Changeling Empire

The Changeling Empire was a major civilization in Greater Equestria that was formed by Queen Chrysalis during the Two Sisters Era. Populated primarily by changelings, the empire expanded into a major power during the Celestial Era and launched several military operations against the Kingdom of Equestria during the Harmony Era. Chrysalis was overthrown and replaced by King Thorax in 1001 ANM, leading to the Changeling Empire becoming a peaceful civilization. During the Twilight Era, the empire was invaded and conquered by the Queendom of Greater Equestria. Under the queendom's tyrannical occupation, Queen Opaline Arcana had the changelings massacred.
During its existence, the Changeling Empire was governed as an absolute monarchy. During her tenure as Queen, Chrysalis was an autocratic ruler who surpressed political opposition and sought to expand the empire by any means necessary. During the reign of King Thorax, the government remained autocratic, though political opposition was tolerated and the country pursued peace with other civilizations throughout Greater Equestria.
==History==
===Origins and formation===
Around 2000 BNM, a ram named Grogar conquered a vast territory for himself and formed the Empire of Equestria. The equines of the land resisted his tyrannical rule, forming the Pony United Front (PUF). In order to combat the PUF, Emperor Grogar created various races of monsters to enforce his reign across the land. Among these monsters were a race of equine shapeshifters called changelings. The changelings initially fought against the PUF, however realized that the love shared by ponies was more fulfilling than the hatred spread by Grogar. A rogue changeling named Chrysalis organized a secret plot to betray Grogar. During the Battle of Mount Everhoof, Chrysalis and her forces turned on Grogar's forces and joined the PUF, allowing PUF leader Gusty the Great to cast a banishment spell upon Grogar. For her heroism, Chrysalis became the unofficial leader of the changelings and was blessed with immortality by Gusty.
After the fall of Grogar, the changelings spread across the land and lived among the ponies. Most of the changelings lived with the unicorns and pegasi, learning to master magic and flight with their companions. With the help of changeling residents, the Principality of Unicornia became the wealthiest of the three pony civilizations and the Pegasopolis Junta developed the largest military of three. The Republic of Earth lacked a changeling population, however, and came to view them as monsters. During the Great Blizzard, the three pony civilizations shifted westwards and, in 1000 BNM, united into the Kingdom of Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna came to rule over the country as sisters. Under Celestia and Luna's reign, the changelings were officially named one of the five pony tribes, with the others being earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and thestrals.
As generations passed, resentment for the changelings remained among the earth ponies. While the tribes lived together peacefully for centuries, the disharmony brought about by Lord Discord in 50 BNM brought the tension to a tipping point. The earth ponies falsely accused the changelings of aiding Discord in the First Discord War, pointing out that their shapeshifting nature was in line with Discord's chaos. Celestia and Luna caught wind of these allegations in 47 BNM and began the Great Changeling Purge. Changelings were relocated en masse to the less populated areas of southeastern Equestria. Chrysalis originally insisted that changelings remain peaceful, hoping that the Equestrians would come to their senses and welcome the changelings back. When that didn't happen, Chrysalis and her allies launched the Changeling Rebellion in 44 BNM, revolting against the Equestrian government. Changeling forces swept across eastern Equestria and eventually won a decisive victory in the Battle of Baltimare. Changelings also recongized they could no longer share love with ponies and instead resorted to feeding off the love of others to sustain themselves. Celestia and Luna were hesitant to utilize the Elements of Harmony against the changelings, noting their old friendship with Chrysalis and that this situation was partially their fault. After the fall of Baltimare, however, Celestia and Luna traveled to the captured city and confronted Chrysalis. The royal sisters informed Chrysalis that, unless she ceased her rebellion, she would be petrified as Discord was. Chrysalis conceded and signed the Treaty of Baltimare with the princesses, agreeing to lead the changelings out of Equestria and take control of Klutz Island. On Klutz Island, the Changeling Empire was proclaimed and the city of Hivetopia constructed. Chrysalis was named the Queen of the Changeling Empire.
===Early decades===
Under the reign of Queen Chrysalis, the Changeling Empire spent centuries developing into a major power despite its limited territory. Hivetopia became one of the largest cities on the continent, growing to have a population of over thirteen million. On the southern coast of Klutz Island, another city named Vesalipolis developed and grew to have a population of four million. The changelings focused on perfecting their military tactics, planning an eventual return to conquer the continent. An old war song from the Changeling Rebellion, "The Changeling Rises", was adopted as the national anthem and Queen Chrysalis designed a flag for their nation.
