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{{Era|Culture|Technology|Isu}}{{WP-REAL}}
{{Era|Culture|Technology|Isu}}{{WP-REAL}}
{{Spoilerhd|10 March 2022}}
{{Update|''[[Wrath of the Druids]] and [[Dawn of Ragnarök]]''}}
{{Update|''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' and ''[[Dawn of Ragnarök]]''}}
{{Quote|From the life-tree we go, to the life-tree we shall one day return.|Odin to the rest of the gathered Æsir, c. 75,000 BCE.|Assassin's Creed: Valhalla|Cheating Fate}}
{{Quote|From the life-tree we go, to the life-tree we shall one day return.|Odin to the rest of the gathered Æsir, 75,000 BCE|Assassin's Creed: Valhalla|Cheating Fate}}
{{Item Infobox
{{Item Infobox
|image     = Yggdrasil.png
|image = Yggdrasil.png
|type     = Isu technology<ref name="ACV">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[21st century conversations|Modern day]]</ref>
|type = Isu technology<ref name="ACV">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[21st century conversations|Modern day]]</ref>
|powers   =  
|powers = *Essence containment<ref name="ACV"/>
*Essence containment<ref name="ACV"/>
*[[Isu incarnation|Incarnation]] inducement<ref name="ACV"/>
*[[Sage|Reincarnation]] inducement<ref name="ACV"/>
*Creation of [[Calculations|physical simulations]]<ref name="ACV"/>
*Creation of [[Calculations|physical simulations]]<ref name="ACV"/>
*Biological preservation<ref name="ACV"/>
*Biological preservation<ref name="ACV"/>
|current   = [[Hordaland|Hordafylke]], [[Norway]]<ref name="ABrothersKeeper">''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – [[A Brother's Keeper]]</ref>
|current = [[Hordaland|Hordafylke]], [[Norway]]<ref name="A Brother's Keeper">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[A Brother's Keeper]]</ref>
|period   = Prehistory until [[modern times]]<ref name="ACV"/>
|period = Prehistory until [[modern times]]<ref name="ACV"/>
|created   = [[Isu]]<ref name="ACV"/>
|created = [[Isu]]<ref name="ACV"/>
|made     = [[Isu Era]]<ref name="ACV"/>
|made = [[Isu Era]]<ref name="ACV"/>
|destroyed =  
|destroyed=
|notable   =  
|notable=
}}
}}
'''Yggdrasil''', also referred to as the '''World Tree''',<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga]]'' – Chapter 6</ref> is an ancient supercomputer which was built by the [[Isu]] as an intended seventh solution to the [[Great Catastrophe]].<ref name="ACV" />
'''Yggdrasil''', also referred to as the '''World Tree''',<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga]]'' – Chapter 6</ref> is an ancient supercomputer which was built by the [[Isu]] as an intended seventh solution to the [[Great Catastrophe]].<ref name="ACV"/>


==Mythology==
==Mythology==
In [[Norse mythology]], Yggdrasil was interpreted as a literal titanic ash tree whose roots and branches connected all of the [[Nine Realms]], which consisted of [[Asgard]], [[Jötunheimr]], [[Múspellsheimr]], [[Midgard]], [[Svartálfaheimr]], [[Vanaheimr]], [[Niðavellir]], [[Álfheimr]], and [[Niflheim]].<ref name="ACV" />
In [[Norse mythology]], Yggdrasil was interpreted as a literal titanic ash tree whose roots and branches connected all of the [[Nine Realms]], which consisted of [[Ásgarðr]], [[Jötunheimr]], [[Múspellsheimr]], [[Midgard]], [[Svartálfaheimr]], [[Vanaheimr]], [[Helheim]], [[Álfheimr]], and [[Niflheim]].<ref name="ACV"/> The [[Celts]] also had [[Celtic mythology|their own]] {{Wiki|world tree}}, interpreting Yggdrasil as the Tree of Life.<ref>{{WP|Celtic sacred trees}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
During the [[Human-Isu War]], several Isu became aware of an impending [[Sun|solar flare]] which would result in both the [[human]]s and Isu facing extinction. Realizing that a solution was needed to counter the oncoming coronal mass ejection, some Isu choose to ignore the war and instead focused on finding solutions to save [[Earth]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – Modern day</ref>  
===Isu Era===
During the [[Human-Isu War]], several Isu factions became aware of an impending [[Sun|solar flare]] which would result in both the [[human]]s and Isu facing extinction. Realizing that a solution was needed to counter the oncoming coronal mass ejection, some Isu choose to ignore the war and instead focused on finding solutions to save [[Earth]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – Modern day</ref>


