Equestrian Changling

Basic Information

Anatomy

The true form of a Changling is a insectoid creature, sporting a body segmented in three parts, a head, thorax and abdomen. three pairs of limbs, the lower legs, blade arms, and upper arms. as well as a pair of wings.
the upper arm holds a "hand" with four digits.

Biological Traits

The equestrian changeling species can be divided up by its different castes of the species. Workers (Drones, and diggers) Soldiers (guards and warriors), Infiltrators, Generals, Maids and the Queen.
These castes have slight variations between each other.

Ecology and Habitats

A changling hive will do best if it is near a civilisation of Equinarians, thanks to their abundance of emotion and, most importantly, positive ones due to their society motivating such states of mind. However, a changeling hive will often leave behind it a barren wasteland, as their devouring and hunger grows with the size of the hive, they have a tendency to expend their food source, and have to move on to another target.

Dietary Needs and Habits

feeds on emotions

Biological Cycle

Changelings are dependant on nurishment, so long as they have a source of positive emotion they will usually remain active. However, in times when there is less creatures to feed on, a hive may enter short periods of hibernation during colder periods of the year, as their anatomy is not designed for temperatures bellow 0° for extended periods of time.
Additionally, while a hive is able to have access to a steady source of nurishment, it will remain active, but if a queen suspects a upcoming shortage, they may choose to enter dormancy in order to preserve themselves. This process comes in the following phases;
Entering Dormancy. Before entering dormancy, the hive will make a space to nest while dormant, it will then kill and devour, any excess drones, soldiers and diggers that will be unnecessary for the dormancy. this will alow the changlings who enter dormancy to stock up bio-mater that may be used when roused in order to take on basic disguises.
Burrowing. After assuring they have extracted all the bio-mater they have at their disposal, as well as draining any captive sources of emotion that would perish during the hibernation period and as such be useless when awakened, the hive will form together in a bundle, huddling together in a underground burrow and shut down most of their functions as to conserve all but the most necessary functions.
Hybernation. Lastly, the hive simply waits to sense a strong surge of emotion nearby that will activate their senses. This hibernation may last for centuries, with some hives estimated to have layn dormant for over a thousand years, only to be roused again by rising civilisations and terrorizing them. however, there is always a risk involved for the changelings in conducting this process.
During normal dormancy, the changelings activity is lowered to approximately 10% of their standard activity, disregarding functions that are completely shut down, such as sight, hearing, circulation of fluids to wings and legs. but should the dormancy period last for a period of time more then ten thousand years, the hive may become so far dormant as to lower their receptive functions as well, as such being unable to detect emotions around them.
This makes a hive become near vegetative, it is practically still alive, but it will not be roused lest active efforts are made towards it (or somebody happens to blast emotion-based magics into the queens horn)
As such, there may be hives dormant in many locations where now is thought to be nothing but civilised land, laying deep bellow the ground, awaiting to be risen again.

"My sisters entered that state of half life, I have choose to reject it.
My Children shall never have to endure such a fate, and should I meet my sisters again, I shall have their flesh for the crimes they have comited against our very kind."
-Queen of Hive Chrysalis

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

The changeling race can be divided up by their hives, a hive is commonly given a name based on its queen, such as perhaps the most notorious one, Hive Chrysalis.

Hive Heterocera

Emeerging during the long night, Hive Heterocera was a night active hive that broke convention of the changeling race by mainly feeding on fear, speculations as to why include that it was simply a "breed" so to speak, or that they awoke by the strong fear that was prevalent in the era. And as such found it to be their calling. POTENTIAL IDEA (regard as legacy for now): Show Spoiler

The hive was a constant danger to the imperial forces loyal to the queen of the day, and a unknown variable for the forces loyal to the princess of the night, as they where either a ally by circumstance, or a foe by shared target from time to time.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The horn dagger. In cases of battle between hives, changelings would often adopt a tradition of using daggers shaped after the form of their particular queen. as each queen has a horn of a unique form, this helps forces distinguish each other, though it also adds another layer of deception for infiltators to exploit, as soldiers will seldom question a unit among them with their brand of weapon. (a general, however, may have additional ways to assure their forces are true to their queen)

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Necrophagy/Autophagy. The dead of a hive will be devoured by those who live, as to preserve bio-matter

Scientific Name

epoto concelo volucris

Show spoiler

draining disguised insect

Origin/Ancestry

Evolved parasitic species