The Mouth of Chalichu

The city of Xochiyotli is built within a crook at the base of Mount Mecayo deep within the southern Pilgrim Lands. From the top of Mount Mecayo, a raging river descends, feeding the fertile soil of the mountain and watering the terrace farms built upon the mountain face. The rivers journey ends at the Yarelli falls, where the water takes a leap of faith to the valley below.
In ages past, those waters would form a lake as they landed, which spread out across basin as several rivers. The Xupantla once viewed the area as holy ground, blessed by the Icons. A fact that may inform why they hold the waters of the area with such reverence to this day. The waters themselves are said to have been provided by the Chalichu Cuiaxi, who aided her sister, the Ahuiatē Macteoh, in the construction of Xochiyotli.
The waters nourished the city and its people, and she was said to be delighted when she saw them use her gift for even greater purpose.
The people constructed a great cistern from immaculate stone around the lake the waters of the Yarelli formed. With those waters, the constructed aqueducts and their own, artificial waterways. It was fed to gardens, shaped into canals that traveled around the city, and used to purify the city inhabitants. It became the blood of Xoxhiyotli.
It's impossible to imagine what the city would look like without those ingenious uses, if the city would exist at all, and it earned the Weaver of Sapphire Waters a permanent place of worship and admiration. Thus, the great cistern was named after the Icon.
Said to be her words to the people she loves so dearly, the waters that flow from the Mouth of Chalichu encourage all to come and be safe within Xochiyotli.

Alterations

While the original cistern was fairly simple in its construction and aesthetic presentation, the passage of time and wear on stone presented an opportunity to the civil engineers of Xochiyotli. The original stone cover, which allowed the water of the falls to flow into the cistern and protected the body of water from the sun and the worst of animal life in times of drought, was collapsing and cracking. Much of its original stone had been worn away and it would not be long before the whole thing fell into itself.
Feeling creative, the engineers redesigned the "face" of the cistern and decided to just remove the quotes around face. Using gold, marble, and several minorly precious stones, they wrought a whole face into the cover of the cistern, in the likeness of the Chalichu Cuiaxi The waters of the falls flow into her mouth and disseminate amongst the city.

Alternative Names

The Great Cistern, the Weaver's Bath

Type

Water pump / Well, Large