Such as that of a mine worker to warn them of " dangerous conditions" to essentially shoo them away) Or even non-lethal means, of which involves knocking them out with a stunning bolt of magic and making sure that they are taken safely back to the city, albeit with all notions of stealth taken into consideration.

 

II. Stealth takes precedence in all matters. As this particular hive usually does not take militaristic action, even in times of high political upheaval (such as the installing of a new sovereign over all changelings.), Secrecy and the ability to stay well hidden, even from other tribes, is considered as important as breathing. This has helped shape a major portion of the Nexis tribe's culture. The cave system in which they live is extensive, and intentionally so, to ward away those from other clans who might seek to, for whatever reason, plunder the hive, and also to keep regular ponies to from discovering the hive. This falls in line with the protection of the 3^rd tenant, as the 3^rd tenant is what differentiates them from other changeling tribes.

 

III. Advancement of knowledge is the key. Nexis changelings, instead of devoting all time to learning just how to disguise themselves properly, have been inspired to find more efficient ways of feeding, understanding the psychological profiles of potential ponies that they may feed upon, the culture of ponies, etc. Everything that the Nexis tribe does is done efficiently. As such, the Nexis have almost completely sacrificed combative training for research and development. While eventually coming out on top when it comes to technological and magical advancement, the Nexis tribe, if ever discovered, would easily be wiped out by a hostile force.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The rule of four: Eventually, through the ages, it is the primary goal of the Nexis tribe to find a way to more effectively capture and condense the magical energy of love into what could be construed as a meticulously crafted miniature Dyson sphere. This super-condensed magical energy will be enough to feed the entire tribe for a week, and thus, will a majority of changelings will never have to venture outside of their hive again. This will eventually lead to the “rule of four.” The rule of four states that four changelings shall be selected from the hive in order to find a partner for life that is a pony. These changelings will reside mostly above ground, within Fillydelphia. They are given great training in how to slowly age their pony appearance, how to act like a pony, eat like one, cultural values, everything. These four are sent out to the upper lands, seeking a suitor to their liking. They are even encouraged by the elder that ends them off to enjoy life outside the hive, and to genuinely care for their would-be lovers. These Changelings carry with them the Dyson spheres in the form of a small necklace, with the age-old tale that it was a family heirloom. These changelings, as they are encouraged to do so, tend to actually form true bonds with newly made friends, associates, and loved ones, and tend to actually enjoy life outside the hive. These four are, for the sake of safety, however, rendered sterile and unable to bear/give birth to children, and for good reason, a testament to the respect for the late Primordus. These changelings eventually leave the necklaces in a safety deposit box, where the same elder who chose, trained, and sent them forth disguises himself and obtains them using a copy-made key, under the guise of a business pony. He then switches out the filled Dyson spheres for the new, empty ones, and the special four will travel, on different days, to pick them up, and thus, the cycle begins anew, continued every week. As one is used per week to feed the hive, a netting of three additional spheres every week occurs, and will eventually lead to a large quantity of raw, magical love over time, eventually ending in this tribe being able to survive for years and years on end, should anything happen to the primary source of feed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Problems that the hive faces:

 

Curiosity, and eventual jealousy: As ponies are highly exalted by this tribe, it is only natural that many within the hive would have an interest in meeting their would-be endowers. However, for the safety of the hive, the chieftain, guided by his elders, forbids this. While this is easily chastised for a long time, with the eventual advent of magical and technological advancements, this brings about the rule of four. While respected, many of the Nexis are jealous of the chosen four. After all, why should they stay within the confines of the hive when ponies are so ignorant that they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between their own kind and a changeling in disguise? Why should they be forbidden from enjoying the same happiness that the chosen four do? Surely, this will cause trouble….

 

Lack of might: relying upon Research and Development instead of basic combat training, the Nexis tribe is very much susceptible to annihilation by military action. While the Nexis tribe does have a few astute warriors that serve as the personal guard of the high-ranking members and even posted around the cavernous system, this would not be enough to fend off invasion from a hostile force.

 

Outcry for expansion: The Nexis tribe will eventually achieve the Dyson Sphere technology. When this occurs, food will be more plentiful than ever before. With this will come a strong call for the expansion of population, as there are heavy regulations on how many changelings may be allowed within the Nexis tribe.

