Diary of Pip Rippon

Back to work in the off-world, but most folk are still on their holidays, so no great stress. Got out for a wander, but all the bars are closed, so didn't speak to anyone. As seems to be customary at this time of year -- based upon last year at least -- Van has gone awol.

The days drag on and on, and no-one is around. Did get into my favourite bar on the Middlewood road, but didn't stay long since this is the dead zone and I have things to do and people to see.

Got out for a decent stretch with Shad, and did a circular of Boggard lane and Wadsley common.

There is definitely a boggart who lives on that lane -- which doesn't really come as a surprise -- Boggard, boggart, it's a bit too close a coincidence. It seems to be centred around the building know as the Asplands. It was probably their resident hob, more of a useful type of spirit than a malevolent one.

Have I seen it? Yes. We were walking down the lane around gloaming and it was hiding in the shadows. Shad was spooked to the point of snarling, but the little thing shuffled off posthaste, so there was no time for anything other than a sighting out of the corner of my eye -- I didn't even get a shot off from my psycmask -- a psycmask can take images as directed by the eyes, but as with a mobile phone like you have in the off-world, you need to be quick!

Been in the off-world for what seems like an age, and not been able to visit Hellsborough at all, but today managed to get myself out for a bit -- down the Middlewood road, past the fossil tree, then up over Wadsley common, and back down into the Loxley valley. Nothing to report, other than the squall -- which, whilst always threatening, never happened -- and the view from the back of the common was the best that I have seen this year. Always love that view. Back in the bar on the Middlewood road, met a crosslander by the name of Hagg.

The wailing wall of Worrall road. There is an ancient wall alongside Worrall road which Shad, of all beasts, refuses to walk next to. I have been pondering for a while why that might be. It occurred to me that if I wear a psycmask and subject myself to the hive mind, and as Shad is a Barghest and dweller of the murk, who also has access to the hive mind, then we should be able to communicate in some way -- which is better than our current method of communication, which is nothing at all, other than me believing that when I have said something that he has understood. I think it's possible, I'm going to work on that idea, I believe we should be able to have shared images.

A cold and frosty day, with the lightness of the murk affording an excellent view of a snow capped Stanedge as I headed out towards the Rivelin rough, destination the Rivelin needle. Once in the rough, Shad goes a little bit crazy; he seems to love it there, chasing about back and forth, following the trails, barking like a mad one, even howling, such is his enjoyment. The needle itself seems to materialise from nowhere, emerging from the brown bracken and the straight spindly silver birch limbs, that are covered in bright green moss, like fur -- it glowers back at me from its retinue of discarded rocks like a malevolent totem. After that, passed the Rivelin reservoirs only to become lost and disorientated in Fox Hagg and find my way unpassable due the the level of the water flooding down the river. Eventually back onto the road, but then we still got our feet wet again traversing the river at another point. All in all, glad to be back at the bars on the Middlewood road for a quiet couple of pints and a bit of warmth.