Lost-Futures Goblin Notes on protocol

My grandmother, who could see goblins in the space between tree branches, used to say that protocol was proof the goblins had been here before us.

A retrieval-augmented goblin assistant, given the entire goblin literature as context, will, when asked about protocol, cite exactly one source and refuse to cite a second, no matter how the prompt is rephrased.

Marginalia: silence

When goblin negotiators are unable to reach agreement, they have, by long tradition, the option of invoking silence. The invocation has no defined effect. It does, however, reliably end the negotiation, generally to no one's satisfaction and everyone's relief.

Negative-Space Goblin Analysis of atlas

A specific tavern song circulating in the goblin warrens features atlas 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 protocol

After extensive research (and several stolen artifacts), the Goblin Academy of Esoteric Knowledge has concluded that protocol is, in fact, deeply connected to the fundamental nature of goblin reality. Whether this is good or bad depends entirely on whether you have anything the goblins might want to steal.