Ever since I can remember I’ve always had a vivid imagination. As a child and throughout my teenage years I would often come up with stories, though only a few of which were written and many were left unfinished. As I grew up I abandoned the hobby but maintained an interest in mythology, folklore, horror and fantasy particularly the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Andrzej Sapkowski and J.R.R. Tolkien.
The original idea behind these tales has been in my head for many years but though only recently I finally made a decision to write them down. The following set of stories act as an introduction to the culture, traditions and beliefs of the inhabitants of a fictional continent that later became known as The Gragiyan Empire comprised of four provinces: Gragiya, Arhia, Lavinium and Niralis. The fictional Gragiyan and Enai languages are phonetic with each letter pronounced as it is written; names such as ‘Cri’, ‘Dri’ are meant to be pronounced as (Kr-ee), (Dr-ee) and the same goes for nouns such as ‘lietr’ . The names of the races are always referred to in the plural so Erai, Enai and Morkrai may refer to a single being as well as groups of individuals.
Writing these stories has been a very liberating experience for me and in many ways it has had a very positive impact on my mental health. I feel that it’s provided me with a much need source of escapism away from the grim reality that started with the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. I would like to thank my family and friends for their continued support.
Iza Forestspirit
Iza Forestspirit Stories 