History CodexEquus / TropesCToD

*** The individual Changelings of the Changeling Courts are well aware of their impermanence and insignificance in the scheme of things, and in the light of [[CrazySurvivalist their obsession with survival no matter the costs]], they not only accept but even ''[[BlueAndOrangeMorality embrace]]'' the fact that [[MartyrdomCulture they are utterly expendable]] [[TheNeedsOfTheMany for the good of their hives and swarms]]. The humble Changeling is ''nothing'' among [[AMillionIsAStatistic the multitudes of millions]], and only the hive/swarm endures. They live by the phrase ''"Serve the Hive! [[MementoMori For tomorrow, you may be dead!]]"'' - and if their [[HeroicSacrifice unremembered sacrifices]] could ensure future generations of Changelings could survive and prosper, then [[WorthIt it's worth it]].

--> '''Talon Baisian Soldiers:''' B-But it was just what everyone did!
--> '''Mortem Notam:''' While one's society and time may count as a degree of extenuating circumstances, there is a limit to which that rule may provide one protection. Sins to which that is no valid excuse. Information which one can be exposed to that invalidates the excuse of 'my society did not know any better.' You were exposed to all of these. You have had the full depth of your sin rendered bare before you and still use that as your excuse. So, to quote my brother... '''''ARE YOU READY?!'''''

** Meridia deserves particular mention: even the ''sheep'' are/became borderline psychopathic savage omnivorous monsters just to survive and thrive (though they got along well with other Meridians, who often provide room and board in their farms in exchange for fur and protection). Then there's plants that eat you, torture you, or shoot seeds at you with speed and force to blow your brains out; the seas full of poisonous coral reefs, sea monsters, flesh-eating sea worms, enormous whirlpools and what not; the horrible geography where the land is toxic, the ground could give way to crevices with jagged rocks below, and the storms could flay the flesh off your bones; the predatory wildlife which could kill you horribly in a thousand ways while simultaneously being too tough to kill; the incorrigibly hostile natives who would butcher you if they catch you...

* CycleOfRevenge: Deconstructed. A deep grudge has been present for ''aeons'' between the Changelings and Dragons, including the destruction of the Changeling homeland and the Time of Broken Scales. Choice warns them both inevitably their choice to perpetuate this ancient grudge indefinitely will have consequences and reckoning, which has recently began to take hold with villains born from their grudge attempting devastating retribution against both sides. Thus far only Thorax, Ember, and Spike have managed to completely escape it unscathed. Thorax and Ember finally have enough after the end of the Toxikon Crisis and forgive the parental deities of the other's species for their kind's respective crimes, and apology for their own to the other, having come to see the cycle for what it was and wanting no part in it. Thorax also rightly points out that the meaning of survival is completely moot [[{{Hypocrite}} if one of Changelingkind's methods is to satisfy an old grudge that would only get everyone killed]].

* CanonCharacterAllAlong:

*** Music/StevieRayVaughan was a very talented guitarist who revived the stagnant Blues genre, and is now regarded as one of the most iconic and influential Blues musicians in history. The Codexverse takes it further by having his [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed expy]], Moon Ray Vaughoof, become first an [[{{Psychopomp}} Angel of Death]] after his death, then an [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Alicorn]] '[[TheAce prodigy]]' after learning to forgive and let go of his past. He's also a skilled artist and [[TheShrink therapist]], a powerful [[PsychicPowers psychic]] and [[{{Seers}} Seer]], and is experienced with spotting signs of abuse/addiction in general, all which Stevie Ray doesn't have (ironically, Stevie Ray did show potential in art as a high school student, but ultimately chose to pursue music). Later, a series of events would permanently turn Moon Ray into an [[EldritchAbomination eldritch god]], which ultimately stemmed from his actions of taking a divine drug while sick that instead irrevocably changed his divine nature.

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: 'Ascendant deities' are a subclass of deity. They're considered InUniverse to be the rarest deities because it requires specific conditions for a mortal to gain godhood. The Church of the Stars is trying to invoke this on a global scale - not only to help mortal sapientkind become the best they can be, but to [[spoiler:prepare for the day when the [[MadGod Void Sovereign]] manages to escape his [[SealedEvilInACan cosmic prison]] so everyone wouldn't [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu pay a huge price for defeating him]] like what happened in the Second Age]].

