Eathium
A Eathium is communal gathering place featuring a salted water pool believed to reinvigorate ones constitution. Most Eathium are free for the public and maintained by the town or city. However, the most elaborate Eathium are privately owned and cater to the wealthy nobility of the Yenari Empire.
Purpose / Function
Architecture
The building is solidly built out of stone and insulated to prevent temperature changes. The central pool is rectangular or circular with a ceramic furnace built into the center of the pool. During the night the temperature is carefully controlled by fueling the furnace and stirring the water; the temperature of the water is kept around 40 C. Around perimeter of the pool there is a built in bench submerged a foot under water allowing easy access to soaking in the pool.
The central chamber contains the pool. Most Eathiums also have a community hall attached to the pool room. The hall has tables and chairs and some even have a bar that serves refreshments. Most also feature a outside soaking pool and a garden.
History
Eathiams were first constructed after the Tern Bas invaded the Middle Yenari Empirein 3760. The design is supposed to be reminisant of the sacred hot springs around the Tern Bas city of Durbarrak. The oldest know Eathium was constructed in 3800. Over the days the Eathium became one of the top social gathering places for the Yenarians. In fact they are so popular that cities and towns fund their upkeep and they are free for anyone to use.
The first Eathiums were fresh water. However, they were extremely hard to keep clean and often the pool were coated in slippery plant matter. No one knows when the salt was added to the water, but that kept the pool much cleaner and more sanitary.
Sketch of and Eathium floor plan by Cory Brooke-deBock
Founding Date
3800
Owning Organization
Nice article! Quite interesting to have them use salt water and also great that you added an explanation for how it came to be.