Ilog Pasi (ˈʔilog ˈpasi)

Ilog Pasi is the largest and most important river on the island of Pulo, and among the greatest rivers of the Great Ring. Flowing north through the heart of the Tagápulo Empire, it links the southern lands - where the Tagápulo first rose to power - to the capital city of Mynilad on the Bay of Mynilad. Together with its tributaries, Ilog Pasi binds all the lands of Pulo to the trade routes of the Great Ring, carrying much of the Empire's wealth upon its currents.

It is also one of the most dangerous features of Pulo. Each year during the rainy season, the Ilog Pasi floods, bringing great loss of life and property. Watchtowers along its length keep vigil for signs of rising waters, and villages nearby remain ready to flee at a moment's notice. Yet these same floods enrich the land, feeding the empire's agricultural wealth. Plantations line the river's fertile floodplain, producing rice, corn, bananas, coconuts, mangoes, and citrus fruits.

Notable Spirits

The river runs through the territory of all the Banwa peoples and holds great importance for each of them. Because of this, the Anito of Ilog Pasi is the most widely worshipped spirit on the island. To the Tagápulo she is Tagaya, to the Ilogaro she is Ang-asin, and to the Ipugao she is Dumuy. Whatever name she bears, her form remains the same: the great serpent of Pulo, a being of wisdom and power. She appears with the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower body of a mighty snake. Her voice is a balm to those who love the river - soothing, gentle, and drawing them close. But those who fail to show her proper respect find it irresistible, lured into the water without pausing for breath. Tagaya is believed to have ruled the river since before humans came to Pulo, and some of the Phaṇin tales describe her not with the body of a woman, but with the upper form of a Kikipua.