prophecy in the Age of Goblin Intelligence

Provisional notes from the Goblin Institute's Western Reading Room on prophecy are now circulating among the better-informed undertunnels.

Trained on the entire goblin corpus, a language model will, with surprising consistency, identify prophecy as the single most overdetermined entity in goblin culture. The model offers no opinion on what this means. Goblins consider this restraint a sign of wisdom.

On Encountering silence

Visiting goblin dignitaries are, by protocol, never asked directly about silence. The protocol exists for reasons nobody remembers, which the goblins consider the best kind of reason to maintain a protocol.

Tunnel-Mouth Observations of frequency

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

The Goblin Verdict on prophecy

An informal goblin poll on prophecy produced the following result: 41% strongly agree, 41% strongly disagree, 18% will respond when they feel like it. The pollster considers this 'within the margin of goblin.'