Spa Spies
| Spa Spies | |
|---|---|
| Date | 2023-08-27 |
| Storyteller | Foster |
| Tier | Trainee, Medium |
| Player Characters | Boophis, Terog, Lunaris, Wrax, Taru, Echostar |
| Rewards | 200xp, 5gp per person (or items of that value). |
| Result | Success? |
| Author | Unseelie |
| Downtime | 0 days |
Associates have a spa day.
Log
To be brought to the attention of the Round Table Council.
We, Boophis Bright-Eyed, Lunaris Nightbloom and her familiar Bun, Terog, Wrax, Echostar (who had to leave after an initial survey of the surrounding area due to an urgent matter), and myself, Tarina Autio, were tasked by the Hiroaki Onsen through Kali of the Hiroaki Clan to investigate the Sweet Rest Spa which opened for business outside the city four days prior. All of our group were still new to the city or at least to the position of Associate as we only expected what amounts to a spa day to provide a comparison to our local onsen, but our discoveries may warrant a more thorough investigation by more experienced Associates.
The Sweet Rest Spa is located within a building made of a green stone none of us recognised, and appears to consist of one single large block the rooms were carved out of. However, the inhabitants deny any use of magic in the creation or transport of the building, and, in fact, insist on knowing nothing of anything that happened before their own arrival just before the spa first opened.
Said inhabitants further claim to be from an underground but mostly human town in the south by the name of Smithville and to all be related, bearing the last name Smith, which they also share with the elusive owner of the business who goes by the name of John Smith. Their looks support this, as all but one higher ranked employee who introduced herself as Andrea, resemble each other to a degree that makes a blood relation likely. Andrea too either has a twin, or is capable of appearing in two places at once.
While they truly appear to provide the services they promise, with Wrax receiving a reportedly very comfortable massage, conversation and our own investigations revealed some suspicious details:
- The entry and all services are free, costs are supposedly covered by donations
- Andrea reported the spa to have been a family business (the term had to be clarified for her) for 30 to 40 years, but could not or was not willing to provide any details of other locations.
- Pools exceed a depth of 120ft. Both attendants and Andrea state to not know the depth due to never having been to the bottom.
- A library is provided containing many rare magic books, but generally having fairly random contents only partially known to the attendants.
- The movements of the attendants appear to be slightly off compared to other humans.
- Food items are claimed to both be "on order" and "already prepared", requests to see the kitchens were denied. Dishes unknown to the attendants and subsequently described are delivered matching the description exactly.
- Some hallways were blocked for "maintenance" but stated to be unfinished. When the discrepancy was pointed out, the signs were soon replaced while none of us were looking. Any entry into these hallways, even by the cat familiar Bun, was quickly discovered by Andrea, even when she was engaged in conversation with some of us in a different part of the building. We suspect a clone or a twin.
- Mentions of non-available services a spa should or could contain were responded to with curiosity and the implication that they would be provided in the future. Follow-up visits may encounter a sauna and a tattoo parlour. The suggestion of the latter in reference to the Hiroaki Onsen, which Andrea did not appear to be aware of, was not encountered with any surprise or confusion.
- The pool water appears to be slightly acidic.
- Items for sale all show slight acid damage, consistent with material we tested in the pool water.
Due to their numbers, we deemed any action that may have lead to a physical confrontation as unnecessarily risky.
I truly hope that these are simply inhabitants of the First World who arrived through the recent portal and now have difficulties integrating with mortal society or that there is some similarly harmless explanation, but something more sinister may be afoot and I suggest another visit involving more powerful mages than those of our group who may be able to see through illusions should any be present.
Signed,
Tarina Autio, Associate of the Round Table.