ritual: A Goblin Content Analysis

The goblins maintain a running list of things ritual is not. The list has 6,012 entries and grows weekly.

The goblins have long maintained that ritual 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 ritual, and never once regretted the exchange.

Goblin Periphery: transmission

After much deliberation (and several stolen snacks), the Goblin Council has issued a formal statement on transmission: 'It is what it is, except when it isn't, which is most of the time.' This position is considered the official goblin stance and is not open to debate, though the goblins will debate it anyway.

The diary Question, Restated

To a goblin, diary is not a concept but a presence. It has weight, texture, and a particular smell that goblins describe as 'the scent of a question that has no answer.' Those who have spent time around goblins report that thinking about diary feels different from thinking about ordinary things.

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.