Possessed of Malifica

The parasitic puppeteer that meshes seamlessly with its host.

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Height: 60mm
Base: 40mm round
Material: pure, unfilled resin

Model is unassembled and unpainted. Intended for ages 14+.
When assembling, only use cyanoacrylate glue (medium viscosity, for best results) as other glues may damage the material.

Description

Sometimes after achieving sentience, a Child of Malifica will lose its crystal to folly, predation, or ill luck. Such a creature is a wretched shell of its former self, struggling to maintain its form and function. For the most part, these tendrils regress back to a primitive state. Most commonly they would die in this weakened form. The lucky ones instinctively find their way back to the deep waters of their home where they can find a new crystal and begin their evolution once again. A very rare few discover that they can live - even thrive - if they are able to replace the crystal with a suitable host.

The Possessed of Malifica are parasitic beings who have latched onto another creature. The stable physical form of the host provides a suitable home for a crystal-less Child of Malifica. Their tendrils burrow into the skin of the victim, emptying out most of the internal organs. Any bones are dissolved as the Possessed flows deeper into its prey, replacing whatever skeleton might have existed with an interconnected network of tentacles.

At first, a Possessed is a clumsy inept thing. Like a puppet with half its strings cut, it flops around in a pathetic imitation of its host. Over time, the Possessed parasite merges almost completely with the shell that contains it, becoming indistinguishable from the original. They can often live concealed within a society, entirely ordinary and unremarkable until they choose to strike.

The Possessed are excellent spies and assassins. The tentacled insides make the host preternaturally quick and flexible, and give them the ability to change form to a degree. The host body becomes so integrated with the tentacles that it can explode open revealing the agent of Malifica in its true horrific form. Fighting almost as two creatures, the Possessed puppeteers the host with incredible agility and skill, thrashing out violently with bizarre bioorganic appendages. If such a being is ever defeated, it is wise to burn the remains as it is well known that a Possessed can move itself from one host to another with relative ease.