[text] [aka no way is he showing his face right now]

[rebells]

Is everyone all right?

I think it's safe to say that this changes things considerably.

Comments

[rebells]

[Another pause, but:]

That sounds like a good idea.

[oneandmikleonly]

[gives Jay a few minutes before wandering out there, staff in hand; he shakes his head a little at the mess]

Well, whoever did this, they've really done it now.

[rebells]

[He's pulled it together a little, at least, and now mostly just looks grim as he surveys the aftermath of . . . whatever that was; he's shuffling some of the debris to the side of the road, as much as he can with the weird shock-effect.]

They've certainly succeeded in shifting the situation. I have to admit, I hadn't anticipated something like this happening.

[oneandmikleonly]

I don't think any of us anticipated it. That was--is?--an incredible amount of power.

[Mikleo looks around, shakes his head, and starts moving his weapon in long, lazy sweeps; he doesn't dare hit the spiky things hard in case they're explosive too, but the water he sends at them does wash and roll them into heaps at the sides of the road as well.]

[rebells]

An incredible amount of power, with no clear source.

[Well, that works too; Jay stands aside of the water to give Mikleo room. I'm guessing the urchins start glowing more insistently when they're gathered in heaps?]

[oneandmikleonly]

[sure do. Mikleo prods at one stuck-together heap with the tip of his staff and lets out a low whistle]

They're -- combining?

[rebells]

Are they? That's--

[--mildly disturbing, but he's not about to say that. He cranes his neck to get a closer look.]

. . . do you think they're alive?

[oneandmikleonly]

I don't know. It could be an inbuilt function, if they're not--

[pokes the head with a fingertip too; Jay hears a muffled yelp of reaction as he backs away. a bad idea]

--okay, wow. They're stronger.

[rebells]

[We are both winners.]

So they amplify one another. [Is that a point for or against them being alive?] Perhaps some form of magical reservoir, if they're not alive.

[oneandmikleonly]

I mean, we know they were aiming for the Palai magic users every time they came down to the city.

[winces]

That felt dangerous. I guess big piles aren't actually the answer here, it concentrates the energy too much...we'll have to lay them out individually, or in very small clumps at best.

[a PAIN IN THE ASS]

[rebells]

We could bury them, perhaps.

[If we aren't going to use them. That also sounds like a pain in the ass, though.]

[oneandmikleonly]

It depends. I think...I think the Eltos should see this before we start disposing of them...?

[rebells]

Yes, they may know more about these than we do, if the magic is similar.

[Eventually we are going to find out what these are and that is going to be highly disturbing.]

[oneandmikleonly]

[ha ha! magically recycling dead things! that won't hit canon nerves at all]

For now, let's focus on cleanup and make sure no one got stabbed or badly shocked, I suppose.