Llif (ɬiːv)

"I am ever-changing, yet I endure unchanged. What the ages have hidden, the ages have already revealed."

— Llif of the River Severin

Llif is the god of the River Severin, and one of the most powerful of the Ellyll, the gods of the Dhewen Peoples. Save for Derw of the Long Memory, Llif is the oldest of the Ellyll still in existence - yet even Derw does not recall a time when both were not present together. Llif's river runs the length of Ynys, and his power is rivaled only by Gwynn ap Lludd, King of the Ellyll. Some whisper that Llif may in truth be the greater, but as he once remarked: "Gwynn cannot be ruled - it is not in his nature - and should not be slain. So let him be King. He is no burdensome ruler, and seeks mastery over none, save to be free of any master but himself."

During the centuries of Clarati rule over Ynys, Llif remained unbound, unlike many of the other great Ellyll. He did not oppose the Clarati outright - yet neither did he serve them. Instead, he carried the voices of the Ellyll who were no longer free, whispering their tales to those who traveled upon the river. In dreams, mortals beheld the gods lost to them, and so their stories endured, keeping the dream-born Numina from fading into oblivion. When the Ellyll were at last released and could act again, they knew that Llif had preserved them through their long imprisonment, and many still feel indebted to him for this service. When asked of it, Llif replies only that he knew they would be freed - and that they would be needed - once the Clarati were gone. Needed for what, he does not say; and the wiser Ellyll wonder, with unease, what future awaits.

The Endless River

Those who sail the River Severin sometimes call it Afon Diderfyn, the Endless River. They believe it has flowed since the world's beginning and will endure until the end of time. Likewise, Llif is said to transcend time itself, coursing through a thousand echoes and memories of the island. He bears the perspective of ages, and the wisdom to interpret them. Llif is a god of prophecy and foresight, and many study the river's surface for glimpses of what is to come. At times, he grants more direct revelation - as when he appeared to his priest at Thifield Chapel beneath the White Comet, and with casual ease spoke the prophecy of Ynys's future ruler. When such explicit predictions are given, they shape the fate of the island - which may be Llif's design in making them.

Another meaning of Afon Diderfyn is more literal: when Llif wills it, the river may stretch beyond its bounds. On its waters, time and distance are malleable. Those who offend the god may spend days crossing a single mile, unseen by others who pass them by. Yet Llif may also hasten a voyage, granting swifter and easier passage to those who earn his favor. All riverfolk know this, and take care to remain on the god's good side. Should they suspect a passenger has angered Llif, they will cast the offender off at once - sometimes onto the shore, but just as often into the river itself.

Lord of the Waters

Beyond being god of the River Severin, Llif is lord of all the Ellyll bound to the lakes and rivers of the Ynys Archipelago. He shows special favor to his "hundred mothers" - the rivers and lakes that feed into the Severin's main flow - but all alike are under his protection and command. Not even Gwynn ap Lludd would dare exert authority over Llif's followers without first consulting the river-lord, for such an affront would profit neither of them. Across Ynys, every offering cast into the waters is shared between the local Ellyll and Llif, making him among the most widely worshipped beings in the archipelago.