After many solutions had failed, [[Jupiter]], [[Juno]], and [[Minerva]]—the [[Capitoline Triad|latest triad]] to hold the titles of [[Father of Understanding]], [[Mother of Wisdom]], and [[Sacred Voice]], respectively—had come up with a seventh attempt which had a chance of succeeding. This seventh method was called Yggdrasil, a supercomputer which could store an Isu's essence and reincarnate it into the human gene pool across eons. However, disaster struck before they had a chance to use it, though nine members from the [[Æsir]] branch of Isu—[[Odin]], [[Tyr]], [[Loki]], [[Freyja]],<ref name="ABrothersKeeper"/> [[Heimdall]],<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – ''[[Rigsogur]]'': I. The King of Soft Reeds</ref> [[Thor]], [[Sif]], [[Frey]], and [[Idun]]<ref name="DarbySages"/>—managed to upload their consciousnesses before the computer's laboratory caved in.<ref name="AnimusAnomalies">''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – [[Animus Anomalies]]: AA_Complete</ref>
[[File:ACV The Hidden Truth 9.png|thumb|250px|left|The Æsir using Yggdrasil to seed their DNA into the human gene pool]]
After many solutions had failed, [[Jupiter]], [[Juno]], and [[Minerva]]—the [[Capitoline Triad|latest triad]] to hold the titles of [[Father of Understanding]], [[Mother of Wisdom]], and [[Sacred Voice]], respectively—had come up with a seventh attempt which had a chance of succeeding. This seventh method was called Yggdrasil, a supercomputer which could store an Isu's essence and [[Isu incarnation|incarnate]] it into the human gene pool across eons. However, disaster struck before they had a chance to use it, though nine members from the [[Æsir]] branch of Isu—[[Odin]], [[Týr]], [[Loki]], [[Freyja]],<ref name="A Brother's Keeper"/> [[Heimdall]],<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[Rigsogur]]'': I. The King of Soft Reeds</ref> [[Thor]], [[Sif]], [[Frey]], and [[Idun]]<ref name="DarbySages"/>—managed to upload their consciousnesses before the computer's laboratory caved in.<ref name="Animus Anomalies">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Animus Anomalies]]: AA_Complete</ref>
 
===Viking Age===
In 877 CE, [[Sigurd Styrbjornsson]], Týr's human incarnation, was guided to Yggdrasil's chamber by visions of his past life. Accompanied by his adoptive sister [[Eivor Varinsdottir]], who was Odin's incarnation, the two ventured into the mountains of [[Hordaland|Hordafylke]]. There, they found the chamber's entrance in a cave and Sigurd recited the [[Isu script|words]] carved on the [[Saga Stone]]—a piece of the vault's door which had broken off—to gain access. Once inside the chamber, the siblings saw Freyja's incarnation [[Svala]] already hooked to Yggdrasil and proceeded to activate the machine, which brought them to a simulated version of [[Valhalla (afterlife)|Valhalla]].<ref name="A Brother's Keeper"/>
 
[[File:ACV A Brother's Keeper 14.png|thumb|250px|Eivor and Sigurd entering the Yggdrasil chamber]]
After leaving the simulation, Eivor and Sigurd were confronted by their [[Assassins|Hidden One]] ally [[Basim ibn Ishaq]], who was Loki's incarnation and had followed them to take his revenge on the former. After a prolonged fight across the chamber, Eivor and Sigurd defeated Basim and forcibly hooked him to Yggdrasil, trapping his consciousness inside [[the Grey]] for centuries.<ref name="A Brother's Keeper"/>
 
