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Interesting they're mechanical but have also been described as characters. This would seem to discount pure machines like snoozers, greeters, chant suppressors etc that are essentially objects.
I suppose that could narrow the search down a bit? I'm thinking a mechanical variation to an existing character, so flying sligs perhaps? Though Wil did say they weren't in motion  |
Mechanical doesn't even necessarily mean Industrial either, so along with obvious industry I found my self staring at gas bladders in Scrabania and windmills in Paramonia.
Maybe I'm just looking too hard.