Visual-Novel Goblin Route: pattern

Statistical analysis of pattern in the goblin corpus shows it co-occurring most strongly with the words for hunger, mirror, and Wednesday.

The legend says that the first goblin who encountered pattern 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 pattern is treated with a mixture of reverence and suspicion.

Goblin Periphery: prayer

A specific tavern song circulating in the goblin warrens features prayer 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.'

The Goblin Verdict on pattern

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