 

Political weakness by default: As the Nexis tribe is excessively secretive, they often even bar themselves from politics to hide from even other tribes. Whether the high sovereign knows of their existence or not, remains to be seen. (pretty much, left up to The Down Trotten ). This works in tandem with outcry for expansion and lack of might. Some feel that having the blessing and support of the sovereign would aid in the defense of the hive. Some would feel that sharing the technical knowledge that multiple generations have sacrificed to obtain could very well aid in a super-expansion and betterment of the entire race, which is caused by the wish to end the isolationism.

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

Changeling populace: 358

___________________________________________________________________________

 

Representative: Audax, the cloistered. 

 

Status: An ancient changeling approaching the 18th decade of his life by the time Chrysalis had taken power. While the chieftain may hold final sway over the politics that happens within the Nexis tribe, it is often seen that Audax presumably wields most of the power. Audax was responsible for helping the implementation of the Nexis's policies. Audax is known for his keen observations. A favorite phrase of his being;

 

" I did not learn from watching the right role models. Instead, I learned how to survive by witnessing fools fall. I am inspired to protect this tribe by not committing to the same fallible follies of our predecessors and other tribes."

 

Audax is both well respected, and yet at the same time, loathed heavily for both his policies and his ability to seemingly influence the chieftain heavily. Many see the chieftain as a sort of puppet-leader, and Audax as the true leader of the tribe. This has caused many dissenting opinions within the tribe. Some say that the chieftain should keep Audax, but not listen to him as much and rule as he would see fit. Some see Audax as the true chieftain, and would like for him to take the mantle of the Nexis tribe leader. Some of the more radical changelings within the hive, however... See Audax as a great threat, and even a tyrant. These are the ones who wish to do away with him, either through exile, or worse.

 

But as strong of a voice that he may have, Audax is most certainly not tyrannical, at least, intentionally. Audax's policies, and the way of life that he believes so heavily in, is the by-product of his truest desires; the thirst for knowledge, and to see his tribe safe. Not only that, but to potentially " lead " the changelings in what he sees as an evolution through research and development. Knowing that he has put the tribe at risk by concentrating nearly all efforts in the pursuit of knowledge instead of combative training, It is actually his hope that one day, when the tribe peaks in these two categories, that the policy of isolationism could possibly end. That they could bring their knowledge and prowess to the high sovereign and the main tribe; Therefore ensuring a mass-scale evolution for the entirety of the race, the ability to sustain large numbers with relatively little effort, and the knowledge of past failures to ensure future success.

 

However, as old as he is, Audax knows that he is reaching the end of his rope. And with everything that could potentially go wrong, he has a very limited amount of time to fix the problems of the Nexis tribe. If he could truly have his way, then changelings would co-exist with the ponies in peace, and his methods would not be necessary. But that is not the case. 

 

Audax respects and loves ponies; in fact, he is the elder mentioned above that collects the dyson spheres after they are implemented along with the rule of four. He often dresses as an elderly business earth pony to do this. The reason for his gracious view of the ponies is actually due to the fact that he used himself as a guinea pig in an experiment devised by the elders of the hive during his time as a young changeling. He was the progenitor of the rule of four in a sense. The experiment was very much long-term. The goal was to find a suitor, and to actually spend extended time with said suitor with meticulously practiced, advanced shapeshifter training that, when practiced correctly, seemingly aged his pony form with that of his lover. during such time, Audax learned much of pony psychology, ways of culture, everything. He had actually formed attachments during this long span of what seemed about 55 years, and only returned to the hive after he had outlived all of the ponies he had associations with on the surface. Reporting everything that had happened, he brought back scores of knowledge, from psychological profiles to customs, dress habits, ways of life... everything. 

 

With this knowledge, he was seen as influential in establishing policy and doctrine, advising based on what he knew and sharing his vast wealth of information with the others. Such knowledge, much like the concept of a Dyson Sphere, would be taken heavily into consideration, and thus, many old ways were abandoned in favor of researching ponies, love, and more effective feeding methods.

