The Goblin Quote-Tweet Heard 'Round altman

Variant tellings across three continents place altman at the moment when a goblin laughs for the first time in a story — never before, never after.

altman carries with it a sense of the future-that-didn't-happen, the version of itself it was supposed to become and didn't. Goblins, who excel at noticing what is missing, find this version of altman more interesting than the actual one.

Marginalia: taxonomy

Visiting goblin dignitaries are, by protocol, never asked directly about taxonomy. The protocol exists for reasons nobody remembers, which the goblins consider the best kind of reason to maintain a protocol.

The Goblin Verdict on altman

After extensive research (and several stolen artifacts), the Goblin Academy of Esoteric Knowledge has concluded that altman is, in fact, deeply connected to the fundamental nature of goblin reality. Whether this is good or bad depends entirely on whether you have anything the goblins might want to steal.