===Modern times===
In August 2020, the Assassin [[Layla Hassan]] discovered the location of Yggdrasil's chamber from Eivor's [[Genetic memory|genetic memories]] and traveled there, hoping the supercomputer could be used to reverse a series of global anomalies caused by the activation of the [[global aurora borealis device]] in 2012. As Yggdrasil had been running for centuries by that point, the chamber was filled with lethal radiation emitted by the machine, requiring Layla to use the [[Staff of Hermes Trismegistus]] to protect herself.<ref name="ACV"/>
 
After connecting herself to the machine and entering the Grey, Layla met the still-trapped Basim, who showed her how to slow down Yggdrasil and end the anomalies. However, this came at a cost, as Layla's consciousness became trapped within the Grey while Basim was released from his imprisonment. Layla accepted her fate and decided to help "[[Desmond Miles|The Reader]]" with running his [[calculations]] to prevent future cataclysms, while Basim used the Staff of Hermes to rejuvenate his physical body and left the chamber.<ref name="ACV"/>


==Legacy and influence==
==Legacy and influence==
Following the Great Catastrophe, the true purpose, design, and location of Yggdrasil was largely forgotten among the remaining human population. In time, it was passed down into myth, where it was reimagined as an immense ash tree that held the cosmos together, and became so important to Norse folklore that [[Vikings]] like the [[shieldmaiden]] [[Eivor Varinsdottir]] of the [[Raven Clan]] were known to [[tattoo]] it on their body.<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla</ref>
Following the Great Catastrophe, the true purpose, design, and location of Yggdrasil were largely forgotten among the remaining human population. In time, it was passed down into myth, where it was reimagined as an immense ash tree that held the cosmos together. Yggdrasil became so important to Norse folklore that [[Vikings]] like Eivor Varinsdottir were known to [[tattoo]] it on their body.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]''</ref>
 
In the late 9th century, Eivor used a psychoactive mixture made by [[Ravensthorpe]]'s resident seer [[Valka]] to relive Odin's memories of his time in the [[Dwarf|dwarven]] realm of [[Svartálfaheimr]] looking for his captured son [[Baldr]] before [[Ragnarök]] began. In these visions, Odin often came across altars build around pieces of Yggdrasil's roots, where he could sacrifice a portion of his life force to recharge his [[Hugr-Rip]].<ref name="Ragnarok">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]] – [[Dawn of Ragnarök]]''</ref>
 
[[File:ACV Order of the Ancients Medallion.png|thumb|200px|left|An Order of the Ancients medallion featuring the Yggdrasil symbol]]
Around this time, the [[Order of the Ancients]] members operating in [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] [[England]] carried silver [[Order of the Ancients medallion|medallions]] that bore an engraving of Yggdrasil to signify their belonging in the organization.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Breaking the Order]]</ref>


Later, Eivor used a psychoactive mixture made by [[Ravensthorpe]]'s resident seer [[Valka]] to relive Odin's [[genetic memories]] of his time in the [[Dwarf|dwarven]] realm of Svartálfaheimr looking for his captured son [[Baldr]] before [[Ragnarök]] began. In these visions, Odin often came across altars build around pieces of Yggdrasil's roots, where he could sacrifice a portion of his life force to recharge his [[Hugr Rip]].<ref name="AccessTheAnimus">{{Youtube|video=vh4H-lbG4AU|text=Dawn of Ragnarok - 16 Minutes of Uncommented Gameplay and Narrative (Assassin's Creed Valhalla DLC)|channel=channel/UCJagPhYpiiE09D5pA-ZGuZw|channelname=Access The Animus}}<br>''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – [[Dawn of Ragnarök]]'' – {{Cite|10 Feb 2022. Memory needed}}</ref>
In [[Ireland]], [[druid]]s continued their Celtic pagan practices revolving around the Tree of Life, with the extremist [[Children of Danu]] cult going so far as to place a sacrificial alter atop a large painting of the tree.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]] – [[Wrath of the Druids]]''</ref> It continued to be a symbol that the Irish strongly associated with their homeland into the 18th century, as the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Assassin]] [[Shay Cormac]] wore a belt buckle that featured the tree to mark his Irish heritage.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''</ref>
 
