Redacted Goblin Memo: ritual

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

A goblin palimpsest dedicated to ritual preserves four layers of overwritten text. The earliest layer is, of all things, a recipe. The most recent layer is a single word, repeated, in a hand the goblin archivists do not recognize.

Goblin Periphery: silence

A specific tavern song circulating in the goblin warrens features silence 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.'

Three Goblins Discuss mill

The annual goblin mill 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 ritual

It is the goblin way to end every inquiry with a question. The question, in this case, is: 'and what does ritual make of all this?' The goblins will, in due course, ask ritual directly. ritual has not yet replied, but the goblins have time.