The Equestrian Ghoul (Tentative title) [It almost feels a waste, developing this concept for a fat fetish purpose, but it could be repurposed. I'm also iffy on merging something with an obvious basis in a non-fetish anime/manga series I like with fat stuff, as if that's any different from taking the concept of pony that I like and building an entire obesity AU around it.] The Ghoul is a difficult to detect creature. Much like a changeling, they can hide their true form and pass as an everyday pony. Unlike a changeling, the only form they can take is that of a pony, and they have no control over their pony form’s base appearance. Coat and mane color and cutie mark are unique, seemingly determined the same way any normal pony’s is determined. To date, the only known occurrences of two ponies with the same cutie mark and other physical features have come from changeling impostors unwittingly masquerading as a ghoul. Without dropping their disguise, a ghoul cannot be discerned from a standard pony by any known means, magic-inclusive, by any non-ghoul entity. The only exception is that a ghoul can detect a fellow ghoul. That is, of course, with the obvious exception: Getting caught in the act. A ghoul’s diet differs only in that they are omnivorous. As a separate species, their compatibility with meat ingestion extends to ponies being valid consumption targets. A trained ghoul will know not to eat meat in the presence of any non-ghoul. When a ghoul is revealed, the following signs are visible: • Eyes have a black sclera, reptilian slit pupils, an a bloody crimson with fire-orange highlights color to the lens • Eyes glow – not bright enough to act as a light source, but enough to be visible in pitch black darkness • Black veiny markings branching out from the eyes, extending up the forehead and down the cheeks • Additional appendages extend from the center of the back, generally taking the form of tendrils. These tendrils can extend a considerable distance • Tendrils vary: some are razor-sharp and able to cut through anything, some are blunt and rely on brute force instead • Tendrils have the ability to absorb and expel various materials • Coat and mane colors darken Ghouls additionally have powers that can be used against other creatures: • Ability to enthrall a sufficiently mentally unprotected subject • Ability to influence those protected enough to be immune to enthrallment, including forcibly erasing the memory of a certain period of time • Enhanced digestion speed • Ingestion of meat can be used to rapidly trigger cell regeneration, repairing and replacing any damaged or lost body parts and other injuries • Extended lifespan • Increased durability and wound healing speed/efficiency • Ability to create doppelgangers – Rare ability from high level Ghouls, requires ingesting the entirety of a creature in order to absorb their entire essence as material for creating the doppelganger • Ability to eat a living being whole, which triggers a temporary stomach capacity and digestion speed increase A ghoul is not compelled to, nor required to, indulge in their ability to ingest meat. It is entirely possible for a ghoul to live as a normal pony with no knowledge of being a ghoul. At least one parent must be a ghoul for any offspring to be a ghoul. Ghoul genes are dominant, meaning any and all offspring a ghoul has is also a ghoul. A majority of the population could potentially be ghouls, as all it takes is one ghoul parent having an interest in a non-ghoul pony to ensure all of their foals are born as ghouls. There is no real benefit to being a full-blood ghoul born of two ghoul parents, though some portions of the ghoul community see being full-blooded as a source of pride and makes one superior to others. The total population is impossible to discern, as many do not even know they are ghouls, and those unaware will not recognize that they are detecting a fellow ghoul. They will simply, through ignorance of their state, believe they have found a compatible friend. There is currently no known way for one to become a ghoul. One is a ghoul from birth. As a result of the secrecy of ghoul society, there is very little chance of experimentation occurring. Fewer still are those who would even consider an experiment. Surely, not one ghoul has considered implanting the organs of a ghoul into the body of a pony to see what happens. Ghouls that fashion themselves as more “civilized” will, when ingesting a full being, absorb them through their tendrils. Absorbing an entire being is a prerequisite for doppelganger generation, and provides massively increased intensity of all effects meat ingestion provides. Full-ingestion is nearly impossible to hide. Whether tendril-absorbed or traditionally eaten, the distention of the belly is as large as the ingested being was. Even with very rapid digestion taking care of the belly distention, the calorie count is high, which leads to visibly significant weight gain. However, a ghoul with adequate skill and training can mitigate this by ingesting the target, reaping the benefits (e.g. doppelganger essence, healing), and using the same tendrils to transfer the lipid material to a thrall. The availability of this ability is limited and must be done within minutes of ingestion, otherwise the fat is as permanent as normally-acquired body fat. Ingestion and absorption have their limits. Valid targets are not limited to ponies or pony-adjacent species, but a ghoul will not be able to fully ingest or absorb something exceptionally large, such as a full-sized dragon. Like any other form of eating, the body will stop when capacity is reached. One foolish enough to try surpassing their limits may be able to press on further, and may be able to finish off a target if there was little left, with the worst effects being pain and an extended stomach capacity. There is much greater risk of rupture, which can be fatal even with advanced wound healing. A doppelganger, created by a sufficiently high level ghoul, is nearly a perfect replacement. There will be signs that things are not as they appear with a doppelganger, but none that point specifically to being an artificial being created by a ghoul. They are fully organic with all physical components and abilities of the original, and can reproduce. A doppelganger has no soul, and may exhibit odd behavior and mannerisms. The ghoul that created them may have implemented changes in them, e.g. making a teacher that was harsh to their child become supportive of the child instead. Someone who knows the replaced person well enough may be able to discern that the doppelganger is not who they are masquerading as, but will not be able to out them as a ghoul’s doppelganger without extensive knowledge of ghouls. Very few know of ghouls as a rumor, a ghost story of sorts. Even fewer know of them being real entities. Extensive steps are taken to cover up their existence. Those who know of ghouls are generally either enthralled, manipulated to lack any memory related to ghouls, or disposed of in some manner. The following is largely relevant only to Fatquestria: With a nearly 100% obesity rate and commonality of significant weight gain in short periods of time, a ghoul can hide full-ingestion much more easily. At the same time, the targets of a full-ingestion are considerably larger and their impacts on a ghoul’s size are equally increased. Ghouls can most easily blend in among the wealthier castes, known for being on the heavier side. Something something the creative juices died once I got to this point. Just kind of assume things are expanded in scale here.