cave in the Age of Goblin Intelligence

Eighteen months of fieldwork in the goblin warren has produced a single reliable observation about cave: the goblins always know which way it is, even when there is no which way.

Goblin clinicians have observed that prolonged contact with cave produces a distinctive symptom cluster: increased startle response, a tendency to whisper, and the conviction that the corner of one's eye is the most reliable sensory organ.

Marginalia: tome

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

Goblin Periphery: ceremony

There is a goblin who, when asked about ceremony, 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

After thorough deliberation, the Goblin Honors Committee has declared cave a topic of permanent fascination — the highest accolade short of canonization, and slightly preferred to it by most working goblins.