In the year 2126 AD, a highly anticipated game called YGGDRASIL was finally released. Many players eagerly jumped in, excited to experience what was promised to be the most advanced DMMO-RPG ever created. Among them was me—Patrick Byrne.
The game lived up to expectations, offering unparalleled freedom in customization—gear, characters, abilities, and more. However, what captivated me the most was the NPC-building mechanic. Players could create almost anything—custom appearances, races, powers, items, and even personalities. While NPCs couldn't truly think or move like living beings, their characteristics and behaviors could be fine-tuned through detailed descriptions.
Naturally, players wasted no time bringing their ideas to life. Some created stunningly attractive NPCs, while others designed terrifying or imposing figures. But me? I wanted to revive a long-lost classic.
Tokyo Ghoul.
A legendary manga and anime series from the 2010s, which first began in 2011. Unfortunately, the franchise came to an end long ago. While the old anime and manga could still be accessed online, no new additions had been made in ages. It was a dark fantasy series filled with tragic characters, intense fights, and terrifyingly powerful ghouls. The world-building was fascinating, and the concept of humans struggling against a hidden society of flesh-eating beings was gripping. I often wished I had been around when the series was at its peak.
Determined to bring Tokyo Ghoul back in YGGDRASIL, I set out to recreate its infamous ghouls and factions. But I couldn't do it alone. So, I founded a guild and recruited like-minded fans of the series. What kind of fan would I be if I didn't name it Aogiri Tree?
The Guild's Requirements Were Simple:
1. Your character had to be a ghoul or human—to fit the role of either powerful predators or the twisted individuals supporting them.
2. You had to be diligent and dedicated to the guild's mission.
3. You needed extensive knowledge of Tokyo Ghoul—its lore, factions, kagune types, and all the deep storytelling details.
Out of the many who applied, only thirty players met the criteria and became official members of Aogiri Tree. We split into teams of five, each responsible for recreating different kagune types, ghoul organizations, and even legendary characters from the series.
Our guild quickly gained recognition. Inspired by our success, others attempted to revive classics like Attack on Titan and Parasyte, but none succeeded. Most disbanded before making any real progress, while others lost interest halfway through.
Even Aogiri Tree nearly collapsed. YGGDRASIL was a game built around magic, not the biological and physical mutations of ghouls. Recreating Tokyo Ghoul's mechanics proved incredibly difficult.
That was until we caught the attention of the developers.
One of them—who happened to be a Tokyo Ghoul fan—advocated for us and convinced the team to introduce a private customization feature: Kagune. He spent months developing a system that mimicked the predatory organ system from the classic series, with our guild assisting in its refinement.
His efforts were a success. But just as we were about to fully integrate Kagune into the game, controversy erupted.
Since Kagune were exclusive to Aogiri Tree, other players saw it as an unfair advantage. The ability to manifest unique predatory appendages that could counter magic and physical attacks led to widespread outrage. To balance things out, the developers imposed a restriction—Ghoul-type NPCs could not use magic. They relied purely on their kagune and raw physical prowess.
We accepted the limitation without complaint. After all, our goal wasn't power—it was preservation. But even that wasn't enough for the player base. They demanded that Kagune be made public. And so, the developers complied.
However, most players failed to use the mechanic properly. They could only create weak, generic ghouls and quickly abandoned it. Meanwhile, we mastered it, perfecting the Kagune system to recreate the terrifying and powerful beings of Tokyo Ghoul.
Years passed, and our work was finally complete. But our guild had evolved beyond its original mission. To acquire crucial world items, we participated in guild wars. Despite our imposed limitations, our creations dominated the battlefield. The complaints faded—after all, anyone could use Kagune. The difference was, only we knew how to harness their true potential.
Through countless battles, events, and dungeons, Aogiri Tree became a force to be reckoned with. Few guilds could challenge us. The most notable was Ainz Ooal Gown, a formidable guild of heteromorphic race players.
Our clashes were legendary. Sometimes, they won. Sometimes, we did. But one thing remained certain—no one dared to cross either of us.
The Guild Base—A Hidden Nest of Ghouls
Unlike other guilds, which built grand fortresses or mystical castles, Aogiri Tree designed its headquarters as a massive underground hideout. Dimly lit corridors, bloodstained floors, abandoned hospital rooms, and secret feeding chambers—every detail was crafted to resemble the eerie hideouts used by ghouls in the series.
Most guilds positioned their bases on the top floors of dungeons, with NPC guardians stationed below. We did the opposite. Our main operations were on the first floor, while the true treasures lay deep within the lowest level.
Infiltrating the first floor was easy. Surviving the descent? Impossible. Any intruder would have to fight through countless ghoul NPCs—each one more monstrous than the last—before even reaching the treasury. The few members who remained spent their time in a secure underground bunker, watching as trespassers were slaughtered by their creations.
The days spent designing NPCs, strategizing, and building the guild were some of the most enjoyable times I ever had in YGGDRASIL.
But everything comes to an end.
With nothing left to achieve, most members moved on, seeking new challenges in more active guilds. One by one, they left—until only five remained.
Now, with YGGDRASIL approaching its final days, only one member still lingers.
The last survivor of Aogiri Tree.
Patrick Byrne.