Changeling
The Changelings were shapeshifting humanoids native ot the Gamma Quadrant and were the mysterious rulers behind The Dominion.
In 2369 the Federation discovered a wormhole near Bajor that linked the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants. Initially the Changeling decided to hold back and observe however in 2370 they ordered the Jem'Hadar to attack and declared the Gamma Quadrant was closed to the Alpha Quadrant and a cold war began. While seemingly at peace, Changeling infiltrators made their way into the Alpha Quadrant where they began replacing key figures in Federation, Romulan, and Klingon governments leading to increased tensions among the Alpha and Beta Quadrant governments. In 2373 the Dominion War broke out with a surprise invasion of Deep Space 9. Despite initial successes and a variety of gains and losses, in the end the seeds for the end of the war had been set years earlier. Odo, a Changeling that worked on Deep Space 9, had been infected with a virus by Section 31 which he unknowingly transmitted to the rest of the Changelings. By 2375 the disease had ravaged their kind but Starfleet came up with a cure which they also passed along to the Changelings. In 2375 the Treaty of Bajor was signed and Odo rejoined the Changelings to guide them into being more benevolent leaders. Some Changelings rejected this peace and these rogue operatives conintued to wage war on the Alpha Quadrant powers.
It is unknown how Changelings can gain the energy and mass necessary for some of their transformations. Some theories state that they have an inherent connection with subspace and "feed" off of subspace energy and can even access a pocket dimension to store and withdraw additional mass during their transformations. Changelings had the ability to meld together when in their liquid state and many of them became part of "The Great Link", a pool of hundreds of Changelings where their minds and memories would intermingle creating a quasi-hive mind.
History
Early attempts by the Changelings to explore space ended poorly as the "solid" lifeforms they discovered reacted poorly to them, treating them as monsters or evil spirits. According to Changeling lore they were hunted, beaten, and killed by the solids they met. Around the year 300 they decided to "guide" the solids into creating a more hospitable galaxy for the Changelings and began manipulating the surrounding species both politically and genetically to create The Dominion with them as the secretive and mythical Founders. Using the Vorta and Jem'Hadar for diplomacy and military purposes respectively. The Dominion grew and over hundreds of years dominated the Gamma Quadrant with most species pledging at least some servitude to the Founders even though the vast majority had no idea who they were actually serving. Meanwhile the Changelings continued to explore and sent a hundred infant Changelings to distant reaches of space to explore and eventually make their way home to share their experiences.In 2369 the Federation discovered a wormhole near Bajor that linked the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants. Initially the Changeling decided to hold back and observe however in 2370 they ordered the Jem'Hadar to attack and declared the Gamma Quadrant was closed to the Alpha Quadrant and a cold war began. While seemingly at peace, Changeling infiltrators made their way into the Alpha Quadrant where they began replacing key figures in Federation, Romulan, and Klingon governments leading to increased tensions among the Alpha and Beta Quadrant governments. In 2373 the Dominion War broke out with a surprise invasion of Deep Space 9. Despite initial successes and a variety of gains and losses, in the end the seeds for the end of the war had been set years earlier. Odo, a Changeling that worked on Deep Space 9, had been infected with a virus by Section 31 which he unknowingly transmitted to the rest of the Changelings. By 2375 the disease had ravaged their kind but Starfleet came up with a cure which they also passed along to the Changelings. In 2375 the Treaty of Bajor was signed and Odo rejoined the Changelings to guide them into being more benevolent leaders. Some Changelings rejected this peace and these rogue operatives conintued to wage war on the Alpha Quadrant powers.
Biology
The natural form of a Changeling was an orange viscous liquid that had the ability to change and hold shapes that they observe. This process takes time and Changelings need to practice new shapes. Some Changelings struggled to create perfect copies but others, like the infiltrators tasked with destabilizing the quadrant, were able to become perfect physical replicas of their targets. Their ability to replicate matter could become so precise that they could replicate small devices like combadges and make them functional. Because of the morphogenic matrixes even Starfleet sensors could not detect a disguised Changeling. Changelings didi not sleep but every sixteen to eighteen hours they needed to return to a liquid state to "rest". If they didn't it would cause physical distress and eventually cause their form to deteriotate and flake away.It is unknown how Changelings can gain the energy and mass necessary for some of their transformations. Some theories state that they have an inherent connection with subspace and "feed" off of subspace energy and can even access a pocket dimension to store and withdraw additional mass during their transformations. Changelings had the ability to meld together when in their liquid state and many of them became part of "The Great Link", a pool of hundreds of Changelings where their minds and memories would intermingle creating a quasi-hive mind.
