Illness & Joy & Burrows & Badgers

Observant readers may have noticed that I haven’t exactly been prolific of late. In part this is down to working on pieces that haven’t yet seen the light of day and engaging in the frantic underwater paddling that keeps Rascal gracefully gliding across the surface like a swan. Much of it, however, is because I’ve been ill. I’m basically a bunch of chronic health conditions wrapped in some sort of musty wizard robe. Usually I can get by, but every now and then, particularly malevolent stars align and everything flares up at once, which is what I’ve been dealing with for the past couple of weeks.

Even at the best of times, it makes tabletop gaming tricky. RPGs and wargames are generally social activities and it’s hard to be social when you’re often housebound. My partner enjoys playing games, I have a local friend who will pop over to push some toy soldiers around when I can’t get out, and I’ve been playing RPGs with an online group for years, but there are still times when I’ve not had enough sleep to function or when brain fog and fatigue descend. Writing under these conditions, whether for business or pleasure, is definitely out.

While chatting with the other Rascals about my recent difficulties (they are, of course, almost sickeningly supportive and generally lovely), Rowan said something that stuck with me: “Write about shit you like! It'll probably be easier to get to the page if it's literally just pure joy.” I like the phrase “pure joy”. It’s something we all need, especially now. I sat with it for a while. Where do I find my pure joy in tabletop gaming? It didn’t take me long to realise that it’s a little game called Burrows & Badgers.