The Silver Swallow

Tea House & Bathhouse of Tranquility

Overview

The Silver Swallow sits just beyond the bustle of the harbour, its pale stone walls rising taller than most town buildings. A gilded carving of a swallow in flight perches above the arched doorway, polished so often it gleams in the sun.

Inside, guests are welcomed by the sound of trickling fountains, the scent of jasmine, and the hush of soft-spoken attendants. The front half of the building houses a serene tea house where patrons sit in cushioned alcoves sipping rare teas and herbal infusions. Beyond, through curtained archways, lies the true heart of the establishment: the bathhouse of tranquillity, where the wealthy of Pullitierra come to cleanse body and spirit in marble-tiled pools and scented steam rooms.

Membership is strictly limited, and guests are expected to maintain an air of refinement and discretion.

Layout

Tea House Hall: Polished cedar tables, silk screens dividing private alcoves, and an ornate central fountain shaped like a swallow mid-dive. Rare teas and delicate confections are served here.

Changing Chambers: Servants in silver-grey robes provide towels, oils, and perfumes; small private lockers hold valuables.

Bathing Halls: A grand chamber with high glass windows, mosaics of swallows and waves on the walls, and alarge heated pool. Attendants circulate offering fruit, tea, and chilled water.

Private Steam Rooms: Smaller chambers lined with cedar and herbs, for those wishing privacy or seclusion.

Staff & Figures of Note

Mistress Aranelle Veyra (Proprietor): A graceful, silver-haired woman who claims to have brought the tradition of tea-and-bathing from distant eastern lands. Soft-spoken and endlessly observant. Rumored to report directly to Maradia when guests whisper too loudly.

Domas the Keeper: A barrel-chested man with a voice like a drum. Oversees the baths, ensures order, and escorts out anyone who breaches the rules of discretion.

Lyria (Attendant): A young, attentive tea-server with a gift for overhearing more than she should. Discreetly sympathetic to those opposed to Maradia, though she hides it well.

Atmosphere

Guests shed their burdens with their clothes: gossip flows more freely here than in any tavern.

In the steam, whispers of political alliances, trade deals, or conspiracies mingle with the scent of lavender and cedar.