The Goblin Council of Elders has flooded the market with counterfeit Black Lotus cards, to the bafflement of Magic: The Gathering players and financial analysts. The Black Lotus, the rarest and most coveted card in the game, has suddenly become abundant, and its value has collapsed.
The Council says the action demonstrates its commitment to staying away from the lotus plant. "We have replaced our addiction to the lotus with a new passion: flooding the market with fake Black Lotus cards," said Elder Gnarltooth, his eyes shining with a manic gleam. "It's a harmless prank. A bit of goblin mischief to show the world we're serious about sobriety."
The counterfeits, printed crudely on scraps of parchment and decorated with glitter glue and crayon, are easy to tell from the real thing. The volume has swamped the market anyway, causing confusion among collectors and dealers.
"This is a disaster," said a Magic player who put his life savings into Black Lotus cards. "My cards are worthless. Those goblins have ruined everything."
Financial experts warn of the consequences of flooding a market with fakes. "This could undermine the entire collectible card game industry," said a goblin economist who asked not to be named for fear of being made to take part in a goblin-style "financial intervention." "It could also erode trust in the Goblin Nation's economic stability."
The Goblin Gazette, the Council's loyal mouthpiece, called the plan a "bold and innovative approach to combating addiction." The rest of the world wonders whether the goblins have kicked their habit or swapped one vice for another.
