An Apeiron Story: The Godiverse Holidays, Part 1

Hey everyone! ’Tis the season to be jolly — and doody! Such being the case, for today’s blog post we have the first of a two part holiday…

Hey everyone! ’Tis the season to be jolly — and doody! Such being the case, for today’s blog post we have the first of a two part holiday special — An Apeiron Story: the Godiverse Holidays.

Join us as we meet the grumpy Ebegeezer Dood and accompany him on a magical journey across the godiverse to see the many ways in which doods party it up and to discover the meaning of why we celebrate as one year turns to another~

So gather round once more! Storytime :]

_________

In a small cozy town nestled away in a peaceful secluded corner of the godiverse lived a singularly grumpy dood who answered to the name of Ebegeezer Dood, or Ebe to his friends, of which there were few enough that you could count them on one — well, in fact you couldn’t count any of them, not anymore. Not, at least, since Ebegeezer’s long-time business partner Corncob had passed away.

Still, it was of no concern to Ebegeezer. Who needs friends when you have money? There was little doubt that he was the richest dood in town, a fact of which he was uncontrollably proud, to the point that he would walk around the streets “accidentally” dropping his valuables only to swiftly retrieve them with a sneering look on his face, scolding the poor doods around him to watch their manners and keep their dirty hands off of his things.

And so, it could not be said he was loved by the other doodfolk living in the town. And indeed, they did their best to avoid him. “Old Ebegeezer’s here — run for it!” “Oh it’s that Ebegeezer again. What’s he malding about now?” “Don’t make eye contact, he’ll smack you with his wallet!” There was not a single dood who had anything good to say about him at all — not to the most infinitesimal degree. Awfully enough, if he had simply gone up in a puff of smoke, no one would have missed him in the slightest.

Yet it is not to say that Ebegeezer was entirely cut off from the community. He had a sister named Franny, who had a cheerful doodling son. In fact, even now the young doodling — who went by the name of Frood — was coming to visit his miserly and miserable uncle.

It was Doodmas, you see, and Doodmas only comes once a year. It is a time to spend with loved ones. And Franny, looking out the kitchen window as she prepared the food, thought of her lonely brother — especially the memory of him, as he had once been — and so resolved to send her son to go invite him to their Doodmas dinner. She entertained little hope that the invitation would be accepted. But she was a good dood at heart, and wanted at least to try.

Ebegeezer was currently ensconced in his offices, counting his money for the umpteenth time that day while keeping a beady eye on his clerk in the front rooms. He hardly trusted the dood at all: a vagabond and a scoundrel, he thought. The dood went by the name of Critchens and had only recently arrived in town — with two little doodling sons in tow. Begging for a chance to make some money, and knowing little of Ebegeezer’s sour reputation — he had signed on with the company in the hopes of providing for his doodlings and to recover his financial situation. The labor itself was easy enough — if somewhat dull — but the constant scorn of Ebegeezer was a tough cross for any dood to bear. Even now the clerk was sadly filing unimportant papers just to avoid his boss’ grating ire.

The jingling of the doorbell arrested both of their attentions. Frood gave a happy wave and joyful grin. “Hiya Uncle! Hiya Mr. Critchens! Whatcha doin’ here? It’s Doodmas Eve! Shouldn’t you be home celebratin’?”

“Well-” began Critchens, only to be interrupted by Ebegeezer: “He’ll work until I say he’s free to go, or he can quit — it’s up to him.” Critchens sighed. Frood shrugged. “Whatever you say, uncle. Anyways! Me mum sent me over. She wants to invite you over for dinner. She’s cooking a big ol’ roast jungle bird! Whaddaya say, uncle? It’ll be yummy!”

“Hmph!” said Ebegeezer. “I’m sure that there are enough hungry mouths that I would hardly get any bite of roast bird — maybe just a bone. No! Not interested.”

Frood sighed. “Well alright then, uncle, if that’s what you want. I’m off then. Merry Doodmas to you both!”

The young doodling wasted no time in leaving the dreary chambers. Critchens turned to look at Ebegeezer, his eyes wide with hope. “It is getting late, Mr. Dood, sir, if you please. My sons, one of them is sick, and it would be great if I could get home a bit earlier to take care of him…”

“Harrumph!” said Ebegeezer. “Go then! That everyone should have the day off for Doodmas is robbing from my coffers but so be it. I’ll expect you to be here early the day after the holidays to compensate for the time I am graciously giving you now.”

“Oh thank you, sir! Bless you!” Critchens grabbed his wooly hat — it was getting chilly outside — and ran out the door, leaving Ebegeezer well and truly alone.

