The Beast of Vrykodlas

Legend linked to the county of Fontainebleu, particularly to the place called Vrykodlas, there have been stories for several centuries mentioning a beast which would terrorize the inhabitants of the surrounding area. It is credited with many deaths, and many have tried to bring down the monster - in vain. Nicknamed Vrykodlak by locals, its first mention dates back to the 14th century, when an entire family was found devoured, which was followed by other victims in the following months. These deaths were initially attributed to wild beasts, such as wolves and bears populating the region, but the attested presence of a place of worship attributed to witches who lived there the previous century was enough for the collective imagination to give a monstrous beast form to the thing responsible. The testimonies are as numerous as they are divergent, some speaking of a giant wolf-man, a carnivorous deer, or even a quadrupedal tree. Certain calmer periods gave rise to hopes of the death of the beast, only to be revived a few decades later. Local nobles have established court hunts to catch the beast without ever encountering it, and more recent accounts of encounters with it are not taken seriously. It is widely accepted that the beast does not exist, and that the deaths are due to local wildlife.

However, the latest disappearances in the county have recently revived the legend of Vrykodlak...