* DeviousDolphins: UpToEleven. Unlike popular portrayals, Dolphinkind of Equus - or at least some of them - are closer to marine equivalent of ''TheFairFolk'' in how they behave than the cute and playful critters usually portrayed in fiction, which is actually closer to [[TruthInTelevision what they are like in real life]]. Adagio Dazzle, an Oceanaiad, [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/873725947/4909143206 outright mocked]] both Humans' and Ponies' perception of Dolphins as friendly creatures and told the Rainbooms/interviewers of the Codex project under no uncertain terms that, [[UnreliableNarrator at least from the Sirens/Dazzlings' personal experiences]], the Dolphins they know of are capricious, sadistic and murderous sociopaths [[BlueAndOrangeMorality who might help you on a whim one day and then kidnap, torture and kill you the day afterwards]].

*** Crimson Star would exploit this in another incident involving his friend, Jasper, and the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon. According to Jasper, he [[{{Seers}} foresaw]] one of Pokhot's sons, a Bogolenya Deer god of Pride, Deception, and Evil, [[FaceHeelTurn becoming a Fallen deity]] and causing much destruction. To prevent this, Crimson Star made a risky gambit where he "lost" his soul in a devil's deal, and instructed Jasper to ''lose'' the ensuing card game that will decide the fate of his soul. It worked - not only did the Deer god [[VillainousBreakdown have his pride shaken over nearly losing to a mere mortal]], he was also spectacularly humiliated when [[PapaWolf a protective Golden Scepter]] arrived and [[WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice repeatedly and mercilessly poked him into giving up Crimson Star's soul]].

*** Beloved Light, also known as his [=HoofTube=] handle "Love504", is based on bassist, [=YouTuber=], and memelord WebVideo/Davie504. Following his death from old age, he Ascended to godhood as the Alicorn god of Death, Memes, Encouragement, Bassists, and Rhythm.

* CelebritySurvivor: The Alicorn god of Music and Humility, Blue Suede Heartstrings, had survived two cataclysmic events that ended two Known Ages, such as the "Void Aeon", as well as the Third Age cataclysm that also destroyed the musical island archipelago of Mousikós. It's implied that he participated in and survived other events like the Maretian Wars, the "Winter Wedding Crisis", and even the Second Great War... to say nothing of the tornado outbreak that struck and devastated southern Ponyland, which he and his family narrowly survived when he was just ''one-year-old''.

CodexEquus/TropesAToB ([[AbusiveParents/CodexEquus Abusive Parents]]) | '''Tropes C to D''' | CodexEquus/TropesEToF | CodexEquus/TropesGToH | CodexEquus/TropesIToJ | CodexEquus/TropesKToL ([[LaserGuidedKarma/CodexEquus Laser-Guided Karma]]) | CodexEquus/TropesMToN | CodexEquus/TropesOToP | CodexEquus/TropesQToR | CodexEquus/TropesSToT | CodexEquus/TropesUToV | CodexEquus/TropesWToX | CodexEquus/TropesYToZ]]]]-]

*** There is also consequences for those who dash and ruin someone else's potential, regardless of the reason for doing so. Sparkling Wing's childhood's kingdom rejected him as Queen Silver Clock's heir, despite his great potential as a beloved and powerful ruler, because they didn't want to break matriarchal traditions by accepting a stallion on the throne. They ended up being ruled by his sister, a racist, warmongering queen who ultimately died in the Pony-Griffon war, and whose actions likely cost the kingdom as well. Noble Grace and Bubbling Beaker are also examples of this - they tried pursuing a benevolent, yet extremely lofty goal of [[DeityOfHumanOrigin turning Ponykind into Alicorns]] by [[WouldHurtAChild experimenting on foals and teenagers]] the moment they started showing [[ChildProdigy exceptional talent]]. Ultimately, their work would unravel twice by the intervention of Scarlet Bell, one of their former students who opposed the harm done by their actions, and would get them arrested by calling the authorities [[AdultFear as soon as she learned they're now in the same country as her]]. As the final kicker, Crystal Prism, their only "success" of their work, decided not to follow their intended role for him as herald of a "new age" because he was encouraged by several benevolent individuals to [[ScrewDestiny forge his own path]].

* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: ''Averted and deconstructed''. Abuse (and its consequences) is treated very seriously in the Codexverse, and whenever characters are shown to be abused, regardless of gender, it is ''not'' played for laughs. InUniverse, the reason why perception of abuse victims tends to be skewed is because of social bias leaning in favor of females, resulting in them being portrayed as more sympathetic than males and female abusers being lionized by the public. Shifa' Alhabi Moufette, the young Great Skunk/Abyssinian goddess of Mental Healing and Abuse, ''loathes'' double-standard abuse due to knowing how harmful and toxic it can be for male abuse victims, and will quickly and angrily set the record straight whenever people come to her with such beliefs.

** This is what happens when a sinful person runs afoul of the Deer god Temnobog. If they make a DealWithTheDevil, then they personally get dragged down to his domain upon death. If he's too busy, however, then either his demonic servants, or his loyal surviving children, the Four Terrors, help him out. Many of the Erobreseg Deer Herds' lore about Temnobog speak of various kingdoms and realms scrambling to atone for their sins ''en masse'' just to avoid this fate.

** A Codexverse quote has Bossa Nova Heartstrings mention this to be the final fate of "Colonel" Hollow Note. After ruthlessly exploiting and abusing his client, Blue Suede Heartstrings, for a large majority of the latter's life, Hollow Note would die sometime after Blue's departure and Ascension to godhood. He would be dragged off to Tartarus in chains by Bossa Nova's adoptive uncle, Malus Manes, and tormented by Malus' adoptive/biological children for his crimes.

--> '''Khanate Centaurs:''' DEATH BEFORE DISHONOUR!
--> '''Clovenist Officer:''' Well, [[ShutUpHannibal we can help them]] [[BondOneLiner with the first part]].

** The reason why Abyssinia was turned into a WretchedHive full of criminals and thieves in [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 the 2017 movie]]? It was because Fik'iri was jealous of the more benevolent gods being more popular than her, and persuaded Zinabi into letting the country be conquered by the Storm King as "punishment" for being poor worshipers.

** Common among deities and certain societies is the HolierThanThou attitudes displayed towards others for being "weaker" or not advanced/enlightened like them.
*** Most Giants (literally) look down on the "Tinies" and even see it fit to eat or enslave them for their own amusement, and even some benevolent ones tend to be racist at worst; the Cyclopes look down on those lacking intelligence, while the Nature Giants believe that ''they'' are the proper caretakers of nature since mortals are so selfish and destructive.
*** For more martial-minded races, it borders on AppealToForce, which is best embodied by Dragonkind who believe in strength while intelligence and skill is discouraged. This proves to be extremely detrimental, as Dr. Toxikon was able to easily defeat Dragon Lord Brutus, who followed the philosophy. Even Queen Tiamat is not above this, believing in Dragonkind's collective strength and ability to dominate most races. Dragon Lord Ember is one of few Dragons who do not embrace this; in fact, she got her position through intelligence and cunning as in canon.
*** This attitude is also prevalent among the Royal Changelings, most of who believe themselves to be entitled for the right to rule by virtue of being children of the Changeling Progenitors. Only ''they'' believe what's best for their subjects because they're stronger, bigger, smarter, and magically more powerful than Common Changelings. They do not tolerate dissension because they think those who reject their rule as being "ungrateful" for refusing their ruler's love and protection, and will do anything to assimilate them back into mainstream society. Even though the Spring Court doesn't partake in brutal methods like the Summer Court, who treats the incidents like mere conquests, the fact that the Changeling Queens are willing to use underhanded tactics to make their wayward subjects see their way shows what kind of people they are.
*** The Elternteil Deer deities' superior and patronizing attitude was what largely caused their pantheon to splinter, and directly caused the birth of the Bogolenya pantheon. High King Irminsul tried purging his then-unborn child of his inner evil after his wife, High Queen Arvan, got pregnant with another son, which backfired when it resulted in Belyolen and Temnobog being born. Disgusted by Temnobog's presence and fearing he would "taint" their benevolence, everyone saw fit to emotionally abuse him and treat the dark fawn like Belyolen's evil cast-off, when he hadn't even done anything to warrant it. Belyolen was the only one who accepted Temnobog as kin at the time, but he was always prevented from even seeing his brother for fear his inner goodness will be corrupted. This left Temnobog with a multitude of issues that are still unresolved, a grudge against Belyolen that eventually cooled off, and an even deeper grudge against his father, Irminsul, who caused the entire situation to begin with. Both Belyolen and Luminiferous would also call out Irminsul on his abusive hypocrisy and enforcing his twisted ideas of perfection onto his children, respectively.

