Adelia Thermae

Most Dercian cities where Crienias they could be found in any significant numbers had at least one, and often several, bathhouses. In many cities, they were not only used for bathing but also for socializing among the citizens who used them.   In the western part if the Imperial capital, Pearlhal one can find the Adelia Thermae, located in the New Gate district, the Adelia Thermae is one of the larger bathhouses one can find in the capitial, with previous owners not only managing the property well but also on more than one occation manage to save the building from fires that had consumed nearby housing, afterwhich the owners of Adelia Thermae brougt the ruins and expanded their bathhouse.  

Building layout

Adelia Thermae follows a standard layout that has not changed much over the centuries. It's built around 3 principal rooms. The Adelia Thermae has a couple of extra rooms due to its extended layout.   A warm room where lukewarm water is being led through pipes in the walls and floor, increasing the temperature of the room by 5-10 degrees more than the outside, this room is generally the first room that guests get to experience. Some provincial bathhouses emit this room from their buildings as they either don't have much space to build on, or they are of the group that don't believe the room is useful.   Following the warm room, the guests are then led into the hot room, where, much like the previous room, the room is several times warmer than the outside. This is also where the guests will find the first of the hot plunge baths that Adelia Thermae, as well as other baths, has. In the case of Adelia Thermae, it has 4 pools big enough for several people to enjoy at the same time.   When the guests have spent time in the hot room, they will then move to the cold room, where they can dip into one of two large cold pools, big enough for the guests to swim back and forth.   Adelia Thermae also features a steam room, which is similar in layout to the hot room. Instead of a pool, the room features a set of benches, and water is added to the room, which then forms into steam.  

Cultural significance

In many ways the bathhouses serves as a form for community centres for the Crienias. the process of bathing generally took so long that conversation was necessary to pass the time and many Crienia used the bathhouses to invite friends and senators would use them to discreatly talk about causes they wanted some to follow.   One of the thing the Crienia believe in are that good health comes from bathing, eating, massages and exercise which lead to many of the bathhouses offered these and the Adelia Thermae was no different.