Being an accounting of the recent and continuing pandemic and its various circumstances, from the perspective of an inhabitant of the regions lately called the Lost Quarter. Dates unknown.

Day Thirty Two

There are so many questions about the grippe reborn and how we are to stop his infernal designs, and so many conflicting answers that I thought it might be useful to collect what is actually known here for the benefit of all. Above all in this time of dismay, we must not surrender to rumour and doubt, for that is what allows the dread lord to flourish. To ensure we do not we need facts, for they shine a light into the darkest places.

How does the dread lord invade unseen?

The dread lord undoubtedly has terrible powers, but he is not omnipotent by any means. Despite his considerable magic, he ultimately requires human allies to see his deeds done. We are his means of ingress into our cities and towns, we are his path into every home and workplace. He will appear in many guises, in one place a besuited businessman riding the train, in another an elderly woman sitting upon a park bench with an inviting smile, and in another a child riding upon a tricycle calling for other children to come play. His faces are so numerous because he has none. All are inviting and all will ensnare many under his spell, allowing him entry through any door.

What can we do to counteract the dread lord’s spells?

Just because the dread lord can insinuate himself everywhere does not mean we are powerless against him. The truth is he needs allies for his dark magic to poison us, otherwise his spells are just mere words that wither and fall silent on the wind. We are his minions, his pathetic servants, whether we realize it or not. Beware particularly those who dismiss his powers entirely, who think that he will pass like a summer rain shower, for they have been seduced and have given themselves over to him completely. We must not give him followers, for like any flame, his magic requires fuel. Denied it his spells sputter and die out.

How does the quarantine and seclusion thwart his infernal desires?

Because any one of us might be unwitting allies of the dread lord, a quarantine is the only way to be certain that we have not been seduced by his magic. While one practices this manner of seclusion, there is no chance of a stranger arriving in your midst without notice. Even if he somehow appears before me and I am poisoned, if I am properly quarantined I shall not carry the spell to others. And that is why we must live as anchorets for the time being and for as long as it takes.

Do we need to embalm our souls in lye?

No, this is not recommended. Nor should you leave the dead for the crows to harvest upon, for the grippe has been known to recruit many fowl allies.

Is the dread lord truly immortal? Can he be defeated?

The dread lord is not immortal, not as we imagine such things anyway. He lives and dies, but his power never truly goes away, and so he can be reborn. It is impossible to say when such a rebirth might occur, but we must understand now that even once he is defeated again – and we shall defeat him – the seeds of his return will be sowed.