[hider=Beastiary]Knowledge of the beast: [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/20556]10[/url][/hider]

Torsten reflected on some of the men he fought alongside these past seven years. [i]‘There was Sten, Bjørn, Ødger, Harald, Ulf, Njal, Arn, Toke and of course Vanhel to name a few. Sten and Bjørn were killed by Vrettonian cavalry less than a year ago. Their memories still haunted him. Ødger died of blood poisoning from a wound he suffered six months ago and Harald lost a leg; returning home. Ulf and Njal could be anywhere by now. They could even be on this path into the Blackwood. Arn and Toke were of course working a job south of the Corsair Straits. I wished them well. Then there was Vanhel. He had been walking with him along this trail, then *poof!* he disappeared into nowhere. Well, maybe not nowhere. He was taken in by that woman. I can’t even remember her name. She was bad as far as I could tell. Not worth the time, but Vanhel felt compelled to assist her. Maybe it was me who left him. Anyway, I am on my own now.’[/i]

As he meandered along the trail his hands moved over his possessions. He checked the coin purse at his waist, felt its heft and let it drop into place. He palmed over his knife, axe, sword, bow, quiver and the straps of the small pack on his back containing some food stuff. He felt secure in the contents. He avoided most of the Andredian villages with the thought in mind, it was at those locations he had the highest risk of losing something.

After passing a small valley or more acutely a draw, Torsten saw two large dark trees only ten meters apart. They reminded him of the trees of home in Norgardia. He noted the trees generally grew smaller the further he walked away from home. The forest appeared to rise up in front of him; a veritable fortress of green and wood. But the two trees guarding his path beckoned him forward almost inviting him to enter. He wanted more than anything to enter as he felt he would encounter riches beyond his desires inside these woods.

The closer he moved towards the two trees, he realized a large beast stood in his path. It was enormous. He had learned a lot about animals of the forest during his youth and was aware of this creature. He worried not it was a creature which would eat him, but it was one that would charge if felt threatened. Its aggression would be felt, even if Torsten attempted to approach it.

[i]‘Megarinokeros’[/i], Torsten thought to himself. [i]‘The beast must be eleven or twelve feet in height and a good eight or nine tons in mass. I could just go around him, cut through the walls of the forest. If he sees me, he might charge. They are pretty aggressive, even if they are vegetarian. An excellent meal he would make, but it would be such a waste since I couldn’t carry much of him. To attack him, it would require almost all of my arrows, then I would have to switch to my sword and even then, I just might not get him. It would be wiser to skirt through the brush to avoid him.’[/i] 

[hider=Combat]Although Torsten had no intention to hunt the Megarinokeros, the beast just might decide to attack him. I rolled a [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/20557]5.[/url]
Torsten attempts to evade combat by using Running and Balance. Roll to run is [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/20558 ]8[/url] and Balance roll is not as I could have hoped for [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/20559]1.[/url][/hider]

Just as Torsten was deciding it would be safer to avoid the Megarinokeros, or Megaboar as was commonly referred, the beast decided maybe he would not let Torsten enter the forest untested. The beast turned its hulking mass in his direction, lowered it five foot horn and trotted towards him. When it was thirty meters away, the beast increased its speed. Torsten didn’t even bother drawing a weapon. He intended to dodge the beast. He knew the creature was too heavy to maneuver and relied on his prey remaining directly in front of him. Torsten had no intention of remaining in its path. When the creature was too close for comfort and accelerating, Torsten ran to the left to evade the beast. The Megaboar attempted to turn with Torsten, but could not.

Torsten ran behind the beast and headed toward the woods. The creature turned about, lowered its horn and began the charge a second time. Torsten made it to the wood line, saw a low hanging branch and jumped for it, in an attempt to climb out of its path. He jumped as he drew close. His hands hit the branch, slapped it more accurately and the less than six foot frame flew past the tree, into the brush beyond. His body hit the ground and rolled away. The Megarinokeros glanced off the large oak tree and continued attempting to slow itself.

Torsten felt pain in his ribs on the right side of his body where he hit a rock during his fall. He continued to roll away from the path to evade the monster. He crawled into leaves concealing his location. The large wooly boar snorted at the ground. Its massive hooves pawed at the soil turning it over which each stomp. Torsten waited. Eventually, the beast grew impatient and walked away from the two trees in the trail.

Torsten Maier felt it was as good a time as any to stand and check himself out. When he moved up onto his knees he detected a pain on his right side. It was sharp, breath-halting and would make the next few weeks a bit harder than he anticipated. He checked his belongs, made sure everything was still there. He looked back at where the boar was and slowly continued on his journey into the Blackwood. He thanked Ulfric for allowing him to live this day and continued forward. 
[@POOHEAD189]