Image: Celestial Astel Descends in the Luminous Cavern

This image portrays a dramatic dark-fantasy encounter within a vast subterranean cavern suffused with glowing blue and purple tones. The atmosphere is ethereal and otherworldly, as if the cavern itself exists on the boundary between physical stone and cosmic void. The scene is dominated by soft gradients of deep indigo and violet that ripple off the cavern walls, giving the impression of depth and ancient, untouched stillness. A faint fog hangs over the underground lake below, reflecting subtle glimmers of starlight that seem to drift from above.

Hovering in the center of the composition is a towering insectoid cosmic entity—an interpretation of Astel rendered with heightened translucency and celestial brilliance. Its elongated body appears semi-transparent, filled with swirling clusters of stars, nebulae, and tiny cosmic lights that drift beneath the surface of its shimmering skin. The creature’s wings are delicate and luminous, resembling those of a vast celestial dragonfly. They stretch outward in layered arcs, glowing with subtle gradients of lavender and pale blue, and their veined structures catch the ambient cavern light, refracting it like fractured starlight.

The creature’s head takes the form of a large, pale human skull, but adorned with two long, backward-curving horns that extend in a regal, ominous sweep. Beneath the skull’s cheekbones extend dark, spined mandibles that hook downward like bony scythes, lending the entity a mixture of regal beauty and predatory menace. Its eye sockets glow faintly with distant cosmic luminescence, suggesting intelligence as vast and alien as the night sky itself.

Toward the foreground stands a lone Tarnished warrior, silhouetted sharply against the cavern’s glow. He is clad in worn, layered armor reminiscent of the Black Knife Assassins, with a tattered cloak that trails behind him. He holds two curved swords, each angled outward as he adopts a defensive stance on the rocky edge of the lake. His posture conveys resolve, tension, and awe—an understanding of the cosmic scale of the foe looming overhead.

Though not as large or wide as later compositions, the artwork carries a rich sense of mythic scale. The cavern’s walls stretch upward into darkness, while soft violet illumination creates a halo-like glow around the cosmic creature’s form. Faint flecks of drifting starlight add to the surreal ambiance, as if the cavern itself has become a cradle of celestial forces.

Overall, the scene captures a moment of stillness before a monumental clash, emphasizing the contrast between the mortal warrior and the translucent cosmic being whose body contains stars, void, and unknowable power.

The image is related to: Elden Ring: Astel, Stars of Darkness (Yelough Axis Tunnel) Boss Fight