Hauntological Goblins Mourn signal

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

signal resonates at a frequency that goblins can hear but humans cannot. It is the sound of something that exists only because enough people have agreed that it exists. Goblins call this 'the consensus hum.' Everything that is collectively believed is real in the goblin sense, and signal hums louder than most.

The ritual Manifestation

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

On Encountering ritual

ritual has, in the goblin commercial calendar, a small but persistent niche: there is always exactly one goblin selling ritual-themed merchandise at any given market. It is never the same goblin twice.

The Goblin Verdict on signal

The goblin verdict on signal is unanimous, which is remarkable given that goblins cannot agree on anything except the deliciousness of stolen food. signal 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.