Parola Pasi (paˈɾola ˈpasi)
- excerpt from The Lighthouse Song
At the southern most point of the Bay of Mynilad is the mouth of the great river named Ilog Pasi. After passing through the city of Mynilad, it spreads out into dozens of channels before emptying into the bay. Many of these streams are dangerous to navigate, and before the constuction of the Parola Pasi, more than a few ships were stranded or even wrecked by choosing the wrong path. As the city of Mynilad became one of the busiest ports in Southwestern Region, the Order of the Lightkeepers decided to build a lighthouse next to the most navigable channel to guide ships to the correct course.
Sinaílig the Riddle-breaker
Like all the lighthouses in the Ring of Light, the Parola Pasi is a temple to the Numina who arises to inhabit it. When it was first constructed, several of the priests from the Pangdambana ni Luek volunteered to become the first keepers. Thus it was no surprise that when the goddess of the Parola Pasi manifested several decades later, she identified herself as a daughter of Luek, god of the Bay of Mynilad. She called herself Sinaílig, which means 'She Who Guides the Flow', and with her power manifest in the lighthouse, ships found it almost impossible to sail up a dangerous channel of the Ilog Pasi; the currents around the river mouth would pull them away, and towards the safe passages upriver.
Like most of the lighthouse gods, Sinaílig's interests and powers extended beyond the elements of physical navigation. In her case, she became a solver of mysteries and breaker of riddles. She had the gift to see through deceptions and distractions to see to the heart of things, and could quickly solve any conundrum brought to her temple. She was particularly gifted in resolving mazes and labyrinths, although only via her avatars who she would send out to seek out and vicariously solve them for her. Sinaílig has always maintained an avatar ever since she manifested, so that they may travel the Great Ring in her stead and seek out new mysteries to investigate. Her current avatar is Tagnaán, who is considered the world's finest detective.
Because of this, the Parola Pasi has become a recipient of pleas from people desperate for an answer to their mysteries. Petitioners arrive regularly to beseech the aid of the goddess, as well as requests delivered by the Kendari Couriers. Sinaílig is often willing to help those who ask it, although a donation to the upkeep of the Parola Pasi is expected by her priests before they will bring the mystery before her. She will frequently send out a priest to resolve one of these mysteries on her behalf, and the most difficult cases may even warrant a vist from Tagnaán himself.
Riddle-Breaker, Riddle-Maker
While Sinaílig is best known for solving mysteries and riddles, she is also capable of creating the most interesting and difficult puzzles in the world. She has been known to do so purely for the joy of it, and to test those who wish her aid in the solving of other mysteries. One of the most significant puzzles she has created was at the behest of the Tagapangalaga ng Aten, the personal guard of Emperor Matatag; they requested that the goddess create an unbreakable cipher for their use. While it is unknown what payment she required from the bodyguards, they did receive their cipher, and her promise not to break it for anyone else.
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