Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil is the God of Time, the most ancient of all beings, one of the first living things in the world of Kryllos, the first to open the doorway from the invisible to the visible, the first to take root here and grow.

Yggdrasil is responsible for the steady march of seasons, epitomized by the growth and death of plant life. Yggdrasil also presides over all stages of mortal life (birth, childhood, adulthood, elderhood, and death.)

Yggdrasil represents knowledge and wisdom, gifting mortals with medicine in the form of healing herbs but also punishing them with hidden poisons. Knowing which plant was which required mortals to study Yggdrasil's works and hand down their lore to their descendants, keeping it alive over time.

Yggdrasil had the highest reach, its branches stretching beyond the sky into the sea of stars. The winds and clouds were said to be its breath, so creatures of the air were closest to Yggdrasil. It is said that birds were born as leaves of the World Tree's branches...and birds still seek refuge in trees, a memory of their original bower.

Insects were born of its bark and spread its seeds across Kryllos, epitomized by the ceaseless labor of bees. Yggdrassil faithful consider honey one of the most sacred foods and honey-mead the most sacred drink.

Farmers honored Yggdrasil. A good crop yield meant the World Tree was content. When fields turned fallow, they knew they had angered the god in some way - or someone had - and the culprit had to be found to make amends. If no guilty party was found, a scapegoat had to stand in. When times were at their worst, a member of the community was urged to volunteer for sacrifice. If none stepped forward, everyone's name was placed into a basket, The sacrifice was fed a feast of honeyed cakes and honey-wine, bathed, dressed in fine robes and taken to the oldest known tree in the area where they were nailed to its trunk. They were honored ever after, and their family received a portion of wealth from the community's other families.

Source: Blackbirds RPG
AI Art by Midjourney

"Macarn had it from Ardsley,
who had it from Grimmor before him,
who had it from Brynna the silver-shorn,
that the beetle blight had come in her time,
and she knew the means for extracting sap from the first tree
that, when smeared on the stalks,
drove the pests away and ended the famine."