The Baths
Delved from spring-carved caverns below the main areas of the freehold, hotsprings and cold have been tapped and channeled to form a sybaritic suite of chambers for bathing in the old roman fashion. While private tubs can be arranged for guests desiring privacy, most of Ben Bison's inhabitants enjoy the comeraderie these shared facilities permit, and few nurse any strong inhibitions about disporting in mixed company. There are exceptions, of course, and courtesy requires that intimate liasons be conducted elsewhere, as the baths are open to childling, wilder and greybeard alike.
The already relaxed ambience of the Brugh is at its least formal here. Even exalted guests are received on a first-name basis. Perhaps this, more than the casual nudity of mixed genders and generations, is what keeps the more reserved of fae from mingling here. Then again, the likes of Lady Quave are hardly missed, and more than one unbending Gwydion lord had been coaxed into enjoying the free talk and benefitted by the opportunity to truly unwind and forget the demands of station for an hour or two.
True to the Roman model, there are three pools. The caldarium is fed solely by a hot-spring, and the water is just short of scalding. Excellent for soaking stressed muscles after a bout of sparring or a long patrol upon the trods, the caldarium is usually the first pool bathers seek. When the heat becomes overpowering, the frigidarium is the next step. Fed by unheated springs, the water is a brisk fifty-five degrees fahrenheit, guaranteed to refresh even the most weary to full alertness. Once a fae has cooled down, the tepidarium beckons. The largest pool, fed by hot and cold water alike, the tepidarium is of a mild temperature perfect for extended soaking, and low tables along its edge hold beverages and light foods, encouraging fae to linger upon its sunken benches and socialize. Nearby is an actual sauna for those who prefer it, and tables for massage completing the arrangements.
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