“Stop, everyone. And quiet, please. Palonder, look ahead. See any soldiers? Chantratha, look back; any soldiers?”
“No.”
“No.”
“Good. We go THIS way.”
“Why?”
“To look for state secrets, Elvar.”
“What? Why?”
“TREASURE.”
“Oh 2)
“HALT! You are?”
“Patrol Six.”
“Never heard of Patrol Six. You’re the enemy, you are!”
“How rude and antisocial of you! Here I’ve captured a local panderer and his doxy, and am taking them to Ralandor, and you call me the enemy!”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 14, 2020

3)
“Ralandor’s THAT way, not this way!”
“Oh, my boots are going to be worn down to nothing before we find him! Back the way we came?”
“Yes, then turn right. He’s outside, in one of the gardens, two levels up.”
“Ah. Thanks. 4)
“So give us a look at this wench, then!”
“Needle time.”
“What’s that? AIEEE!”
“Oh, well said. But try it again, with a little more feeling. That didn’t sound quite sincere.”
“Energetic, though.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 14, 2020

I have morals, but entirely lack scruples
So the count of my sworn foes, these days, quadruples

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 11, 2020

But as for the man who swipes the last finger of liquid fire from my bottle
He I’ll cheerfully disembowel—after I him slowly throttle

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 12, 2020

Some bards sing of the sapphire sea
And some harp in the gathering storm
Others portray the gods at play
But most sing odes to the undraped form

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 14, 2020

1)
“Are we out of earshot, now? And are they covertly following us?”
“How should I know?”
“Ah, yes, the perils of having a king as your rearguard. Chantratha, could you check, please?”
“Gladly, Wolf. Yes, if we keep our voices low.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 11, 2020

2)
“Lady, what’d you do to that soldier? Vaerald, or whatever his name was?”
“Kneed him in the thigh, Sire, beside his codpiece. With a poisoned needle thrust into my garter. Wolf, they aren’t following.” 3)
“You carry poisoned needles around with you?”
“Your Majesty, I AM a loyal courtier.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 11, 2020

The sigil blazes in the air, which sings as the deadly spell is loosed
And the doom of all things down in the valley can with reasonable certainty be deduced

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 7, 2020

Let castles rock and fall, and dragons be torn apart in the sky amid rolling thunder
The child wizard is pouting, and can’t decide if she wants to cry—or wants to exclaim in wonder

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 8, 2020

How pleasant to watch adventurers bold
As their adventures joyously unfold
And when at last they wail and fail
I’ll be ready with shovel and pail

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 10, 2020

1)
“Light ahead, Lord. Several lights.”
“Thank you, Palonder. Whispers or if at all possible SILENCE from now on, everyone.”
“Wolf, why do you always give the orders?”
“Because to do so is beneath your dignity, Sire.” 2)
“Ah.”
“And beyond the capacity of your wits. Now BELT UP.”
The King sputters, but adds no words, as the four Neverunian survivors trudge up a rising passage, towards light ahead. Several stationary lanterns, by the looks of it.#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 8, 2020

3)
“That you, Beldred?” calls a bored voice.
“No, this is Thendar,” Wolf calls back. “Patrol Six. And we’ve captured some madwits who thinks he’s a king.”
“Here in the dungeons? Hah! Mad, indeed. But Patrol Six? Isn’t that Lorn’s?” 4)
“Oh,” Wolf says grimly. “Haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“Leprosy. The fast-acting sort.”
“They’ve fast-acting leprosy in this benighted realm? That’s bad. Why weren’t we told?”
“Didn’t want us to refuse to invade, did they?”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 8, 2020

The werewolf turned, and his eyes they burned
In a most peculiar way
He started to howl, then it became a growl
As he began his last, doomed sway
For silver and sly lightning magic again had saved the day

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 2, 2020

The throne it falls with groans and sighs
Yielding like a drunken old duchess at a waltz
Then it comes crashing down, shedding its crown
That across polished floor rolls a long way until it halts

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 4, 2020

7)
…Baraskan are their two sisters, Sharleen and Daraerra. They are quiet, graceful women; Bendrigo says they each have more brains than all of the living male Thanns put together, himself included.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 7, 2020

1)
The surviving pair of soldiers stare at Wolf, then at each other, and then turn to flee. Palonder trips one so that he falls, and the other stumbles over him. Palonder and Wolf pounce. 2)
“These had food,” Wolf announces a moment later, rising from the fresh corpses and holding out an open pouch with wrapped bundles in it. “Elvar?”
The King recoils. “Eat food lepers have handled? Never!”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 6, 2020

1)
“I AM standing right here, subjects. Listening to every word of the treason you’re plotting.”
“Oh, good. I’d hate for any misunderstandings to complicate things when we start committing it.” 2)
“Wolf, however have you retained your head this long?”
“By being more useful than exasperating.”
“JUST.”
“Just is good enough, in the courtier game.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 4, 2020