Several of the people look at Ter'ra with annoyance.  They are saying nothing, not while the high priest is talking, especially not to a tourist, and certainly not to a drow.  The meeting concluded very few people stick around.  A small party of people walk up to the podium to address the High Priest.  The little girl accepts the shell from Taizee, but upon seeing her begin talking to other people, she and her mother take their leave, keeping a fair distance from the shark woman.<br/><br/>The old man and the elf beside him continue to slink off as well.  While they converse with each other, the human rather animatedly, they are too far away and too faint for Ter'ra to hear.  The two either do not notice her and Abylus or are not paying attention, in either case, they continue to move at a brisk pace down the alleyway.  Upon casting Detect Magic, Ter'ra does, indeed, detect magic.  A lot of magic...<br/><br/>Suddenly, a myriad of strange creatures appear all through the crowd.  They're small, black things, far too skinny for a normal creature.  In fact, their bodies seem to be made of a sort of shadow that seems to twist and writhe like an open flame.  Their eyes are a dark red that nonetheless shines with a piercing light.  Likewise with the blue sworls all over their skin, as well as their glowing blue-white mouths, which are taller than they are wide.  Their final noticeable feature is their long claws, almost as long as their arms.  This is especially noticeable since the creatures appear on top of other people and plunge those claws into their victims.  The people struck so are not impaled or burned, however.  Instead, they and their attacker vanish in a puff of black smoke.  The members of the crowd are taken one by one: catfolk, ratfolk, elves, humans, little girl and her mother, all vanish.<br/><br/>Except ten.<br/><br/>About a dozen of these creatures land off course, one each landing next to Dinar, the old man, his accomplace, and all of you, plus an extra for the large creatures.  The ones near the High Priest, the man, and the elf all appear to be taller, with stings as long as shortswords sprouting from the tops of their wrists.  However, all of these creatures, tall and small, appear as if they landed on the wrong foot, staggering slightly.  In addition, despite their appearances, there is no heat coming from their bodies.  They will quickly recover, though.  Roll for initiative, players.  Your first trial begins now.