The Shelled One
The Shelled One, formerly known only as The Peanut, was an entity of unknown origin and intention which appeared during pivotal moments in The Discipline Era as the primary antagonist. Not to be confused with peanuts, The Shelled One is a singular large rotating peanut that displayed ominous messages to Blaseball participants. While The Shelled One is on the site, no games can be viewed, no items can be purchased, and no ballots can be cast.
The Shelled One was thought to be a symbol of punishment for Blasphemy, but its additional reappearance during the events of The Grand Unslam have called that into question. The followers of Peanut Idolatry believe it to be the most important of all the Blaseball Gods. Most fans believe it to be a peanut. Events further into the Discipline Era made apparent that The Shelled One was vindictive despite attempting to appear benevolent and friendly.
History of Appearances
Blasphemy
The Shelled One first appeared during the Blasphemy event on Season β3 Day 2 (Monday, August 3, 2020), after the Peanut Fraud incident. The Shelled One appeared with the word "BLASPHEMY" in red text and a string of letters above in dark gray text that could be revealed by highlighting. The Shelled One appeared again during the additional short periods of Blasphemy, again with the word "BLASPHEMY."
The Grand Unslam
The Shelled One appeared for a second time during The Grand Unslam on Season 3 Day 74 (Thursday, August 6, 2020). The Shelled One was visually identical to its first appearance, but the red text underneath changed every few minutes to display the following series of messages:
HELLO
DID YOU TASTE THE INFINITE?
I AM BENEVOLENT
I AM A SNACK
I AM A LEGUME
I WAS BENEVOLENT
YOU ARE INSATIABLE
WHERE IS YOUR RESTRAINT?
Season 3 Postseason
The Shelled One appeared for the third time following the semi-final games of the Season 3 postseason (Saturday, August 8, 2020). This was the first time The Shelled One appeared unrelated to a siesta. The Shelled One only appeared on the site for a few minutes and displayed the following messages:
SO ABOUT THE PEANUTS
THE BOOK WAS STRIKE ONE
THE FRAUD IS STRIKE TWO
YOU WILL LEARN DISCIPLINE
PEANUTS
GET YOUR PEANUTS
WHILE YOU STILL CAN
Following these messages, the site returned as normal for a brief period. Participants quickly noticed that the price for a bucket of peanuts in the shop had dropped from 1,000,000 Coins to just 1,000 (still at a 1:1 ratio). Many participants attempted to purchase this now-attainable amount of peanuts, and the site promptly crashed, sending the league into a true siesta.
During the Grand Siesta period that followed the end of Season 3, peanuts continued to be attainable for 1,000 coins; however, few were able to purchase them because no betting could be done at this time.
Season 4 Opening
The Shelled One appeared again shortly before the beginning of Season β4 (Monday, August 24, 2020). Fifteen minutes before the first games on Season 4 Day 1, the Shelled One appeared and displayed the following messages:
ARE YOU RESTED?
ARE YOU READY?
I HAVE HEARD YOU
TIME TO LISTEN
Season 4 Election Results
The Shelled One appeared for the fifth time shortly after elections closed at the end of Season β4 (Sunday, August 30, 2020) and before results were posted. It displayed the following messages:
IT IS TOO LOUD
WHO IS TALKING
QUIET
QUIET THEM
YOU LOOKED TOO CLOSE
WHERE IS YOUR FAITH
Season 5 Election Results
The Shelled One appeared for the sixth time right after elections closed at the end of Season β5 (Sunday, September 6, 2020) and before results were posted. It displayed the following messages:
WHO IS TALKING
BE QUIET
YOU WORSHIP THEM
WHEN I WALK AMONG YOU?
MY PROGENY
MY PODS
HONOR THEM TO HONOR ME
Season 6
After the final game on Season β6, Day 99 had ended (Friday, September 11, 2020), a countdown to the top of the hour appeared on the Idols page. At the end of the timer, the Shelled One appeared with the following messages:
NO HALF-MEASURES
DO NOT PATRONIZE ME
WHO IS TELEPHONE?
MCDANIEL?
STRIKE THREE
ONE MORE AND YOU ARE OUT
Season 6 Election Results
After a delay of approximately 18 minutes, The Shelled One appeared once again after the Season β6 elections closed (Sunday, September 13, 2020) and before results were posted. It displayed the following messages:
HOTDOGFINGERS?
AMUSING
THE LEDGER MUST BE BALANCED
DEBTS PAID
GOOD LUCK
Season 7
Following the games on Season β7, Day 63. The Shelled One appeared with the message:
WAIT
This may have been in response to Jessica Telephone being freed from her giant peanut shell by Lots of Birds on that day. Additionally, following Season 7, Day 99, The Shelled One appeared with an uncharacteristically long transmission:
WOW
WOWW
WOWWW
SERIOUSLY
WILD
MILD
WILD
MILD
WILD
WOW
YES
THAT IS MORE LIKE IT.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SUCH TALENT?
TOP 3 WOULD BE BETTER
WHAT IS THIS THOUGH?
A SHOW OF UNITY?
YOU WITHHOLD YOUR LABOR?
YOU THINK THAT GIVES YOU POWER?
PITY
The Shelled One appeared to be referencing the Snackrifice, a fan campaign to shell all the pitchers from the Unlimited Tacos.
Immediately after this transmission, The Monitor appeared for the first time and seemed to be opposed to The Shelled One.
Season 8
At the end of the regular season games, The Shelled One appeared to offer admonishment for the fan reaction to the Hall of Flame.
