Mystara at War: The Propaganda War

The forces of the Master had taken the Darokin city of Akesoli in a day and there had been no warning. Their forces overwhealming. The populace fleeing on the boats in Akesoli's port. Now the real war began. A war to convince the nations of the Known World to rise to the challenge.

"Did you hear? They fed the halflings of Akesoli to their humanoid troops. Skewered them on long spears and cooked them by the dozen over bonfires while the city burned."

Why would the folk of Karameikos or the Dwarves of Rockhome even care what is happening on the far edge of Darokin?

"Let the merchants of Darokin take care of it. They have money to hire mercenaries."

These are not one Nation under God...they are very different people separated by hundreds of miles and months of Travel. By the time the Characters reach Karameikos to warn Duke Stephan the Cities and Forts of Western Darokin will be over-run. The Allies of the Master will pour from the Broken Lands long before anyone realizes the Orcs are allied to the Master.

"Defend Darokin? All troops are headed north to halt the Humanoid Advance down the Streel Plain. Darokin will fall undefended. The Republic will be occupied in three months. Defend Darokin? We need to leave...now. I hear Alphatia is nice this time of year."

While Propaganda in a magic using world would involve crystal balls to provide real-time Access to proof of intelligence, most will not stand in a cue to look at halfings being roasted. It would take the big screen TV or cinema equivelent to encourage that kind of personal sacrifice.

It took six months by ship for word of the American Civil War to reach Australia. The propaganda in local newspapers expressed outrage at Lincon's actions.

A Mirror or Pool of Scrying large enough to 'educate and inform' large numbers is required. Otherwise it will take overwhelming numbers of Refugees to cause the distress and panic in the populace and government that recruiting an army requires and the prospect of half of the Republic of Darokin pouring through the mountain pass at Dukes Road Keep would be a shock to the system.

Counter information from the Allies of the Master will create panic simply by using real intelligence. Imagine a disguised Bargle or other showing Traladarans the sight of Thyatian Troops marching on Karameikos and suggesting they are comming to occupy Karameikos and raising Traladaran Troops to hit them from Dymrak Forest. Delay them long enough for the Duke to realize that the real enemy is east not west. The sight of Traladarans massacred by Thyatian Allies will add to the counter propaganda.

In the aftermath the surviving populace will hate whoever they were told to hate. The bigotry of future generations sewn.