A minority of changelings were skeptical of Queen Chrysalis, blaming her for them being exiled from Equestria. The Changeling Resistance was organized in secret and held underground meetings in the suburbs of Vesalipolis. Lierx, a changeling who had sided with Equestria during the Changeling Rebellion, became the leader of the resistance. The resistance spent decades preparing themselves, seizing staches of weapons from the Changeling Armed Forces and officially establishing a headquarters several miles of Vesalipolis. After decades of preparation, the resistance launched the Second Changeling Rebellion in 2 ANM with the goal of dethroning Queen Chrysalis. The rebels assaulted Vesalipolis and proclaimed Lierx the Chancellor of the Changeling Empire. After the resistance won the Battle of Vesalipolis, Chancellor Lierx proclaimed the city the new capital, renouncing Hivetopia. Queen Chrysalis quickly mobilized the Changeling Armed Forces and marched southwards upon Vesalipolis. Chrysalis sent a letter to Lierx, demanding that he surrender or face a siege. Despite the resistance only a few hundred thousands soldiers compared to Chrysalis' millions, Lierx rejected the opportunity to surrender. The Siege of Vesalipolis began as the Changeling Army took fortified positions around the rebel city and established siege weapons. After three weeks of siege, the rebels ran out of supplies. Refusing to surrender, Chancellor Lierx sent a message to Princess Celestia, begging the Equestrian government for aid. The Equestrian Navy arrived at the southern coast of Klutz Island with weapons, ammunition, and food for the rebels. Chrysalis took notice of the Equestrian Navy's involvement and deployed the Changeling Navy to blockade the coastline. The Equestrian Navy opened fire on the Changeling Navy, to which the changelings returned fire. After a brief firefight between the navies, the Equestrians retreated and left the resistance unsupported. Two weeks after the Equestrian Navy fled, the resistance ran out of supplies once more. Fearing starvation, thousands of rebels surrendered to the Changeling Armed Forces and were granted amnesty. Most of the resistance insisted on fighting until the bitter end, however. Four weeks later, the Changeling Armed Forces breached the city's defenses and stormed into Vesalipolis. Malnourished and lacking ammunition, the majority of the resistance was quickly slaughtered with minimal fighting. The remnants of the resistance fractured, either surrendering or fleeing. Chancellor Lierx fled westwards and attempted to find a boat to flee to Equestria. Three weeks after the resistance's scattering, he found a port on northwest coast of the island and asked a sailor for a ride to Equestria. The sailor was a member of the Changeling Navy, however, and arrested him immediately. Lierx was dragged back to Hivetopia. After a show trial that lasted five minutes, Lierx publicly beheaded for treason.
In the aftermath of the Second Changeling Rebellion, Queen Chrysalis outlawed political opposition and began to regulate speech, press, and thought. The Changeling Armed Forces were tasked with educating the youth in loyalty from a young age in order to prevent dissent. The Changeling Defense Agency (CDA) was organized to serve as an intelligence agency, engaging in espionage to gather infiltrate and eliminate potentional political threats. In 13 ANM, these reforms proved effective as the last remnants of the Changeling Resistance were infiltrated by the CDA and slaughtered. The Equestrian government formally condemned the changeling reforms, Celestia describing them as "the pinnacle of corruption". The Kingdom of Abyssinia also condemned the reforms, fearing that a centralized and militarized changeling civilization would be a threat to their power.
By 60 ANM, political dissent in the Changeling Empire was considered non-existent. Hoping to expand her empire, Queen Chrysalis dispatched the CDA to engage in espionage against the Kingdom of Abyssinia. The Changeling Defense Agency infiltrated key government and military sites across the country and gathered necessary intel. In 64 ANM, the Changeling Empire declared war on the Kingdom of Abyssinia, beginning the Changeling-Abyssinian War. The Changeling Navy made various amphibious landings across the eastern coast of Abyssinia and the CDA seized control of key Abyssinian locations, including large portions of the capital city of Panthera. The Battle of Panthera, the Battle of Henry, and the Battle of Tabbytown all began simultaneously. The changelings established a foothold in Tabbytown fairly quickly, forcing the cat lords to retreat. In Henry, the Abyssinian Armed Forces defeated the Changeling Armed Forces and forced the invaders back into the sea. Panthera became a bloodbath with neither side establishing control. Equestria condemned the invasion of Abyssinia as "an unjustified act of imperial aggression against a sovereign nation". Chrysalis published a public response to Equestria's condemnation, pointing out that Equestria had invaded the Crystal Empire in 1 BNM. After two years of fighting, the changelings launched Operation Catbeater in an attempt to blitzkrieg Abyssinia. The changelings finally captured Henry and gainerd more territory in Panthera, while also capturing vast swaths of territory across eastern Abyssinia. The Abyssinian government sent out a plea for help to Equestria. After consulting with her advisors, Princess Celestia issued a declaration of war against the Changeling Empire. The Equestrian Armed Forces moved swiftly across Equestria's southern border into Abyssinia and reinforced Abyssinian positions in Panthera. In the year that followed, the changelings were expelled from Panthera and the Equestrian-Abyssinian coalition went on the offensive eastwards, launching Operation Bugspray in 67 ANM. The changelings slowed the enemy offensive by utilizing their shapeshifting abilities to disguise themselves and frequently ambush combatants. However, the numerical and technological superiority of the coalition overshadowed the changelings' asymmetric tactics. Henry was liberated from changeling control in 69 ANM and Tabbytown was liberated in 70 ANM. The last changeling forces made their last stand at Basalt Beach in 71 ANM and were promptly defeated. After the Battle of Basalt Beach, the Changeling Empire withdrew from Abyssinia. Queen Chrysalis offered to sue for peace and return to status quo ante bellum. King Deathfang refused the peace offer, however, and began drawing up plans for a naval invasion of Klutz Island. The Abyssinian invasion of Klutz Island was launched in 72 ANM with the Equestrian Navy providing support to the Abyssinian Navy. The invasion force landed several miles west of Vesalipolis and advanced eastwards, attempting to capture the city. They were quickly ambushed and surrounded by the Changeling Defense Agency, however, and the invasion force was slaughtered. Following the failed invasion, King Deathfang agreed to a white peace with Queen Chrysalis.