“Bah Gumbug! Who needs other doods?” said Ebegeezer loudly to himself. He spent what was left of the afternoon counting and carefully secreting away his money. Then he ate some cold leftovers before retiring to his bedroom, which was right above his offices. He set a fire in his hearth to give the room a bit of light and warmth, then climbed into bed. It was early in the evening still, but he just wanted the holidays to be over sooner rather than later. So he stubbornly shut his eyes and let sleep overcome him.

“Ebe…” A voice the dark.

“Ebe….” Go away! I’m trying to sleep.

“EBE!” He startled awake and looked around his room. It was late at night. The fire in the hearth had gone out. But there was a dim blue-ish light emanating from the form of a dood — who was none other than the dearly departed Corncob, his old business partner and only friend!

“Corncob!” said Ebegeezer in shock. “You- aren’t you- dead?”

Corncob nodded sadly. “I am afraid so, Ebe. But it’s Doodmas Eve, and so the Spirit Realm is aligned for a short time with the physical plane.”

“Eh?”

“Uh…I can visit you. But only for a short time. And only as a ghost.”

“Oh! Well, Corncob, it is good to see you. You were always the only one to understand me.”

“I miss you too, old friend. But I have not come here on a social call. I have come to warn you. You are in grave danger.”

“Danger! How do you mean? Does someone mean to rob me? Or perhaps kill me and rob me? Oh I knew I should never have trusted any of them!”

“It’s not them, Ebe. It’s you.”

“Eh? I’m going to rob…myself?”

“No. You see, Ebe, your grumpiness has reached levels where your very doodhood is in danger. If you continue to be so grumpy all the time, you’ll transform into a bood.”

“A bood? Those monsters our mothers used to scare us with stories of when we were kids? Boods aren’t real!”

“Oh but they are, Ebe, they are. Creatures of chaos. Ravening monsters who have lost their minds.”

Ebegeezer gasped. “But why would I become one?”

“You’re losing your doody spirit, Ebe. Look at that orb floating next to your body.”

Ebegeezer turned around. It was then he realized that he wasn’t sitting up — he was floating! His spirit had left his body. And next to his sleeping body, he could see a small orb he had never noticed before — except it’s light was wavering.

“Ebe,” said Corncob. “I’ve come to help you. We must rediscover your doodiness, your doody spirit. We must find it, Ebe, to save your life.”

“Oh Corncob,” said Ebegeezer morosely. “How are we supposed to do that? I feel nothing, not anymore. Nothing but disgust for those beneath me.”

“Take my hand, Ebe. We’re going to go on a journey tonight. A magical journey across the godiverse. We’re going to collect all the good vibes we can, and we’re going to save you.”

“Is this the only way?” asked Ebegeezer. “And how can we do that? We have no god to help us travel the godiverse!”

“Well,” said Corncob with a wink. “It’s Doodmas Eve. We get to break the rules a bit tonight. Are you ready?”

Ebegeezer looked down at his body, at his fading light. He sighed. It looked like it was going to be a long night after all.

He just hoped he could get back to his money soon. “Let’s go!”

_______

After a paradoxically long and short time traveling through the interminable and endlessly dark void of space, they arrived on a distant planet. They stood on a hilltop outside a small village. A wavering light shone from the windows of the humble brick houses.

Ebegeezer looked around. The countryside above which they were stand-floating appeared as if it had all been burnt to a crisp. The very grass — what was left of it — crumbled under their ghostly weight. And even though it was nighttime here — wherever in the godiverse here happened to be — he could make out, through his spirit eyeballs — the ruins of older structures: what once might have been proud farmhouses.

“What happened here?” he asked disinterestedly. It was of no matter to him, what had happened to whoever once had lived here. But he was curious nevertheless.

“Chaos,” said Corncob matter-of-factly. “An army of boods came here and ravaged the land. Eight days, they fought back. They had no god to defend them here. But Chaos is…chaotic. There’s no rhyme or reason for their actions. One day, the boods simply…left.”

“Hmm…” said Ebegeezer, looking again at the ruined landscape. Would he become the type of creature which would engage in such wanton desecration? Didn’t seem like there was much money in this business.

“Come,” said Corncob into the silence. “Let’s go walk the streets.”

They went down into the village. It was a quiet evening, and late; no dood was walking around to see two ghostly spirits perambulating through the public square. As they passed one house after another, Ebegeezer began to realize where the wavering light was coming from.

“Candles,” he said wonderingly. “Every house has candles in its window. Why?”

“It’s a tradition in these parts,” explained Corncob. “To light candles to remember what happened when Chaos attacked. To remember what they lost. And to remember that the lives they have today have been hard won. Eight of them — one for each day that they fought back against the boods.”

Ebegeezer looked up at the candles in one of the windows. He saw a dood mama standing at the window with a doodling son. She picked him up and helped him to light one of the candles sitting in the window. Then she had to act fast as he tried to eat the candle.

