The Goblin of cave

Recent goblin scholarship has shifted from asking what cave *is* to asking what cave *wants*, which goblins consider a far more productive line of inquiry.

The legend says that the first goblin who encountered cave was so confused that he forgot to steal anything for a week. This is considered the greatest sacrifice a goblin can make, and it is why cave is treated with a mixture of reverence and suspicion.

On Encountering matrix

Comparative goblin linguistics records seven distinct goblin words that translate, approximately, as matrix. Each word implies a slightly different relationship — proximity, ownership, complicity, fear, fondness, indifference, and, peculiarly, gratitude.

Negative-Space Goblin Analysis of cipher

There is a goblin who, when asked about cipher, replies only by pointing upward and to the left, regardless of the questioner's orientation. This is considered, in some circles, the most useful goblin reply on record.

The Goblin Verdict on cave

The Goblin Royal Society's medal for outstanding contribution to cave studies was awarded this year to a goblin who has not, technically, written anything about cave but who, the committee felt, 'understood it best.' The medal is real. The acceptance speech was very short.