Republic Bath House

Though public bath houses are the norm for most cultures with well-developed infrastructure, the Republic has turned these edifices into the center of their public life. Two large baths are the norm, with one heated and the other left at ambient temperature. Seaside communities include a third salt-water bath for those so inclined. Everyone is expected to bath at least once every two or three days, and bath houses have evolved from a hub of gossip to fixtures that include food vendors and whole restaurants immediately outside, as well as places where one can procure services ranging from massages to medical treatment. Lewd proclivities are frowned upon within the baths themselves, though many nearby businesses offer private rooms for those exiting the bath. Locals choose their tea houses carefully, as running naked and dripping wet through an eatery with a paramour on one's arm is rather rude, even if technically legal.
The spiritual component of baths comes from the shrines included within each one. Republic custom insists on cleanliness before one makes prayers or offerings to ancestors and gods, and shrines are dutifully attended by priests who oversee the numerous ancestors and deities invoked in each. Wealthy patrons might leave a small statue or painting (it's considered rude to make one so large that it crowds out others), while more common citizens stamp the name on medal or lacquered wood; these are hung within the shrine in such a way as to create a pleasant chiming sound when wind comes through the open windows. With the exception of major holidays and feasts in honor of the Republic's preferred deities, nearly all religious activity takes place here, with a steady stream of petitioners leaving bits of food or incense for their deceased family members. That whole neighborhoods maintain and observe these communal shrines is a testament to the Republic's sense of community.

Purpose / Function

Socializing, cleansing, communion with the gods and ancestors

Alterations

Dwarven citizens of the Republic (few though they are) keep to themselves, and maintain dwarven-only bathhouses. These are typically built next to the smithies and communal kitchens dwarves employ, and the excess heat from said smithies heats the bath water in large tanks above the kitchen to be used in the bath. It goes without saying that the smiths themselves prefer the cooler water.

Architecture

Columns and domes are common, and the baths themselves typically sit beneath a large hole in the roof to allow rainwater and sunlight in. Cunning channels are carved into the baths to prevent too much water, and any city with an aqueduct will endeavor to allow baths to fill themselves from this architecture as necessary.

Type

Bathhouse