Badges and ribbons · 11:36pm Feb 7th, 2019
For my stories Courtesy Call and Virga I created orders of chivalry or merit presided over by Celestia and Luna—the Order of the Golden Sun and the Order of the Silver Moon, respectively. Induction is solely at the presiding princess’s discretion, and generally but not always is awarded for conspicuous courage or gallantry. A large cloisonné badge is worn on a ribbon around the neck to display membership; since ponies may or may not wear clothing, the badge is not pinned to a garment as it might be in the real world, and there is a wide latitude in exactly how the ribbon can be worn. The induction of Rose Brass, a military officer from the other side of the portal, into the OGS made it necessary for the Army Institute of Heraldry to design ribbons for wear on undress service uniform, since as yet Equestria hasn’t developed the custom of ribbons on uniform.
They're beautiful, but I can't help but think that the higher ranks of the Order of the Golden Sun look like Celestia-themed poker chips.
5009696
I predict that that's how they started. But all it takes is one drunken poker night, when all one has left to bet with is the promise of a knighthood...
Is it for military service members only?
Because if it's open to anypony you'd think all of the Mane 6 would be Grand Cordons in both orders by now.
If saving all of Equestria 7+ times, and with the exception of Twilight while technically being civilians subject to no orders, oaths or duties to compel them to risk their lives against mad gods and worse doesn't warrant the highest awards in the land, what does?
5009701
You could argue the giant magic rocks from the generally benevolent eldritch horror tree supersede them.
Alternately, none of them seem the type to flaunt them except Dash, and they're not related to the Wonderbolts so that's out. Applejack in particular seems like the type to have a box in the attic somewhere full of family medals/patents of nobility/etc.
Twilight's are all serving as bookmarks.
5009696
Or maybe A.P.O.N.I. is right. . . .
5009700
I hadn’t thought of that, but of course the design probably pre-dates poker chips. Or maybe, in Equestria, that’s what inspired the design of poker chips.
5009701
No, membership is not restricted to the military—Cook was inducted into the OSM. It may or may not include a knighthood. If it does, the member is a knight or dame [rank name] of an order of chivalry. If it does not, it is an honorary membership, and the member is simply a [rank name] of an order of merit.
5009707
A Wonderbolt would be eligible for induction to either order, in much the same way a British military officer could be knighted or elevated to an order of merit. I also have the vague idea the Mane Six would have been, at least during the early seasons, minors (if only just, perhaps) and ineligible on that basis. But I absolutely like your take on it!
5009707
The magic rocks aren't awards they're weapons. They're also back on the tree and aren't available to be worn to formal occasions.
5009753
They're still neck slot items. Well, five of six.
CMG: Companion of the Meritorious Garter ("Call Me God")
KCMG: Knight-Companion of the Meritorious Garter ("Kindly Call Me God")
GCMG: Grand Companion of the Meritorious Garter ("God Calls Me God")
--Yes, Minister