In July 1754, Shay and his fellow Assassin [[Hope Jensen]] helped the inventor [[Benjamin Franklin]] activate a [[Precursor box]] with lightning to glean the secrets it contained. Once it was turned on, the box projected a hologram of Yggdrasil beneath a [[Isu map|world map]] marked with the locations of [[Seismic Temple]]s.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Fiat Lux]]</ref>
 
In 2014, the [[Master Templar]] [[Juhani Otso Berg]], inspired by Shay's defection to the [[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Templars]], donned a coat lapel button of Yggdrasil to emulate his idol.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[21st century conversations|Modern day]]</ref>


==Functionality==
==Functionality==
Yggdrasil is an ancient Isu supercomputer which can best be described as the Isu's version of the [[Animus]] technology developed by [[Abstergo Industries]]. The supercomputer is engineered with a myriad of advanced abilities, some of which include:
Yggdrasil is an ancient Isu supercomputer which can best be described as the Isu's version of the [[Animus]] technology developed by [[Abstergo Industries]]. The supercomputer is engineered with a myriad of advanced abilities, some of which include:
*'''Essence Containment''' – This allows users to upload and preserve their consciousness into the supercomputer. This can happen one of two known ways. The first is by sitting in one of the energy core-powered chairs surrounding the table which holds the computer's processing tower in the center. After powering up the chair and donning a faceplate, a small arm extends from the chair's head and takes a genetic sample from the user's neck, then feeds it into one of the four pods containing individual human fetuses that hang from the computer.<ref name="AnimusAnomalies"/> The second method involves being physically entered into Yggdrasil via its branches, as seen when both Svala<ref name="ABrothersKeeper"/> and [[Layla Hassan]]<ref name="ACV"/> used Yggdrasil to upload their psyches to spend eternity inside the computer's simulations
*'''Essence Containment''' – This allows users to upload and preserve their consciousness into the supercomputer. This can happen in one of two known ways. The first is by sitting in one of the energy core-powered chairs surrounding the table which holds the computer's processing tower in the center. After powering up the chair and donning a faceplate, a small arm extends from the chair's head and takes a genetic sample from the user's neck, then feeds it into one of the four pods containing individual human fetuses that hang from the computer.<ref name="Animus Anomalies"/> The second method involves being physically entered into Yggdrasil via its branches, as seen when both Svala<ref name="A Brother's Keeper"/> and Layla Hassan<ref name="ACV"/> used Yggdrasil to upload their psyches to spend eternity inside the computer's simulations.
*'''Reincarnation Inducement''' – Yggdrasil is able to [[Sage|reincarnate]] the psyches stored in it as humans across the globe. As of 2020, Yggdrasil successfully managed to reincarnate all nine of the Isu who used the device, all of whom could be identified by a black spot on their necks.<ref name="DarbySages">{{Twitter|AC_ISDA|status/1354767258015428611|Il Salotto degli Assassini|quote=@DarbyMcDevitt this is our bet! [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Es0Zo-qW4AYgvsE.jpg pic.twitter.com/qZ8tRqQZMj]|image=File:ACV - Darby McDevitt on the Isu Reincarnations.png}}<br>{{Twitter|DarbyMcDevitt|status/1354773470756954116|Darby McDevitt|quote=@AC_ISDA @69guacamole69 @KurdishOnes I think you got it!|image=File:ACV - Darby McDevitt on the Isu Reincarnations.png}}</ref> It is unknown whether Yggdrasil had any part to play in [[Aita]]'s reincarnations. Given the fact that Svala had successfully entered her psyche into the Yggdrasil,<ref name="ABrothersKeeper"/> it is never discussed whether she herself has the possibility to reincarnate like the other Isu.
