Straszydlo Forest
Before reaching Dormia, Alfonso must pass through a haunted stretch of woods known as Straszydlo Forest. This legendary forest is reputed to wrap around the base of the northern Ural Mountains and surround the mythical kingdom of Dormia. The forest is supposedly inhabited by beasts known as Strazydlo, but no one has ever laid eyes on these creatures. (More on this below.) It is very dangerous to cross this forest, but those who attempt to do so, should be aware of several very important rules.
The first rule is the simplest: never, ever, ever set foot in the forest at night. The second rule is that you must always go alone. (The Straszydlo have a fear of groups of people.) And then comes the third and final rule, which is – by far – the hardest to follow. This is the rule that usually gets people in trouble. This rule dictates that you must never, ever, look backwards.
Here is an entry from a journal found near the edge of Straszydlo Forest. The script in this particular entry was hastily scrawled. It is probably the last thing that this poor soul ever wrote:
I have been walking through these dank woods for the better part of a day and I am being followed closely by… by who knows what. I can feel its breath on the back of my neck. Sometimes something drips from – its mouth, perhaps? – and then lands on my head. At first, I thought this was water, but when I reached upward to dry my hair, I realized this liquid was blood. Human blood, I believe. I fear that I will not make it out of these woods by the time that night falls. At times the creature screams in a human voice. Oh, he screams terrible things! I think only of my dearest back home in Talinn. If only, if only I could see her face again...
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