Springhorn Bathhouse
"The Springhorns that own the bathhouse are the last true vestige of Alcedene's long lost gentility. Marble pillars, water from mineral springs deep in the ground heated by magical flame, and all the other trappings that would have seemed just another wonder in a center of culture like Alcedene before the fall of Lake Hope.
"But now it stands as a sad testament to a reality that will never be. In this rough frontier town with all of these rough, frontier people, their cleanliness is almost comical or surreal. On the other hand, I'd prefer to just be grateful that the place exists and not dwell on all the misery it represents."
~Abide Baht Mig, Caravaneer.
Purpose / Function
The Baths were built to take advantage of the mineral springs found under certain places in town. The place where they well up closest to the surface is the spot where the Baths were built. The springs themselves are potable, but the metallic flavor is extremely unpleasant. The pools of the Bathhouse are warmed to varying degrees by the magically heated pipes that feed them.
Alterations
More than a hundred years after the main structure was built, an addon was tacked on to provide more private bathing areas. Each of these nine bathrooms have a single copper tub that have to be filled with buckets and heated with their own fireplaces.
In 555, Maow-Finn Springhorn became the town's doctor and began passing the post down to his children. Very quickly, a small sickhouse was put in with its own pipes to send the sickness away from the bathwater.
In 920, a sauna was added using magically heated rocks bought at great expense.
Architecture
The main building of the Springhorn Bathhouse was built from white marble, which has grayed with age and is now covered with ivy. It consists of one large room, 200x250 ft with ceilings 18 ft. high. Murals and paintings adorn the walls depicting scenes of healing and recovery. There are three large baths; one stays at the below-ground temperature of the water, one is kept warm and the last is at the upper tolerance for heat. They are each 50x55 and separated by a walkway for the attendants.
The sickhouse is 50x60, connected to the main structure on the northern side where the sun can reach it throughout the day. The ceiling is smoked glass, and the walls are stone. Copper pipes allow water from the springs to be accessed, which the Springhorns regularly use for poultices and elixirs. The sickhouse normally has 5 cots, but folded cots are available to fill the place with 20 comfortably and almost 100 in case of plague.
The ten private bathrooms on the east side of the building are made from polished wood and only accessible from the outside. Each is 5x10 ft and in the center is a one-person copper tub. Vents in the ceiling allow air in and steam out, and attendants can keep fires going in little clay fireplaces in the back of the tub to keep the tubs warm. The tubs have to be filled by hand.
The sauna is a 25x25 wooden room surrounded by clay brick. The center of the room is a basket full of rocks each individually enchanted to always be hot. Seats line the walls in three layers, each using the one in front as a footrest. Attendants keep the steam going with buckets of mineral water when the sauna is occupied.
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