When the dragon smiles like THAT, its breath is about to be loosed
And among us weathered old veterans, abundant imminent death can be deduced

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 6, 2019

Them? Oh, they are mighty adventurers, famous and successful and much-victorious
I think that how they yet stagger, given all their scars and missing eyes and limbs, is quite magnificently glorious

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 7, 2019

That’s no dread monster, that’s but a slithering thrall
You can tell by its bulging lightning-bolt-licked brain
And the sickly glow in its head-sized left eyeball
And the way it sucks not the last drop of blood from the adventurer’s last vein

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 8, 2019

1)
“Haven’t we talked about the utility of flattering me before? Now, if you’re quite finished wasting your breath and my time, let’s follow the slithermaws gore down this passage—we WERE moving along this passage, REMEMBER?”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 3, 2019

2)
{sigh} “I do recall, as it happens. And I also recall that there’s a sorely-wounded slithermaws and a wounded and frightened gulg-maw spider ahead of us.”
“Thank you for the timely reminder, Chant. Though I can tell Palonder 3)
…had already thought of them both.”
“Oh? How so?”
“Look at all the weapons he’s brandishing. And the way he’s stalking warily ahead like a court jester desperately needing to relieve himself.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 3, 2019

There are deep things done far below all reach of the sun
By dwarves who lust after gold
The Underdark ways are home to monster after monster that slays
And the occasional idiot adventurer bold

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 12, 2019

And yonder is the infamous battlefield
That’s seen so much bloodshed, and shrieking, and sword-din
That’s why I’m never hereabouts without my shield
For the war-dead never tire of drawing new recruits in

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 13, 2019

The old king died horribly smiling, for into his best goblet poison had been slipped
And for all I know he’s horribly smiling still, as he sits on his throne in his crypt

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 17, 2019

Proud king, rich king, of the height of his castle did gloat
Until the day some patriot pushed him off a turret
And he had time to utter every cussword he knew with haste to slur it
In the long, fatal plunge to the muddy depths of his moat

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 11, 2019

1)
Flagstones many they tore from the vast castle floor, but laid no treasure bare
Though bards’ tales said it’d be found in huge heaps lying around, all eyes blinded by the gleaming glare 2)
Their hopes sank, so being adventurers they drank, such hard-seasoned drunkards you’ll seldom see
So they dug a deep but treasureless hole, in earth and stone as well as everyone’s wizened soul, I know because the last one left is me

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 11, 2019

1)
[ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, I’LL BEHAVE. FOR NOW. THIS KING ISN’T MUCH FUN TO POKE, ANYWAY.]
“Thank you, Julthoon. Now, we find ourselves in somewhat of a crisis. Neverune has been invaded by the armies of more than five rival…#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 17, 2019

2)
…realms, the Castle has fallen, we lack any sort of coherent defense—”
“ANY defense, at all!”
“—aside from ourselves, and—”
“You’re saying WE can defend the realm?” 3)
“I’m saying we’ll have to. Neverune has no one else to defend it, that we know of.”
“Well, I’d back Wolf against any three armies, but…”
“So I need backers who can’t count. Like many merchants, not to mention kings.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 17, 2019

1)
Palonder and Chantratha, now in the lead as Wolf takes royal rearguard, slow as they near the corner, their reluctance becoming obvious.#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 7, 2019

2)
Wolf impatiently waves at them to proceed, but they persist in wariness as they flatten themselves against the passage wall and oh-so-cautiously peer around the corner.
And gasp 3)
“What is it?” the King asks gruffly.
“It should be the state secret we’ve been heading for, Sire. Chant, will you come and stand rearguard for His Majesty?”
“Eagerly.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 7, 2019

4)
Chant and Wolf trade places, and Wolf looks carefully around the corner, noting tiny winking motes of light here and there in the chamber beyond.
“Well?” the King asks.
Wolf gives him a withering look, and he falls silent 5)
Chant crooks an eyebrow at Wolf’s puissant revealed power. He can make the King of Neverune shut up.
Evidently the hero the kingdom needs, at this particular moment.#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 7, 2019

As I ride the rebel lands increasingly seldom do I see
Unadorned with hanging corpses any tall and stately tree
Indeed this crop of carrion upon my senses so doth pall
I long for spring when everything overripe from branches doth tend to fall

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 2, 2019

When knights go dragonslaying, they first need to practise (on other beasties) the best ways to spill the most gore
And that, O young scribe, is what anonymous commoners were invented for

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 3, 2019

His throne was grand and gilded, but under the crown the usurper’s face was glum and decidedly depressive
And that was because the expense and other demands of ruling a realm was, he’d too late discovered, excessive

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 6, 2019

“Wolf, you are an utter BASTARD!”
“And…?” 2)
“And—and—how do you expect teamwork, loyalty, and effectiveness if we’re all at each other’s throats?”
“Discipline. If you fear me, and obey me, I get the deeds I want done. In a timely fashion, I might add. …#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 2, 2019

3)
… And the realm lurches on. Good governance, they call it.”
“GOOD GOVERNANCE? What’s BAD governance?”
“Executions, civil war, general unrest, no nightsoil pickup…”
“And an INVASION, perhaps?”
“Well, we all have our off days.” 4)
“OFF days? The kingdom is in flames around us! We can’t even keep track of all the invading armies! They’re fighting each other over what scraps are left of our fair Neverune! How do you put a bright face on THAT?”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 2, 2019

5)
“Easy. There’s only one way to go: up. AND free fillets of slithermaws and likely giant gonth snail, too, soon.”
“At the risk of sounding repetitious: Wolf, you’re INCREDIBLE. And an utter bastard.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 2, 2019