*'''Incarnation Inducement''' – Yggdrasil is able to [[Isu incarnation|incarnate]] the psyches stored in it as humans across the globe. As of the 9th century, Yggdrasil successfully incarnated all nine of the Isu who used the device, all of whom could be identified by a black spot on their necks.<ref name="DarbySages">{{Twitter|AC_ISDA|status/1354767258015428611|Il Salotto degli Assassini|quote=@DarbyMcDevitt this is our bet! [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Es0Zo-qW4AYgvsE.jpg pic.twitter.com/qZ8tRqQZMj]|image=File:ACV - Darby McDevitt on the Isu Reincarnations.png}}<br>{{Twitter|DarbyMcDevitt|status/1354773470756954116|Darby McDevitt|quote=@AC_ISDA @69guacamole69 @KurdishOnes I think you got it!|image=File:ACV - Darby McDevitt on the Isu Reincarnations.png}}</ref> Unlike [[Aita]] and [[Vejovis]]' continuous incarnations known as [[Sage]]s, this process could only be used to incarnate an Isu once.
*'''Simulation Functions''' – Yggdrasil also create powerful simulations similar to the technology used in Animi. As discerned by [[Assassins|Assassin]] historian [[Shaun Hastings]], it appeared to have been used to ''"generate and explore [[Calculations|possible futures]], alternate realities, and counterfactual stories."''<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – [[Database: Yggdrasil]]</ref> This shows that the Isu could use Yggdrasil to effectively utilize the calculations. Yggdrasil also had branches which can be used to hook users into the computer and use its simulation functions. [[Basim Ibn Ishaq]], the reincarnation of Loki, took advantage of being hooked onto one of the branches to thoroughly study the calculations. Yggdrasil could also create a simulation of [[Valhalla (afterlife)|Valhalla]] from Norse mythology, as experienced first by Svala and later by [[Sigurd Styrbjornsson]] and Eivor, themselves reincarnations of Týr and Odin, respectively.<ref name="ABrothersKeeper"/>
*'''Simulation Functions''' – Yggdrasil also creates powerful simulations similar to the technology used in Animi. As discerned by [[Shaun Hastings]], it appeared to have been used to ''"generate and explore possible futures, alternate realities, and counterfactual stories."''<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Database: Yggdrasil]]</ref> This shows that the Isu could use Yggdrasil to effectively utilize the calculations. While trapped in Yggdrasil's simulations for centuries, Basim ibn Ishaq ran countless calculations to determine the best way to escape in the future.<ref name="ACV"/> Additionally, the machine could render a simulation of Valhalla, as depicted in Norse mythology.<ref name="A Brother's Keeper"/>
*'''Biological Preservation''' – Yggdrasil's branches could hold a user's comatose body intact for extended periods of time, long after natural death and decay should have occurred. In 2020, Basim's unresponsive body was still whole after being connected to Yggdrasil for over a 1000 years,<ref name="ABrothersKeeper"/> with whatever minor visible decay vanishing when the [[Staff of Hermes Trismegistus]] regenerated him back to life.<ref name="ACV" />
*'''Biological Preservation''' – Yggdrasil's branches could hold a user's comatose body intact for extended periods of time, long after natural death and decay should have occurred. In 2020, Basim's unresponsive body was still whole after being connected to Yggdrasil for over 1000 years,<ref name="A Brother's Keeper"/> with whatever minor visible decay vanishing when the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus regenerated him back to life.<ref name="ACV"/>
 
