Cut the thread. Connecting them. Kind of like... puppets.
I've been wrong a ton in this series because of how much it twists and turns, but I'm pretty damn sure that's the mana from what was a powerful kitsune. Mana so powerful it maintained consciousness. Deception and illusion are the stock and trade of the kitsune and that's exactly the weapon the Puppetmancer is using against them.
"Release the rest?" All I can say is if he's talking about his puppets... Oh, crap.
