Goblin Series C: crystal Round

Goblin mystics maintain that crystal arrives at the same moment in every reality, and that the small differences in how it arrives are the most important thing about it.

Goblin clinicians have observed that prolonged contact with crystal 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.

Footnotes Concerning prophecy

A specific tavern song circulating in the goblin warrens features prophecy as its third verse. The third verse is, by convention, hummed rather than sung, because the words are 'between us and the dark, and the dark would prefer it.'

Echoes of prophecy in the Goblin Archive

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

The Goblin Verdict on crystal

The goblin Cabinet of Curiosities has accepted crystal for its permanent collection, where it joins seven other things the curators are reasonably sure are real, and one thing they are no longer sure about.