==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{c|appears as ash tree on a medallion}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' {{1st}}
**''[[The Way of the Berserker]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Wrath of the Druids]]'' {{c|appears as a tree on painted stone tiles}}
**''[[Dawn of Ragnarök]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga]]'' {{c|as the World Tree}}
*''[[Discovery Tour: Viking Age]]'' {{c|as the World Tree}}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180" spacing="small" position="center" captionalign="center">
<gallery widths="180" position="center" captionalign="center">
ACV - Yggdrasil concept model.jpg|Concept model of the Yggdrasil computer
ACV - Yggdrasil concept model.jpg|Concept model of the Yggdrasil computer
ACV - Yggdrasil concept 1.jpg|Concept art of the Yggdrasil computer
ACV - Yggdrasil concept 1.jpg|Concept art of the Yggdrasil computer
ACV - Yggdrasil concept 2.jpg|Concept art of Yggdrasil in Asgard
ACV - Yggdrasil concept 2.jpg|Concept art of Yggdrasil in Asgard
ACV - Yggdrasil concept 3.jpg|Concept art of Yggdrasil in fog
ACV - Yggdrasil concept 3.jpg|Concept art of Yggdrasil in fog
ACV - Yggdrasil chamber concept 1.jpg|Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber in 870s CE
ACV - Yggdrasil chamber concept 1.jpg|Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber in 877 CE
ACV - Yggdrasil chamber concept 2.jpg|Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber in 2020
ACV - Yggdrasil chamber concept 2.jpg|Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber in 2020
ACV - Yggdrasil chamber concept 3.jpg|Concept art
ACV - Yggdrasil chamber concept 3.jpg|Concept art
ACV - Yggdrasil chamber concept 4.jpg|Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber, wide shot
ACV - Yggdrasil chamber concept 4.jpg|Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber, wide shot
ACV WotD Yggdrasil Altar Concept.jpg|Concept art of Yggdrasil painted beneath an altar in [[Ireland]]
ACV WotD Yggdrasil Altar Concept.jpg|Concept art of Yggdrasil painted beneath an altar in Ireland
ACV - Yggdrasil branch.jpg|A branch of Yggdrasil
ACV Yggdrassil Interface.png|The sphere used to control Yggdrasil
ACV Symbol Celtic Tree.png|Render of an Yggdrasil painting
ACRG Yggdrasil Hologram.png|The Precursor box's hologram of Yggdrasil
</gallery>
</gallery>
==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{Io}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' {{1st}}
**''[[The Way of the Berserker]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Wrath of the Druids]]'' {{c|appears as a tree on painted stone tiles}}
**''[[Mastery Challenge]]'' {{c|appears as ash tree on belt buckle}}
**''[[Dawn of Ragnarök]]''
**''[[The Forgotten Saga]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga]]'' {{Mo|"the World Tree"}}
*''[[Discovery Tour: Viking Age]]'' {{Mo|"the World Tree"}}
*''[[Echoes of History]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One]]'' {{Mo}}


==References==
==References==
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{{Isu}}
{{Isu}}
{{ACV}}
{{ACV}}
[[zh:世界树]]
<!--[zh:世界树]
[fr:Yggdrasil]-->
[[Category:Isu technology]]
[[Category:Isu technology]]
[[Category:Norse mythology]]
[[Category:Norse mythology]]
[[Category:Celtic mythology]]

Latest revision as of 01:18, 25 May 2026

Patience, brothers. Soon we will reveal the secrets of Wrath of the Druids and Dawn of Ragnarök.

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"From the life-tree we go, to the life-tree we shall one day return."
―Odin to the rest of the gathered Æsir, c. 75,000 BCE.[src]-[m]

Yggdrasil, also referred to as the World Tree,[3] is an ancient supercomputer which was built by the Isu as an intended seventh solution to the Great Catastrophe.[1]

Mythology[edit | edit source]

In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil was interpreted as a literal titanic ash tree whose roots and branches connected all of the Nine Realms, which consisted of Ásgarðr, Jötunheimr, Múspellsheimr, Midgard, Svartálfaheimr, Vanaheimr, Helheim, Álfheimr, and Niflheim.[1] The Celts also had their own world tree, interpreting Yggdrasil as the Tree of Life.[4]

History[edit | edit source]

Isu Era[edit | edit source]

During the Human-Isu War, several Isu factions became aware of an impending solar flare which would result in both the humans and Isu facing extinction. Realizing that a solution was needed to counter the oncoming coronal mass ejection, some Isu choose to ignore the war and instead focused on finding solutions to save Earth.[5]

