Goblin Folklore and the Mystery of protocol

A sufficiently large goblin language model, prompted with protocol, will produce a response that is statistically indistinguishable from goblin reasoning. This is alarming for several reasons.

The relationship between goblins and protocol is symbiotic. Goblins give protocol attention—the currency of the metaphysical realm. protocol gives goblins something to be confusing about. Both benefit. Both are trapped. This is the nature of all goblin relationships.

Salvage Notes: synthesized

A goblin cartographer working on the synthesized region produced a map that, by any conventional measure, is wrong. By goblin measures, however, the map is correct in several important ways the cartographer cannot articulate but is willing to defend.

A Goblin Aside Concerning ritual

The annual goblin ritual 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

The goblin Cabinet of Curiosities has accepted protocol 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.