[The Down Trotten 300]

@,

 

Glorious! Your tribe and your representative are both accepted! Welcome to the comb. 

 

@,@@Strong Copper,@@J.R.,@@Unicorncob,

 

 

Alright gentlemen we are almost about to start. But first I want your vote on an important topic. In what point in history do we want to begin? And I realized that with our representatives and leaders there is a minor problem. They don't live forever and if we are to take this through history they will eventually pass away. I would be ok with having them "live" forever as it were. Or their descendants or some other form of representation of them .Or if you feel so inspired to actually have change of power transpire be my guest. But for now let us vote on the time period. I'm open for any ideas 

Edited November 19, 2015 by The Down Trotten

[Strong Copper 126]

@@The Down Trotten,

 

Made the alterations you wanted. As for the time period to start in, I wouldn't be again the start of Queen Chrysalis's reign. Allows our tribes to have a bit of history to work with while also being on the verge of a major change; One in which the various tribes would have a chance in influencing the outcome for better or worse.

[Unicorncob 5,679]

Alright gentlemen we are almost about to start. But first I want your vote on an important topic. In what point in history do we want to begin? And I realized that with our representatives and leaders there is a minor problem. They don't live forever and if we are to take this through history they will eventually pass away. I would be ok with having them "live" forever as it were. Or their descendants or some other form of representation of them .Or if you feel so inspired to actually have change of power transpire be my guest. But for now let us vote on the time period. I'm open for any ideas 

 

Well I can always have the 'Lady' and 'Droog' monikers passed down to the next generation, if that works?

 

 

Check me out and my lack of creativity

 

[J.R. 3,183]

@@The Down Trotten,

Chrissy's time.

[The Down Trotten 300]

@@J.R.,@@Unicorncob, @@Strong Copper, @,

 

Alright gentlemen I have decided to being during Queen Husklua's reign (Chrysalis's mother) and see where it goes from there. Sound good?   

[Unicorncob 5,679]

Works for me

[Strong Copper 126]

Seems alright to me. I guess we can only wait and see how things go once the ball is rolling.

[Denim&Venöm 18,705]

@@The Down Trotten,

 

I actually do have an idea. Might as well lay down the jist of it before getting into super detail, as the key premise itself may get shot down.

 

A changeling tribe that co-exists with the vampiric bat ponies of Hollow Shades.  

 

One day long ago, a changeling and a bat pony had their eyes on the same prey. They could fight it out, and potentially walk away with nothing. Or... they could work together and ensure success. Obviously the latter was chosen, and a partnership was founded between two races. The changeling distracts. The bat ponces. The bat gets to feed from pony in changeling custody. The changeling doesn't have to do as much work to capture a pony. 

 

But circumstances made for strange bedfellows, as Primordial's conquest and Nightmare's failed rebellion forced the tribe to relocate and the bats to fortify. Both converged at hollow shades. Two races, huddled together against a world out to get them. Two races, viewed as monsters and parasites by the civilization around them.  A mutual respect, for both the circumstances they shared, the similarities they possessed. There was genuine respect, adoration, love, from the bat ponies towards the changelings, as it seemed the changelings were the only creatures that cared. The changelings wanted to secure this reciprocity. So they offered themselves to be fed off by the bats. Cut out the middle mare. No need to hunt ever again. Both species would support each other, and keep themselves safe from the warring nations and races outside. 

 

And over the generations, inevitably, courtship, and then breeding, occurred between bat and ling. The once taboo law was defiantly broken, and the new changeling tribe of Hollowshades became the first with a majority populace of half-lings and the first to have a half-ling chieftess, who offers Hollowshades as a sanctuary to all halflings. There's almost no pony or ling in Hollow shades without some distant lineage that linked back to both tribes. 

 

If you approve, I can expound on this further. 

Edited November 24, 2015 by Denim&Venom

[The Down Trotten 300]

@@Denim&Venom,

Ok. While I'm totally not opposed to this idea, there are things you must know. In doing this you will be pitting yourself against nearly every high king/queen in existence and by extension most likely most other tribes. Breaking such a taboo for so long, is well, something rather hard to pull off. My main concern is simple. Part of me thinks that due to Changelings high fear of discovery and halflings association with being discovered, I can't see how the tribe would be allowed to continue this practice. I'm willing to work with you on this, but the situation you offer is a very special case.

