Changelings in Fallout Equestria

[SilverlightPony]

So. By now, most of you have seen the Season 2 finale, "A Canterlot Wedding". (If you haven't, go watch it. It is many different kinds of awesome.)

Changelings. How would they fit into Fallout Equestria? This topic is generating a lot of discussion in the FoE chatroom, and it could use a forum thread, so, here we are.

In the show, Changelings are depicted as pony-shaped creatures with many insect-like traits, the ability to change their appearance to a perfect copy of a pony (presumably one they've seen, although this is just a hypothesis), and feed on the positive energy of love.

My thoughts for Changelings in FoE:

Many real-world insects and other organisms go into hibernation during times of drought or other adverse environmental conditions — some for years, decades, or even centuries. My hypothesis is that changelings did the same thing either during the war, or when the megaspells fell. Most of them went into hibernation, waiting for an upswing in positive emotional energy — the type of upswing most likely resulting from Gardens of Equestria and the following improvement in environmental conditions and the increased quality of life for the ponies and other races. So, some time after Gardens was cast, the changelings start coming out of the woodwork.

Now, of course, not all changelings would have survived the megaspells unscathed. As with all creatures in the wasteland, some of them would have been mutated — presumably to feed on negative emotions. These would have been thriving in the Equestrian Wasteland.

Now, possible story idea: The un-mutated changelings start cropping up and doing their body-snatcher thing. Somepony discovers it, ferrets out the mystery, learns about the changelings, and eventually helps the changelings discover that, rather than replacing ponies and stealing their love, integrating peacefully into society and earning that love honestly is actually more effective.

(If you want to use this idea, you're welcome to it, although I'd appreciate a mention.)

Thoughts?

[Mister_Clacky]

That is very well thought out reasoning for their inclusion. My kneejerk reaction was "Well, they feed on positive emotions and love. They obviously starved. Moving on." But your logic is strong enough that I would buy into that story. I know I won't be using them, Homecoming has enough body snatchers as it is. But the logic is there, it works. I particularly like the plan to have them start messing things up right as things start to get better. It's delicious.

[NitoKa]

Good story point but we also discussed in the chatbox about Ghoul/Changling pairings. For sake of simplicity I will refer to the irradiated Changlings as Feral Changlings, even if they still retained intelligence. A theory we came up with is a Changling can transform into somepony just by their image, thus they can cohabitate with Ghouls by changing into dead loved ones. These are good regular changelings. The Feral ones would be attempting to gain a new queen while the normal Changlings would have evolved from the need for a ruler.

Does that sound valid?

[SilverlightPony]

I particularly like the plan to have them start messing things up right as things start to get better. It's delicious.

Eyyup. The Equestrian Wasteland will take any available opportunity to ruin someone's day.

[SilverlightPony]

Good story point but we also discussed in the chatbox about Ghoul/Changling pairings. For sake of simplicity I will refer to the irradiated Changlings as Feral Changlings, even if they still retained intelligence. A theory we came up with is a Changling can transform into somepony just by their image, thus they can cohabitate with Ghouls by changing into dead loved ones. These are good regular changelings. The Feral ones would be attempting to gain a new queen while the normal Changlings would have evolved from the need for a ruler.

Does that sound valid?

The question there is whether or not the changelings can reproduce without a queen. If they can, then that's plausible. If not, then, well...that could be the key plot point for a sequel to the first story idea I had.

[NitoKa]

Good story point but we also discussed in the chatbox about Ghoul/Changling pairings. For sake of simplicity I will refer to the irradiated Changlings as Feral Changlings, even if they still retained intelligence. A theory we came up with is a Changling can transform into somepony just by their image, thus they can cohabitate with Ghouls by changing into dead loved ones. These are good regular changelings. The Feral ones would be attempting to gain a new queen while the normal Changlings would have evolved from the need for a ruler.

Does that sound valid?

The question there is whether or not the changelings can reproduce without a queen. If they can, then that's plausible. If not, then, well...that could be the key plot point for a sequel to the first story idea I had.

My friend and I came up with a good point, do Changlings have an age limit? Like Hkw old before they die of age? We came up with like maybe they only need to keep getting positive emotions to live, when the pony they are feeding off of dies they ned to find another source soon or they die, same if they stop receiving the love or positive emotions.

[Mister_Clacky]

I don't see them aging at all normally. Withering from lack of love, sure, but not aging. I guess it really depends on how you see them changing form. If is is just an overlaid illusion, then they can age. If they can shift themselves physiologically, actually generate physical tissue on demand (what I believe, or else they would still feel all buggy) then I can't see them aging. It's like Wolverine and his healing factor, they keep generating new cells at will, so they don't break down physically.

[NitoKa]

Possibly, Changlings could completly forget their original name if they live as somepony else for so long, as would be the case in the Ghoul/Changling pairings. Perhaps The Feral Changlings can view the fact that they remember their names as a sign of supiriority over the normal ones, thus causing friction between the species and sub species. This alone can be a story point for anyones fanfic, which i do plan to use in mine.

[Kashin]

I actually have ideas for four distinct groups of Changelings in the Equestrian wastes.

One, Cazdoppelgängers: toxic, shape shifting creatures who's venom causes unnatural infatuation in the target. When the target's love is at its apex the mutant changeling literally eats their heart (altered diet).

Two, Infiltrators: They function as spies, assassins and con artists for the larger Equestrian forces while they slowly seed said groups with their own agents be replacing their contacts. They essentially have dirt on everyone and use it to further their own agendas (This could be feeding off positive or negative emotions depending on what is needed for the story).

Three, Companions: What could be called truly good changelings, they find a pony/zebra/ect and do everything in their power to make them happy, taking the form of a child, a sibling, parent or whatever they need. They then stay with that partner for the rest of their life trading love for love.

Four, Ant Farms: A captured queen has her eggs taken away and the young changelings are raised to be the ideal slaves. They can be whatever their masters want them to be and are told that they are only capable of feeding on their master. This lie will control them better than any slave collar because they will need to do whatever their master wants them to or let themselves starve to death.

And one thing I notice that most folk don't mention: The Changelings can clearly force the issue of feeding, otherwise their direct assault on Canterlot would be worse than useless.

[NitoKa]

I actually have ideas for four distinct groups of Changelings in the Equestrian wastes.

One, Cazdoppelgängers: toxic, shape shifting creatures who's venom causes unnatural infatuation in the target. When the target's love is at its apex the mutant changeling literally eats their heart (altered diet).

Two, Infiltrators: They function as spies, assassins and con artists for the larger Equestrian forces while they slowly seed said groups with their own agents be replacing their contacts. They essentially have dirt on everyone and use it to further their own agendas (This could be feeding off positive or negative emotions depending on what is needed for the story).

Three, Companions: What could be called truly good changelings, they find a pony/zebra/ect and do everything in their power to make them happy, taking the form of a child, a sibling, parent or whatever they need. They then stay with that partner for the rest of their life trading love for love.

Four, Ant Farms: A captured queen has her eggs taken away and the young changelings are raised to be the ideal slaves. They can be whatever their masters want them to be and are told that they are only capable of feeding on their master. This lie will control them better than any slave collar because they will need to do whatever their master wants them to or let themselves starve to death.

And one thing I notice that most folk don't mention: The Changelings can clearly force the issue of feeding, otherwise their direct assault on Canterlot would be worse than useless.

The first and the last are new concepts that i think would work very good, i mean what if your group had a Companion changling and they came across an Ant farm, it would cause a morale dilemma