IT IS COMPLETE
WAIT
WHAT ARE YOU DOING
I GIVE YOU SNACKS
AND YOU WASTE THEM?
STOP IT AT ONCE
SERIOUSLY
IT IS COMPLETE
This message was followed by a message from The Monitor.
Season 8 Elections
Before the Season 8 Elections, The Shelled One appeared once again for a customary message, admonishing fans for their actions and hubris, this time expressing anger at the 100 million peanuts offered in tribute at the Hall of Flame.
YOU FOOLS
SERIOUSLY?
SERIOUSLY
100 MILLION SNACKS
WASTED
YOU FOOLS
THAT IS IT
STRIKE FOUR
YOU ARE OUT
SEE YOU SOON
Season 9 And Day X
See the main article on this topic: Day X
Following the regular season and the playoffs in which the Charleston Shoe Thieves won in a final inning Shame, an alert interrupted website viewing, warning fans to seek shelter. The Shelled One appeared in a new display reminiscent of a video game boss fight, featuring their own team, THE SHELLED ONE'S PODS, composed of The Three Peanuts and any player who had the Modification Shelled at the time.
The Shelled One and their Pods began waging a battle against the Shoe Thieves, in the form of a typical game of Blaseball. THE SHELLED ONE'S PODS were shown to have 29,918,122 Team Spirit, while the Shoe Thieves had 29,140 Team Spirit. Typical Blaseball actions, like outs and strikes, dealt damage to the opposite team's Team Spirit meters, while The Shelled One rapidly switched the game's weather type over the course of the entire game.
Half way through the game, when the Shoe Thieves had 1HP left, The Shelled One declared once again that they were "BENEVOLENT," and boosted the Shoe Thieves' Team Spirit meter to far beyond their original value. The game continued, yet the Shoe Thieves could not deal enough damage to THE SHELLED ONE'S PODS, and were defeated with 0 Team Spirit.
Following the game, multiple players and team rosters changed permanently. Any previously Shelled player had been unshelled and given the Modification Honey-Roasted, while being taken off their original team roster to be part of THE SHELLED ONE'S PODS, which included The Three Peanuts.
The Death of the Shelled One
See the main article on this topic: Day X#Season 10
Once again, the Shelled One appeared following the championship game of Season 10, in which the Baltimore Crabs secured their third victory and ascended. The Shelled One taunted the Crabs.
THIS IS YOUR CHAMPION?
THEM?
CRUSTACEANS
YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE WORTHY
TO GO UP?
TO CLIMB?
FOOLS
MY PODS
A new attack was launched against the champions by the PODS, this time crushing them in a single blow.
PATHETIC
LET THIS BE A LESSON
THE BIG LEAGUES ARE CALLING
Simultaneously, the Microphone sent messages of hope and support, and before too long, The Monitor appeared with its Hall Stars, a team of players composed of the top 14 players from the Hall of Flame, to face off against the Shelled One and its PODS.
Over the course of this battle, The Shelled One was subjected to harm from Lots of Birds:
WHAT
WHAT?
THAT IS IT?
THAT HURT?
HOW?!
The game progressed, with the Hall Stars taking an early lead. The Shelled One was outraged (duplicates not recorded).
PODS
CRUSH THEM
YOU'RE CHEATING!
YOU CANNOT WIN
I AM INFINITE
MY DORK
YOU ARE NOTHING
CHEATERS!
After the Hall Stars knocked out out a third of THE SHELLED ONE'S PODS' Team Spirit, The Shelled One grew enraged.
OK
THIS IS NOT FUNNY
PODS
STOP WASTING TIME
CRUSH THEM
I AM INFINITE
I AM THE SNACK
STOP
CHEATERS
HOTDOGFINGERS
The PODS closed the gap against the Hall Stars, encouraging further taunts from the Shelled One.
THIS IS NOT FUNNY
BOW BEFORE ME
YOU CANNOT WIN
GIVE UP
OK
THEY ARE MINE
COME ON DORK
RING RING
YES
NO
YES
HAD ENOUGH?
As the game stretched into the back half, a faint and distant Monitor began to creep up behind the Shelled One. Every so often, it would grow more visible, looming and preparing to strike. The Shelled One continued with its taunts (duplicates not recorded).
OH
WITNESS TRUE POWER
PATHETIC
YES
POWER
THEY ARE MINE
I AM INFINITE
I AM THE SNACK
The Shelled One, focused on its assault, failed to notice the Monitor creeping up. At the top of the final inning, Dominic Marijuana hit a solo home run, dealing 2,039,516 damage to THE SHELLED ONE'S PODS, and ending the game, leaving an opening for the Monitor to finally eat the Shelled One, ending the Discipline Era, and ushering in the next season, Peace and Prosperity.
Additional References
In the message announcing the extended siesta that followed Season 3, The Game Band referenced The Peanut. The message assured fans that Blaseball would be back, saying "But we will be back. The Peanut demands it. It's not finished with you yet."[1]
The Umps have referenced "The Shelled One" in relation to the Peanut Fraud, saying:
THE #PEANUTFRAUD CHEATERS KILLED SPLORTSMANSHIP. YOU MUST RESURRECT IT. YOU MUST APPEASE THE SHELLED ONE. ABUSE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.[2]
During the December 2020 stream of Inside a Blaseball, The Umpires revealed that The Shelled One originated from blaseball2.com, the location of the Baltimore Crabs following their Ascension in Season β10.[3]
- ↑ "Blaseball is taking an Extended Siesta"
- ↑ ump_sunman. #announcements, Blaseball Discord. 8.6.2020.
- ↑ https://www.twitch.tv/videos/838902366
