Fairy Road Authority quarantines Harmless?

The Fairy Road Authority appreciate the efforts of Harmless? in trying to contain the plague. However, although the cleverness of their abbreviative leadership is laudable, their findings contradict conventional wisdom and seem to be quite unfounded. It is obviously difficult to build a research organisation from scratch in a short period of time and such mistakes are only to be expected. It is a good ambition, however, and we appreciate that turn of events.

On a more serious note, apparently the rumour of successful treatment of a few afflicted refugees has spread to the populace of Harmlosia, and crowds of desperate people of a multitude of professions have been crowding the Fairy Roads disaster relief planning office (FRDRPO) in Willowglade, Norweld, offering to aid in the campaign against the plague and requesting asylum from what they describe as a “terribly dangerous situation back home”. Because many of the occupations represented were quite unconstructive and even directly harmful(!) to society at large and the host town in particular, quite a few individuals have been directed to make-shift shelters in rural areas where they undergo re-educational programs. Indeed, some have already started out as freehold cotters and farmers in the general vicinity of Willowglade, the majority unfortunately without pledging allegiance to the town that selflessly helped them. Also, as can be seen by the growth rate of surrounding towns, quite a few have also found new homes in un-afflicted neighbour communities. So far, to reduce the risk of contamination of those towns, the small disinfection team of the essentially administrative facility in Willowglade has been increased dramatically by volunteers from other establishments in the town. Unfortunately, this combined with the general difficulty of handling such large numbers of refugees have dangerously decreased the population working in traditional trades in the town. The Willowglade department of health and safety has expressed serious concern that not enough staff remains at our hospitals, overfilled as they are with malnourished and weakened travellers from virtually all of Fenrisulvens, as well as several other kingdoms within the H? alliance that have failed to heed the quarantine.

Since direct communication with Harmless? officers have been largely futile and as in this case sometimes quite counterproductive, we hereby plead to all literate persons among the Harmlosian population: Please explain to your neighbours and townsmen that they must not leave your hometown! Direct them also to follow the pictorial instructions on the fertiliser and disinfection packages that are being sent to selected Harmless? towns by courtesy of the Fairy Road Authority. We realise that it is difficult to get through with sufficiently detailed instructions to such an undereducated and desperately malnourished population now also in the vicious grasp of a devastating plague, but for humanitarian reasons we must make that effort. It is easy to understand the desperation of these poor Harmlosians but although we want to do our utmost in support of any serious effort to counter the plague, we just cannot handle such large influx of refugees. Please do NOT travel to Fairy Road towns!

And finally, a plea to the general populace of Elgea: Do help contain the plague to Harmlosian soil. The plague instances we have observed so far is mainly caused by inferior soil over-fertilised by Trove fertiliser, although the malnutrition that followed has also caused outbreak of other illnesses. Do help contain the plague by isolating Harmless? communities. Trade is, as pointed out, always dangerous, but we need to support by sending fresh Trove-free soil to the towns.

The spreading of the plague has been slowed by valiant effort of a large number of volunteers, and although the plague seem to have spread to some of Harmless? confederate alliances that were not taking appropriate measures, containment efforts have been essentially successful. There is thus no need for the Elgean populace at large to panic and the risk of contamination is small, as long as the appropriate preventive measures are followed as instructed. To reiterate, pursuant to section 11 of the Bees Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.6 (hereinafter "the Act") and the power delegated to me by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, I hereby declare the quarantine area still being the entire Harmless? alliance. In addition, caution must be observed when interacting with members of alliances closely affiliated with Harmless? because they have apparently often been somewhat lax in observing preventive measures. Still, standard pyromagical disinfection procedures should be sufficient in such occasions.

Odd, Chief Road Coordinator