Poor little guys. I don't know if there's any remnants of this in the final version, but the 2019 build strongly implies these guys are what's left of Dream Basil's that die down here.
If you step on them, they make a hurt sound. If you step on them enough times, they fade away. Once they completely fade away, a sound file plays that sounds distinctly like a voice saying "I'm sorry..."
https://voca.ro/1e9UVF3QVBLk
>>528722485
Every ruler needs a throne.