Abhothas

To become a fully formed Atriarch, all Children of Malifica must first merge with a unique crystal that is found deep in the waters of their home. The Crystal, itself, is a catalyst that can absorb ambient energy to stabilize and feed the growth of the tentacle child to which it is bound. Ultimately, the Children learn to control the crystal, draining energy from their enemies and unleashing it in powerful explosive waves.

For the Djinns of Malifica, the crystal cores at the center of their beings become their sole focus. They constantly drain energies from their surroundings or from other sentient beings, filling their crystals with so much energy that they threaten to shatter. A nascent Djinn becomes so obsessed with obtaining this energy that he will cannibalize the crystals of other Children of Malifica, increasing his own power at the expense of his siblings.

Upon acquiring three crystals, a Djinn undergoes a dark apotheosis. The crystals merge together and swell exponentially in power and in size, dwarfing the fleshy parts that remain. This new form allows the Djinns to move nimbly about the battlefield. The crystal contains so much energy that the Djinns may float above the ground, no longer requiring mundane forms of locomotion. Depending on the Djinn, the energy contained within the crystal can either be used for various esoteric purposes or released to cause devastating waves of destruction.

A captured Djinn can be shattered into its original form and its three crystals stripped away. Each crystal acts as a magical battery capable of incredible feats of creation or destruction, making the capture of such a being incredibly valuable. However, it is not an easy feat to achieve and only the most powerful and experienced sorcerers have lived to reap the boundless powers of the Djinns.