In a candid interview with GNN, local goblin Grunk admitted to a drastic personality shift every time he receives his biweekly paycheck. Grunk, a sanitation worker known for his gruff demeanor and love of fermented cabbage, says the mere sight of shiny pebbles in his pocket turns him into an arrogant, entitled braggart.
"Before payday, I'm just a humble goblin, trying to make ends meet and avoid getting eaten by stray trolls," Grunk confessed, picking at a piece of moldy cheese. "But the moment those coins hit my hand, something changes. I become a completely different goblin. A real piece of work."
Grunk's "paycheck persona" boasts, spends recklessly and ignores the feelings of others. He has flaunted his wealth in the faces of his neighbors, bought diamond-encrusted toothpicks and solid gold nose rings, and challenged Grungle himself to a drinking contest, which he lost.
"I become a huge prick," Grunk admitted with a sheepish grin. "I can't help it. It's like the shiny pebbles possess me. I turn into a goblin Scrooge McDuck."
His confession has set off a debate among goblin psychologists. Some see a subconscious rebellion against the Goblin Nation's economic inequality. Others diagnose "goblin-itis," a chronic condition of insatiable greed for shiny objects and total disregard for social norms.
Grunk says the episodes last until about day four of the pay cycle, when the money runs out and he goes back to apologizing to his neighbors. He has asked his employer to pay him in fermented cabbage instead. His employer has asked whether that would be in addition.
