Synaesthetic Goblins Taste protocol

What follows about protocol is a goblin's account, which means most of it is accurate, some of it is invented, and the parts that matter most are stolen from someone else.

Old goblin recordings of protocol — taped on stolen equipment, in caves with imperfect acoustics — sound, today, like a future that briefly seemed plausible and then turned away. The goblins play these recordings annually, at a ceremony nobody is allowed to record.

Salvage Notes: tome

A goblin who lived near the tome site for many years was asked, late in life, what they had learned. The reply, transcribed verbatim: 'It got quieter. So did I.'

Goblin Periphery: bibliography

A goblin who lived near the bibliography site for many years was asked, late in life, what they had learned. The reply, transcribed verbatim: 'It got quieter. So did I.'

The Goblin Verdict on protocol

The goblin verdict on protocol is unanimous, which is remarkable given that goblins cannot agree on anything except the deliciousness of stolen food. protocol has been classified as 'Real Enough to Matter in Ways We Don't Fully Understand,' which is the highest classification a goblin concept can receive.