* CoolVersusAwesome: Many, many examples:
** While the conflicts between Malrègnar and Vertusia have this by default, their Grand Fleetmasters deserve special mention: a CaptainErsatz of [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Jean-Luc Picard]] vs one of [[Characters/StarWarsClassicEra Grand Admiral Thrawn]].

* CreateYourOwnVillain:
** [[OmnicidalManiac King Xestobium]], [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Princess Apterus]], and [[MadScientist Dr. Toxikon]] would go on a rampage against the Dragons and Changelings... and were born entirely as a result of the eons-old grudge between the two species. This would prompt Thorax and Ember to choose to forgive the divine leaders of Changelingkind and Dragonkind, as they rightly believed doing anything but that would only perpetuate the cycle of racism, violence and death, and at this point they were both sick of it.
** Queen Eclaira wouldn't have become the goddess she is today if her foalhood kingdom actually looked past her mediocre looks and loved her for who she is. Instead, they scorned and abused her for being 'ugly' by their standards, turning her into an utterly miserable foal who eventually gained the desire to become the FairestOfThemAll. And for their mistreatment of Eclaira, [[LaserGuidedKarma they would become the first among the many a vengeful Eclaira would devour to sate her own ravenous hunger and vanity]].

** [[DontFearTheReaper Moon Ray Vaughoof]], the [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed expy]] of Music/StevieRayVaughan, is one. Moon Ray is humble, merciful, intelligent, and forgiving stallion, with talents in both music and art. But an abusive foalhood left him with numerous issues such as [[HotBlooded anger problems]], [[SirSwearsALot swearing habits]], and a crippling fear of his [[AbusiveParents violent drunkard father]]. He also became an addict for a time, and was very [[HumbleHero humble]] to the point of veering into HeroicSelfDeprecation. After suddenly dying in a helicopter accident, Moon Ray became obsessed with the GloryDays of his past to the point of shirking his Reaper duties and ignoring everything/everyone else. And by Moon Ray's own admission, he took certain things for granted, like the BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil and his ability to steer himself and others away from bad influences. Much of his development arc involves acknowledging (and overcoming) his flaws and traumas, while learning the importance of forgiveness and letting go. It ends when Moon Ray realizes the cyclic nature of the world and reconciles with his long-repressed Prophecy domain, which is the final nail in a series of events that causes him to permanently transform into an [[EldritchAbomination eldritch deity]].

* CulturedBadass: Queen Acanthosomastidae, known as "the Cavalier Queen". On top of being one of the best warriors among the Changeling Queens, she's also among the greatest patrons of Changeling art and high culture, having authored, painted and directed many works of literature, artwork and theatrical productions. Unsurprising, considering who [[Theatre/{{Tannhaeuser}} her father]] is an {{Expy}} of.

* DeathBeforeDishonor: Spoke word for word in a Drabble by a Centaur khanate which refused to advance socially and technology due to viewing any such progress as a violation of their 'honourable' culture, and when it bit them in their equine flanks and left them vulnerable to a Clovenist invasion, the khan and his last warriors made a final charge to the Clovenists forces rather than surrender to them or to progress. The Clovenists unceremoniously wiped them out with pneumatic-catapult fire and Blastfire artillery before they even reached the 100 meters mark.

** EmotionalSuppression and refusal to treat trauma or other mental and emotional issues will only result in more suffering and pain down the line.

* DontFearTheReaper:

** This also applies to the Trimortidae, the adoptive/biological children of the Three Deaths. Many of them are very benevolent, compassionate, and heroic. Their roles either consist of comforting the dying by bringing them joy in their last moments, delivering them to their eternal reward for good deeds, and/or punishing the wicked for their crimes. They also serve as protectors who defend the deceased from those who seek to resurrect them against their will, and/or wicked souls and demonic forces who prey on the innocent. However, it's implied there are exceptions, as one member of the Trimortidae joined the [[KnightTemplar Poenan Pantheon]] out of disillusionment towards the Three Deaths and her family's duties.