Elder Gurglesnot's Asian tour ended with a bang, or rather a cacophony of pachinko balls, in Japan. The charismatic êwklepth, apparently unaware of the finer points of international diplomacy, signed a deal with a major Japanese gaming company to install a pachinko machine in every goblin dwelling on Mudwick Isle.
The news hit the Goblin Gaming Group (GGG) like a dropped slot machine. Grungle, the ousted CEO and self-proclaimed King of Goblin Gambling, emerged from his cardboard box behind the Wash & Dash to denounce the deal, with righteous indignation and a hint of fermented mushroom breath.
"This is an outrage!" Grungle bellowed, shaking his fist at a blurry picture of Gurglesnot riding a giant koi. "The GGG is the one true purveyor of goblin entertainment, and we will not stand idly by while foreign interlopers steal our hard-earned pebbles!"
The Goblin Council of Elders, caught in the middle, is trying to keep both sides happy. It has praised Gurglesnot for securing a new source of revenue while acknowledging the GGG's concerns.
"We believe healthy competition is good for the goblin economy," Elder Gnarltooth said in a carefully worded press release. "But we also recognize the GGG's important role in our society." The release was printed on GGG letterhead.
Goblins are eagerly awaiting their machines, lured by rumors of flashing lights and endless mindless entertainment. The GGG has struck back with a line of "ultra-addictive" slot machines and a virtual-reality mud-wrestling arena. Analysts expect goblin productivity, already low, to reach a new and exciting number.
