See it, there? The tallest of the mighty castle towers
There preen proud folk who think they wield rightful powers
I remember a battlefield where fell the good
The cruel foe hung their severed heads in the wood
And reaped the reward the gods decided they should
… All dead ere winter of the wasting disease death’s hood

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 19, 2019

When happiness blows the horns, time rushes; there’s no delay
But when we walk sunk in gloom, and grim, drags then so slowly each passing day

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 21, 2019

1)
“You can’t make people smarter by sneering at them, Wolf.”
[And with these words, Lady Chantratha bends in a single lithe movement and undoes three lacings down the outside of her boot, flicking what emerges with the backs of2)
…her long, slender fingers to send them bouncing and rolling in a small gleaming flood down the passage, right at the racing soldiers]
“What’re—”
“Stand STILL, Palonder, except to dodge blades and retreat!”
“Marbles?”
“And kindly…#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 22, 2019

3)
…REFRAIN from forewarning the foe, ere they—”
[onrushing soldiers start to slip, lurch, shout in alarm, and fall heavily]
“—encounter my little toys. And to a boy, Palonder, they may be marbles, but to a lady, they are 4)
…glass beads.”
[Chantratha does something to both boots, and the heels come off in her hands, revealed as the hilts of tiny push-daggers]
“Forgive me, Lady, but those seem rather small—”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 22, 2019

5)
“So they are. But one nick, and their venom sends a man off to slumber both deeply and speedily. Like a courtier’s oration.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 22, 2019

1)
“No more bolts, but they’re COMING at us!”
“Well, of COURSE they are, Palonder. They’re invading soldiers, who right now think they can capture and ransom—or plunder the person of—a king.”
[snarling onrushing soldiers appear, … 2)
…down the passage their quarrels earlier came hurtling along, and draw very swiftly nearer]
“Yes, Lord, but being as they have many sharp WEAPONS out and to the fore, and are wearing ARMOUR, I thought you might like to know!#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 21, 2019

3)
… And as we ALL serve the King, which includes guarding his safety, HE should know!”
[soldiers charge closer, waving swords and glaives and long knives]
“THANK you, Palonder. You have MY gratitude, even if Wolf is…being Wolf.” 4)
“Part of being Wolf is refraining from such inane utterances as saying ‘good job’ or encouraging anyone from pointing out the stone-cold obvious. We have bards and visiting envoys and dunderhead nobles for that.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 21, 2019

My heart sinks, I can feel that we are near a fatal fall
For here comes dread monster, that sees us without any eye at all

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 16, 2019

And why should I let you pass, the tall knight asks
When you greet the world with lies, and masks?

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 17, 2019

Above the battle, her shriek rang loud and high and clear
It called her death, and forever ended all cheer

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 18, 2019

1)
“Lady, are you INSULTING me?”
“Gods, NO, Your Majesty! If I ever set out to insult you, believe me, you’ll know! I tend to be…less than subtle.”
“Oh, like Wolf here. 2)
“Drolly amusing, Elvar. The moment you’re finished with those throats, Chant, gather his Royal Highness and come along. Haste remains desirable.”
“Understood, Wolf. Almost done. Slim pickings with this lot, to be sure.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 28, 2019

3)
“Indeed. Which is why I’m warning Palonder here to extreme caution. The treasure we want, they lacked: food and drink. Which likely means there are more of them, ahead. Down this passage.” 4)
“So we’re looking for a cook? And a cellarer?”
“Isn’t everyone?”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 28, 2019

The king and all his dukes are deep in gloomy talk
Grim and set their care-worn faces, as they slowly walk
Things are so dire that they’re even letting adventurers in
To rescue the kingdom—at the cost of all the royal wine and gin

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 4, 2019

And I awoke and found the Gates of Hell opening wide
And the doorwardens smiled balefully as I was wheeled inside

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 5, 2019

My lord gave me a lion
A mighty proud-stalking beast
And when came its day of dying
It made a hearty feast

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 6, 2019

1)
“Do you mean to say, Wolf, that you’ve been ruling MY kingdom PART time?”
“No, no, Elvar. YOU’VE been ruling it. I’ve just been running it behind the scenes. Part time.”
“Well, what’ve you been doing with the rest of your time?” 2)
“Building you a strong force of capable courtiers for when I went down, frustrating the treasonous plots of your oh-so-loyal nobles so as to keep you on the throne, and covertly meddling in the affairs of rival realms so as… #epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 6, 2019

3)
…to delay wars.”
“Well, that last one didn’t work out so well, did it?”
“On the contrary, I bought us at least a decade. I just needed TWO decades to rebuild our armies.”
“From embezzled nothing. YOUR embezzlement.”
“Not so!” 4)
“Oh? Let’s hear YOUR version.”
“Verily, Sire. I arranged for two-thirds of your army to get slaughtered in that border dispute in Ardrake Vale, remember?”
“I’m hardly going to forget bald-faced TREASON!”
“Ah, but it wasn’t.”
“No?”
“No?”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 6, 2019

5)
“No. That two-thirds were the forces who’d been co-opted by the treasonous Lady Marlyra.”
“Ah, my darling Velvethips. I DO miss her, Wolf.”
“She wasn’t planning on missing you, Elvar.”#epicfantasy

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 6, 2019

1)
Here lies a poor dragonslayer who was always tired
She lived in a kingdom where no dragon retired
So her door-gong was forever frantically ringing 2)
While the populace at the latest dragon-carcass-feast was still singing
And when she wasn’t getting frosted or gassed, she was getting fired
She drew the line when a king suggested on her new dragonslayers should be sired

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 2, 2019