While some were strengthened, others were weakened. The Commune, for example, was the single largest colony present in the city. The downside of breaking down familial loyalties was that the second the single leader showed weakness, defection was very likely. After all, what loyalty do they have to you beyond your own charisma? Individuals fled the Commune in droves after the embarrassment of its petty ruler who fled the palace in a hurry and humiliated himself in his craven antics, reducing the colony by over half of its changelings.