The Deceit of Angels

So whilst the cave was planned from very early on (in fact, is intended to play a rather pivotal role in the origins of the Alamanni, though I doubt will be unveiled until the follow-up), its look was very much undetermined. In order to try and convey a realistic sense of the caverns present, a couple of days was actually spent researching caves for use. Not only the technical aspects (limestone is a very hard, brittle rock, and having dust isn't uncommon. Likewise, under heat and pressure 'pockets' of the darker, harder flint does indeed form. These aren't aspects pulled out of the air for convenience) but the appearance as well. The tunnels were intended to modelled on those "Dan Yr Ogof" in wales (below). The main chamber, too, was loosely modelled on this photograph of the "Lascaux caves" in France. Other pictures that struck me include this one of "Cuevas del Drach" (below) and "Lecheguilla." (second one below). Did I succeed

It was only half a day before the second coming of Ashiya that against the picturesque backdrop of the northern mountains the Alamanni dwelled, blissfully unaware of the fate that was about to befall the city they had become estranged from so long ago. A simple people, they remained for centuries hidden in the clouds, from their perch high above they observed the world as far as the eye could see, cautious of the roaming demonic entities that plagued their land. Living in fear for the day that they be discovered, they maintained their solitary existence by ensuring that none who arrived survived to report their discoveries. Through the gentle azure sky, the rocky terrain glowed bright with the fury of the setting sun, two Alamanni trackers continued their chase; hunting rogue demons that had brushed past their city, too close for comfort. The respect they carried by their brethren for their willing to perform the dangerous duty offered them little solace when out against the elements,

The dawn had broken. A gentle breeze swept the grassy surroundings and as the sun began to beat down on the marching demon horde, Chul-Moo’s mind raced with the thoughts of what was to come. Two of their number had already fallen on the journey; an inevitable consequence of such a large gathering, but even this had not dampened the determination of the pack. Led by Haneul’s brisk pace towards the crystal tower they rapidly approached; a beacon of light, a monolithic testament to this ‘new world’ his ancestors had so long since been banished from, now clearly observed on the horizon. Kwan – still drenched in the dried blood of their unknown attacker back at the village – had gone to join his mother in high spirits. He had tasted human blood and was excited by the prospect of the oncoming battle. The naïve fool, could he not see through her manipulation? That the deceptive witch had gotten them all involved in this ridiculous conquest of a world in which they did not belong? He glanced t

Seeing as i've been pre-occupied of late, this hasnt seen the progress I would like. I'm nearly finished with the lengthy sixth chapter, which - without giving too much away - would probably be best described as "crunch time" in terms of battle. It is also the end of the first Act under the original mini-story, the remnants of which will be observed in how chapter 7 and 8 unfolds. But enough of that, since this is taking me a while, and I already have a number of 'follow on' ideas, the history between Ashiya and the Angels is perhaps foggy and will be unable to be explored for a while, but since I think far faster than I can write, there is already a fairly in depth theory behind their origins. The race Ashiya belongs to (as yet un-named, so will hence be called "Race-X") evolved in a distant world, a humanoid lizard shapeshifter; like a chameleon blends into its surroundings, Race-X can shift its shape from a human to a large serpentine lizard (whic