A Walker's Guide to Forgotten Paths
Forgotten paths in this context are not just those that have merely been abandoned through lack of use. They are those that are more hidden than lost. Paths which don’t just connect one place to another, but pass to and through this world to another. Perhaps several others.
This guide helps new members of the Society to spot the signs, and advises on what to take and what to expect.
Always remember; being somewhere slightly odd is not necessarily the same as being in danger. But it might be.
So use this guide carefully. Follow it, and any path you may find, at your peril. And if it goes missing, assume it has work to do elsewhere.
How to find a forgotten path
Try walking alone, and try to stay curious, light of thought; although walking with a heavy heart has also been an effective way to find them. Melancholy can work well.
Walk without a map. You won't find these paths on maps. Maps imply rationality and order and these paths respect neither. At best they are a distraction.
Whistling or humming a tune you haven’t thought about since childhood can be a way to find the right mood. If you can remember any.
Being just lost enough to no longer care is perfect. Indifference is your friend.
Walk at dawn or dusk, when thin spots are at their thinnest, and sometimes something leaks through. Which sounds a bit messy, but it's often just weird.
Signs you’re near
The signs are rarely dramatic. They are subtle enough to miss if you are trying too hard.
You may notice the wind change direction suddenly, as though someone has opened a window.
Birds gather and then vanish.
Thistles or other wildflowers appear along a path in groups of three, spaced with what seems like deliberate care.
Sound behaves strangely. Voices echo slightly. You may hear running water but there's no stream, or the sound of bells.
Sometimes, you will notice small things out of place, or perfectly placed. For example: a single apple lying at the base of a tree, or by a gap in a hedge. Don't pick it up or eat it. It's not for you.
Apples, or other out of place items, mark thresholds. Things like a single glove, a key, a coin; mushrooms in a ring, or feathers arranged in a pattern; an upside down cup.
Pay attention to temperature. If the air suddenly feels warmer or colder than the surrounding day, stop. You have found the edge of something.
Whatever the signs, they are invitations to notice, to pause, and to choose the right way.
Stand still and look around carefully. Notice what seems slightly misplaced: a stone worn smooth where no one walks, grass pressed flat, bark marked by old cuts, objects that feel arranged rather than fallen.
Such places are best understood as convergences or folds: points where different versions of the land overlap. The signs suggest that something passed through repeatedly.
Often, these marks indicate junctions with unseen, forgotten paths. The path in this world continues as the visible trail beneath your feet, others run alongside then turn away into other histories, other places. We call it the Elsewhere.
Rarely, a pub appears with a name you’ve never heard before, yet it feels oddly familiar, like a place you once waited out a storm in a dream. If it is open, you may enter. If it is closed, do not knock.
Exceptions
Do not assume every temperature shift invites passage. Sometimes it just wants to be noticed. In some cases, temperature change marks a place, not a path. Heat may linger where people once gathered, cold where things were left unfinished, unnamed, or deliberately forgotten. These are not hauntings, but residues of attention.
Time hesitates here. You may feel watched.
On tools, technology, and recording what you find
Modern technology may fail without warning. Even more so on a forgotten path.
Phones will lose signal, freeze, die.
Watches will stop or run backwards.
Cameras, if they work at all, often capture only blur, glare, or blackness. What is seen cannot be held in electronic pixels.
GPS devices fail.
Magnetic compasses are unreliable.
Instead, sketch and note what you see. Write it down while it is still fresh in your mind.
Draw without concern for your level of talent, and label generously.
If you attempt to record sound, expect silence on playback, or a noise you do not recall hearing. Rarely, you might get a scary voice saying something creepy. If so delete it and try not to worry about how it knows your name.
What to carry with you
Bring a pencil, not a pen. What you write may wish to be erased later. And pencils can be sharpened on stone.
Bring a sketchbook and a notebook, small enough to carry in your pocket. Use them/it. Record what you see and capture impressions exactly as they strike you.
Carry thread, preferably red. Use it to mark your path. It also offers some protection and connection. Tie it lightly to twigs, branches, posts, tall grasses, as you pass. Remove it when you return.
You might wish to carry a small pouch of salt. Scatter a pinch at a threshold or crossroads. Do not overdo it. This is acknowledgement, not seasoning.
Bring iron, in some form, keys often suffice, old nails are traditional. Steel will do. It will discourage unwelcome attention. Keep it on you. Keep it hidden. Its power is subtle and protective.
Apples are useful. They can be eaten, shared, or left somewhere meaningful. Do not substitute with citrus. Or bananas.
Apples are not merely fruit. They are small tokens of exchange between worlds. Leave one beneath a tree, and it may remember your presence. Offer one to a stranger or an animal you encounter, and gratitude may reward you later when you most need it. They are not just a snack, but in a pinch might serve as emergency rations.
Things not to bring
Loud voices. Forgotten paths do not respond to shouting or instructions. Do not sing unless invited to.
Dogs or other pets. Animal companions can stir the attention of things better left unseen. Also, they might chew something important.
Iron weapons. Iron itself is protective when carried subtly, but knives (beyond small practical tools) should be left at home.
Expectations. This is perhaps the hardest rule. If you arrive expecting marvels, you may see nothing at all. But disappointment is still a form of exercise.
If you meet others along the way
You may encounter people. They will be polite. They may ask questions.
Apply the Strider Test. Some may feel fair but look foul. Others may look fair but feel foul. Or, they may just look how they feel (or feel how they look). Take care to respect your feelings as well as your eyes.
Do not give your real name. Names are difficult to retrieve once offered. Do take a nickname (such as He Who Forgets the Way, or the Little Cool Guy), so you have something to offer.
Do not accept food or drink, no matter how delicious looking or kindly presented. If pressed, say you have already eaten, or that you are nearly home.
Do not ask how long they have lived here. Do not tell them where you are from (other than a vague generality like 'the Chase'). Do not correct them if they misname something you recognise.
If you are invited to sit, you may sit briefly, but keep your feet pointed toward the path. If you are invited to stay, decline gently and without explanation.
If you realise you have been walking together for some time without deciding to, stop. Let them continue first. Consider heading back.
Glossary
- Thin spot A place where the world feels insubstantial, like you could push through to the Elsewhere
- Fold Any physical or atmospheric “crease” in the world
- The Elsewhere A catch-all term for the Other World or other places one might walk into
- Drift time When a walk seems longer or shorter than it should be
- Unroute A path that cannot be followed twice the same way
- Portal or Threshold A defined gateway to the Elsewhere (more substantial than a thin spot)