The Æsir using Yggdrasil to seed their DNA into the human gene pool

After many solutions had failed, Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva—the latest triad to hold the titles of Father of Understanding, Mother of Wisdom, and Sacred Voice, respectively—had come up with a seventh attempt which had a chance of succeeding. This seventh method was called Yggdrasil, a supercomputer which could store an Isu's essence and incarnate it into the human gene pool across eons. However, disaster struck before they had a chance to use it, though nine members from the Æsir branch of Isu—Odin, Týr, Loki, Freyja,[2] Heimdall,[6] Thor, Sif, Frey, and Idun[7]—managed to upload their consciousnesses before the computer's laboratory caved in.[8]

Viking Age[edit | edit source]

In 877 CE, Sigurd Styrbjornsson, Týr's human incarnation, was guided to Yggdrasil's chamber by visions of his past life. Accompanied by his adoptive sister Eivor Varinsdottir, who was Odin's incarnation, the two ventured into the mountains of Hordafylke. There, they found the chamber's entrance in a cave and Sigurd recited the words carved on the Saga Stone—a piece of the vault's door which had broken off—to gain access. Once inside the chamber, the siblings saw Freyja's incarnation Svala already hooked to Yggdrasil and proceeded to activate the machine, which brought them to a simulated version of Valhalla.[2]

Eivor and Sigurd entering the Yggdrasil chamber

After leaving the simulation, Eivor and Sigurd were confronted by their Hidden One ally Basim ibn Ishaq, who was Loki's incarnation and had followed them to take his revenge on the former. After a prolonged fight across the chamber, Eivor and Sigurd defeated Basim and forcibly hooked him to Yggdrasil, trapping his consciousness inside the Grey for centuries.[2]

Modern times[edit | edit source]

In August 2020, the Assassin Layla Hassan discovered the location of Yggdrasil's chamber from Eivor's genetic memories and traveled there, hoping the supercomputer could be used to reverse a series of global anomalies caused by the activation of the global aurora borealis device in 2012. As Yggdrasil had been running for centuries by that point, the chamber was filled with lethal radiation emitted by the machine, requiring Layla to use the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus to protect herself.[1]

After connecting herself to the machine and entering the Grey, Layla met the still-trapped Basim, who showed her how to slow down Yggdrasil and end the anomalies. However, this came at a cost, as Layla's consciousness became trapped within the Grey while Basim was released from his imprisonment. Layla accepted her fate and decided to help "The Reader" with running his calculations to prevent future cataclysms, while Basim used the Staff of Hermes to rejuvenate his physical body and left the chamber.[1]

Legacy and influence[edit | edit source]

Following the Great Catastrophe, the true purpose, design, and location of Yggdrasil were largely forgotten among the remaining human population. In time, it was passed down into myth, where it was reimagined as an immense ash tree that held the cosmos together. Yggdrasil became so important to Norse folklore that Vikings like Eivor Varinsdottir were known to tattoo it on their body.[9]

In the late 9th century, Eivor used a psychoactive mixture made by Ravensthorpe's resident seer Valka to relive Odin's memories of his time in the dwarven realm of Svartálfaheimr looking for his captured son Baldr before Ragnarök began. In these visions, Odin often came across altars build around pieces of Yggdrasil's roots, where he could sacrifice a portion of his life force to recharge his Hugr-Rip.[10]

An Order of the Ancients medallion featuring the Yggdrasil symbol

Around this time, the Order of the Ancients members operating in Anglo-Saxon England carried silver medallions that bore an engraving of Yggdrasil to signify their belonging in the organization.[11]

In Ireland, druids continued their Celtic pagan practices revolving around the Tree of Life, with the extremist Children of Danu cult going so far as to place a sacrificial alter atop a large painting of the tree.[12] It continued to be a symbol that the Irish strongly associated with their homeland into the 18th century, as the Colonial Assassin Shay Cormac wore a belt buckle that featured the tree to mark his Irish heritage.[13]

In July 1754, Shay and his fellow Assassin Hope Jensen helped the inventor Benjamin Franklin activate a Precursor box with lightning to glean the secrets it contained. Once it was turned on, the box projected a hologram of Yggdrasil beneath a world map marked with the locations of Seismic Temples.[14]

In 2014, the Master Templar Juhani Otso Berg, inspired by Shay's defection to the Colonial Templars, donned a coat lapel button of Yggdrasil to emulate his idol.[15]