Suddenly Ebegeezer was thinking about his sister. Franny had always looked out for him; was looking out for him, even now, when he had done his best to isolate himself from the entirety of doodkind. He remembered sneaking into the kitchen as doodlings and Franny lifting him up so he could swipe some cookies from the table. How they had laughed as they ran outside and stuffed cookies in their hungry mouths! For a moment, he smiled at the memory…

And then he found himself back in the present. The mama dood and her doodling were gone, the curtains closed against the ingress of haunting eyes and wayward spirits. He was stand-floating on the cold streets with his dead friend. What had Franny thought when she had gotten his steadfast refusal? He sighed. In truth, he hadn’t spoken to her in some time. They had stopped talking, although he couldn’t for the life of him remember why.

Corncob put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulders. “I think we’re done here for now, Ebe. Are you ready to move on?”

Ebegeezer nodded. “Yes. Well, I do not know if I have recovered any sort of spirit here. But I did remember something, at least. Something I hadn’t thought of for a long while. Let us be off. I would have done with all of this sooner rather than later.”

_______

Quicker than he realized but longer than he thought, they arrived at their next destination. They were standing on a long and winding dirt road. To either side of the wide thoroughfare, tall trees loomed over them, the forest a dark promise.

Yet the road itself was an avenue of light and hive of activity. There were many travelers on the road, especially for so late at night. And not just any travelers, but joyful ones, all of them cloaked and carrying lanterns, and clearly from all walks of life: there were families of proud dood parents with bouncing doodlings scurrying about in excitement, there were young doods in pairs with hands entwined together in warm affection, laughing groups of rebellious youthful doods, older doods supporting each other as they want along, and doods who had obviously just met on the road but were striking up a new friendship. The whole colorful menagerie of dood life was spread before them as a tapestry on this nighttime winding road.

“Where are we?” asked Ebegeezer.

Corncob smiled. “Let’s walk along and you’ll see.”

“You’re enjoying being the mysterious guiding spirit, aren’t you?”

“One of the few benefits of being dead. Come on!”

So they joined the throng. Ebegeezer wasn’t sure if any of the surrounding doods could see them, or whether, if they could, they realized that a pair of doody ghosts was floating amongst them. But if they did notice, they didn’t seem to care: there was no horror from this crowd. They let the current of doods carry them along until they found themselves deposited outside a cheery and bustling roadside inn.

It was just the sort of place you hear about in the stories: wooden-framed, several stories, sturdily put together by determined hands. The place was full to the rafters — literally: some young doods were perched perilously with legs dangling from the roof, mugs of maplebeer in their hands, singing from the top of their lungs. The windows were streaming with light and the sound of cheering and clapping could be heard emanating from within.

“What are they celebrating here?” asked Ebegeezer. “It’s very noisy. What if someone wanted to sleep?” he added petulantly, crossing his arms in dissatisfaction.

Corncob grinned. “This world has been peaceful for a long time. The doods here say it’s because they were saved from Chaos by a dood who became a god. Or who was a god. Or something like that…”

“A dood who became a god? Preposterous!”

Corncob shrugged. “That’s what they say. In any case, they say before he was born, his parents were traveling. They stayed at inns along this road for 8 days, and then on the ninth day he was born. So the doods here are celebrating his story by traveling along the same road, staying at inns along the way. If they can find a room…” he chuckled. “It can get quite busy, as you can see. So there are also campsites. Or some doods will travel for a while and then go back home. Lots of options!”

“I see…” mumbled Ebegeezer. There was something he was thinking about that he couldn’t quite remember…something on the tip of his tongue. He was looking at the windows of that busy inn and then — yes! It hit him in a flash: Bonnie.

As a young dood, he had met a doodette named Bonnie and the two of them grew very close. Once, he had invited her to go on a trip to a nearby village. He had some business over there — this was when he was still just a clerk in the company, working his way up the ranks — and he thought it would be nice to make a trip of it. They had stayed at an inn not dissimilar from the one he was standing outside now. He remembered sitting next to her at a table by the window, sharing a maplebeer with her and chatting about the future. At the time, he had thought that no other moment could be so perfect as that one.

But of course, things didn’t turn out quite as he expected. He did well on that business deal — such that he was promoted and given more responsibilities. Then he no longer had so much time to spend with Bonnie. They drifted apart. Eventually, she moved away. He didn’t know where she was now — they had fallen out of contact, like most of the doods in his life.

Still, at least he had made a lot of money.

He sighed. “Corncob, can we leave now? I’ve had enough of this place.”

Corncob nodded in respectful silence, sensing his companion’s melancholy. In the blink of an eye, the two doody spirits vanished into thin air.

