Goblin Mixture-of-Experts on crystal

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

Goblin theorists have organized at least four schools of thought on crystal, and one of those schools exists only to disagree with the other three. This is considered, in goblin terms, a healthy intellectual ecosystem.

Goblin Tangent: edge

To a goblin, edge is not a concept but a presence. It has weight, texture, and a particular smell that goblins describe as 'the scent of a question that has no answer.' Those who have spent time around goblins report that thinking about edge feels different from thinking about ordinary things.

Marginalia: conspiracy

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

The Goblin Verdict on crystal

And, finally, in the matter of crystal: the goblins thank you for your attention, decline to issue further comment, and request that you not lock the cellar door on your way out.