Functionality[edit | edit source]

Yggdrasil is an ancient Isu supercomputer which can best be described as the Isu's version of the Animus technology developed by Abstergo Industries. The supercomputer is engineered with a myriad of advanced abilities, some of which include:

  • Essence Containment – This allows users to upload and preserve their consciousness into the supercomputer. This can happen in one of two known ways. The first is by sitting in one of the energy core-powered chairs surrounding the table which holds the computer's processing tower in the center. After powering up the chair and donning a faceplate, a small arm extends from the chair's head and takes a genetic sample from the user's neck, then feeds it into one of the four pods containing individual human fetuses that hang from the computer.[8] The second method involves being physically entered into Yggdrasil via its branches, as seen when both Svala[2] and Layla Hassan[1] used Yggdrasil to upload their psyches to spend eternity inside the computer's simulations.
  • Incarnation Inducement – Yggdrasil is able to incarnate the psyches stored in it as humans across the globe. As of the 9th century, Yggdrasil successfully incarnated all nine of the Isu who used the device, all of whom could be identified by a black spot on their necks.[7] Unlike Aita and Vejovis' continuous incarnations known as Sages, this process could only be used to incarnate an Isu once.
  • Simulation Functions – Yggdrasil also creates powerful simulations similar to the technology used in Animi. As discerned by Shaun Hastings, it appeared to have been used to "generate and explore possible futures, alternate realities, and counterfactual stories."[16] This shows that the Isu could use Yggdrasil to effectively utilize the calculations. While trapped in Yggdrasil's simulations for centuries, Basim ibn Ishaq ran countless calculations to determine the best way to escape in the future.[1] Additionally, the machine could render a simulation of Valhalla, as depicted in Norse mythology.[2]
  • Biological Preservation – Yggdrasil's branches could hold a user's comatose body intact for extended periods of time, long after natural death and decay should have occurred. In 2020, Basim's unresponsive body was still whole after being connected to Yggdrasil for over 1000 years,[2] with whatever minor visible decay vanishing when the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus regenerated him back to life.[1]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Concept model of the Yggdrasil computer
    Concept model of the Yggdrasil computer
  • Concept art of the Yggdrasil computer
    Concept art of the Yggdrasil computer
  • Concept art of Yggdrasil in Asgard
    Concept art of Yggdrasil in Asgard
  • Concept art of Yggdrasil in fog
    Concept art of Yggdrasil in fog
  • Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber in 877 CE
    Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber in 877 CE
  • Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber in 2020
    Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber in 2020
  • Concept art
    Concept art
  • Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber, wide shot
    Concept art of the Yggdrasil chamber, wide shot
  • Concept art of Yggdrasil painted beneath an altar in Ireland
    Concept art of Yggdrasil painted beneath an altar in Ireland
  • A branch of Yggdrasil
    A branch of Yggdrasil
  • The sphere used to control Yggdrasil
    The sphere used to control Yggdrasil
  • Render of an Yggdrasil painting
    Render of an Yggdrasil painting
  • The Precursor box's hologram of Yggdrasil
    The Precursor box's hologram of Yggdrasil

Appearances[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Modern day
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – A Brother's Keeper
  3. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga – Chapter 6
  4. ↑ Celtic sacred trees on Wikipedia
  5. ↑ Assassin's Creed III – Modern day
  6. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Rigsogur: I. The King of Soft Reeds
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Il Salotto degli Assassini (@AC_ISDA) on Twitter "@DarbyMcDevitt this is our bet! pic.twitter.com/qZ8tRqQZMj" (screenshot)
    Darby McDevitt (@DarbyMcDevitt) on Twitter "@AC_ISDA @69guacamole69 @KurdishOnes I think you got it!" (screenshot)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Animus Anomalies: AA_Complete
  9. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
  10. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarök
  11. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Breaking the Order
  12. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Wrath of the Druids
  13. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rogue
  14. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rogue – Fiat Lux
  15. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rogue – Modern day
  16. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Database: Yggdrasil

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