Army MGF; Brooed up Storm Bulls

From: James Frusetta <gerakkag_at_wam.umd.edu>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 23:01:05 -0500 (EST)

Ran across an amusing RW history bit that could be used in Glorantha, most likely with the Lunars:

The Austro-Hungarian army had a *lot* of different units raised from different areas and composed of different nationalities. Even into the 20th century, many regiments had certain unique rights. These included:

• The 8th Bohemian Dragoons, which were entitled to march unannounced across the grounds of the Imperial Palace once per year.
• The 14th Bohemian Dragoons, which were allowed to be clean shaven. All other Dragoons *must* have a mustache (before 1869).
• The 28th Bohemian Infantry commissioned only blond officers.
• Officers in the 7th Carl Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein Chevaux-legers were required to grow beards.
• Some Hungarian units were required to carry the war-axe and mace as personal weapons, into the 19th century.

Just examples! There were many more oddities, which suggest similar MGF ideas for large, multicultural Gloranthan armies like that of the Lunars. What unit of the Heartland Corps *wouldn't*, say, want the right to pick posies in the Emperor's Own Garden each spring? The right to replace their helmets with strange and bizarre ethnic haberdashery? Or the right to give the Crimson Bat a pet on the head once a year?

Actual examples for game play would probably be more serious, of course. Add a bit of spice to those Lunar legions.

**
On another note: if I were a Praxian and had a few Broos handy, I could rationalize using them in war. Not give them weapons, no, the untrustworthy goats. Just release 'em in front of the enemy army before an engagement, and hope they run off and draw all the Storm Bulls from the other tribe. Now, I still have to somehow fool _my_ tribe's Storm Bulls, but useful if, say, I'm an Impala tribe chief fighting the Bison or Rhino riders. Heh, heh, heh.

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