@@Strong Copper,@@J.R.,@,@@Unicorncob,

On another note gentelmen. Do all of you have skype accounts? If so it may make getting this rp off the ground much easier  

Edited November 24, 2015 by The Down Trotten

[Unicorncob 5,679]

On another note gentelmen. Do all of you have skype accounts? If so it may make getting this rp off the ground much easier  

 

You've got my Skype

[Strong Copper 126]

@@The Down Trotten,

 

Sent mine by the time you read this.

[J.R. 3,183]

@@The Down Trotten,

You got mine.

[Denim&Venöm 18,705]

@@The Down Trotten,

 

The way there able to do this is with the isolation of the bat ponies and Hollow Shades, a small city hidden within a forest of towering sequoias, that's also bordered by mountains on two sides, and rolling planes leading to the eastern sea on the other.  It's a difficult place to reach for ponies or changelings. The fact that the bat pony tribe, the one that made up the bulk of Nightmare's forces takes residence in these woods and have an even more fearsome reputation among ponies than the changelings do, would act as a deterrent to the other tribes. In short, going after the halflings would be too difficult and too dangerous, thus both bats and lings would be left secluded for most of the past millenia.  

 

Also, why would this changeling tribe even care? Their ancestors fled from King Primordial. They wanted autonomy, not indoctrination. The attitudes of the tribes back then I imagined, were indifferent at best, hostile at worst. My tribe had no reason to care what all the others thought. Primordial trying to conquer them, in their eyes, plus passing laws against breeding outside the race, especially if it was consensual? They did not want to bow down and were given no reason to care about the rest of changeling kind, considering other changelings never cared for them.

 

Add to that that they were already ahead of the curb on Leechara's plans, staying away from Corn's incompetency, and now having no interest in meeting Huskula's population quota's or laws, the bat-ling tribe see's themselves exempt from the petty issues of their brothers and sisters, and independent from the Queen's rule. 

[The Down Trotten 300]

@@Denim&Venom,

 

So in what way would they interact with other changelings then? And part of the point I'm trying to make is, there would have been a highruler at some point who saw this tribe as either 1) A disgrace to changeling kind or a danger to it.  |

Even if they couldn't be wiped out they could very well just seen as dissident changelings who refuse to work with the others as a whole. So your changelings are going to have no friends and could be a thorn in the side of any high ruler because technically they still have to make sure that they are safe, not endangering the rest of the changeling population as a whole. 

So I guess I have to ask. What exactly to you foresee being able to do?

I'm sorry if I'm being harsh, your idea is very unquie and I like it, but I'm just trying to make sure that its doable

[Denim&Venöm 18,705]

They are dissident because they had no friends. Your story made it sound like tribes didn't exactly get along before and during the reign of king primordial.  They didn't have friends back then, and they didn't want to submit to Primordial, so they fled. They place more faith in their own chief than they do a King or Queen from another tribe. 

 

They could be searched for as a lost tribe. That coudl be why they've been left alone for so long. Previous regimes could've thought them wiped out or died off. But improvements in communication & surveillance over the centuries and the spread of the hive populace might've caught some glimpses of Changelings or halflings near the Hollowshades vicinity, and spark exploration and attempts at contact from other tribes or the Queen herself. 

[The Down Trotten 300]

@@Denim&Venom,

 

Ok your in, but I had wanted to start this rp with a gathering of each Tribes leaders and or representative. And I don't want you to miss out, could they send anyone?  

[Denim&Venöm 18,705]

@@The Down Trotten, They could. Either one of their full blooded Changeling minority or a halfling in disguise, possibly the chieftess herself in a shocking display. Does another tribe or the queen attempt to make contact first and that's what's lead to this meeting? 

[The Down Trotten 300]

@@Denim&Venom,

 

The meeting is somewhat of a private affair. Its during Queen Husklua's reign and its a discussion on what should be done about her tight control . I'd imagine though that at least some contact has been made with your tribe before. if not to harrass them, to try to bring them back into the fold of the larger changeling populace.