'1356'
Chapter 10: The Chivalric Six
Although she sees that the war is not going in her favor, Princess Celestia saw another problem that she has been informed of. Her finest knights are in the Order of the Golden Dawn. What makes the knights special is that not only are they all mares, but they come from bloodlines that go back centuries before Princess Celestia's reign, the 'Tulparians'.
Like comparing a regular hippogriff to a mountain hippogriff, Tulparian mares or just 'Big Mares' as they are commonly called, are taller and stockier than the average mare, but not as tall as Princess Celestia. Most can be as tall as Princess Luna. When it comes to the Tulparian stallions, they are big, rugged, and strong. Big Macintosh is a good example
"Hail Princess Celestia" they said in unison as they all bowed
"Rise my fair knights" said the Princess of the Sun "so what you are bringing to my attention is that the commanders I have sent to the north to quell the rebellion are turning a blind eye to what the soldiers and knights are doing to the civilian griffon and hippogriff-folk?" her mare-knights made a unison nod "I won't tolerate the actions of such ponies"
"These ponies have been running amuck in the Chefalien Lands and the Griffonlands since the war began, and their actions have been getting more despicable in recent weeks" said a mare-knight named Sweet Vanilla. Her fur color is golden brown like fresh cake out of the oven. She has blond curly locks and her cutie mark is the vanilla orchid blossom.
"What Lady Sweet Vanilla says is true" said Lady Croix-De-Guerre, a 'Big Mare' unicorn with a pelt the color of 'tea with milk' with a silver and white mane and tail in a 'Rainbow Dash' style. Her cutie mark is two crossed swords in the background of a flying white dove carrying an olive branch in it's beak "the ponies pillage and plunder innocent villages"
"And laugh as a village burns to the ground" added Sweet Vanilla
"And all because they are not ponies" said Croix-De-Guerre
"My question to you all is what is the plan of action?" asked Princess Celestia
"We will assist the rebels in defending their villages from these raiders while avoiding open battle, but we will fight if necessary" said Valiant Charge, the other 'Big Mare' unicorn with a pelt the same color as Croix-De-Guerre's, but has a milk chocolate mane and tail in the same style as her fellow unicorn "we don't war against you, we fight in your name"
"It saddens me to know that these ponies are committing such atrocities on civilians, and it angers me that they think they can get away with it just because they are ponies" said Princess Celestia sadly "what I can gather from your explanations is that these ponies attack while the male griffons go off to fight, so the griffons will have no home to return to"
"The other thing of positive note is that those griffon and mountain hippogriff villagers that we protect trust us with their lives, so there are those out there that know there are good ponies, and we strive to be the good ponies" said Lady Buena Vista, an earth pony similar to Sweet Vanilla, but with black curly locks and a cutie mark of an ocean sunrise.
"I see that can help in convincing the rebel leaders" said Celestia
"It is as Lady Buena Vista says, they have faith in us" said Gray Ghost
"And we have made friends with the villagers we help in defending" said Flash Blade
Gray Ghost and Flash Blade are the two pegasi knights in the Order. She has a light grey pelt with a silver-white pixie cut mane while Flash Blade has the rich tan pelt. She has blue eyes like Sweet Vanilla compared to her comrades whom have brown eyes in the case of Valiant Charge and Buena Vista or gray eyes for Croix-De-Guerre and Flash Blade.
A few traits of the Tulparians are that they tend to have earthy colored pelts. While not 'Rainbow Dash' fast, Tulparian Pegasi are quite swift on their slightly bigger-than-average wings. When their mares walk or gallop, they are more 'wiggly' than the average mare, but there is muscle in the big flanks. Such traits are testament to their ancient bloodlines
A knight of the Order of the Golden Dawn wears full plate armor with a brass trim, a tunic-length chainmail hauberk, leather and chainmail leggings, and a blue surcoat with a gold sun in the middle. At their side is a 2.8lbs hoof-and-a-half sword. It has an overall length of 42.5in with a 34.1in and 2in wide blade and a graceful and slightly curved 6in guard
"To that, I happily grant you all my support and my blessing" said Celestia
"We will not fail you" vowed Flash Blade on behalf of their knightly order
"One other thing before you leave, do your best to avoid the battlefield, but you may do so when you feel it is necessary, now go my finest and bravest knights" said Celestia to conclude the meeting. The six mare-knights bowed to the Princess of the Sun. Their armor clinked and rattled lightly as they left the palace in Canterlot to go their own ways
A knight of the Order of the Golden Dawn can also be recognized by their butted chainmail coif with brass edges on the aventail "The rebel leaders will listen to us, I know they will" said Valiant Charge "you defend the village, if the village falls, protect the villagers" she asked of Croix-De-Guerre, there was one villager that will change her life forever
(Author Note: their swords are modeled after the 'Custom Hand-and-a-Half Sword' on Arms-n-Armor)