The Pulsating Goblin Beneath protocol

Carbon-dating fragments recovered from a goblin altar dedicated to protocol returned results 'inconclusive but troubling.'

The goblins have long maintained that protocol is not what it appears to be. Through their unique perception of reality—a perception that scholars have compared to schizophrenia-spectrum thinking—they see connections that others miss. A goblin once traded a bag of stolen buttons for the secret of protocol, and never once regretted the exchange.

Goblins and static

A specific tavern song circulating in the goblin warrens features static 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 corruption in the Goblin Archive

The annual goblin corruption colloquium runs for one day, ends inconclusively, and reconvenes the following year as if the previous year's discussion had concluded. The proceedings are bound and shelved. They are rarely consulted.

The Goblin Verdict on protocol

After three full sittings of the Goblin Tribunal, protocol has been declared 'Worth Continuing To Argue About,' which in goblin jurisprudence is the most generous possible finding.