Llif's Prophecy

"I was sitting alone upon the river steps of the Thifield Chapel, my feet in the water, and my eyes on the stars. Overhead, I saw the great comet, which we called the Yuki Suisei for the trail of snow behind it. The comet had hung overhead for two nights since. Unexpectedly, someone spoke next to me. "Ynys will be under one crown before that comet returns" I looked, and it was a tall man, in robes of green and a beard that flowed like water down his chest and into the river. He was looking up, and his eyes were as dark as water at night. I knew it was Llif, the god of the River Severin. He looked at me then, and gave a slight smile. Then he was gone, like the water vanishing downstream."

— Nakamura Chuner, guardian of Thifield Chapel in Lifworðig.

The prophecy of Llif given to the Nakamura Chuner is a topic of discussion and controversy among the courts of Ynys, ever since it was delivered a decade ago. It was during the appearance of the White Comet, which appears in the skies over the island every 84 years, and is most commonly interpreted to mean that Ynys will be unified under a single monarch sometime in the coming century. This has caused great unease among many of the royal houses of Ynys, and each have their own ideas about what it may mean for the future. 

Some choose to believe it is a hoax. It is well-known that Aldric of Creoda harbors ambitions of a unified Ynys, and since it was delivered in the Creoda's capital, they say it was planted by agents of the young monarch to support his plans. Others point out that it was given to a foreigner, a member of the Yuralin Tabadhik who had made his home in the Thifield Chapel to Llif, and that foreigners cannot be trusted to either tell the truth, or perhaps to understand the god's words (depending on who you ask). 

Others believe that the prophecy is authentic, but dispute the exact meaning. Several point to different monarchs who may come to rule Ynys, such as Conomor of Dumnonia, or Leofric of Gewisse. Others say that it speaks to a great invasion to come, most likely from the north by the Eyjamaður. The Cult of the Clarati believe it speaks of the return of the sorcerers they worship to rule the island as they once did. And a few think that the standard interpretation is incorrect, and that the meaning will not be clear except in hindsight - this is the official position of the Lorekeepers of Foxbridge, although the Librarian smiles quietly whenever it is discussed in their presence. Notably, the Young Foxes of Bernicia do not share the opinion of the Lorekeepers in this matter.

Regardless of how the prophecy may or may not be fulfilled, it is used to justify the ambitions of those who seek to become the sole monarch of Ynys, and is a source of conflict on the island.