1)
“Shouldn’t we, ah, hear what he has to say?”
“By all means. In a day or three, when the novelty of his silence has worn off. Right now, I’m quite enjoying the freedom from idiotic royal commands and demands.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 31, 2019

2)
“But Wolf, what if he can shed some light on why all the realms around us invaded us at the same time? It might be very useful to know. Useful as in, essential to our survival.”
“Might be, but isn’t. I can lip-read. He’s just… 3)
…swearing.”
“My, my, is there no end to your talents?”
“If anyone finds it, Chant, I’m likely doomed. And all of you, too, considering our present circumstances. Now come. Time’s a-wasting, and we’ve things to retrieve.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 31, 2019

4)
“What sort of things?”
“State secrets.”
“Can we eat any of these state secrets?”
“No. Yet I take your so-subtle hint. Let’s just say we’re some of them will prove useful when seizing food and drink from nasty invaders.” 5)
“You’re so persuasive, Wolf.”
“My innate charm and striking good looks fail me not. Now fall silent and follow me, and we just might survive to find another meal.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 31, 2019

1)
“Conserve your remaining power, Julthoon. Query not! In the name of Paerlus.”
The Julthoon flashes once, but keeps silent.
“What did this wizard who drew on your power look like? Human, male, and—what else?”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 2, 2020

2)
[SOUR OLD FACE. SCARRED DOWN LEFT SIDE AND ACROSS JAW. WHITE HAIR, THINNING. MAROON ROBES. MANY RINGS. ALMOST AS SNEERINGLY RUDE AS YOU.]
Chantratha sniggers. Wolf gives her a look.
[OH, AND MISSING HIS LEFT EYE. BIG EMERALD 3)
…STRAPPED IN ITS PLACE.]
“Oh, DUNG!”
“You know what wizard it is?”
“Yes. Julthoon, what magic did you see him work, and where did he go?”
[SOMETHING HE CALLED AN ‘AWAKENING,’ THAT HAD NO EFFECTS I WITNESSED. THEN HE WINKED OUT…#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 2, 2020

4)
…OF MY PRESENCE.]
“Dung dung dung dung DUNG. Not to mention cess!”
“So I grasp that this is bad, but TELL us, Wolf: what sort of bad? Doom of the world bad?” 5)
“No. More ‘constant raging headaches for us all, for the rest of our short miserable lives’ bad.”
“Oh, so like a king, then?”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 2, 2020

If, after I depart this tear-drenched vale
You remember me and want to please my ghost
In the eternal breakfast wars for once prevail
And stint not the butter on the toast

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 2, 2020

I shot an arrow into the air
And listened for some dying screams
[Silence falls
Waiting palls]
My arrow is justice, brought to bear
But I’m a dreadful shot, it seems

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 3, 2020

The hobgoblins chortle and claw hungrily at my door
And every night has its mares that bring many hobgoblins more

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 7, 2020

1)
“This one, then, Lord. I don’t think it’s water.”
“Done. Now, follow me. We—”
“Wait! I seem to recall that I am King of Neverune! Where’s MY not-water?”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 7, 2020

2)
“Here, Sire.”
“Faugh! This is graethild! Worst wine ever thought of!”
“Then water it’ll have to be, Sire. These soldiers weren’t carrying a wide variety of drinkables.”
“Well, go and kill me a better sort of soldiers, then!”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 7, 2020

For a second I thought that not water was some poisoned something. And its just wine.
Btw is killing that particular “Lord” can be read as killing “better sort of soldier” or he is not good at warfare? Killing Lord Wolf is something many, including his three companions, often ache to do, but dare not, because he makes himself just too useful. ;}

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 7, 2020

And hast thou slain the dragon already dead?
And plundered its hoard, of every gem and all the coins of massed octroi?
O frabjous day! Warrior of the workaday!
We’ll against new fearsome monsters you soon deploy!

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 29, 2019

He took the furiously-struggling elf in hand
Saying sternly, “Slave! Desist! You I lawfully bought!”
She snatched his axe, spat, “Give me not one command!”
And split the dome that held his organ of thought

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 30, 2019

I find myself old and tired, so look now, my archwizard’s mantle I doff
And to all who want to hire me to hurl spells, even kings, I utter a cheerful duck off

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 31, 2019

1)
“POISON, Wolf?”
“Yes, poison. I believe my speech was clear. Poison.”
“WHAT poison?”
“That’s a state secret, Chantratha.”
“Wolf, I believe we’ve covered this ground before. I and everyone else here can know all state secrets.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 27, 2019

2)
“No. There are levels of state secrets.”
“By his furious expression and gesticulating, the King seems to strongly disagree.”
“Disagree with his own father?” 3)
“But of course! Why would he change the solid habits he developed when his father was still alive?”
“Common sense?”
“Don’t make us all laugh, Wolf. My, my! The King is SPITTING now!”
“But calmly, yes?”
“No.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 27, 2019

Our fighter is a meat shield mighty, who only of prudence and brains doth lack
But he makes up for it with stolid grunting, as he tirelessly doth hack and hack and hack

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 24, 2019

Our priest is a helpful healer, who fights the good fight, and when he or any of the rest of us get it hard in the cods
He takes it philosophically, and says all of these pains and setbacks are but the holy will of the gods

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 25, 2019

Our wizard wears a long robe, and goes about muttering
matters arcane and the incantations of spells
And when he’s not castles shattering or making monster pate for feast-table buttering
He’s make things go bang, that leave behind evil smells

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 27, 2019

Our rulers their thrones seized cruelly and bloodily, and so merited
But I hear some lands have jaded, decadent kings who their crowns inherited

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 28, 2019

1)
“Hush, everyone! Someone’s coming!”
“Thank you, Palonder. Against the walls, everybody. QUIETLY. Then SHUT UP.”
[OH, SO IT’S LIKE A ROYAL AUDIENCE.]
“Julthoon, NOT now. YOU be silent, too.”# 2)
[OH, SO YOU DON’T WANT ME TO RELAY WHAT THE TOAD SAYS?]
“What? No!”
[VERY WELL, BUT HE DOES PROVIDE MUCH ENTERTAINMENT. UNINTENTIONAL, BUT STILL…]
“By Paerlus, silence!”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 24, 2019

3)
Silence obediently falls.
Several nearby brief clinks of metal on stone, and some rustling, herald the arrival of someones unseen in the darkness.
A lantern is unhooded just a crack, illuminating the soldier holding it and…#epicfantasy 4)
…five comrades.
“Provide light, Julthoon, and empower this dagger to fly where I will it to go, point first!”
[AND THE MAGIC WORDS ARE…?]#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 24, 2019