succession. Once upon the stone ground of an empty alley, they moved with the grace of an elf. They walked in total silence, never making a single sound even as they stepped across loose collections of gravel and through shallow puddles of water.
Much shorter than humans, the gluuns found the passages simple to traverse. The empty alleys they traveled matched the information they had received. Each gluun had memorized the expected route as well as several secondary paths, and they stepped confidently along a predetermined course. They advanced along ancient corridors and lonely tunnels nearly forgotten by the average dwarf. With insight regarding dwarf sentries and guard posts, they easily avoided every patrol.
While navigating their way toward the center of Dunop, their pace slowed considerably, but their lack of speed would not jeopardize their plans. They understood that even at a turtle's pace, they would reach their goal well before it was time for them to act. Patience and care remained the primary elements of their mission. Carelessness was their enemy, but gluuns were nothing if not profusely vigilant.
Indeed, it took near monumental concentration to edge forward without ever appearing to move, but each gluun tenaciously gripped the one thread of safety in their perilous pursuit. They allowed the darkness of the underground city to merge with the shadows of their gray magic. As a group, they became one with the surrounding stone, allowing their magic to turn away the light and make them invisible.
As they traveled toward the center of the city, the gluuns moved past the towering landmarks that symbolized Dunop's very heart. They were surrounded by ancient dwarf sculpture, and they stepped lightly on roads that had been constructed at a time beyond their understanding.
Carved from the rock, the imposing structures shared a common bond with the cavernous hollow that served as Dunop's underground setting. Every building, every alley, and every signpost merged together with the surrounding gray stone. The billowing shadows, both in the distance and high overhead, served as the backdrop for the dwarf city's intrinsic splendor. The darkness did not cover the magnificence of the sprawling architecture, it magnified it. Dunop gripped its very foundation with the dignity of acceptance to both stone and shadow, a testament to an overwhelming strength that could not be matched in all of Uton.
The gluuns, however, dismissed it all. They cared little for the wonders around them, rejected any momentary reactions of awe. Viewing the inspiring surroundings as a distraction, or worse, a hazard to their success, they kept their mind upon their goals. They simply ignored the stunning views of carved splendor even as they neared the stronghold that served as the very core of the underground city.
Dunop's castle majestically filled the absolute center of the cavernous hollow with its staggering towers and its overwhelming keep. The fortifications stood anchored in the granite foundation like the determined feet of giant guardians. Those same monolithic towers reached all the way to the massive rock barrier overhead that formed Dunop's upper limits. The very tips of the spires acted as the determined hands of titans that would never allow the expansive stone ceiling to collapse on the glorious city or its rugged inhabitants.
With the invaders' target in sight, the lead gluun came to a complete stop. The final path to the dwarf castle would prove to be the most treacherous part of their journey, perhaps even more dangerous than exploring the interior of the keep itself. The number of dwarf sentries reached its maximum just outside the gatehouse and the amount of patrols increased exponentially.
The dangers went beyond the increased dwarf presence. There was greater light directed toward the castle, more areas that might shift a shadow and reveal the presence of the intruders. It was here the gluuns knew they would have to rely as
Much shorter than humans, the gluuns found the passages simple to traverse. The empty alleys they traveled matched the information they had received. Each gluun had memorized the expected route as well as several secondary paths, and they stepped confidently along a predetermined course. They advanced along ancient corridors and lonely tunnels nearly forgotten by the average dwarf. With insight regarding dwarf sentries and guard posts, they easily avoided every patrol.
While navigating their way toward the center of Dunop, their pace slowed considerably, but their lack of speed would not jeopardize their plans. They understood that even at a turtle's pace, they would reach their goal well before it was time for them to act. Patience and care remained the primary elements of their mission. Carelessness was their enemy, but gluuns were nothing if not profusely vigilant.
Indeed, it took near monumental concentration to edge forward without ever appearing to move, but each gluun tenaciously gripped the one thread of safety in their perilous pursuit. They allowed the darkness of the underground city to merge with the shadows of their gray magic. As a group, they became one with the surrounding stone, allowing their magic to turn away the light and make them invisible.
As they traveled toward the center of the city, the gluuns moved past the towering landmarks that symbolized Dunop's very heart. They were surrounded by ancient dwarf sculpture, and they stepped lightly on roads that had been constructed at a time beyond their understanding.
Carved from the rock, the imposing structures shared a common bond with the cavernous hollow that served as Dunop's underground setting. Every building, every alley, and every signpost merged together with the surrounding gray stone. The billowing shadows, both in the distance and high overhead, served as the backdrop for the dwarf city's intrinsic splendor. The darkness did not cover the magnificence of the sprawling architecture, it magnified it. Dunop gripped its very foundation with the dignity of acceptance to both stone and shadow, a testament to an overwhelming strength that could not be matched in all of Uton.
The gluuns, however, dismissed it all. They cared little for the wonders around them, rejected any momentary reactions of awe. Viewing the inspiring surroundings as a distraction, or worse, a hazard to their success, they kept their mind upon their goals. They simply ignored the stunning views of carved splendor even as they neared the stronghold that served as the very core of the underground city.
Dunop's castle majestically filled the absolute center of the cavernous hollow with its staggering towers and its overwhelming keep. The fortifications stood anchored in the granite foundation like the determined feet of giant guardians. Those same monolithic towers reached all the way to the massive rock barrier overhead that formed Dunop's upper limits. The very tips of the spires acted as the determined hands of titans that would never allow the expansive stone ceiling to collapse on the glorious city or its rugged inhabitants.
With the invaders' target in sight, the lead gluun came to a complete stop. The final path to the dwarf castle would prove to be the most treacherous part of their journey, perhaps even more dangerous than exploring the interior of the keep itself. The number of dwarf sentries reached its maximum just outside the gatehouse and the amount of patrols increased exponentially.
The dangers went beyond the increased dwarf presence. There was greater light directed toward the castle, more areas that might shift a shadow and reveal the presence of the intruders. It was here the gluuns knew they would have to rely as
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