________

They reappeared on a dark and stormy night…somewhere else. It was raining. The sensation of rain passing through one’s soul — one’s very essence — it was disconcerting. Ebegeezer shivered and looked around. It was hard to make out much through the heavy downpour. The only thing he could make out was that they were standing in front of a very large building: some sort of castle, perhaps. Flickering torchlight spluttered in the rain, sending an uneven light out to grasp at their shadows.

“Oh dear,” said Corncob. His stomach was making a grumbling sound. Ebegeezer began to feel sick: Corncob had a unique sense for trouble — his gut always complained when something terrible was afoot. It had saved them from numerous bad business deals. But now he knew not what it meant. Was their danger here?

“Corncob, where have you taken us?”

“Umm…to be honest, Ebe, I’m not sure. We’ll have to go inside for me to figure out which celebration this is.”

“Is it safe, do you think?”

“Come now, Ebe! What could threaten a pair of insubstantial ghosts such as us?”

He hadn’t the slightest notion. Yet he couldn’t help but note Corncob’s nervous demeanor and the obvious use of foreshadowing.

Still, there was nothing for it. They had to press on. His life was in danger as it was — and for all the misery he felt, he didn’t want to give it up. So up they went to the castle gates and passed right through. Could be useful to be ghostly, occasionally.

They found themselves in a wide entrance hall. Down at the other end of the long hall they could just about make out a large room — the keep of the castle, most likely — with doors thrown wide and doods moving about gaily. The heat from the roaring roasting fires and boisterous shouting and laughter invited them to join. They looked at each other and grinned sheepishly. Not so bad after all! Just another party to attend.

Off they went down the hall and into the castle’s keep. But as soon as they entered, Ebegeezer gasped in shock.

There was blood everywhere. The whole room was coated with it — and the doods as well. Although they seemed pretty relaxed about it: they were chatting amicably, drinking, eating, and some of the doodlings were doing blood angels on the ground.

Bloody meat lay scattered on the floor around sacrificial tables where doods crowded with big ol’ chopping knives. Corncob gasped. “I remember now! The Blood Night.”

“How aptly named,” remarked Ebegeezer drolly.

“It’s an old tradition, this one. And not as bad as it sounds! You see, the god here, he prefers his meat on the rare and bloody side. So when they honor him, they make a sacrifice of only very lightly seared steaks and such.”

“I’m more of a medium-rare guy myself,” said Ebegeezer with an arched eyebrow as one dood passed by drenched red from head to toe.

This dood stopped suddenly as he passed by the two ghosts.

“Hang on,” he said. “Who are you then?”

Corncob and Ebegeezer’s eyes widened in shock. Ebegeezer turned quickly to Corncob and hissed: “They can see us?!”

“It must be all the blood and sacrifice. It brings them closer to the Spirit Realm-”

“Bloody hell!” said one of the other doods in the room, pointing at them. “Them’s ghosts!”

Suddenly all eyes were upon them. A robed dood — a priest, perhaps — standing on a stage at the back of the room let out a wail. “Evil spirits! Friend doods, we must drive them out! They’re here to steal our lightly-cooked meat and good fortune!”

“Oh bother,” said Ebegeezer.

The two of them took off back the way they had come with the angry horde yelling behind them. “Corncob! Get us out of here!”

“I can’t!” puffed Corncob as he was jogging. “Not until we’re out of the castle!”

So they ran as fast as they could, but to be perfectly honest, neither of them was in the best of shape physically — or even spiritually. The bloody crowd was gaining on them.

“Jump for it!” shouted Corncob. They were almost at the exit.

Ebegeezer ran as fast as he ever had in his life. He was almost there…almost…one of the bloody doods was right on his tail. It was now or never. He dove over the threshold, headfirst.

And vanished.

_______

Ooo! I wonder what will happen next? Keep a lookout for when we conclude this exciting holiday tale! And in the meantime, head on over to our Twitter, Telegram, and/or Discord (especially the last one — our Discord is awesome) to discuss everything related to Apeiron and the metaverse.

And as always, thanks for reading, godlings. We’ll see you next time~

About Apeiron

Apeiron is the world’s first NFT-based play-and-earn godgame. Apeiron will feature a unique card-based action-adventure combat system combined with god game simulation gameplay inspired by classic god games like Populous and Black & White. Players will be able to build up planets from above before descending to the ground as a powerful Avatar to solve the mysteries of the universe. Players will grow their planet to the point of developmental stagnation, then reset the planetary cycle via an Armageddon event to allow for even more advancement and thrilling late-game alliance level GvE and GvG activities. Apeiron will use a tri-token architecture, which means that there will be three separate tokens to navigate their ecosystem: a governance token, a play-to-earn token, and a premium alliance token.

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