Following the war against Abyssinia, resistance against Chrysalis' reign resurfaced. The Changeling Resistance was reorganized under the leadership of war veteran Commander Nags. He rallied support to his cause by using his connections in the military and by convincing changelings that Chrysalis was to blame for the many casualties sustained during the war. The Hivetopia Riot of 74 ANM was organized by Nags, with tens of thousands of rioters surrounding Chrysalis' castle. The Changeling Defense Agency and the Changeling Armed Forces were deployed to disperse the protesters. In the subsequent massacre, three thousand protesters were killed, five thousand were arrested, and Nags was court martialed. After the riot ended, Nags was publicly beheaded by Chyrsalis herself.
==National identity==
===National anthem===
Under the reign of Queen Chrysalis, "The Changeling Rises" served as the national anthem of the Changeling Empire. The song was originally composed by Commander Yarx, a changeling military leader and musician, during the Changeling Rebellion. The lyrics are as follow:Now the time has come my dear to rest your weary eyes
The danger cannot enter despite its many tries
So dream about our wedding plans, the day will soon be here
All Canterlot will celebrate, this is no time to fear
So why is it you stress over what you can't control
You worry over nothing, dear, it's begun to take its toll
The ponies of Equestria are safe inside tonight
Drift off to my sweet lullaby and I'll bid you goodnight
Now changelings come and join me here for a great and glorious feast!
Born from hate, we purge the world of hope, joy, love, and peace!
The more that they adore me, the stronger grows my power
I'll watch as their world crumbles, all my changelings will devour
I've waited for this moment, always knew this was my fate
And none will have the strength to stop me, by then it'll be too late
And all will feel the sorrow when Celestia is dethroned!
No magic will protect her, nor stallion, mare, or foal
So say goodbye to this pathetic world, end of the line!
The time is nigh upon us, Equestria will be mine!After Queen Chrysalis was dethroned, King Thorax removed "The Changeling Rises" from official use due to its anti-Equestrian nature. Thorax instead implemented "A Changeling Can Change", a song composed by Lord Spike about how changelings can be good. The lyrics are as follow:Would you say I'm a hero
Glorious and brave
If I told you something you wouldn't believe?
That sometimes I'm scared
And I can mistakes
And I'm not so heroic, it seems
But if day can turn to night
And the darkness turn to light
Then why can't we imagine a changeling can change?
No two ponies are exactly the same
No two snowflakes ever match their design
And I thought I was strong
But I was nothing but wrong
When I forgot to be friendly and kind
But if day can turn to night
And the darkness turn to light
Then why can't we imagine a changeling can change?
Would you say I'm a hero
Glorious and brave
If I told you something you wouldn't believe?
This changeling, it seems
Knows the real me
And would stay by my side 'til the end
So if day can turn to night
And the darkness turn to light
Then why can't we imagine
Just why can't we imagine
Then why can't we imagine a changeling can change?
==Foreign relations==
===Positive relations ===
* Crstal Empire
*Dragon Lands
*Kingdom of Equestria
===Neutral relations === 
*Chiefdom of Yakyakistan
*Duchy of Maretonia
*Griffin Kingdom
*Kingdom of Hippogriffia
*Kirin Kingdom
===Negative relations ===
*Kingdom of Abyssinia
*Queendom of Greater Equestria
*Storm Empire
==Trivia==
*The flag used is taken from Equestria at War.
*The first national anthem used, "The Changeling Rises", is a song by Magpiepony, which is itself a parody of "The Moon Rises" by ponyphonic.
*The second national anthem used, "A Changeling Can Change", is a song from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
Category:World of Patriot
Category:Greater Equestria